Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is an African-themed Deluxe resort at Walt Disney World. It consists of two main buildings, Jambo House and Kidani Village. When Animal Kingdom Lodge first opened in 2001 it consisted only of Jambo House. In 2008, Jambo House expanded to house an additional 109 Disney Vacation Club (DVC) rooms. In 2009, the Kidani Village expansion added additional DVC rooms bringing the total Animal Kingdom Lodge complex to over 400 DVC villas and over 1300 rooms total.
Over the years, we have had the pleasure of staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge several times. We have stayed at many of the Disney resorts but this one keeps bringing us back over and over. We absolutely love this resort and here are our top three reasons why.
1) The Views and Theming
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is an African-themed resort and is all about showcasing over 30 species of African wildlife as well as the cultures of Africa. There are 3 savanna’s at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge that total approximately 46 acres. Many of the rooms at both Jambo House and Kidani Village overlook these private savanna’s that are exclusive to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Carving on the wall on the savanna overlook at Jambo House 
Lobby at Kidani Village
If you are not fortunate enough to get a room that overlooks the savanna, no worries! There are plenty of public areas to sit back and relax and get an unobstructed view of the savanna. One of the easiest ways is to just walk the halls outside your room or of the Lodge in general. There are also numerous places where you can exit the Main buildings and sit outside overlooking the savanna. There are also two walkouts onto the savanna. One is located on the floor below the Main lobby at Jambo House. This the larger of the two walkouts. The other is located below the Main lobby at Kidani Village next to the restaurant, Sanaa.
2) So Much to Do!!
There are so many great things to experience at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. You could spend your entire vacation at this resort without ever even stepping a foot into any of the parks. This is why we suggest you spend at least one day enjoying all this resort has to offer. One could spend an entire day just walking around and exploring the entire resort as it is rather large. A good way to explore the resort is to participate in the free Scavenger Hunt offered by the front desk. Just stop by and ask a Cast Member for the clues!!
String of Memories
One of our children’s favorite is the String of Memories complimentary activities. Different free activities are located at both Jambo House and Kidani Village each day. During these activities, kids learn more about Africa and the animals of the savanna. At the end of the activity, they earn a bead to represent completion of the activity. At the end of their stay, they have a nice souvenir to take home to remember their experiences. They also take home more knowledge about Africa, its people and animals and how to help conserve the planet.
An example of one activity that earns you a bead is the Flamingo Behavior activity at Jambo House. During this activity, you learn about flamingos and some of the different behaviors they exhibit. The activity takes place at the flamingo habitat located behind the main pool at Jambo House. At the end, you receive a flamingo feather bead to remember this activity by. As adults, we also enjoyed doing these activities with our children.
Wood Carvers
After a long day at the parks, it’s nice to come back to the resort and unwind. Once of the best ways to do this is to stop and watch the wood carvers located inside the lobby at Jambo House. The wood carvers are very talented and detailed in their work. You also have the opportunity to purchase their great works of art upon completion.
Wood Carver in Jambo House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Photo by: www.adventureformore.com
Relaxing at the Pools
There is nothing more relaxing than hanging out by the pools at both Jambo House and Kidani Village. Uzima is the main pool located at Jambo House. It is an 11,000 square foot pool with an awesome waterslide and a zero-depth entry point. There is also a children’s wading pool and 2 spas. At Kidani Village, there is the Samawati Springs pool that also has a waterslide and 2 spas. Next to Samawati Springs pool is Uwanja Camp, which is a water playground.
Water Slide at Samawati Springs pool at Kidani Village 
Uzima pool at Jambo House
Wanyama Safari and Dinner Experience
Another unique activity offered at Animal Kingdom Lodge is the Wanyama Safari and dinner experience. This activity costs $209 per person (must be 10 or older) and does require advance reservations (capped at 12 guests). This experience involves a 90 minute guided safari ride onto the 46 acre savanna at AK Lodge. The safari takes you up close to the animals and you get to learn about their management. Following the safari, you get to experience a multi-course meal at Jiko-the Cooking Place. Click here to learn more.
3) Location and the Dining
Animal Kingdom Theme park is less than 2 miles from the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Unfortunately, there are no walking paths available to AK theme park. However, because of the close proximity the ride to the park is less than 10 mins. It also makes for shorter wait times for the buses.
Perhaps the most important reason why we love Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is for the award-winning dining at this resort! There are 3 table service restaurants located here; Jiko-the Cooking Place, Boma-Flavors of Africa and Sanaa. Sanaa is one of our favorite restaurants on property!! You can click here to read more about Sanaa and why we love it.
Butter Chicken at Sanaa 
Bread Service at Sanaa
And Boma-Flavors of Africa has, in our opinion, one of the best breakfast buffets on property and some of the nicest cast members.
In addition, there are 3 lounges at this resort; the Cape Town Lounge and Wine bar, Victoria Falls Lounge and Sanaa Lounge. There are also two pool bars, Uzima Springs Pool bar and Maji Pool bar. There is also a quick-service called the Mara located in Jambo House. Make sure you check out the Zebra domes!! Click here to learn more about Zebra domes.
Another unique activity at Animal Kingdom Lodge is lunch at Sanaa with an Animal Specialist. This experience requires reservations and only allows for 12 guests at a time. You must be age 8 or older to participate in this experience. Click here for more information. We personally have never experienced this but it’s definitely on our list for the near future! Even though we have stayed here several times there is still so much to do and explore.
Well there you have it!! An overview of the three reasons why we love Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and why we think you will too!! If you’ve ever been to this resort, comment below what you love the most about this resort.
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