Animal Kingdom Lodge

[N2DisneyWorld]

I am surprising my family & upgrading our hotel to the AKL for our November trip. We normally stay at the value resorts so this is going to be a big surprise (even my husband doesnt know).

Please tell me your favorite things about the resort. I have been there to eat at Boma and that's about it.

I'm so excited!!

[VacationDisney]

This is our favorite resort. The rooms are rich in decor that gives you a "homey" feeling. It just feels comforting & inviting

The pool is wonderful

The ability to see animals from your room is an added bonus, but it you don't have a savannah room you can walk around the outside and view some animals from areas that are set up so that, if the animals cooperate is really cool

Have a great time!

[lawgirl]

AKL has always been my favorite. We've been going there for years. I absolutely adore the atmosphere, decor, and dark woods. It just has an amazing ambiance, that I've never experienced anywhere else. It's a magical place, for sure.
We've stayed in Savannah view and also standard rooms, and have never had a bad view. We've been upgraded several times, which was nice. The pool at Kidani has a great kids splash play area, which is huge. We also love all the restaurants...Mara is great, Jiko, Boma, Sanaa...all our favorites. The bar area at Sanaa is a great place to relax. Also, the bar overlooking Boma, Victoria Falls, I believe, is a great place to grab a drink and appetizers.

We have always loved it! It's a very special place. Have fun!

[RedSoxFan]

I love this resort. We are staying there again in November. DH's favorite and DD17 loves the pool. We always stay in a pool view room. The grounds are beautiful and I just love walking around looking at the animals. The giraffes are my favorite. Lobby is gorgeous. Busses are very reliable and they don't share with other resorts which is a big plus. I know some people complain about the distance to the parks; but I really don't find all that long; especially where they don't share with other resorts. Enjoy -- you will love it.

[mickclub1955]

AKL is my favorite as well and it is our "go to" deluxe resort. Talk about an all immersing resort. It feels as though you are actually on the Africa savanna. I splurge when we go and stay with the savanna view rooms. (So I don't stay at the resort every time I go) It takes a couple of years to save up, but it is well worth it. Otherwise I am an All Stars or Pop person. I read where a lot of people complain where this resort is so far away from every thing (mainly the MK), but that is okay with me. It adds to the charm of the resort. I really love to go over to the Kidani Village and eat at Sanaa. You can watch the animals while you eat (if you sit in the right area). I know that your family is not going to be disappointed. Have fun.

[BrowncatP]

Make sure that you check what activities are scheduled each day at the AKL. Also go and look at the animals with the night vision goggles that the lodge provides. I have stayed there twice and only bad thing is you have to walk up a small rise from the bus stop back to the hotel. When you are tired, it seems like such a BIG hill to walk up. Enjoy!

[mechanic]

Also a hot tub near Savannah viewing area, native African guides to answer questions, and provide info on the animals. The best gift shop of all the disney hotels. Fabulous decor, large rooms, coffee makers, unique food.
And most important, we are going to be back there the second week of july. I'm so excited. Its been 13 years since I've been there??
Wow. Some of my comments might be out of date. Lol.

[MouseHouser]

Love the lobby, with it's reaching ceilings and authentic African artifacts. And we always make a point to relax at the fabulous pool.

But the big ticket event takes place each morning right outside your room. Whilst you enjoy coffee on your balcony, here they come: giraffe strolling by (known as "pacing"). Often there's a baby in tow. Disney magic.

Around the grounds, we like to chat up the intern CMs who grew up with these beasts. They always seem to have something special to offer. Given the highly selective hiring process they navigated to get here, it's no surprise.

And finally, Boma, where the chefs seem to have permission to indulge their taste for indigenous herbs and spices by heaping them by the tablespoon into each offering. Surprisingly, for me it always seems to work.

It all adds up to a transporting experience. Disney takes you by the hand and leads you on another adventure; This time, a safari in far-away lands.

[#1donaldfan]

It's all nice !! I loved getting up and having my coffee, reading my bible on the balcony and watching the animals. It's just all deluxe !!

[thejens]

Special things to do at AKL:

Enjoy the relaxing pool area, the hot tubs hidden away behind greenery, watching the flamingos and other birds, meandering over to the animal viewing areas. Be sure to talk to the guides.

Sit by the fire pit at night and watch the animals with night vision goggles.

