If you're on the fence about Disney Vacation Club, here's the shove: Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo…read moreHouse. Book it once and you'll start wondering why you ever bothered with chain hotels and highway motels that smell like old carpet and despair. You arrive, the doors swing open, and suddenly you're swallowed by one of the most jaw-dropping lobbies in all of Walt Disney World. Vaulted thatched ceilings, massive chandeliers made of Maasai shields, a fireplace big enough to roast a wildebeest. The place hums with detail -- every wall, nook, and cranny decorated with authentic African art and artifacts. Not replicas. The real deal. Disney Imagineers partnered with cultural experts to line this place with over 4,000 artifacts, making it part hotel, part museum. If you're a history nut (like me), you could spend hours here before even checking out the pool or the parks. And then there's the savanna view. Step onto your balcony and there it is: giraffes, zebras, ankole cattle, flamingos, wildebeest -- living, breathing animals grazing 50 feet from your morning coffee. Forget rope-dropping Flight of Passage. Just sit here with a drink and watch the wildlife wander past like it's your personal safari. Honestly, you don't even have to go to the parks. The real show is outside your room. The pool? Massive. Gorgeous. On a blazing Florida day, it's paradise. You float with a drink in hand, kids cannonballing around, while thatched roofs and palms sway in the background. It's the rare resort pool that feels as much a destination as the theme parks themselves. The dining? Excellent across the board. The Mara for quick bites, Jiko for upscale African-inspired cuisine, Boma's buffet that could start international negotiations. And yes, zebra domes exist, and yes, they're addictive. Here's the history kicker: Jambo House opened in 2001, designed by architect Peter Dominick (the same guy behind Wilderness Lodge and Grand Californian). It was Disney's boldest hotel gamble -- an African lodge in the middle of Orlando, complete with live animals and one of the largest collections of African art outside the continent itself. More than twenty years later, it hasn't aged a day. Five stars. No hesitation. If you're thinking about Disney Vacation Club, Jambo House is Exhibit A. You could park yourself here for a week, never step foot in Magic Kingdom, and still feel like you had one of the best Disney vacations of your life. It's not just a hotel -- it's a safari, a museum, a pool party, and a cultural immersion wrapped in one. And let's be honest: once you've woken up to giraffes out your window, staying anywhere else feels like Motel 6 with extra steps.

Animals - 10 stars, of course…read more Outdated hotel - 2 stars. We are DVC and I'm not sure I'd ever pick this hotel again. The rooms are terribly outdated in 70's style. They are very clean but too drab. Of course, the animals outweigh this but it makes for a less than enjoyable hotel experience.

In my opinion, it is hands down the best Club level thus far. The staff there was always kind and…read morehelpful. I appreciated that even if we didnt see something we could ask and 9 times out of 10 someone would help us get some of what we needed. The kids loved being able to make their own snack baggies and they had many snacks to choose from. I also loved that their horsdeurves was more of a self-serve and not a bunch of tiny portion of things all the time. One time is was delicious Brisket like what they make downstairs at roaring fork or bits from Whispering Canyon. One thing I particularly loved was that when we visited the beers were on tap and you can serve wine and cordials yourself and didn't have to have someone guarding it all the time. I don't like having ro ask people for things and I am a do it your self kind of gal so it was nice to pour my glass and enjoy what they had to offer. If you like mimosas I recommend not only trying a POGmosa (passion fruit, orange, guava juice), but also try making a mimosa with their Geyser grog. In the evening they have a wonderful view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks and they pipe in the music.

This was our first visit to the Old Faithful Club. We have stayed at every Disney property and…read morenever knew about this. My wife and I love the Wilderness Lodge and I've stayed here many times. The Old Faithful Club is a concierge services that provides help with making dinner reservations, park information , travel arrangements and resort information. The Continental breakfast is amazing. The food was amazing. They even have expresso machine. The afternoon appetizers and late night desserts just what you need when returning from the parks. This is a add-on to the room. It is worth it, considering all the extras you get with the concierge service free breakfast , appetizers, drinks that includes beer and wine and desert. The staff were amazing to all our needs and very friendly. Rebecca DiMarco the Guest Experience Manager made the experience unforgettable. Her knowledge of the resort and the parks. Made the visit very special to my wife and I. We are returning in December.

I have only ever been here attending conferences and trade shows, most recently the "International…read morePlastic Modelers Society ModelPalooza." It is basically a large ballroom. and is set up for this particular event with tables and one of the breakout rooms set up for meetings. The place, while showing signs of age, is clean and organized. I always have a good time here and my friends who come from out of town say the hotel is just fine, and very convenient for them. Staff are friendly, the bathrooms clean, and the AC cool. Cant 'ask for more than that!

