A Resort Like No Other

By: Erica Kocher8.16.18Have you ever wanted to stay at a resort that makes you feel as if you are visiting a whole different place? If so, Animal Kingdom Lodge is the choice for you. It consists of two different resorts, Jambo House & Kidani Village. As you drive up to the resort, you can tell it’s different than anywhere you have ever stayed before. If you happen to be arriving during the day, you will see the hustle & bustle of bell services, but what is most surprising is the sound of live African drums welcoming you.Walking into the lobbies of both resorts is absolutely breathtaking. They have open ceilings and a giant glass wall in the back so you can see out to the savannah. The décor definitely transports you right into the heart of African culture. Located in the lobby is Bell Services, Check-in, Concierge, and a gift shop.Johari Treasures is the gift shop located at Kidani Village. In this shop you will find snacks, a refillable drink counter, essentials that you may have left at home, along with a few souvenirs. For a full size gift shop, I recommend checking out Zawadi Marketplace, located at Jambo House. Zawadi has a larger variety of Disney themed souvenirs, as well as African art, instruments, and apparel. At times, you will be lucky to find an artist inside the Marketplace creating one-of-a-kind African art for you to take home.Kidani Village is a Disney Vacation Club resort, so chances are you would be staying at Jambo House when visiting. Personally, I prefer Jambo House because of the larger gift shop, the larger pool, and more restaurant choices. When choosing your room at Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can choose from standard view (sometimes the parking lot or foliage/other times obstructed views of the savannah), pool view, and savannah view. There are different types of rooms to choose from: standard rooms have 2 queen size beds, 1 queen bed & 1 bunk bed, or a king size bed & a daybed. These rooms fit 4-5 adults. For larger groups, you can get a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom villa complete with a full size kitchen & living room. At Jambo House, the entire top floor is reserved for club level guests. No matter which resort you stay, there is a shuttle that can take you to the neighboring resort for pool hopping, shopping, and meals.Of the room choices, I definitely recommend the savannah view rooms. Animal Kingdom Lodge has a 33-acre wildlife reserve that is home for over 30 species of African wildlife. You can find a Wildlife Field Guide in your room or obtain one from the lobby concierge. Jambo House is home of Arusha Rock, an elevated savannah viewing area where at night you can hear stories from cast members and borrow night vision binoculars to view the wildlife. If you are a fan of hidden Mickeys, there are three giraffes carved into the side of Arusha Rock, one of them includes a hidden Mickey.If you are like me, you enjoy trying new meals while on vacation. Animal Kingdom Lodge has three table service restaurants, one quick service restaurant, and two pool bars where food can be ordered. At Jambo House, you will find Jiko and Boma for table services meals and The Mara and Uzima Springs Pool Bar for quick serve meals. At Kidani Village, you will find Sanaa (it is a quick service restaurant for breakfast & table service for lunch and dinner) and Maji Pool Bar for quick service meals. There are also specialty meal choices, Wanyama Safari (which ends with a meal at Jiko), Private Dining (room service) Jiko Wine Tasting, and Dine with an Animal Specialist. If you like to enjoy a cocktail to wind down, there are three lounges to choose from, Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar, Sanaa Lounge, and Victoria Falls Lounge. Over 10 years ago, I found a desert/snack that was little known then, but is now a fan favorite. It’s called Zebra Domes and can only be found at Animal Kingdom Lodge. They are a great choice for a snack on the meal plan, but can also be found on the dinner buffet at Boma.Each resort is home to their own unique swimming pools. Uzima Pool is a 11,000 square foot zero-depth entry that was built to represent a natural watering hole with lots of trees and vegetation surrounding it. Uzima Pool also has a waterslide, a children’s wading pool, and 2 whirlpool spas. Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village has a thrilling waterslide and 2 whirlpool spas. Another feature at Samawati Springs Pool that is worth hopping over to Kidani is Uwanja Camp, a water playground for children with squirting Venus flytraps, a rope bridge, and water cannons.There are a few other amenities that are worth checking out, Zahanti Spa & Fitness Center, Simba’s Clubhouse, Hakuna Matata Playground, & Pumba’s Fun and Games Arcade. Zahanti is a full service spa where you can go to relax or fit in a quick workout before heading to the parks. Simba’s Clubhouse is a children’s activity center where kids can come for a fun evening while you have an adult only evening out (there is a fee of $15 per hour with a 2 hour minimum for this service). Hakuna Matata Playground is a 24-hour outdoor playground located at Jambo House for children can go to monkey around. Pumba’s Fun and Games Arcade is located next to the pool and The Mara at Jambo House. Disney’s activity cast members host games, crafts, and parties around the pool during the days and in the evening, they stay on hand to host evening campfires and movies under the stars. We have made lifelong friends with some of the Disney activity cast members.As with any Disney resort, by staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, you will also be able to take advantage of Disney’s Bus Transportation, Disney’s Magical Express, resort wide Wi-Fi, and Resort Airline Check-in. By using the bus transportation and Magical Express, there is no need to rent a car and have to pay the $24 per night fee to park at the resort. My favorite bonus is the Resort Airline Check-in. If you are flying to MCO via Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Jet Blue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, you can check-in for your flight right in the hotel lobby. The best thing is you won’t have to carry luggage around the airport and wait in the long check-in lines.As you can see, there are many reasons to book your stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge! You never know what you are going to see from your hotel balcony.Are you thinking about a visit to Walt Disney World? I am an agent with Wishes Family Travel, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.  As your agent, I’ll be on hand to help you with everything from finding your perfect package to grabbing those hard-to-get dining and FastPass reservations. I work with all Disney Destinations around the globe. Best of all, my services are absolutely FREE. You can contact me at 1-618-514-5536, by email at erica@wishesfamilytravel.com or through my Wishes Family Travel – Erica Facebook group.