Reviews of Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by disneylover1209 Review Date: 04/06/2020
Rating: (10) Recommended
best memories are made here.
Pros:
the funnest hotel ever and pools are awesome, rooms are awesome.Cons:
a little expensiveReviewed by WDWHort Review Date: 04/06/2020
Rating: (7) Recommended
Savana room or bust. It’s that simple if you don’t have a savanna view room this resorts big con isn’t worth it.
Pros:
Savanna room views. Food also is amazing.Cons:
Location Location Location. It is so so far to any other park other than Animal Kingdom. It hurts because everything else is amazing.Reviewed by superpats Review Date: 03/29/2020
Rating: (9) Recommended
I thought this was super great! We got there very late, was given a room very close by as CM saw we were exhausted, and the room was perfect.
Pros:
Its nice to a have savannah view room, however with some creative walking around, I had coffee with the giraffes about 20 feet from me. The cast members at the service desk were absolutely fantastic and helpful, just what you want for a guest service experienceCons:
Can't think of one at this timeReviewed by SarahW Review Date: 03/15/2020
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed here for our first trip back to Disney World since 2011. It was a great resort, we were up graded to a Savannah room upon check in. Every morning and evening we could see the giraffes eating from their feeders.
Pros:
Great theming Loved seeing animals on property Close to Animal Kingdom ParkCons:
Limited menu options at table service for picky eaters Dark bathroom in roomReviewed by SarahMotter Review Date: 02/13/2020
Rating: (8) Recommended
We have stayed here 8 times as a family and we generally LOVE it! Unfortunately the “cons” have begun to outweigh the “pros” after a while. The cast are always remarkable, the animals are beautiful and the food is incredible! This review will be outdated once they finish the room renovations!
Pros:
The Savannah views! The food options! The Cast Members! The Theme!Cons:
The rooms are dark and a little outdated. The bus ride is LONG to/from the parks.Reviewed by chuysfamily Review Date: 01/16/2020
Rating: (9) Recommended
My wife and I stayed for a week in late November and just loved this resort! It was our first time at AKL and would gladly stay there again. The lobby is amazing, as is all the attention to detail. We had a newly refurbished room and Disney must have addressed the poor lighting that others have commented in their reviews because the bathroom and bedroom were very well lit, and there were plenty of USB outlets to charge everything. The decor was more Lion King than the African Savannah feel (with mosquito netting over the beds). The floors were wood laminate and the beds were new and comfortable. We were also able to put our suitcases under the beds, so that saved us room. There were only 2 of us on this trip, but I could see that a family of four might have an issue with dresser drawer space. We were supposed to have a standard view, but we could look to the left of our balcony and saw plenty of animals. I would not pay the extra for the view because there are so many places around the resort to view the animals. If you are in the parks after breakfast until after dark, you won't see the animals anyway.
Mousekeeping always did a good job on the room and everyone in the AKL very nice and helpful. The food options are really good. Most days, we had a quick service breakfast at the Mara. (Their sweet treats are quite amazing, too. I loved the peanut butter brownie.) We ate at Boma, twice, and loved it. We were concerned about too much spice and flavor with the food, but this was a non-issue due to plenty of options on the buffet. There was refurbishment going on inside and on the exterior of the resort, but this was a minor inconvenience for what the resort offered. The only thing to keep in mind is that you have to take a bus everywhere. They generally ran on time and efficiently, but they get so crowded that the 20 minute ride to a park seems longer.
All in all, I would greatly recommend this resort and would love to stay there again.
Pros:
Wonderful theming/beautiful hotelCons:
buses to every parkReviewed by SNT Review Date: 06/13/2019
Rating: (8) Recommended
This resort is simply magical! The lobby is stunning, the savanna breathtaking. I felt like a little kid, always checking to see what new animal was outside!
We paid for a savanna view and I think that’s the only way to go. We had giraffes outside our balcony constantly, in addition to birds, zebras and other incredible wildlife.
For the price, the rooms leave much to be desired but that’s Disney. The bathroom was extremely small (toilet and shower) and not well lit. The theming of the room is nice but I think more could be done. Our tv didn’t work (which I couldn’t care less about but my husband was hoping to watch golf on our downtime). For the price you pay, it would be wonderful if the rooms could be bigger and the bathrooms made to be luxurious, rather than standard hotel bathrooms.
The transportation by bus only is not ideal but you know what you are agreeing to when you book at AKL.
Overall, I think AKL is worth it for the savanna experience. It is truly unique and I would absolutely stay there again.
Pros:
The views, the lobby, two of some of the highest rated Disney restaurants on property, gigantic pool, magical atmosphereCons:
Small, standard bathrooms. Distance from parks and transportation by bus only. PriceReviewed by travelgurl Review Date: 06/11/2019
Rating: (8) Recommended
I recently stayed here for 4 nights, the lobby and common areas were beautiful and relaxing. I had a standard room with 1 queen and bunkbeds which would be great for families. The room was nice sized. The light in the shower was a bit dim and there is no fan to remove the steam. I had a parking lot view and each morning had to deal with lots of bus noise. I am not sure for this view I would pay the money they want.
Pros:
Great food. Where else are you going to see animal up close. Nice pool area, beautifully decorated.Cons:
Only has bus transportation. Price high unless you able to get a view of the savanna. Distance from everything.Reviewed by MWS Review Date: 06/07/2019
Rating: (9) Recommended
We booked a standard view room, but to our surprise, we received an upgrade to a Savanna View room. We arrived after 3 pm, but our room was not ready, the front desk stated we would receive a text however, we never received a text and we had to check in with the front desk around 8 after we returned from Disney Springs. The hotel lobby and grounds are exquisite and all the Cast Members we encountered were very helpful and pleasant. We never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a bus and the majority of the times the buses were not packed. The only cons – the sink/shower area are very dark and the room seemed a little dusty.
Pros:
Savanna Views/Animals. Cast MembersCons:
Dark room. HousekeepingReviewed by fdmarks Review Date: 04/13/2019
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
If it wasn't for the animals, no one would probably want to stay here. If you don't rent a car, the bus rides are over packed and dangerous for the standing little children. The time to get to the parks are outrageously long and extremely unpleasant. The front desk cast member was very incompetent and could not print my Southwest boarding pass. She also outright lied about issues with the boarding pass. and did not know that I had talked to her supervisor, who had ad no problems with printing the passes out while I waited. There were no USB outlets in the room and the same front desk cast member (Rashida) said that she did not know what a USB outlet was. There needs to be some extra training for the people who cannot do their job. The room was 4963 and it was at the end of the horseshoe of Arushna savannah. This made the trek to Mara for refills a monumental task. Will not stay here ever again
