A Review of Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas

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DVC RESORT REVIEW BEACH CLUB
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• As part of a new series, were going to start
  reviewing Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resorts here
  on the blog. Of course, were starting with one
  thats really a two-fer. Heres my review of
  Disneys Animal Kingdom Villas, one of the most
  popular DVC resorts available.

Criteria

• Okay, since this article represents the first in
  the series, I should establish some criteria.
  When I stay at an official DVC resort, several
  aspects matter. I care about location and
  logistics, the theming, the vibe of the hotel
  lobby, the restaurants and shops, the hotel
  rooms, and the other resort amenities. Most DVC
  properties also possess some sort of x-factor, a
  special selling point that elevates them above
  the rest. And thats the other part of this
  discussion.
• With DVC, youre not only thinking about one
  stay. In the back of your mind, youre planning
  dozens of future visits, thereby determining
  whether you should purchase a DVC contract there.
  So, most of what I say here isnt solely
  applicable to the immediate, single resort visit.
  Its more about whether youll be happy to own
  here for decades. Keeping all that in mind,
  heres what I think about Animal Kingdom Villas.

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Location and Logistics
Youll find Disneys Animal Kingdom on the
western side of the Walt Disney World campus,
tucked away in the southeast corner. Disney has
isolated this area a bit to protect its true
residents, the animals who live out their days at
this unique theme park.

• Disneys Animal Kingdom Villas cannot feature the
  same logistics as monorail and BoardWalk resorts.
  You cannot walk from the hotel to the park, as
  thats how you get eaten by lions. For your
  safety, its best to take a bus from the hotel to
  Animal Kingdom. Itll only take about five
  minutes. However, the quirk of Disneys villas is
  that they consist of two different sections
  Kidani Village and Jambo House.
• At times, the hotel shares bus routes, meaning
  that you may stop at both buildings, which will
  double your time. Six or seven minutes can turn
  into 15. This isnt a problem in the least,
  merely an inconvenience you should know could
  happen. Google suggests that Animal Kingdom
  Villas resides 11-13 minutes away from the other
  three theme parks. So, you should have 15 minutes
  in your head for all travel to and from the twin
  hotels. The other logistics issue here is that
  Uber and Lyft drivers dont frequent this area as
  regularly. You may struggle to find a ride when
  you want to skip the bus. However, the trade-off
  here is that youre only minutes away from a
  magnificent theme park.

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The Theming
Some hotel themes, even at Disney, remain
indecipherable. Conversely, you will always know
when youre at one of the Animal Kingdom Villas.
Disney brought back an established architect,
Peter Dominick, after his successful construction
of Disneys Wilderness Villas. Disney chose
Dominick because hed built a hotel predicated on
national park lodges. Animal Kingdom Villas
employs the same premise. The sole difference is
that the nation with parks is more of a
continent, Africa.
Youre visiting several African villages during
your hotel stay. In fact, Jambo House and Kidani
Village embody a kind of masters class from that
national park design. Both properties elevate the
same concept to stunning heights. The African
styles remain pervasive from the lobby all the
way through the parking garages. The roofs even
use thatches, a memorable, tone-setting conceit.
Youll also notice bamboo and other African
rainforest-style wood in the construction. This
propertys theme undeniably elevates it in the
minds of DVC fans.
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The Lobby
Discussing a resort with two different lobbies is
challenging. Kidani Village possesses a tighter
space that limits its grandeur. This space
somehow feels like a lovely sitting area in some
ancestral home. You may prefer it if you dislike
open spaces. I say this because the majesty of
Jambo Houses lobby could overwhelm you. Dominick
applied some of the same principles from
Wilderness Lodge and then stretched them to their
logical extreme.

• This multi-story lobby dazzles with its scale,
  yet it somehow calms visitors. Youll often
  discover people napping in the ample seating
  areas. I may be one of them. Im not even a
  napper as a rule. The tranquility of Jambo
  Houses lobby occasionally overwhelms me, though.
  When I review the lobbies, I feel conflicted. The
  intimacy of Kidani Village impresses others, but
  I find it too modest in nature. However, the
  bravado of Jambo House qualifies it as one of my
  top three DVC lobbies.

