April 16, 2001 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Opens
Image Credit: Official Walt Disney World Site
On April 16, 2001, the new Animal Kingdom Lodge opened at the Walt Disney World Resort. Located in the Animal Kingdom Resort on a 43-acre wildlife preserve, the African-style lodge has authentic African artifacts, thatched ceilings, golden-tone furnishings, and a mud fireplace in the main lobby. The elevated rock platform outside the main lobby gives guests a view of the animals and the African grasslands grounds around the lodge.
The lodge also has two award-winning restaurants, Jiko and Boma. Jiko fuses African food with Mediterranean, Indian and European influences, and also has a selection of South African vintage wines. Boma gives the guests an African-style buffet, with food from fifty different African countries. The lodge also contains an 11,000-square-foot pool known as Uzima, with a 67-foot-long slide.
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