Animal Kingdom Lodge Kilimanjaro Club Level Review
This post reviews Kilimanjaro Club, the concierge level at Animal Kingdom Lodge in Walt Disney World. We detail our experience here, with photos and thoughts on the lounge food and other amenities offered in Jambo House. If any hotel at Walt Disney World is begging for the Club Level experience, it might be Animal Kingdom Lodge.
We’ve previously commented that this is the resort we’d pick if we were going to do a no-parks long weekend, and that remains the case. From watching the animals on the savanna to exploring the art galleries to enjoying the serenity of the design, there’s simply more to do at Animal Kingdom Lodge than any other resort at Walt Disney World. Since a huge part of the value in Club Level comes in being present at the resort, Kilimanjaro Club really benefits from the substance and allure of Animal Kingdom Lodge.
If you want to know more about what makes AKL so great, please consult our separate Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House and Kidani Village Reviews for more basics about the two ‘sides’ of this large resort. If you’re looking for general info, our Guide to Club Level & Concierge Lounges at Disney World offers what you can expect in terms of service, plus info about specific Club Level lounge reviews from around Walt Disney World. This review focuses specifically on Kilimanjaro Club…
While our recent experiences are admittedly a limited sample size, we believe Club Level at Walt Disney World is improving. Hotel staff is more consistent about reaching out to guests before their stays, and providing guidance with Advance Dining Reservations. Lounge food is on the upswing, and is often created by chefs from Signature Restaurants at the resorts.
If you look at Walt Disney World’s direction as a whole, this makes sense. Disney has increasingly been targeting affluent demographics, and not just ones who are typical Disney fans. In the past, Club Level was often popular with WDW regulars looking for a splurge and exclusivity, but perhaps lacking real world reference points to judge the Club Level’s quality. Now, as with many of the niche luxury offerings at Walt Disney World, it has more appeal to well-heeled one time visitors wanting exclusivity and all things “the best.”
As much as we might grouse about this approach in other regards, when it comes to Club Level, everyone wins (well, except those who don’t book it). Affluent guests who are not Disney fans likely have a wealth of concierge level experiences, and expect a certain caliber of service and cuisine quality. Catering to this type of guests of late has caused Walt Disney World to elevate (and expand upon) its premium offerings.
This was true with our experience at Animal Kingdom Lodge, as we were contacted prior to our stay with an inquiry about assistance. We didn’t take the concierge up on this offer as our main priority was pigging out in the lounge and sit on our balcony watching giraffes stick out their mesmerizingly long tongues. Nonetheless, it’s a nice offer and something that is definitely useful for first-timers who book Walt Disney World and don’t realize just how much planning is required.
Upon arrival at Animal Kingdom Lodge, we were greeted by an Cast Member in the lobby who directed us upstairs to the concierge lobby for check-in. (We experienced this same type of greeting at Wilderness Lodge in December when we were not staying Club Level.) While this is a nice service touch, it also is a bit creepy in underscoring the degree to which Disney tracks your every movement.
At the concierge desk, the host once again inquired as to whether we needed assistance with dining, or any other form of planning assistance. We also received a ‘treasure bag’ and customized print-out of park hours, weather info, and more. Little touches, but ones that make you feel valued as a guest.
I still think Club Level concierges should have access to a reserved pool of ADRs as a booking courtesy. First-timers are often oblivious to Walt Disney World’s rigid planning requirements. Many of them are willing to spend extra to book Club Level on the (mistaken) assumption that concierge assistance will help them side-step the planning process. That isn’t the case, but probably should be.
The issue of price is not as pronounced at Kilimanjaro Club for a couple of reasons. While the surcharge over the resort’s lowest room rates can eclipse $250, it should be noted that regular Club Level rooms here all have Savanna views. When making that apples to apples comparison, the price difference is closer to $100.
More importantly, at least to us and anyone who follows the advice in our Tips for Renting Disney Vacation Club Points post, Kilimanjaro Club is bookable with DVC points. It’s the only Club Level at Walt Disney World offering this, and going this route makes it the cheapest (by far) Club Level option.
We’ve focused a lot on generalized pros and cons of Club Level at Walt Disney World, but the main question for most people is going to be, “how’s the food in the lounge?”
At Kilimanjaro Club, it’s very good. Granted, this was our first stay here, so we cannot offer the proclamation that it has improved, as we did recently with Club Level at the Polynesian. To the contrary, we’ve been hearing for years that Kilimanjaro Club is among the best concierge offerings at Walt Disney World in terms of food.
There are 5 different dining offerings throughout the day, which is standard for Club Level, even if these ones have more exotic names.
The day begins with Macheo (“sunrise” or coffee hour from 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.), followed by Miamko (breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.), Vitafunio (snacks from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Chai (tea and drinks from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Kisikusiku (dinner from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.), and ends with Rehema (desserts from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.).
Breakfast is mostly fruits and other light (mostly cold) options. This is one continuing area of disappointment regarding Walt Disney World Club Level lounges.
This is the meal most guests will be able to take advantage of the lounge, and it’s perpetually the weakest–not even remotely on par with commensurately-priced real world concierge lounges.
On the other hand, lunch was a delightful surprise. The afternoon offering includes a variety of house-made hummus and spread, salads and soups, and other substantive offerings in addition to the normal fruits and vegetables.
This easily provided a full meal for each of us, and was a great way to fuel up for an intense afternoon of sitting on our balcony watching animals (unfortunately, none were giraffes, but they’re all good animals, Brent). I sure hope the delicious Berebere Goat Cheese is healthy, as I might have eaten an obscene amount of that.
The dinner service at Kilimanjaro Club lives up to the hype. While Disney won’t call it dinner because they don’t want guests to turn it into a full meal (especially with Boma, Jiko, and Sanaa in the hotel all seldom fully-booked), it unquestionably can serve that role.
There’s a decent amount of overlap with lunch in terms of hummus, dips, breads, soups, and other cold items. At dinner, there’s also a formidable charcuterie tray, and–most importantly–a chef’s station with freshly prepared hot items that changes on a nightly basis.
These items were on par with appetizers you’d order at Jiko, albeit in much smaller sizes. We were both very pleased with the assortment, although slightly disappointed that only two things were offered each evening.
During our recent stay at the Polynesian, there tended to be 4 small plated items per dinner.
Dessert was a mixed bag. The selection was limited, which alone wouldn’t have been a problem, but half the items also tasted stale and/or uninspired. This was a recurrent issue rather than an anomaly, so I’m not really sure what the deal was? Perhaps Kilimanjaro Club is stocking (multi) day-old items from Boma?
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kilimanjaro Club, which was a no-brainer with Disney Vacation Club points. If paying out of pocket, it’s potentially not that much of a surcharge over the Savanna View class (which we highly recommend) to justify the added cost. If you for some reason don’t want a Savanna View, it would be impossible to justify from a pure cost-benefit perspective. As with this sort of thing, there’s also a certain ‘your mileage may vary’ element. Having an exclusive lounge, concierge service, unlimited alcohol, and no-hassle food available throughout the day all have varying degrees of appeal, depending upon ones perspective.
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Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our take on Kilimanjaro Club at Animal Kingdom Lodge? Have you noticed an improvement in Club Level at Walt Disney World? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Is it an absolute that all Club level rooms will have a Savannah View? I recently watched a YouTube review that said they had a pool view. I can’t see paying all the extra money and NOT having the Savannah, like you said also it just doesn’t make sense. The review also stated that you can’t make requests when it comes to Club level. We are renting DVC points and would like to try Club level however not if we aren’t guaranteed the view.
We had one that was a pool view, so no. And another room, we got twice, was a very little sliver of view with hardly any activity. Also, no more lunch food but just packaged snacks instead. Since reopening from Covid.
What are your thoughts on the value of club level going forward after the hotels reopening? I wonder if there will still be buffets or how the food offerings and lounges will change. It is a hard to commit to the extra cost right now with so many unknowns.
Note of clarification:
Only one side of the 6th floor rooms have a savannah view. The elevator side overlooks the pool.
We’ve stayed multiple times, thanks to DVC. The food keeps improving, and I am ecstatic that they have brought back the jungle juice mimosas (they stopped serving them a couple years ago, and got so much negative feedback from return guests that they had to bring them back).
