DVC Resort Tips and Tricks: Animal Kingdom Villas
There’s simply no other resort like Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas! Between the two buildings, Jambo House and Kidani Village, there are more than 200 animals, great dining, and lots of activities for a resort-only stay. Whether you are a repeat guest at Animal Kingdom Villas or you’re thinking of renting a stay at Animal Kingdom Villas for the first time, here are some tips and tricks for a great stay.
Booking and Availability
Jambo House is part hotel rooms and part DVC villas, whereas Kidani consists entirely of DVC villas, which impacts availability. Kidani Village typically has much greater availability than Jambo House.
Both Jambo House and Kidani Village offer stunning Savanna View rooms as well as Resort View rooms that are worth fewer points and offer views of the resort, including parking areas. Jambo House also has two additional booking categories: Value Accommodation and Kilimanjaro Club Concierge. These booking categories are available for Deluxe Studios, One Bedroom Villas, and Two Bedroom Lock-off Villas. (Jambo House does not have any Two Bedroom Dedicated Villas.) However, there are very few Value and Club Concierge rooms, so they are among the hardest DVC rooms to book, even for DVC Members who own contracts at Animal Kingdom Villas and have the 11-month booking window.
When renting points, you have much better odds of getting a Savanna View or Resort View room.
Getting Around
From Animal Kingdom Villas, you’ll need a bus to get to any of the four theme parks or Disney Springs. Buses to the theme parks typically pick up guests at Kidani Village and then Jambo House before going to the theme parks. Disney Springs buses tend to go in the opposite order, stopping at Jambo House and then Kidani Village before heading to Disney Springs.
Jambo House and Kidani Village are actually quite close to one another. If you were staying at one building and wanted to visit the other, there is a shuttle bus that runs between them about every 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the walking path. It’s about a 10-minute walk, and luckily much of that walk is shaded.
Treats and Eats
Animal Kingdom Villas has lots of great restaurants for more adventurous eaters while still offering basics for pickier eaters.
Quick Service
At Jambo House is the quick-service restaurant, The Mara, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While you’ll find some more basic entrees like Mickey waffles, a breakfast platter, chicken strips, and a burger, you’ll also find more unique entrees like the harissa-spiced beef bowl, falafel platter, and a chermoula-spiced shrimp and oak-grilled chicken bowl. This is also where you can fill up your resort refillable mug.
When staying at Kidani Village, you can fill up your mug and find some grab-and-go pastries for breakfast at Johari Treasures. For something more substantial at breakfast, try the quick-service Kidani Village Breakfast at Sanaa. You can mobile order your meal and then either pick it up to go or sit at Sanaa. The menu offers an egg platter, breakfast sandwich, French toast, avocado toast, short rib hash, and, of course, Mickey waffles.
Table Service
At Jambo House, you have all-you-care-to-eat dining at Boma – Flavors of Africa and signature dining at Jiko. Boma is open for breakfast and dinner, and it may just have the widest variety of any buffet at Disney World. At dinner, there’s everything from African spiced beef striploin, durban chicken, and lamb and beef bobotie to kids’ favorites like macaroni and cheese, penne pasta, and meatballs. Boma is known for its zebra domes (chocolate mousse domes with amarula cream liquor and a white chocolate coating), but these desserts can also be purchased at Johari Treasures and The Mara.
The upscale Jiko has a menu that changes seasonally but takes inspiration from African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine. Some menu highlights include the Braai New York Strip, Moroccan-spiced lamb sank, seafood tagine, and seared venison loin. Jiko also has one of the largest collections of South African wines in the world.
Over at Kidani Village, Sanaa is a table service restaurant for lunch and dinner. You’ll find East African-inspired entrees like butter chicken, braised beef, and shrimp curry. Be sure to start off your meal with the fan favorite Indian-style bread service that comes with a variety of accompaniments like a mango chutney or spicy red chile sambal. If you happen to get a table by the windows, you can get a nice view of the animals on the Sunset Savanna! If you prefer to dine in your room (or you simply want to enjoy the bread service on your balcony), you can also order Sanaa to go through the My Disney Experience app.
Recreation and Entertainment
Savannas
The highlight of Animal Kingdom Villas is clearly the savannas. While it’s fun to spot animals from a Savanna View balcony, there are plenty of great public viewing areas, such as the back of the lobbies or the library at Kidani, if you are staying in a Resort View room. To help you identify the animals you see, use the wildlife spotting guide.
For a more unique way to experience the savannas, sign up for the Starlight Safari at Kidani Village. This hour-long nighttime safari tour gives guests an intimate look at over 30 species of African wildlife using night vision devices.
Pools
Guests at Animal Kingdom Villas have access to the pools at both Jambo House and Kidani Village! You’ve got the Uzima Springs Pool at Jambo House and Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village. Younger guests will love Uwanja Camp water playground near the Samawati Springs Pool. There are different sections for different age groups with fun features like bubbling geysers, a leaky water tower, and water cannons.
Community Hall
Kidani Village has a community hall with crafts and games for guests of all ages. Unique to this community hall are the Savanna View balconies! Jambo House doesn’t have its own community hall, but Simba’s Activity Center at Jambo House offers lots of crafts like design your own African jewelry and ceramics.
Additional Recreational Activities
If you’re traveling with little ones, be sure to stop by the Hakuna Matata Playground at Jambo House. With lots of slides and places to climb, it’s a great spot to get some wiggles out. Parents will appreciate that there is plenty of shade, benches, and even a water bottle refill station right at the playground.
A great way to commemorate your stay at Animal Kingdom Villas is to participate in the String of Memories Activities. You collect beads as you complete daily activities hosted by African cultural representatives, such as animal tracking, animal enrichment, and music of the savanna.
If you want to learn more about the art at Jambo House, join the lobby art tour, which is held on weekdays at 11am. A guide will teach you about the art collection, which is the largest private collection of African art outside of Africa.
Enjoy the incredible Animal Kingdom Villas for your next Disney World trip! Browse the confirmed reservations, or request a free quote to rent DVC points and save up to 65% compared to booking directly through Disney.
