Which DVC Resorts are Best for Animal Kingdom Vacations?

As Disney Vacation Club members, our favorite theme park plays a significant factor in where we choose to own and stay. The last thing anyone wants is to spend a great deal of time traveling from the resort to the park and back again.
So, let’s say that you prefer Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Which DVC resorts are best for Animal Kingdom vacation? Sure, there’s the obvious one, but what else would work well?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
Okay, let’s start with a blunt statement. If Animal Kingdom is your preferred theme park, you should purchase at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. It really is that simple.
In fact, you’ll have multiple other good reasons to buy here. Some of the Room Types at this hotel prove challenging to book at the seven-month window. I hesitate to use the word “impossible,” but you’ll need some luck when you want Value Accommodations or Kilimanjaro Club Concierge access.
When you own here, you can book at the 11-month window, giving you better odds of snagging the reservation you want. Also, the Value Accommodations booking costs fewer DVC Points, allowing you to maximize your value.
In terms of logistics, Disney runs buses to and from the hotel to Animal Kingdom. Notably, you cannot walk from one to the other due to the ecosystems of the various animals. Foot traffic would disrupt these carefully cultivated habitats.
So, you’ll wait at the bus station to travel back and forth between your hotel and the theme park. That’s important in that it underscores that you’ll be riding the bus no matter what. Presuming you don’t mind spending a few more minutes on the bus, this reality expands your options for where to book.
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Let’s start with the acknowledgment that the other DVC resorts are generally at least six miles from Animal Kingdom. I’m using Google Maps for this information, and it shows Disney’s Wilderness Lodge as the one of the “closest” at 5.9 miles. Keep in mind that due to traffic flow, being closer doesn’t necessarily indicate that you’ll arrive more quickly, though.
Still, I like Boulder Ridge Villas as an option because Animal Kingdom isn’t a full-day park. It opens and closes earlier than any other Walt Disney World park. Disney tried to extend the operating hours into the evening, but those plans fell apart during the pandemic.
For the week of July 4th, 2024, Animal Kingdom operates from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. So, after 6 p.m. you may prefer to Park Hop. Since I presume that you’ll go to Magic Kingdom afterward, you’ll treasure those boat rides from Wilderness Lodge. At night, they’re absolutely magical, especially if you ride with a captain who chooses to do Disney singalongs. Those are oddly communal experiences.
Also, the rustic nature of Wilderness Lodge blends perfectly with a visit to the wildlife habitats of Animal Kingdom. As an aside, Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge works just as well, but it can be slightly harder to book.
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
I don’t mean to presume, but if Animal Kingdom is your favorite, you probably either have small children or fond memories of traveling with kids. I realize that every DVC member is different, so I’m generalizing a bit here.
If that is true, here’s another delightful new option for Animal Kingdom fans. You can marry a trip to your favorite park with a wilderness visit your kids will adore.
The new Cabins allow you to be at one with nature at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. You and your family will be alone in your cabin, separated from all other tourists. So, it’s like combining a trip into the woods with a Disney visit.
Children love that sort of thing! Meanwhile, you’ll feel like the parent of the year for making it happen. Best of all, since you’re at Disney, you don’t need to worry about electricity or bugs or food.
These new Cabins are a vacation game-changer for fans of the great outdoors. Notably, they’re only 6.5 miles away from Animal Kingdom, too!
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Which DVC resort is technically the closest to Animal Kingdom? That answer is Beach Club, which is only 4.9 miles from the park. Google indicates that the bus ride will still take 11 minutes, but that’s quite reasonable.
So, Beach Club makes sense from a logistics perspective, and it adds a ton in terms of amenities. First and foremost, families gain access to Stormalong Bay, which I consider Walt Disney World’s best exclusive hotel amenity.
You and your traveling partner and kids can enjoy Disney’s finest pool. Better yet, since only hotel guests can use it, you’ll enjoy plenty of room to spread out and enjoy a pool day. Conversely, if you visit Animal Kingdom all day, you can unwind by the pool at night.
While you’re at Beach Club, you can also relish the exquisite dining options onsite and at Disney’s BoardWalk. Similarly, you can watch BoardWalk’s street performers in between your park visits.
Finally, should you want to visit a different park, you’re only a five-minute walk from the International Gateway at EPCOT. Alternatively, you can ride the Disney Skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Yes, by staying at Beach Club, you’re within five miles of Animal Kingdom and have quick access to two other parks as well. This is a clever home base for a Disney trip.
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