There is no shortage of reasons to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, even if you’re not staying there. Between the incredible savanna views, some of the best restaurants at Walt Disney World, and one of Disney’s most impressive collections of African art and culture, it’s easy to spend hours exploring. On a recent lunch visit to Sanaa at Kidani Village, I stumbled across a complimentary activity that somehow flew completely under my radar: String of Memories.
Just outside Sanaa, I noticed the daily activity board featuring seven unique beads displayed on a cord (you’ll also find this on a resort activity board just outside Boma at Jambo House). The sign invited guests to participate in a series of complimentary educational experiences throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, earning a different bead after completing each activity. Needless to say, lunch quickly turned into a new mission.
String of Memories is available every day and is open to anyone visiting the resort. You don’t have to be an overnight guest to participate. Throughout the day, Cultural Representative Cast Members lead short, interactive presentations centered around African culture, wildlife, conservation, music, and the animals that call the resort home.
The current daily schedule includes:
- Animal Tracking (10:00 AM to 11:00 AM) at Jambo House
- Flamingo Behavior (11:00 AM to 12:00 PM) at Jambo House
- Music of the Savanna (12:00 PM to 1:00 PM) at Kidani Village
- Have You Heard? (1:00 PM to 2:00 PM) at Kidani Village
- Bio Blocks (2:00 PM to 3:00 PM) at Kidani Village
- Animal Enrichment (2:00 PM to 4:00 PM) at Jambo House
- African Wonders (4:00 PM to 5:00 PM) at Jambo House
Schedules are subject to change, but each activity is relatively brief, making it easy to fit one or two into your visit.
Here’s a closer look at the beads you receive for each activity, cleverly themed to commemorate each one:
- African Wonders | Continent of Africa
- Music of the Savanna | African Drum with Zebra
- Animal Tracking | Binoculars
- Flamingo Behavior | Flamingo Feather
- BioBlocks | Blue and Green Patterned Block
- Animal Enrichment | Giraffe
- Have You Heard? | Lion
Upon completion of all activities, you’ll receive the African-patterned Mickey bead
Imagineers designed both Jambo House and Kidani Village as immersive celebrations of Africa, filled with authentic artwork, architecture, cuisine, and stories from across the continent. The String of Memories activities build on that idea by giving guests the opportunity to interact directly with Cultural Representative Cast Members, who share knowledge about their home countries, wildlife, traditions, and conservation efforts.
During our visit, we attended African Wonders, where participants were challenged to identify different geographic landmarks throughout Africa while learning more about each region. At the end, we received our first bead, a bead shaped like the African continent, to add to our string.
Later, we headed over for Animal Enrichment, which ended up being my favorite activity of the afternoon. Cast Members explained how Disney’s animal care team creates enrichment opportunities to keep the animals mentally and physically engaged before inviting everyone to help prepare edible treats.
As we were learning about the enrichment items, we looked out onto the savanna and watched a giraffe enjoying their own enrichment activity just a short distance away.
Afterward, we earned our second bead, an emerald green giraffe.
We’re officially 2 out of 7 beads into our String of Memories collection, and I’m already looking forward to finishing the rest! That probably means another excuse for lunch at Sanaa… or maybe finally making my way back to Boma. Either way, this free activity has earned a permanent spot on my list of must-dos whenever I visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
If you’re looking for something unique beyond the theme parks, don’t overlook String of Memories. It’s educational, fun for both kids and adults, and leaves you with a meaningful keepsake!
