Last year I took a great stay-cation few days at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge here in Orlando, Florida. Since I’m currently living in the Orlando area I occasionally get some nice discounts just on that basis. In addition, and even better, I do get discounts as a Disney Annual Pass holder.

HOW WE STARTED OUR DISNEY STAY CATION

To begin my long (sarcastically said) trip from my house to the Disney property of 40 minutes… I actually ended up going to the wrong location first. Hauled ALL my bags into the main lobby of their Disney Vacation property. This is completely separate from the main Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge.

After finding the correct place …. this was what I walked into below!

Main Lobby View FrBom Club Level

After picking up my jaw from the ground … I walked over the check in locations. Which if you look at the above photo are actually tucked into the left side of photo. AGAIN … I was in the wrong location. I had purchased a club level accommodations. So, my check in for that was on club level … which is actually the viewpoint of the above lobby view photo.

Check in was a breeze, they were expecting me and they had my magic bands all ready for me and my guest.

Right next to check in was a whole area for snacks. There were all kinds of things. Nicely designed tables, a TV, drinks … and I’m talking the adult stuff as well as kid friendly drinks.

I choose a room with view … not all rooms do showcase where the animals are roaming. If you are on a budget that can’t afford these types of rooms, no worries, because there are many locations that you and your family can access and sit to watch the animals.

This location was my favorite. It was covered and had these great big rocking chairs. Below is the rocking chair spot and the view.

Rocking Chair View Point at Animal Kingdom

What made this stay-cation trip even more exciting was that I could see all the animals from my balcony! Giraffe’s, water buffalo, and Zebra’s.

Taking a stroll around the property – we found the pool and whirlpools! Which magically were right next to the flamingos! What a fun way to sit in a whirlpool and just watch Flamingo’s walking around next to your spot.

Here are a few photos from that adventure.

Now …. on to the dining. There was never a want for anything via food at this location. We were able to eat by the pool, they had a casual dining area that had quick eats for everyone. They had a more sit-down type of restaurant, a great indoor bar and a fine dining location. Here is a list of the dining options available: Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge Dining OptionsFinally – about our room at Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge! We were on the club level which gave us a few extra benefits. The room was fantastic and the little toiletries you received were awesome!We also received a little gift of snacks and a customized bag and note welcoming us by name. Very nice special touch.
The staff was amazing – we had breakfast in our room on our last day so we could sit and watch the animals. Breakfast was typical American style options.Our check out process was great and before we left, we had lunch at the poolside bar for our final send off back to reality!Of note, you do have access to the theme parks during your stay and extra tours are available for people staying on the property. We did not take advantage of these. Mostly because as a Florida resident, we can go to the theme parks anytime and prefer to do so when “off tourist season” and less crowded.All in all – we had a great time just staying at the lodge and relaxing! Have you been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments below!