Part 2, which covers food options and reviews of Mara, Jiko, and Sanaa, in addition to the pool bars and a look at resort merchandise, is available by clicking here.
This review is sponsored by by DVC Magic Resales at www.dvcmagicresales.com (they used their DVC points to book the room and in exchange will also be posting this review and reviews of the other properties). If you’re looking to buy into the Disney Vacation Club or purchase more points for less than you’d pay Disney directly, they’re a great choice. They also take excellent care of those looking to sell their contracts independently.
Past reviews:
- Saratoga Springs review is available here
- Old Key West is available here
- Wilderness Lodge is available here
- Beach Club is available here
I’ll admit that I may have lied back in the Wilderness Lodge review when I said it was my favorite Disney resort to visit. Depending on the day and which way the wind is blowing, my favorite is sometimes Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL). There’s just so much to see and do there – from the savanna viewing, to the fantastic restaurants and lounges, to the exquisitely detailed public spaces, there’s nothing else quite like it.
Like Wilderness Lodge, the lobby is stunning, particularly with the new flooring.
Dressed up with a tree from Thanksgiving through the first week in January.
And a few other festive touches here and there.
But what sets Animal Kingdom Lodge apart from just about any other resort in the world is the collection of lush savannas extending out from the back of the resort.
There are a variety of public areas that guests visiting the resort for any reason have the opportunity to enjoy. And of course, anybody staying at the resort will enjoy poking around a bit.
From the outdoor viewing area that’s accessible down the stairs in the back of the lobby, we’re not much further than 50 or so feet away from giraffes, zebras, and ummmmm…
Can I say Somali Wild Ass on a family friendly Disney World blog?
Birds.
There are some fun photo opportunities if you like cows.
This giraffe must be a blogger since it seems intent on pointing out everything inauthentic about the savanna.
Sunset Lounge, located near the back of the lobby off to the left, provides great views of the Sunset Savanna in a richly detailed area.
From the inside.
There’s usually less activity on this side, at least compared to the Arusha Savanna, which commands the highest nightly rates.
Our balcony overlooked Sunset Savanna in a “standard view room.” As the sun sets, giraffes feast just a few feet in the distance. It’s a special and unique experience.
The fire pit for the nightly s’mores roast.
Or perhaps just a seat near the fire.
A map of the resort:
Larger: https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/jambo.jpg or as the original PDF: https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/jambo.pdf
Animal Kingdom Lodge is separated into two separate resorts that more or less operate autonomously, though they share several amenities, with the majority of those found at Jambo. Disney Vacation Club rooms are primarily found over at Kidani Village, where you’ll find the casual table service restaurant Sanaa, a second feature pool and bar, the Community Hall, and another arcade, among other things. Most of the DVC studios and villas at Jambo House are located on the 5th and 6th floors with rooms below that reserved for guests paying cash.
Couple that with the number of view types and you have a lot of numbers on the rate chart:
Larger: https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/aklrates.jpg or as the original PDF: https://www.easywdw.com/reports13/aklrates.pdf
Ignoring the DVC units for the moment to discuss the additional cost of upgrading the view, the extra cost per night during Value season to upgrade from Standard View to Arusha View is a whopping $127. I used to be firmly in the, “if you’re going to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, it’s the one view upgrade I always recommend getting.” I’m not sure if it’s just because I live 15 minutes away and can go any time I want, but my opinion has softened.
Obviously waking up to this view every morning and being able to walk right out onto your semi-private balcony is pretty magical. But the balconies are public enough that you’re probably going to have to put pants on before going out there anyway. And if you’ve managed to find pants, you can probably take the elevator down to the third floor to enjoy the same exact view from one of the public areas. Feel free to chime in on your view opinion, particularly if it changed after staying at the resort. I will say the savanna views are extremely popular, which is why they command such premium pricing. For “once in a lifetime” style vacations, you may certainly want to consider it.
Jambo House’s check-in and concierge are located just inside the main entrance on the left.
Kidani Village has its own check-in and concierge for guests staying there.
Its lobby isn’t as grand as Jambo House, but the glass artwork is neat.
“The Library” is a neat space just off the lobby.
Kidani also enjoys public viewing areas outside.
Another vantage point.
There’s a lot to see and do at Animal Kingdom Lodge regardless of whether you’re staying there. The following will largely discuss the perks of staying at the resort, in addition to reviews of The Mara, Sanaa, and Jiko – The Cooking Place.
The Rooms
Since we already took a look at pricing, we’ll jump right into the room. Jambo House 1-Bedroom Villas come in at 720 square feet, which is right around the same size as Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and Saratoga Springs.
