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Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo)

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House)

Last updated: March 15, 2024

Overview

The Animal Kingdom Lodge fuses African tribal architecture with the style of East African national park lodges. Thatched-roof guest-room wings fan out from the lobby. Savannah-facing rooms overlook animal grazing areas.

Cost Range

$487 - $4,004

Lodging Area

Animal Kingdom

Category

Deluxe

Transportation

Bus

Guest Overall Rating

Based on 304 surveys. (See our Ratings and Research page for details)

Our Overall Rating

Room: B+

Pool: B-

Lighting: A

Pillows: B

Room Quality
Check-in Efficiency
Quietness of Room
Park Transportation
Hotel Pool
Staff
Food Court
Resort Strengths

Magnificent lobby

Excellent on-site sit-down dining options

Large, beautiful feature pool

On-site cultural and nature programs

Best theming of any Disney hotel

Where else can you wake up to see a giraffe outside your room?

Resort Weaknesses

Few counter-service dining options

Rooms are among the smallest of the Deluxe resorts

Erratic bus service

No direct non-bus transportation to any theme park

What Readers Are Saying About Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House)

I was happy to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the experience. It is a beautiful hotel. I had read several reviews about how far away from everything it is, and that is the downfall of this resort.

K

Karen A

September 3, 2022

We stayed here for two reasons: 1) My husband and I are foodies, and wanted proximity to Jiko and Boma; and 2) The animals! We splurged for a Savannah View room and it was worth it.

S

Stephanie K

February 27, 2022

We loved our room location and view.

J

Jennifer

December 16, 2021

Jambo House was incredible! We had a savannah view on the Zebra Trail side instead of the Arusha Savannah. I actually think our view was better because we got to watch a family of 5 giraffes the entire time we were there!

K

Kelly S

January 18, 2018

The Animal Kingdom Lodge was beautiful. Great theming. We stayed in the Giraffe Wing. Nice view of the pool and the room was quiet. The sit-down restaurants there are fantastic.

D

Dominique D

October 4, 2017

The accommodations at AKL are fantastic - roomy, clean and beautifully themed. Our guests were amazed by all the animals at the resort. We were very glad we splurged.

A

Angela J

July 17, 2017

Rooms

Most of the lodge's guest rooms measure 344 square feet and boast hand-carved furnishings and richly colored soft goods. Behind each headboard sits faux mosquito netting. The bathrooms have animal-themed wallpaper. Almost all rooms have full balconies.

  • Room with Queen Bed(s) and en-suite bathroom
  • Balcony or patio
  • Dresser with drawers
  • Full-length mirror
  • Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi)
  • Flat-panel TV
  • Coffee maker and starter supply of coffee pods
  • Ironing board and iron
  • Hair dryer
  • Digital thermostat
  • In-room safe
  • Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and bar soap

The theming and animal views are great. Still, these are among the smallest rooms in Disney's Deluxe category. Many guests would like to see more storage space.

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Beds

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Beds

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Table With Chairs and Dresser

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Table With Chairs and Dresser

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Closet and Coffee Maker

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Closet and Coffee Maker

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Balcony Furnature

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Balcony Furnature

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Bathroom

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Bathroom

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Bathroom

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room Bathroom

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room 5413 View

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) Standard Room 5413 View

Pick the best Disney resort room possible

We’ve mapped and taken photographs of the views from every single room on Walt Disney World property! Our Room Finder helps you find the perfect room for you and then request that room from Disney.

Dining

Animal Kingdom Lodge boasts three of Disney's highest-rated restaurants, and dining is a strength at this resort. We recommend Boma without hesitation.

Boma - Flavors of Africa Boma is consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in Walt Disney World—it’s as much an attraction at the Animal Kingdom Lodge as, well, the animals. Boma’s buffet includes fresh, seasonal, well-prepared offerings at each meal station. (Serving utensils are replaced very often these days.) And the value, at both breakfast and dinner, is almost impossible to beat. Advance Reservations are a must—walkup tables here are few and far between.

Jambo House Private Dining

Jiko - The Cooking Place Tucked away in a quiet corner of Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jiko is one of the true hidden gems of fine dining in Walt Disney World. Superb service in a nonfussy atmosphere can be tough to pull off, but Jiko does that and more, welcoming guests into the cooking place for a meal packed with truly unique flavors. Families will enjoy the dining room’s perpetual sunset, while solo diners or small parties may want to take advantage of the cooking place’s seating for both dinner and a show. Jiko has remained good for a long time, even through chef and staff changes. The experience of this reader from Columbia, Missouri, is typical: Jiko was fabulous! My husband and I went on a date and ended up sitting next to a nice family who had two younger kids with them. They were a bit loud, but we didn’t mind. Near the end of our meal, the server brought us two complimentary martinis at the manager’s request because of the “noisy” table nearby. That was good service even though we weren’t inconvenienced. In fact, we shared our martinis with them and had a great conversation! Jiko is listed on the OpenTable website and app. Reservations are often available on OpenTable even when they're not on the Disney site. In addition, there's no cancellation fee with OpenTable reservations.

