17+ Fun Things to Do at Animal Kingdom Lodge

The Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World offers so many fun activities for guests to enjoy. It’s one of my family’s favorite hotels at WDW because it features spectacular theming and exciting daily activities. If you’re wondering what to do at Animal Kingdom Lodge, you’re in luck!

This unique resort features plenty of fun things for kids and adults alike, with many activities even being free. From pools, playgrounds, and arcades to arts, crafts, and campfires, the activities at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will keep you coming back for more.

For many people, a vacation to Disney World is all about theme parks like Magic Kingdom and Epcot. However, there are other options for your family that will provide just as much of an experience, including spending time at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

There’s so much to do that you could really spend an entire vacation at this special resort without even leaving the property. So, continue reading below for our tips on all the fun things to do at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

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Free Things to Do at Animal Kingdom Lodge

As mentioned above, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is such a unique place to stay. Visitors love the feeling of staying so close to safari animals. Our family loves spending the mornings on our hotel balcony just looking for various animals to wander by.

view of giraffe and other animals from balcony at animal kingdom lodge — View of Animals from Animal Kingdom Lodge Room Balcony

Animal Kingdom Lodge offers several free activities for guests to enjoy. These are some of our favorite FREE things to do while visiting the Animal Kingdom Lodge:

Watch the Animals. View animals from your room balcony. If you don’t reserve a room with a view of the savanna, you can still enjoy seeing the animals from various spots throughout the resort.

Roast marshmallows at the evening campfire. Each evening, Animal Kingdom Lodge allows guests to roast complimentary marshmallows by their campfire. If you’re in the mood for an additional sweet treat, you can purchase S’mores kits for an additional price.

Collect beads. Look for the monthly recreation schedule to find a list of activities to complete to earn beads.

Take an art tour. You can attend a tour of the Jambo House lobby to learn all about the impressive art on display.

Play on Hakuna Matata Playground. My kids love the playground area at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It features multiple slides and climbing features.

Watch evening movies under the stars. Animal Kingdom Lodge plays family friendly movies outside in the evenings. Note that the Lodge and Kidani Village rotate the hosting duties, so you may need to walk or bus down to the sister resort if the Lodge isn’t showing the movie on a particular night.

Trade pins. During select days and times, you can take part in pin trading at the resort. Information about this activity will be available on the recreation schedule.

Swim in the Uzima Springs Pool. The Uzima Springs Pool is a great place to cool off on your vacation. This elaborate swimming pool features a zero-entry section that’s perfect for little ones. Plus, kids (and adults) love the waterslide at this pool.

Explore the Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village. In addition to the Uzima Springs Pool, guests can walk or ride the shuttle down to the sister resort, Kidani Village. Here, you’ll find another huge swimming pool, a big waterslide, and a small waterslide.

Splash around at Uwanja Camp water playground at Kidani Village. Kidani Village features a splash zone known as Uwanja Camp. This is a great area for kids to run around and play.

Take part in poolside activities. Each afternoon, the pool hosts really fun activities for guests to enjoy. You’ll find activities like hula hoop competitions, “fishing” for animals, limbo, etc.

Workout in the fitness center. Animal Kingdom Lodge features a really great fitness center with cardio equipment, weight machines, and free weights. This gym is free for resort guests to use. It’s one of my husband’s favorite fitness centers in all of Walt Disney World!

More Activities at Animal Kingdom Lodge

In addition to the free things to do at Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can also find activities that require a fee. These are some of our family’s favorite Animal Kingdom Lodge activities to experience while staying at the resort:

Take a Safari Tour – Board a safari vehicle to take a one hour nighttime tour of the savanna to see animals up close. This activity is for guests ages 8 and older.
Watch Chefs at Work – Dine at Jiko to watch chefs in the open kitchen.
Dine with Animals – Enjoy a meal at Sanaa while watching animals roam around the African savanna.
Play Games – Play in Pumbaa’s Fun and Games Arcade where you’ll find lots of video games to enjoy for a small fee.
Make a Craft – Pick up a recreation schedule to take part in daily arts, crafts, and entertainment for a fee.

In addition to the activities and themed surroundings, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is also home to some unique dining opportunities. The Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants feature amazing cuisine at quick service, buffet, and table service locations.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Prices

The Animal Kingdom Lodge tends to be the most budget friendly deluxe hotel at Disney World. We typically find that the room prices aren’t that much higher than at the moderate hotels. If you really want to score a great deal on a room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, try renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points.

Renting DVC points is by far the easiest and best way to stay in a deluxe resort at Disney for a fraction of the cost. We like to use David’s Vacation Club Rentals when purchasing a hotel stay on points. This company is super reliable and offers some of the greatest rates on point rentals. You can check out their price calculator to see just how much you can save on a room at one of the Disney deluxe resort hotels.

Final Thoughts on Animal Kingdom Lodge Activities

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe resort and it shows. It offers the best of what you would expect from Disney World but with many additional features that make this hotel stand out as something special for families. From an elaborate pool with an amazing water slide to animal viewing, there are many fun things for kids to do at this resort.

Parents may be interested in the other amenities that they will find on-site. For example, you can keep up your workout routine at the fitness center on-site or enjoy a nice glass of wine at one of the many lounges.

giraffes roaming with text overlay Best Activities at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is truly an amazing place to stay with so much to offer guests of all ages. If you are looking for something different on your next Disney World vacation, consider this resort as your home base. You won’t be disappointed!

Also, if you’re looking for tips on choosing the right Disney World hotel, join our Facebook group for personalized help on finding the best resort for your family! What are your favorite things to do at the Animal Kingdom Lodge? Comment below to share them with us!