Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Image: harshlight, Flickr (license)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is, arguably, the most beautiful resort the Walt Disney Company has ever built. The lobby is a grand celebration of African art and architecture, with a soaring atrium and stunning vistas. The rooms are well-appointed and deeply comfortable, with some having views of Disney’s African savanna that have to be seen to be believed. The food at restaurants like Jiko, Boma, and Sanaa is world class, and the service is outstanding.

So, why then is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge regularly among the cheapest Deluxe Resort options on Walt Disney World property? The answer is in that old real estate maxim:

Location, location, location.

Every other Deluxe Resort on property has at least one of Disney’s parks accessible by a transportation method other than a bus. Even Disney’s Wilderness Lodge — Animal Kingdom Lodge’s closest comparison — offer ferry service not just to the Magic Kingdom, but also to the other resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon monorail loop. The Animal Kingdom Lodge, despite its name, isn’t close enough to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to get there by any means other than the bus.

How on earth did that happen? Was there some mothballed plan to build a special railroad line to the resort, similar to the train that takes guests to Rafiki’s Planet Watch? Was there a longer-term plan to build a spur of the Disney Skyliner there? Who knows?

The Animal Kingdom Lodge’s isolation is certainly an odd element of the resort. Yes, it likely influenced the decisions to give it such incredible dining and entertainment options — but still, it’s really a shame.

Disney Springs

Image: Jared Lee, Flickr (license)

It’s hard to argue that Disney Springs is anything other than an overwhelming success. Back when the area was still Downtown Disney, it had become a stale, flabby mess — full of vacant husks of former dance clubs and restaurants. It was desperately in need of a reimagination.

Disney did just that — turning it into the shopping and dining community known as Disney Springs, complete with a classic Disney backstory and some fun themed bars and restaurants. They built an entirely new section of stores on what used to be a massive parking lot, themed to a mixed-use esplanade. There are faux residences above those stores, adding a bit of ambiance to the area.

So, what could be the missed opportunity? Disney Springs is great, right? Well, I have just one question:

Why are those residences fake!?

It’s understandable that Disney wouldn’t want to get into the apartment business, but why didn’t the company build a hotel over the stores at Disney Springs? It’s not scared of putting lodging nearby, as Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort can attest. It’s not afraid of having hotel rooms over an entertainment zone, as Disney’s Boardwalk Inn shows. Why did Disney Springs not get the same treatment?

Yes, it might be loud staying right in the heart of such a bustling part of Walt Disney World. But for some, that’s a feature rather than a bug. Imagine being able to enjoy the parks all day, Disney Springs all night, and then walk from Jock Lindsey’s or The Edison right back to your hotel. This is an advertised amenity of the Disney Springs area hotels — it’s surprising Disney has let them have all the fun.