Almost All Disney World Room Upgrades Are a Waste, With One Big Exception

One of my controversial Walt Disney World opinions is that room upgrades are almost always a waste of money. Theme park view rooms at the Magic Kingdom resorts routinely cost hundreds of dollars more per night than their standard counterparts, and on the rare occasions when we’ve made that splurge, we’ve often had buyer’s remorse.

Meanwhile, we’ve never paid extra for a preferred room. At least, not on purpose (when recently booking All Star Movies for this Christmas, that was my only option). For the most part, we actually don’t recommend readers pay extra for preferred rooms, either. The reason for this is simple. If you’re reading this, you’re a higher-knowledge Walt Disney World guest, and you can leverage room requests to get quasi-preferred rooms without the premium pricing.

Great examples of this exist in our room recommendations for Caribbean Beach and for Coronado Springs Resort. These are two of the most sprawling resorts at Walt Disney World, arguably the ideal places for paying extra for better location. But the fact of the matter is that you can do just as well with strategic requests of standard rooms. There are similarly hidden or ‘peek-a-boo’ rooms at other resorts with lake or park views that have lower categorizations.

There are only a few exceptions to our normal aversion to room upgrades. The first is BoardWalk View at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn or Villas. There’s just something about being above the BoardWalk. It’s alive with kinetic energy and this immersiveness is far superior to having a theme park view room that actually overlooks a parking lot with Magic Kingdom way off in the distance (glares at Disney’s Contemporary Resort).

It’s a similar story with the Swan and Dolphin, which have long been derided for the way they intrude upon the sight lines behind World Showcase. What’s bad for the views of guests inside EPCOT is pretty fantastic for those staying in theme park view rooms at these two hotels, though. Generally speaking, a hideous and intrusive hotel exterior is good for views from rooms at said hotel.

Far and away our favorite room view in all of Walt Disney World is the Savanna View Rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village, or the Animal Kingdom Villas at Jambo House. The three options each have their own distinct selling points, but for the purposes of room upgrades, we view them as largely interchangeable. There are a few reasons why we love the Savanna View Rooms.

First, if we’re being honest, we’re usually paying for these rooms in DVC points, which are closer to Monopoly money than real dollars (joking–but only partially). Whereas I have a very difficult time forking over cash-money to pay for theme park views, especially for the 41 weeks of summer when being out on a balcony isn’t ideal, it’s a bit of a different story when paying with points.

I say this even as someone who is generally frugal with points, and while noting that it’s not as if we have points to burn. We always run out of DVC points and end up booking a majority of our annual stays with cash. Even so, the upgrade cost for the Savanna View Rooms in points just isn’t as steep, even when ascribing a dollar value to each point.

When paying out of pocket, it can be a different story. Just in doing a quick search, the nightly rate is routinely $200 extra for the Savanna View Rooms over standard view. That’s a big difference, and shifts the upgrade back into “not worth it” territory.

However, rack rates only tell part of the story. When searching via discounted rates, the gap closes. Part of this is standard rooms “mysteriously” disappearing (despite being available for full price over the same dates–see Why Sold Out Walt Disney World Hotels Don’t Cause High Crowds & How to Find ‘Hidden’ Room Availability!).

In any case, I can book a standard room via the Annual Passholder 35% off discount in Winter 2027 for $396/night, or the Savanna View Room for $514/night. At that point, it’s a much closer call and becomes circumstantial. It’s a similar story when renting Disney Vacation Club points, which can offer even more considerable savings.

The absolute game-changer, and the motivation for writing this post in the first place, is the flat rate ‘deep discount’ room deals that have been offered to Disney+ subscribers, Disney Visa Cardmembers, and Florida/Georgia residents over the last couple of years. Here’s the most recent example of this for 2026.

This was when I did my most recent stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, on the hotel side so not using DVC points, and the cost at the time was only $369 per night. It’s rare to score a standard room at a Deluxe Resort for that rate even after discount, nevermind a room upgrade that alone often costs $125 to $200 per night extra!

Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Savanna View Room has been included in every single version of this promo, with prices ranging from a low of $339 to a high of $429. Not only is that a steal of a Savanna View Room, but it’s also cheaper than a standard view room with the publicly available discounts during the same sets of dates in the past.

If history repeats itself (and there’s no guarantee of that being the case since these deals have more hit or miss historical precedent) another deal like this will be released between this week and Black Friday or Cyber Monday for travel dates in Winter 2027. More of a ‘sure thing’ is a Summer 2027 deal being released next spring.

These deep discounts have a few staples: All Stars Sports for $99/night, Port Orleans Riverside for under $200, and the Cars Suites at Art of Animation for ~$250/night. All Star and Port Orleans are good deals, usually beating even the Annual Passholder rates for the same dates.