The layout is a little different than the other villas we’ve seen. The semi-open kitchen, complete with an island, is located just inside the doorway. Then down the hall is the bathroom off to the left and the bedroom off to the right. You can otherwise walk in and look straight through the window past the balcony and into the savanna. If you’ve upgraded the view, of course.
Across from the kitchen is a closet with a high chair, iron, ironing board, highchair, Pack ‘n Play, and extra bedding.
The main living area with the couch, sofa bed, and television.
A dinner table of sorts as there’s no breakfast bar like Saratoga, Wilderness Lodge, and Beach Club.
The television, shelving unit, and DVD player should all look relatively familiar, though they’re nicely themed to the resort. Note the lion carving in the back of the chair on the right, in addition to the other little details around the room.
The couch pulls out to a bed that’s just about two inches narrower than a queen, but the same length, which is a little wider and a little longer than most other couch beds.
With both beds pulled out.
Finally, looking straight back to the entryway.
Okay, one more of the light shining in through the sliding glass door that leads out to the expansive balcony.
The kitchen has the same amenities as the other 1-bedrooms we’ve looked at, but the setup is a little different.
Everything should otherwise be accounted for:
It’s a pretty nice assortment of pots, pans, and openers that may come in handy even if you’re not planning an elaborate feast. Just the wine opener and microwave can save you a lot of time.
The washer/dryer are located in the closet down the hallway that leads to the bathroom and bedroom. There’s also a vacuum cleaner and a laundry basket in there.
The bathroom setup is different than the other properties we’ve looked at as well. In the other one bedrooms, the bathtub and shower were located in separate rooms, offering more opportunities for people to bathe with some privacy while others prepare for the ROPE DROP THAT WILL NOT BE MISSED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Otherwise, the toilet is located in a separate room in back. But you’d have to disturb the theoretical person in the shower or tub to get back there.
The shower/tub combo.
Dual sinks.
Additional storage underneath and more shelving on the far left.
The bedroom should look familiar with the king bed, chair, television unit, dual bedside tables, lamps, and ceiling fan.
The desk, chair, lamp, and outlets in the corner of the room.
One difference we noted was the large size of the armoire to the left of the television.
I thought it’s large size made the room “feel” smaller than the others we’ve visited, despite being a similar size.
Otherwise, the bedroom is nicely appointed with a big comfy bed.
Feel free to chime in about the livability of the space, particularly as it compares to other 1-bedrooms. Our villa wasn’t ready until 4:45pm and with an 8pm Jiko reservation, we didn’t spend a ton of time in the room not asleep. Check-in is officially 4pm, but rooms aren’t guaranteed until 5pm.
Activities and Things to Do
Jambo House’s expansive Uzima Pool is popular. According to Disney:
Escape to an 11,000-square-foot pool with an exciting waterslide and gently sloping, zero-depth entry point similar to that of a natural watering hole. Surrounded by large canopy trees and Floridian palms, Uzima Pool includes a children’s wading pool and 2 whirlpool spas.
With recent water feature playground additions at Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian Village, and the Grand Floridian, Uzima’s small kiddie pool might leave something to be desired, but little ones do have a separate, chill area next to the main pool that doesn’t attract bigger kids.
Zero depth entry into Uzima, which is conveniently located right outside the back of the main building.
One of the two hot tubs. The area is not usually this gloomy, but cooler temperatures and clouds give us a better opportunity to get pictures without having to point a camera in somebody’s face.
Behind the Jambo pool, you’ll find a small playground area.
One last look at the pool from the other side, with the slide on the left, and the pool bar out of frame on the right.
Guests staying at Jambo House also have the opportunity to visit Kidani Village’s Samawati Springs Pool (pictured above), which, according to Disney:
Offers a thrilling waterslide, 2 whirlpool spas and Uwanja Camp—an animal observation site-themed water playground with squirting Venus flytraps, a rope bridge, water cannons and more. Samawati Springs Pool is located just a short walk away at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
Likewise, guests staying at Kidani are welcome to visit Jambo’s Uzima Pool.
Finding Kidani’s pool can be a little awkward as it’s actually located outside, sort of in front of the resort’s main building. As you exit the main building, you would take a right and follow the sidewalk to this inconspicuous structure that looks more like a cast member building than the entrance to a pool complex.
This is also where you’ll find Kidani’s gym, Survival of the Fittest. Jambo’s is called Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center with information on services available here.
The usual assortment of cardio machines and weights, in addition to a nice view out the back.