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The X-Factor
Lets cut to the chase here. The strongest
selling point for Disneys Animal Kingdom Villas
comes straight from its residents. As a DVC
owner, youll spend a handful of days here each
year. The animals, on the other hand, live here
all the time. Youre the curiosity, not them. So,
the presence of these natural habitats causes
quite a stir among DVC members. Families with
small children treasure the idea of spending the
night at a hotel where kids can watch zebras and
giraffes play. For younger families, I dont
believe that DVC offers a more fitting membership
option. Youll experience years of fulfillment as
your kids grow alongside the animals theyve
studied frolicking on the hotel grounds. Now, you
may expect the animals to reside in a different
part of the hotel grounds, far away from guests.
That statement couldnt be further from the
truth. When you exit the hotel lobby, youre
already entering the savannah where the animals
live. Its an intoxicating amenity. To many DVC
members, Disneys Animal Kingdom Villas possesses
the most significant x-factor of any
participating resort.
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Restaurants and Shops
Fans of international cuisine are devout in their
belief that Animal Kingdom embodies the gold
standard, at least among non-monorail resorts. I
wouldnt go quite that far, but thats because I
have a stubbornly McNugget-based palate. So, much
of the flavor here is wasted on me. Still, I
cannot ignore the staggering quality of
restaurants like Jiko The Cooking Place and
Sanaa.

• Wine lovers can and do spend hours sampling the
  grapes at Jiko. Meanwhile, Sanaa guests marry the
  bread service with a remarkable view of animal
  habitats. Quick Service fans rave about The Mara,
  one of the go-to Quick Service breakfasts at Walt
  Disney World.
• Personally, Im devoted to Boma Flavors of
  Africa. This All-You-Care-To-Enjoy African
  restaurant serves staples like Bobotie, Pap and
  Chakalaka, and Mulligatawny Soup. Also, the Zebra
  Domes dessert merits mention. Many Disney fans
  believe its one of the top ten sweet treats on
  the entire campus.
• The resorts main shops reside in the lobbies.
  Johari Treasures and Zawadi Marketplace both sell
  the standard Disney merchandise youd expect in a
  gift shop. However, youll discover some
  authentic African collectibles and curiosities as
  well.I always have a lot of fun shopping here,
  and my wallet hates me for it.

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Hotel Rooms and Other Amenities
Ive already highlighted plenty of amenities, but
please let me mention two more. Kidani Village
and Jambo House both feature their own pools and
waterslides. Samawati Springs at Kidani is
smaller and more intimate. Its not really a
quiet pool, though. Due to the unusual split of
the hotel grounds, both sides include a full
pool. Still, the larger one is at Jambo House.
Called Uzima Springs, its a massive pool that
Disney describes as an 11,000-square-foot
tropical oasis. Since this pool faces Uzima
Savanna, it comes with a lush, verdant backdrop
that will relax you even more while swim/sunbathe.
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As for the hotel rooms, theyre spacious and
stylish. However, the appeal stems more from the
Points Chart. You can direct-dial the hotel
experience that you desire. The cheapest DVC
Points will buy you a Value room, which is a
standard hotel room. A Standard View studio is
just what it sounds like, a typical DVC villa.
For a few more points, you may guarantee Savannah
View. This room type will guarantee you a view of
the animals from your villa. You can watch them
play while you drink coffee in the morning, eat
an afternoon scone, or get ready for bed. Its an
addictive room type.
I wont stay at Animal Kingdom Villas unless I
can book Savannah Viewunless I get Kilimanjaro
Club Concierge. Yes, thats a Club level hotel
room. You can only access the club floor when
youve booked this room type. And it comes with a
special incentive. The Kilimanjaro Club lounge
serves snacks throughout the day. Youll find
breakfast treats, brunch offerings, and so forth.
Most importantly, the legendary Jungle Juice is
available in the lounge, which makes this room
type a worthwhile endeavor for me and mine.
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Final Thoughts
When Ive stayed at Disneys Animal Kingdom
Villas, Ive always enjoyed myself. Ive never
felt like the target audience, though. My wife
and I are a middle-aged couple without children,
which means that we havent maximized the
resorts intent. This hotel is for children,
first and foremost, followed closely by proud
parents who bask in the glow of their kids
euphoria. Animal lovers qualify as the third key
demographic here, as theyll treasure the
inimitable interactions. For me, I love the
concierge floor booking option and grab Savannah
View whenever I can.
Still, I generally only spend time here as part
of a split stay, which I do somewhat frequently.
Ill book two nights at Animal Kingdom Villas
when Im going to have two full park days at
Disneys Animal Kingdom. Im just not enough of a
nature lover or foodie to appreciate this
resorts greatness. So, I rank it in the middle
of the pack for DVC resorts. Ive had A-
experiences overall here, which is great for most
hotels, just not DVC. Many, many, MANY people
call Animal Kingdom Villas their favorite, though.
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