I think one of the things that makes this Disney hotel the best is the lack of Disney in the hotel.

As someone who has worked at this resort, thank you so much for referencing the cast and especially our wonderful cultural representatives! They are truly what makes this resort so special. One thing I'd love to add for anyone interested, the art you mentioned is something we love to represent and we actually hold tours regularly showcasing them. Apparently, it's the largest collection of African art on display in the entire country (though the Smithsonian does have us beat but we actually display all of ours) so definitely check out as much as you can since it truly is authentic pieces from Africa!

Completely agree. This is what you would expect as a theme park hotel: An extention and continuation of the park itself, not just a place to sleep.

Honestly, I’m loving having these book sponsorships. It’s so unique and I just love the sponsorship of smaller folks rather than a big company!

I will likely never stay at a Disney resort, yet I will watch every review video Bright Sun puts out.

I luckily worked for a Disney subsidiary years ago and got a massive discount on my stay at Animal Kingdom lodge, I never would have been able to afford it otherwise. It truly is a beautiful hotel, and seeing the animals at sunset is magical, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it too, was nice to feel like I was back there.

As someone married to a South African and who has been to Africa multple times, I can attest to AKL being the closest thing in North America to actually being in Africa, and the new rooms bring it even closer. Also that if you go to the more adventurous stations at Boma, they do taste accurate to how they taste in a high-end resort on the continent. The most obvious miss is really that they don't sell biltong!

My family stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2013. We booked one of the non-savanna rooms, and while I'm sure it wasn't cheap, I'm pretty sure that it was in the $300-$350 range (else we wouldn't have stayed there. +$500 a night for a room? No way). Well, some weeks or month before vacation, my father called to see if we could add two days (he was able to get off work earlier), and we did. So we arrived, checked in, and the cast member mentioned something like "oh cool, so you're staying in a savanna room?" and we were like, "uh... we are?" Somehow our added-days update caused some weird magic that upgraded our room and not the cost. Although it stormed about half the late-afternoons that we stayed (and I was terrified of storms back then), it was an absolutely amazing experience. Chances are we'll never stay there again, but that's solely because of its cost now and not its quality. End of story. Amazing video. Big fan. So long and thanks for all the fish!

My epxerience seeing this video: *Sees headline* Okay... Sure. *glances at picture and realizes which resort it is* Oh, you made the correct choice. Animal Kingdom Lodge is def the most amazing of the disney resorts. Though Yacht and Beach Club will always have a special place in my heart for their amazing pools and boardwalk location.

So glad for my book to be a small part of the Bright Sun family again! What stands out about these truly excellent Disney products is their intentional restraint of using IP, just letting good things stand on their own. I feel Disney has trouble differentiating between inspiration and wallpapering these days.

I get so excited when there's a new Bright Sun Travel video. These never dissapoint.

I understand why the price you pay affects how you rate any hotel. My girlfriend and I recently spent 2 nights (midweek/offseason) at a popular Mid-Atlantic oceanfront beach hotel. The cost was $99 per night,.....but goes up to $599 per night in the summer. So,..obviously, we just ignored any imperfections.

Jambo House Lobby is truly one of the greatest hotel lobby's in the world. While the rooms aren't elite, the rest of the resort more than makes up for it, & it's one of the very few theme park resorts where you could EASILY fill multiple full days without ever stepping foot in the Parks. As always, great review Jake 👏 your honesty & transparency with the bad makes the praise that much more beautiful

I stayed here with my grandparents and cousin in 2006. It was the most magical hotel experience I have ever had. We spent the first hour and a half just looking at all the art and details around the hotel. I had previously stayed at the Grand Floridian and Animal Kingdom Lodge was just a way more fun experience.

I hope the animals can sleep at night with those spotlights on them lol

Places like this are why I think I could vacation to Walt Disney World for two weeks without getting bored. Slowing down and just walking through so many of these hotels would be nice.

