Renting DVC Points: Jambo House vs. Kidani Village
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to two different buildings that are part of the same DVC condo association: Jambo House and Kidani Village. DVC members who own points at Animal Kindgom Lodge can book either building at the 11-month booking window.
Jambo House mainly consists of hotel rooms but has a few DVC villas whereas Kidani Village is all DVC. Both buildings offer amazing views of the animals from the various savannas and plenty of activities for resort days. If you are interested in staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which building is best for you?
Jambo House
Jambo House is simply stunning with its massive lobby, Masai bridge, African art and artifacts, and shield-themed light fixtures. Though the Jambo House lobby theming is distinctive, its grandeur and scale rivals that of the Wilderness Lodge lobby. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that architect Peter Dominick designed both resorts.
Many guests like Jambo House for the convenience of the amenities like the restaurants. You have great quick service options at The Mara, signature dining at Jiko, and delicious breakfast and dinner buffets at Boma. There is also the Victoria Falls lounge that features South African wines and light bites.
Jambo House also features booking categories that are not available at Kidani Village. This includes the Value villas that provide incredible point savings and the Kilimanjaro Club Concierge villas. The Club Concierge villas are actually the only Club Level villas for all of DVC! Both the Value and Club Concierge villas book up very quickly. If you want to rent points for one of those units, it’s always good to have a Plan B.
With most of Jambo House consisting of hotel rooms, there are fewer DVC villas here compared to Kidani Village. This makes can make Jambo House harder to book than Kidani Village.
Kidani Village
While Jambo House’s lobby feels grand, the one at Kidani Village feels more intimate. There’s even a small library off the main lobby with lots of couches and savanna views. Since Kidani Village is all DVC, availability is much better here than at Jambo House. This makes it much easier to book a room.
The rooms at Kidani Village are slightly larger in square footage, and there is an extra full bathroom in the One Bedroom Villas and larger villas. When you are traveling with a larger group and looking to book a Two Bedroom Dedicated Villa, Kidani Village is the better building. Jambo House only offers Two Bedroom Lock-off Villas comprised of a Deluxe Studio and adjoining One Bedroom Villa.
In terms of amenities, Kidani Village is home to the table service restaurant Sanaa. While there is no quick service location other than a pool bar, you can order food to go from Sanaa through the My Disney Experience app. With Kidani Village being the DVC building, it is also where you can find the resort’s community hall with all sorts of crafts and activities.
Another perk of staying at Kidani Village is that the buses heading to the theme parks will stop at Kidani Village prior to stopping at Jambo House. If you are traveling with your own vehicle or renting a car, Kidani Village is also convenient for its covered garage. This means you are completely covered during those Florida rain storms.
If you have a hard time deciding which building is best for you, don’t forget that it’s easy to travel between buildings. You can either walk or take a shuttle. This gives you access to the best amenities of both Jambo House and Kidani Village! Book Jambo House or Kidani Village for your next trip to Walt Disney World.
