Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe Walt Disney World resort built around three 11-acre savannas where giraffes, zebras, antelope, and flamingos roam in view of guest rooms and public spaces. It opened on April 16, 2001, in the Animal Kingdom Resort Area on Bay Lake property, and sits within a short bus ride of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. The resort is split into two connected sections: Jambo House, the original hotel, and Kidani Village, a Disney Vacation Club building added in 2009, together totaling roughly 1,300 rooms and villas.
The reason to book here isn’t proximity to Magic Kingdom or Epcot — it’s the animals. Waking up to a giraffe grazing outside a savanna-view room is an experience no other Disney hotel offers, and the resort backs it up with some of Disney World’s best themed dining, including the African buffet at Boma and the fine-dining menu at Jiko. It suits travelers who want an immersive, slower-paced base rather than a hotel built for hopping quickly between parks.
Stats at a Glance
- Resort: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House & Kidani Village)
- Location: Animal Kingdom Resort Area, Bay Lake, Florida, adjacent to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Opened: April 16, 2001 (Kidani Village added May 1, 2009)
- Rooms: About 1,300 rooms and Disney Vacation Club villas
- Price tier: Deluxe (higher nightly rates than moderate/value Disney resorts)
- Park transport: Disney bus service to all four theme parks and both water parks
- Perks: 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry; Extended Evening Hours (Deluxe-tier benefit); Lightning Lane booking 7 days early for hotel stay length
- Theme: African savanna lodge, with live wildlife viewable from rooms and grounds
Rooms, Theming and Dining
Rooms lean earthy and lodge-like, with carved wood furniture and African-inspired patterns, and the biggest draw is the view category: standard and deluxe savanna-view rooms look directly onto the resort’s Sunset, Arusha, or Uzima savannas, home to real giraffes, zebras, kudu, and birds. Kidani Village adds larger DVC-style studios and villas with kitchens, geared toward longer stays and bigger families.
Dining is a standout even by Disney standards. Boma – Flavors of Africa is a buffet drawing on dishes from across the continent, Jiko – The Cooking Place offers upscale African, Mediterranean, and Indian-influenced plates, Sanaa in Kidani Village serves spice-route cuisine overlooking its own savanna, and The Mara handles quick-service meals. Several lounges and pool bars round things out.
Getting to the Parks and Perks
Animal Kingdom Lodge relies on Disney bus service to reach all four theme parks and both water parks — there’s no monorail or boat link, so plan on bus transit time to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or Hollywood Studios, though Animal Kingdom itself is close by. As a Disney-owned deluxe resort, guests get 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry every day of their stay, access to Extended Evening Hours on select nights (a Deluxe-tier exclusive), and the ability to book Lightning Lane selections up to 7 days before check-in for the full length of stay.
Who Should Stay Here
This resort is ideal for animal lovers, first-time deluxe-resort splurgers, and families who want an unforgettable room view more than a monorail commute. It’s less convenient than Magic Kingdom-area resorts for guests prioritizing quick, frequent park hops, and the deluxe price tag is a real consideration — book a savanna-view room specifically if the animals are the point, since standard-view rooms don’t overlook them.
Explore more: More Where to Stay guides, Disney’s Animal Kingdom guide, Magic Kingdom guide.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge FAQs
How do you get from Animal Kingdom Lodge to the theme parks?
Disney buses run to all four theme parks and both water parks; there’s no monorail or boat service. Animal Kingdom is the closest park, while Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios require longer bus rides. Guests also get 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry daily and access to Extended Evening Hours as a deluxe-resort perk.
Is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge worth the price?
It’s a deluxe resort, so nightly rates run well above Disney’s value and moderate resorts. It’s worth it for guests who want the savanna-view rooms and immersive African theming and dining; travelers focused purely on park-hopping speed may get more value from a Magic Kingdom-area monorail resort instead.
Do all rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge have animal views?
No. Only savanna-view rooms overlook the resort’s Sunset, Arusha, and Uzima savannas where giraffes, zebras, and other animals live. Standard-view and other categories face parking areas, pools, or landscaping, so it’s worth booking the savanna-view category specifically if that’s the draw.
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Photo: Dunderklumpen / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.