Animal Kingdom Villas Resort

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Disney Deluxe Villas Resort Classification
Located in the Animal Kingdom resort area
Check In: 4:00 p.m. / Check Out: 11:00 a.m.

Animal Kingdom Villas is a part of the Disney Vacation Club and Disney Deluxe Villas resorts, and likely the closest thing to a true African journey without crossing the ocean. The resort is made up of two separate areas: the newly constructed Kindani Village and Jambo House, on the 5th & 6th floors in the original Animal Kingdom Lodge. Each area has its own savannahs, and guests staying in a savannah view room can literally view the animals from their balconies. Guests choosing to not stay on the savannah, or just visiting the resort also get the opportunity to experience the African wilderness in the many areas set aside for viewing. Kidani has its own front desk, lobby concierge, luggage and valet services, separate from those of Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The Animal Kingdom Villas, like all Disney resorts, is smoke-free. Designated outdoor smoking areas at Jambo House are indicated on the Resort Map.

Resort Refurbishment:
The Uzima Pool (AKL Jambo House) is closed 1/4/10 - 1/29/10 for refurbishment. Guest may continue to use the Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village.

Resort Theme:

Animal Kingdom Villas has an elaborate African safari theme. The lobby and the villas of Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, Kidani Village, extends out and take the curlicue shape of a water buffalo horns. The main lobby building is the jewel at its center. Nearly surrounding Kidani Village, the Sunset Savanna and the new Pembe Savanna offer up-close glimpses of exotic animals in a traditional setting. Throughout the hotel, there are alcoves with glass windows that provide views of the savannas and its wildlife.

Resort Rooms:

In addition to standard rooms, there are two views available, pool and savannah (which overlooks one of the exclusive Lodge savannahs). Kidani Village offers more spacious accommodations than rooms available as part of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Room types consist of consists of studios (sleep 4), one and two bedroom units (sleep 5 & 9), and 3-bedroom Grand Villas (sleep 12). One-bedroom villas, 2-bedroom villas and Grand Villas Guest rooms at Kidani Village include full kitchens that feature a full-size refrigerator, microwave, oven, stove sink, cabinets and coffemaker. Studios include smaller kitchenettes that feature a mini-refrigerator, wet bar, mircowave and coffeemaker. Kidani Village is ideal for groups of 4 to 12 persons.

492 villas in Kidani Village (separate building from Animal Kingdom Lodge)
216 villas on the 5th and 6th floors in the main Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disabled accessible rooms available
Buildings offer elevators, ramps and interior corridors
whirlpool tub (in one bedroom and up)
Alarm Clock Alarm Clock with CD Player
High-speed Internet Access (additional fee required)
Coffee Maker & Setup
Hair Dryer
In-Room Wall Safe
Iron and Board
Refrigerator
Private balcony
Ceiling fan
Table and chairs
Pack 'n Play Playard
Telephone
In-room laundry area with washer and dryer
Flat Panel, Satellite TV with Disney Programming
  - ABC, Disney Channel, ESPN & more
USA Today Delivery (Mon-Fri)
Voice Mail

Resort Rates:

2009 Rates

2009 Seasons for Disney's DVC Resorts

Value Season: Jan. 1 - Feb. 12; Jul. 19 - Oct. 1; Nov. 29 - Dec. 17
Regular Season: April 19 - July 18; Oct. 2 - Nov. 28
Peak Season: Feb. 13 - April 18
Holiday Season: Dec. 18 - Dec. 31

Rates are subject to change.

2010 Rates

New Years: Jan. 1 - Jan. 2
Value Season: Jan. 3 - Feb. 11; Aug. 15 - Sep. 30; Nov. 28 - Dec. 16
Regular Season: April 11 - Aug 14; Oct. 1 - Nov. 27
Peak Season: Feb. 12 - April 10
Holiday Season: Dec. 17 - Jan. 1, 2011

Rates are subject to change.

Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo (add 12.5% tax)

2010 Rates Per Night	New Years	Value Season	Regular Season	Peak Season	Holiday Season
Studio - Savannah View	$575	$410	$470	$555	$610
1 Bedroom Villa - Savannah View	$750	$550	$620	$710	$805
2 Bedroom Villa - Savannah View	$1260	$735	$940	$1,165	$1,320
3 Bedroom Villa - Savannah View	$2,215	$1,555	$1,780	$2,005	$2,260
Studio - Standard View	$505	$340	$390	$470	$515
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View	$680	$480	$540	$625	$710
2 Bedroom Villa - Standard View	$1,190	$665	$860	$1,080	$1,225

New Years: Jan. 1 - Jan. 2
Value Season: Jan. 3 - Feb. 11; Aug. 15 - Sep. 30; Nov. 28 - Dec. 16
Regular Season: April 11 - Aug 14; Oct. 1 - Nov. 27
Peak Season: Feb. 12 - April 10
Holiday Season: Dec. 17 - Jan. 1, 2011

Rates are subject to change

Resort Dining at Jambo House:

Boma - Flavors of Africa - Full Service buffet-style restaurant
Jiko - The Cooking Place - Full Service restaurant
The Mara - Quick Service Location
Uzima Springs Pool Bar
Two Lounges
In-Room Dining Available 6am to midnight

Resort Dining at Kidani Village:

Saana Restaurant - Full Service restaurant serves African cuisine with Indian flavors for lunch and dinner
One Lounge
Maji Pool Bar - with limited quick service food options, as well as a private dining option available by phone order; food is prepared in the Sanaa kitchen and delivered poolside for a $3 fee plus 18% gratuity. Disney Dining Plan credits can not be used, but cash, credit card or room charge are accepted as payment.
In-Room Dining Available 6am to midnight

Refillable mugs are available for purchase at The Mara and locations in Kidani Village for $12.99 plus tax. There is also a convenient soda refilling station located by Maji Pool Bar.

Jambo House Recreation:

1 Pool featuring zero-depth entry and 67 ft long water slide
Child pool
2 whirlpool spas
Children's playground
Arcade
Fitness Center
Massage services
Animal Programs

Kidani Village Recreation:

1 Pool featuring zero-depth entry and 128 ft long water slide
2 whirlpool spas
Arcade
Fitness Center
Animal Programs
Community Hall
Basketball (Half Court) and Shuffleboard Court
2-lighted Tennis Courts
Barbecue Pavilion
Uwanja Camp - Located near Samawati Springs Pool, is an animal observation site-themed water playground that includes 3 interactive areas for kids of all ages.

• Observation Station: For children ages 4 and younger, this play space invites kids to unscramble animal images, cross a rope bridge and frolic through a geyser and shallow pool.
• Departure Zone: For kids ages 5-7, this area includes a water tower, pulleys and squirting gardens.
• Base Camp: For kids 8 and older, this play area includes water canons and overflowing water buckets.

Resort Shopping:

Zawadi Marketplace at Jambo House stocks Disney character apparel and souvenirs as well as Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas logo merchandise. In addition, there is a large variety of African treasures that are fun and unexpected. You can also find snack foods, beverages (including adult beverages), magazines and books, and other general sundries.

Johari Treasures at Kidani Village offers authentic African-themed merchandise including Zulu baskets, hand-loomed clothing and hand-carved masks, snack food and breakfast options. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Johari Treasures also sells Disney-branded items like apparel, toys and Disney Character plush.

Resort Transportation:

Disney's bus service is available to and from this resort. There is two bus stops for this resort outside of the lobby area of AKL and one at Kidani Village.

Transportation Times Between Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Jambo House and Disney Destinations
These times are approximate, provided to give you an idea of average travel times. Please plan on up to a 15 minute wait for Disney transportation.