The rooms were immaculate and so spacious. We had a nice view of the pool & grounds…read more Katherine , at the front desk was so friendly. She took care of everything I needed!! The food at the Stop & Go was really good. I enjoyed it. What a wonderful staycation I experienced.

We really enjoyed our stay at Disney's Pop Century Resort! The outdoor pool was a favorite--it was…read morea great place to relax after a day at the parks. I just wish the pool had longer hours. The resort has lots of fun photo opportunities throughout the property, which makes it especially enjoyable for Disney fans. The souvenir shop near the food court was also very convenient for grabbing a few Disney items. Our room was quite a distance from the food court, so that was a little inconvenient. The room itself was also pretty small, and I wasn't a big fan of the Murphy bed. One of the biggest positives was how easy it was to get to the parks using the shuttle bus. Overall, we had a fun stay and really enjoyed the Disney atmosphere and convenience of the resort!

Disney Pop, as an experience, was just okay. The food court was expensive for its offerings. The…read moresalmon was a hit in our family but I found the other options to be lacking flavor. I ordered the avocado breakfast bowl one morning and got a small scoop of avocado. If avocado is in the name, you'd think the serving would at least be significant. Another downside was how slow everyone was in the food court. From ordering your food to receiving your food, to paying for your food, everyone moved so slow. Even when lines were incredibly long, there was no hustle in anyone's movements. When at the checkout it was clear several workers didn't know the computer system (or maybe it was recently updated) because they would be scrolling and scrolling for the item rather than using the search function. Again, no one seemed to care about customer experience. The rooms were pretty basic which was to be expected given this is the budget option for staying on property. They were clean, though, and that was a major plus! Lastly, I wish there were more options for activities or events for adults.

For my most recent Disney trip, I found myself at Bay Lake Tower. I said I found myself here…read morebecause my booking was on relatively short notice so I grabbed whichever hotel I could find. I lucked out though as I'm a fan of the Contemporary and think it's one of Disney's better resorts on property. Since it's been over 10 years since my initial review (and my last stay), I figured an update was due. BLT opened in the mid-2000s, and is the Disney Vacation Club timeshare property attached to the Contemporary Resort. Because of these things, there are a lot of things to love about BLT. Being part of the Contemporary, you have access to all the resorts amenities: the shopping is some of the best at a Disney resort, and there are several dining options available. The California Grill, located on the 15th floor of the main resort, is one of my favorite restaurants on property. The location is also a huge plus. You're super close to the Magic Kingdom - so close that there is a walkway to get there. The hotel is on the monorail line, which you can take to get to Epcot or the other resorts on the monorail. BLT and the main resort also have observation decks which provide great views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant. The room and theming in BLT spoke to me - the resort as a whole has a contemporary design; my room looked recently updated and kept very well. I was in a one-bedroom suite which contained a washer-dryer, full kitchen, a decent amount of storage, spacious living area, balcony, and (to my surprise) two bathrooms. The main detractor for me, despite my love of contemporary design, is the theming itself. I associate Disney resort with strong themes, and IMO the Contemporary and BLT have the weakest one. I also think the "lobby" area of BLT is poorly designed. I like the fact that the tower has its own check-in area, bell services, and porte-cochère, but the space is small with everything on top of each other. A good example was when I arrived - the cast members are standing in the middle of the space with tablets and no desk, leading to me standing there awkwardly with my bags. The bell services desk is too small, and they looked behind because there was a sea of luggage in front of it - not a good look. Lastly, these services are not 24/7, so if you're arriving during off hours you need to go to the main Contemporary lobby. Overall though, I enjoyed my most recent stay at BLT. Despite my criticisms, this is still one of the premier Disney resorts on property and one that I would stay at again.

