We are just back from our second INCREDIBLE Disney Trip!
We booked our first trip in March 2020. Our original reservation was for All Star-Movie Resort and 4 Park Days. The parks, with the rest of the world, shut down just weeks after we booked our trip. Since we weren't scheduled to go until November we waited to see what the world would look like. When the hotels/parks reopened, we were upgraded to the Pop Century resort AND received sale pricing on that. We saved around $250 with the upgrade and over $500 on the overall value. As a result, we were able to enjoy shopping at Disney Springs and three sit-down meals.
While we loved our trip, we also realized that so many parts of the hotel and parks were closed while we were there. Early in 2021, we decided to book another trip.
Last time, only Owen really enjoyed Animal Kingdom so we made the call to book our room at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Savannah view and to skip Animal Kingdom Park. For the frugal record, while we did save the cost of a park day it was NOT more affordable to stay at AK Lodge vs one day at Animal Kingdom. We also cut our trip down to three park days, one resort day.
Animal Kingdom Lodge Review: It was gorgeous! The lobby was just beautiful, especially with the huge Christmas trees. We loved our room, Savannah View which was 100% worth the cost! It was so wonderful to wake up to giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests. I will say that this was most likely the one and only time that we will stay at AK Lodge. This was such a treat for our animal lover Owen.
AK Lodge Transportation Review: Our Disney planner did warn us that this park is the furthest from the parks and it does have the longest bus ride but we honestly didn't mind. There were zero lines for the bus at the hotel and then also coming back from the parks. The buses weren't full at all and the ride went quickly. I will say that we go over first thing in the morning and then go back one time at night - no running back and forth. If you are a person who likes to go back to the hotel for a swim or nap the travel time would really eat into your park time. We also enjoyed, at the end of a long day, that the AK Lodge bus stop was the closest to the park exit.
AK Lodge vs Kidani Village: Animal Kingdom Lodge has two areas - Jambo House, where we stayed, and larger suites at Kidani Village. When we first booked, March 2021, only the Village was open so we booked there. By the time of travel, Jambo House had opened so we moved over. Generally Jambo House is said to be more affordable but we did not have a price decrease with our move. Our decision was ultimately made based on the hotel food options. With Annabeth's food allergies, we felt that the best/safest options for Annabeth were at Jambo House. We opted to stay close to where we would eat several meals vs having to walk the trail or take the bus for each meal. At the Lodge we enjoyed great food, a wonderful heated pool with slide, multiple animal viewing areas, bonfires, and night vision goggle experiences while animal watching. We did walk over to Kidani Village on our resort day to see their animals, to see the pool, and for movie night. It was great to have access to both areas.
Since I write a Frugal Living Blog, and have been since 2013, I worried a bit about sharing our hotel choice. It wasn't remotely frugal BUT we saved and paid cash for the trip. Here are some ways we saved money/spent money wisely on this trip:
- We took advantage of 10% off giftcards which our Meijer store offers several times a year. We bought the Disney giftcards at a discount and turned around and applied them to our trip balance.
- We stopped in Evansville on the way down/back and my parents generously dog sat for us. We loved knowing that Oscar was being spoiled by the grandparents. This also saved us the cost of boarding him.
- We drove straight through and straight back from Evansville-Orlando and then Orlando-Evansville. We had originally planned hotel stays/activities both ways but cancelled for different reasons on either end. This saved us $300 in hotels and another $150 in activity prices.
- We packed a great deal of food. We ate our own food while travelling and for at least two meals a day while at Disney.
- At Disney we drink water. We did splurge on the free refills cup at the resort. It makes a great souvenir for Mark and me and the coffee for days is worth it.
- This trip we had only one sit down meal, last year we did three. We chose the Plaza at Magic Kingdom. It was fun to eat with a view of the castle and even with a 20% tip it was just $70 - much for affordable than the sit down options we had last year. We did do some more quick service than last year but it is shockingly affordable and I love that the kids meals come with fruit, veggies, or yogurt vs fries/chips.
Overall Review: Honestly, this was a HUGE splurge for our family and so worth it for the incredible experience of waking up on the Savannah everyday. We loved the heated pools, great food options, wonderful service, and beautiful artwork in the lobbies and common areas. In all honesty, I would never book this hotel and not pay the extra for the Savannah view room. Without the animal view, it's essentially just a very nice hotel which is something that the Disney World Resort has many of.
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