Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8972 reviews

• 

  Not A Deluxe Hotel

  We stayed here at the beginning of September 25 for 2 weeks, maybe my expectations of it were too high as I expected better with it being classed as a deluxe hotel as we have stayed at other deluxe and had an amazing experience.. this for us just didn’t fit the bill for a deluxe resort, we found the rooms small and quite dark and miserable with no appeal what’s so ever and walls were paper thin we could hear EVERYTHING from guest next door to guest shouting in the corridors and room doors being banged shut . we had an issue with ants in our room we even found them in the drawers where our clothes were, we definitely had no food left out to warrant them coming in , we did report it and they said they will get pest control to come sort it , the day after the ants were back this time we found where they were coming from which was a hole over the top of the patio door this time it got sorted , as they filled in the hole .. we paid extra for a savanna room and hardly saw any animals apart for a giraffe the odd time and a zebra that more or less just paced up and down the fence looking like it was stressed We found The Mara quick serve totally disappointing it was going through some sort of revamp so the coffee machines were down hot chocolate machines were down sachets of cocoa were put out to make your own cocoa but some selfish guest just grabbed massive handfuls and left none for other quest it’s was a bad situation.. there was also only one soft drink station to use with watered down drinks most of the time the line was long to get a drink , we did buy a refillable mug for drinks but felt at the Mara we certainly didn’t get our moneys worth because of the drinks machine situation..We felt sorry for the cast members in there as they had to cope with disgruntled customers due to the drinks situation which in fact prompted me to go to the front desk to mention about the drinks machine , not to complain but to stop the cast members in there having to take the abuse from the guest ,but apparently it wasn’t their department to mention it to and that we would have to talk with the manager in the Mara , maybe that is the American way which seemed a bit odd , we felt we just wasn’t listened to about the fact that for a deluxe resort the situation for terrible service wasn’t good enough . The Mara was poorly managed to cope with the number of guest using the quick service restaurant, it is quite small for the amount of guests wanting to use it as this is the only quick service restaurant for the whole of the hotel which it is used for both Jambo house and Kidani Village. We have used other deluxe hotels in Disney and I’m sorry to say that Animal Kingdom Lodge doesn’t live up to the deluxe status it has for us , we have definitely had better service with happier staff in others , most of the staff here never looked happy or greeted us with a happy attitude they just all seemed miserable.. not surprised really with what they gad to work with , we went over to Coronado Springs which is a moderate hotel and got treated with a whole different attitude , everyone was happy to greet you and took time out to stop and chat and asked if there was anything we wanted what a difference this made , so for us we won’t be returning to Animal Kingdom Lodge it just didn’t cut it for us it took the Disney Magic away .. some people love it .. everyone has their likes and dislikes , this is my honest opinion of why it wasn’t for us, I never felt in the Disney Bubble the whole time I was there it was dark and depressing with a front desk that just passed the buck and didn’t want to listen, I swear it was because they didn’t like the fact we pointed out a failure that they couldn’t put right had they listened.. was it worth our hard earned cash hmmmmm NO it definitely wasn’t