I think you make excellent points about all the hotel amenities! The only thing I disagree with is your opinion on carpets in hotel rooms. I know it's not as cozy, but it I think it's a much more hygenic option.

We have not stayed there, but have dined there many times. I will never forget taking my parents there in 2023. They had not been to Disney in over 20 years, and had only ever been to two parks. My husband and I took them to AKL to have breakfast at Boma. It was in early January, so the tree was still up. I will never forget the shock on their faces as they stepped out of that foyer into the lobby. They literally both stopped in their tracks and looked up. You could see the awe in their faces. We spent quite a bit of time roaming around after our breakfast. It's a truly gorgeous resort.

Will confirm that Jiko is one of the finest restaurants in Disney, with an excellent South African wine selection if you’re into wine. Well worth the “special occasion” pricing.

I think for all the (mostly justified) criticism Disney gets, it’s worth remembering that they build, even today, some incredible stuff that no other company could even attempt. Not always priced properly, but that’s another story. Another great video!

I was fortunate 20 years ago to book a savannah view room for $200/night for several nights. It was an amazing stay with lots of activities with knowledgeable hosts and savannah guides. The expansive, zero-depth-entry pool was open around the clock - unavailable at any other Disney resorts. The zebra domes dessert is a must-have treat! I could have made this my destination activity without visiting any theme parks. Would like to revisit in the next few years and hope they don't renovate the lobby and rooms!

I'm so glad the art was such a big part of your review! I got to stay at AKL this past February & we happened to go on the lobby art tour with one of the cultural representatives. We learned so much about each piece in the lobby and it was a great experience. I highly highly recommend it if anyone ever has the chance.

There have literally been some times on Disney visits where I have gone to Animal Kingdom Lodge for the day instead of Animal Kingdom… and honestly? Sometimes those are better than the AK park visits. It’s truly a masterfully designed hotel (the waterfall/river my favorite!!) with great amenities and it fills like you get your own personal Kilimanjaro Safaris without paying for Animal Kingdom admission. So much love for AKL, I think you covered it perfectly Jake 🙌

i stayed here in 2014 when i was 10, visiting from the uk. me and my younger sister were so excited to be there that they upgraded us to a savannah room for free! most magical visit ever and i'll never forget it

I stayed here for my honeymoon in 2018. It was amazing! We had only stayed at the all star resorts and it was a massive upgrade. While we booked a standard room, we were given an obstructed view of the savanna, which was hardly obstructed! We also came back from the parks one day to find chocolate covered strawberries and zebra domes on our bed! There was amazing service at Bona (free spiked jungle juice) and just the best atmosphere we could have asked for! I always think fondly of it. I doubt there's so much free stuff given it now, but it truly made that stay special. Please review the Gran Destino tower, too!

I'm a big fan of Disney World vacations, and I regularly hear that this is people's favorite resort at Disney. I'm a huge fan of pretty much everything this hotel has to offer. I still prefer Wilderness Lodge for mostly subjective, aesthetic reasons and it being a boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom, but I've loved all the time I've spent at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

My fave has always been the Wilderness Lodge which shares the same architect with Animal Kingdom Lodge in Peter Dominick! That guy really knew how to design a hotel!

We will be staying here in August and after watching this video, makes my hyped to experience this place for myself.

I don’t really travel at all, let alone to luxury experiences, but your channel is fascinating to me all the same. You have a great way of presenting facts and opinions in a balanced format.

Stayed here multiple times and always my favorite resort. The Room finder tip is really worth it too. I have used it multiple times to get a obstructed room with a savannah view. So what I always get is the last room in the wing. The side of your balcony will have a wall over to the side of it (not immediate) and you get 80% of the savannah view at a much, much lower cost.

When I was a kid, my entire family saved up to go here and it was probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. I’ve always been obsessed with animals and stay at a hotel surrounded by them was a dream come true. I have a lot of reservations with Disney as a company but I would love to go back someday

I’d really love your perspective on wilderness lodge as it’s been my wife and I’s favorite place at Disney forever, with AKL right next to it for me, they definitely resemble one another other quite a bit for sure but yeah AKL’s renovated rooms are like at least 10 times better than wilderness and those Savanna’s are just incredible!

