Day 8 of our Everyday at Disney adventures brought us to Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House. We like to visit resorts on Sunday afternoon since we have church in the morning. Here are 5 things to enjoy at Animal Kingdom Lodge even if you aren’t a Guest of that resort (just remember you can never enjoy the pools as that amenity is strictly for Resort Guests only):
1. The lobby – Animal Kingdom Lodge was designed by Peter Dominick who also designed Wilderness Lodge. You can see quite a few similarities between the two resorts. The lobby features a floor to ceiling (about 7 stories) large glass window that overlooks the savanna. It also has multiple seating areas, a covered fire pit and numerous African artifacts. It is a great place to sit and chill for a few minutes.
2. African artifacts – The lobby, hallways, bathrooms, restaurants and grounds are covered in African artifacts. Each artifact has a plaque with facts and back stories. Taking a moment to read a few of these plaques is a great learning experience for everyone. Make it a challenge to see who can find the most unique one!
3. The savanna – There are multiple viewing areas for the savanna throughout the resort. Most viewing areas have information available for the animals that roam that area. Some viewing areas even have Cast Members on hand to assist you with locating the animals and provide additional facts and the history of the species.
4. The playground – If your kids need to burn off some steam, the resort playgrounds are an awesome option. The Jambo House’s playground is located back behind the pool. It has a few slides and climbing structures. Most resort playgrounds do not have swings unfortunately.
5. The restaurants – Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to 3 amazing Table Service restaurants (Boma, Jiko and Sanaa) and 1 great Quick Service restaurant (The Mara). The Mara serves a variety of American favorites and a few African inspired dishes, but the most popular thing at this restaurant are the Zebra Domes. These delicious bite size treat is a thin cake base with Amarula Cream Liquor mousse that is surrounded by white chocolate and drizzled with chocolate syrup and shavings. You can get a 4 pack from the cooler for right at $5.
Catch up on our Everyday at Disney adventures!