It’s no secret that a Disney World vacation has gotten more expensive in recent years. There’s the increase in Disney Parks ticket prices, the increase in Disney merchandise prices, and the addition of the still newish Genie+ system that have all added dollar signs to trips. And that’s not even counting transportation to the parks and resorts after the Magical Express went away.
Before the pandemic I was a frequent Disney World visiter, but in recent years my husband and I have been spending more time at Universal Orlando, thanks to new, exciting attractions such as the VelociCoaster and the opening of Minions land. But Disney also has some new and upcoming attractions, so, when we recently decided to give Disney World another whirl, we looked at one of our former favorites Animal Kingdom Lodge, and we absolutely shocked at the sticker price.
There Are No Down Times (Or Down Prices) At Animal Kingdom Lodge Anymore
The husband and I began looking into a trip for this winter or spring recently and were simply stunned by the hotel room price points for most of the hotels – not just Animal Kingdom Lodge. One thing that’s been a big pro for us planning vacations in the past is that we’re childfree, so we’re not beholden to school vacation schedules, and we don’t mind traveling at off times. So, while Animal Kingdom Lodge has always been one of the pricier hotels at Disney, it’s been achievable for us at certain times of the year in the past.
While I understand AKL is technically a deluxe resort, Disney’s dynamic pricing during down times had ensured that we could get rooms for a more reasonable rate in the past, usually if we decided to take a trip in the winter months or at a pre-holidays time in the fall, after the kids were back in school. I’m not talking like Value resort prices, but considerably lower than what we’re seeing now.
Looking ahead to February, and even with a winter discount being offered currently, the cheapest rates I could find were if we were at the parks only on weekdays and left before the weekend hit, and those were still around the $480 per night mark.
If we wanted to stay for the weekend, we’d be looking at an average of over $500 per night. In February. The official Disney World page for the hotel says the rooms average $590 per night, as well, and it doesn't seem to be an availability issue, as the majority of "types" of rooms are available.
There’s been a lot written in recent years about how there’s no “winter slowdown” times at theme parks really anymore, and apparently that means there are no downtime prices for families, either.
Is Animal Kingdom Lodge Still Worth The Price?
I’d be remiss if I didn’t note the Disney World resort property recently went through extensive refurbishments. In the years prior, I’d noticed the carpeting in the rooms and a few other focal points, like the furniture, starting to feel a bit tired. While some fans seemingly miss the theming of the old rooms, Disney may feel the newness warrants an upgrade in cost, which is similar to what happened when Coronado Springs was refurbished a few years ago.
In addition, in terms of theming, the Savannah views, the hotel pool (and gym and spa), the in-house restaurants and the various activities that have all been available at Animal Kingdom Lodge and the nearby Kidani Village have always been big draws for my family. Given you could occasionally find middling price points for the Deluxe tier resort, it made up for being very far away transportation-wise from all resorts that are not Animal Kingdom.
It’s also worth pointing out that in a direct comparison to the other more mid-priced deluxe resort, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge is generally the cheaper of the two. Hotel rooms when I perused varying dates were almost always around $100 dollars more per night than rooms at AKL. (I mean, it does have a geyser.) Then, if you start comparing to some of the more popular and more expensive resorts, it’s not even close.
Right now, Disney is running an up to 20% off offer on some stays in early 2024. Looking at the same week into weekend dates in February, here are some room comparisons. The hotels that are unsurprisingly nearer multiple parks and more transportation options are pricier per night and have sold out more types of rooms already.
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort (with discounted rate) $951 per night
- Disney’s Grand Floridian (with discounted rate) $1563 per night
- Disney’s Boardwalk (with discounted rate) $1003 per night
- Wilderness Lodge (with discounted rate and less availability) $600 per night
- Animal Kingdom Lodge (with discounted rate) $506 per night
As the hotels tend to increase in price as they get more bookings, I thought looking a little further in advance might very well help our case. I was right – sort of. Some of these prices for rooms went down a ton, with Grand Floridian clocking in at only $839 a night for a weekend in May and Boardwalk only clocking in at $665 a night if we book out a few more months in advance. Still a fortune, but less outrageous. Unfortunately, Animal Kingdom Lodge seems to be staunchly sticking around the same price point, with AKL asking for $538 a night in the warmer month of May.
This isn't just a thing at Disney World, either, as prices at the Disneyland Hotel aren't for the faint of heart, either.
So, to lead to the question: Is the Animal Kingdom resort worth it compared to the more moderate or value Disney World resorts? You do get some perks from the deluxe experience, and in a lot of ways, Animal Kingdom Lodge is better value than some of the other pricier joints on property given what you get for the price point.
However, it’s also much further away and if you aren’t interested in Jiko or the Savannah views, there are other resorts that offer good value out there. Plus, if you have occasionally cranky children, the wait times for transportation may not do it for you. For my husband and I, who are prime contenders for wanting an out-of-the-way hotel, it still looks like another property may be in the cards this theme park season.