I really enjoy it when this channel has these kinds of glowing, positive reviews. Glad you had a good stay.

Definitely one of my favorite Disney Hotels. Walking around you’re so immersed, every detail matters and is gorgeous. Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge are my go to for enjoying the actual resort.

Holy shit Animal Kingdom resort was opened in 2001? I remember being in Florida as a kid looking at one of Disney's booklets that they left in the room talking about the new resort with all the artists renderings and drawings. Can't believe it's been that long

Agree 100% we make it a point to eat here & visit every time we are in the parks- even if we are not staying here! It's just perfect on every level.

Stayed there years ago. Loved it. One of the best vacation hotel experiences that my family still talks about today.

My family stayed here in 2002/2003 (can’t remember exactly) and I was 8 years old and this literally felt magical as a kid and I loved the safari view. My dad and I also went on the safari tour which was so fun. That being said I did lose my favorite stuff animal in thst hotel bed and was devastated. My mom was taken to a giant room filled with lost stuff animals hoping to find mine but no such luck. Even tho I was only 8 years old I still remember how good the food was at the hotel.

100% agree on the review, ALK is unquestionably the best hotel, not just at Disney World that I've stayed at and am always itching to stay there again. One of the best experiences we've actually had at WDW was being stuck in the resort for 4 days after we should've flown back to the UK. It was during Huricane Frances and the resort staff were absolutely fantastic and made what could've been a nightmare into a great few days.

We love staying here. We always stay here. It's so special and worth the extra expense. It's become home in many ways. The cultural representatives, the art, the education everyone gets from kids to adults is phenomenal.

We stayed here for a week a whie ago in a 2 bedroom DVC room. We loved a lot about the resort - but the reason we never went back was that our room was the last room in a hallway, making it an insane walk from everything and it turned us off from the resort - spending the day at the parks, getting food, and then we all dreaded the walk to the room. Similarly, the distance from the other parks was not our favorite. But the theming is awesome, the views are great, and it has a lot of positives. Perhaps I should give it a try again.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this resort, I would like to add that even the resort soundtrack is super unique and I've found myself listening to it at home to just relax

We stayed there 2019 during Christmas (their tree was enormous and beautifully decorated!) and it was simply magical. Our views were to the pelicans and it was an absolute joy to watch them going about their daily routines like walking to their watering hole and then roost every night. The food from all the restaurants were amazing and delicious. It truly was the best resort I’ve ever stayed in. I am hoping Disney doesn’t do anything to change this experience.

We stayed there back in 2006 for our honeymoon, and it was a wonderful hotel, but we did notice a huge downside was the distance to the parks, and also back then at least food was Manimal, they didn’t have the quick service restaurant and all they had the fancier restaurant and limited “regular” food. Glad they fixed that at least because it really is one of the nicer ones.

My family keeps coming back to this resort and we were sad it wasn't back open on our last trip in 2021. We're going back next month and i'm glad to see it back in full swing. The Mara is also amazing for a tiny quick service spot, they share the kitchen with Boma and often will serve extra food from up there (good tip if you wanna try some without paying for the buffet). Unique experience, quiet, truly feels nicer than the chaos of the resorts closer to the parks. Also the restaurant on the DVC (Kidani) side of the resort, Sanaa, is amazing.

i get irrationally angry when the fountains never get repaired and just sit there looking dumb. happens at so many hotels.

your videos are very comforting and cozy while also being entertaining and informative, love to see it!

I stayed there a couple weeks ago and I absolutely loved it from the moment the porter opened the taxi door for me to the moment I leave. The cast members talked to me as if they actually cared about my trip and my experience, like it matters to them personally, it’s amazing hospitality. The hotel is so grand and so unique. I can spend so much time just exploring it. My biggest complaint would be the lack of room service and spa. It would be so nice and luxurious to have food wheeled to my balcony where I can enjoy it with the view of the animals.

