There are well over twenty Disney Resorts Collection Hotels at Walt Disney World. With another currently under construction and more in the works, there is no shortage of hotels to enjoy during your Disney World vacation. While there are some hotels that are top of mind for most people when they think of Disney World (we’re looking at you, Contemporary), others don’t receive as much love for a number of reasons. One hotel that flies under the radar that we think is one of the top hotels on Walt Disney World property is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of Disney’s Deluxe-tier resort hotels in the Animal Kingdom Area of Walt Disney World. While this resort is in the Deluxe category (read, “expensive”), it is the most affordable Deluxe resort most times of the year. I’ll have more on why I think this is the case later in the story. Let’s dive into why you should make Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge your next stay in the magic.
Picture this: You escape to luxury accommodations complete with top-tier dining options, art history, unique shopping, and Disney hospitality all while being surrounded by sprawling savannas home to over 200 hoofed animals and birds. If this is your vibe, then a stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge needs to be on your bucket-list. The moment you enter the property, you will notice the lush surroundings all across the lands that envelop the resort buildings. There are two main buildings that exist at the lodge: Jambo House and Kidani Village. This review highlights the main resort building at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is Jambo House. As a side note, the Kidani Village building has guest rooms that are part of Disney Vacation Club (Disney’s timeshare program), but are able to be booked by the general public as well. The fifth floor of Jambo House also has Disney Vacation Club rooms.
The entire resort is very beautiful and there are those aforementioned animals which call the savannas home. Even if you are not interested in animal watching, this is a place you can really appreciate. I feel that, as with most Deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World, there is a more adult vibe here. It would be a great place for a honeymoon, or for a getaway. However, if you wanted to bring the kids (as many do), you would not feel out of place here. Let’s take a look at the guest rooms.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge currently has three room view types. Each of these room view types has a layout with the choice of two queen beds or one king bed, and they all have either patios (ground floor parking lot or pool facing) or balconies. The views you can choose from (in order from cheapest to most expensive) are Resort View, Water View, and Savanna View. Resort View rooms are described as rooms with a window and balcony view of a parking lot or rooftop. Water View rooms have a window and balcony/patio view of a pool. Savanna View rooms have a window and balcony view of one of the four savannas. Of course, the Savanna Views are the most-coveted rooms due to their clear, unobstructed view of animals roaming the savannas. This is also the reason those rooms are the most expensive.
Here is a tip: If you don’t have the money for a Savanna View room, you can always stop by the check-in desk when you check-in and request a room with a partially-obstructed view of a savanna! The resort has quite a few of these, but because there is an obstruction such as a building element, fencing, etc, they cannot sell the rooms at the Savanna View rate. That is a great way to be able to still see the savanna from your balcony without breaking the bank. Just know that your request is just that… a request, and nothing is guaranteed. Be nice when asking the cast member, and if they cannot accommodate your request, be appreciative that they at least checked.
The rooms themselves are intricately themed. Lots of wood-carved elements with thematic images of animals, The Lion King intellectual property, and a hidden-Mickey here and there. The flooring is hard (wood or laminate), which is easy to maintain and keep clean. Depending on the bed configuration in your room, you will either find two queen beds or one king bed and one upholstered chair. Take some time to enjoy the intricately designed headboard, which is massive! There is also a Smart TV, a nightstand (two in the rooms with a King bed), closet area with a safe and handheld steamer, a dresser, a Keurig coffee machine with a variety of K-cups, a beverage cooler, ice bucket, and a small table with two chairs… perfect for a private couple’s meal.
The bathroom consists of two areas: the vanity area and the toilet/shower area (select rooms have a bathtub). The vanity area has a huge backlit mirror, dual sinks, magnified makeup mirror, hair dryer, tissue, bar soap, mouthwash, and lotion. As expected, the other area of the bathroom contains the toilet and shower (bathtub in select rooms). On the balcony/patio, you will find two metal chairs and a small table. The chairs, in keeping with the theming, have an animal depicted on the backrest. I enjoyed this room immensely, as it was very comfortable and there seemed to always be something new to discover in the artwork. If you were able to snag a room where you can see the animals in their habitat, you are certain to never get bored in the room.
Outside of the room, the resort can have some sprawling hallways. This is not unusual at Disney Resorts Collection Hotels, as most of the one-building hotels do tend to have very long hallways with room after room after room. Learning shortcuts is a good skill to have, as the shortest way to get from your room to other places in the resort is oftentimes NOT making your way to the main elevator, finding the lobby, then continuing from there. However, there is lots of artwork in the hallways to take your mind off of the fact that you may be walking for a while. There are many different savanna overlooks in the hallways and on adjacent patios. Therefore, even if you don’t have a room that looks out onto a savanna, there are plenty of convenient opportunities and locations where you can enjoy animal viewing (many times, right down the hall from your room).