The lush theming and the fact that you’re sort of removed from the rest of the resort gives the pool complex a sort of calm atmosphere.
If it weren’t for all of the other people, anyway. There are some fun water features that the kids can interact with running down to the pool.
We didn’t have any problems finding lounge chairs after the sun finally came out in the late afternoon.
A Kidani hot tub.
Another playground area. It takes eight to ten minutes to walk between Jambo House and Kidani Village. All buses to the theme parks pick up at Kidani first, which makes it relatively easy for Kidani guests to hop on just about any bus and find themselves at Jambo House a minute or two later. The Downtown Disney bus operates in the reverse order, picking up at Jambo first. There’s also a van that goes back and forth between the two resorts, so you have some options if you’re trying to transfer between the two properties for recreation, dining, or just to look around. Of course, you can drive your own vehicle as well. There’s short term parking next to the pathway down to the Kidani pool, which is best used if you’re just popping over to swim or play.
Another good reason why the Lodge is such a good choice is the sheer number of activities available all day:
Face painting, cultural tours, cookie decorating, night vision animal viewing, movies, meet and greets, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing off-day.
The resort doubles down on holidays as you can see from the Easter schedule, in addition to the usual pool games and movies:
With Kidani Village offering separate games and different movies, you have twice as many convenient options as most resorts. It’s hard to beat outside of Epcot’s Crescent Lake area.
Both properties enjoy an arcade. Pumbaa’s Fun and Games Arcade is located near the kiddie pool behind the main building at Jambo.
It’s a large footprint with plenty of space to move around, which is nice.
The other half:
Amusingly, Lisa and I gave this Typhoon “game” a try. It turns out that it’s actually a sort of simulator not unlike Star Tours, only far less immersive with much lousier graphics. I’d skip it in favor of something else.
Simba’s Cubhouse Children’s Activity Center is also located near the Uzima Pool, operating daily from 4:30pm through midnight. It offers supervised care for kids between the ages of three and twelve. More information on pricing and activities is available here.
Kidani Village is home to a second arcade and the resort’s Community Hall, since the Kidani wing is where you’ll find the majority of the Vacation Club villas. The two are located through what are probably the two most nondescript doors on property. There are “cast member only” doors with more signage than these, which only have small placards next to the doors indicating what’s inside. Anyway, both are located i the back of the lobby down the hallway to the right from the main entrance.
The Community Hall is a neat amenity, particularly for those with kids that either want to blow off some steam or enjoy some downtime. There are couches, crafts, video games, pool, art, etc.
There’s even a semi-private balcony in the back for savanna viewing.
Most kids require your own adult supervision.
Video and board games are available to rent and take back to the room or play at the Hall. Examples of the arts and crafts, which carry nominal fees for the supplies, are on the counter on the right. Tennis rackets, basketballs, shuffleboard equipment and grilling tools are also available to rent.
The Hall’s usual hours are 9am-10pm.
And Kidani’s arcade, Safari So Good, is more of the same:
While a bit smaller, it offers a similar variety of games and is largely less crowded.
Location and Transportation
Unlike most Deluxe level resorts, which are generally connected to at least one theme park via some interesting method of transportation like the monorail or watercraft, all Animal Kingdom transpo is via bus. The resort is not nearly as disconnected from the rest of the property as some may lead on, but the lack of walkability to Epcot or Magic Kingdom may be a deterring factor for some visitors. Buses are also shared, with Kidani being dropped off and picked up first on each of the theme park routes, making it more likely Jambo visitors will stand. Bus or car trips to Magic Kingdom only take about 15 minutes once the vehicle leaves the resort. Animal Kingdom is about five minutes away. Epcot and Hollywood Studios are about ten minutes away. Downtown Disney is usually a haul and a half, but you could say that about most resorts during the Disney Springs construction. Basically, don’t let anyone try to convince you that AKL is “extremely isolated.”
Otherwise, bus transportation in a macro sense will be as reliable as any other Disney resort with similar waits and similar transportation times.
Part 2 covers food and merchandise.
Great Review!
We were there in January and it was truly other-worldly. Where else can you wake up to animals like that? The sense of peace was contagious around the resort–a very nice way to spend your downtime after the parks. We stayed in a 2-bedroom and used the pullouts of the kids. One caveat: with all the couch cushions stacked around the room there wasn’t any walking room. You had to climb the mountain-o-pillows to go out onto the balcony. All in all, it is a wonderful place to stay and a vacation destination in itself. Thanks, Josh, for some great pics that bring back all our lovely memories!
