Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village

I had an amazing experience at Kidani Village! From the moment we arrived, multiple Cast Members went above and beyond to make our stay feel special. Everyone we encountered was incredibly helpful, polite, and genuinely welcoming. It was my daughter’s birthday, and so many Cast Members took the time to wish her a happy birthday, which made the day feel extra magical. She was glowing! A special shout-out to one of the chefs at Jiko — I wish I’d caught his name! We were a bit lost finding our way, and he went out of his way to personally guide and help us. That kind of kindness truly stands out. Kidani Village is a beautiful resort with an even more wonderful team. Thank you for making our visit unforgettable—we can’t wait to come back!

Our stay this past December was a major let down from pervious visits. We have stayed in a variety of Disney properties in the past. Are stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge was first rate. Unfortunately this visit was less than stellar. The Kidani Village units are to far from the main lodge. Our unit was tired and dated. We had to call maintenance 3 times for issues. Lighting was poor and parking was hard to find. I understand that the Village units are undergoing renovation which should improve the room décor and feel. Even with room improvements I would not stay at this location again.

The staff which includes, front desk, housekeeping, bellman, and restaurant staff were all great. The rooms were comfortable but they are beginning to show their age. I think I heard they were going to begin refurbishing the rooms next year which is definitely needed if they want to be considered a deluxe resort. Overall a great place to stay especially with kids, who would love to see the animals that roam throughout the resort.

Love staying here when I can have a savanna view. It's so cool to be able to go out on my balcony and see the animals. The only drawback is if your room is not near an elevator. It can be a long walk for those with any difficulty ambulating

Just the best experience staying at this hotel! Stayed as a group of 6 friends. Super comfortable rooms, lovely staff and great amenities including large swimming pools. It’s amazing having the giraffes and other animals in the middle of the complex. Will definitely be back!

Excellently themed. 2 BR villa was great for 4 adults and 4 children. Housekeeping did a great job. Only knock was that out room was a 6-7 min walk from lobby area. Got old after a couple days.

I’d read the Disney World website description of Animal Kingdom Lodge and knew that the wildlife held a strong focal point of the theme. However, it was not until I entered my room that I fully understood what it meant.||||Deluxe Studio - Savanna View:||I booked this room pretty late, with only a couple of days' notice, but managed to snaffle a Savanna view room via the DVC website! I was thrilled and super excited, and I really was not disappointed at all.||||I was assigned a room in Zazu - to the right hand side of the main Kidani Village building. It was a fair walk down the corridor from the atrium, something I wish I knew in advance - after a long theme park day, the trek to the room just felt a little too much. Alas, it was worth it though, as the room itself was perfect.||||Entering from the hallway, you had the bathroom to the left - a perfectly sized space. A separate toilet and door to the left, and a shower-over-bath to the right, with a sink unit in the middle, and a ton of storage / surface space on either side and beneath. A large mirror took up the majority of the wall above the sinks, which was a great size. The lighting in here was a lovely amber colour - whilst this fit the theme perfectly, it wasn’t fantastic when it came to getting ready - sometimes a simple white light (or the option of such light) is preferable. Alas, this was not an issue, and more of a “it’d be nice to have”. The bath was great, and the shower was incredibly powerful - something that cannot be taken for granted when it comes to hotel rooms, I’ve found.||||Back in the room, there was a small kitchen space with a drip-coffee machine, microwave and a medium sized minifridge (sadly, no freezer). The sink unit was great for washing up cups that I’d used in the parks, so I could keep everything nice and clean.||||There was a large wardrobe with plenty of space for all my clothes - with the most beautiful, wooden doors that again, really fit the overall African theme. ||||The TV was inset into the wall with a fantastic wooden surround, directly above a set of draws, providing yet more storage space. To the left was a nice large table (but not too large) with two ornate wooden seats. Directly opposite was a pull out sofa and coffee table that proved to be a perfect space to relax after a long park day.||||The bed was incredibly comfy, with the most luxurious-yet-simple bedding I’ve experienced across property. The pillows were sumptuous and I fell asleep almost instantly every time I laid down. I cannot fault it at ALL!||||The balcony was my favourite space in the room - large and overlooking the Savanna. The animals come fairly close, so the views are fantastic, but even when they are off in the distance, the way the building is laid out in a horseshoe shape, they are never really too far away. I enjoyed mornings watching the animals slowly wake up and wander, alongside mid afternoon breaks where the animals ran around. Most of the time there was something to see, and this was my personal highlight of the entire room. There’s something special about watching the wildlife whilst enjoying a cup of tea before embarking on my day.||||The theming was lovely and not in your face. It was a nice mix of ambient lighting and dark wood, something I really appreciate. I felt incredibly relaxed the entire time I spent in the room.||||Facilities:||I did not spend too much time at the resort, but I did visit the shop a couple of times - located in the main atrium, they had a lovely selection of merchandise, including shirts, ears, sweet treats and snacks. I unfortunately experienced really bad sinus pain during my visit, and rushed down as soon as they opened one morning to secure pain medication - thankfully they had this and it was a godsend. Remember to make use of any discounts you may have - DVC, Annual Pass, Blue ID etc as it’s all valid here!||||I can HIGHLY recommend Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge as one of the most relaxing and exciting places to stay on Disney World property. There is always something to see, and the animals add an extra touch of magic to any stay.

Overall disney trip was fun. I'd recommend any other resort unless you're obsessed with animals. The pools are no fun for kids over 4. The hotel rooms are way out of date. I had a 2 bedroom villa, 2 tvs would work for 5 minutes then the screen just turns white. No response from front desk. On our rest day they had crews cutting down trees outside our window all day. To finish it all off when we go to leave, they will NOT give you a cart to take your belongings to your car. Not to mention, every time you need to get to your car, front desk, or any amenity, its a mile walk. Would not recommend spending this much money for lousy service.

I stayed at three different hotels this disney trip. Shades of green, Kidani, and Drury hotel. My honest ranking of the three 1. Drury Hotel by Disney springs (incredible) 2. Kidani Village (good and different) 3. Shades of Green (terrible, refer to my review on them on yelp) But, this review is about Kidani Village. I think this place is stunning and the service is 10/10. Kidani, your workers keep this place magical and worth the stay, so please give them credit where credit is due. (I'm sure you treat them well, but just saying they deserve a praise and a raise!!) My Only complaint(s) are... The distance from the lobby to my room! This place needs more elevators. After getting off the HOT elevator, my room was a TEN MINUTE NO EXAGGERATION walk... After a LONG day in the parks the very last thing I want to do is walk alllllll the way to my bed for another gut wrenching 10 minutes. My other complaint is, I wish the pool or pool bar was open later BUT, most hotels don't offer a late pool day so it's okay. Kidani pool is magnificent along with the hot tub and great food/ drink options. A piece of advice, if you're staying at Disney parks all day and for most of your trip, you might want to take a break in between to enjoy the pool and scenery and animals here as this place is an experience within itself. AND ask for your room to be close to the lobby if you don't like walking far after a park day, (we did ask to be close to the lobby because my grandparents are old and don't want to walk more than they have to and we were very far away) but we did book our stay kind of last minute, so that may be on us!!! So book early and REALLY ask to be close. My last piece of advice, If you are going to the parks with no breaks or pool days, save your money and stay somewhere that doesn't make you want to stay in the hotel. LOL. It's a blessing and a curse being THAT beautiful, Miss Kidani. Kidani, I hear you are renovating next year and I BEG of you, make the walking distance less miserable with more elevators and hire a better architect !!! Then I would be more likely to give this place a five- star review. Thank you to all the hard workers here that are extremely helpful and kind!!!

