Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Awesome Reimagined Rooms
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House is one of the latest resort room reimaginings, with the hotel rooms recently redesigned. This was one that had us concerned, as AKL is an exemplar of themed design, and the old rooms continued Imagineering’s great work that can be found throughout the rest of the hotel.
Despite this, many casual guests and even Walt Disney World fans were critical of the Jambo House guest rooms. While thematic integrity is great, rooms also serve practical purposes and need to be a pleasant space for guests to decompress, get ready, etc. Unfortunately, many Walt Disney World visitors found the old rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House to be dark and dreary, with a dated appearance. For our part, we mostly loved them–but also could understand all of this criticism.
We were nevertheless apprehensive when hearing that Jambo House would get new rooms, as Disney’s track record with recent redesigns has been hit or miss. Some reimagined resort rooms have been excellent, balancing form and function; others have been bland or sterile, which is the exact opposite of AKL.
In a way, it’s unsurprising that Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House would receive excellent and thoughtfully-done new rooms. This is because Animal Kingdom and its adjacent resort are two of the last bastions of consistency and integrity in themed design at Walt Disney World. Typically, Imagineering gives special care and consideration to its projects at Animal Kingdom as a result.
From a thematic perspective, these are arguably the strongest park and resort in Florida. I don’t know if this is just in my head, or if Jambo House and Animal Kingdom have a ‘guardian angel’ high up in Imagineering (perhaps having a name rhyming with Bro Bologna). When it comes to Animal Kingdom, it seems like even the thematically incongruous projects (like Pandora – World of Avatar) are done with a deft hand and thematic integrity.
Before we get into the good of the new rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House, let’s start with the bad. There are some things that we’re guessing many of you won’t like, including us. The first is our obligatory complaint about the lack of a bed runner. This “industry standard” move was to be expected, even though a handful of Disney Vacation Club resorts have somehow managed to elude the bed runner police.
Next is the laminate floors that are meant to give the look of hard wood flooring. We are torn on this–when done nicely and properly maintained, carpeting is my preference. However, it gets worn too easily and quickly at Walt Disney World, so I’m fine with this change.
Finally, walk-in showers instead of bathtubs. I’m 100% on board with this change but, then again, we don’t have kids. In any case, all of these changes were inevitable, so it’s hard to fault Animal Kingdom Lodge too much for changes happening everywhere else.
Okay, now the big changes unique to Jambo House’s new rooms, almost all of which are good…
Headboards previously were quite similar to the current carved design, but lower to the head and with linens draped from the ceiling behind them. The new look maintains the authentic African look, but is more robust and substantial.
They’re also an upgrade in terms of lighting. Now, in addition to the bedside sconces, there’s also uplighting from the headboard itself and ceiling lighting along the (also new) ceiling trim.
It’s tough to adequately convey the lighting via photos, but here’s how the room looks with all of the lights off except for the uplighting and ceiling.
I’m a total sucker for moody lighting, so this scratches me right where I itch. It’s wonderful. Perfect for late nights while watching television or if someone is (trying to) see animals on the safari from the balcony.
Here’s a wider view of the room, once again with all of the lights on.
There is a lot going on here, both in terms of texture and design, but it’s never too much. (Imagine that–our concern with a new room design is whether it’s too much instead of too little!)
On the right is the dresser, television, and a small table with two chairs.
On the left above is a themed luggage stand, which to my knowledge is a Walt Disney World first. There’s also a mini-fridge, which now is connected to the closets and has shelving above it. This is a practical improvement.
This area is a mix of old and new.
The dresser, chairs, and television are all new. The wall decor is not new, nor is the table.
Most of pieces of furniture are upgrades over their predecessors, while the chairs are a lateral move. As for the mirror…it depends.
The previous mirror here had a jagged look to it, and was a bit more fun (this same mirror is still in the King guest rooms), but it didn’t have any lighting.
I’d say the square mirror plus the light fixture are an upgrade. Where you stand on this probably depends upon whether you want another light fixture.
The new mirror also has more splashes of color. I think this is a good thing here, as Jambo House’s old rooms could be accused of not being sufficiently vibrant.
One thing we appreciate about the room reimagining at Animal Kingdom Lodge is that they’ve managed to incorporate Lion King details in a tasteful manner.
The above Simba in the dresser (which is also new) is one example. Another is here:
We are fairly indifferent to rooms featuring Disney characters. If it works with the theme, great. If not, a lack of characters is also totally fine. (Say it with us: Disney characters do not equal theme.)
With that said, it’s nice to see the authentic African style mesh well with subtle Lion King touches here. The two don’t clash, and neither feels forced or awkward. Best of both worlds.
The one exception to this is arguably the Hakuna Matata art in the bathroom; I’d personally prefer some authentic art, but whatever. It’s not a huge deal.
