You might think that Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is the best example of what Disney World hotels have to offer — but you’d be wrong. Don’t worry, we can explain.
This Deluxe Resort is utterly breathtaking both inside and out. It’s no wonder it’s a bucket list hotel for so many Disney fans! And, while there are PLENTY of reasons someone might want to stay here, we may have found an unfortunate side effect of staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the most gorgeous hotels on Disney World property, and it’s easy to see why so many people love it. The hotel is designed to mimic the feel of a South African wildlife reserve lodge, with the rooms following the Kraal African Village semi-circle design concept.
The hotel is six stories tall. You enter the impressive lobby on the third floor of the resort (though you won’t be climbing three flights of stairs — the entrance is elevated). There is a huge picture window at the far end of the lobby that looks out over 30 acres of land. From here, you can walk out onto an elevated viewing area called Arusha Rock and enjoy the roaming animals out on the savanna.
Oh yeah, did we forget to mention all the ANIMALS at Animal Kingdom Lodge? Whoops! All three savannas are specially built areas that are just for this hotel and are separate from Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In addition to the uniqueness of having animals on site — no other Disney World hotel has this — Animal Kingdom Lodge is known for its world-class dining.
- Jiko — The Cooking Place is a table-service restaurant serving dinner that features a taste of Africa in an atmosphere shaped by traditions and customs.
- BOMA is a very popular buffet restaurant open for breakfast and dinner. Boma captures the essence of vibrant life in the African marketplace.
- The Mara is a quick-service restaurant open from morning to night with great food and poolside dining.
- Sanaa is a beloved Table Service restaurant located in Kidani Village. It offers full-service lunch and dinner. This is an excellent restaurant — and is very underrated — therefore it’s usually easy to snag a reservation. Sanaa’s large windows offer a view of the Savanna.
- Uzima Springs is a pool bar that serves drinks and quick bites to eat.
- Victoria Falls is a mezzanine lounge overlooking Boma that serves specialty coffees and teas and a variety of beverages at night.
Okay… so what’s the problem? This hotel sounds pretty darn great, right?! Yes! You’re right! And THAT is the problem. The unfortunate side effect of staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is that you’ll never want to leave. Who needs the parks when you can sit on your hotel balcony and watch giraffes and zebras go by below?!
If not wanting to leave the hotel because it’s just TOO dang cool is an unfortunate side effect, then it’s one we’ll gladly sign up for time and time again. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is an incredibly unique hotel, and not just by Disney’s standards. Depending on what you’re planning for your next Disney World trip, it might be the perfect hotel for you!
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest updates from Disney World hotels and more. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news!
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Have you stayed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge before? Tell us in the comments.
And on top of that, it smells SO GOOD. Like woodsmoke and grilled meat.
Been ther about 20 times and going again in 3 weeks
We LOVED AKL when we stayed there for our Disneymoon in 2011. Loved JIKO. Had Savanna view and got surprise upgrade to CLUB LEVEL.
Unfortunately we had to Cut trip short due to hubby having GALLSTONES!!!! He had been in Hospital multiple times before trip and they did NOTHING and it just got so bad on our Honeymoon to where he couldn’t enjoy himself!!!! Then I couldn’t have fun cause of Him being SICK. It was our Honeymoon!!!
So we plan to make up for it Next trip for my Birthday and our Anniversary.
We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in February of 2024 and loved it. In fact our son said that he doesn’t want to stay anywhere else on our next visit to Disney World. I completely agree with your unfortunate side affect idea. We had a savanna view and it was awesome! Being able to see the animals was a perfect way to start and end our day. It may have been pricey, but it was well worth it from our perspective.