DVC property was beautiful as always. Had lots of animals stop by and visit. The amount of space was phenomenal and people there were friendly as always!

Animal Kingdom Lodge is amazing! Even though animal kingdom is not my favorite park, I do love the lodge and campground. It's The view of animals right outside is awesome. I haven't been to the lodge in an about 10 years, but this visit reminded me why I love it so much. We went to Sanaa inside the lodge--the food and atmosphere were incredible. A must-visit for Disney fans! Check out my review on it

Stayed here for an overnight trip for my son's birthday and got the 'safari view' room. Was it worth the $$? Probably not but it was still pretty cool to see the animals roaming around right outside your balcony. Unfortunately, our room was at the end of the hotel and we had to crane our necks a little to see down the safari, but the hotel was good enough to move certain foods around the property so the guests can see the giraffes walking toward those food sites, where you can get a really good picture. The hotel staff was great and interior was really cool. A little older which kept with the safari theme but I thought it could use a bit of updating. The rooms were big and spacious and the bed was actually really comfortable. The one buffet restaurant we went was to delicious and our server was amazing. Refilled drinks when needed, provided information about their buffet selections and was just overall awesome with his service. The gift shop was really cute with a lot of custom made wooden pieces of animals and other typical items from Disney. Pools and kids playground was huge- bigger than the cruise that I took a week before haha! But lifeguards were LITERALLY on duty, rather than them sitting on their podiums, watching people with boredom. I mean they were literally standing up and walking the perimeter of the pool making sure kids had their parents with them or had their life jackets on. Overall it was a great experience but not for the price I paid to get a safari view hotel room. I would've much rather just spent that $$ on a regular room and walked around the property to get a little closer to the animals. Since they're constantly moving, it's not always guaranteed you'll see anything but hey, if you're willing to splurge, definitely go for it!

What a beautiful hotel! The Kidani Village hotel is primarily for Disney Vacation Club owners. Disney has two Animal Kingdom hotels with the main hotel being Jambo House. Last year when we stayed at Jambo House, I was floored by the magnificent main lobby, the layout is very large and inviting. There's an area where you can sit outside and enjoy the safari surroundings. (There's a fence) When we walked into Kidani Village, I felt like it was a replica. It had the same feel as the primary hotel but at a smaller scale. The animals and safari are still viewable, it just felt smaller. The view and theme are still magnificent, just know you'll have to walk to Jambo house to dine at the AK restaurants. The pool is what throws me off, It knocked off a star but I had to put it back. I'll explain in a bit. The rooms are larger and more updated than Jambo House. We walked into our two bedroom villa, there were *3* bathrooms. Disney, kudos. That was very smart room planning. My master bedroom was really amazing. From the luxurious bathroom to the king size bed, this was truly a well designed room. The A/C kept the room comfortable throughout the night. If your not familiar with a Disney hotel, do you think this is a noisy A/C wall unit with the multi colored push buttons? Surely you jest. Disney has this entire hotel space flowing with cool air. My wife mentioned, let's keep the patio door open while we sleep! Um... Did you see it's a jungle outside?? I pictured a monkey sliding in the room, slapping me in the face. Wake up big boy! We have parks to visit. I'll pass thanks. The view? I can't even describe what I'm seeing: zebras, giraffes, wilder-beasts and, I can only describe it as a bull with some large ass horns? Crazy man. The Kidani Village pool? It's zero entry and not very deep. I understand zero entry to appeal to kids. The DVC hotel should of been geared towards adults with a deeper end like Old Key West. So impressed with the Kidani hotel, we had a 5 star hotel stay.

This time we stayed at Kidani village at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Two story, three bedrooms, four bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, two living rooms as this was part of the DVC villas. So comfortable, beds soft, pillows a little high, water stations at the lobby. The patio was large and we were on the highest floor to see animals from morning to night, rain or shine.

Awful. My husband and I are Pass-holders and we always stay at Disney Resorts. This is by far the worst Disney resort we have stayed at. The room was FILTHY. I have a video of dust floating around the room, it's so bad, it looks like snow. There is no king bed or two doubles option. They only have one full sized bed and a sofa bed that's probably 25 years old. If you're staying at Kidani, make sure to take your own drinks and snacks because there's no QSR on the property. There is only one sit-down restaurant, Sanaa. The toilet in our room was broken, so they sent two techs to fix it while we were in the room. They were in there over 30 mins. The bathroom sliding door didn't close all the way- if you're okay with seeing your family member sitting on the toilet, I guess it's okay. Save your money and book elsewhere.

Three star hotel. No in room dining, worn rooms, and no character meet and greets. Lacks the Disney magic.

This was our second time staying in the AKL (Deluxe Villa in Kidani Village). I have loved both stays here, but it's not perfect. The good: it's beautiful! Themed grounds, lobby, rooms. Obviously, the animals are the main draw. They have several species, including wildebeest, zebra, giraffes, addax, greater and lesser kudu, ankole cattle, impala, nyala, waterbuck, red River hog, gazelle, okapi, eland, and a variety of birds, including crested cranes, female ostrich, maribou, and ground hornbills. They don't have the paper spotting guides anymore, just a QR code you can scan, which isn't the same. The animals roam free so you see a variety each day. Some of the rooms have great views and some less so. The staff are friendly and helpful (bell service, front desk, concierge, and animal handlers were all great, and housekeeping was over the top fantastic! Remember you can tip and leave compliments for them too!) The rooms are great. We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite (3 bathrooms, kitchen and living area) with a savanna view balcony. I'm a very picky sleeper but the beds were comfortable, pillows were great, and it was shockingly quiet in the rooms. I barely heard anyone else around us! There is a small washer/dryer in the room, and while it's pretty loud, I didn't hear anyone else's going through the wall the whole time we were there. No toilet flushes, early showers, yelling kids, nothing! Only when someone was dragging furniture above us and a kid ran back and forth once in the hallway did I hear anyone else. Very peaceful! There were plenty of outlets and USB ports around the rooms, 3-zone temp controls, good water pressure, and fully appointed kitchen (fridge/freezer, toaster, stove/oven, microwave, coffee maker, dishes and utensils). The food options are all delicious, but limited if you don't plan ahead (getting to that in the next part) The pool and play area on the Kidani side is really cool with a water slide and multiple activities for kids. The bad: obviously, the main downside is the price. But other than that, I only have a few negatives. First, the location of the room makes a huge difference. Staying on the lower levels gets you a closer view of the animals, and not all savannah views are equal. Some have much more limited space or other obstructions like fences, barn buildings, and pipes. The Sunset Savannah views are safest. Also, realize that this is a vast and spread out hotel, so the walk from the lobby to your room may be extremely long. While it's mostly a very quiet and peaceful hotel, there can occasionally be rude guests who yell at the animals or thinks the echo is fun and scream on the balconies. This only happened a few times and was short lived (never too early or too late, and only noticeable if the balcony doors were open), but it did take some of the magic away when someone was shrieking like a gibbon and scaring the animals away! The food options, while delicious, do not allow for spontaneity. Most restaurants in both parts of the AKL (Kidani and Jambo House) require reservations far in advance. The Mara is a counter service spot at Jambo House, and the only one not requiring reservations. The food is good (basic chicken strips and burgers , along with flatbread pizzas and African inspired curry dishes), and has grab and go items like sandwiches, salads, desserts, and basic market items. Because the resort is so far away from the others, it is not convenient to hop on a bus and go to a different location if you want a quick meal. You can either frequent the Mara, try to get in to one of the other restaurants on the waitlist, or plan to eat in your room. We had a grocery delivery or you can buy a few frozen items like pizzas in the lobby gift shop. There is a shuttle that to goes between Kidani and Jambo every 15 minutes or so (or you can walk in about that time, but if you have a room on the far side of the hotel, the shuttle is usually an easier option!). The park busses go to both locations, but since it's a more remote resort, plan to have a slightly longer wait and ride than many of the others. All in all, I love the resort. As an animal nerd who loves East Africa, it's my favorite hotel. It comes at a price (financially and convenience-wise), but it's a wonderful experience!