That aside, these new bathrooms are nice. This is pretty similar to the old bathroom, but with the patterned (and overly-busy) wallpaper removed, plus better lighting and more storage space. The mirror is also different and the new rectangular sinks are more on-trend, but those are lateral changes.
I also like the new light fixtures and curtains.
The curtains are colorful and nicely patterned (and have some hidden Mickeys, if you’re into that). The design of the sconce lighting also adds more texture to the rooms.
It’s hard to convey the full appeal of these new rooms, and if anything, I feel like I’m underselling them here.
We both liked the old rooms in Jambo House, finding them thematically rich and pure, but also a bit on the drab side. These new rooms remedy our prior complaints with some pops of color, plus more texture, and design that is as (or more) thematically rich.
At the same time, some problem areas (like the busy look of the bathrooms) and dated styles have been freshened up. There’s also a litany of practical improvements like USB ports, luggage storage, and the wonderful new moody lighting options. The end result is a new room that strikes pretty much the perfect balance of theme, luxury, and practicality.
There are potentially some minor quibbles to be had with the new rooms in Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but all things considered, these are a home run. We would take these in an instant and without any second thoughts over the old rooms. That’s not something I can say for any of the previous Deluxe Resort redesigns at Walt Disney World.
Ultimately, Imagineering did an incredible job with these new rooms at AKL, and whomever designed them should also be tasked with more room reimaginings at Walt Disney World. These do an excellent job of balancing themed design with a functional and pleasant space, with something for everyone–whether you’re a hardcore fan of themed design or a casual guest who just wants an inviting place to crash after a long day in the parks.
Even more than before, we highly recommend Animal Kingdom Lodge as a place to stay during your Walt Disney World vacation. While all-bus transportation to every theme park is a definite negative, the efficiency of the buses has improved tremendously in the last several years, so this is no longer the ‘dealbreaker’ that it once was. In every other regard, Jambo House is an excellent resort. Now we can add top-tier new rooms to its list of strengths!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of the new rooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Do you prefer the look of the old or new rooms? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Love the new rooms. Thank you for the great review. I will however miss the ceiling fan.
Thanks for the great review and pictures, Tom. 🙂
I am going to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge in the beginning of September and this will be my first time there. I have a couple of questions and was hoping that you could help me out:
1. I’ve booked a Standard Room, with two Queen Size Beds. How do I know if I will be assigned to the Jambo or Kidani Building?
2. Is there an official way to request being assigned to a newly refurbished room or even a specific building?
Thank you for your time,
-Matheus
Hi, if you have booked a hotel room it will be Jambo house, kidani village is only dvc so studios 1 and 2 bed villas and grand villas.
To make a request just note it on your booking , however there is no guarantee they will satisfy your request. If you don’t get what you want you can always try asking again at check in nicely and they may work some magic.
Thanks for your reply, Greg.
How do I make a request/note in my booking? Via MyDisneyExperience I can only see hotel requests based on: Higher Floor Rooms, Lower Floor Rooms ir Close to the Lobby. But couldn’t find any field that actually allows me to enter a specific request such as to be assigned to one of the new rooms. Thank you again!
I recall seeing another review of these refurb rooms online about a month or so ago. The couple was traveling with a small child, and their bathroom had a bathtub. They mentioned that they were told some rooms still had tubs – you would need to request one, if needed. LOVE this refurb! Cannot wait for our stay in February!
Awesome! Now I am looking forward even more to our stay at AKL in December. I scored an awesome discount with a Bounce Back deal for a Savannah view room. Now I am toying with the idea of adding on a couple nights here to our September stay as well.
BYOBR: Bring Your Own Bed Runner
Nothing will ever be as nice as the DVC Grand Floridian 🙂
I stayed at the Grand Floridian about three decades ago, so my memory of it is not quite sharp, but I/we loved AKL when we stayed there three years ago.
Disney seems to have gone away from the heavy theming and decided to go with a more subtle approach at all of their resorts. I’m okay with this. Being that we stay at OKW most of the time I’m a huge fan of the subtle theme approach. As for the things that you have issues with…1. Bed Runner – couldn’t care two hoots about this. As soon as we get into our room that thing gets tossed into the closet. I’d rather that they spend the money used on those on something else. 2. Carpet – while this tends to muffle the sound and it’s nice to step onto something soft when you get up in the morning, Disney (as most hotels) do an awful job keeping the carpet clean. So….I’m all in favor of tile. I think the rooms look great…huge fan.
Yeah, I think with so many families having allergy issues nowadays the carpet removal pleases that segment of guests.
Other than the lack of bed runners, YAY! Maybe I’ll just have to BYOB(ed runner).
