Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

“1st time to a Disney Hotel”

Cleanliness here is genuinely exceptional, and the staff are overwhelmingly warm and helpful — though our check-in experience left something to be desired. We think we were simply unlucky with the cast member we got, as this seems to be a one-off rather than the norm. Dining-wise, we used the Disne… more

Cleanliness here is genuinely exceptional, and the staff are overwhelmingly warm and helpful — though our check-in experience left something to be desired. We think we were simply unlucky with the cast member we got, as this seems to be a one-off rather than the norm. Dining-wise, we used the Disney dining package so only ate at the hotel a few times. Boma was enjoyable but very busy — we waited 30 minutes to be seated despite having a reservation. We also ate at the Mara, which delivered good food and great service. The pool bar was a highlight with outstanding service throughout. The grounds are simply wonderful. The pool could have been a touch warmer, but that’s a personal thing — I do feel the cold! One practical note for anyone considering staying here: it’s further from Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios than other deluxe resorts, and you’ll need to take a bus to all parks. That said, bus wait times are generally short and the stops are comfortable and shaded. Overall, a truly unique resort experience. 4 out of 5.

less

“Short Staycation”

We came here for a Staycation and it was our first stay here after visiting WDW and being CM for many years. The structure is very similar in design to Wilderness Lodge (our fave) as they were designed by the same architect. This is a very laid back resort. The center lobby is always very busy and … more

We came here for a Staycation and it was our first stay here after visiting WDW and being CM for many years. The structure is very similar in design to Wilderness Lodge (our fave) as they were designed by the same architect. This is a very laid back resort. The center lobby is always very busy and there is so much to explore extending our into the rear courtyard where you can see many animals (there are also CM there to assist with any questions). We stayed in the Main Building, Jambo House. The staff/CM were outstanding as usual and very outgoing. I do like that they now have the check-in CM out in front of the desk to greet you and often use I-pads to check you in. The interior has several sitting area books for relaxation and conversations. The room we had, 4201, was large and roomy though I think there was an opportunity to use some wasted space. The view was nothing special, so no view of the Savannah. The bathroom was modern and well-appointed. Gone is the carpet replaced by laminate flooring. We had a balcony but nothing to look at. There is a coffeemaker and plenty of k-cups. We ate at Boma which is our all-time faves restaurant on property and again it did not disappoint, A shout out to our server, Kevin, who was fun and efficient. We also ate breakfast at Mara which was nicely decorated for a quick service location and had many choices for meals. It was cold so we did not experience the pool area but it is very attractive with its jungle shrubbery. Note, there are several look-out points at the ends of the halls and in the observation area. The beds were comfortable and there was a mini-fridge, steamer and plenty of storage. We would have liked a comfy chair instead of a standard straight-back chair. The reading light near the bed was a nice touch. Transportation was quick and efficient, as usual. The gift shop had a good array of gifts and necessary sundries as I recall many items from My days working in DAK. overall, an excellent and relaxing stay with no criticisms. A nice resort, though I still brlieve a bit overpriced and should actually fall between a moderate and deluxe resort.

less

“Just ‘ok’”

I wanted to love animal kingdom lodge but honestly it was just ‘ok’. For the price I just wanted more. First the good..it’s a nice hotel, spacious and the staff are so nice and helpful. It’s clean and fairly quiet for a Disney hotel. We stayed in Jambo and I know it’s about to get refurbished and b… more

I wanted to love animal kingdom lodge but honestly it was just ‘ok’. For the price I just wanted more. First the good..it’s a nice hotel, spacious and the staff are so nice and helpful. It’s clean and fairly quiet for a Disney hotel. We stayed in Jambo and I know it’s about to get refurbished and boy does it need it! We had a room with a kitchen due to our kids food allergy. The kitchen was poorly equipped. Who needs 20 glasses but only 2 pans? No kettle. No k cup coffee machine. And things in the cupboards were put away dirty. This is mainly because the dishwasher doesn’t work well at all, it’s old and full of lime scale .It all needs a complete overhaul. We had a pool view room and it was nice, except there is really loud music going all day long. It does stop at about 8pm but if you have little kids who need to nap this wouldn’t work well. Also the lobby is huge but the hotel is lit so dimly everywhere. I’m not sure who decided this would be the vibe but it’s odd. Trying to check in when you can barely see the paperwork is weird to me. The Mara and the restaurants and bar all have similar lighting. It’s giving depressing date night rather than vibrant Disney hotel. The bed is comfy but the sofa bed..what in the world! The mattress is so thin the springs poke out it’s absolutely awful. My kid slept on it and he complained it was uncomfortable. I cannot imagine any adult being ok on this. The other chair that turns into a single bed was much better. The thermostat in the bedroom needs work. If you set it at 66 it alternates between freezing cold air and heat which was so uncomfortable and not how ac should work! You don’t need the heat to come on to regulate the temp in any ac system I’ve ever seen. So every night you’d get 30 mins of cold air and then 30 mins of hot air. No way to turn it off. Just unpleasant all around. This was just in the bedroom section it seemed to work ok in the living room. This ruined my sleep most nights. There’s a couple of giraffes and a few other animals and birds which is nice. It is pretty far from the parks although the buses are fairly efficient. You definitely miss the monorail if you’re used to that. It took a good 30 minutes to get to magic kingdom after waiting 20 minutes for the bus. Coming back from Disney Springs we had to wait nearly an hour for a bus in the evening. Frustrating. We have stayed at various other Disney properties and this one was disappointing when all these little annoyances added up. Having just been to Aulani in Hawaii which was beyond fantastic this was just not comparable and it cost the same. Let’s hope the refurb addresses some of these issues. I’m my opinion there are many other better hotels on the Disney property.

less