  Sep 16, 2025
• 

  Great for viewing animals, not so great for bus transportation

  Animal Kingdom Lodge has two buildings. Jambo house, and Kidani village. Jambo house is considered the main hotel with a large lobby. Kidani village is the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villa side, which you can only book with DVC points. Jambo house can be booked as a regular hotel, and they also have DVC villas which can be booked with DVC points. We booked Jambo house with renting DVC points from David’s DVC website. Let me start by saying the best part about staying here is seeing the animals, and the worst part about staying here is the busses transportation. We booked a savannah view room for 2 nights. The DVC rooms are only on the 5th floor. We specifically requested the zebra trail and close to the lobby, as that is what the internet said had the best animals and won’t be a long walk. Our request was granted, however since we were close to the lobby, we had a view of the savannah overlook from the lobby, which could be quite loud at times. So maybe we would sacrifice a longer walk to the room for more quiet. However we had a great view of the savannah and within the first few hours we were able to see all of the animals that were in the savannah. Giraffes, zebras, hornbills, cranes, waterbuck, eland, wildebeasts, pelican, antelopes. They refresh the hay and the hanging browse so the animals rotate around throughout the day and you will see them multiple times. Even when it was raining, hot and sunny, and even at midnight! There were animals out and about. The patio was not that deep, but it was long and wide. It came with 2 chairs and a small table. The patio door though had a lot of condensation and you could hear through it. Our room was ready one hour before check in time at 3pm, and we got the notification on the app after doing online check in. They do have bell services to hold your luggage if you wish, but we only had to wait about 30 minutes so we just hung out in the lobby and checked out the shop. The room had a small razor blade (like maintenance had been working on something in the room). So we threw that away promptly. We booked a studio villa. The toilet and shower are in the same room, with the double sink vanity separate. The shower had really poor water pressure and the shower handle never could turn all the way off completely so there was always a drip. Otherwise, the room was stocked and cleaned, and had the disney conservation fund coffee table book for in room reading. There was a table with 2 chairs, a small coffee table, a couch (a pull out), and a double bed. There is a closet with two opening doors, and a closet with one door with the ironing board and safe. There is lots of drawer space in the dresser under the TV. There are multiple mirrors. There was plenty of storage space. The room is themed very dark with the wooden tones, and the lighting is very dim, so you have to rely a lot on the daylight from the sliding door. The kitchenette part had a mini fridge, sink with soap/sponge/towel, microwave, toaster, and plastic silverware, plastic cups, and paper plates and bowls. The sign in the room said that there would be housekeeping service on the 4th day. But daily they came in to take out and replace the trash cans. There is a decently large shop in the lobby. There is also a lot of African art and photos to take a look at. There is one main savannah overlook if you go down the stairs at the end of the lobby. This is also where they have the nightly campfire. There are representatives here to ask questions and they can talk about the animals here. There are also a few other overlooks attached to or on the side of the lobby with indoor and outdoor seating. There are also stairs downstairs to get to Victoria falls lounge, and boma, and jiko. We have eaten at Jiko in the past. While delicious, it has a high price point and other steakhouses are cheaper and the same or better. We ate at Boma for breakfast and dinner. While everything was good. It reminded us of the quality of the buffet on a Disney cruise shop and not worth the price. Also, you can go outside to the pool, and the fitness center with a sauna is nearby. The Mara quick service is right out the doors. We had a bowl from here which was fine, but all of the prices are quite high for what you get here and the food is just okay. We got a reusable cup that you can refill here, or at any Disney resort for the length of your stay. They also have the simba clubhouse for kids to do activities just a little down the path as well. Every single cast member we encountered was welcoming and friendly and helpful. They have an internal shuttle that runs between Jambo house and Kidani village. They also have the bus system out front, which runs to all parks and Disney springs. Busses stop at Kidani village first, then Jambo, then to the destination. Be warned about the busses as they do not come as often as other resorts, and they have to make the extra stop at the other resort building. We did notice that at peak morning time they run a bus from each building individually, but that only lasts for a few hours and then it is back to combined. Since AKL is farther away from the parks, it takes a decent bus ride (15-20 minutes) to get to the parks. So factor in about 30 minutes or so in travel time alone, not including waiting 20 minutes for a bus to even come. This is true of the hotel stop and the park stop. The busses to and from here are not reliable and are quite crowded. We have seen two busses from each of the 3 all stars resorts come before even one of the AKL busses came. So if you are the kind who wants to take a mid day break at the hotel and then come back to the parks, it is a huge timesuck for all parks except maybe animal kingdom. Overall, we enjoyed our stay here, but would not stay again due to the inconvenient location.

  Sep 09, 2025
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  Our home resort!

  We are DCV members, this is our home resort and we love it! We never tire of hearing ‘Welcome home!’ Housekeeping or Mousekeeping as Disney call it , is on point. The unique design of this hotel, the dining options, the pool areas and public areas are wonderful but the icing on the cake has to be the animals that roam the savannahs in which the hotel is set. You can view zebras, giraffes, wilder beast, deer, emus and various other animals and birds from rooms overlooking the savannahs or from outdoor viewing areas. It’s the closest you may ever get without going on safari, it’s safe and it’s an amazing experience, you feel like you have been transported to Africa. Staff willingly share their culture be it music or art and are always on hand, some in traditional dress. The Animal Kingdom park is a short distance away by car or free shuttle bus. Frequent free shuttles are also provided to all Disney parks and water parks as well as Disney Springs, monitors keep guests updated with bus information so you’re not left wondering what’s happening. Looking forward to our next visit already!

  Sep 06, 2025
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  Pool dangerous for wheelchair users

  Visited in July with a family of 7. As we booked an accessible room for my daughter who uses a wheelchair, we had to book again for the rest of our family. Disney don’t allow to book for an accessible room and another room at the same time. Even though we requested to be close to our family, they were placed at opposite end of the hotel. Our “accessible room” wasn’t accessible At all, the only difference to a regular room being a handrail in the bathroom. After 4 days we were moved to a legitimate accessible room which suited great. However; the pool is not safe for young kids or those who can’t stand/feel their legs . The bottom of the pool is really rough, and my daughter cut her feet, legs and knees really badly the first day. As a result, she couldn’t get into the pool for the rest of the trip and was left with an ulcer on her foot, as she is paralysed and has poor circulation. I wouldn’t have booked to stay here if I’d of known the pool was like this. My nephew wore neoprene swim socks and these were ripped through the first day also. Really disappointing, especially with July heat in Florida.

  Sep 03, 2025
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  Disappointed at Jambo

  We splurged on a Savannah view, and it was wonderful to see the animals. BUT ...you have to listen to safari music all day long! The room was dark and cramped. The distance to the elevators was long, despite being a club level room. Staff was generally unavailable or unhelpful except for a couple of exceptions. When we checked in, nobody was at the front desk - we had to run around the lobby to find someone to help us. Bell services was disorganized. Surprisingly the club staff were rude at times. We did a split stay with the Polynesian where the staff was consistently friendly and helpful.

  Sep 01, 2025