We've been coming here for years. There seems to be less and less perks with DVC and Kidani. After driving a long trip and arriving to find out they no longer hard room service was a bummer. They have "To go Service" but that was not available due to the My Disney app glitching out. Secondly, told to go to room to use App to unlock room did not work after taking luggage up there. Had to hike down to lobby and get magic bands - My Disney app still would not unlock door entire trip plus they had an outage while at parks meaning we had to go to Guest Experience. Back to the lodge, be sure to get groceries due to lack of food service now. Main shower was covered in mold around all the caulk. Dishwasher was not installed correctly and dryer had seen better days. Looks like skimping on maintenance. Makes you wonder how your annual fees are being used for maintenance. Positive side, front desk was helpful, cleaning crew was great, and great view of the animals.

Is the hotel worth the price paid? As other suggest, probably not. Part of it depends on where your room is located. Ours was on the 4th floor a LOOOOONG way away from the main entrance. It was a good 15-20 minute walk, which is a lot when walking back from the parks or after a long day, especially for little ones. There were definitely times where we debated doing something, but didn't want to take the walk. There are very few elevators throughout the resort, so shortcuts are basically non-existent. We were in a 2 room suite with a safari view. Having access to a dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, and microwave was great. The dishwasher looked like it was from the late 90s. The room was well decorated with plenty of African themed items. There was a pull out sofa couch and chair, which were a huge hit with our kids. The main bedroom had a jacuzzi tub. We were excited to use it on our week long stay. The first night my 2 kids were taking a bath in it and the button for the jets stuck. We called maintenance and they sent up a couple techs. They were there for 2 hours! It was almost 11 PM by the time they left and we were exhausted from our long day and trip (woke up at 6 am). Plus we had an early morning to catch the shuttle. When we tried the bathtub again a few days later, it again stopped working. We didn't want to have people in the room for another 2+ hours and were half afraid it might electrify us, so we sadly gave up on it. It seems maintenance is lacking in some of the rooms. The community room was a nice touch. We spent a few evenings in there playing "don't break the ice", shooting pool, and just relaxing. Once it reaches capacity they shut the door, which means if you have family members in there, you're out of luck. Considering it is so popular, especially when it rains, they should consider moving it to a larger area so more people can enjoy it. Most of the staff were extremely pleasant to interact with. However, I asked for a luggage cart to transfer a Target order back to our room. Based on the person's reaction, you would have thought I was asking to steal it and never return it. It wasn't anywhere near 4 PM check in time or the early check out time, so why the "cast member" gave me attitude is beyond me. The check-in process didn't go smoothly for us AT ALL! We arrived early, around 2 30. The front desk grabbed our luggage and stored it while we grabbed a bite at the other section of the lodge. It was almost 5 when they finally notified us that the room was ready. We again stopped by the front desk and went up to our room. To our surprise, none of our bags were in there. We called the front desk and were told they tried to deliver them but nobody answered the door. They were brought all the way back down to the front desk, so somebody had to deliver them again. Why they weren't just left in the room is beyond me. Instead, we had to sit around waiting for our luggage to begin unpacking and go swimming. I feel as though a more organized hotel would have had all of our bags in the main area of our room as soon as we walked in. The little store they have in the building is ridiculously priced. We had trouble with our grocery order, which meant we had to rely on it for a few extra drinks. Powerades were something like $6. Everything was shamefully marked up, making it clear you should avoid the stores if you have ANY other option. We didn't have a car and things were often more expensive at the parks (not by much), so we were stuck paying whatever they asked. Finally, I'd advise against the bracelets. They seemed like a cool idea. It links to your account, unlocks your door, and gets you access into the park. Beyond that, they really don't do much. You need to keep them charged, which meant plugging them in at night. They don't even tell time, which I think is a major oversight. They come off VERY easily, especially for little ones. I can't even count the number of times my daughter almost lost hers at the parks, in the pool, or roaming around the property. After we left I was thinking they should have included the watches with a room reservation. Come to find out they did, but realized they could charge for them (like EVERYTHING else) and stopped including them. I think the biggest travesty is that they're not transferable. We were going to hand them off to relatives that were debating going next year. Nope, they can't be reprogrammed or switched to different accounts. So they'll collect dust in a drawer until the next time we go back, which may be never. As with most things Disney, overpriced and a complete waste of money.

This was always our favorite resort because it's just so peaceful. This trip, however, didn't live up to the past visits. The room we got was awful. We had a standard-view room, which we usually always get, but the view was bad. I mean really bad. We got a roof and some huge pipe things. The shower was frustrating. I had to turn it on well before getting into it because it took a long time for the water to get hot. And there was very little water pressure. The tub was also very slippery. There's no form of anti-slip anything on the tub floor. There's also motion sensors in the water closet and in the sink area. As soon as it senses motion, it turns a fan on. Walk past the sink to get to the water closet and both fans turn on. They weren't quiet. I'd often wake up in the middle of the night if someone went to the bathroom. The second bed isn't really a bed. It's a sleeper sofa. And it was loud. Every time the kiddo rolled over, it would make some creaking-like noises. And I've knocked this resort for this before, but there's no quick service at this resort. Unless you want to eat African food at Sanaa, you have to go to Jambo House for quick service, which I wouldn't recommend. Our burger was half-cooked and cold. So were the fries. The cast members are really friendly here, though.

What's not to love about a resort where you can sit and enjoy wild animals from almost any view point you choose. If you have a room next to the "safari" you can watch them right from your balcony. If not, you can take a walk down your hallway to the large picture windows and stop for a view, or take a walk down on the actual path to get a up close and personal view. Rooms are comfortable and well-appointed. I always appreciate the extra steps Disney goes to to ensure safety during the Covid period. Staff are always friendly and helpful if you're in need of directions or assistance. One of our favorite resorts and the sit-down restaurants at the resort are some of the best in our opinion as well.