The one thing you left out is the only free transportation this hotel offers to the parks is the buses, same as the value resorts. All other hotels at this price point offer more direct access to the parks via monorail, boat, or skyliner. I understand it's because of where it's located, but it's still a factor to consider.

Great review. AK is definitely my favorite resort in Disney World. We got the safari view last time and its surreal to see the animals roaming around just outside the balcony in the middle of the night. The one drawback is the loooong hike to the elevator and room, especially after you spent the day at the parks and your legs are basically about to give out. Jiko is my favorite resort restaurant because it has some of the most unique offerings out of all Disney restaurants (i ate venison last time i was there) and the flavors are outstanding.

DAKL is still my fav property at WDW. And didn’t realise it was becuase it hasn’t been touched by the IP refurb until Jake mentioned it. I love the art and the cultural ambassadors that make it feel like a departure from typical Orlando. If you have time, take the Cast-led tour. My only gripe is that The Mara has significantly declined in choice and quality after COVID restrictions lifted. Sanaa’s menu also suffered.

This is the best themed resort on Disney property and we love it! The only downside is that all you have for transportation are the buses and we've had some very long waits for those. I think it would be a great mini vacation for a trip when you don't plan to go to the parks at all but instead stay and enjoy the resort, animals, restaurants (Boma and Jiko are both amazing) and one of the best pools on property.

Boma's breakfast buffet was AMAZING. A fantastic mix of Africian dishes and more traditional breakfast fare, wonderful staff (at least when I went in 2017), and great ambiance. There was this sweet potato dish that I can't remember the name of but I ate SO MUCH OF IT. The plaintains were good, too. Plus- afaik- it's the only place at Disney World you can get Mickey AND Simba waffles, so that's some fun novelty.

The 2 br suite has a full kitchen and huge bathroom. Well worth it! Possibly the best room I have stayed in.

LOVED this resort. I'll probably never go again because it was INSANELY expensive even in 2019, but it was absolutely unforgettable. The service there went above and beyond, too. Without the staff, I seriously wouldn't have as many amazing memories!

AKL is also one of my favorite hotels at WDW. I actually like it’s remote location, it feels even more authentic. And I prefer uncarpeted floors in the room, it‘s much more sanitary. Thanks to the DVC, I was able to stay here several times already, which I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had to pay those room rates.

I love that hotel. Next time you get down there Jake, hit up Jiko. I know it's very expensive, but in WDW terms, it is by far the best restaurant they have. Not including V&A. But still, an amazing meal.

The only reason I stay away from the lodge is because it is too remote and off grid compared to some other resorts that have you walking to the main parks. Additionally, my kids enjoy the animals, but enjoy Mickey and Minnie more. Those aspects aside, it is a newer and nicer accommodation than some of the 80s and 90s resorts.

We have Kidani Village as a DVC home resort for our biggest share, and "comically long walk to rooms" is the biggest understatement in this whole video. If you can't find a "good" parking spot along the south wing of Kidani, and your room is near the end of the north wing, This results in a walk from car to room that is significantly farther than the one from the EPCOT monorail station to the American Adventure Pavilion. Worst part is that once you do finally get to the lobby, you have to walk AWAY from your room over 250 yards before the wing starts curving back to those farthest rooms. A walk from that north wing to the restaurants in Jambo house is under 2 km, or about a mile. Not exactly fun after a day at the parks.

I prefer the hardwood flooring in the rooms. It’s more on theme for what the place is supposed to be. Great video and review

Lol me and my beautiful gf played the mancala in the gift shop, I also bought myself a wee drum, best Disney resort, we loved it, she didn't like how far it was, which tbh me too but it was worth it, it even stormed and omfg, it felt like when I was a kid, seeing Hogwarts at Halloween, the warmth, magic, really lovely place, Animal Kingdom lodge is beautiful! I can't stop singing it's praises, one of my favourite things we did while I was in Florida, granted we didn't sleep there but still, it was great!

