Hi Shelly!
Congrats on your upcoming trip to Walt Disney World (WDW)!
The Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL) is beautiful and the views of the animals and plants are awesome!
In regards to your question, "is it worth the extra money?" Personally, I think so because I believe that having a view of the animals amidst the savanna is the best part of AKL.
If you don't stay in a savanna view room, you can still enjoy seeing the wildlife, including giraffe's, wildebeest, birds, zebras and more roaming in the tropical savanna. It is truly amazing! There are plenty of special alcoves with glass windows throughout the resort, but there is something special about waking up in the morning and sitting on the balcony with a warm cup of coffee admiring the animals. It is a surreal experience.
You can call ahead to request a specific area of the resort, and WDW will do their best to accommodate your request, but it cannot be guaranteed. A room in the Arusha Savanna is wonderful because you can view zebras from this room. All of the savannas have views of the giraffe. I heard that the best rooms are on the Zebra Trail and Zudo Trail, althought I've never personally stayed in those rooms. The 3rd and 4th floor rooms seem to have the best views of the savanna.
While you are there, don't miss the
Wanyama Safari, which is only available to resort guests. Also,
Jiko - The Cooking Place is one of the best restaurants in all of WDW!
I hope you have a magical visit!
Magically,
Stacy