We have been DVC members for 25 years and this is the first time that we have stayed at any of the two Animal Kingdom properties. We stayed at Kidani With a Savanna View. We actually decided on AK because of my 2 year old grand baby. She was thrilled to see Zebras & Giraffes from the balcony. I was under the impression that there would be an animal spotting guide and night vision goggles in the room, but ours did not. Perhaps because of COVID? There is a walking path to Jambo House plus you can also get there via internal buses. While we've never stayed here, we have visited Jambo House in the past, so did not go there this time. The pool at Kidani is perfect for us. Zero Entry pool & a large Splash Play Area. They also have life vests for the kids which are complimentary to use. The room was spotless and we loved the bathroom! We had a studio with the standard kitchenette. The best part, of course, was the balcony with a view of the savanna. Bus service was horrible though. We drove to most parks. Except for Magic Kingdom. That's the one park that I insist on taking the bus. We waited over 45 minutes for the MK bus. While 4 buses for Springs, 2 for Epcot, 2 for Studios and 4 for AK came by. So frustrating! Aside from the bus situation, we had a fantastic stay and will definitely stay there again.

My family and I did a 9 day stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village at the end of July. We were originally booked for the Art Animation Studio, but the hotel was closed and pushed out reopening towards middle of November. We still wanted to do our Disney World vacation, so we swapped to a open resort, specifically Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village. We took the Magical Expressway to Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village and arrived relatively late, around 10:30 P.M EST. Luckily, we checked into our room before boarding our plane to go to MCO. We had received our room via the phone application and had our magic bands linked to the phone. When we had arrived to Kidani Animal Kingdom, there was one team member at the front. We were not greeted with a "Hello" or "Welcome." It didn't feel like a Disney experience. Our room was located pretty much all the way at the end of the resort on the 4th floor. It was quite the walk to get to the front lobby from our room. It was about a 10 minute walk. The hotel room was beautiful though. We had a two room/two bathroom villa. It had it's own refrigerator, microwave, oven, kitchen table, dishwasher, washer/dryer, and much more! My daughter had mentioned that we could live here if we wanted to, which is true! The room was awesome. The bathroom was nice. It had a whirlpool bathtub and a stand-in shower. The toilet was in a separate, small area with a door attached. The other bathroom was used with the sofa bed, living space. It had a bathtub/shower combination. The bedrooms were sanitized and cleaned every 2 days. There wasn't much to do at the hotel. The community room was open, but you couldn't really play games. The arcade was closed off and a lot of the amenities just weren't available. Sanaa was the only restaurant open (see my other yelp review for Sanaa). There was much to offer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at this hotel. One of the evenings, we spent at the pool, but social distancing guidelines were in-place and many of the normal pool activities were not allowed. Now the hotel itself is beautiful! the decor inside it was in awe. We had the safari view and every morning we could see the animals outside the balcony. There is a variety of seating at the front-desk where you can sit and enjoy the safari area. Kidani also has a small mini-mart which has a variety of Disney memorabilia and groceries if you need. There is bus transportation to all of the parks - Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs. This was one of the downfalls to this resort. This resort, being located in Animal Kingdom, has one of the longest transportation waits to the Theme Park. One evening, we waited almost a full hour for a bus to arrive at Disney Springs, and this was quite common. The other theme parks, we'd typically wait 15-30 minutes for a bus. If you're looking to spend a lot of time at the theme parks, I'd highly recommend avoiding this hotel and look for hotels near Magic Kingdom or Epcot. We didn't encounter much of the Disney team members at Kidani. It was our daughter's 7th Birthday and we ended up having to go to the front to get the 1st time at Disney World and Happy Birthday button for her. The times that we did encounter the staff, no one really talked to us or greeted us. Towards the end of the stay, looking at the final bill, we were overcharged for a vehicle that we never even had booked. We informed the front-desk that we only used the bus transportation offered by Disney and that we used the Magical Expressway to go to Kidani Village and to back to the Airport. If I try another Disney hotel, I'll probably try one of the hotels with the Monorail attached instead since most of the time, we spent at the theme parks.

We did not stay at the lodge as we were only here for lunch. This is a beautiful lodge and very quiet. What sets this location apart from the other resorts is that they have all kinds of animals roaming around. Thank goodness it was a cool morning so I could see the zebras and giraffes. I asked the woman who was there to answer questions guests might have if any of the animals can walk right up to the fence. She pointed out sticks that stuck up like dried grass. She explained that they were called hot spots and the animals know that if they touch the sticks, they would receive a shock. You can see the sticks in the zebra photo. However, she mentioned that the birds have not realized this yet and still will cross the line. Great place to stay if you aren't interested in the Disney Parks. I found this hotel to be too far in my opinion.

The lodging is a bit rundown. The carpet in the common areas is worn and stained. Not what we expected for the money. The villa has a washer and dryer. The units have seen better days. But, still glad to have them. The bed was comfortable. I cannot say if the foldabeds were comfortable. There is a free laundry in the building. That is a plus. The washing machine appear a bit old.

Despite my review, this resort should get five stars. The staff is amazing and the theming is just spot on, better than most Disney hotels that I have stayed. We encountered a problem with our room, which the staff desperately tried to work out, but could not. We were correctly compensated for the issue, but in my mind at least, there is is still an issue that could not be resolved. Okay, now that that is out of the way, I can say this is a beautiful hotel. It is a mini version of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which happens to be my favorite hotel in all of Disney. Like the Jamba House, it still has access to the Savanah for animal viewing, to the point of supplying night vision goggles in the evening. They have several restaurants and easy access to Disney busses, fitness and pools. My issue was our room only had one bed for five people. The alternative beds were a pullout and a futon type chair good for anyone 5'7" or smaller. It was not a great fit for our family and families that do not sleep well are just not happy families. As I said, the staff made every effort to address the issue but just could not.

We just got back from a 5 day stay at Animal Kingdom Kidani Village-Savanna room overlooking the animals. It was a very nice stay, there was nothing wrong with the resort, the room or the view but I will let you know about what you will not have if you stay here. First off, Animal Kingdom lodge has two buildings, the main lodge is called the Jambo House and has 2 restaurants, Bomas and Jiko. Both are really good, Jiko is fine dining and worth it!!!! The lobby is just beautiful! Kidani Village is also very nice but not as grand as Jambo House. 1- it's a smaller room! Don't expect anything over the top in your room. You won't be wowed by the decor, but you have everything that you need. The bed was a queen size I believe and very comfy! The deck was nice sitting size for 2. Bathroom has a nice size counter area ( thank goodness! ) 2- It's a walk! The resort is kinda shaped like an m with the lobby in the center. Our room was 188 steps from the elevator ( not that I'm weird and count ) And I believe we were a little past half way. 3- Higher may not be better! We originally booked a room on the 4th floor but then asked when we got there if that was a good choice. They suggested a 2nd or 3rd floor room because on the higher floors your view may be blocked by the trees! We got a 3rd floor room and the view was great. I think a main floor (2nd floor ) room would have been good too! 4- There is no food court in this building! There is Sanaa which is a table service restaurant. They do offer a counter service for Breakfast. There is a gift shop right off the lobby that has a refill station for your refillable mug. So to sum it up, the view of the animals was great, there were always Crowned Canes outside, we saw Ankole cattle, Eland and Ostrich most days and saw Giraffe and zebra a couple of times. The Cranes are loud at night but not loud enough to keep you up! They come around and put out the food at about 8-9am, so that's a great time to see the animals! The laundry room is free to use! Bonus!!!! There is a craft/activity room....cool! And there is an arcade. We had no issues with transportation. The walk from Jambo to Kidani is a ways, I didn't count the steps but I'd guess a quarter of a mile. Overall, this was a nice quiet, relaxing place to stay for our 5 day trip. It was just us, no kids! We are newer DVC members, so I want to eventually stay in every lodge. I'm checking this off my list and we don't think we will choose to stay here again! We would, however, eat at Jiko again and maybe Boma. Still have not eaten at Sanaa, I'll have to check that off my list at some point.

