A String of Memories from Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

This past summer, my daughter and I stayed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, a deluxe resort at Walt Disney World that is known for its specialty dining options and beautiful African animals roaming its expansive grounds. I had dropped by during prior trips to enjoy their restaurants and as my daughter is an animal lover, I thought this would be a great choice for our stay. We booked a savanna view room and I highly recommend this option as your balcony will overlook the resort’s private savanna teeming with giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, wildebeests, and some amazing birds, just to name a few!

Flamingo Surprise

While we had a great time visiting the theme parks, we were drawn to the resorts atmosphere, spacious pool areas and each day we would set up our “relaxation station” on the lounge chairs near the flamingo pond. And BONUS, during our stay, these magnificent birds were nesting and we got to see newly hatched flamingos! It was adorable. These little puffs are gray when they are first born and as they grow up and start eating shrimp, that is when their feathers will turn pink.

While admiring the flamingo families, we met one of the Disney Cast Members who helps coordinate the String of Memories activities offered at Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is a complimentary series of stations offered at both Jambo House and Kidani Village on designated days and times. If you are looking for a more laid-back trip to Walt Disney World with quality time at your resort, and a great introduction to the culture and wildlife of Africa, then you should consider a stay at the lovely Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have so many great activities that you can participate in and these are included with your stay here. Who doesn’t like something that is complimentary AND organized by Disney? Here are five things you’ll encounter along your string of memories journey:

String of Memories Highlights:

The cast members leading the stations are from different regions of Africa and it was so nice to visit with them and learn more about their country.
Animals are obviously an important focus of the stations and we learned more their life stages and were able to identify the different tracks and unique sounds made from a variety of animals including cheetahs, hippos, rhinos, and giraffes.
You prepare meals for the animals living at Animal Kingdom lodge by placing a variety of plants (tree limbs, sweet potatoes, squash, and beans) in containers called bio blocks. These blocks have holes in them where the food protrudes and then they are hung from trees or “hidden” around the savanna encouraging to animals to search and forage for their meals and create a more natural feeding experience for them. This keeps them healthier.
You get to practice African drumming and are introduced to several of the games played by children and families in Africa. When we got home, we made our own game inspired from what we learned.
After completing each station, participating kids get a bead to add to their own string and it all adds up to a special and educational souvenir.

Why I recommend staying onsite at Walt Disney World

Partaking in these different activities was a highlight for my daughter and is such a perk of staying at this resort. It is another reason why I always encourage guests to stay onsite –all Disney resorts have different activities included as part of your stay including pool games, movies under the stars, campfires, trivia and so much more. Are you interested in a vacation to Walt Disney World? Feeling overwhelmed by all the resort choices, theme park touring strategies, Genie+ and the best way to secure your preferred dining locations? Did you know I can help you with ALL of this and more and my travel planning assistance is 100% complimentary? Send me an email at: [email protected] or request a quote here.