Magic Kingdom- 22 minutes by bus, 35 minutes by car (with transfers)
Epcot- 18 minutes by bus, 18 minutes by car
Disney's Hollywood Studios- 15 minutes by bus, 16 minutes by car
Disney’s Animal Kingdom- 11 minutes by bus, 7 minutes by car
Downtown Disney- 20 minutes by bus, 18 minutes by car
Blizzard Beach water park- 18 minutes by bus, 14 minutes by car
Typhoon Lagoon water park- 25 minutes by bus, 17 minutes by car

Resort Childcare:

Simba's Cubhouse
Hours: 4:30 pm to 12 midnight
Reservations: (407) WDW-DINE
Supervised activities including toys by Hasbro, free play arcade games (2), arts and crafts, games, Disney movies, and Sony Playstations.  Price is $11 USD per hour, per child with a two-hour minimum. Advance reservations recommended.

Simba's Cubhouse provides a complimentary dinner for children in the Cubhouse.  Guests can order meals for their children when they check in.  Menu items include: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chicken fingers, mini burger, hotdog, macaroni and cheese.  No outside food allowed.

In-room child care is also available at all resorts.

From Our MouseForLess Members
on Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas:

MouseForLess Interesting Facts about the Resort:

At AKL they make use of much natural light (and less artificial lighting) in order to keep it natural for the animals on the surrounding savannahs. This is the reason the resort seems a bit dark. AKL is home to one of the largest collection of African art in the USA. The lobby is six stories tall, with a floor to ceiling window at the back overlooking the Arusha savannah. Currently there is construction underway to build the new Animal Kingdom Villas, the newest DVC resort. Some of the rooms on the 5th and 6th floors of the existing resort are being converted to DVC villas, and there is an entirely new building being constructed next to the existing Lodge that will house DVC villas. The new building is scheduled to open in 2009 and will have a new pool area, table service restaurant. They are also creating a new savannah which will be home to animals not currently on any of the existing savannahs. - Joan Faux

The thatched roof was built by African thatch roof builders! - JUD

The Ceremonial Mask in the lobby (the one that looks to be about 4 stories tall, who knew it was a mask?) is the only one located outside of Africa. - Mike Corbo

AND each person on the mask in the lobby signifies someone for the village that the mask originated from. - Marie Lemmon

MouseForLess Hidden Treasures:

There are lots of extra cultural activities and opportunities. You get a map at check in and on the back is a list of all the activities, but no times. Check the board in the lobby and write down the times on your list so you don't forget. There were at least 10+ activities daily. - JoLynne

AND ask the front desk for a copy of "The Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge African Art Collection." - Susan Janke

Ask at the front desk for the clue sheet for finding hidden Mickeys. It is called Hidden Mickey Safari and points are assigned for each of the various hidden Mickeys that you find. - Susan Janke

The Cast Members that are there from their native lands. They are always more than happy to have a chat. - Mike Corbo

The nightly bonfire is fabulous. My daughter and I would get there early to grab some rocking chairs and just tell stories about our day. - Venus Windmiller AND Be sure to ask to use the night vision goggles in the viewing area near the bonfire. - Marie Lemmon.

If you do not have a savannah overlook room, fear not! At about the midway point out on each wing is a public outside "lounge" complete with chairs tables and rockers to sit in the cool evening and watch the animals as they roam a few feet from you. - JUD

The resort shop, Zawadi Marketplace, has a nice selection of African carvings, sculpture and other art amongst other things which are unique to AKL, not available elsewhere. At night there are night vision goggles available in certain spots to view the animals. You can wander around to enjoy the resort and savannah views even if you are not a guest staying at AKL. - Joan Faux

Scrapbookers, take lots of pictures of the different patterns here and there i.e., carpet, bedding, wallpaper, etc Those pictures can be cut for borders or other embellishments. My AKL scrapbook pages have turned out to be my favorite! - Jenny Brown

