Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Rooms and decor

If one hotel on a Walt Disney World trip is going to get the kids excited from the moment they wake up, we'd give it to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge — because it is the only Disney resort on Earth where you pull back the morning curtain and find giraffes and zebras grazing right off your balcony. The lodge is built as a horseshoe-curved building wrapping 4 savannas with more than 200 real African animals, and it feels like a Kenyan safari dropped into the middle of Orlando. The heart of it is the Savanna View room, balcony facing the savanna: brew a coffee and watch a giraffe pass in the morning, and the kids count zebras and impala in the evening. Decor runs African throughout — patterned bedding, carved headboards. Guest reviews land around 9.0/10, and nearly every one says the same thing: the kids won't leave the balcony.

Food and amenities

The family food highlight is Boma – Flavors of Africa, an African-market-style buffet pulling flavors from 50 nations, with a carving station, a range of soups, and the part kids love most — Mickey and Simba waffles at breakfast. For grown-ups and special meals there is Jiko, wood-fired fine dining with a South African wine list, and Sanaa, African-Indian fusion where you watch the savanna from your table. In the evening, take the kids to the Arusha Rock campfire to roast marshmallows and hear free African stories. The resort also runs a Night Vision Safari after dark — cast members hand out night-vision goggles to spot the animals that come out at night — and there are public viewing points open 24 hours for anyone who didn't book a savanna-view room. On the Kidani Village side, the DVC villas have kitchens and sleep up to 12, with 2 pools and waterslides (Uzima and Samawati).

Location and getting there

Straight talk: this is the least convenient Deluxe resort for transport. It has free buses only — no monorail or Skyliner. Animal Kingdom is the closest at about 18 minutes, while Magic Kingdom runs 30+ minutes away. Step out of the room and you still find animals — giraffes wander close to balconies and walkways at several spots (cast members quietly place food to draw them in), so you can photograph them up close. The Jambo House lobby is a soaring thatched-roof hall hung with shields and African art, staffed by Cultural Ambassadors — actual African staff — who tell kids about the animals, art and culture. It is a resort where you pick up some real knowledge alongside the fun.

Things to know before booking

The savanna-view rooms that are the whole reason to come here cost about $200+ extra a night; a standard-view room looks out only onto the parking lot or roofline. There is no character dining where the characters greet your table — only the Dine with an Animal Specialist activity. And the building is large with long corridors, so some rooms sit a fair walk from the lobby. The bus-only access means budgeting extra time whenever you head to Magic Kingdom.

Our take

From reading through plenty of real guest reviews, Animal Kingdom Lodge is best for families after a once-in-a-lifetime experience no other resort can give — watching safari animals from your balcony, eating African food, hearing stories around a campfire. It suits kids who love animals and nature especially well. What you have to accept is the buses-only access (no monorail or Skyliner), the distance from the parks, and paying extra for a savanna-view room. If you'd rather have walking or monorail access straight to the park, scroll down to Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Contemporary in the monorail group below.