Planning where to stay in relation to where you will be spending the most time is one of the keys to planning a super successful Walt Disney World vacation. We are not saying that you can't stay anywhere on property and still have a good time, but these relationships will save you vast amounts of time if you plan on using the resort transportation systems. We will continue to drill down to more detail within the parks, but you are going to start to see a lot more information concerning rides and restaurants as we continue our posts.
In this set of blog posts we are going to outline the available Disney resort hotels in the area, transportation between the hotels and the highlighted park, and a quick breakdown of the areas of the highlighted park.
Animal Kingdom surprises many by being the largest park in area at Walt Disney World. Its mix of cultural flair and other-worldly design gives it a look all its own. The addition of Pandora, and the rides that came with it, gave this park its must do attraction and the whole park has benefited from it.
Animal Kingdom Resort Hotels
When it comes to location, Animal Kingdom is a little off the beaten path. The 3 other "Theme" parks all have locations visible from World Drive, the main entrance to Walt Disney World. Animal Kingdom is west of the main drag and so are the hotels that we will associate with it.
All Star Resort - This area is actually made up of 3 separate resorts (Movies, Sports, and Music) in one large area. This value complex offers rooms with 2 Double Beds, 2 Queen Beds, 1 King Bed, and a Family Suite with multiple conversion beds. Rooms at this resort are getting updated, but this is still what we consider the entry point for onsite stays. Each resort does have a bus station, but many times the same bus services all three. This can lead to long lines at park open and close.
Coronado Springs - This freshly updated resort comes in as another one of our favorites. It falls in the Moderate category and rooms are subtly themed and have a very fresh feeling to them. The addition of the Gran Destino Tower gave this resort a high end face lift without moving up in categories. Traveling by bus is the only Disney way, so until another form of transportation arrives, take advantage of the moderate rates. There are many room setups available and multiple dining options on site. The one drawback of this resort is that it follows the Moderate bus planning, so there are multiple stops throughout the resort and the bus will travel through, or until full, before heading to the park.
Animal Kingdom Lodge - Animal Kingdom's Deluxe resort offering shares its name and is home to some of the most stunning views at Walt Disney World. The Lodge is part of 3 offerings that include Kidani Village and Jambo House DVC additions. These resorts sit to the west of the park and are home to their own Savannah. What this means is that rooms that have a Savannah view could lead to a wake up call by giraffe. This is also home to Boma, a restaurant high on the Princesses and the Mouse list. This resort is the farthest away from Magic Kingdom and could take extra time due to traffic. Plan your meals wisely if staying here.
Transportation
Buses - That's it unless you pay someone.
Animal Kingdom Park Areas
Entrance Area/Tree of Life - The entrance to this park is in the middle of a redesign to eliminate the bottleneck we speak of on the podcast. Rainforest Cafe is to your left as you come through security. Once through the gates, you wind your way down to Discovery Island and face the Tree of Life. This park icon has the figures of many animals carved into its trunk and has an awakening, via projector show, each night. This are is home to many dining and retail locations and sets up as the wheel for the spoke system in this park. This is also where you can find the It's a Bug's Life ride.
Dinoland USA - The path to the right will take you across the "OldenGate Bridge" and under a 50Ft tall skeleton of a Brachiosarus. This area is home to Dinosaur the Ride, Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama Midway, and Finding Nemo - The Musical. Chester and Hester's is great for the littler ones in your group and offers a Dumbo style ride that is fashioned way before his time. There are also food offerings and one of the best concentrations of character meet and greets anywhere in WDW. It is an area we overlooked on many visits and now plan time there every time.
Asia - As you walk past the Finding Nemo Theater and in front of the seating for Rivers of Light, Animal Kingdoms night show, you notice your surroundings change and enter Asia. This culturally themed area is home to Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids. It is one of two areas in Animal Kingdom themed after regions of this world. It is also home to Yak and Yeti along with many other quick service food options. Many of them are open based on capacity, so be flexible with your food planning if you are wanting to eat in this area. On the animal side, Flights of Wonder is a bird show hosted by some of the characters from the movie Up and Maharajah Jungle Trek is a walking path that lets you see some area specific, exotic animals. There are a couple of great photo spots as well that capture Everest and the Tree of Life
Africa - The other culturally themed area is Africa, home to Disney Planning Insights favorite show, Festival of the Lion King. Be sure to check out Harambe Market for multiple food options and entertainment. Tusker House and Tiffin's provide excellent, yet very different, table service dining options. Kilimanjaro Safaris is a fantastic opportunity to see many animals native to the African Savannah and one animal only surviving in captivity now. The Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail gives you another experience similar to the Jungle Trek in Asia.
Pandora - This is the newest addition to Animal Kingdom and brought a new life and following to this park. Pandora is a trip out of this world from the movie Avatar and is home to floating mountains, a bio-luminescent landscape and river, and banshees. Flight of Passage gives you the opportunity to experience flight on a banshee and is an amazing technological ride through Pandora. Na'vi River Journey is a slow, dark boat ride that provides a nice compliment to Flight. Take time, especially at night to enjoy what happens in this area as it transforms into something alien and beautiful at the same time. Picture opportunities are plentiful, but food is not. There is one quick service location and and a drink stand near the exit of Flight, but that is about it.
Animal Kingdom will offer you something new each time you get there. There are so many things tucked off the main paths that it allows and encourages you to explore away from the crowds. As you plan your days here, make sure that you are looking at the Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest FatsPasses as they seem to be the first to go. From there most of the rides will have moderate wait times on most days as there are just not that many of them. The two stage shows provide excellent opportunities to escape the heat of Florida summer and taken in high quality entertainment.
Are you ready to take the next step? Fill out our information form on the Booking Your Trip page and let's talk about your Disney adventure. If you are looking for more information, the Disney Planning Insights Podcasts and Princesses and the Mouse Blogs provide more information to help you plan your next Disney vacation.
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