Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House is a deluxe resort in Walt Disney World. The hotel is inspired by African culture and architecture, as well as the theme park that it’s named after. Jambo House is one of two sections in Animal Kingdom Lodge, the other being Kidani Village which is roughly a 10 minute walk away. Jambo House is the bigger of the two but the resorts do share amenities. In this post, we’ll review Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House’s studio rooms, amenities and value.

We fell in love with Animal Kingdom Lodge the first time we ever stepped inside of the hotel’s giant lobby. The wood tones, texture, tall ceiling and expansive detail stand out before guests can even get to the check-in desks. The source material, the theme park sitting just down the road, is evident even before seeing the animals outside. Theme oozes out of this hotel no matter which part you explore.

Disney is no stranger to the lodge design. The first of these came overseas when Sequoia Lodge debuted at Disneyland Paris in 1992, followed shortly by Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge in 1994. A few short months before Animal Kingdom Lodge opened to guests in April of 2001, the Grand Californian opened at Disneyland Resort. Notably, Aulani opened in 2011 as another Joe Rohde (the lead Imagineer in Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge) creation. All of these hotels share some similarities in design. To my eyes, the latest 3 all take from each other liberally while still feeling distinct.

An obvious distinction at Animal Kingdom Lodge is that there are animals right outside the door! That’s no small feat. It’s as if Kilimanjaro Safaris expanded all the way to just beyond the lobby. Giraffes, zebras, gazelles and more are all hanging out on the savanna, grazing and just waiting for you to try to photograph them. Certain rooms can view the wonderful animals but all guests are able to visit different common areas where you can watch them.

These spaces make Animal Kingdom Lodge one of the best spots in Walt Disney World to relax for a while. Whether that’s as a theme park guest stopping in for a meal and to see some animals or for those staying a whole week, the hotel has plenty to keep anyone occupied. Any time here is well spent.

For those that are staying as part of a Walt Disney World vacation, the downside here is that Animal Kingdom Lodge isn’t in a great location. It is the farthest hotel from Magic Kingdom. Epcot and Hollywood Studios are both roughly 15 minute bus rides. Animal Kingdom is a breeze to get to but otherwise the location isn’t a plus.

That might help the secluded and resort stay feel. We think the rooms and amenities more than make up for it but this might not be the best place to stay if you want to rope drop Magic Kingdom and Epcot 4 out of 5 days.

Moving to the room, here’s a look at the studio. We’ve stayed in the 2-bedroom but it’s been quite a while so photos of that might not be up to date where as the studio ones are very recent. Here’s the 2-bedroom review for anyone interested.

The studio at Animal Kingdom Lodge typically includes a queen bed and a double sized sleeper sofa. There is plenty of space , even when the sofa bed is pulled out. You can see some of the ornamentation and detail in the headboard and art throughout the room.

The browns and oranges throughout recall the savanna and all of the details make this one of the more unique hotel rooms at Walt Disney World. As you can see, the room has a deck and depending on your room view it will offer a look at the pool, resort or animals outside.

There’s quite a bit of storage space inside of the room, as well. Between the dresser and the large closet, there should be plenty of space to put your clothes and suitcases. All of the wood on those come with different carvings, some symbols and some are animals. That extends to the table on the right of the photo.

I love the animal carvings above the sink. The room comes with the standard coffee maker, a mini fridge, toaster and microwave. In terms of studio spaces at Walt Disney World that I’d be happy to stay in with 3 or 4 adults, this ranks highly because of all the square footage and how well the room uses that space.

This is a look inside the bathroom. The colorful tiles near the top dress up the otherwise standard shower/tub combo. There’s also a toilet, which doesn’t need any further commentary.

The sink space is, again, pretty large by hotel room standards. There are 2 sinks here and they sit outside of the bathroom – all good things!

If there’s a bone to pick with the rooms, it’s that they are a little older. That’s most noticeable in the bathroom areas. I don’t see it as a big problem, everything is well taken care of and very clean, but the room isn’t top of the line in terms of those finishings and amenities.

That’s the only bad thing I have to say about the room though. These are my favorite in all of Walt Disney World. No resort blends the theme of the hotel in with the rooms better than this one. Plus, there’s a beautiful view on the deck and plenty of detail to explore. Looking out the window and seeing a giraffe is an easy highlight, but the whole experience is lovely.

As for the amenities that aren’t the gorgeous lobby or animal viewing, Animal Kingdom Lodge offers our favorite array of restaurants among all of the resorts. There’s the excellent Jiko for a fine dining experience. Boma is adored by most anyone, offering an African inspired buffet. Over at Kidani Village, Sanaa has the famous bread service served alongside delicious Indian food. Even the quick spots are strong, whether that’s the Mara at Jambo House or back over at Sanaa for breakfast. There’s no need to leave the resort for a good meal, that is well covered.

Jambo House’s pool is called Uzima Springs and is more on the relaxed side compared to some of the other Walt Disney World options. The pool is zero entry and has a mild waterslide. It’s a nice place to cool down. There’s a pool bar and a secluded hot tub, as well as a savanna overlook nearby. We do prefer Kidani Village’s pool, Samawati Springs, and that’s available to use for anyone at Animal Kingdom Lodge. There’s a few more bells and whistles going on there.

Other recreation at Jambo House includes a playground, s’mores roasting over a campfire, a fitness center and small arcade. Those are all fine but the resort’s emphasis remains on the animal viewing and cultural dining and experiences. Talking to the Cast Members outside while watching a giraffe walk by or sitting inside of the lobby and admiring the architecture are the highlights. Animal Kingdom Lodge is thoughtful and intentional in that way; the resort is inviting while being inspired by cultures and places that most guests haven’t experienced.

That brings us to the price. Animal Kingdom Lodge is among the cheaper deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World. Saratoga and Old Key West are typically the least expensive and then both Jambo House and Kidani Village fit into the next tier. Granted, that doesn’t mean they’re cheap. If you find the right time of year and right discount, $300/night is possible. $400/night is more likely. The resort is also available, and one of the best values, for those with DVC points.

Relative to other Walt Disney World hotels, that’s a bargain. Considering that Jambo House offers our favorite rooms, restaurants and something extremely unique with the animal viewing, we think it’s worth spending a little more to stay here compared to Saratoga or Old Key West. It’s not significantly more than a moderate like Caribbean Beach Resort either.

I do think Animal Kingdom Lodge is a perfect place for a split stay at Walt Disney World. Say you have a week, stay along the Skyliner for 4 or 5 nights and then follow that up with 2 or 3 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. That gives your trip a little bit of financial flexibility along with different options on where to most efficiently rope drop from.

Whether you go that route, stay a full week or just drop by for a meal, we couldn’t recommend Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House enough. It is one of the most beautiful and well themed resorts Disney has ever made!

Overall Rating – 10/10

Have you stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House? Let us know your thoughts or any questions you might have in the comments below. Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!