Hi Monica! I love that you are planning to take your kids to
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the animals! It's such a beautiful Resort hotel!
The 1st time we visited Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge was for a reason similar to yours. We had dinner reservations at
Sanaa and decided to arrive at the Resort hotel early so we could look around. (By the way, we loved Sanaa and it quickly became a family favorite.) We started at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and were in awe from the moment we walked through the doors. We stopped by Zawadi Marketplace and I will admit, it dipped into our animal viewing time as the merchandise store is amazing! Not only will you find African art and African-themed clothing, you will also find Disney merchandise. The store is huge and is one of my favorites! When we finally finished shopping, we made our way outside of the lobby to the savanna. It was incredible! There were several animals and the Animal Specialist shared so much with us. It was Disney Magic at its best. My kiddos were in total awe (and so were we).
From there, we made our way to Sanaa at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village and enjoyed one of the most memorable meals we have ever had at Walt Disney World Resort. The food was amazing. The atmosphere was relaxed and our kids talked about all they learned and saw while enjoying the savanna. It was the perfect evening.
For us, the best time to visit the savannas at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is in early evening and this has consistently been the best time. I hope you find the same to be true. Whether you see 1 or 100 animals, enjoy every magical moment!
Kari