Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level

About five weeks ago, I lucked out and was able to book a Club Level 1-Bedroom at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We were thrilled to be able to stay there again. The Club Level cast members there really know how to do it right!

When we arrived at about 1:30pm, we were greeted by a cast member under the portico. He escorted us straight to the Kilimanjaro Club Lounge and offered to get us drinks. Marc and I both got some Jungle Juice, which was so refreshing after our long drive.

In less than five minutes, we had our Welcome Home packet and room key cards, and our room was ready. We dropped off our bags and were surprised with this nice little gift:

We also had chocolate giraffe lollipops and a letter waiting that explained all the day's offerings in the Kilimanjaro Club. We headed straight over to the lounge and got some snacks. 

After filling our tummies, I was ready to chill out and take some pictures. As always, the room was gorgeous and immaculately clean. 

The Kitchen

The Living Room

The Living Room

View from Our Patio

The Bedroom

The Bedroom

The Bathroom

The Bathroom

The New Toiletries Bottles

After resting for a little bit, we went to dinner at High Tide Harry's with my sister and her family. After that, SNORKELING PRACTICE!!!

Check...Check...Check

Part of what I love about our upcoming trip is not having to wait a long time for it to get here. The part that I hate is trying to fit months of planning into a few short weeks. But I can do this! I CAN DO THIS!

So, the first thing we needed to do was decide if we were flying or driving. Airline prices are OUTRAGEOUS right now so we picked driving. That meant making parking reservations at the port. We chose Park 'n Cruise because they only charge $6.99 a day compared to $20 a day at the terminal. They have a secure, fenced parking lot, and you take your keys with you. They drop you off at the terminal and pick you up after the cruise. Can't beat that! We also loaded our SunPass with enough money to cover all those pesky tolls between here and Orlando and then Orlando to Port Canaveral and back. No more stopping at toll booths!

The next thing we did was make sure that one of our dog/house sitters could be here when we were out of town. I lucked out, and the first person was available. (We love her!) It is so much less stressful, on us and the dogs, to be out of town when you know there is someone staying at your house. No worries!

I also made reservations at Walt Disney World before and after the cruise. Although they are usually booked 11 months in advance, we were able to snag a Club Level 1-Bedroom at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We stayed there after our last cruise and fell in love with it. They have a keyed-access lounge that has lots of drinks and snacks available at all hours of the day, and the service there is wonderful. Can't wait!

After the cruise, we are staying at Animal Kingdom Villas. We plan to chill out, swim, and really enjoy the resort without having to rush to a park. This will be our first park-free trip on WDW property, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm totally looking forward to it. We're still a little "parked out" so I don't think we'll miss the hustle and bustle. 

Our door magnets are finished, our Fish Extender is ordered, and I'm almost finished working on our Fish Extender gifts. We've already finished clothes shopping so we're set there, too. Only a few more days, and I can start packing. 

I CAN DO THIS!

Animal Kingdom Lodge's Sunrise Safari

We began the last day of our trip with a Sunrise Safari, which you can only do if you are staying in club level at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had to be up very (very!!!) early so we could meet our group in the lobby. After a quick briefing, we were on our way!

Getting ready to leave...



Some of the animals along the safari...

Can you see the lion?

After the safari, they had a breakfast set up for our group at Tusker House. (Or was it Pizzafari?) It was set up buffet style, so we were able to get what we wanted to eat.


On the way out of the park, I had to take a picture of this tree, because it had my favorite Disney character: Eeyore!


I think the Sunrise Safari is one of those Disney things that you have to do once just to mark it off your list. To be honest, we had a better safari with more animal interaction the day before when it was raining off and on all day long. So, the Sunrise Safari was quite a disappointment. Lesson learned!

Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level

After four glorious nights on board the Disney Wonder, we moved over to club level at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We loved the Christmas decorations!




We were a little worried that we'd be disappointed after the amazing level of service that we had on the Wonder, but we were pleasantly surprised. This is what we found when we arrived in our room:

Welcome Letter and Chocolate Lollipops

After we unpacked our suitcases, we went to the DVC Member Merry Mixer at the Contemporary Resort. Then, we went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. (Kicking myself for not taking more pictures at the Christmas party!)

After the party, we were exhausted and ready to head back to our room. Maria, our mousekeeper, had turned back our bed linens and left us some yummy chocolates. She took such good care of us during our entire stay!


While staying in club level, we were able to enjoy the Kilimanjaro Club. They had different offerings depending on the time of day: Breakfast, Snacks and Afternoon Tea, Lunch and Dinner, and Desserts and Cordials. They also had sodas, water, teas, smoothies, and fruit available all day long. (Wishing I would've taken pictures...)

We can't wait to be able to stay in club level again!