We love the theming, the room and the Savanna View! We stayed in a 1 bedroom. Only con for us is the Disney transportation is the bus only so we stayed here on the last leg of our trip when we have rented a car prior to heading to Vero. As someone who have tried multiple Indian and African cuisine, I do not get the hype for Sanaa. It was a one and done for us.

Beautiful. Truly a wonderful experience. We stayed in the Kidani Village with a Savanna view and it was breathtaking. We woke up one morning to animals just outside of our balcony. It was so great that we decided to cancel our morning plans and ordered room service and we sat on our balcony and ate breakfast as we watched the animals. We also had a wonderful dinner onsite at Boma. The bread service was awesome! We've never had naan bread before this and now we love it! They provided a few different breads with a few different spreads and each one was delicious.

We didn't stay on property but we explored it while we waited for our dinner reservations at one of the restaurants on property. It was pretty cool to see different Savannah's and see the animals exploring and interacting. We also checked out the pool area to have a drink at the pool bar and that was a pretty relaxing area too. We may want to stay on property to check out the rest of the amenities because from what we saw the resort was gorgeous.

We really enjoyed our stays at the Kidani Village Area of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort because it does such an amazing job conveying the feeling that you've been whisked away to an exotic African Safari Lodge! There is a walking path that connects both Jambo House and Kidani Village, but there is also internal transportation between the two! Kidani Village is the second phase of Animal Kingdom Ledge Resort and opened 2009, which is 2 years after Phase 1, Jambo House. Kidani Village area features it's own a restaurant, pool, and recreation facilities in addition to the new accommodations. The outside of the resort buildings feature some really cool straw hut style roofs and the inside of the resort buildings feature exposed wooden logs strung together with rope to really hammer home the Africam theme of the place. Our room had the Savannah view on the 3rd floor which had a nice view of the giraffes, night vision goggles, mini fridge, iron, hair dryer, and coffee maker. Microwave is available upon request if you say you have a medical need foe it. The majority of guest rooms have Savanna views. There are over 30 species of African wildlife including zebras, giraffes, gazelles, kudu, and flamingos in the Savannas. Guests can try to identify each species with the Wildlife Field Guide found in their rooms. The standard view rooms overlook the pool, garden, or parking lot. The standard view room views can be requested but are not guaranteed. For $75, guests can take a Starlight Safari after-dark safari tour of Disney's African savannas and wildlife. We opted out of this option as it was a bit pricey for just a 1 hour tour plus we had night vision goggles in the room. The primary resort ground areas consist of: - Jambo House - Kudu Trail - Zebra Trail - Ostrich Trail - Giraffe Trail - Kidani Village This resort features 2 pools, 3 slides, 4 hot tubs, tennis courts, 2 kids pay areas, and 2 gyms. The slide at the Jumbo House pool was a little too short for my liking but the slide at the Kidani Village pool is much better & longer and I highly recommend it! Having lot of hot tubs is great for privacy! There tennis courts on site if you want to get a game of tennis in! The gym was pretty good size for a hotel and even included a sauna and steam room which was nice for relaxing and detox! The Animal Kingdom Lodge features 4 restaurants on site so you're sure to find something you like on property even if you don't particularly care for African food! "Boma - Flavors of Africa" features African-style cooking in a buffet setting from a whopping 50 different African countries! "Sanaa" features cuisines along the historical spice route of Africa, India, China, and Europe for a wide variety of dishes. "Jiko - The Cooking Place" features African-style cooking with influences from the Mediterranean coast, India and Europe. I look forward to many more visits to this beautiful African resort in the future!

Wow. This is one of my favorite resorts in Disney World. Kidani village is the DVC extension of the Jambo House. Yes it's smaller with fewer restaurants and shops, but Jambo House is a short hop away. Kidani provides a cozy and relaxing feeling as you enter the lobby. Its nicely decorated with African artwork and designs. The rooms are spaced out with some long hallways, so make a request for a room closer to the lobby if you can. They have a restaurant and a small gift shop available. There's also a community center and arcade to keep the kids entertained. There are observation areas when you can sit and view the Savannah day and night. We stayed in a one bedroom unit and it was awesome. The full kitchen was convenient and well stocked with supplies. The washer/dryer was useful during a long stay. The living room is spacious with some comfy furniture. There's a 65 inch HD tv that really brightens the room. The master bedroom oozes with comfort. A comfortable king sized bed, desk area to work out of, and an amazing master bath. The enormous master bathroom has an soothing jet tub and spacious walk in shower. What brings this place over the top is the view of the Savannah. The animals are amazing. Seeing them at your own leisure, day or night from your room is fantastic. By the way, make sure to check out the night time animal watching the resort offers where you can use night vision goggles to view the animals. Truly awesome. The family friendly pool has a nice long water slide. There's a water play structure that's also a kid favorite. Life vests and towels are readily available. There's plenty of seating and lounge chairs. Overall an amazing place to stay. Great theme, awesome decorations, and amazing room. I truly felt welcomed home.

So my wife planned this trip to Disney and we stayed here. Room was nice although we didn't really have a view of anything other then the street lol. But the washing machine was a piece of junk had to call maintenance to come fix it. They showed up said it couldn't be fixed and they'd bring another one tomorrow at 9am. Thought fine we'll be gone perfect. Get back from the park my daughter does a load of laundry same problem the machine never got replace. Had to call management again they sent 2 more guys out to look at it then they changed it and by this time it's after 9pm so that sucked. According to a brochure in the room housekeeping was supposed to come clean every other day. That didn't happen we had to called to get extra trash bags and coffee filters. When I complained to the front desk they said they only take out the trash and replace towels every other day. Which is BS!! We spent a lot of money here, the least they could do is clean our room like every nice hotel does. I don't know, to me when you spend money on lodging you expect things to work and housekeeping to clean your room everyday unless noted otherwise. I wouldn't stay here again!!

Words cannot express what a wonderful time we had at the Kidani Village at the Animal Kingdom Resort. I had to convince my kids to take my granddaughter there during the Covid-19 pandemic. I told them that we will do our own cooking, have food delivered and enjoy the resort without exposing ourselves at the parks. My two year old granddaughter loved watching all the animals from our villa. We took her to the pools when all the other visitors were at the parks. She loved the waterside. A tour of the grounds makes you feel that you are actually in Africa. The are done with the true high quality Disney standards and don't disappoint. Attention is paid to every last detail. The furniture in the villas even adds to the African theme. Even the bathrooms carry the detailed theme from the tiles to the door knobs. Walking around the resort for us was as enjoyable as going to the parks. There are viewing areas everywhere: from the lobby area and throughout the long hallways. Thank you Disney for another job well done. We certainly had a wonderful, unforgettable vacation. It was the pickup that we needed after being cooped up for months during the Covid-19 pandemic. I would advise anyone else going during the pandemic to be vigilant, obey all Covid-19 laws by masking up, practice social distancing and sanitize hands and anything you touch. We told staff that we didn't need anyone to help us with anything. They understood.

