Reviews of Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by Victoria Review Date: 01/17/2013
Rating: (0) Recommended
We were a large party of 17 in early December 2012 and had five rooms on the 2nd floor and our balconies facing the sunset view. We all enjoyed viewing the animals, especially the children, from our balconies. We had a hectic park schedule and I would have liked spending more time just lounging in the beautiful surroundings of Animal Kingdom Lodge. We enjoyed the pool, hot tub, found the service people very helpful at Mara We also enjoyed a large family meal at Boma. The lobby is truly outstanding. Our rooms were in good condition and very comfortable. We were very happy with our stay and believe the children had an unforgettable experience there. The giraffes are magnificent.
Pros:
allCons:
noneReviewed by peters Review Date: 01/20/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Tied with the Grand Floridian as my favorite Disney resort. The theme is second to none, the restaurants are varied and tasty, has the best gift shop of any Disney resort and the cast members are the absolute best I've encountered. Every time we've stayed here, the staff has gone out of their way to make our stay comfortable and they always fix what isn't right.
Pros:
Room views, food choices, gift shop & particularly the staffCons:
Far from the MK, but that's also part of the charmReviewed by mschu2112 Review Date: 03/10/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
We just returned from a February break 5 day stay at AKL and overall the resort was fine. The lobby is great and the pool and overlook areas were fine for the kids. Mara offered a good selection of food and the bus service was timely.
However, after staying at the Beach Club in August we felt the AKL was definitely lacking with respect to Beach Club. For one the rooms were much smaller so our family of 4 was very cramped. There were extra dressers at Beach Club as well as a desk and day bed. At AKL there was no desk, small dresser or day bed. The bathroom shower area was cramped and difficult to get in and close the door with any room. There was a lack of dresser space to unpack in and generally we felt cramped. Mousekeeping never left any animal towels which was a disappointment. Our room was a pool view on the bottom floow near the fitness center and was hard to find at first. The pool was nice but the deck was smaller and crowded. Mara was good but hours could be later. The gift shop was large and definitely better than Beach Club. The savanna overlooks were fine but we had expected bigger areas. I am glad we did not pay for a savanna view room as it would not have been worth it given the number of animals we saw.
Overall this is a nice hotel; however, I likely would not visit again as its off the beaten path and the Epcot area resorts are much closer to everything access wise. It was nice but again below what we expected room size wise. Beach Club area just can't be beat.
Pros:
Pool, Mara, Overall GroundsCons:
Room size, mousekeepingReviewed by goofyernurse Review Date: 04/07/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My family and I stayed at AKL 3/16 thru 3/22 and couldn't have asked for a better vacation. The relaxed atmosphere of the resort was a nice refreshing change from some of the other Disney resorts that we have stayed at.
We had a savannah view room on the 3rd floor and thoroughly enjoyed waking up each morning (not early) and sitting on the balcony watching the animals. Our room was a queen bed with bunk beds and was a tad small for 4 adults, but both of the 21 y/o were just fine sleeping on the bunk beds. And honestly, you're at Disney...why are you in your room so much?
Both restaurants were amazing and even Mara was good for a quick dinner or breakfast. All of the staff were very nice and always helpful. We even attended a South African wine tasting at Jiko and it was a highlight of our trip. It was a nice change to come back in the early evenings and sit by the fire outside and sip on a glass of wine without screaming kids running all over the place.
The only negative aspect of AKL was the long bus rides from the parks (and yes we knew about this going in). We wisely chose to start driving the car when we were attending the parks late at night so we wouldn't have to wait in long lines or endure the bus ride back to the resort. But this wouldn't keep me from staying here again.
All being said, I would return to AKL without any hesitation and was thoroughly impressed and relaxed at the resort and am very happy that we choose to stay here for our vacation
ps..Amanda (the chef) made an amazing birthday cake for my son and was very easy to talk with over the phone for the ideas. Thank you Amanda for making his day very special.
Pros:
Atomsphere, staffCons:
DistanceReviewed by dgurgens Review Date: 04/15/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
My husband and I stayed here (2nd time) for our anniversary. We stayed 4/2-4/8. We were shocked that our room was ready when we checked in, and we're pleasantly surprised to to have been upgraded to a savannah view room. Nothing better! Our room was clean and mouse keeping was phenomenoal - our room was always ready when we returned.
Pros:
Peaceful, Relaxing, Clean, Quiet, PoolCons:
Bus transportationReviewed by FoxzLem Review Date: 05/08/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
Our first stay there on a split hotel visit in a pool view room. LOVED the hotel. Our four year old loved seeing the animals at all of the look out spots. Jiko was a highlight. Partake in the evening hotel activities. Night vision goggles were a hit with the family.
