Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Reviews

• AC

  A.C. Cov

  Aug 27, 2026
  5.0
  A one night family stay in the Deluxe Studio at Jambo House ended up being the highlight of our entire Disney World vacation. Reading reviews about waking up to animals outside your balcony is one thing, but experiencing it yourself is something completely different. We stayed on the second floor, and it was perfect for getting an up-close view of the animals. They were active when we checked in, again in the evening, and early the next morning. Even after dark, once our eyes adjusted, we could still watch them moving around the savanna. It was an unforgettable experience for both the adults and our kids. Our room was clean, comfortable, and quiet once the balcony door was closed. The pools were excellent, and every Cast Member we encountered was friendly, professional, and genuinely welcoming. The resort also does a fantastic job of keeping kids engaged with activities throughout the day. Our children's favorite parts were watching the animals from our room and spending time in the incredible main lobby, which had comfortable seating, beautiful African-inspired décor, and kid-friendly activities. Even having Bluey playing on the TV made it feel like a relaxing place to unwind after a busy park day. If your family loves animals, I can't recommend Animal Kingdom Lodge enough. Even if you're only able to stay one night like we did, it's absolutely worth the experience and created memories we'll never forget.
• LS

  Leticia Simon

  Aug 22, 2026
  1.0
  I’m extremely disappointed with my stay. We have now had repeated issues with the fire alarm in our room over multiple nights (which sure, isn’t common… but the problem is how they’ve handled what should’ve been a serious issue). The first night, our alarm went off around 9:30 PM and eventually stopped. Then around 3:00 AM, the alarms went off again and the entire hotel had to evacuate. Now, the following night at 10pm our alarm has gone off yet again after notifying the front desk earlier in the day about some signs, and I’ve spent more than 40 minutes dealing with the issue with a one year old at 11pm!!!! I completely understand that fire alarms and evacuations have to be taken seriously, my issue is that the staff ISN’T taking it seriously, they’re just apologizing and have no urgency. They gave me a lousy “breakfast voucher”. I expected much better from a Disney deluxe resort, and unfortunately I won’t ever return here.
• KC

  Keila Crimmins

  Aug 17, 2026
  5.0
  If you are planning a trip to Disney, a stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth it! From the moment we stepped onto the property, we felt like we had been transported to Africa. The outside of the hotel looks like an African village in the middle of a savanna, and the interior left us speechless. From the decor to the actual artifacts displayed throughout the lobby and hotel, Disney does an incredible job of immersing you in the experience. From our room, we could even see animals roaming the savanna: giraffes, zebras, birds, and even antelopes! That was such a cool experience and definitely made our stay feel extra special. The rooms were very clean, and the beds were comfortable. We also loved the complimentary transportation included when you stay at a Disney resort. We were able to get to the parks on a nice, comfortable bus without having to worry about driving or parking. Win-win! We also had dinner at Jiko - The Cooking Place, during our stay, and the food was amazing! We started with the West African Koki Corn and the Diver Scallop with Pork Belly, and for my entrée, I ordered the Seafood Tagine. The entire meal was delectable, and the South African flavors really came through in every dish. It was such a wonderful dining experience and fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the resort. We will definitely stay here again, or at one of the many other wonderful resorts Disney has to offer!
• BC

