With a savanna view, would a giraffe really come close enough to my balcony? I was intrigued by the prospect. I wasn’t staying at Giraffe Manor in Kenya but rather at Animal Kingdom Lodge in Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe (luxury level) Disney hotel property that consists of two locations, Jambo House and Kidani Village which share a savanna where the animals can roam freely. I arrived in Orlando a few days prior to boarding the NCL EPIC transatlantic cruise from Port Canaveral (about an hour away) to Rome so I had a solo weekend at Disney. As it had been over a decade since my last visit to Disney World, it seemed like a perfect combination – Disney fun before relaxing for ten days at sea. There were many Walt Disney World hotels to choose from but I was fortunate that a family member gifted me my stay using their Disney Vacation Club points.
Animal Kingdom Lodge First Impressions
Disney has a security check point for its hotel properties so the Uber had to stop at for me to announce myself so the guard could confirm that I was a guest. As the car drove toward Jambo House and up the driveway, I could see the vaulted wooden beams that reminded me of the arrival at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. I made my first mistake of the trip and declined help with my baggage when welcomed to the hotel by the bellman.
As I walked through two sets of wooden doors with the Disney magic engraved into them you are greeted by wooden floors and a soaring three story atrium of wooden beams and colorful African art.
Standing there, I had the gift shop on my right and the front desk further to the left and I walked over to check in. It was 4pm and I was able to walk right up to a cast member to check me in on her tablet. I had done the pre-check in via the Disney app and she verified that my Magic Band was up to date with my park tickets but also ready to use as entry to my room. I requested a key card also because I wasn’t sure how long the Magic Band charge would last (you should charge it daily).
I was directed down the hallway to the only elevator, up to the 5th floor, which is the Disney Vacation Club floor, and then down another two long corridors to my room. This is where the bellman would have been a lifesaver as dragging my wheeled luggage down the three long carpeted hallways was a chore. Heck dragging me down the three hallways meant that I would definitely reach or exceed my daily step goal.
Room Tour – Animal Kingdom Lodge DVC Villa at Jambo House
I reached my room which was a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Villa with one bedroom, pull out sofa and a chair that converted to a bed, sleeping up to five in the room. A villa contains a kitchen and laundry facilities. I would not be cooking during my stay nor using the washer/dryer but could see the appeal for families and longer stays.
As I walked into the room (villa), the kitchen was on my left and on my right was a connecting door as this villa can combine with the room next door to accommodate more guests. I had a bench table that fit four people and a sofa, chair and television in the main room with balcony in the distance. The kitchen was stocked will all basic needs – dishes, silverware, glasses, pots/pans, etc. The gift shop in the lobby sells food supplies but you can also order items in advance to be shipped (or delivered) to you at the hotel.
The bedroom was overwhelmed with wooden furniture – the large wardrobe was next to the television and desk on one wall and the bed with nightstands on the other side with a ceiling fan above. The balcony in the distance was connected through to the living room making up a large space to sit outside and enjoy the views.
The bathroom was dark woods and burnt orange. It had two sinks, a large sunken bath tub with shower and a separate toilet room. Of the entire room, this was a disappointing space. I’m not sure if it was meant to have nicks in the wooden furniture that were not covered up or if part of the décor. The toilet was low to the ground and lacked pictures or art of any kind making it a room that the decorator forgot about. The toilet paper was barely one ply which seems like a small detail but for a deluxe hotel I expected more to be honest. The Disney toiletries were large bottles on the wall for environmental purposes with only the bars of soap being separate.
Animal Kingdom Lodge Dining
On this trip, I didn’t have time to enjoy all the food offerings at Animal Kingdom Lodge as I was on a mission to visit all the parks over the weekend. I’ve dined at Jiko, the Dining Place, in the past and found it to be a lovely dining experience (highly suggest a glass of African Pinotage and the Filet Mignon entrée). I was able to visit the quick service option, The Mara, and also Boma, for the breakfast buffet. I’d return to The Mara but don’t recommend Boma based on my experience below.
