Reviews of Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by hstuck Review Date: 10/23/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
I love this resort....it's my 4th time here and each time it impresses me! I didn't splurge for a savannah room this time but my pool room was perfect. I love staying here because of the animals (as I think most would say), but also the staff is great, the pool is amazing, all the restaurants are wonderful (especially JIKO). Had an amazing dinner at Jiko. The rooms have a nice balcony too! It was a nice touch that my room was ready at 11:30...well before designated check-in. Mousekeeping was great per usual. Just another lovely stay and I cannot wait to return next year! I do agree with most that the distance to other parks is far but it's a worthy trade off to have the animals right there! Truly a great experience. With the planned changes to the Animal Kingdom Park, I'm looking forward to staying close to that park! Thank you again AKL staff for a lovely stay.
Pros:
Savannah!Cons:
cost and distanceReviewed 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!
Pros:
Cleanliness, Service, Pool Area, FoodCons:
Air Conditioning Too High In Common AreasReviewed 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 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 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 Anonymous Review Date: 08/06/2023
Rating: (9) Recommended
Recently stayed here. Best resort I’ve stayed at! Room was a little bit of a walk from the lobby. Pool was nice. Room was themed well. View was amazing. Buses were not a problem. Came one after another. Never waited in a line for a bus. Best dining in Disney world here! Overall really fantastic service and stay here!
Pros:
Savanna view Zebra Domes Boma, Jiko, and SanaaCons:
Buses Big resortReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 10/03/2022
Rating: (9) Recommended
We loved our stay here! The theming is incredible and we loved how unique this experience was.
Pros:
Theming, awesome restaurants and fun activities. The Animals of course!Cons:
It is busy, there’s a lot of people here. We didn’t sleep well because of noise. Ask to stay further from the lobby if possible.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 07/27/2022
Rating: (9) Recommended
We come to Disney one to two times a year. We're a small family of 4 and a military family. Our first trip together we stayed here and LOVED IT!. This was in 2019. The rooms were nice and and "roomy" for 4 of us 2 adults and 2 kids 4 & 10. We fell in love with the Savanah view room. Some mornings we would wake and find our children just sitting on the balcony observing the animals. When Disney closed in 2020 we were sad when we returned in April of 2021 and Animal Kingdom was closed. We missed Jiko and Sanaa. However, returned in Dec of 2021 for Christmas and loved it! The only downside is its SO FAR AWAY from everything and without Minnie lift it takes forever to get to and from the parks
Pros:
Jiko, Sanna, Animals outside your door! Nice pool never over crowded, Clean rooms, lovely showers.Cons:
Long bus wait times. If someone with EV comes they and there crew will easily take half a buss no matter how long you have been waitingReviewed by TeacherManJoe Review Date: 05/31/2022
Rating: (9) Recommended
Wowowowowow, Animal Kingdom Lodge is breathtaking in a host of ways.
Firstly, the obvious: Having a full-on Savannah on property is just mind-blowing. With many of the animals you get to see on the Kilimanjaro Safari in the park, BUT AT A FREAKING RESORT, you’re in for a treat whether you are staying here or just visiting. Add the fact that you have the option (if you’ve got the moolah) to have a Savannah-view room and wake up to Giraffes (my favorite) hanging out near your window and you’ve got a unique experience you won’t find anywhere else. (We don’t personally have the moolah for this, but were given a VERY nice wedding gift of a stay here, and it was breathtaking). Pro-tip: There is a nighttime safari offered here at AKL that is AWESOME if you get the chance. We were gifted this by a cousin during our stay and you get to go around the Savannahs at the lodge with night vision goggles and learn more about the animals up close and personal in a safari vehicle and it was just DOPE!
Next, as if you needed more, the actual theming here is beautiful. From the insanely beautiful lobby, with African art, carvings, and cultural representations throughout (and that bridge!), to the theming inside of the rooms, the theming here is top-notch and up there as the best on property.
Then there is the dining! With two of the better restaurants in all of Disney World (Jiko and Sanaa), as well as a delicious option in Boma as well, the dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge is arguably unrivaled by most other resorts. Whether just coming here to dine at one of these or dining at one as part of a stay at the resort, you get lots of the greatest parts of the resort included in your dining experience.
Now, the ONE reason why I review AKL as a 9 instead of a 10 out of 10 is because of distance. When we stayed here, we were in a room that was quite far from the lobby. As such, to get to the buses each day and back to our room involved quite a long walk. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but after a long day of Disney walking, it definitely was not ideal. Additionally, AKL is pretty far from most of the parks, with the exception of Animal Kingdom of course, and so bud rides to and from the parks were typically 30 minutes or more. Again, not necessarily deal-breaking. However, this was a bit of a bother as people who like to spend as much time in the parks as possible.
All in all though, AKL is a resort that I would consider one of the most unique in Disney, and arguably one of the most unique you will find ANYWHERE. Between the top-notch amenities, the excellent dining, and the beautiful theming throughout, this is a resort well worth the Deluxe price tag if you can afford it (again, even though we cannot normally). The distance, both walking and transportation, does affect the experience just a bit. However, it is not enough to completely ruin what is otherwise a near-perfect resort experience.
As a sidebar: I experienced one of the most beautiful Cast Member “magic moments” in the gift shop here that I have ever seen in Disney or my life in general. I know that these happen every day and all around the parks and resorts, but the fact that I saw it here will always stick with me.
Pros:
Simply breathtaking in theming, dining, and the inclusion of a Savannah AT THE RESORT Well worth the premium price tag Top-notch serviceCons:
Distance from everything, both walking to the lobby, and bussing to the parks While worth it, this is an expensive resortReviewed by PattyMayonaise821 Review Date: 11/11/2021
Rating: (9) Recommended
My husband and I stayed at the Jambo House in a Savanna view king size bedroom for 4 days and 3 nights. First things first it needs to be said: when the animals are out, this is THE BEST view in ALL of Disney.
Jiko was closed when we stayed (Oct 2021), but breakfast at Boma was delicious and unique. Don't sleep on the french toast bread pudding! Also, Zebra Domes not only lived up to the hype, but they surpassed them.
The hotel lobby is amazing. The staff was friendly and helpful, and honestly the bus only transportation is totally fine as long as you're mentally prepared for it. We got to and from each park everyday without any issues, however we didn't plan to rope drop anything (though we did take advantage of two nights of after hours).
The only real negative about this resort might be that the pool is not AMAZING, but it's not bad either-- it's just an average hotel pool so if you plan on doing a resort day, you will probably do more animal watching than pool lounging-- though I think that's totally the point of the hotel!