I'm reading past reviews from my Yelp friends, did I have a different experience?…read more It's Christmas time and the Disney hotels are packed! Our last night, we couldn't book our last night stay at the Grand Floridian, we were waitlisted all the way down to the end so we spent our last night at Disney's Bay Lake Tower. Walking into the lobby, it felt small and did anyone tell them it's Christmas? They had a tree but with the small lobby, it made the entire checking in process seem less than underwhelming. When we took the elevator up to our room, the hall way felt futuristic. I almost had a Star Trek vibe as I walked into our space. Once inside, the room was very large and spacious. I love the fact the rooms have a nice deck to sit outside and take it all in. I had a nice 1/2 view of Bay Lake and the other half was a tennis court. I went to put my clothes in the closet and there was a safe in the middle. There was no room to hang clothes! I guess quality control missed this one when they remodeled the rooms. The pool area was also interesting. No Christmas decorations but more importantly, the gate access didn't work? Disney went from room cards to magic bands to bluetooth keys on your phone. Well the phone didnt allow me in. I see a lifeguard and I yell: Hey, can you let us in? He screams back: I can't leave my post sir! Brah, you're watching an EMPTY POOL! Someone did come over, its just dumb and not very magical. Wanna know something? Review is over, I will never come back to Disney's Bay Lake Tower.

FABULOUSLY FANTASTIC! My FAVORITE Disney resort!!…read more I always experience a great stay here. Rooms are very spacious. The grounds are beautifully manicures. The pool lagoon is so much fun! Staff is extremely friendly!!

This was the first Disney resort I had been to. The first word that came to mind upon our arrival…read morewas "evocative". I was stunned by how beautiful this place was, and how throughly it made me feel like I was in a little enclave of New Orleans. It was quaint and quiet. When we were walking around there was even a horse-drawn carriage making its way down the street with passengers. (Note that the streets aren't open to traffic, just the carriages and maybe small vehicles that the resort employees use.) The lobby is beautiful and very large. There's a gift shop connected to the lobby, and also a little arcade area further back by the bathrooms. On the other side of the entryway courtyard is the quick service restaurant, Sassagoula's, and the coffee shop (the latter is where you'll get some delicious Mickey Mouse-shaped beignets). My favorite part was the splash pad and pool area. Not for myself, but because of my daughter. They have an amazing pool area. There's the larger pool, which has a serpent-shaped waterslide. Adjacent to that is a smaller splash pad area designed for kids. That splash pad area is HUGE! There are two water slides, one of which is enclose all the way around and is significantly the lager of the two. Opposite that is a smaller waterslide that is open and more appropriate for small children, like my toddler. There are a bunch of other water features like a few little water spouts that move around 360 degrees. There's a little wading pool that doesn't go deep, not even a foot, but fun to sit in and splash. There's also a huge water drum, filled up by a pipe at the top and when there's enough water it spins and releases all the water. That was a lot of fun for all the kids playing around. There was a downside. It may simply be the room that we were in, and it didn't feel small exactly, but if I recall correctly there were no drawers in the room. There was a little bathroom/sink area that had some shelves and a few hangers, but that's not really practical. If I was to consider staying here again, that might be a factor in my decision, because I if I stay here for more than three nights I like to be able to unpack my suitcase, not live out of it. Having said that, I did like this resort quite a lot. I would indeed consider staying here again, especially since we only stayed a single night. There's boat access to at least one park, which is helpful, and we took an Uber to Animal Kingdom. The pool/splash pad alone is a big pull towards this resort (the beignets don't hurt, either!), so next time we make it to Disney Port Orleans will be on my short list.

River Roost is a bar and lounge located at Disney's Riverside Resort, directly next to Boatwright's…read moreDining hall and right off the lobby. This is the spot to hang out and lounge, grab a drink in the evening if you are staying here. This is not the most popular lounge, meaning people are not flocking here who are not staying at the resort as they do for the deluxe resorts. However, it is the home to the famous Yehaa Bob, which does draw people here. My wife and I worked for Disney for many years and never got to see this show. We had dinner at Boatwright's so decided to stay for the show. It is on the larger side for a lounge, with a few seats at the bar and then many tables around the lounge. Not every seat has a great view of the stage, so if you are coming to see Yehaa Bob, you need to grab your seat early. We sat very close to the stage but got there an hour early and just enjoyed a couple of drinks while waiting. There is a menu with a few special drinks, but there is also a full bar and you can order pretty much anything you like. There is also beer on tap, bottles and wine. There is a food menu, we were very full so we didnt even look at it, but I did see someone order chicken wings. You could also bring in food from the quick service location down the hall which a big table did. We did however, order dessert. We ordered the Banana Cream Pie Cheesecake which had Toasted Meringue, Caramelized Bananas, and Banana Liqueur-Caramel Sauce. This was one of the best desserts I have had and I do not even enjoy sweets. But this was really good! Drinks we just ordered our favorite cocktails, nothing from the menu. Drinks were fine, no issues. Unfortunately Yehaa Bob was off so we had his sub, but he was amazing. He sang great songs, engaged the audience and gave a great performance. I really enjoyed this lounge! ACES!

