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Looking to save money on a stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida? We’ve got 5 tricks to save you $100s on a 2026 or 2027 stay.
I know you’ll want to read this, because Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a very popular hotel. In fact, when I talk to people who live far away from Disney World and have never visited, the one hotel they say they would most like to try is the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
It really is an amazing experience. Disney has done such a great job with theming that you really feel like you’re at an East African lodge. Plus, it is amazing to be able to see animals like giraffes & zebras right outside the window at your hotel!
It is an on-site Walt Disney World hotel, too, so you get all the great features that comes with it. That means free constant buses to the parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and, of course, Animal Kingdom), extra magic hours meaning you get extra time in the parks, etc (you can read about all the Disney World hotel benefits here).
Unfortunately, a stay at Animal Kingdom can get expensive. But luckily, as I mentioned before, there are ways around it. Here are 5 great ways to save money for an Animal Kingdom lodge stay in 2026 or 2027.
1. Vacation Club Rental
The best way I’ve saved money at this hotel is when I stayed at Kidani Village, the Disney Vacation Club section of Animal Kingdom. I stayed for less than $80/night by renting a room through the vacation club rental process, even though I am not a Disney vacation member. This was a few years back and it is unlikely you will get a deal that great. But you can still get a really good deal.
For more information on how to do this, see this guide. Also, in case you are curious, here is a video from my stay there. Also, make sure you book through David’s Vacation Rentals to ensure getting a good price.
Here is a video of the Kidani Village section:
2. Priceline
The one tricky part about renting a DVC room is that they are often all booked for the dates you want. So if that is the case, you’ll need to look for other ways to book a stay at a discounted.
One way to do that is to book your Animal Kingdom Lodge room through Priceline here. I have found some outstanding rates for Disney World hotels through Priceline. They often have Disney World hotel rooms on sale. I have booked rooms through Priceline that were even cheaper than rooms I would have booked using my Disney annual passholder discount!
3. Swagbucks
But what if you want to book through Disney’s website? If you do, you’ll need to pay for the first night of your stay when you book the stay. To finish paying off the rest of your stay, you can use a Disney gift card for all or part of it. This will help save you a lot of money.
But the question is, how do you get this Disney gift card? One way is through Swagbucks! Swagbucks is a way to earn money online. You can earn “Swagbucks” by doing things like answering surveys, scanning your grocery receipts, playing games, etc. You can use these Swagbucks to buy gift cards. One of the gift cards you can buy is a Disney gift card!
For more information on how to get started with Swagbucks, see these tips here.
4. Undercover Tourist
If you don’t have enough time to earn Swagbucks, and you can’t get a room through David’s, and you can’t find a good deal through Priceline, then I would next check out Undercover Tourist. Undercover Tourist has had some amazing sales on Animal Kingdom Lodge hotel rooms in the past. You can also add on your Disney World tickets to your sale and save money. Speaking of which…
5. Vacation Packages
Combining your theme park tickets with your Animal Kingdom Lodge stay is a great way to save money on your overall trip. You can also add your Animal Kingdom Lodge stay with your airfare if you are flying to Orlando or a car rental. All of these extra savings can help you afford Animal Kingdom Lodge.
We tell you about some great Disney World vacation packages here.