  Britty Czech

  Aug 12, 2026
  3.0
  This resort used to be a favorite place to stay for us. In fact, we had switched hotels three times over the course of planning our trip because the idea of not staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge was unfathomable. Our room was located right beside the ongoing construction. I was already aware of the renovations, but I didn't expect it to be right next door to us. They were replacing all of the sliding doors for the section of rooms. I had been looking most forward to drinking coffee on the patio and watching animals while waiting for everyone to wake up. I wound up listening to every single conversation from the workers which is not what I imagine for my 7AM patio time. In the hallway outside of our room, we frequently found evidence of the construction such as bags of sand and helmets. The room are very small, especially the wardrobe. I am someone who likes to unpack and hang my clothes. The clothes I brought for my 8 night stay did not fit in the closet alongside my other guests, but they had fit perfectly fine at French Quarter, which comparably had more storage. There was also no footstool available for my child like there was at French Quarter. We had experienced a one hour and forty minute wait for the bus from Disney Springs at 8PM when we were trying to get back to the resort. I know this is not normal as someone who loves to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The next night, we experienced another hours wait to get on the bus from the resort. I decided to go speak to the concierge about this ongoing issue. His response? "What would you like me to do?" Albeit, he was very polite, I just expect action, not more questions. I don't even know what was in his power to do. I mostly just wanted someone to contact transportation. He also explained that buses can be delayed when there is bad weather, but it was not even raining so that seemed like an odd explanation. I know it's not the resort's responsibility to keep track of transportation, but they can easily intervene. Guests shouldn't worry about being stranded when one of the main selling points of staying on property is the ease of transportation. I could have stayed off property and taken Ubers every day and still paid less than I did for the stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. He offered to put a credit on my room to pay for an Uber, which satisfied out problem temporarily, but I was concerned about the ongoing issue. Following that night when we got stuck at Disney Springs, we got back much later than we intended. We made a long walk down the hall to our room with a stroller only to find out that specific elevator was out of service so we had to walk all the way to the other side of the hotel. I understand elevators go out, but signage in the lobby or the hall leading to the elevator would have been helpful and much more kind to our tired, cranky selves. This isn't AKL specific, but it'd be nice if there were options to refill the mugs after 10 or 11 PM at night. I also wish there were more options for POG other than the slushy at the quick service or Boma. I think it should at least be offered at The Mara or Victoria Falls. Also not specific to AKL, please bring back the wake up calls! I know we have the Hey Disney option, but we specifically had it taken out of our room as the child was using it as a toy. Positive remarks: -The staff aside from the one concierge was phenomenal, particularly mousekeeping. AKL mousekeeping has always been superb in our experiences there. We had an entire conversation with the mousekeeping manager when he had to do something for us and we loved the visit! -Having access to a splash pad for the child was a lifesaver during this trip. -The food at every single restaurant at the resort, including the pool bar, was unforgettable! -I loved the small forms of entertainment the resort had like characters visiting, woodworking, education, and arts and crafts. -The animals of course took the cake. You can't replicate that feeling at any other resort.
• CP

  Candice Leigh Pillay

  Aug 7, 2026
  1.0
  Thank you, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, for ruining my son's first Disney vacation and birthday. Well done. We travelled internationally and decided to add a visit to Walt Disney World to celebrate my sons birthday. Our experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge has been one of the biggest disappointments of our trip. We were assigned a room with a completely blocked view. After speaking with a Cast Member the evening before, we were assured that we would be moved to a partial Savannah-view room the following day and were instructed to bring our luggage down by 11:00 AM. We followed those instructions, packed all of our belongings, and planned our day around the room move. When we returned, no room had been arranged. Rather than spending our time making memories with our young son, we spent it waiting, chasing updates, and trying to resolve an issue that should never have happened. Although compensation was eventually offered, I had to negotiate because the initial offer did not reflect the inconvenience caused (neither did the final offer tbh). We are now expected to spend another night looking at a blocked view before packing up everything again tomorrow and bringing our luggage down by 11:00 AM. We were also told that if we miss that deadline, the room change will be cancelled, despite this entire situation resulting from the resort's own communication failure. For a resort that promotes itself as creating magical family experiences, we did not feel like valued guests. We did not feel that the needs of a single mom travelling with a young child were considered. Packing and unpacking multiple times, rearranging our holiday, and losing valuable vacation time is the opposite of the relaxing, family-friendly experience we expected from a Disney Deluxe Resort. This wasn't just an inconvenience, it took time away from making memories with my son on his first Disney trip and birthday celebration. Time is something we cannot get back. We came to Disney expecting exceptional hospitality and magical moments. Instead, we leave feeling disappointed, stressed, and let down. For a company built on creating unforgettable family memories, this experience has been unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

Frequently Asked Questions About Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge