Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village Review
Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge is a villa-style hotel, and is one of the best-themed resorts at Walt Disney World. This review features room photos, thoughts on the ambiance, and our opinion on for whom these Deluxe-tier accommodations are best suited.
We won’t bury the lede: Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our top picks for places to stay at Walt Disney World. We do a lot of resort rankings, and it’s claimed the crown as the #1 Deluxe Hotel at Walt Disney World.
On our more comprehensive Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best, Animal Kingdom Lodge scores similarly. More subjectively, we also love Animal Kingdom Lodge and routinely remark that the two lodges are our favorites as places to stay at Walt Disney World.
With over 30 different on-site resort options and hundreds of hotels in and around Walt Disney World in Orlando (we’ve reviewed all of ’em), choosing the best resort can be overwhelming–especially since it varies with each party’s priorities. As with all of them, there are pros & cons to staying at Kidani Village–including deal-breakers for some guests!
While I prefer staying in the main lodge, Kidani Village is a great alternative that offers most of the same upsides as the main building while having some unique characteristics of its own. It’s also a great use of Disney Vacation Club points, which can make it a great option if you’re renting DVC points. (See How to Save Money Renting Disney Vacation Club Points.)
One thing to note before we get going too far is to explain the distinction between Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House and Kidani Village. This review concerns the latter, obviously, which is the Disney Vacation Club wing of the larger lodge. The two are located in separate buildings, with Jambo House having nearly 1,200 rooms whereas Kidani Village has 458 rooms.
Kidani Village and Jambo House are a short walk from one another, so all of the amenities each offer are easily accessible from one another. Kidani Village benefits from its more intimate size while still having a fairly robust slate of amenities, but isn’t as ‘grand’ in scale as Jambo House.
Another thing we should start by noting is that the guest rooms at Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge are undergoing refurbishment from now through May 2026. The good news is that the first of these rooms have started to reopen as of mid-December 2025, and can now be requested! (Just keep in mind that the number of redone rooms is low right now, but will progressively increase into Winter & Spring 2026.)
During the refurbishment, guests may see or hear construction work in the area. All amenities will remain available throughout the refurbishment. Once this update is completed, construction crews will move on to Jambo House to redo the rooms there from May 2026 through January 2027. We’ve heard a few reader reports that Animal Kingdom Lodge is in rough shape right now.
We covered what to expect from this construction at length in Room Reimagining at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Through 2027. What’s still unclear about this project involves the hotel side of Animal Kingdom Lodge, or just the Animal Kingdom Villas. The latter is the DVC side of the resort, and what is overdue for a refurbishment. Even so, by the time the DVC work is done in 2027, the hotel rooms might be due for another refresh.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village…
First up is the (non-literal) elephant in the room: location.
I love Animal Kingdom Lodge. Every time we arrive at Animal Kingdom Lodge, I ask myself why we don’t stay there more often. Then by the end of the stay, I’m reminded of reality.
Animal Kingdom Lodge’s location relative to the majority of Walt Disney World (save for Animal Kingdom) is inconvenient. This is an unfortunate but necessary reality, as the unique characteristics of the Lodge simply wouldn’t be possible if it were in the heart of the action.
In actuality, this is probably better characterized as a transportation problem.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the few Deluxe Resorts that is reliant on all-bus transportation to every single theme park at Walt Disney World. It’s not served by a sidewalk to any park or any novel mode of transportation that’s like an attraction unto itself, such as the Skyliner, monorail, boat, etc.
This can be a problem because bus transportation is tedious, less predictable (or more inconsistent), and just not as fun as other modes of transportation. If you’re reliant on Disney transportation, having access to one or two parks without getting on a bus is a breath of fresh air and a nice change of pace. The value of this cannot be understated.
However, that’s assuming you’re reliant on Disney transportation. If you have a rental car or vehicle of your own, this really isn’t that big of a deal. If anything, the location issue is overblown, as commute times from AKL to the parks average out to be…pretty average! This is precisely why it’s actually a transportation–and not a location–issue.