River Roost is the bar/lounge located at Disney's Riverside Resort. It is directly off the main…read morelobby and next to Boatwright's Dining hall. They actually share a kitchen with Boatwrights. This is also home to the famous Yehaa Bob. For all the years my husband and I worked for Disney, we never came to see him. We decided to make it a night and had dinner at Boatwrights next door and then finish the evening at River Roost. There are a few seats at the bar and then many tables. If you want to see actually see Yehaa Bob, I would suggest getting there early. There are two different shows and it filled up quickly. Luckily we were there about an hour early but again absolutely worth it, our seats were fantastic, right near the stage. They do have a drink menu with a few special drinks, but they have a full bar so you can order your favorite cocktails, beer and wine as well. They also had a food menu, which we did not look at since we had just finished dinner. I did see people ordering wings though. The quick service location is right down from the lounge, so you could also get food there and bring it into the lounge. We did order a dessert, and went with the Banana Cream Pie Cheesecake which had Toasted Meringue, Caramelized Bananas, and Banana Liqueur-Caramel Sauce. This was fantastic even from my husband who does not even enjoy desserts, really enjoyed this one. It was really delicious, had caramelized bananas and was a great dessert. For drinks, we just ordered our favorites, a lemon drop martini, wine, old fashioned. We did not order any of the drinks off the menu. All of them were really good. We had no complaints. The piano singer was also amazing, he sang great songs, engaged the audience and was a great show. I highly recommend adding this lounge to your list!

This is my second time staying at this Disney Resort, and I still love it! The resort is colorful…read moreand beautifully themed around some of my favorite Disney movies. It is also very clean, and I have no complaints about the overall property. The only downside was the shower head in the hotel room. I'm not sure if it's designed that way, but the water pressure was extremely strong, and there didn't seem to be a way to adjust the settings. Aside from that minor issue, I had another wonderful stay and would love to return. The service is great and they do have a cafeteria and friendly big gift shop. Transportation to theme parks are accessible too! They have buses and skylines (go to Hollywood Studio and Epcot) that runs often; so you have option!

This was my first time staying at the art of animation Disney resort, I've stayed others, this will…read morebe the last time I stay at this resort. When you spend thousands of dollars at the happiest place on earth,you expect happiness , equivalent service and amenities. I should have done more research on where I booked in the resort. My family was in The Lion King section and my room was at the end in the Little mermaid section. I wasn't able to change my room when I checked in either. Upon arrival, there was a long line of guests waiting at the check-in area but not all we're checking in. I waited about 20 minutes. There were only 3 to 4 reps at the counters helping guests. Recommendation, have dedicated check-in counters and dedicated service counters clearly defined for guest as they arrive. It was a little chaotic. When I did check in, it was easy and the guest representative was very helpful. I waited in the reception area fory family and the headed to the animation store (so many fun things to buy. They have snacks, swag, collectables, and toiletries) then I went to the cafeteria with my three big Littles, they wanted some pizza. Best practice, by the refillable mug! It is worth the $22 investment. What went well: although this is a dated resort, it is well kept and very clean! My room was clean and comfortable. I've even tried to find the sheets because they were some of the most comfortable sheets I've ever slept in. There is an Alexa type device in the room to help you during the stay. Housekeeping comes every other day, the schedule is laid out in your room. You are able to request items as needed on the off days. The food in the cafeteria was really good, expensive but good. Great variety and you're able to mobile order from your resort app. The main pool was fun but a lot of people. You are able to go to one of the other pools that are not as crowded. There is a laundry facility on site near the main pool. Very convenient. You are able to refill your water bottles in the cafeteria drink area. There is a cute arcade in the main area We saw Disney characters several times in the main area What did not go so well: the long walk from where my room was to wear my family was to the main area was not ideal. I wish I would have known before booking. No AC in the elevators. Really. The elevators are a cremation box. Guest services was not the friendliest. I was shocked at how dismissive and rude they were. The bellman area employee was outright rude and miserable when I simply asked for my doordash order. Guest services over the phone we're not helpful and were rude when I called 2 times for assistance (luggage question, late checkout question) The majority of the cafeteria workers were not the friendliest. My grand Little's witnessed an employee yelling at a guest to hurry up and get her coffee she was taking too long. Sigh. Overall the stay was a mid experience. While the resort is well maintained and clean, the staff was not as welcoming. I will not stay here ever again, but if you do not care about the friendliness of the crew or care if it's a mid experience, I'd say go for it. Also, the kids love this resort so if you have Little's this may be the spot for you.