Love the new look, one of the better updates for sure! This will make me think harder about staying at AKL next time we’re down. I’m with you on the bed runner bandwagon. We were in a studio at Beach Club this past June and noticed they still have one even after their last refurb. Adds much needed color to the stark white beds!
They look better than most of the redos. But I am tempted to use a favourite Tom Bricker phrase and say, “these aren’t nearly as bad we expected.” Again, Disney used to be about exceeding guests’ expectations and now it’s about barely meeting their much lower expectations. I am not a fan of the removal of all carpeting from resorts. That is a money-saving move as they hate cleaning it daily and they hate steam cleaning it regularly. The plain white look of the beds just doesn’t feel right (although I know this is an industry move, I just stayed at a true 4-star hotel in Madrid that had the exact same). I know you have mentioned how just a simple bed-runner improves this (and it does), but they don’t want to spend on anything.
I generally agree with your opinions, although I think the Hakuna Matata print is awful. The Lodge is supposed to be themed to Africa, not a Disney franchise. The other LK touches are more classy and subtle. This is a knock you over the head deal.
Removing tubs doesn’t bother me. But again, agree with you that many families with younger children are not going to agree.
I also think they lightened up the halls too much, but I realise that many Guests have had issues with the ambience of all the Domineck designed properties. My opinion is that maybe they should stay somewhere else more their style.
Have all resorts done away with ceiling fans?
My only thumbs down with the new room is that they seem a lot noisier without the carpet to absorb more sound. I’ve had a hell of a time sleeping at Pop Century since this change. Could have been the gaggles of teen cheerleaders surrounding me though.
I’m probably in the minority here, but I really don’t care as much about themed rooms, so much as the rest of the resort being themed properly. I like the rooms to be clean, comfortable, big, properly lit, convenient to food and transportation, good views and a balcony. By the time I reach my room, I need rest and cleanliness. I’m not against it having a theme, but it is not my first concern. When I step out, different story. I want everything to be deluxe, I detest the All Star resorts. All Stars transports you to the feel of a 70’s motel which is not a good thing, imho. I do love the theming at the AKL, GF, and DWL. I also like the theming of the Beach Club and the neighboring resort. I don’t like walking too much at a resort, I want to rest, so I’m not fond of CS. POR has great non-room theming as well.
Trust me you don’t want a bed runner or carpet. This is definitely a way to keep rooms much more cleaner and sterile and to eliminate germs and bacteria and I hate to even mention bed bugs but it is. White sheets are also good because you can put chlorine on them to truly sanitize them. Where i understand how certain things may make it look fancier. I am all for the clean look with less things to Contaminate
Ha! You called those Caribbean Beach new rooms a “home run” when you wrote the post for them. Your quote: “To me, the new room is an absolute home run.”
Ha, it appears that I did. Well, in that case, this is the first grand-slam home run of Walt Disney World’s room overhauls.
Looks great. I love AKL and DAK, so it’s a relief to hear they’re protecting thematic integrity here!
Do they plan to add a pulldown single bed in any of the standard rooms during the reno? Like they have in some Poly and even Caribbean Beach rooms? I sure do wish a standard room could accommodate a family of five. I don’t need a kitchenette while I’m on vacation so a suite is not worth the added cost.
Wow, they look great and love the bathrooms! Much lighter and brighter!
Why do they have all of the beds look like hospital beds with plain white sheets with nurse corners? Just not pretty at all. Why does a bed at a Hilton hotel look nicer than the way more expensive rooms at Disney World
It’s called bed bugs, and it’s the smart decision to make for any amusement park hotels. White sheets are easier to identify those creatures and AVOID those creatures from spreading. If a hotel doesn’t have white sheets, I’m not staying because I don’t trust their beds! Most major hotels only have white sheets now because of this reason. I rather stay in “hospital beds” than some fancy gold sheets that could easily hide creatures in them.
Agree with Lau. Plus, with white sheets, they can bleach them and easily see if stains are there. And most importantly, I can more easily see if stains are there. I’m ALL for white sheets!!
Tom – that room looks amazing. Maybe you could help me understand what is the difference between Animal Kingdom Lodge and Jambo House? Aren’t they basically the same place?
When most people think of Animal Kingdom Lodge, they’re already thinking of Jambo House–it’s simply the main hotel.
However, there’s also Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village, which is the DVC expansion.
Ok but are the Jambo house rooms different sections from the regular lodge rooms? When booking online they are separate.
Those white beds are definite ambiance killers, so hospital looking. With all the natural cream coloring, they really stick out. Why on earth not bed runners!
Rick, they are two different hotels. Like Tom said Kidani Village is the DVC Resort, so they have studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and grand villa options, they also have more bathrooms and all but the studios have kitchens. It’s quite a walk between the two hotels. Jambo house is the original hotel and has mostly standard rooms with some of the smaller DVC rooms.