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Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World

simpleprocedures1 | May 25, 2010 |

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Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, located in Orlando, Florida, is a 1,300 room deluxe resort at Walt Disney World, and is ideally located right next door within a short bus ride or walk to the Animal Kingdom theme park.

HOTEL and ROOMS

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is themed after the look and feel of an African Lodge set amidst an over 40 acre scenic wildlife preserve where guests can view animals in the morning from the public areas, or from their rooms. Not all the rooms have views of the wildlife preserve, but those that do are in for a treat, especially if you are an early riser, or just enjoy getting up early in the morning, because that is exactly what you will have to do if you want to view the wildlife from the hotel, as they are let out to stroll around and feed in the early hours of the morning. Typically starting from 5 a.m. and on, guests will be able to see the wildlife wander around the preserve, and almost feel as if you were actually in a real African savanna.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge consists of over 1,300 lavishly appointed rooms with bright and dark colors meshing seamlessly together to create a harmonious blend with animals and nature, and all rooms feature animal prints on the sheets, the bed frame, as well as in the bathroom, that makes guests feel as if they are staying in Africa in one of the grandest of African lodges. As stated before, the resort is within a short bus ride, or a nice leisurely walk to the Animal Kingdom theme park.

As soon as you drive up to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, all guests and visitors will undoubtedly notice the landscaping that is African inspired, and from the moment you walk into the resort you are immediately transformed from the urban jungles of America to the beautiful wild savannas of Africa, where the animals and nature take center stage, giving guests a feeling unlike anything that Disney has ever offered before, with a resort that is architecturally designed to resemble an African lodge sitting among the savannas in Africa.

There are hand carved furnishings, real African artifacts, a gigantic mud fireplace to sit down and relax by, all under thatched style ceilings. This is just some of what is available for guests to enjoy, and this is only the lobby area. The lobby area also includes an elevated platform, called the Arusha Rock, where guests staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, as well as those who visit the resort can view the animals up close among the wide open spaces. There are plenty of real African plant and tree life, as well as true African grasses that are usually only found on the continent of Africa that bring about the beauty and mystique of Africa to life at this Walt Disney World resort.

When guests are either staying in suites that have savannah views, or are staying elsewhere within the resort, or just visiting the resort, they can view over 30 species of wildlife that roam among the beautiful tropical savannahs, such as Zebra, Antellope, Giraffe, Red River Hog, and much, much more. The wildlife is usually extremely vibrant in the early morning hours, right at dawn and lasting a few hours in order to get the most out of your viewing pleasure. Although wildlife is present throughout the day, the majority can be seen in the early morning hours, usually starting around 5 a.m. and on.

AMENITIES

When staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, as with any resort on the Disney property, there are plenty of recreational activities to keep you busy and entertained when you do not feel like venturing out into the theme parks or other parts of Walt Disney World. There are 2 pools in which to cool off and relax in, such as the Samawati Springs Pool, which features zero entry and a 128 foot long water slide with 2 hot tubs and plenty of lounge area to get a tan, or stay up on your tanning, the other is the large Uzima Pool, which features a zero entry and a 67 foot long water slide that has 2 hot tubs, as well as plenty of lounge area to get a tan, or stay up on your tanning. Both pools are surrounded by Florida palms as well as other tropical plants and shrubs.

Guests staying at the resort also have a 24 hour arcade (Pumbaa's Fun and Games Arcade), a children's activity center (Simba's Clubhouse Children's Activity Center) for children ages 4-12 that is open daily from 4:30pm-Midnight, and is great when you want to gout on the town alone without the kids. There is a 24 hour fitness center, called Zahanati Massage and Fitness Center that offers a personal trainer, spa services (the fitness center is staffed from 6:30am-7pm daily), and the other is called the Survival of the Fittest Fitness Center (the fitness center is staffed from 6am-9pm daily), and both offer top notch, state of the art fitness equipment. There are also jogging trails, a water playground called Uwanja Camp for young children of all ages that is pure wet fun. Kids can also play at the 24 hour, Hakuna Matata Playground. Guests can also enjoy a Movie Under the Stars that plays Disney and Pixar family films nightly (weather permitting of course). the Community Hall features video games, television, a ping pong table, foosball table, a billiards table, and more. Fun and exciting animal programs are available for those that would like a an up close encounter with some exotic animals.

The amenities available to all guests staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge include room service, babysitting services, concierge services, plenty of parking, as well as tremendous accommodations for individuals with disabilities, such as wheelchair accessible ramps and elevators, wheelchair accessible rooms and bathrooms, as well as valet parking, and much more to help make your stay comfortable and enjoyable.

All rooms come with internet access (for a fee), television with satellite t.v., hairdryer, iron with ironing boards, in room safe, coffee maker, alarm clock, dvd player (in most rooms), and more.

For guests wanting more sports related activities to do, there are 5 championship golf courses available, as well as water sports on the Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon that all can be reached by taking a bus at the front of the resort to the Disney Transportation and Ticket Center, where buses and the monorail can take guests and visitors to their required destinations.

DINING

There is a great selection of dining options at the resort in which to choose from that are sure to please, and quench your thirst and appetite, such as Victoria Falls Lounge, offering American cuisine, along with adult beverages, the family style quick restaurant, the Mara, offering American cuisine, such as pizza, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and more. The Boma-Flavors of Africa, offering African and American buffet style cuisine, the Sanaa Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas-Kidani Village area, offering African and American style cuisine. Then there is the popular upscale restaurant, Jiko-the Cooking Place, offering African and American cuisine, along with a fine selection of wines to enjoy your meal with. Located above Jiko-The Cooking Place is Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar, offering adult beverages along with a large selection of fine wines set in a relaxing environment.

SHOPPING

For those wanting to do a little shopping there is the Johari Treasures located in the Animal Kingdom Villas that offers African themed merchandise, and is open from 7:30am-11pm daily, and also the Zawadi Marketplace located in the main lobby that offers African themed merchandise, as well as Disney merchandise, and is open from 7:30am-11pm daily.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation to and from all Walt Disney World theme parks, Downtown Disney, Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, and other resorts and entertainment venues located throughout Walt Disney World can be had by bus, where pick-up is located at the front of the resort.

PARKING

As with all Walt Disney World resorts, there is plenty of parking for guests and visitors, as well as plenty of parking for those with disabilities.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge offers its guests an unparalleled resort experience with a plethora of amenities and activities, as well as the opportunity to be close to the beauty and wildlife that Africa is so famous for.

All Disney's Deluxe Resorts offer the ultimate in luxury hotel accommodations at Walt Disney World, that gives guests close proximity to any of the four theme parks, from lavishly appointed rooms, premier dining and shopping, as well as other activities, from golfing to tennis, and just about everything else that you can think of. So when you are thinking of visiting Walt Disney World, consider staying at one of the deluxe resorts for the a vacation that you will want to always remember. Although the prices for staying at a Walt Disney World deluxe resort can be a little high, you do get what you pay for during your stay, which is top notch amenities, activities, and the unsurpassed Disney service.