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Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Review & Rating

Animal Kingdom Lodge for Families with Sensitive & Anxious Kids

Are you considering staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge with your highly sensitive, sensory sensitive, or anxious kids? 

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Figuring out lodging for your Disney World trip is one of the harder (and expensive!) decisions you have to make. And if your kids are anything like mine, it can be a struggle to leave home and be able to sleep well in an unfamiliar place. That really puts the pressure on when it comes to choosing a hotel, doesn’t it?!

If you’re thinking about staying on property, it helps to know that Disney hotels are divided into these categories:
– Deluxe Villas
– Deluxe Resorts
– Moderate Resorts
– Value Resorts

Animal Kingdom Lodge General Information

Animal Kingdom Lodge falls under the “Deluxe” category, and it includes both regular resort rooms (which are like standard hotel rooms), and villas (which are more spacious accommodations and fall under Disney’s timeshare program—Disney Vacation Club). This definitely means you’ll be shelling out a good chunk of change to stay here. 

The African theming and unique savanna views make this a stand-out hotel for many guests. There really isn’t anything else at WDW that compares.

This Disney hotel is located in the Animal Kingdom theme park area, so it’s a short bus ride away for your AK day. 

There are two separate sections of Animal Kingdom Lodge: Jambo House and Kidani Village

AKL Jambo House is the “original” location, which opened first in 2002, and houses a mix of regular hotel rooms and villas. It is known for its spectacular lobby! 

AKL Kidani Village on the other hand is comprised of villas only and opened in 2009. It’s a little smaller and cozier. 

The two sections are walkable, but they also offer an internal shuttle. If you stay here, you have access to amenities in BOTH sections, so don’t forget to take advantage of that! 

With that background info, let’s get into the nitty gritty details. Is it worth it to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge with your sensitive or anxious kids? Let’s look at some factors to help you decide whether or not this hotel is a good choice for your family.