Pros:
Animals, charmCons:
DistanceReviewed by MM from Connecticut Review Date: 05/25/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
From the moment we arrived to the moment we checked out, the hotel was as much part of our vacation experience as the theme parks. Incredible staff, cultural learning experiences for the kids, and animals galore. Only con, and it is most likely for safety reasons with animals, is there is only one exit for pool, and no outdoor walking trails like at other resorts.
Pros:
Incredible ExperienceCons:
Long walk to get outside near poolReviewed by peytonshea02 Review Date: 06/04/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We just returned from our third stay at AKL. (5/22-5/30). Like the past 2 trips we booked a Pool View room. When we checked in we were SHOCKED to find out that we had been upgraded to a savanna view! We were in room 3136 - same floor as the lobby facing the sunset savanna.
The room was ready at 9:00am and immaculate. We love the theming of the rooms at AKL. There are only 2 small details that are not perfect. 1. The lighting in the bathroom/vanity area is terrible. and 2. There are only 2 drawers for storage. The first point is not a huge deal. But the second....We are a family of 4. One drawer went to my daughter, the other to my son...so hubby and I spent 9 days living out of our suitcases. I am an organizer and never feel settled until I unpack and put everything away...this made me a bit nuts!
While we very much enjoyed the beautiful view (we saw giraffes and a few other animals 5 or 6 days during our 9 day stay) - I would never pay the significant price difference for a Savanna view over a Pool View on our future stays there.
AKL never ceases to amaze me. It is such gorgeous resort - the attention to detail is like no other. There is nothing like stepping out of the HOT FL. sun into that cool, breathtaking lobby and hearing "Welcome Home.".
The pool is beautiful - an oasis! Our kids loved the poolside activities. One night they watched Wreck It Ralph while swimming - magical!
We ate several meals at the Mara. We had different flatbreads, the African inspired breakfast, Mickey waffles and different pastries (strawberry scone was exceptionally yummy!) Everything was tasty and well prepared.
We had dinner at BOMA one night and all LOVED it.
The CM's at AKL were fabulous. Very friendly and super helpful. They truly make the resort feel like home.
We visited a few other resorts during our stay and we still have not found one that feels quite as beautiful and unique as AKL.
And one final thought: One of the most common concerns I hear about AKL is how "far away" the resort it. After staying 3 times I can honestly say that should NOT be a concern! No, it is not on the monorail or steps away from Epcot - but that is part of the beauty. It may be an additional 5-8 minutes on a bus, but you avoid the masses of vacationers. When you go home to your resort you feel like you are on vacation! If you are considering AKL - you MUST try it. You may very well never want to stay anywhere else.
Pros:
—Cons:
—Reviewed by Kddisneyfan Review Date: 07/26/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My husband and I stayed 6/19-6/24 for our 10 year anniversary. We were immediately greeted by the wonderful aroma as you enter the hotel. I was presented a rose during check-in since we were celebrating our anniversary which was a nice touch. At first we were issued a first floor pool view room. When we got into the room and could barely see the pool through all the shrubbery my husband immediately called to ask for a room change. This was after we had spent a good 20 minutes trying to find the room! We were completely lost and no one seemed to be able to help us. The staff was wonderful with finding us a room on a higher floor, which took about another 20 minutes for them to call back and send us on our way. We ended up with a third floor room (same as the lobby) with a beautiful pool view. This time our room was just past the gift shop and very easy to find! We enjoyed the towel animals that were left for us 3 nights out of our 5 night stay. The atmosphere of AKL is so unique and homey that we had a very nice vacation. The pool, hot tub, and pool bar were great, it wasn't too noisy, and it provided that tropical feel that I love on vacations. Biggest complaint was that when we returned to our room mid afternoon each day for a break from the parks, the room had not been cleaned. We just got into our swimsuits and went out to the pool for a bit and they were always done with our room when we returned. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. We would love to return with our kids, but being a family of 5 there are no daybeds for the fifth person at this deluxe hotel.
Pros:
Quiet, clean, friendly staffCons:
Confusing layout of roomsReviewed by LoriC Review Date: 08/02/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We checked in for a seven night stay at Jambo house on July 10th and were thrilled to be upgraded from a pool view to a savannah view. Our room was on the second floor of the Zebra trail facing the Uzima savannah. We love the Zebra trail because you have the savannahs on one side and the pool and restaurants on the other side. Very quick walk to anything you need. My children love the pools and Jacuzzis at both the Jambo and Kidani sides of the resort. The pool games, though, were a bit of a disappointment. However, the nightly movies were a big hit.
Mousekeeping did a great job keeping our room clean, and left my boys towel animals upon request.
The food at Boma and Sanaa was great, but we really like room service. The food is plentiful and delicious, and the room service is prompt and polite.
My only complaint was that the air conditioning in the common areas is very high. We had to take sweatshirts with us to eat or even to grab a refill in our mugs!
My son used Simba's clubhouse twice and had a great time!
