Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
When planning your trip to Walt Disney World, there are so many resorts to choose from. Matt and I had never stayed at a Deluxe category resort, so for Christmas last year, we decided to splurge and stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Lodge was intended to recreate the feel of a South African wildlife reserve/lodge and is so themed throughout the property. The rooms follow the Kraal African Village design (semicircle concept) and the resort is set on over 30 acres of land.
The lobby of Animal Kingdom Lodge.
The main lodge and adjacent rooms are what’s known as Jambo house (this is where we stayed), and there is a Disney Vacation Club area known as Kidani Village a short walk or bus ride away.
Another shot of the bridge in the lobby from the bottom of the staircase facing the exit to the savanna.
The lodge features 4 savannas with over 200 animals and birds that you can observe during your stay! But it’s not just the outside that is a stunning visual experience! The inside features an incredible display of traditional African artwork and crafts!
Light fixture in the lobby.
Fireplace in the lobby.
Lobby.
Some of the artwork featured in the lobby.
We went up the stairs to check out the bridge.
Anytime you stay at a Disney property, you have access to Early Entry (meaning you can enter the parks 30 minutes before other guests). When you stay at a Deluxe property like the Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can also take advantage of extended evening hours on select nights at select parks (it can be up to two hours after the parks close). If you are all about park time like we are, this is a huge advantage!
View of the lobby from the bridge.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge Offers:
Free Wi-Fi
Free Parking
Online Check In
ATM
Minnie Van Service Through Lyft
Designated Smoking Areas
Laundry & Dry-Cleaning Services
Mail Services
Concierge
Bus Transportation To Each Park (The Lodge is located in the Animal Kingdom Resort area and the ride to Magic Kingdom takes about 25 minutes)
View of the savanna from the bridge inside the lobby.
A map of the property.
Just outside the lobby.
Just outside the lobby. First animal sighting!
A rock mural just outside the lobby in one of the viewing areas.
The following animals can be seen at any given time:
Anikole Cattle
Bongo
Blesbok
Eland
Grant’s Zebra
Greater Kudu
Impala
Reticulated Giraffe
Thomson’s Gazelle
Waterbuck
Red River Hogs
White-Bearded Wildebeest
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Blue Crane
East African Crowned Crane
Greater Flamingo
Marabou Stork
Ostrich
Pink-Backed Pelican
Ruppel’s Griffon Vulture
Viewing area just outside the lobby.
Giraffe sighting from the main savanna outside the lobby.
Inside the gift shop.
We went in November so there were some holiday decorations in the gift shop.
Inside the gift shop.
An indoor viewing area with some interesting artifacts.
In addition to the outdoor savanna areas on the ground floor, there are also random areas throughout the Lodge where you can pop out on public balconies and enjoy the sights and look for the animals.
Some of the areas even have these fun binoculars so you can get a closer look at the critters!
The main savanna in the center of the Lodge. The lobby is to the left.
Another great feature of the Animal Kingdom Lodge is the fact that there are so many bar and restaurant options to choose from during your stay. People even come from other resorts to eat here!
Staircase leading from Victoria Falls Lounge down to the Boma.
The Bar and Restaurant Options are:
Jinko-Dinner (Fine/Signature Dining)
Boma-Breakfast & Dinner (Buffet)
Mara-Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner (Grag & Go)
Cape Town Lounge & Wine Bar
Victoria Falls Lounge (Bar)
Uzima Springs Pool Bar
Sanaa-Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner (Breakfast is quick service & Lunch & Dinner are table service-located at Kidani Village)
Sanaa Lounge (Bar)
Maji Pool Bar (located at Kidani Village)
In the waiting area of the Boma restaurant.
We were lucky enough to secure a reservation for breakfast at Boma through the My Disney Experience app 60 days in advance of our stay, and we liked it so much that we actually went a second time! We continuously checked the app, and someone must have canceled because a reservation time opened up for the following day as well. They do take walk ups as well, but this one is really popular so the wait times can get really high (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train high)!