Disney Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House Buffet We went prior to Covid-19 in January All the food was fresh, hot, and tasty. Passionfruit very sweet, omelet station was very good, sausage, bacon, tater tots, and of course Mickey's waffles. The service was excellent. Seeing wild animals definitely added to the experience. I would eat here again.

Kidani Village is completely separate from the main Animal Kingdom Lodge and Jambo House. It was about an 8 minute walk from one lobby to the other. Kidani Village is full of villas only so they all have at least a mini-kitchen. I've stayed at studio villas both at Jambo house and Kidani Village and they are the exact same - two beds, a couch and a kitchenette. The only disadvantage to Kidani Village is that it is further away from the main lodge, but truly it's not that bad. A quick 10 minute walk and you're there. Plus Kidani has their own bus stop! Score. Johari Treasures is the gift shop in Kidani Village. They have some gift items from Disney and Animal Kingdom Villas related, but also groceries, some alcohol, and various personal care items. Kidani Breakfast is now served at Sanaa as quick service option. When I stayed at the Villas a couple months ago, they were testing grab & go food at Sanaa. We purchased an overpriced banana for $2 and a more accurately priced African Bobotie Pie that filled me up just fine for a quick breakfast. I love staying in the villas with DVC and Kidani Village is no exception to that. Home away from Home!

I really wanted to love this hotel, however I didn't. Pluses...I like the parking garage. We parked relatively close to the elevator that took us to our room. You walk to the lobby to get to food and transport inside the hotel vs outside in the hot Florida sun. The room was equipped with a microwave, a fridge (which was way too cold as it froze our grapes) and the room also had a ceiling fan. The bathroom is HUGE...we just got off a cruise ship so that was important. Minuses...once you open the sofa bed you have no space. Between the 4 large cushions and the 2 tables that make up the coffee table and the table and chairs you can't move and have to climb over everything to get to the balcony. The animals. People stay at animal kingdom hotels, on the Savannah side so they can see animals. We did see a few birds, an animal I can never remember the name of and I think antelopes but no Giraffes or Zebras. The animals are not visible at night and they don't seem to be on the Savannah until about 9amish. We got a decent passholder discount but I don't think it was worth what we paid. It had been on my bucket list of Disney hotels and it was a let down.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge consists of 2 similarly themed resorts. The Jambo house (bigger lobby) and Kidani village (30% smaller lobby & more intimate) are the best DVC resorts as far as I'm concerned (12/19-26/2022) At the Jambo house the place is very festive during Christmas. It is always clean and well maintained. I like the scent of it as you walk in the lobby. The staff is very warm and welcoming. Everyone is always smiling and greeting you. As far as the African theme of the decor goes, its very authentic and interesting. When we come and stay here we always opt for the savanna view where you can see the exotic animals (zebras, giraffes, etc) its definitely very exotic and unique. The public bathrooms are always super clean (except at the Boma/Jiko restaurant area, where it needs a full time maintenance due to the very high traffic) The gym area is well equipped and clean (with clean towels) The pool area is big, well maintained, and of course very relaxing. The restaurants in general are very good to excellent as far as how i would rate it. They offer from basic (Mara, counter service, Boma (premium buffet), to Jiko (sit down/ premium dining) Our stay was for (first 3 days) 1-bedroom villa/ regular and (additional 3 days) at the 1-bedroom villa/ concierge level (kilamanjaro club level/ with 15 hour buffet style dining included) On the regular, there was 1 separate master bedroom with a queen size bed, 1 love seat sofa sleeper, and 1 lounge pull out sleeper, theres a subdivided 1 bathroom ensuite, combo clothes washer/dryer, full well appointed kitchen with full size appliances and dishwasher. All the utensils, cutlery, pots and pans, china are provided. Its like a very well appointed apartment. Room service is every few days on the regular DVC and "daily" in the concierge/Kilimanjaro club level. Your key is coded to access the Kilimanjaro club on the 6th floor. Not every guest can access that level. Plus it has a dedicated service staff and concierge on the floor which is super convenient. The staff knows who's at the 6th floor level guest list. Everything is great except for 1 beef that my wife has, "THERE IS NO FULL SIZE MIRROR !" What is up with that??? The only difference at kidani village is it has an additional bathroom in the 1-bedroom villa wc makes it very convenient. Other than that its the same setup. Also since the kidani village is a separately located building, it dies not have the Kilimanjaro/concierge level (that is only at the Jambo house) There is a white shuttle van that exclusively goes between the 2 hotels only. I highly recommend these 2 facilities for lodging when you are at the Disneyworld resort. As far as visiting the theme parks Disney shuttle bus service is free and a schedule monitor is at the bus stop. By The Way, the Disney MyExperience app SUCKS BIG TIME !!! -NOT intuitive -CONFUSING -CRASHES all the freaking time -VERY BAD user interface with ridiculous, not informative to NON EXISTENT feedback. The company who designed that SHOULD BE FIRED !!!!! A S A P

Stayed at this resort for 6 nights. We had a 2 bedroom 3 bathroom room with the savanna view. Really loved staying here! I especially enjoyed waking up every morning and seeing animals outside my balcony. All of the employees here are very friendly and will greet you as you walk by. You can spend a day here at this resort since there are plenty of things you can do here. There is a community center where you can do diy activities, play pool and other games. There is also an arcade across the hall! They also have a nice pool with a bar along with a gym which I unfortunately did not get to use because I did not have enough time during my stay :( I booked an hour long night safari here where they drive you around multiple savannas. They give you night vision goggles so you can see the animals. Had no issues at all here! Would definitely love to stay here again. Great disney resort with accessible shuttles that goes directly to each park.

I have never met a Disney hotel I didn't like. Full disclosure I am a DVC member. We own at Bay Lake but like to mix it up if possible. This year we secured a 1 bedroom savanna view in Kidani. The lobby is breathtaking but maybe not as breathtaking as the Jambo House lobby which is the sister hotel. The large glass windows in both where you can see the safari animals. You can get so close to them as well walking outside. It actually kind of takes your breath away. There are also little activities at both hotels where the staff (almost all from Africa) will educate you on animals, country, music etc. while doing this you earn beads. The beads correspond to what you are talking about. I wish we would have had more time to do this because we only earned 2 beads and I wanted to earn them all. This hotel is spotless. The food is amazing. It has a wonderful Peking garage which is under ground so you are close to your room. The elevator is fast. Did I mention food. Yes amazing. Our pool was great at Kidani. They had fun activities, very comfortable chairs, clean area and very attentive Life guards. They actually saved one kid while we were there. The animal view was great from our room. Loved waking up and watching the animals eat. We had a spotting guide in our room as well that told us what animals to look for and a bit of information. Also the spa tub was so nice after a long day at the parks.

Always amazing. Our home property for Disney Vacation Club. We love bringing guests and staying in the two bedroom villas.

