Animal Kingdom Lodge

Welcome back my friends to Muting and The Mouse, where we escape into the magic, no matter how far. This week we are going to dive into another aspect of Disney I hope to bring more to you the reader as we continue this blog. But first, I did want to share some news with everyone! I did promise that after all. It is with great joy I can now tell you that I have become a Disney Travel Agent for Spark of Magic Travel Agency! Spark of Magic Travel Agency believes in creating close ties with each customer to best understand their travel needs and preferences. It was an easy decision for me to join and that lines up with wanting to share the Disney magic with everyone! If you are looking for a Disney vacation, reach out and let Spark of Magic Travel give you the vacation of a life time. I would be happy to help you enter into the magic and my services are completely free! Well, now that we have that news out of the way, lets dive into a resort review!

Disney Resorts are a wonderful part of Disney that can get overlooked. They have so much to offer to the guests that stay there. From the hotel rooms, to pools, to spas, to dining and everything in between, it can be hard to find the right one for you. The biggest thing to consider when looking at a Disney Resort is budget, but there is so much more as I have found out over the year. This past trip in September, Abby and I were able to stay at a Deluxe Resort. This was a special one to stay at is it is where Abby did her Disney College Program and we were celebrating our honeymoon. We decided to stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge based on the accommodations, price point, dining, and because we really wanted to! So get ready to explore this awesome resort.

Types of Rooms

There are multiple different options and locations for the rooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. First off, the two locations of rooms can be found at Jambo House and Kidani Village. Jambo House is the main location for the resort and has a grand lobby that is stunning. Kidani Village is a short distance away from Jambo House and has a lot of the Disney Vacation Club located rooms. Both are amazing and have their own perks. The rooms are separated into standard room and savannah view rooms. The standard rooms look over the parking areas of the resorts and the savannah rooms, well you guessed it- look over the savannah filled with a ton of animals. Check out the pictures of the savannah from our room!

The resort also has some villas and suites that you can stay in if you have a larger party. We chose to stay in a savannah view room. This was a stunning view of the savannah. Our room was closer to the main lobby in Jambo House and we loved it. The room had a nice view out into the open savannah and was close to the main hub area of the outdoor viewing so we could see what everyone was looking at. Check out the photos of our room below! The room was really nice. It came with two beds, a table and chairs, balcony, fridge, mini bar area, and then the bathroom/shower. It did have lots of storage in the form of a dresser and a free standing closet.

Dining Options

The dining options at Animal Kingdom Lodge are plentiful. They have sit down restaurants, quick service restaurants, lounges, pool bars, and snacks you can get in the gift shops. We actually tried a lot of the places around the resort and can report the food was good at all of them. Our first meal there was found at the quick service location called The Mara. This is found at Jambo House and is a nice quick service location that has some options for everyone. We went there for lunch and I had ordered the Falafel Platter. This was Falafel served with Tabbouleh, Cucumber-Tomato Salad, Hummus, and Tahini Sauce served with Pita Bread. I really enjoyed this dish and would order it again. Abby ordered the Braai Chicken Flatbread. This consisted of Freshly prepared Flatbread with a Sun-dried Tomato Pesto topped with Oak-fired Chicken pieces, Bacon, Red Onion, Mozzarella and Saag Dahl Ranch Drizzle. Abby really enjoyed this menu item. The flatbread was well done and filling for a lunch meal. Now we did choose some more of the adventurous menu items but there are some more traditional options for picky eaters.

We also had breakfast from The Mara. Breakfast options are more traditional for all but there were some eye catching dishes we wanted to try. Abby had ordered the Bacon and Gruyère Quiche. This was a nice breakfast option that came with fruit. The quiche was made up of Freshly Baked with Smoked Bacon, Gruyère, and a savory Egg Custard. The quiche had nice flavor and hit the fancier breakfast button. I had the French Toast Bread Pudding. This was a sweet option for breakfast so I also added some bacon so I could balance the flavor. The main course was Brioche Bread Pudding served with Madagascar Vanilla Bean Sauce. It was very good but did get very sweet very fast. Both were good quick options at the resort for breakfast. They did have the mobile order option so it was easy to get this and eat it before heading to the bus stop for the parks!