I’ve stayed here once for 2 weeks and while the hotel was beautiful, the main problem was transport - we spent all our time waiting for buses. Our favourite hotel is definitely yacht club - well worth the money with its ideal location (5 minute walk to Epcot and 15 minute walk to Hollywood studios), gorgeous interior and best hotel pool in Disney!

This resort is incredibly well designed

My family would stay at a new resort every time we went until we stayed at Animal kingdom lodge, never changed after that lol

carpeted hotels would be so terrible to clean, so I can see why they prefer hardwood floors

I love DAK lodge because it keeps up what makes DAK as a park good. The heart and soul of the hotel is telling the story of the natural world. Everything from the styling to the lay out and every detail in between expressed such a care and respect for the idea of the natural world being worth appreciating. "Connecting with nature of the past present and future" was DAK's pitch at one point and I feel like it carried over well to the lodge. Not a surprise but DAK is my favorite park because it doesn't feel like a disney park so much as a more natural version of EPCOT. You are transported to these places and you can look and see the points of conflict and how people feel about nature. From the story of the river rapids where deforestation is causing issues to the safari (originally about poaching) is now about living with these animals. Each section of DAK is supposed to convey a story about humans and animals and I think the lodge is set up in a way that lets you as a guest become part of that story. I think all the art of the people who's culture and lives being influenced by the animals and the land help all to show not tell about why these animals are important. And then they convince you personally to care because they are right there sharing this space with you. "what you see with your eyes, you hold in your heart" as the safari welcome video used to say. DAK lodge continues the story of DAK of the value and wonder of wild places. I think its also very important that everything in the hotel is not just about the animals but their home. You have this mix of respect for culture, and stories, and food, and sounds. Everywhere you go it looks like youre looking out into africa with many public spaces having great savanna views. It is one of the few places where an African "theme" doesn't feel like a gimic but something someone took very seriously to do well and do with respect. It's what i wish most of theme parks were, the real world but more magical and enhanced and intentional.

Love this series. Such a great way to start my day

I dont even like travelling but my loyalty to jake from his BSF days and his always amazing content compels me to keep coming back

This is a good resort! I am looking forward to another “worst” video, those are fun.

We stayed at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House this past August 30-September 5th and absolutely LOVED it! We honestly never actually use the balconies, but we sat on the balcony at Animal Kingdom with some coffee everyday!

This resort to me feels best enjoyed by someone not looking to be at the parks everyday. I definitely need to stay here

We just returned from our first stay at AKL. We have taken 21 WDW trips since 2017… we have stayed in 17 different resorts, te only reason we booked this one was the price. We got a discount that made the price lower than even the average moderate resort. We had low expectations going in… OMG is this resort breathtaking! It is hands down the best resort on property. The attention to detail, the feeling of being transported to Africa. The food, everything about this resort is amazing. Don’t pass on AKL! It’s a standout for sure!

I think you should do a pricing video like you did for Disney at Universal, would be pretty interesting to see the differences considering Universal is quickly passing Disney World as the best resort in Orlando.

i wish this was closer to the main parks tbh, a year ago i stayed in the 3 bedroom grand villa w my family there was a pool table and everything, the view was sooo nice too but it's just so far from the park

I personally think the wilderness lodge is the best one.

Really would like to see a review at some point of Wilderness Lodge. Built around the same time and somewhat similar overall design concepts, let closer to Magic Kingdom, and curious to know how that compares.

While the times I’ve stayed at Disney we always stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, we ALWAYS have dinner at least once at BOMA Flavors of Africa because my God do the chefs and staff over-deliver. Plus just walking around and hearing legit African music playing, seeing the pool with its sand, and just how peaceful it was made me want to stay there so much. It was just a little out of our price range. Animal Kingdom Lodge was the cheapest of the Expensive tier resorts, but just not enough for me to justify the cost. I still hope someday to go, just for the resort itself at least

I am staying here in October in a Savannah Room and cannot wait!!!

