CP and I have been lucky enough to stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge twice now: once, in April 2010 (2 bedroom villa: Kidani Village) and once in October 2010 (standard room with pool view: Jambo House).  Without having stayed at every single WDW resort it’s impossible to say whether AKL is our absolute favorite, but in any case it would certainly rank right up there.

The two of us prefer slightly the Jambo House side of the resort to the Kidani Village side. While Kidani is beautiful, pristine in its relative newness, and very quiet and serene, it’s the latter that can make it feel a bit un-Disney: you’re so far removed from the action and hubub of most Disney resorts that you feel a bit isolated.  Also, if you don’t have a car with you, both Jambo House but Kidani Village in particular can mean long bus rides to and from Disney parks.

On the other hand, the relative isolation of AKL itself (it is, to the best of my knowledge, the furthest removed Disney resort from the rest of property) makes AKL one of Disney’s most immersive resort experiences. The themeing is imppecable.  The public spaces are majestic. The animals are beautiful and the viewing areas – not even including those from the savanna view rooms – provide incredible opportunity to get up-and-close with a host of animals, both day and night.

Our preference for Jambo House stems both from the fact that the only quick-service food area (and most accessible refillable mug station) is located there, as are two of our favorite restaurants on property, Boma and Jiko.  The gift shop is much larger and far better. You have more choices for public animal viewing areas. And the six-story lobby is truly breathtaking.  If you’re a pool person, the Jambo House pool is larger and visually more impressive, while the Kidani pool offers more amenities for young children. (It should be noted that guests of either building can use both pools interchangeably.)  While I think the rooms in Kidani have a slight edge in terms of newer decor and spaciousness, Jambo House rooms are still lovely in their own right.  The staff in both buildings are equally friendly and knowledgeable, so the long story short is – if you have an opportunity to stay in either area of the resort, do it.

Another advantage to staying at AKL is that it’s one of the more affordable (all terms being relative in WDW) Deluxe hotels; while the other affordable Deluxe is the Wilderness Lodge, I think AKL offers a bit more refinement and a more immersive theme than WL, but your preference might vary.

And now, for further photographic evidence:

Master bedroom, Kidani Village 2-bedroom villa

Balcony spanning the length of Kidani Village 2-bedroom villa

Kidani Village, exterior

Kidani Village lobby at night. Evocative of main Jambo House lobby, but on a smaller scale.

Jambo House standard room with king bed.

Alternate view of Jambo House standard room

Interior hallway, Jambo House, Zebra Trail

Photo taken from Kidani Village public animal viewing area. One can have a great animal viewing experience at AKL without paying for a savanna view room.