Breakfast Buffett at Boma in Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House
Dining at Boma was a weird experience to be honest. I made a reservation for 7:45 am Sunday morning to give me time to enjoy breakfast before going to the airport for the cruise shuttle to Port Canaveral. The restaurant opened at 7:30 am and was full of empty tables when I arrived. I gave my name and told I needed to provide my mobile number so they could text me when my table was ready. Confused by the request when I saw a whole restaurant empty, she said that’s the policy. I questioned why she needed my mobile number when I’m standing in front of her and no one else is here waiting? It was early and while I would have loved to argue the lack of logic and bad service experience, I gave in providing my mobile number so she could do the tasks in the order she needed to. I then walked to the side to wait. Then after she put my number in the computer, it printed a piece of paper with a table number and she called my name as if she wasn’t just talking to me and I wasn’t standing directly across from her. It’s an example of when policy needs to be ignored over frictionless experience. I’ve worked in restaurants so have a different lens in customer service. This was a weird start to my breakfast experience. No one needed my mobile number and I didn’t need to perform those steps.
The server was quick to arrive and offer the special juice concoction – a very sweet combination. I asked about ordering eggs and she said I would do that in the buffet line at the kitchen station. I walked to the buffet and started looking at my options. I added asparagus and potatoes to my plate and then walked to the eggs station to order fried eggs. I was then told “they don’t do fried eggs, only omelets”. What? More confusion on my part. I should have left to be honest but I didn’t have time to go elsewhere before I had to leave for the airport. I asked the server why I couldn’t get fried eggs and it had something to do with the pandemic and runny eggs? No idea how fried eggs were a health hazard so she recommended me ordering a plain omelet – basically scrambled eggs. Those arrived quickly and I added them to the plate I built.
While the server was lovely, this was a bad experience overall and cost me $45 + tax/tip for the below.
The Mara – Quick service
Upon arrival to the hotel, I stopped at The Mara quick service and ordered chicken fingers which seemed my safe but not healthy option (seriously Disney would it kill you to sell plain grilled chicken?) I bought a bottle of water for $6 as I entered the zone my sister called “it’s Disney money don’t think too long on it” as I tapped my Magic Band and entered my PIN to pay for food. When I returned from Epcot late night, I went back here and waited for the flat bread pizza that I took back to my room. I added a PB&J snackable to bring to Hollywood Studios in the morning as my breakfast option. Again, it wasn’t a healthy day of eating. The Mara is where you go for salads, sandwiches, fries and pizza along with ice cream and a myriad of bottled drink choices. The Mara is a short walk out of the main building passing the pool area.
Disney Transportation
Walking outside the hotel, I made a left and walked down to the covered bus terminal with monitors showing the timings of the busses to various Disney parks and destinations. You can also look at your Disney app for the hotel to see the bus schedule. Busses leaving Animal Kingdom Lodge at Jambo House go directly to the destination whereas when returning to Animal Kingdom Lodge you need to remember it stops at Kidani Village first. A few folks got confused and exited at the wrong hotel building.
When I missed the bus to Hollywood Studios and was keen to enjoy my early entry (half hour before opening), I ordered an Uber and it showed up quickly at the front of the hotel. The cost with tip was $10 to take me to the front entrance of the park (key to avoiding the long walk from the bus drop off area). You can also book the premium Lyft “Minnie transit” which is a cute option for families with kids (limit two car seats).
Final Thoughts – Staying Solo at Animal Kingdom Lodge
I did see a giraffe through the trees but it never got close enough to my balcony or building for a photo. Animal Kingdom Lodge is a lovely hotel to stay at Disney World if you are keen to experience the deluxe hotel option. The staff were wonderful throughout and the front desk was wonderful to accommodate all my questions and needs. I would return to Animal Kingdom Lodge in the future as it was easy to stay, explore and sleep – I slept very well during my stay. Next time, a glass of Pinotage whilst sitting in the mezzanine lobby bar or in the lobby enjoying the glow of the surroundings trying to mimic the African Safari Lodge experience.