Those with their own vehicles might actually favor Kidani Village since it offers convenient, covered parking. Back when we were Central Florida locals, Kidani Village was actually one of our favorite places to stay for this reason.
Just something to consider as there’s a big difference here for guests reliant on Disney transportation versus those with vehicles. Other reviews tend to gloss over this distinction, having only considered the resort from one perspective or the other.
When viewed in (figurative) isolation, I absolutely love Animal Kingdom Lodge. And a big part of that appeal is the literal isolation.
For first-time visitors to Walt Disney World who want to accomplish a lot or those who will need to take afternoon breaks, Kidani Village might be an impractical choice.
For frequent visitors, honeymooners, or retirees looking for a slower-paced trip or a resort that they can enjoy, I can’t think of a better choice at Walt Disney World. In fact, I can think of few better “hotel experiences” anywhere.
The biggest reason for this is the huge savanna outside the lobby, where 30 species of animals roam in the view of guests. Now, I know what you might be thinking: “sure, zebra and giraffe are dope, but ostrich are creepy and isn’t a kudu something from the mind of Stephen King?!”
Fear not, these species of antelope will not kidnap your children in the dark of night, although I think it is somewhat disappointing Animal Kingdom Lodge still hasn’t acquired some Tauntaun. It’d be great for synergy.
Seriously though, the savanna is incredible, and there are few things more relaxing than sitting in a rocking chair overlooking the roaming wildlife. It’s a nice change of pace from the normal frenzy of visiting the parks, and is far and away the top draw of both Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kidani Village.
This alone would be enough to rank Animal Kingdom Lodge near the top of Walt Disney World’s resorts, but it doesn’t stop there.
The rich theming throughout the lodge is one part stunning design crafted by the Imagineers and one part authentic pieces on display, including the largest African art collection in the United States. Wandering around the resort demonstrates quite clearly that the attention to detail put into Animal Kingdom was also put into the Lodge.
No other resort at Walt Disney World makes this kind of effort to inspire and educate guests about its source material. I really appreciate how there’s more to Animal Kingdom Lodge than theming that presents an idealized version of Africa; both Jambo House and Kidani Village aspire to more than simply transporting guests to a different time and place.
The presence of Cultural Representatives at Animal Kingdom Lodge really drives this home, and the free daily tour is a nice way to gain a greater appreciation of Kidani Village. In these regards, Animal Kingdom Lodge feels like EPCOT Center: The Hotel.
For me, those are the two greatest strengths of Kidani Village, and although I don’t think it feels quite as rich as the Jambo House, it is still impressive.
Likewise, the dining in Jambo House is superior, although Sanaa is arguably most underrated restaurant in all of Walt Disney World.
Ask 10 longtime Walt Disney World fans to name a trio of underrated table service restaurants, and there’s a good chance half of them put Sanaa on their lists. Like pretty much all Animal Kingdom Lodge dining, it’s beloved by diehards and overlooked by most regular guests.
Sanaa scores a lot of points for offering a unique and excellent menu, and for reasonable price points.
Sanaa also offers incredible ambiance, with views of animals grazing outside the restaurant. The out of the way location of Kidani Village is an asset here, as it means that Sanaa is rarely crowded, which adds to its intimacy and also means you will usually have an attentive server.
The menu at Sanaa is quite remarkable for a Walt Disney World restaurant, with a lot of options that might scare away the regular tourist who simply wants meat and potatoes. You can find options like that at Sanaa, but the majority of the menu is a bit more adventurous.
We love Sanaa. Everyone recommends the bread service, which is a must-order, but don’t sleep on the Potjie Inspired, Vegetable Curry, or Tandoori Chicken. As much as I love a good burger, I can never bring myself to order it here. Just too many great options at Sanaa!
To those of you anxiously awaiting my “Top 10 Places to Nap at Walt Disney World” you can rest assured this little fireplace area overlooking the savanna will make the list.
