Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resorts Area (Hotel List + Overview)

You may not know it, but when you select a Disney Resort Hotel, you’ll be part of a resort area. That area is generally defined by the theme park within the closest proximity. This guide will discuss the resorts nearest Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s theme park. Each resort in this area is only a short bus ride from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. These resorts are unique in that they only offer one form of transportation: buses. Unfortunately, you cannot walk from these resorts to the Animal Kingdom or any other significant destinations at Walt Disney World.

The resorts that comprise Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort Area are Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports, Disney’s Coronado Springs, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Kidani Village and Jambo House). Respectively, they are value resorts, a moderate resort, a Disney Vacation Club Resort, and a deluxe resort. Below, we’ll provide an overview of each one.

Disney’s All-Star Resorts

Disney’s All-Star Resorts are the most budget-friendly resorts in the Animal Kingdom Resorts area and all of Disney World. If you’re looking for the cheapest hotel while staying on the property, you’ll want to compare prices among the three. Prices will likely be exceptionally similar. The only upgrades are preferred room locations, and Disney’s All-Star Music Resort has a separate room category with family suites.

Disney’s All-Star Resorts guests will have the regular benefits of staying at a Disney Resort Hotel. One of those benefits is early entry, which allows guests to enter a theme park 30 minutes early each morning.

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort

Disney’s All-Star Movies is themed to various movies. Sections are themed to The Love Bug, 101 Dalmatians, Fantasia, The Mighty Ducks, and Toy Story. We rank Disney’s All-Star Movies as a budget and kid-friendly resort. If you want to see more photos of the resort, its rooms, and the pools, our Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s All-Star Movies is an excellent place to start.

Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

All-Star Music sits between Movies and Sports. It’s my favorite of the three All-Star Resorts because I enjoy the music theming. However, it’s important to note that these three resorts have identical room layouts and furnishings. Since their last update, we’ve stayed in all three All-Stars and couldn’t find any visible differences in the rooms. Of course, Music does have an additional room category that the other two value resorts do not offer. If you need more room on a budget, consider the family suites. (They are considerably less expensive than the family suites at Disney’s Art of Animation.) To preview photos of the rooms, pool, and other resort amenities, our Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s All-Star Music links to the entirety of our resort coverage.

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

All-Star Sports is the third All-Star Resort. Each section is themed to the following sports: football, baseball, tennis, basketball, or surfing. We have always enjoyed our stays at All-Star Sports but find that this resort hosts more school teams and guests visiting for various competitions than the other value resorts. We have never experienced any issues with this sort of thing, but for some, the field trip vibe might impact their vacation negatively. Of course, this vibe could be experienced at any resort, but it is more likely at the All-Stars than any other. For more on the resort, try our Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s All-Star Sports.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

Disney’s Coronado Springs is the only moderate category resort in the Animal Kingdom Resorts Area. While this resort is a Resorts Gal favorite, it’s not for everyone. The resort is tremendous, and some might feel the walking distances are too long, especially in the hot sun. We tested this common complaint during our last stay and wrote an entire article on the walking distances at Coronado Springs. If you don’t want to end up in one of the villages around the lake, you can also stay at Gran Destino Tower, a boutique interior hotel at the front of the resort. It’s a step up in price, but you can still enjoy the resort’s lush grounds without too much extra walking when coming and going. Coronado Springs is one of the loveliest places to enjoy a sunset walk at Walt Disney World. Each section has a unique landscape. The resort’s pool area (The Dig Site) is also remarkable. We always plan a day there during our stay.

Related: The Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s Coronado Springs

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Naturally, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort Area. The resort itself is divided into two parts: Jambo House and Kidani Village. Jambo House is the main lodge and is considered a deluxe hotel, while Kidani Village is a Disney Vacation Club Resort.

Jambo House

Jambo House is the larger of the two hotels that comprise the Animal Kingdom Lodge. This resort deserves a little extra mention because we rank it as our top choice among all Walt Disney World Resorts. While it is a little further out from everything else at Disney World, it shines in the amenities department. First, the resort’s entire backyard is made up of savannas where wild animals roam. If you reserve a savanna view room, you can wake up each morning and enjoy a cup of coffee as you watch animals graze below. When you return to the room, your children will run to the balcony to see what’s outside. However, if your budget only allows for a standard view room, you can take advantage of the resort’s many public viewing areas as you come and go.

Animal Kingdom Lodge also offers outstanding dining options and a beautiful pool area. If you’re looking for a place to relax when you’re not in the parks, look no further. It’s one of the most serene settings you’ll find. Our Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge contains a complete overview of the resort with guides for pools, rooms, and dining.

Kidani Village

If you need a little extra room to spread out or a few extra amenities you won’t find in a regular room, you might consider Kidani Village. This resort’s amenities are on a much smaller scale than Jambo House. But guests of both resorts can take advantage of either’s amenities. So you can get the best of both worlds at Kidani Village.

Kidani Village has an incredible pool area with a splash pad and water playground unlike any other. So, if you have smaller children who might enjoy the play area more than the pool, this resort is worth your consideration. The only drawback is that you’ll want to walk or take the resort shuttle to Jambo House for quick-service dining options. While I don’t think that’s a deal-breaker, you’ll want to be aware of it before your visit.

Related: Kidani Village Review

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this overview of the Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Area. For other resort areas at Walt Disney World, you might enjoy the following:

• The Magic Kingdom Resorts Area
• The Epcot Resorts Area
• Disney Springs Resorts Area
• Disney Resorts on the Monorail

In the Comments

What do you think of the resorts that make up this area? Have you stayed at any of them? Let us know below in the comments.