One note about rooms at Kidani (since you stayed at Jambo and I didn’t see it mentioned): The one villas at Kidani Village feature different layouts. They do have the breakfast bar type kitchen and they also have TWO full bathrooms in the one bedroom. The smaller one is the standard hotel shower/tub combo with a toilet and sink, the master bath (opens directly into the bedroom in the 1 BR, the master suite has the jacuzzi tub, an absolutely spectacular shower (only surpassed by the insane ones at Grand Floridian Villas) and the toilet in its own closet. In a two bedroom, you have three full baths (with the third being another regular hotel type bathroom).
This alone makes the Kidani Village 1 BR villas superior to the ones at Jambo. Sure, Jambo has more dining options on hand and a bigger gift shop, but multiple real bathrooms are fantastic when there’s a handful of people getting ready at the same time.
Wild animals notwithstanding, that is one freakin’ beautiful resort. Great photos Josh, thanks for your effort.
I’m glad Phil pointed out the Kidani 1BR advantages!
Kidani’s bathroom arrangement is significantly better in a family trip. (That master bathroom is huuuuuge!
And parking under the resort is nice instead of dealing with your car in FL sun or rain all day.
I think the theme park buses are a way for people to get from Kidani over to Jambo (just hopping off at the next stop) if trying to make it on time for dining reservations. Otherwise, the shuttle van that goes between the two locations all day isn’t really very reliable (we waited a LONG TIME to get on one from Jambo after breakfast to take us back up to Kidani, after deciding not to take a taxi and avoid the long walk). The walk between the two locations can actually seem long for some. And depending on where your room is (at Kidani)….you’ll be far from elevators, etc. Visiting the pool each night last October, we finally figured out an easier trek was to take the nearest elevator that let us out in the covered parking (underground?) and walk over past the smokers to the pool gate. It was a beautiful place but we won’t be staying there again for a long time…just in order to explore the other DVC places on future trips.
We love AKL! We split stay and always include AKL for at least 3 nights. It has the best restaurants and so many activities for the kids.
We’ve never had any issues with buses and you’re correct, the ride to MK is no big deal.
FYI…that’s not the pit thats used for s’mores
Thanks for the great pictures! We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and our grandkids loved it. The loved to see the animals each morning. The only downside was the long distance to Magic Kingdom and the long walk to and from the bus stop.
John
Wow, the view is gorgeous but that room looks pretty beat up. Carpeting. Soft furnishings. Etc. All incredibly worn.
The Jambo villas are indeed looking a little rough. Every single 1 bedroom villa I’ve been in has a fridge that’s dented all to hell.
I stayed in a non-DVC Jambo House room (Arusha View) last December, and joined the club of AKL lovers. I’m not sure if I would be quite so charmed with a non-savannah view room, as I spent a lot of time on my own balcony, animal guide, camera, and binocs to hand, sometimes with a meal or snacks brought back from the Mara. If I had to trek with that stuff to one of the viewing areas, it wouldn’t have been so attractive.
Beyond that, your review is spot on–it’s not that isolated, has loads of activities even for the single adult traveler like me, great dining options, and wonderful art work and design elements to discover.
It sounds like you got an upgrade at room-assignment. Standard DVC rooms at Jambo all face the Uzima Pool, which is actually my favorite view at Jambo. The pool area is so lush and green, it’s like overlooking an oasis. If I’m gaming for a Savannah-view room, I’d likely go with Kidani, owing to the possibility of getting a lower floor with a better view. Also, as noted by others, the 1 and 2 bedroom villas at Kidani are better in every way. So it’s usually a toss-up of a nicer room with an extra bath vs. being closer to the amenities at the ‘big house’.
This is not accurate. Jambo house “Value” rooms can face the pool, the parking lot or a savannah. The distinction is the smaller size of the room, not the view.
I was referring to Standard, not Value. As someone pointed out below, some Standard rooms do have partial Savannah view.
Out of the DVC resorts My husband and I stayed at so far, I think Kidani Village has been my overall favorite. We stayed in a one bedroom with 2 friends for a total of 4 adults. The room really was a perfect size- the extra bathroom was so very useful, the themeing of both Kidani and Jambo is amazing, and I loved the pool (though the palcement of it is kinda funky). We didn’t have a savvanah room, but walking through the halls everytime we passes one of the huge windows it brought a huge smile on my face. Really my only annoyance was haveing to walk over to Jambo for quickservice/ bigger gift shop, but honestly the walk was comparable too, or much better then what we’ve had to do at other resorts. While other DVC properties may win out for me in certian aspects (BLT or the cresent lake ones for location, OKW for sheer size of the rooms), I think AKL wins out due to amazing theming, decent room sizes, great pools and food options, and only ever having to worry about one extra (and super close) bus stop when using disney transport- all the other DVC resorts either have multiple internal stops, or regularly share with other resorts that sometimes aren’t super close.