I’m happy to report that I found this to be an exemplary napping location after arriving at the hotel around 6 a.m. on the LAX redeye.
Beyond the savanna, art collection, and stellar napping corners, there are the expected amenities that you’d find at any Disney Vacation Club (or other) resort, from a pool with water play area, to guest laundry, a fitness center, etc.
If you’ve researched hotels at Walt Disney World, you know the basics. Since Kidani Village is fairly new in the grand scheme of Walt Disney World (built in the last 20 years, as opposed to 1971), all of the amenities are fresh and modern. There aren’t retrofits, like you’ll find at the monorail loop resorts or other hotels.
The Samawati Springs Pool is a sleeper favorite for a lot of families.
It’s a large, lush, and has a nice play area, but it leaves a bit to be desired as compared to the feature pools at many other Deluxe Resorts. It lacks a hook or defining characteristic that makes it stand out–despite the size it fails to impress. Perhaps Disney needs to stock it with some merfolk and sea witches to complete the “live animal” theme of the resort?
Joking aside, it’s fair to point out that Kidani Village is the DVC wing of Animal Kingdom Lodge and not a standalone resort. Given its status and room count, Samawati Springs Pool arguably punches above its weight. This plus the main pool at Jambo House (easily accessible from here) makes for a strong one-two punch!
Now let’s take a look at the room.
This review takes a look at the Studio, but there are also 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom, and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas at Kidani Village. As you can probably deduce from the names, that list of rooms gets progressively larger.
The room is themed exactly as you’d expect based on the rest of Kidani Village, and I have to say that we are big fans of the style.
The rooms have a unique character of their own that stay true to theme without going over the top into garishness. There’s a lot of texture and patterning here, from the detail in the woods to the carpet and in the art on the walls. It all works really well.
It seems Disney is working on toning down the style of many of its rooms, and in so doing swings back too far in the other direction sometimes, making them a bit on the bland side. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Animal Kingdom Lodge. The rooms strike a good balance between character and class.
By Walt Disney World standards, the bed is very comfortable, but still below the comfort-level of what you’d expect from this caliber of hotel. The sofa sleeper was also fairly comfortable (for what it is).
Thematically, the bathroom also looked nice, and the split approach with the shower and sink in one area and toilet behind another door was a setup that works well.
Having the shower also behind a separate door would be ideal, but this wasn’t bad.
Directly across from the bathroom was a small kitchenette, as is the case with all Studio Villas. This includes a mini-fridge, sink, toaster, coffeemaker, and microwave. It’s a nice little plus if you want to make a small breakfast or snack, but obviously it’s not suitable for cooking Thanksgiving dinner or that sort of thing.
That is, unless you have worn out your copy of the Microwave Cookbook and memorized its teachings. (Now that’s my kind of cookbook!)
Overall, Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite resorts at Walt Disney World. Thematically, it’s unrivaled, and the Imagineers deftly balanced culture and theme with quality and luxury, without making any compromises to either. The only compromise here is location, and that’s going to be a big one for some people.
Location is probably the main reason why Animal Kingdom Lodge doesn’t receive more accolades from Disney fans, because otherwise, it should be an easy pick for the best resort at Walt Disney World. While I prefer the main Lodge by a slight margin over Kidani Village for its more grandiose style and convenience to dining, it’s a 1b to Animal Kingdom Lodge’s 1a, in my opinion.
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
Are you a fan of Kidani Village or Animal Kingdom Lodge? Why? Would you consider staying here in the future, or is it simply too far away from the rest of the action at Walt Disney World? Agree or disagree with our resort review of Kidani Village? Have other thoughts or questions? Please share in the comments below!
So I loved Kidani Village except for a few reasons:
Needing a transport to get over to the main building
Walking down the longest hallway on planet earth to get to our room
This past April there was a shuttle from Kidani to Jambo.
I think both pools are amazing.
