Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the top resorts at Walt Disney World. We love it so much that it’s even ranked as our top pick for the best resort at Walt Disney World.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a four-star resort hotel in the Animal Kingdom theme park area. The resort is spread across 75 acres and features 972 rooms and suites at the main Lodge, also known as Jambo House. Jambo House also has dedicated villas, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House. A separate Disney Vacation Club, Kidani Village, is only a short walk or shuttle ride away on the same property.

Guests planning a stay will want to familiarize themselves with the different room types, restaurants, recreation, and transportation options available at the resort. This guide will provide you with all the information we’ve collected over the years. We’ve stayed at Jambo House and Kidani Village many times and continue to do so.

We recommend using this guide as a starting point. But if you want to learn more, we’ve included a list of our articles detailing the resort’s individual aspects. For example, if you plan to spend time at the pool, our resort pool guide has many photos and things you’ll want to know beforehand.

The Basics at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Here are a few basic things you’ll want to know about the resort:

• Check-In: 3:00 p.m.*
• Check-Out: 11:00 a.m.
• Self-Parking: Complimentary
• Free Wi-Fi Internet
• Address: 2901 Osceola Parkway. Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830

*Note that check-in for Kidani Village or Animal Kingdom Villas is at 4:00 p.m.

A Note on DVC Resorts

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas at Jambo House and Kidani Village, a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Therefore, this section of the resort operates a little differently from the average Disney Resort Hotel. Members of Disney’s Vacation Club will have a first-come, first-serve choice of rooms when reservations become available. However, it is rare for rooms to fill up, so Disney makes these rooms available on a cash basis to regular resort guests. So, you do not have to be a DVC member to stay at this or any other Disney Vacation Club Resort.

Kidani Village sits next door to the Lodge and offers nearly 350 additional guest rooms. This area features room types like deluxe studios and villas, which are predominantly for larger families or groups. Meanwhile, the rooms at Jambo House range from standard hotel rooms to deluxe studios and villas. Rooms at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kidani Village offer savanna, pool, or standard views. Savanna rooms are a considerable upgrade, but this is one of the few resorts we recommend paying for a room view upgrade.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Benefits

Guests of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo and Kidani Village) can participate in Disney’s early theme park entry, a perk extended to all Walt Disney World Resort guests.

Early Theme Park Entry: This perk allows resort guests to enter any Walt Disney World theme park 30 minutes before officially opening to the general public. This early entry provides several advantages:

1. Lower Crowds: Being among the first to enter the park allows you to experience popular attractions with shorter wait times. This will help you to check off must-see rides and experiences ahead of the crowd.
2. Photography Opportunities: If you love capturing the magic of Disney, the early hours provide a fantastic opportunity for photos in front of iconic landmarks with fewer people in the background.
3. Cooler Temperatures: Morning hours are often cooler, making outdoor activities more comfortable. But if you visit during cooler weather, don’t forget a jacket!

Extended Evening Hours: Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort guests, including those staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo and Kidani Village), enjoy spending extra time in select theme parks on specific evenings. During extended evening hours, these parks stay open later than their regular closing time, usually for an additional two hours.

This benefit offers several advantages as well:

1. More Ride Time: This allows you to enjoy additional nighttime rides and attractions when lines tend to be shorter.
2. Magical Nighttime Atmosphere: Disney parks take on a unique and enchanting ambiance at night, with beautifully lit landscapes. So you’ll have time to savor the nighttime magic for longer with fewer crowds. 
3. Less Rush: With extended hours, you can explore at a more relaxed pace.

Planning Your Stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Below are our resources for planning your stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. We’ve taken detailed photos of everything during our visits. If you’re unfamiliar with Disney, we consider our resort transportation guide one of our most valuable resources. It’s designed to help you prepare in advance and can help you get around while you’re there.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Review: Our resort review details our personal experience staying there. We share why we love this resort hotel and what we enjoy during our visit. It also provides an overview of what to expect regarding resort amenities. This room featured a savanna view.

Jambo House Deluxe Studio Tour: Our room featured a balcony with a pool view, which we enjoyed but felt could be a little noisy during the afternoon.

Kidani Village Review: Kidani Village is one of our go-to resorts for several reasons. We love that we can store our car in the parking deck. I know that might not make sense, but we almost always book a room here in the event of a hurricane. We usually find reasonable room rates here, and that’s always a plus.

Kidani Village Deluxe Studio Room Tour: This room features a queen-size bed, sleeper sofa, a small kitchenette with a microwave, and an accessible bathroom with a walk-in shower. We have an additional video of the room listed below.

