Welcome to planDisney, Emily.
You've made a great choice to stay at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is my favorite hotel at Walt Disney World Resort. Everything about it—the décor, the music, the ambiance, even the smell—immerses you into a whole new world.
One of the benefits of staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel is being able to leave your luggage with Bell Services. I often do this myself whenever I visit Walt Disney World. If you're arriving early, and your room is not ready, then simply visit Bell Services and ask them to hold your luggage. They'll give you a tag, which you can present to them when you pick up your luggage later in the day. In the meantime, you can head to a theme park and have some Disney fun!
Emily, make sure you enjoy some "scran" (that's what my fellow Liverpudlians call "food") at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. You have to try the famous Indian bread service at
Sanaa. Also,
Boma - Flavors of Africa is probably my favorite buffet-style restaurant in the world. And if you really want to sprinkle some extra pixie dust on your trip,
Jiko - The Cooking Place is the way to go.
Have a wonderful trip, Emily. See ya real soon!
Mike