We have stayed many times at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort. In fact, it is our favorite resort to stay at
Our first trip to AKL was in May 2004, followed by December 2004, April 2005, December 2005, and August 2006!
The one thing I love most about the Animal Kingdom Lodge is walking into the grand lobby, and the smell of incense burning! It just calms me, and to look thru the huge panes of window at the back of the lobby, it's just so comforting. I feel like I've been transplanted to Africa, never mind that I'm in central Florida! We also enjoy walking down the various trails (both inside the Lodge and outside) to see all the different animals. Seeing a baby giraffe just a few weeks after it has been born and watching it from not too far away was thrilling.
On our first trip to Animal Kingdom Lodge, we reserved a regular room, and were happily upgraded to a savanna room, overlooking the Sunset savanna. Magical! We've also had rooms overlooking Arusha Rock (my favorite area), and we've had a pool view room on the Zebra trail as well. While we did miss the view of the animals from our balcony, there were many opportunities to watch them in other areas of the resort. However there's nothing more great that waking up, opening up the blinds, and watching the animals right outside your door! If you can afford the savanna room, I'd highly recommend it at least once!
I can't say enough good things about the pool at the Animal Kingdom Lodge resort. Having the zero entry with small children is a godsend. They could just walk in and out at their own leisure (and power). The pool is quite large, not too deep, and has a great water slide that we've spent many hours going down! My kids have also enjoyed the playground here. While not large by any means, it was big enough to keep them entertained (and to help them burn off some energy)!
The kids have also found many things to do at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We've participated in decorating animal cookies at Boma (in the afternoon). They've made animal Christmas ornaments in the lobby, and done animal rubbings as well (putting paper over "stamps" in the floor and rubbing with a crayon). Traversing the trails looking for animals is also a favorite of theirs, as well as rocking in the big rocking chairs on some of the overlooks. Don't forget the night vision goggles as well out on Arusha Rock - another fun experience!
The food options at the Animal Kingdom Lodge are varied and should suit everyone's needs. We love Mara for it's great selection (including Zebra Domes
) and having cartoons playing in the back to keep the children entertained. Boma is a fantastic restaurant for both breakfast and dinner (we've done both). Don't forget to ask for the "frunch" at breakfast....a delicious juice drink. Dinner had a variety of both traditional and African offerings, and even this picky meat and potatos girl had no problem finding plenty to eat! We finally made it to Jiko on our last trip, and had an outstanding meal. The food was delicious, and again, quite a varied selection from which to choose. Even the kids enjoyed their meal here, especially the desserts.
A big selling point for me on the Animal Kingdom Lodge is not having to share a bus with another resort. While the location of the Lodge is somewhat remote, we've been lucky enough to have great bus experiences, and things aren't really that far when you're not making 3 of 4 stops along the way.
I'd highly recommend the Animal Kingdom Lodge .... It's our favorite
Pros:
- Watching animals outside your balcony or from anywhere in the resort
- Varied food offerings - something for everyone
- A large pool with a great water slide
- The majestic lobby - with a great store (Zawadi Marketplace)
- Not having to share a bus with another resort
- A remote location - it's like a separate vacation within a vacation
Cons:
- A remote location - while some people enjoy this (like us), others do not
- The rooms are on the smaller size for a deluxe resort
- No jogging trails