The reality is that guests are here to see the Disney theme parks. There is absolutely no way around it. What is going to be fun for them is that the themed experience here is going to be something special. Head east on Interstate 4 and follow exit signs for Animal Kingdom and then for the adjacent lodge. In the guest rooms, the heavy furniture is all hand-carved wood, most of it from Zimbabwe and Rhodesia.
Bedspreads are brightly colored batik-style images of birds, lizards and fish.
The vivid spreads contrast with walls plastered in a rough finish and painted a sandy beige. The cable also repeats numerous channels with closed captioning. One channel carries, from 7 to 10 p.m., actors reading bedtime excerpts from such Disney classics as Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid. Serious animals watchers are advised to bring binoculars, for those times the animals are roaming at the distant sides of the savannahs, or during low light hours, and a long lens for their cameras. The resort offers five standard-room categories and a concierge level, and there are also two deluxe suites.