Wander about the lodge and look at all the interesting art and artifacts.

Not sure if you have little ones, but there are some activities for them. The pool at Kidani has a lot of great water features for little ones.

Do go to Kidani to enjoy its beauty, fun pool, and dine at Sanaa. Try to get a window seat to watch the animals. We love the food and the view and decor. Our favorite!!

We also love Boma and Mara and Jiko. It would be okay with us to eat only at the four AKL restaurants during our stay.

AKL has the most unique gift shop on property imho.

For me, AKL is just relaxing and immersive. I hope your family has a wonderful time!

[RedSoxFan]

AKL has the most unique gift shop on property imho.

I agree --- it's my favorite gift shop!!

[NewDVCowner]

I love Jambo more than Kidani however I'll give you that because the buses to the park stop at Kidani first they're often full by the time they get to Jambo. An easy way to get around that is either take the DTD bus to Kidani or just walk over to that bus stop. (Ten minutes max, I'd say.).

[Mitzie]

I concur with everything said before. Just step into the lobby and take a deep breath. Not sure what they pipe in there but I just love that place. We love the isolation of the resort. After the go go go of the parks we like the peace and quiet. Go Enjoy!

[LVT]

We tried it. 4 adults. We got a magical upgrade to a savannah view. I was surprised how much we enjoyed it. We were on the balcony at every opportunity and took many photos. We go to a lot of zoos, so I did not anticipate how enthralled we got.
The CM's at viewpoints are good.

[snowflakegirl]

I love AKL. We stayed once and were lucky enough to be upgraded to a partial Savannah view. We spent many evenings on the balcony with a glass of wine watching the giraffes and many mornings on the balcony with breakfast watching the ankole cattle.

Walking outside and watching the Savannahs, Boma, Mara, the gift shop (I agree, it's my favorite on property), the lobby, the cast members. I could spent a whole day there without feeling like I needed to leave.

[Jeri Lynn]

I love sitting around the campfire outside the lobby and also the one inside the lobby.

The lounge is beautiful and relaxing.

Make sure to strike up a conversation with a cast member, they are happy to tell you about their Country.

[lawgirl]

Also, if you like wine, Jiko (and I'm guessing the lounge and Boma have these as well) has one of the largest selections of South African wine available in N. America. One of my all time favorites I had was the Anura Pinotage. Amazing! To me this is the best place to relax and enjoy some wine.

[mechanic]

We are here now. With complimentary upgrade to Savannah view. Very nicely maintained. Subtle artificial moonlight for night viewing. Great gift shop. Friendly staff.
Only issue has been that pool and hot tub close at 11 pm. Seems a little early since parks are open so late. But at the least they should put that in the posted schedules. The in room info only says that closing time varies. Website says open 24 hrs.
Also I don't care for the food service here. But most people seem to like it. Very long ride to dtd.
We enjoy it here but three dsys is usually enough. Then back to pop.

[CaptSmee]

One time, got bumped up to a Savannah View room, that looks out onto the animal enclosures. (Normally, they're the pricey rooms, so this was a major luck-out.)
No, giraffes won't stick their head up to the third floor window as in the early ads--the natural camouflaged fencing keeps them a safe distance from the building--but there's nothing better than going to bed at night or waking up in the morning, pulling back the curtains, looking off the balcony and seeing giraffes, gazelle or ostriches wandering the grounds.
But if you've got a regular room, you can still wander down and see the animal areas on the grounds. The biggest adjustment from a Value resort to a Deluxe is that the Deluxes are each one centrally-contained hotel building with all the amenities indoors and hallways on the inside, unlike the Red Roof Inn "campus quads" of the Values and Mods, but much more scenery on the outsides.

The pool also has a nice zero-entry "waterhole" feel to it, and worked into the natural design of the scenery.
And even without Boma (or Sanaa and Jiko, the "upscale" places), the Mara food court is surprisingly good for a Deluxe resort, that usually ignores their quick-service stands.

We've stayed there 5 times & been bumped to a savannah room eevery time. I'm not even sure what the standard rooms are at this point.

The pool is fantastic, food options are excellent, the store has neat stuff & the overlooks are fabulous. They have night vision viewing at the savannah by the pool that's cool as well. You will enjoy yourself & find your spending more time at the resort than usual