Waste of your money go to Africa if you want to wake up to animals at your windows! They are probably screaming for help as you snap pictures for 450 a night! And please someone please tell me it is about the experience! My daughters went all year round 2 years one in prek one in first they remember absolutely nothing! Moral of the story I am taking donations

We got an amazing, huge, 1-bedroom suite with a huge balcony looking out over the "savannah" where we saw giraffes, ostriches, zebra, cattle, antelope, and could just chill and relax. When I say huge, I mean it. It was a massive living room with two sleeper sofas (one queen, one full), an enormous master bathroom with jetted tub and shower, along with a full kitchen and other full bath. It was at least 50% bigger than the first apartment my wife and I lived in. Also, it was far enough out of the way from everything else Disney that it was pretty quiet and chill. The price wasn't low, but nothing Disney is. To add to all of that, the pool was stunning. It had a huge open spray park like area for kids with water cannons to shoot at a pirate ship, buckets that were filling up and splashing as well as a little splashy pool to play it. As if that wasn't enough it had a zero-entry place for kids to splash in the main pool and a huge twisty water slide that was great for kids and adults. Add to that that Sanaa is the restaurant in the basement where you could eat really, really good food and this place seems like a clear winner among places to stay at Disney.

Our first visit here as a new DVC home resort and we loved it. First off if your debating between this lodge and Jambo, this one is definitely more quaint and quieter and the larger of the two resorts. It's a 7 minute walk to all amenities of Jambo and is a smaller lobby, larger water slide on the pool and a trek if your room is far from the lobby. Jambo was very busy and reminded me of Polynesian crowds, plus is mute restaurants and other amenities. However our stay here in a 1 bedroom villa Savannah view was nothing short of spectacular and my worry about buses being infrequent and this place being farther away was quickly dispelled due to this place being closer to Epcot and Hollywood studios and just an all around nice resort. Rooms are decorated in animal themes and the villas here are huge rooms, more room than the Beach club or boardwalk and all around huge bathrooms etc. this is definitely a place to stay and off the beaten path of Disney busy. Plus they brought all the African exchange members back and they fill the resort teaching classes on animals etc to the kids. This also is the only resort I've seen with authentic art, all over the resort. A must stay if your thinking of a resort.

It's was not quite what I expected. The room was ok until we opened the sofa into a bed. There was no room for any of the furniture in front of it. It was also very difficult to get to the patio to watch for the animals. The animals? There were non let out early in morning when the guest were up and getting ready to leave for the parks. It was around 9am when we first saw them. And I guess we were in a less important section on the Savannah because all we had were some Wild Asses and Antalopes. The Zebra, Giraffes and Wildebeest were walking around in the VIP guest areas. I was not happy when they tried to come in and clean our room at 8:30 in the morning. The good things. The room was a nice size before opening the sofa. The bathroom was nice and large. Parking is under the building.

Kidani Village was perfect for our short stay (3 nights) because we were only spending two days in the parks and this is obviously close to animal kingdom so one day was a short commute and the magic kingdom day was a long commute. If we were spending more days in the other parks, I would opt for a more centrally located hotel. The splash pad for the kids made this a much better pool for us than the animal kingdom lodge. The splash pad and bigger water slide were awesome!! We paid for a savannah view, but I don't think it was worth the extra expense. There are so many rooms with savannah views because the grounds are huge and we hardly saw any animals at all from our room. This was over many different extended periods of time. The animals stay by the lobby where they are fed for the most part besides an occasional exotic bird or two crossing by your window.

This was my favorite hotel I've ever stayed in. I've been waiting years to come, and the hotel surpassed my expectations. To start, everyone who works there is friendly and welcoming, as is the Disney way. There are even drummers near the lobbies sometimes. The decor is beautiful and African safari-themed. I stayed in a 1-bedroom standard view and didn't know what exactly to expect. My room ended up being amazing. I actually called someone to see if they wanted to come join us because there was so much space. The 1-bedroom had 2 full bathrooms, 1 of which had a whirpool tub and standing shower with a built in bench, and a HUGE dressing area. There was also a full kitchen, dining table, tv in the bedroom and living room, and pullout sofa in the living room. There was even a large balcony if you want to get some fresh air. This setup would have comfortably fit a family of 4. I hung out in a friend's room while there, too. It was a savanna view studio. The room was not as large, but did have a kitchenette, was comfortably sized, and a nice balcony overlooking the savanna. The chairs had metal zebras on the backs, which makes everything more fun, too. Even if you can't get a savanna view, there are plenty of places to view the animals in the savanna, from the windows in the hallways, to the spacious outdoor areas that you can walk through. The pool areas are also great and you can easily spend hours there. The pools had waterslides, kid play areas, splashing fountains, zero entry area, and hot tub. Add to all of this that there are some really great bars and restaurants and you can easily spend days here without being bored.

This is a review for the Kidani Village location, as they have two different locations. The 1st one opened on April 16th, 2001 called Jambo House; and their 2nd location is called Kidani Village, which was an extension that opened in 2009. Even though the rooms at Kidani Village are newer, Jambo House are the villas that you want to stay at! I may seem to be quite negative over Kidani Village, but it's for multiple reasons, whereas Jambo House is so much better! The rooms are all the same; but Kidani Village lacks the grand lobby, they only have one restaurant (Sanaa), and a tiny gift shop. Jambo House has three different restaurant, a grand lobby and a big gift shop. The main reason why Jambo House is better is that all their rooms are close to the lobby, which is close to the bus station too. At Kidani Village, you could be at a room where you are extremely far from the lobby, where it can take you more than 5 minutes just to walk to the lobby, and even more to walk to the bus station! Those are all the reasons why I have to lower my review of Kidani Village to a 4-Star rating, because staying at Jambo House is truly a 5-Star experience! Anyway, as for the Animal Kingdom Lodge; you can stay here and not even go to any of the theme parks. It is so refreshing to see the animals through the balcony window as you lay comfortably in own bed, watching TV, cooking food in the kitchen, or eating in the dining room. As a DVC member, this is where you want to use your points at, as paying cash for a room here is extremely expensive. If you want to conserve your points, you can always get a room with a view of the parking lot, whereas the savannah view requires a lot more points. Even if you don't have a savannah view, you can still see the animals at the lobby area.

This resort is very relaxing. It is a great place for adults and children. The savanna view affords you the opportunity to see the animals all day long but they're especially active at feeding times & in the evening. It is great to see all the animals so well cared for by their well trained staff. They have great restaurants or you can cook in your own vacation kitchen. The pool is beautiful as well. Even if you don't go to the parks you can spend your time relaxing g here.

Breathtaking! I loved staying at this resort! Waking up to giraffes and zebras out my window seemed so unreal. Each room in the suite had a window access so we could all see the animals. There's a beautiful pool inside the resort as well. The staff was nice and provided several complementary ideas including a strong mosquito repellent!

