Animal Kingdom Lodge

[ajmellu7]

Hi all,

After having an unbelievable time in Disney in August I am currently planning my next trip for August 2017! I have stayed in a couple of the Disney Hotels before, but was thinking about Animal Kingdom Lodge and have already got a few quotes. It will be the first time that my wife and our 2 girls will be coming on our own (we have always had extended family before which has been amazing, but this will be extra nice!) My girls will be 3 and 6. I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on Animal Kingdom Lodge and whether they would pick this for a young family or would look elsewhere. Many thanks in advance/

 

[rwdavis2]

Your family will probably love it. It has great theming as well as the Savannah's to watch the animals. I highly recommend it.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

How exciting! We stayed there in Nov of 2014 so here are my thoughts...

Pros: Gorgeous and spacious resort, animal viewing, awesome sit down restaurants and also really great quick service spot, never been to the pool but looks great, a less expensive deluxe resort option, loved the room.

Cons: Some rooms/corridors are quite a hike from the main lobby. For us the biggest con (which isnt a deal breaker for some families) is that we were always used to being on the monorail line or near a park to take a boat or walk or some form of special transport so it was out of our comfort zone to be "far" from any park. We prefer to be closer. It just wasn't what we were used to even though we knew this was the case going into it. The bus rides to each park though are relatively quick and painless, especially to AK. Just remember that with young kids.

 

[epcotisbest]

How exciting! We stayed there in Nov of 2014 so here are my thoughts...

Pros: Gorgeous and spacious resort, animal viewing, awesome sit down restaurants and also really great quick service spot, never been to the pool but looks great, a less expensive deluxe resort option, loved the room.

Cons: Some rooms/corridors are quite a hike from the main lobby. For us the biggest con (which isnt a deal breaker for some families) is that we were always used to being on the monorail line or near a park to take a boat or walk or some form of special transport so it was out of our comfort zone to be "far" from any park. We prefer to be closer. It just wasn't what we were used to even though we knew this was the case going into it. The bus rides to each park though are relatively quick and painless, especially to AK. Just remember that with young kids.

I don't mean to sound negative, but some people will never, ever be able to stay at a monorail resort. Heck, many will never, ever even be able to stay onsite. Many more will never even be able to go at all.
I understand the location for you was a con. For us, the secluded, remote feel was a definite plus. I suppose it just comes down to personal preference.
Just being able to stay at AKL is a treat and a blessing, at least for us. Oh, the pools are terrific too. We spent more time at both pools than at the parks.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

I don't mean to sound negative, but some people will never, ever be able to stay at a monorail resort. Heck, many will never, ever even be able to stay onsite. Many more will never even be able to go at all.
I understand the location for you was a con. For us, the secluded, remote feel was a definite plus. I suppose it just comes down to personal preference.
Just being able to stay at AKL is a treat and a blessing, at least for us. Oh, the pools are terrific too. We spent more time at both pools than at the parks.

Yes I agree. It was also a treat and a blessing for us, and to even go on a vacation.

I am not saying they can or can't, should or shouldnt stay in a certain place or implying anything. I am simply sharing our experience. The OP did not mention a budget and mentioned that they have a family and wanted opinions on where to stay with that young family so I thought it would be helpful to share our experience and remind that it's buses only. Transportation is important to think about and be prepared for with young kids, that's all.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

We went when my DD was 6 and we still go back to AK and she is 11 now. She (we) love the beaded activities (conservation, animal activities) that she does and gets a bead. The cookie decorating and face painting (all free) are fun too, especially on a rainy day. There's always so kind of display or person sharing information about their country that you can interact with in the lobby. At night, there's a children's tribal parade at Jambo house that's perfect for kiddos 3 and 6. The kids get to beat drums and chant around the lobby. Art to look at too is plentiful too. My DD loves this place. It's our favorite resort! Hope you have a wonderful vacation and a fun time planning it.

 

[epcotisbest]

Yes I agree. It was also a treat and a blessing for us, and to even go on a vacation.

I am not saying they can or can't, should or shouldnt stay in a certain place or implying anything. I am simply sharing our experience. The OP did not mention a budget and mentioned that they have a family and wanted opinions on where to stay with that young family so I thought it would be helpful to share our experience and remind that it's buses only. Transportation is important to think about and be prepared for with young kids, that's all.

