Hi, Caroline! Thank you for sending a follow-up question. It's so nice to hear back from you! I'm thrilled that the Fall Free Dining promotion has enabled your family to upgrade to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge!
There are basically four categories of rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge: Standard View, Pool View, Savanna View and Arusha View. The rooms with a view of the Uzima Pool are actually very nice. I've personally stayed in this room type several times. Even though these rooms face the pool, they tend to be fairly quiet and peaceful (which my family prefers). The majority of the Pool View rooms are located in the Giraffe Trail section of the Resort. The big advantage to rooms in this section is their close proximity to the Resort's three restaurants and to bus transportation.
If it's within your budget, you may want to consider a Savanna View room, but it's important to keep in mind that with the Free Dining promotion you'll be paying the non-discounted room rate. Also, only certain room categories are available with Free Dining, so I recommend calling Disney Resort Hotel Reservations at
407-939-1936 to confirm availability of specific room types. To learn more about the different room types, view photos and see pricing, just follow this link to
Room Rates at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. This may help you to decide which room you'd like to stay in during your visit. I have to say that when we've stayed in a Pool View room, we found it very easy to walk down the corridor to one of the intimate savanna viewing areas to enjoy the animals. You can also head to the main Arusha Overlook off the lobby for wonderful views of the animals on the savanna.
I hope this information is helpful! Please don't hesitate to write back with any other questions.
Wishing you a magical vacation!