Breakfast buffet at Boma - best meal we had! Be sure to wander all around the resort and find all the overlooks to watch the animals from. Go to the ends of the trails and out on the stairwells to view different animals. Crafts and other activities for kids all day long - the hard part is making time for everything there is to do! - Leanne Paul

MouseForLess Tips for Romance:

For those traveling with kids, make use of Simbas Clubhouse. Also a glass (or two) of wine on the balcony at the end of the day is nice. The spa (hot tub) is open 24 hours and is much quieter in the evenings. - JoLynne

For romance, order the in room Savannah Sunset Package. Excellent Food. They come up to your room and set up your 3 course meal plus desert on your balcony. Also, make sure you note on your reservation if you are celebrating a special event. They sometimes do something special for a honeymoon or anniversary. It's never a definite, but always a bonus. - Jenny Brown

If you have a savannah view room, you and your partner the balcony is a cozy spot to just relax and enjoy each others company. - Patty Arabia AND Be sure to bring an insect repellant candle for the balcony. - Teresa

Victoria Falls lounge on a mezzanine level just below the lobby is a nice quiet place to relax and have a drink, coffee or tea. Jiko is an excellent restaurant that is more adult oriented with a fine selection of South African wines, some of which are exclusive to AKL. Uzima Springs Pool Bar has a nice seating area and a nice selection of drinks. - Joan Faux

Sitting around the fire pit with the one you love. - Mike Corbo

Wandering around by the pool and through the animal outlooks at night are very romantic - not that I got to experience this being there with 2 kids! - Leanne Paul

MouseForLess Tips for Families:

The bunk beds were great fun for our kids and the animal views kept them occupied and happy when mom and dad were doing other things. The zero entry pool is especially nice for little kids that don't want to play in the tiny kiddy pool, and there are plenty of life vests on hand. - JoLynne

The main Uzima pool is the largest single pool on property. Near the Front Desk and in the waiting area near Boma is a list and schedule of lots of fun activities at the resort such as feeding the flamingoes, story telling on Arusha rock (usually in the early evening) and many others. - Joan Faux

The pool and slide are really fun. Try to make time for all the activities - kids can collect beads when they complete them. CM's are at the animal outlooks to answer questions about the animals. Most of them were from Africa and the kids were very interested to hear what it was like to live there. - Leanne Paul

MouseForLess Tips for Large Travel Groups:

I believe there is a Safari & dinner that is only for grand gathering groups of 8 or larger. It may be AK (park) that I'm thinking of but it's still really close by. - JoLynne

AKL is a fairly large resort. It would be worthwhile requesting rooms near or next to each other to save time. - Joan Faux

Boma is a great place for a meal with a large group. - Mike Corbo

MouseForLess Tips for Guests with Special needs:

The hot tub has wheelchair access. I was told there is also a water wheelchair available. - JoLynne

If you have kids with allergies, Boma is the place to be! I feel that the chefs there are the nicest and best in all of Disney. They will walk you through the buffet line, and tell you exactly what is safe and what is not. The chef brought my son extra things -- like humus that was sure to be nut-free, and a special soup -- since all the soups that day had either dairy or nuts in them. We didn't ask for anything special, but the chef offered it all to us with much joy, and he kept checking back with us. He made my little son the best desert he ever had -- it was soy or rice ice cream, with chocolate syrup drizzled over it, served with fried oreos in a humongous bowl all fancy-like. For once in his young life, my little guy had the best desert at the table. Now, that folks, is Disney Magic! - Susan Janke

I have done pretty much a complete tour of AKL in my ECV without any problems. Including the Savannah walks out back. - JUD

The lobby is on the third floor, which is where you enter the resort. The pool and restaurants are on the first floor and there are elevators just off the lobby to access the other floors. - Joan Faux

MouseForLess Tips for WDW Newbies:

You may want to opt for a cab if you are going to other resorts for dinner. With the bus plus monorail or ferry the trip can take 45 to 60 minutes. A cab is less than $10 with tip. - JoLynne