I stayed at the AK Kilimanjaro Club level 10 months ago. The food was nice, but not filling. Cheese, hummus, crackers at EVERY lunch and dinner. I am completely turned off by the dessert selections. I have stayed at 3 concierge levels at Disney. Most of them serve stale, left-overs from their dinner buffets. I find this to be disrespectful to the concierge level guests.
We stayed at AKL Kilimanjaro club over Labor Day last year. It was our first experience with Disney’s concierge service, but we were pleasantly surprised.
We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food throughout the day. While breakfast offerings were slim, we were able to grab coffee and yogurt or some cereal before heading out to the parks. If we were getting a similar meal from any of the quick service restaurants I think we would have spent about $30. We were also in the hotel for an afternoon snack and drinks every day, to give our kid a break. While I probably would’nt have chosen to pay for brownie bites, cookies and wine every day if we weren’t staying club, we took advantage since they were already included in the price.
We also paid for the extra fast passes and really liked that that was an option. We’re hoping they make that a permanent offering as Galaxy’s Edge opens. I know this is a controversial opinion, and certainly not a choice everyone will make. During this process, the concierge staff were really helpful and answered all of my questions, and helped me move dining reservations around to make the best use of our fast passes.
I have stayed multiple times in a DVC concierge studio and have never had a savanna view.
Just stayed club level at WL the end of Jan. We had an amazing experience. Two things specifically made this experience wonderful…the staff was attentive and exptremelt helpful as this was a last minute trip. We did not have our kiddos so FastPasses were not an issue but dining…they did make a phone call and we did get in to an unavailable restaurant. Second, the food offerings…being a foodie myself I loved the food. My husband not a foodie also enjoyed the food that was offered. This experience inspired me to book BC. I am afraid this might not be as magical but we will see. Thank you for your continued commitment to reviews and info. If I ever run into you and Sarah I will officially geek out! Thank you again.
Having never stayed in club level before, we decided to give it a try at animal kingdom lodge, primarily because I read a review that said the best way to see the animals was from a club level room. Granted, we had a great view of the animals from our room on the fourth floor, but not better than the rooms directly above or below me. The club level rooms are no different than a regular room, and it is a long walk and elevator ride to the sixth floor, where the club is located. We received no advanced phone call to help us with our plans, no one greeted when we arrived, we stood in line at the front desk with everyone else. After we got to our room we received a phone call from the front desk, saying they had a goody bag for us, and is we wanted it we should come down and get it. Also, which was my fault in signing up for the meal plan which meant we could not take advantage of the food served in the club. Animal kingdom lodge was great, but don’t waste your money on club level.
I stayed there in 2016. We were upgraded to concierge level at Animal Kingdom Lodge with our travel agent (she specializes in Military discounts and was able to snag this one at great rate). We have never stayed concierge level at any of the Disney World and were very well pleased with all that came with staying there. We don’t get to Disney World but about every 5 years so that gives us time to save money to pay for concierge level again (sold on this totally). This was our 20th anniversary and staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge has always been my dream -worth every penny and watching the giraffe eat every morning was fantastic. We loved the food that was served daily also.
Seems like if you’re booking a room for four, it would work out.. $100 extra per night if you were doing Savanna view is not a bad deal if the family grabs lunch or dinner in the lounge at least once a day.
For a couple with no kids though, might be a stretch. Unless one or both of you has a serious alcohol problem, I dont think the value of the food will measure up.
Its very nice. I like the architecture!
Our family loves to stay at AKL CL. We have stayed CL at the Poly, the GF (outer building only), WL, and the Boardwalk and AKL is, by far, our favorite. The food is very good, as you said. The lounge is what really shines, though. Our family of 6 always feels so welcome there. It’s as if the staff wants you to sit and stay a while. They play Disney feature films back to back all day on the TV and there is cozy seating for watching. We love to hang out in the lounge and play cards. The other CL lounges just feel more hectic and less inviting. We keep trying other resorts’ CL experiences but the AKL is the standard we use for comparison. It’s a high bar for the others to reach, for sure. We will be trying the Contemporary this summer and we’re hoping it will at least come close.
My first trip to Disney with my son and his family and we booked club level. We were not disappointed. Even my son said they are now spoiled and qhen they go back they will also book club level! From the staff to the snacks to relaxing at night with a drink … can’t beat it! I will definitely book club level again.
“They’re all good animals, Brent.” First the Upside Down, and now this. You are my favorite blogger, Tom!!
So I didn’t get this reference, but I looked it up & it made my day. And I have a Havanese too, so I particularly enjoyed the outcome where Brant’s adorable dog got a 14/10. Thanks Tom & Beth for my morning smiles! 🙂
Came here to comment this! I had a good belly laugh when I read that. Thank you, Tom!
First time commenting, but couldn’t resist as soon as I read the Brent reference! Love it!!!
AKL is one of my home resorts, but I rarely book KC level. I think the food is good, and there’s a nice selection of beverages in the evening. When my kids were little, they ate their weight in chicken nuggets, so that alone was worth it. BUT I go to AKL for the Savanna views and frankly, they suck on club level. Most times the choice of coffee on my balcony with the giraffes right below outweighs club level.
We had our first club level experience at Wilderness Lodge in Dec of 2018. This was the only type of room available during the holiday season , with booking 11 months before. I really liked having a lounge area and breakfast to hang out in the morning while others slept in the room. We also enjoyed sending the preteens toshower after a day at the parks and winding down with a glass of wine in the lounge chatting about the parks. Definitely a splurge, but a more relaxing trip this time.
So, a hefty up charge on a already expensive hotel room with desert party offerings…….I can’t wait to book………NOT!
I think it is worth noting that there are only 10 DVC Club level rooms (5 studios and 5 one bedroom). Half the rooms face a small savanna the other half look at roof tops.
I was unsure of the total number, but didn’t realize it was this few. Suffice to say, it’s a tough DVC category to book.
I have stayed at AKL Club level twice–Jan ’19, and Dec ’11. I think, above all, I enjoy the quiet sort of away-from-the-bustle thing + food. (Although it can get a bit busy up there, depending on occupancy.) Still, we are early breakfasters, and are usually getting coffee at 6:45am when they bring out the food at 7. Husband has, meanwhile, scarfed a little raisin bran, as it’s there already. As for the “hot breakfast” quibble…yeah, maybe for some…but generally we’re oatmeal eaters anyway, and that is lovely, especially with the fruit. On rotation the smoked salmon is great! Yes, overpriced, but it would be hard for me not to do it if I go back to DW, in the face of the new “Every month is crowded now, we laugh at crowd calendars” reality.
As one who regularly grouses about upcharge events, I’m surprised to hear you advocate that they should take more FP+ out of the pool for the regular folks and allocate them to those spending on Club level accomodations.
My perspective with Club Level FP+ has always been that the pool of rooms at this tier is so small that it wouldn’t have an appreciable impact on the normal guest experience. Basically, if WDW is going to offer something like this, they should at least find a way to make it worthwhile, rather than just paying face to the notion of a ‘concierge level’ room.
I agree with Tom on this. There should be some sort of benefit to paying the surcharge of staying club, especially since the rooms themselves are the exact same. We stayed at what would be the equivalent of club level at the Sequoia Lodge at Disneyland Paris (Golden forest club) There they offer a full spread buffet breakfast and with the snacks and appetizers and drinks during the day. They also give each golden forest guest what they call a hotel fastpass. One fastpass per day that you can use on any FP ride at any time. It’s one, but it’s something which was a huge benefit at the peak of summer. If you stay in a suite they offer an unlimited VIP fast pass that you can use on any FP ride at any time. They definitely made you feel you were getting a true concierge benefit, but they were not able to secure me a reservation at a popular restaurant when our plans changed and we had to cancel our original ones. Overall we had a good experience there.
Well, reasonable minds can differ. But I’m against the “I paid more so I get something in the parks you don’t mentality”. I don’t disagree that paying more should get you more (a steak instead of a hamburger), but it shoudln’t get someone else less (your steak means my hamburger is cold and doesn’t have fries). It might not be appreciable to the overall guest population, but to the few hundred families that can’t get a FP to their favorite attraction because someone in club level got it it will make a difference.