Kidani Village Three-Bedroom Grand Villa Room Tour: This is one of the largest accommodations at Walt Disney World. It’s spread out on two levels! Grand Villas have a fully equipped kitchen, washer, and dryer, among many other amenities.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Pool Guide: The Uzima Springs Pool sits at the back of Jambo House between the hotel and the savanna. It’s a wonderful place to relax and offers one of the most tranquil settings. Don’t be surprised if you spend more time here than planned!

Kidani Village Pool Guide: The Samawati Springs Pool is perfect for active children. If I’m traveling with nieces or nephews, I always bring them down to this pool because it has an incredible waterslide and an aquatic play area called Uwanja Camp. (Both pools have whirlpool spas tucked away in semi-private areas.)

Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurants Guide: Our dining guide provides an overview of everywhere you’ll want to eat at the resort during your vacation.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Transportation Options: This guide outlines the most efficient ways to use resort transportation. Since this resort sits to itself, bus service is the only complimentary transportation option. You can take a bus from the resort to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon). Note that a transfer is usually required for the water parks. Our guide discusses the details and tips.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Transportation Map: This quick reference guide outlines the bus stops at the resort.

Zawadi Marketplace Gift Shop: Zawadi Marketplace is a gift shop sitting inside the entrance of Jambo House. It’s a fun shop to explore, and we have photos of everything you can expect to find!

Johari Treasures Gift Shop: This subtle gift shop is in Kidani Village’s lobby. It sells souvenirs, groceries, and other items. The location also has a refillable beverage station for Rapid Fill mugs.

Laundry at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: If you need to do a little laundry during your vacation, you’re in luck. Both Kidani Village and Jambo House have laundry rooms available to guests.

Individual Dining Reviews for Animal Kingdom Lodge

Jiko, The Cooking Place Review: This fine dining option ranks high on our signature dining guide. Expect a culinary adventure that you won’t find just anywhere!

Boma, Flavors of Africa Breakfast Review: If we’re talking breakfast at Disney World, the word Boma will come up pretty quickly. We have to refrain from eating there often. It’s so much food, but it’s also so good.

Sanaa Bread Service Review: Unless you live under a rock or have never visited Walt Disney World, you’ve probably heard of the bread service offering at Sanaa. It has a reputation, and there’s a reason for that. Warning: don’t plan breakfast at Boma followed by anything at Sanaa later in the day. You’ll be stuffed.

Sanaa Restaurant (Everything You Need to Know): This review focuses on dining at Sanaa, what to expect, and when to dine there to see the animals. It gives a nod to bread service but also highlights some of the restaurant’s other selections.

The Mara Quick Service Review: We love this quick-service restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s the perfect place to grab a quick bite to eat when you’re not noshing at one of the table service restaurants.

Refillable Mugs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Rapid Fill mugs are available at The Mara. This guide details the location of refill stations, along with the current price and drink options.

Extras and Seasonal:

How to Get Between Kidani Village and Jambo House: This quick tip guide shares photos of the walkway between the resorts and how to take the shuttle.

Christmas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Preview photos of the Christmas decorations at both Jambo House and Kidani Village.

Gingerbread Giraffe and Zebra at Jambo House: If you’re visiting during the holidays, don’t miss the gingerbread creations displayed in the lobby!

Kilimanjaro Club Level: Club-level service is offered at Jambo House. This is a concierge floor where guests are privy to a lounge that has multiple services throughout the day. If you want to know more about this type of offering, try our review of the club level at Disney’s Polynesian.

Pumbaa’s Fun and Games Arcade: The resort’s arcade offers a plethora of video games and entertainment. It’s so large, you could almost get lost inside. Find it near The Mara and Uzima Pool.

Hakuna Matata Playground: This playground is designed for little ones, and it’s a perfect place to let them burn off some energy. It’s near the flamingo area behind the Uzima Springs Pool.

The Savannas: Spend an afternoon exploring each of the resort’s savannas. Animal specialists are available throughout the day to help guests spot exotic animals and share fun facts. There’s no telling what you’ll see! Some of the animals include giraffes, zebras, gazelles, kudu, pelicans, wildebeests, and flamingos.

Related Reading

For your convenience, here’s a list of all our articles related to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

More Deluxe Resorts to Consider:

If you haven’t decided on a resort, you might consider a few other options:

• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort (This resort is not in the same location. But it’s more comparable than any other resort.)

The following resorts are part of the Magic Kingdom Resorts Area:

• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort