Hi Jennifer! The Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of my favorite resorts! When my family arrives in the late afternoon, one of our favorite things to do is to take a dip in the resort pool. The pools at the Animal Kingdom Lodge are great, and after you take a swim, you could enjoy dinner at one of the resort's
restaurants: Boma, Jiko or Sanaa. Then spend some time viewing the animals at the resort -- your boys would enjoy trying to spot giraffes with the night-vision goggles or listening to the nightly African storytelling at the firepit.
If you don't want to hang around the resort, another fun way to kick off your vacation is a trip to Downtown Disney. Your sons would probably love dinner at the
T-REX Cafe followed by a trip to the World of Lego store or the new Ridemakerz, where they can build their own custom cars.
If you can't wait to see Mickey, consider starting your trip with dinner at
Chef Mickey's. Dining with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and friends will always get you in the Disney spirit. After an early dinner you could ride the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom to take in a few rides or an evening parade, before heading back to the Lodge to rest up for a full park day on Monday.
Hope you have a wonderful vacation!