BOMA, BOMA, BOMA!! I almost didn't book this because I am such a picky eater. I thought for sure that the "African flair" would be a bit too much for my liking but I was completely wrong. There was so much to choose from such as meats, exotic cheeses, loads of humus, the zebra domed desserts, and all of the salads. - Venus Windmiller

Work some time into your schedule to spend a day at this resort. There is so much to see and do. They have a lot of activities for the kids to do at the resort and a lot of the times they are free! - Patty Arabia AND When we were there, the kids would get a bead to add to a necklace for each activity they completed. My kids favorite activity was a tracking activity, where the CM would hide a Timon with a tracking device attached, and then my boys would have to find it by using the tracking equipment. They also have other non-bead activities for kids, like Medallion Rubbings in the Lobby and drumming on the various instruments in the gift shop -- ask at the gift shop for the times. We planned one day for staying at the resort, and still could not fit in all of the kid activities available. - Susan Janke

MouseForLess Tips for Budget Travelers:

Laundry facilities on site are expensive; bring your own detergent. Also, we had water delivered and kept it cold in the fridge to save money. - JoLynne

The Mara was a great little place to eat. They always serve at least one soup from BOMA, and the soups are delicious. I would recommend the soups for a taste of BOMA even if you didn't want the full expense of a meal at Boma. The Cast Members at the MARA were also very generous about allowing us to use our remaining dining plan credits on all sorts of things to take home. They even corrected us and told us we were allowed extra fruits and such, even when we thought we had gotten all that we were allowed -- we had both counter service and snacks left, and sometimes at the self serves it is hard to tell exactly what you are entitled to. We ended up with plenty of sandwiches, fruits and veggie sticks for our homeward journey (And Zebra Domes, too!) --big money saver. - Susan Janke

See if you can rent points from a DVC member for a stay from Sunday to Thursday. You'll pay much less than rack rates for room. - Mike Corbo

Many say that if you are staying at the AKL you have to upgrade and get the Savannah View room. I disagree! I booked this hotel for the ambiance and surely got my share of the animals from my walks around the property. I say....it's a great deluxe at an affordable rate. - Venus Windmiller

You can wander around to enjoy the resort and savannah views even if you are not a guest staying at AKL. Refillable mugs available at the Mara. All AKL rooms have refrigerators. You can purchase a bottle of African wine at the Mara, bring this back to your room (or fill up your refillable mug at the Mara) to chill and enjoy the view of the animals from your balcony. - Joan Faux

If you want to try the hotel stay at a value resort and for a treat go to the AKL for your last night of the trip. - Marie Lemmon

Keep looking for codes and discounts for this resort. Rack rate is expensive but we were able to get a great discount so we could afford to stay here. Also, a standard view room is worth it if that's all you can afford. The resort itself is so beautiful and views of the animals are only steps away. - Leanne Paul

MouseForLess Tips for Luxury Travelers:

Try a massage or spa treatment at the Zahanti fitness center. Book the concierge level if you can afford it. The concierge desk is a great way to make or change Advance Dining Reservations at the last minute. I called Disney Dining and was told "nothing is available." Then I went to the concierge desk and they would get me the reservation I wanted. This happened twice. - JoLynne

The luxury suites at AKL are completely amazing! - Joan Faux

Definitely consider a concierge level room. The lounge offers various meals and snacks throughout the day, as well as complimentary newspapers and magazines. You also can go on the Sunrise Safari Adventure or the Wildlife Discovery tour as a guest of the concierge level. - Anna Skamarakas

Book a Concierge Room, the Lounge up on the sixth floor. This lounge is one of the best on property. - Mike Corbo

Reserve concierge and do the sunrise or sunset safaris. Make sure to try a spa treatment. - Leanne Paul

Try dinner at Jiko, complemented by a special wine from South Africa. Jiko has a lot of free range and organic menu choices, too. - Susan Janke

Updated June 8, 2009