Our Stay At The Animal Kingdom Lodge

Last December, we decided to book a last-minute trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, enticed by a promotion that included a $1,000 dining credit with our reservation. As someone who keeps a close eye on Disney offers, you can trust that I’ll help you secure the best deals for your trip! We invited both Luke and my parents, and we were all pleasantly surprised when we arrived to find that each of our resort view rooms had been upgraded to savannah views. It was dark when we checked in, so you can imagine my astonishment when I woke up the next morning to see a giraffe stretching right outside our window! The kids were mesmerized by the view, but it was the adults who couldn’t contain our excitement. Throughout the week, we saw so many animals and couldn’t help but laugh at the zebras, who seemed to enjoy games of tag. We spent four days visiting the parks. I subscribe to a blog that features a detailed crowd calendar, so we strategically planned our park days based on projected lower crowd levels. If this is important to you and you want to kick off your trip at Magic Kingdom, I recommend starting your vacation on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Since crowd levels were a priority for us, we began our adventure at Animal Kingdom, which might be my favorite park for a variety of reasons I’ll delve into in a future post. Now, back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge! The lobby of this resort is simply breathtaking. You truly feel transported from Orlando to Africa, with savannah views throughout the lobby and hallways, ensuring you’re always close to the wildlife—even if you opt for a standard resort or pool view. There are three different restaurants on property, but I couldn’t resist returning to Boma for the third time. The dinner buffet is incredible, and I’ll have to try their famous breakfast buffet on my next visit. We also enjoyed the quick-service option, The Mara, where we inhaled our unique bowls while the kids munched on chicken tenders. The February weather makes for an ideal Disney trip. It's typically drier this time of year, and we were fortunate to enjoy no rain! The mild winter temperatures allowed the boys to take full advantage of the amazing pool. The kids still rave about the "animal HO-TAIL"! I think we've spoiled them into believing every hotel should come with a savannah in the backyard! This resort is perfect for families seeking a unique atmosphere. Sitting on your balcony, you truly forget you’re in Florida. However, there are a few cons to consider. The resort relies solely on bus transportation (no walking paths, boats, or Skyliners), which means longer rides to many parks—though the quick bus route to Animal Kingdom is a bonus. This didn’t bother us, but if proximity is a concern for you, it’s something to keep in mind. Another downside is that some hallways can be quite long, meaning you might have a 10-minute walk to the lobby from your room. We had one of these rooms, but the savannah view more than made up for it. Luke and I stayed here without the kids when we were first married and had a pool view room just steps from the lobby. Overall, my kids and I highly recommend this "animal HO-TAIL"!

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