"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope." ~Mufasa As most of you know, I am a Disnerd. Most of my check ins are for the parks. Can't help it, haha. Anywho, so while my boyfriend was deployed, we decided to book a trip to Disney World for the summer after he got home. Since I love Disney so much, I put seriously work into deciding on which resort we were going to stay at. It came down to the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian or Kidani Village. My boyfriend pointed out that we had an option for a safari balcony view with Kidani, and that ended up being the selling point for me. So we made the call to Disney to set up our stay. Fast forward to August and we've arrived on the Disney Transportation, complementary service provided through the resorts :(^_^) which was awesome because they take everything up for you, so all you worry about is checking in and getting comfortable. Kidani Village is the last stop on the tram so be wary of that when you take the bus in, we arrived to our hotel about 60 minutes after boarding the bus at MCO. Upon arriving, you pass the bus loading areas for the different parks. There were 4 sections, each one labeled with the stops it made, usually 3-4 per section, as well as a digital wait time board that displayed approximately how long until the next bus arrived at your location, which was pretty useful. Concierge was amazing, they gave us our room info, explained how the magic bands worked within the resort & what they could be used for. Whilst he checked us in, i wandered around the upstairs lobby which was adorned in African art displays and statues with placards identifying each object, what it represented and if it was linked to any native tribe(s). There is also the Johari Market, which is like a mini mart, and then an upstairs viewing area out to the savanna and fire pit areas. Inside the Johari market is a rapid refill station. If you have a dining plan, you're provided a souvenir mug(like the hot mugs from DL) with a chip in the bottom of it. The drink dispensers read the chip and will provide unlimited refills for the duration of your resort stay, but it cannot be used inside the parks, only the resorts regardless of which one you are staying at. You can use your dining plan snack credits for certain things in the market, like desserts and fruits or water but not things like aspirin or lotion. Our room was on the 3rd floor facing the savanna area, which was absolutely awesome. We had opted for the Deluxe Studio room with Savanna views. I loved the room, it was pretty bright during the day, and had a mini fridge, microwave and sink. The room had a queen bed, pull out sleeper, bathroom area with a private toilet room, a dresser with attached closet and private balcony. I literally took my mirror outside to the little table and did my makeup out there every morning because it was just far more enjoyable to get ready while watching the animals. They provided an animal guide in our room for the various types they have on the savanna - approximately 45-50 different animals. We literally saw everything from ankole cattle, zebra, giraffes, wildebeest, large birds, boars, okapi, & gazelle. The bed was super comfy, like a cloud of pillows, i literally hated getting out of bed every day haha. Room service was incredible. I wish i'd taken a photo of the menu because it was pretty nice, especially since we needed it our first night there because we decided to wait on figuring out the bus system til morning. You can use your quick service credits for room service or have it charged to your room as well. Once we got exploring we traveled downstairs to the outside viewing area which provided us with views of the zebra and ankole walking around, and rocking chairs around a fire pit to enjoy the views with! During the day they had an animal expert outside talking to guests and answering questions about the wildlife, feeding and conservation. Downstairs is also home to the resort's restaurant/bar, Sanaa, which we loved granted we only hung out at the bar this trip. The only inconveniences were the locations of both the pool and gym. To get to either, you've got to go out the main lobby, to the right away from the drop off area, follow the path around to the gym and upper level jacuzzi, then further down to get to the pool and the splash pad/play area. The pool had a slide which was cool but we only ever went down for the jacuzzi, which there were 2 of. There was also a bar in the pool area by the lower level jacuzzi, but it closed around 10pm, while the pool areas/gym closed at 11pm. They were both well maintained and the gym had good equipment, we were able to do most of our regular routines without much modification. All in all, I would DEFINITELY stay at Kidani Village again because it was over all just really magical (^_^)

This is our first time here for everything... Coming to WDW and using our DVC points here. We booked a 7 night stay here from Oct 2-9.We are local to Disneyland so we use DVC there more often. Well we are not happy with the location of the room. Upon check in via online we were given the Pembe House pumba area. (When I booked this vacation through DVC I asked them for a Sunset Savannah view. Because reviews said the was the best view to see many animals) It wasn't a good view especially for what they charge in DVC points. The room was all the way to the back which took use about 15 min to walk to. The view is not that great. We looked out the balcony and seen wired fence. We only saw some animals ( Gizelles, zebras, ostriches, and wart hogs) which also was a big disappointment because they hardly came to the back area. As if we were in the area where no one cared about. I did go back to the lobby which again was a 15 min walk and speak to Alexis the CM and she advised me that the room I requested at booking was not mentioned in the reservation. Then she went ahead and called to check to see if there was a room available to switch to. Unfortunately there was not for that night we check in 10/2/2020. But they did have it available for the rest of our stay. That meant we had to switch rooms the next day. She assured me that they told here the next room was going to be an amazing view with us being able to see all the animals. Side note: the jacuzzi tub was dirty with hair in it and I had to clean it my self. When I called down to the lobby to inform the CM all she said was ok thank you for letting me know and I will inform house keeping. Surprise.... we get the Sunset Savannah view just opposite of the other room we had the night before. Walk from the lobby was another 15 min walk to the room but just on the other side in the zasu tower. Animals??? What animals..... all was see are some birds feeding on the ground and a long horn bull and zebra once in a while. We have to walk 15 min to the lobby area to be able to see the Giraffes, and other animals. This is very disappointed and we are only on our 4th day here. We feel as if we are just thrown in the back and forgotten about. This is not the experience we wanted to have being our first time here At Wdw and staying at Animal Kingdom Kidani Villas through DVC. The CM here don't even greet you with a Welcome home the way they do in California upon check in at the lobby.

This place is unbelievable! If you stay here, get the savannah view room. We've seen giraffe, zebra, ostriches, and antelope. Sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee watching exotic animals was amazing. Also, take a walk down to Jambo House and eat at Boma. Amazing! The pool and hot tub here are clean and well kept. The staff is fantastic, true Disney style. We had a one bedroom suite and the rooms and beautiful. Clean and full of amenities. If you have a kitchen buy your breakfast items in the gift shop (amazingly cheap) and cook to save some money. The bus came regularly to bring you to any Disney park. I will definitely come here again.

Well, I can't speak for the rooms and service in general because we were staying at the lodge... however, we visited the Kidani village twice in order to explore and eventually eat at Sanaa. I must say that they view of the Savanna is way better here than at the Lodge. I was able to see more animals in their Savanna rather than the one at the lodge... and from a closer distance. I will say that their lobby area seems tiny and cramped but I was at the lodge which their lobby area is just crazy huge...

This was a great on property stay. The resort misses some transportation benefits some of the other "nicer" Disney Properties have (boats, walk to park, sky buckets, etc) but waking up in the morning and seeing the savanah from your balcony makes up for it. The pools at both locations (kadani and jambo house) are great pools and the food at the counter service at jambo house was more than solid. My suggestion to the reader is enjoy the property. Dont book Disneys nicer properties and then spend all day at parks.

Disney has fallen! My family and I saved for 2 years to come here what a let down. The service is nonexistent. I paid more than my first car to stay here for a week. They have never even cleaned the room or taken away the trash. I had to go to the front desk and ask for towels and they acted like they were put out. Save your money do not stay here. The first room we got was next to the pool in the back of the hotel. We paid for a savanna view. No big animals and a very long walk from the lobby. When we booked this lodge I requested close to the lobby. I went to the lobby desk and showed them the reservation they were annoyed and were patronizing. Not a lot is open no activity's, no savanna tour, no campfire, the lodge is stripped down to no service. This is a big deal for us and I feel ripped off and lied too. I am a very big Walt Disney fan. Walt always trained his staff grew their talent strived for the best. Not here. Disney has fallen.

A little disappointed to go through the drab parking garage to get to the pool. Kinda takes the magic away. Construction vehicles between us and the animals is a distraction also. Walt is not happy that the behind the seems stuff is now put in the open.