Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge has something that none of the other Walt Disney World resorts have -- animals roaming around.  Lions and tigers and bears...whoops, sorry.  None of them.  But there are giraffes, flamingos and antelope, among other creatures.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is where the African savanna meets up with Walt Disney World.  And the combination isn't as strange as it first sounds.  Let's check out Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Thinking About Staying Here?

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is, quite naturally, located near to Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.  Once here, you can use the complimentary Disney transportation to get out and around.  For this resort, transportation is a bus, which runs every 10 or 15 minutes.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is fairly large and spread out -- 33 acres total.  The main lodge has six stories and 1,293 rooms.  Here's a hint -- when you check in, ask if there are rooms available relatively close to the elevators.  Otherwise, plan on doing some walking getting back and forth to your room.

The resort rooms are African-themed, with bright colors, ceiling fans, wall hangings, and other African artifacts.  The rooms are about 344 square feet with either two queen beds, one king bed or one queen and bunk beds. Occupancy is up to four people per room.

There are also deluxe rooms in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, for occupancy up to 5 people. As you might guess, these rooms are a little larger.

And then there are the suites, from one bedroom sized to the Presidential suite.  Hope you have a deep wallet if you want to stay in the Presidential suite -- it's over $2,000 a night.

Eating at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

There are three places to eat here at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

First, there is the quick service stand with counter service.  It's called "The Mara" and it has soups, salads, sandwiches and the like.  Even pizza!

Next is "Boma -- Flavors of Africa".  This is the table service restaurant, and it quite popular as it is buffet-style.  As you can probably guess, there is African-inspired cuisine.  Included are vegetarian dishes, roasted meats and grilled seafood (among others).  You will dine under a thatched ceiling, and the decor is that of an African marketplace.

The signature restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is called "Jiko - The Cooking Place".  It has American cuisine with an African and Mediterranean influence.  The colors are warm, making one think of a sunset over the African savanna.

Don't feel like leaving your room?  There is also room service.

Things to do at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

This Walt Disney World resort has some unusual things to do.  I think the most interesting one takes place at night, with night-vision spotting of the animals -- cool!

There are also other animal-themed activities at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, including watching handlers feed various animals and acting as a "junior researcher".

What else?  You can enjoy:

• Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center, with fitness equipment, massages, facials and saunas.  You can also schedule some time with a personal trainer.
• Pumbaa's Fun and Games Arcade
• The main pool Uzima.  It's a big pool with zero-depth entry and has a nice long 67-foot slide.
• Wading pool for the young ones.
• Two heated spas for that end-of-day relaxation...ahhhh!
• Simba's Clubhouse, which is for children 4 to 12 years.  This lets mom and dad have a grownups night out while the kids are being entertained.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is a great place to stay on your next Disney World vacation!

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Concierge Rooms

If you're staying on one of the Concierge levels at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in Orlando, you have an extra treat in store.

You can participate in the Wildlife Discovery Excursion, which is exclusive to concierge guests.

The Wildlife Discovery Excusion is a guided tour of Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

For an additional fee (naturally), this special safari is only offered to a limited number of concierge-level guests.

Save Money at Disney!

You can save bundles of cash on your next Disney World vacation! (And saving money is good, right?) Check out the Ultimate Savings Guide!