We don't have kids and I never went as a kid, so certainly don't have firsthand experience, but as a very old kid, even the transportation is an adventure for us. I don't know what a hassle the bus ride probably is with children in tow, especially if they are tired after a day at the parks.
If I was a kid, I bet I would shout with excitement waking to giraffe and zebra right outside the room.

 

[epcotisbest]

We went when my DD was 6 and we still go back to AK and she is 11 now. She (we) love the beaded activities (conservation, animal activities) that she does and gets a bead. The cookie decorating and face painting (all free) are fun too, especially on a rainy day. There's always so kind of display or person sharing information about their country that you can interact with in the lobby. At night, there's a children's tribal parade at Jambo house that's perfect for kiddos 3 and 6. The kids get to beat drums and chant around the lobby. Art to look at too is plentiful too. My DD loves this place. It's our favorite resort! Hope you have a wonderful vacation and a fun time planning it.

Yes, so much to do there. As a couple in our 50s, we decorated cookies too! The tour of Boma and Jiko is fun and includes samples.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

My DH and I do all of the activities too! Personally, I just love the theming and feel like I get so much more bang for my buck at this resort versus the others, because there's so many extra activities included in the price. I wish there was a surrey bike trail to go between the two resorts. Last trip, we spent more time at AKL, than in the parks. For us, it's like a vacation within a vacation. We enter the AKL drive and it's like a completely different place than the busyness of the parks. It's relaxing and tranquil to us. Can't wait to go back on June 7th this year.

 

[Swissmiss]

We just came back from a stay at AKL and each time we are there we visit other hotels and say to each other that while others are "nice" they don't hold the same feeling for us as AKL. For info, my child was 6 the first time we stayed at AKL The bus rides have never bothered us, but then again I frequently take public transportation rather than my own car where I live. As for the long walks from the lobby, our room the last time was one of the farthest out in Jambo House and it really wasn't that long of a walk. I will concede that the different layout of Kidani could mean a long walk for some. The various activities are really fun and informative - on our last trip we learned about animal tracking and playing drums. Personally, the monorail resorts do nothing for me (again, "nice" but nothing more for me). Whether you will like it or not is really a personal choice that only you will know the answer to, but we love it!

 

[TheBuckeye]

Animal Kingdom is probably my favorite resort to stay at in WDW. I love the theming and I love to wake up and see giraffes from my balcony. Just walking in, the smell of the resort is something you will remember because it has a unique, sweet smell to it.
They have a wonderful pool. The dining options are awesome. They have a nice fire pit you can sit by at night right in the center of the savannah where you can relax and watch the animals. They also have places throughout the resort that offer rocking chairs where you can watch the animals as well.

Best advice-Make sure you get the savannah view. The standard will not offer you a lot.

Con- As stated earlier, the only con is how lengthy a walk can be to your room. Trust me, I've been at the end of the resort and after a long day in the parks, it sucks. My advice, request a room close to an elevator or closer to the lobby.

It really is a wonderful resort to relax at. It just has so much to offer for when you have downtime from the parks.

 

[glvsav37]

nothing to add other then we also have our 1st AKL stay booked for this August. So subscribing to hear all the other stories and tips.

We are splitting between here and BLT b/c ironically, distance is and issue for us. We really only do the parks in the morning and at night, esp b/c we go in august. We love the ability to walk to the MK and back b/c we end up spending the most time there, eps with 2 strollers—no need to fold them up on buses and such. So spending a lot of mid-day rides on busses is a time killer for us.

That said, we planned it this way so we could do all our AK area things—AK at least 2x and Blizzard Beach—while on that side of the property. And should we get a far-walk room, we will still be early on in the vacation and relatively fresh.

looking forward to everyone else's tips!!!

 

[Hockey89]

I don't mean to sound negative, but some people will never, ever be able to stay at a monorail resort. Heck, many will never, ever even be able to stay onsite. Many more will never even be able to go at all.
I understand the location for you was a con. For us, the secluded, remote feel was a definite plus. I suppose it just comes down to personal preference.
Just being able to stay at AKL is a treat and a blessing, at least for us. Oh, the pools are terrific too. We spent more time at both pools than at the parks.