Sure, there’s no “focal point”, but the “tropicality” surrounding each one is fantastic.
We popped in to the Kidani pool area for a drink one night, and found the atmosphere to be AWESOME. I think night time is the right time for this spot.
I stayed at Kidani in a Studio during the 2015 Expedition Everest 5K, the Savannah view was great, and I totally agree on the viewing area off the lobby, I stayed there at least 15 minutes each day.
My only gripe, is the length of the building (which they can’t do anything about since they want to maximize Savannah rooms). Maybe it was because I was doing the 5K, but the walk from the elevator felt like an eternity to get to our room, and we weren’t even the last room, I think we were in the 2nd or 3rd to last section.
Maybe it’s my imagination, but it felt like the longest walk from room to bus stop in any resort I’ve been at, which includes all moderates, Pop, all monorail resorts, VWL, OKW and SSR, (maybe you can do an article on that 🙂 )
After a full day of walking in the parks, the less walking the better.
If you get unlucky with room placement, this can happen at any resort. We once had a room at Beach Club (of all places) with a walk that felt like an eternity.
With that said…are you sure you didn’t accidentally walk to the Jambo House bus stop? 😉
I love AKL. The family loved AKL. I know this is a review for the Village but thought I would share my experiences. A few positives, we were upgraded to a Savannah view without asking immediately on arrival. If you have sleepy head children like I do, getting them up in the morning can be a challenge unless… “OMG, look at the giraffes outside our balcony.” The five year old was up in a flash every am to see what wild creatures awaited outside. Always on time for our breakfast res. She loved the pool. We went almost everyday. The Simba Club on site is fabulous. She loved playing there while me and the misses went to dinner at Jiko’s. Now, transportation was hit or miss. I usually don’t complain about busses. However, we gave up on day 2 or 3 and made use of Valet (We splurged). The great thing about Valet, you pay for it once, it can be used at all resorts.
I have never heard of the valet service. Would you be willing to give me more info or a contact. THanks
Tom
In your experience, when a resort is added to the Disney Vacation Club, does that increase the room rate for guests that are not part of the vacation club?
Room rates are increasing on an annual basis at every Walt Disney World resort–I wouldn’t say there’s any additional increase associated with non-DVC rooms at DVC resorts.
We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa last year. The room was amazing! The highlight was the large balcony that stretched the length of the room. My kids would hang out there while everyone was getting ready in the morning. They were always happy to sit and watch all the animals. Our room was almost the furthest section from the lobby which did make for a very long walk when returning from the parks with three tired kids. I wish we would have been closer to the lobby. We only ate at Sanaa the first night we were there because it took about 2 hours for the meal. We ended up ordering room service the rest of the trip. My kids had fun at the pool even in January! Great review, I love seeing your thoughts on all things Disney.
Great review! AKL is by far our favorite hotel on property. We’ve stayed twice in DVC studios and once in a regular hotel room, all at Jambo House (main building).
Sanaa is one of our favorite restaurants too, but first time guests should note that Sanaa is the only restaurant on the Kidani side.
For this reason, we prefer the rooms at Jambo- which has The Mara for quick service (and Zebra Domes in the fridge), plus two full service restaurants. And Sanaa is 10 minute walk away.
Great point–having The Mara in the main building is a definite advantage to those who don’t want to eat Sanaa for every meal… (But who wouldn’t want to do that?!)
Good review of a great resort! This is our home DVC resort and we love it. The Poly wins out slightly as my favorite (mostly on location), but this is my wife’s favorite (which is all that really matters anyway). Like you I would say we prefer Jambo house over Kidani – the lobby is more impressive and the dining options are better. That said I feel like you undersold the Kidani pool area – In my opinion it is far better than Jambo’s pool. The play area at Kidani (if you have kids) is awesome and one of the largest I’ve seen (complete with pond & waterfall doubling as a slide and fountain for the kids). Kidani’s feature slide is longer and better, and the upper hot tub is well secluded from the pool to make for a relaxing area. Still not my favorite on resort pool, but a better area for families than many.