When you get hungry, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has options that do not disappoint. In fact, some of the most revered dining options on Walt Disney World property are at this resort! The main dining locations are below, but keep in mind that there is also a pool bar and several lounges on site.
The Mara
If you want to grab something from the on-site quick service restaurant, you will head to The Mara right outside of the Uzima Springs Pool. This is where you will find those Mickey Waffles, chicken strips, flatbreads, and burgers. This is also the location where you can get the free soft drink refills if you have a non-expired Rapid Fill or Disney Dining mug. The Mara is not just an ordinary Disney Quick Service, however. It also has other offerings exclusive to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge such as Chermoula-spiced Shrimp Bowls, Harissa-spiced Beef Bowls, and those Zebra Domes!
Sanaa
This restaurant is not actually in the Jambo House building of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, but is being included because there is a shuttle that runs between Jambo House and Kidani Village where Sanna is located. For those who want to take a nice walk, you will be there in 10 – 15 minutes. Sanaa offers a quick-service breakfast service, but switches to a table-service restaurant for lunch and dinner. You will find a fusion of East African inspired dishes with Indian flavors at Sanaa, and the dining room has some tables that look out onto one of the savannas. Favorites at Sanaa include the Indian-style Bread Service, Tandoori Chicken, and Zanzibari Vegetable Curry. Due to its popularity, advance reservations are highly recommended for lunch and dinner.
Boma – Flavors of Africa
Boma is a buffet-style restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is designed to resemble a lively African marketplace with vibrant flavors from over 50 African countries, and is open for lunch and dinner. There are also familiar American favorites to choose from, so it is a good place to visit if you want to try a few exotic items while still being able to have access to more traditional foods. The menu does change from time to time, albeit not very much. You can find the famous POG (Passionfruit, Orange, and Guava) Juice here, although it has a slightly different name: Jungle Juice. Boma – Flavors of Africa is a very popular dining location, so it is recommended to make advance reservations.
Jiko – The Cooking Place
Last but certainly not least, we have Jiko – The Cooking Place. Jiko is a Signature Dining location at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, which means it has an elevated dining experience (as such, there is an elevated dress code expected). You will want to change into some nicer clothing before heading to Jiko. On the menu, you will find a blend of traditional African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine. This is a dinner-only location, so expect to find items such as Bone Marrow-crusted Filet Mignon, Peri-Peri Chicken, and Moroccan-spiced Lamb Shank. Again, this is an experience as much as it is a place to fill your stomach, so expect to take your time and enjoy this dining experience. It is the perfect spot for a date night, and you will find many couples dining there. Of all the dining locations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, this is the one that I most recommend having made advance dining reservations, especially since it is only open for one meal daily.
Once you’ve gotten your fill of animal watching and your stomach is satisfied, now what? That is the perfect time to do some shopping. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has you covered! Just around the corner from the check-in desks at Jambo House, you will find Zawadi Marketplace. Zawadi Marketplace is the main gift shop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. You will find resort-branded merchandise, general Walt Disney World merchandise, snacks, and an impressive selection of African-made art. You can find unique souvenirs and gifts here, including hand-carved wall art, djembes (goblet drums), masks, and more. There is oftentimes a scheduled visit from a wood carving artist who will demonstrate their craft right in front of your eyes!
So, why is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge so underrated? A big part of the reason is the location of the resort. In comparison to other resorts, this one is possibly the biggest outlier in terms of location. This is certainly the case when you look at Disney’s Deluxe-tier resorts. This resort is extremely convenient to the Animal Kingdom theme park, but farther away from all others. It is definitely the farthest Deluxe resort from Magic Kingdom park. As if the distance to most of the theme parks wasn’t enough of a con for this resort, it gets worse when you realize that the only free Disney transportation option is the buses. While other Deluxe resorts have the added options of having the Skyliner, monorail, or boat being available to transport guests to theme parks (or even being close enough to walk), Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge does not. That is a huge problem. While you could decide to use a ride-sharing option to get around, that does add costs. No doubt, Disney is aware of this and, to circle back around to what I mentioned earlier about Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge being the cheapest Deluxe-tier resort at Walt Disney World, I think this is the main reason the daily rates are below all other deluxe resorts
In conclusion, the MouseHouseNews.net team really, really likes Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is just an option in a portfolio of Disney resorts, and it can be great in ideal situations. We think it is an absolutely great option for an adults getaway where the idea is not to be in a theme park every day from sun up to sun down. There is no reason to pay the extra costs for any deluxe resort if the idea is to not have time to enjoy the resort. Let’s say you are going to Walt Disney World for a week, maybe for a couple’s vacation or for a honeymoon, and you would spend no more than four days in a theme park. Since you would have ample time to enjoy the resort, this would be a great opportunity to stay here. Just be sure to budget additional costs for ride-share transportation if you don’t like the idea of taking a bus.
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