The person who started this thread was looking for thoughts...Not if it is a blessing or not to go on vacation... The person you quoted gave reasonable thoughts, so your post is pretty useless... But not to be negative

 

[mouse_luv]

AKL is my fave resort. DBF and I stayed at Kidani for the first time in Sept 2014 and fell in love with it. I was worried at first about the bus rides to the parks, but it was nothing. It wasn't bad at all and it always seemed I got there faster than I had read many say that you do. The animals and sights and the lobbies of both Kidani and Jambo are amazing.

 

[wm49rs]

The person who started this thread was looking for thoughts...Not if it is a blessing or not to go on vacation... The person you quoted gave reasonable thoughts, so your post is pretty useless... But not to be negative

Now why would anyone think that?

 

[epcotisbest]

The person who started this thread was looking for thoughts...Not if it is a blessing or not to go on vacation... The person you quoted gave reasonable thoughts, so your post is pretty useless... But not to be negative

Thought - For us, the secluded, remote feel was a definite plus.
Thought - I suppose it just comes down to personal preference.
Thought - Just being able to stay at AKL is a treat and a blessing, at least for us. Thought - Oh, the pools are terrific too.
Thought - We spent more time at both pools than at the parks.

 

[JusticeDisney]

The person who started this thread was looking for thoughts...Not if it is a blessing or not to go on vacation... The person you quoted gave reasonable thoughts, so your post is pretty useless... But not to be negative

And there he goes again! Insulting everyone in sight! Go back to your mommy's basement now, son.

 

[ajmellu7]

Wow, thank you so much for all the replies, it is unbelievable that so many of you have responded, so thank you!

In terms of the simple facts, we are from England, so the budget/prices over here are very different to the US. We have a perk which I am not sure if you guys have or not, which is free dining if you book far enough in advance. We stayed in Old Key West last August and were blown away by how good it was and we would quite happily go back there, but I think that is on the upper end of budget and last year my parents paid for us all as it was their 40th wedding anniversary and wanted to take us away rather than have a party, so we got 3 amazing weeks in my favourite place on Earth!

We have narrowed it down I think to either Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Cabins at Wilderness Lodge or Saratoga Springs, either a 1/2 bedroom villa or a Treehouse, but obviously a big factor would be how much they cost, availability and what dining plan you get free included! This summer we had the Dining plan and it was fantastic. We did numerous character meals and my girls were just so happy, which made me very very happy and I don't mind admitting a few tears were shed as it was the first time they had both come as my youngest was just 19 months old! One very happy Daddy!

Thank you again for all your help, and if anybody can give any further help with regards to the accommodation and dining then I would be very very grateful.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

I love everything about AKL (Jambo House) I can't wait to stay there again

 

[ekutchey]

Wow, thank you so much for all the replies, it is unbelievable that so many of you have responded, so thank you!

In terms of the simple facts, we are from England, so the budget/prices over here are very different to the US. We have a perk which I am not sure if you guys have or not, which is free dining if you book far enough in advance. We stayed in Old Key West last August and were blown away by how good it was and we would quite happily go back there, but I think that is on the upper end of budget and last year my parents paid for us all as it was their 40th wedding anniversary and wanted to take us away rather than have a party, so we got 3 amazing weeks in my favourite place on Earth!

We have narrowed it down I think to either Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Cabins at Wilderness Lodge or Saratoga Springs, either a 1/2 bedroom villa or a Treehouse, but obviously a big factor would be how much they cost, availability and what dining plan you get free included! This summer we had the Dining plan and it was fantastic. We did numerous character meals and my girls were just so happy, which made me very very happy and I don't mind admitting a few tears were shed as it was the first time they had both come as my youngest was just 19 months old! One very happy Daddy!

Thank you again for all your help, and if anybody can give any further help with regards to the accommodation and dining then I would be very very grateful.

Are you looking at the Villas at WL or the cabins at Fort Wilderness? WL does not have cabins. They will have new DVC Villas in 2017 on the water. I personally call WL our home but everyone is different. I find everyone has their own personally thought on what they enjoy and this is one reason why Disney has so many options, locations, themes, pricing etc...to choose from.