Dang, all these comments about the pool are making me want to go back and see if I missed something. I mean, yeah, it’s large and has a good-sized play area, but it still seemed sort of “blah” to me. Still better than Jambo’s pool, but that’s not saying a ton.
I guess this is why comments sections are great–my opinion certainly isn’t the gospel, and when plenty of others disagree with me, there’s a good chance I’m missing something.
We stayed at Kidani Village a couple of years ago in a one bedroom villa. It was a wonderful space with the added feature of two full bathrooms. As far as I know, Kidani and BLT are the only two DVC properties with 2 bathrooms in a one-bedroom villa. As we were two couples it was nice to have the second bathroom off the main area as well as the master bathroom. My daughter and her boyfriend were able to stay out a lot later than we did and not bother us when they came in, as they had all their own facilities. It was also a savanna view and we enjoyed sitting out and watching “our” savanna residents. The transportation is not as good as at our home resort (BLT) but the ambiance of the resort certainly makes up for that.
That’s a great point about the bathrooms in the 1-BR–thanks!
AHHH!! You nailed it! We are going in May and staying in a 1 bedroom villa at Kidani. So excited to see this review.
We also just returned 2 days ago from a weeks stay at Kidani. AKL is our DVC home resort and where we almost always stay and I agree with most of Tom’s assessment.
If you’re planning to rent a car, or drive to FL, the location is a minor impediment even to first time WDW visitors. It is a short drive to all the Disney parks. Staying there with kids and grandkids we could easily return to the room from Magic Kingdom, rest, drive to Epcot for dinner, with little loss of time.
The pool at Kidani is wonderful for kids. The 3 and 6 year olds loved it! I never used the pool at Jambo House, so no idea how it compares kidwise or adultwise.
While Tom’s review focuses of the Studio Villa, which is a great room, I have to say the 1-BR is a MAJOR upgrade. You get a full kitchen, an in-room washer/dryer, and best of all a huge luxury bath with whirlpool tub.
It is hard to overstate how relaxing it is to be able to sit on your balcony and watch the many different animals on the “savanna”. Each trip we always talk about staying in another DVC resort, but each time we go back to AKL – because of the animals.
Fair points! I still disagree about location being a minor impediment (especially if the alernative is an MK or Epcot resort), but for many people, it very well may not be a big deal at all, so thanks for adding another perspective!
Just got back a week ago from staying at Kidani. We loved the little touches in our room: the animal carving tile border in the shower, the subtle Lion King characters in the curtain sheers, etc. I have to agree that the downside of Kidani is location. When its 10pm and you want a snack, you’re only options are to take a shuttle over to Jambo to get food at the Mara or hope that the gift shop at Kidani has some viable options. As far as proximity to parks, the buses seem to come less frequently than at other resorts. At one point we waited for a Magic Kingdom bus for 40 minutes, and when it arrived it was completely full and unable to take new passengers on since everyone on the bus was continuing on to Jambo House. Thank goodness for Uber!
I must’ve gotten lucky this go-round, as I had great success with the buses at Kidani. The wait time board was completely accurate, and I never waited more than 10 minutes. With that said, totally agree about Uber to avoid those longer waits.
My all time favorite place to be is the AKL. Thanks for the very thoughtful review. I do have to disagree about the pool at Kidani- we spent a good portion of our time there with my son (he was about 2.5 at the time) and it was better than a water park. There was so much shade, the pool bar was right around the corner, and its so well set up for families of little ones. It ranks right up there with Aulani in my book. I have always loved the dark, rich feel of the AKL, and we loved the serenity of Kidani. We stayed in a 1 bedroom, and it was like a dream- that shower was crazy amazing, and I really wanted to move in for life! It’s a bit of a pain to have to walk to Jambo House (with little kids) every single time we got hungry, and I wish Sanaa was open for an affordable brunch as its one of our all time favorite restaurants ever. Side note- We went to Sanaa on Halloween night (stayed at the Yacht Club that trip) and the whole lodge was so festive. They were giving out candy at different spots around Jambo and Kidani, and we had a blast. And its gorgeous at Christmas- simply breathtaking. We’ve been trying out different resorts, just for variety, but I do miss my home away from home! I don’t think its a good choice for picky eaters, as most of the restaurants are fairly exotic (which we love). Thanks again for the great review.
