Where you choose to stay for your Disney vacation sets the tone for your whole trip. We have always stayed on Disney properties for the amenities like Extra Magic Hours, getting to choose FastPasses 60 days out, and complimentary parking.
In the past we have stayed at The Contemporary, The Polynesian, The Caribbean Beach Resort, and The Swan. (We try not to rub it in with the kids, but my hubs and I have also stayed at The Boardwalk and The Beach Club Resort.) For my family’s fifth trip to Disney we finally stayed at The Animal Kingdom Lodge.
First of all, we LOVED it and secondly, I am so glad we waited until the kids were teens to stay there. The Animal Kingdom Lodge had always come up when we were discussing resorts, but we always passed on it because it is so much farther out than the other options and it is only serviced by WDW buses. When your kids are little you only have so many “good” minutes awake . . . and let’s not forget naps. We never wanted to waste time on traveling back and forth from the hotel. And honestly, the monorail was just as much of an attraction for our kids as the teacups. It was a fabulous way to start and end each day.
But for our past trip, our girls were 14 and 17 years old so we thought, “Why not? The animals will be cool.” Plus, The Polynesian Resort was all booked. Thank goodness for this happenstance because there is so much about the Animal Kingdom Lodge that makes it perfect for teens.
1. It Complements Teen Sleep Patterns
Teen night owl behavior is great for taking advantage of late Extra Magic Hours, but unless you want growling adolescents on your hands, you’re probably going to be missing those rope drops. Because we booked a savanna view room, I had wonderful entertainment watching the animals while I waited for my kids and husband to get up. Sitting on my balcony with a cup of coffee (and my FastPasses already loaded on my MagicBand), I didn’t feel like I was missing out on one bit of Disney magic.
See? They eventually got up.
The breakfast buffet hours at one of the on-site restaurants, Boma, were pretty accommodating too: 7:30 am to 11:00 am. Even if you’re not an early bird, you can still get the Mickey waffle.
2. Speaking of Sleeping
The Animal Lodge is one of the few Disney Resorts where you can get bunk beds. Separate sleep spaces can go a long way toward keeping the peace between siblings.
3. And Speaking of the Night
So I already mentioned the animals, but did I mention you can view them at night? Long after the little ones have been tucked in, Disney offers a night safari from 10:00 pm until 11:00 pm exclusively for guests of the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas. If the $70.00 per person safari price tag feels a little step for you after shelling out the dollars all day long, you can use the free night vision goggles at the public savannas overlooks located throughout the lodge. How cool is that? Check at the front desk for times, location, and availability of night vision viewing.
I couldn’t take a picture through the night vision goggles, but here are some giraffes at dusk.
4. The Tastes Might Be Lost on Younger Kids.
By the time your kids have reached double digits, they may be ready for some culinary adventures. If your teens want to dive into African-inspired cuisine, Jiko will leave them feeling like they traveled around the world. If they just want to take a taste or two of African flavors with things like roasted turkey as a back-up, the buffet at Boma will be more their speed.
5. Teens Can Appreciate the Decor and the Art
There is no cartoon feel in this deluxe resort. The lobby is richly decorated with African art displayed everywhere. While your teen might rush past that gorgeous mask on the first day, I guarantee you he might notice it on the third day. And even if the art is lost on them, they’ll still appreciate the fireplace, and the availability of the conversation areas and overlooks when the togetherness in the room gets to be a wee bit too much.
The expansive lobby.
This is actually a ceremonial mask.
6. Fantastic Pools
The Uzima pool is an 11,000 square foot tropical oasis. The large size, zero depth entry, and bounty of lounge chairs means teens can find space away from the splashing little ones . . . unless they care to take a go at the 67-foot-long water slide. Then it’s every kid for himself.
One last thing. We still couldn’t get over that the only means of Disney transportation from The Lodge is buses. We rented a car at the airport and drove quite a bit from our hotel to the various parks. With the way the buses ran at the end of the night, we were glad we had the car as an option. Just something to consider.
One last last thing! Don’t forget your binoculars! Animal watching is better with them.
Happy Disney-ing!
Ellen
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