The Mara The quick service option at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House. Located near the main pool.

Uzima Springs Pool Bar Uzima Springs, the pool bar at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House, is a very nice looking bar. It has a thickly thatched roof which is supported by several natural looking logs and, of course, it overlooks the large resort pool and the immaculate building. Another plus is that it has a few African bottled beers like Tusker Lager and Casa Lager supplementing the standard Disney pool bar menu. All of that said, it is hard to recommend sitting anywhere near the bar while enjoying your drink. Wandering just to the end of the pool finds you near the one-of-a-kind (on Disney property anyway) savannah, where you can enjoy your drink while enjoying the peaceful movements of giraffes and zebras.

Victoria Falls Lounge Victoria Falls is the lounge located in Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House (the original, and still primary, building) and it is a lounge that we are slightly conflicted about. It is one of the prettiest bars you’ll find, with its dark wood floor, imitation stonework, casual African furniture, and beautiful lighting. It is also a strangely located lounge that can be loud, and has a somewhat disappointing menu. The theme of Victoria Falls is hard to pinpoint but it appears to represent, in a very abstract way, the cliffs found above the bar’s namesake waterfall. The giant, stepped pillars can easily be seen as layered rock and the lounge itself is literally above the small waterfall found outside of the restaurants Jiko and Boma below. Speaking of its location, the lounge is oddly positioned--in between the two restaurants and the lobby, both horizontally and vertically. In order to enter Victoria Falls you can either walk up from the restaurant level or down from the lobby level. This Victoria Falls sandwich can make the bar quite loud as ambient noise floats by from Boma or the expansive lobby. The drink menu at Victoria Falls is typical of a deluxe resort lounge in that it has a handful of unique specialty items. The popular Victoria Falls Mist (also available at Jiko) is found here as well as the Mt. Kilimarita (tequila, tangerine liqueur, sweet and sour, and cranberry juice) and the Nyami Nyami (a frozen blend of Amarula cream and banana liqueur). There are also a few African beers (the same ones you find all around Animal Kingdom Lodge) to augment the standard bar menu. One thing that is not from the standard menu is an above-average selection of South African wines. It’s far from the massive list available at Jiko, but it is still impressive. A few food items from Jiko can also be ordered here, although very few. Specifically a cheese plate, a selection of breads and dips, and African spiced roasted nuts are on the menu. While the location and the noise of Victoria Falls may seem less than great, it has one of those hard to explain calming feelings that always makes it enjoyable. We can’t recommend a special trip to Animal Kingdom Lodge just to visit Victoria Falls, but a stop here is well worth it if you find yourself nearby.

Zawadi Marketplace

Refillable Mugs Allows guest self-service soft drink refills from quick-service locations in hotels (NOT in theme parks) for $21.99 for the length of stay.

Amenities

SWIPE TO EXPLORE

2 Pools

The Uzima Springs Pool is huge, with excellent design and lush landscaping. One end has a zero-entry slope, perfect for small children to splash in. And a 67-foot water slide is there for more adventurous swimmers. A short walk away is the Samawati Springs Pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village.

Arcade

Pumbaa's Fun and Games arcade is just off the main lobby and features relatively recent video games of all kinds.

Outdoor Movies

Free Disney Movies Under the Stars are shown most evenings, weather-permitting, near the Uzima Pool.

Fitness

The Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center has weights, treadmills, and other equipment for your workout. Hours are typically 6 AM to 9 PM.

Campfire Activities

Out back of the Lodge is a really nice campfire area with rocking chairs. At night, Disney hosts marshmallow roasts. It's really great during the cooler months of the year.

Playground

The Hakuna Matata playground, with slides and other play structures, is near the pool area in the back of the resort.

Early Theme Park Entry

Disney resort guests get into each theme park 30 minutes earlier than off-site guests, every day.

Buy Individual Lightning Lane Early

Those staying at Disney's Deluxe and Deluxe Villa hotels can buy Lightning Lane via Individual Purchase at 7:00 a.m. each day. Others cannot make that purchase until the official park opening time.

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours

Disney's Deluxe and DVC resort guests get two extra hours in select theme parks on certain days of the week. The schedule changes, so check with the front desk.

Resort amenities at-a-glance
Disney-owned
Early Theme Park Entry
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours
Book Lightning Lane access via Individual Purchase Early
Suites
Club Level
Room Service
Wireless Internet
Fitness Center
Transportation to Parks
Water Sports
Marina
Tennis
Beach
Biking
Airport Transportation

Practical Matters

Check In/Out Time
Online Check-In
MagicBand
Theme Park Tickets
Dining Reservations
Laundry
Lost and Found
Shopping
Child Care

Transportation

Driving to the Resort
Getting to the Parks
and Disney Springs
Getting to Another Hotel from Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo)
Getting to Universal Orlando

More

Boma – Flavors of Africa: The King of Disney Breakfast Buffets
Jiko – The Cooking Place: A Reopening Review
5 Great Walt Disney World Pools for Preschoolers
Animal Kingdom Lodge Room Review: A Piece of Paradise
Boma Dinner is as Wonderful as We Remember

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