Percentage-wise, it’s impossible to beat the AoA Family Suites. We’ve recommended this one in the past and would reiterate that here if you’re instead looking for the most spacious option for young families.

Along with those, there’s usually another Deluxe or two (sometimes Saratoga or BoardWalk), which are usually very good to great discounts. Those are never as big of bargains as the Savanna View Room at Animal Kingdom Lodge, though.

If or when the next of these special offers is released, we want you to be prepared, as availability tends to go fast with these deep discounts. For reference, this winter’s version of the deal was released on December 4, 2025. However, the first round of 2027 discounts dropped 3 full weeks early, so this special offer could follow suit.

Accordingly, we wanted to make our “pitch” on the Savanna View Room upgrade before that happens. Because when this deep discount has been released in the past, availability has gone fast. You’ll want to book ASAP.

The thing is, even if you’re unable to take advantage of one of those deep discount deals, I’d still argue that a Savanna View Room can be worth it if the cost is around an extra $100 to $150 per night.

The short and sweet of it is that no resort at Walt Disney World is as good for a staycation as Animal Kingdom Lodge. Without question, Jambo House or Kidani Village are the resorts we’d pick if doing a long “no parks” weekend at Walt Disney World. And if you’re primarily or exclusively enjoying the resort, it stands to reason you’ll get more mileage out of a room upgrade!

While my most recent stay at Jambo House was not intended to be a “no parks” trip (and wasn’t), it ended up featuring an unexpected amount of room time due to a mix of unfavorable weather and inopportune timing. As a result, I spent far more time at the resort and in my room than anticipated, and you know what, I have zero regrets.

Despite having logged (literally) thousands of park days at Walt Disney World, I still feel an odd compulsion to visit the parks (even though the far greater cost for me is easily hotels over admission). It was actually kind of nice to have an excuse to spend so much time at the resort.

Imagine rolling out of bed, making a cup of coffee, and stepping out onto your balcony to be greeted good morning by a living, breathing giraffe grazing on one of the four savannas outside Animal Kingdom Lodge.

What I most appreciate about this view is that it’s ever-changing and always engaging. Maybe it’s just me, but a park view is sort of a one-trick pony. Yes, it’s “magical” to see Cinderella Castle or the fireworks from your balcony. But how long can you realistically gaze at that?

By contrast, the animals are often active on the savanna, and there’s always something different to see. Sure, it’s not as flashy as fireworks or Cinderella Castle, but there’s something to be said for just sitting out there for hours, decompressing as the wildlife comes and goes. It’s quietly mesmerizing in a way that other views are not. (The closest second for me is actually a Bay Lake view and watching watercraft.)

This is the resort’s main draw and selling point, and these savannas are something you won’t find at any real world hotel in the United States. They’re largely why Animal Kingdom Lodge is a “destination” resort unto itself.

However, the sublime savannas are not all that Animal Kingdom Lodge brings to the table. The inside is every bit as good as the savannas, making Animal Kingdom Lodge arguably the best-themed Walt Disney World hotel.

From the meticulous design that makes it feel like an extension of the theme park to the art collection that you can see by perusing the common areas, AKL is a hotel that really rewards those guests who are willing to spend the time drinking in its details.

One of the big reasons why we love Animal Kingdom Lodge is because it achieves an unrivaled level of cultural and thematic authenticity. It feels as much like an extension of old school EPCOT Center as it does Animal Kingdom.

I am confident that affluent Americans who enjoy luxury travel and exotic locales would be impressed by Jambo House, and most inclined to rank it as the #1 resort at Walt Disney World.

In fact, Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the few hotels that I’m convinced does not charge premium pricing for the Walt Disney World location. To the contrary, AKL could be relocated to an upscale area of the United States, ditch the Disney name and rebrand itself as a luxury retreat, and actually charge more.

It feels almost criminal that Animal Kingdom Lodge costs less than Disney’s Riviera Resort. If that hotel were moved elsewhere in the United States, it would probably reposition as a mid-tier chained-brand airport hotel. Suffice to say, it would not be able to command $700+ per night.

Animal Kingdom just has so much going for it, beyond the four savannas. There are countless little touches, amenities, and ‘superfluous’ details that typify true luxury resorts. It is a hotel that is begging to be slowed down and savored, much like the world’s finest properties.

It’s unlike most other Walt Disney World resorts in this regard, and it’s almost hard to believe it opened in the 2000s as opposed to the 1970s. It feels like a property from a bygone era of Disney, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Animal Kingdom Lodge’s rooms were redone back in 2019, modernizing them nicely. It’s unclear whether the ongoing room refurbishment that has been completed in Kidani Village and is now underway in Jambo House will touch these, or just the DVC Villas.