Inside the Boma restaurant. I loved the authentic thatched roof that really tied the ambience together.
The breakfast buffet had an incredible selection ranging from sweet to savory, from traditional American to exotic African cuisine.
Obviously there had to be Mickey waffles but look how cute these Lion King ones are!!
They serve Kenyan AA Coffee, tropical juice (a mix of mango, pineapple, & orange), made to order omelets, carved ham, South African quiche, and so much more!
Breakfast is $35 for adults and $21 per child, plus tax and gratuity.
The French Toast bread pudding with two dipping sauces to try came highly recommended both mornings by our waitresses.
At the Mara picking up a snack for the room.
The Mara:
Breakfast Menu–($14.99 and under per adult)
Lunch Menu–($14.99 and under per adult)
Dinner Menu–($14.99 and under per adult)
Snack Menu–($14.99 and under per adult)
Late Night Menu–($14.99 and under per adult)
Famous Zebra Domes from the Mara. $4.59 Chocolate Mousse baked with Amarula Cream Liquor-coated White Chocolate drizzled with Chocolate Stripes and Chocolate Shavings.
There are tons of things to do at the Animal Kingdom Lodge besides enjoy the wildlife. One of the biggest draws to this resort is the pool area.
Map of the pool area.
First peek at the pool.
Hidden Mickey leading out to the pool area.
Just outside Boma leading out to the Pool area.
The pool is 11,000 square feet and has a 67-foot waterslide and a poolside bar (Uzima Springs open 11a-10p).
View of the pool and the Uzima Springs Pool Bar.
View of the waterslide.
You can see, there is tons of seating options all around the pool, and even some in the shade off to the right side.
Another shot of the waterslide.
Waterslide.
Some seating over in the shade.
There is an additional 4,700 square foot pool with a massive 128 foot waterslide over at Kidani Village.
Hot tub.
There are also other things to enjoy:
Hot tub
Uwanja Camp (water playground at Kidani Village)
Campfire activities
Movies under the stars
Hakuna Matata Playground (by the Flamingo area)
Pumbaa’s Fun & Games Arcade
Wild about Painting (every Wednesday from 1pm-3pm $35)
Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center (only fitness center open currently)-open 24 hours and includes a sauna, steam room, and lockers.
Starlight Safari-A tour every evening at 8:30pm or at 10:00pm in an open safari vehicle with a night vision device! You will explore the savanna for one hour. $75.65-$89 per person. Book in advance as spots fill up super fast!!
Hakuna Matata Playground.
Flamingo area.
One of the savanna viewing areas over by the pool/flamingo area.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge offers several different room options all with different bed configurations (king, queen, two twins):
Standard View
Pool View
Savanna View
Suites
Club Level Access
Deluxe Studios
Villas
Our room.
Our room was a standard room, but we got incredibly lucky and felt like our views were basically savanna like because of all the animals we saw!
We had twin beds.
Each room included:
Beverage cooler (refrigerator)
Coffee & Tea station
Patio/Balcony
Toiletries
There was a button for different light settings.
Even though it was a more African themed resort, there were touches of Disney throughout.
Hidden Mickey in the curtains.
Bathroom with double vanity.
Nice roomy shower.
More of those Disney touches.
While the room was large, clean, and comfortable, the balcony and the views were by far the best part!
Matt out on the balcony looking for any signs of wildlife!
View from the balcony.
Every morning I would rip the curtains back and jump out of bed to see what critters were roaming around and I was never disappointed!!
Zebras that we could see from the balcony in the morning as we got ready.
Enjoying breakfast while we enjoyed our morning coffee.
We could have sat around and watched the animals all day long! They were constantly moving around, eating, playing, and sleeping. It was so fascinating and so cool to be so close to it all!
So, if you are looking for a Deluxe resort and love Animal Kingdom and the draw of seeing the animals, this is definitely a good choice for you. The animals in addition to the exquisite decor, excellent restaurant choices and food quality, and stellar on-site entertainment like the pool and other activities, we would absolutely love to stay again and recommend to anyone who can afford it!