First time we stayed at AKV we made sure we did savannah view and while nice, we are staying again and it isn’t a priority anymore. I will say that one Sunday, it was quite relaxing to sit in the room, watch a little NFL while drinking a beer with giraffes right outside.
We are DVC owners and AKL is our home resort. We prefer the rooms at Kidani — the extra bathroom and the kitchen configuration (with the breakfast bar) are a huge bonus. But that being said, if I could only find availability at Jambo I would take it in a heartbeat. The lobby is spectacular. As for the Savanna view, I have to admit my opinion has changed over time. I used to think the savanna view was a requirement for an AKL stay. But honestly, there are so many wonderful public viewing areas that I don’t really think it’s necessary anymore. But this is from a DVC owner who has many trips in her future. For a Once In a Lifetime trip I would probably splurge if the funds were available.
@krikiter
Actually, DVC reallocated some “partial” Savannah view rooms down to Standard view (a few years ago)
Too many people complained about not seeing enough animals in areas like that…so now you can get an occasional bonus view for standard points.
Fair enough, I stand corrected. I seem to remember some BLT and Aulani rooms being re-categorized based on view, but I hadn’t realized that it happened at AKV as well. Thanks for the clarification.
We recently stayed in a Jambo House pool view room and loved it. I personally think it’s better bang for the buck than the savannah view rooms. The location was also very convenient as it was not only close to pool but also the restaurants and laundry facilities.
I totally agree. I always request a pool view; everything else seems like too far to walk, especially after walking all day in the parks. There are so many public viewing spots that savannah view is a waste for me.
with in months of animal kingdom lodge 1st opening received an offer of $ 99.00 for a room savannah view . had just returned from my annual weekly Christmas vacation . had to think about for oh 2 seconds YES it is everything & more . so much has changed I think for the better but yikes !!!!! what it costs now . also back then there was no free dinning so the parks were a 2 & resort was fairly empty .this was in feb .AS THEY SAY
” THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIENDS “
Another fan of Kidani here. I’m also not sure why everyone needs to be so close to the “bigger” gift shop. I mean, how many times are you going to the gift shop per day? Quick service is about the only thing you’d want to be close to for more-than-once a day convenience.
I stayed at Kidani in December for a couple of nights and easily walked over to Jambo for Boma breakfast and Victoria Falls Lounge at night. (Would have stayed at Sanaa Lounge, but it was converted to dining seating that week. Hopefully not forever…) Anyway, we were by Zazu elevator, so closest exit to Jambo and not far from bus stop. Only thing we were “far” from was the Kidani pool.
I’d request low floor, sunset savanna, Zazu if possible if you are trying to see animals but also want to be close to Jambo.
Wow, you have me imagining staying at a DVC for a couple non-trip days here. There are quite a few things about this resort that appeal to me enough that I’d want to enjoy some time here. I’m generally Cheapy McCheaperson, but as a parent of tweens, I’d probably pay for the Savannah view room so that my kids could go out on the balcony unaccompanied while I was showering/laundering/napping/etc. Yes, they’d have to put on pants, but they aren’t quite ready to be released into the world of two legged animals with adult accompaniment, but old enough that I would have any concerns about unattended balcony safety/behavior.
So yeah, 2-3 nights here just hanging out, maybe waterpark tix or a trip to DTD, a night or two at a Universal resort for their front of the line pass deal to do the Harry Potter thing … my plans for a future non-WDW-park trip are forming.
Non-park days that is.
When I stay at AKL, I usually do it at the end of my vacation (after my feet hurt from days of walking.) It’s a nice way to wind down, have relaxing days without having to hustle to the parks.
I hadn’t thought of doing it in that order, but I believe you’re right! Thanks, I will keep that in mind.
And would not have balcony concerns. Sheesh, I need to learn to proofread.
Been meaning to get around to reading this since you posted it, and finally took the time this afternoon…
First of all like normal, sort on a great review Josh. Commenting on page 1 to throw my two cents in about View…
We pretty much have stated as a family we are going to exclusively use our points at AKL, and after several trips we spent the extra points and got a Savannah View, and LOVED it. The fact that there were giraffes and others right outside were awesome, that being said, we probably won’t be doing that again. rather use less points per night to get more nights, and walk to a viewing area, but thats just our opinion.
Keep it up Josh.
Do you have the 2016 Room rates brochure yet?