Regardless, these rooms still feel fresh as of 2026. We primarily stay in redone rooms for the sake of reviews, so I have a lot of exposure to new accommodations at Walt Disney World. I was surprised and impressed by just how well these have held up.

There’s less wear and tear than many rooms that were redone in the last 3 years, and the mix of form and function is fantastic. Amazing what an adept designer and choosing durable materials will do!

In terms of decor, these rooms are really a matter of personal preference. They could be described as drab as the color palette isn’t exactly light and inviting, but I love the look. It’s perfect for AKL, and not every hotel needs to have an “uplifting” visual motif.

To the extent that the room could be characterized as too dark, the large window lets in abundant natural light during the day and there are many light fixtures that offer granular control over artificial lighting in the evening. (I love the moody headboard lights.)

These rooms feel upscale while not breaking theme. There’s a lot of texture and patterning here, from the detail in the woods to the headboards to the art on the walls. For the most part, the fixtures and furniture feel higher end and more substantial, adding to that elevated quality.

Then there’s the dining situation. With the Mara, Victoria Falls Lounge, Boma, Sanaa, and Jiko, this resort has one of the best restaurant rosters in all of Walt Disney World. Its only real competition is Grand Floridian, which has the superior fine dining scene.

This is no exaggeration. There’s a reason why Animal Kingdom Lodge is its own category in our list of the 26 Best Restaurants at Walt Disney World. If you’re doing a staycation or no parks stay, you can eat exclusively at your resort and never run out of great options!

It’s also a well-rounded list, with the Mara providing a strong counter service option, Jiko offering a top-tier Signature Dining Experience, Boma being a great buffet, Sanaa standing out as a superlative mid-tier hidden gem restaurant, and even Victoria Falls serving up drinks and light bites in a lovely location.

Between Jambo House and Kidani Village, Animal Kingdom Lodge has arguably one of the best one-two punches in terms of pools. On our list of the Top 10 Pools at Walt Disney World, we ranked Kidani Village’s Samawati Springs Pool at #5, and left off Uzima Pool to avoid redundancy.

It would probably be deserving of #9 or #10 on its own, but no other resort has two pools on the list. Having two great options offers a nice change of pace if you’re doing a hotel-centric stay.

Although it’s not much of a selling point, Animal Kingdom Lodge also has great gift shops with unique, resort-specific merchandise. Another detail that barely merits mentioning is that parking here is easy and efficient, with entering the resort less of a hassle than the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT area resorts.

The biggest knocks on Animal Kingdom Lodge are that it’s far from all of the parks, isn’t walkable to anything, and offers no novel forms of transportation–boat, monorail, Skyliner, etc–between AKL and the parks.

It’s all buses. Efficient buses and a location that actually is not that far from three of the four parks, but the point stands that AKL offers no unique transportation. At the same time, it also doesn’t have an internal loop, so at least that is a small victory.

We think the location and transportation complaints are massively overblown, but that’s probably the biggest reason why AKL isn’t charging premium pricing and routinely has deep discounts. So I’ll happily take it, especially since transportation doesn’t matter that much if you’re doing a staycation or resort-centric trip.

Ultimately, we view Animal Kingdom Lodge as the most novel resort at Walt Disney World, and one that would rank highly even without the savanna and its live animals.

With that, Animal Kingdom Lodge is very difficult to beat, especially if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in your hotel, and want a truly special hotel that will be a highlight of your Walt Disney World vacation.

There’s a reason Animal Kingdom Lodge currently ranks #4 on our list of All Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Ranked From Worst to Best. That’s a list, I might add, that weighs heavily for bang for buck, which is precisely why a Value Resort bests Walt Disney World’s flagship luxury hotel. If that list also accounted for recurring discounts, the Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna View Rooms at under $400 per night would be #1.

Do yourself a favor and book the deep discount on Savanna View Rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge when it becomes available (assuming it does) in 2027. Coming from someone who thinks the vast majority of room upgrades are somewhere between a waste and rip-off, the Savanna View Rooms are 100% worth the money.

That might be true even at full price and probably with a lesser discount, but it’s an absolute no-brainer with the deep discounts that make them cheaper than standard rooms at almost every Deluxe Resort!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Do you think the Savanna View Rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge are “worth it” as an upgrade from standard rooms or splurge? Or is it dependent upon the trip’s priorities, pricing & discounts, etc? Is AKL the ultimate “staycation” resort at Walt Disney World from your perspective? Any other selling points for the Savanna View Rooms or Animal Kingdom Lodge as a whole? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!