Category — d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World

THE PERSONAL FAVORITES SERIES

This post is one in a series about personal favorites. See lower on the page for more about this series.

FAVORITE DELUXE RESORT: DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE

This site’s ranking of the deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World for first time visitors puts Disney’s Polynesian Resort first, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge second, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge third.

However, my personal favorite is far and away the Wilderness Lodge, with the Animal Kingdom Lodge my second favorite.

Why? [Read more →]

For the first page of this review, click here.

MORE ON JAMBO HOUSE AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

There are currently 8 official Disney owned and operated deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World.

In their recommended order for first time family visitors, they are

1. Polynesian
2. Wilderness Lodge
3. Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo House
4. Contemporary
5. Grand Floridian
6. Beach Club
7. Yacht Club
8. BoardWalk Inn

(Many of these also offer Disney Vacation Club studios and villas, all for rent to the general public–see this for more on the Disney Vacation Club resorts.)

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

Jambo House opened as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2001.

It was renamed Jambo House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge with the opening of the nearby Disney Vacation Club property Kidani Village in 2009.

Because of their differences, I count three separate properties here:

• Jambo House, the topic of this review
• The Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) villas at Jambo House, reviewed here, and
• The DVC villas at Kidani Village, for which see this for a review.

I will call Jambo House in the rest of this review both its official name and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, the name that most people still know it by.

But whatever I call it, the key is this: Jambo House/Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a great place for first time visitors to stay, bested only by Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

[Read more →]

DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT AND LARGE FAMILIES

Walt Disney World announced earlier this year that it will be opening a new value resort in 2012.

(For some concept renditions of the exterior, see this)

The new resort will be called Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

It will be located across Hourglass Lake from Disney’s Pop Century Resort, in land–and partially constructed buildings–that had been designed to be the extension and completion of Pop.

The new resort will have almost 2000 rooms, of which 1120 will be “family suites.” Family suites, pioneered at All-Star Music, will sleep six, most likely in a master bedroom and living room layout.

This is important news for larger families looking for value pricing. [Read more →]

OVERVIEW: BAY LAKE TOWER AT DISNEY’S CONTEMPORARY RESORT FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Most room options at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (a Disney Vacation Club resort) are wonderful places for returning visitors to Walt Disney World to stay.

For typical first-time visitors, I don’t recommend the Disney Vacation Club resorts. That said, these “DVC” resorts can be a great choice for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Among the Disney Vacation Club resorts, Bay Lake Tower ranks fourth overall for first-time visitors, but specifics vary by room type.

Note: for a review of Disney’s Contemporary Resort itself, click here.

THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS

[Read more →]

This is third page of this review. For the first page of this review, click here.

POOLS, DINING, SHOPS AND SUCH AT DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE

You enter the Lodge into the stunning main lobby.

Check in and guest services are to the right.

Further on the right is the gift shop, and around the corner to the right is a pathway to the Disney Vacation Club villas and the bus stops.

To the left is Whispering Canyon Cafe, one of two table service dining options at the resort, and a terrific place for kids. [Read more →]