Another dining location at Jambo house is Boma! Boma is a buffet style restaurant you need dining reservations for. We did get dining reservations for this and it was amazing. We will be featuring a full review of Boma in the near future but this was a top dining experience on the trip for us. They have traditional stews and soups which they are known for and they were top notch. From there you can try ethnic and traditional foods as well as all the classics kiddos will love. The best part of the menu is the Zebra Domes. The resort is known for them and this is an all you can eat Zebra Dome party when dining here.

Another Jambo House food location is Victoria Falls. This is a lounge that you can get small bites of food from as well as drinks. We enjoyed Victoria falls on the trip a couple of times and will do a future review, but the smaller bites and drinks were all pretty good. Adults looking for a quick bite and drink will love this small spot found just below the lobby. Another restaurant tied to the area of Victoria Falls is Jiko. Jiko is a signature dining location. This was closed so we did not get to try it but I did want to mention it. Our server at Victoria Falls usually worked there and did let us know some of his favorite bites.

Walking or taking the bus over to Kidani Village you will find two more dining locations. They might be the same restaurant but they are two options nonetheless. They are Sanaa and Sanaa Lounge. We have another restaurant review on these in the future but the food here did not disappoint. We have eaten here a couple of times and if you like African-Indian inspired food, this is for you. If not, try it. I was not sure if I would like it and it has turned into one of my favorite restaurants. That was quite the dining tour around the resort and as you can see, there is a lot offered. We really enjoyed the food here and I urge you to check out the menus and dining options here at the resort.

Pool Areas

There are two pools at the resort which is a really nice amenity because both of the pools are about 20 min walks from each other. The pool area at Kidani is called the Samawati Springs pool. This features a splash pad for the kids, a kiddie slide, a bigger slide, a hot tub and the Maji Pool Bar. We were able to enjoy this pool and pool bar a couple of times and it was my favorite of the two. The pool area at Jambo House is called the Uzima Pool. This area is a very convenient location as it is located near the lobby and the main quick service location. The pool also has a pool bar called the Uzima Springs Pool Bar. This was a nice area but the location did not have as much to offer. The main pool had a kiddie slide and a lot of seating which was nice. I would recommend taking time by these pools if you are staying there.

Theming and Decor

This resort is really well themed. The African decorations and back ground is found throughout the resort and really adds to the experience of staying there. The music adds a nice ambiance to make you feel like you are in the heart of the village. The traditional activities and decor make you feel like you are really there. The wood carvers, the giant African headdress in the lobby and beautiful chandeliers all surround you and you are in awe. The hand craftiness of the wood carvers is stunning. You can watch and talk to them and it is a fun thing to see. The chandeliers are beautiful and make for a nice picture. The headdress adds some culture and be sure to read up on it to learn about it. Overall, the decorations are beautiful and the theme is spot on. We love it so much, we decided to gather things to theme a future room after of it at our home.

Final Thoughts

In a final review, we loved the resort. I will say these couple of things that could be “negative” observations. The lighting can be dark at times in the lobby but it really is not that big of a hinderance. The dark wood just makes it seem darker than it is. Another one is the resort is very large. You could have a long walk to your room but if that is a concern, you can always request a room near the lobby. These are not always guaranteed but it could help your chances. This resort is stunning. The views from the room and all around the resort make it worth the stay. The animals are fun to look at, the dining is very good, the ambiance is authentic, and the pools are a nice addition to the amenities. I would recommend this if it fits in your budget and you are looking for a wild time. Have you stayed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge? If so, let us know in the comments below what you thought! If you have not stayed here, would you stay in the future? If you would, remember to reach out as I now am a travel agent with Spark of Magic Travel! Interact with us below or on our social media and remember to escape into the magic no matter how far!