I'm not the biggest reader but I very much appreciate a sponsor spot going to a book recommendation over another service I don't exactly care for. I kind of skipped it in the Borders video but especially since I have some Amazon credit, now is a good time to crack out the old Kindle.

Hi Jake! Not sure how I missed this video but glad I caught it! What a beautiful hotel. Absolutely love the savanna and I think I would have padded the chairs myself lol just to sit out there and watch! The place is just fascinating for someone who loves art, architecture and culture. Great video as always! 👱‍♀️🌈 Cindy

Was planning on staying here in June but we switched to wilderness Lodge as the location was more convenient. Hoping I don't regret it as this does look like a great here

Great video. We love the Animal Kingdom Lodge especially the restaurants Jiko and Sanaa. If you liked the Animal Kingdom Lodge then you need to check out our favorite Walt Disney World hotel the Wilderness Lodge. The theming and rooms are as nice as the Animal Kingdom Lodge and it’s super convenient to the Magic Kingdom.

That one lobby shot with the shields fanning out from the top of those tall columns reminds me of a similar design used in the Cheesecake Factory restaurants. (LOL)

We stayed at AKL on our last trip…while it is likely the last trip we will ever take to disney given ballooning costs, we loved the hotel. Easily the best we ever stayed at.

Resto prices are astronomical.

In 2002, what I remember was how noisy it was. The sound from the great hall just traveled all the way down the long guest room corridors, but I am not seeing others talk about the noise, which is great! Maybe it was just packed with super loud people. Beautiful place though.

Oh yay, I love AKL and I love your videos so this is a real treat! 🖤

I love this hotel and it’s a shame I could only go a few times. The only major change I would make is to hire some Ethiopian bakers to make some Injera bread for the food locations.

It really comes down to park access. If you're planning on going to a park every day of your trip and will use the Lodge just as a place to sleep, it's inconvenient and a questionable deal. But if staying at the Lodge is the focal point of your trip with just one or two park visits, go for it.

Not a Disney fan myself, given their recent history. Good to hear they still have some good resort hotels. 👍

I would never recommend carpets in a hotel room. It's mostly used for sound isolation, especially in corridors but imagine how rarely is gets a proper clean (vacuuming does nothing except sucking up loose dirt). It's just gross.

I stayed there in September 2022. It was one of the best resorts I've ever been to on property and the restaurants were great. Had a balcony that had a savannah view.

I have incredibly fond childhood memories of being face to face with Giraffes on our patio at the lodge, one of my favourite hotels in the world. Its 1/1.

I would love for you to look at the Lake Louise Farmont, my cousin worked at both mountain fairmonts and that was her absolute favourite

Stayed there in the first couple months it was open. Still think about it occasionally.

Looks absolutely awesome! I would honestly be perfectly fine just vacationing here. The facility is beautiful.

I stayed in there back in 2010. I loved every minute of it... in fact I still have pictures of my of my dad trying to teach me out to Shave😂

I went to Disney World as a kid in the early 2000s, and although we did not stay here we did come to this lodge for dinner one night. As a not necessarily 'picky' but perhaps 'set in my ways' foodwise 9-year-old, I was extremely surprised how much I enjoyed the somewhat adult and exotic foods they served. It's actually one of the things I remember most about the trip. Though I've never particularly been a fan of Disney, this resort is really incredible and beautiful. I'd be tempted to visit again just for the animals.

A question I had watching this video is whether the art and historic African pieces are ethically sourced. There’s many museums in Europe that have unethically acquired pieces of African history and refused to return them. So while the resort is absolutely beautiful and I love that fact that they have employees tasked with educating guests, I do have that question lingering in my mind.

We have stayed in this resort for many times. Depends on the time of the year- the mosquitoes are fierce! lol. Having said that- it really is cool! And we love it. This and Coronado Springs have always had a cool theme to it. 👍 Great and honest review.