Better than a water park is a pretty bold assertion–even Storm-Along Bay doesn’t compare with Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. Otherwise, I totally agree with your thoughts on Kidani. 🙂
Thank you Tom.
The “better than water park” comment was also too much for me.
My husband and I stayed on property for the first time at Jambo house last year. We will be hard pressed to stay anywhere else now! Luckily we live close enough to make the drive so the out of the way location is not really an issue. In fact, we drove to all the parks except MK. And then there is always the convenience to Boma! That dinner! That breakfast! Jiko is a must on our next trip.
great review. maybe not the greatest resort, but my favorite. I especially like how the front entrance is lit at night with the lanterns. If you have any pictures Tom, I’d love to see them. on our last trip we went out at night and viewed the animals using the night vision binoculars – that’s something my daughter and I will never forget.
on another note, I think Jambo House and Kidani Village have the same resort audio loops.
I will be staying in here in a “Savanna View” villa for my honeymoon in November. We rented DVC points and could not believe the deal we got (less than $200 a night). We definitely should have listened to the posts on the blog / forums and looked into this sooner! This will be our first stay in a deluxe and we couldn’t be more excited! The location was the only thing that made us at least consider renting from a different resort, however we decided that the savanna view was too good to pass up. We definitely fall into the category you mentioned of regular visitors who go about things at a more relaxed pace at this point, so the location won’t effect us too much anyway.
How did you get it for under 200? When I look on the rental sites it always looks like it will cost around 300 +
Might depend on the exact dates or the specific rental site (we used dvcrentalstore), but for us it was 137 points for a 10 night stay (only one friday and one saturday which i assume are the most expensive nights) at 14.50 a point. This is for a studio villa.
Great review. AKL is our home resort for DVC also, which was a total impulse purchase on a trip several years ago. We had too much pixie dust in our eyes to resist… 🙂
We have yet to stay at Jambo House; we really love the quietness of Kidani. We also prefer Kidani’s pool area to Jambo’s; the slide is better, and the play area for the kids is great.
Since we’ve never stayed at Jambo House, I can’t say this with 100% certainty… but one thing we love about Kidani is that the one bedroom villas include two bathrooms. I believe the villas at Jambo House only have one. When traveling with several people, that additional bathroom really improves everyone’s mood in the morning while trying to get ready to head out for the day!
Kidani is our home resort. We got “sucked in” to DVC previewing these villas during a stay at Saratoga Springs some years ago. There is nothing quite like getting up in the AM and having a cup of coffee on the balcony watching the animals. It’s very peaceful.
One of my Disney “bucket list” items is to someday experience the scene you’ve described, and have a giraffe stick its head over the balcony rail. In this scenario, I also have a bag of Slim Jims to feed the giraffes, as I assume that’s what they eat. 😉
You crack me up! lol :-p
Great review! I’ve been waiting to read about AKV from you. Thanks!
A lot of what I’ve read says the pool at kidani is better than jambo. Any thoughts?
Our family has stayed at both Kidani and Jamob. While the pool and its surroundings at Jambo is far more attractive, Kidani has an amazing kids’ water play area that my seven year old and three year old LOVED. I would say the bar area at each was about equal.
I prefer the look/layout of the pool area at Jambo over Kidani; however, the slide/kids area at Kidani is superior to the slide at Jambo.
It’s definitely better than Jambo’s, and if the comments that follow yours are any indication, I’ve really undersold the pool at Kidani. If you’re a pool person, that might make a big difference!