Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani Village

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village is set in over 46 acres of tropical Savannah in the Animal Kingdom Resort area just a short drive from Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

Rating: 4 stars
Rooms: 495 villas
Rates: from $269 to $2,215 Check rates

Address: 2901 Osceola Parkway, Bay Lake, FL 32830
Area: Animal Kingdom Resort
Nearest airport: Orlando International (MCO)
Map: Click to view

Transportation to the Disney theme parks, water parks and Downtown Disney is by Disney motor coach.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas actually consists of two separate developments, the new Kidani Village  (described here) and the original Jambo House which is about 1/2 mile away. Guests can take advantage of the facilities at both resorts.

Kidani Village is one of Disney's newest Vacation Club Resorts and the first phase opened in May 2009 with the second phase planned for the Fall of 2009.

The Kidani Village building is in the shape of an African Water Buffalo's horns and houses 492 Disney Vacation Club Resort villa apartments.

Themed on an African safari lodge, with authentic African artifacts, they look out onto the African Savannah landscape created at Disney's Animal Kingdom where 30 species of animals roam including giraffe, zebras, gazelles, ostriches, wildebeests and antelope. The existing Sunset Savanna has been extended and a new Savannah, the Pembe Savanna created.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas complex is located at the western end of Osceola Parkway ajoining the south west corner of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

It is only 1.0 miles from Disney's Blizzard Beach water park and 2.0 miles from Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

Rooms/Suites

Each of the villas has a private balcony where you can look over the resort area and pool (Standard View) or the Savannah (Savannah view) depending upon location.

If you have a Savannah view, then you might be able to wake up to the sight of African animals from your balcony in the 46 acre wildlife preserve. As you would expect there is a premium for the Savannah view.

All the rooms are decorated in an African style with hand-carved wooden furniture, wall hangings, wooden-paddled ceiling fans and earthy tones.

Rooms sizes are bigger than the normal Animal Kingdom Lodge and are suitable for between 4 and 12 people. If you are looking for club-level service, then you will need to consider the Jambo House villas as they are the only Disney Vacation Club Resort villas to offer concierge service.

All the villas have kitchens or kitchenettes (Studio villas) with multiple bedroom units from studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom up to grand villas. Unlike Jambo House, all the Kidani Village villas are only available in the Regular category, there are no Value category villas available.

Studios are around 366 square feet  and will sleep 4. They come with a queen-size bed and a full-size sofa bed.

The one-bedroom villas are 807 square feet and sleep up to 5. The Master Bedroom has a king size bed with its own master bathroom and whirlpool tub. In the living room there is a queen-size sofa bed and a single sleeper chair.

The two-bedroom villas are a lot bigger with 1173 square feet and will sleep up to 9. The Master Bedroom has a king size bed with its own master bathroom and whirlpool tub. In the second bedroom there are two  queen-size beds. There are two further bathrooms. In the living room there is a queen-size sleeper sofa and a single sleeper chair.

There are also two-bedroom lock-off villas consisting of a studio and single bedroom villa with 1173 square feet and sleep up to 9. The Master Bedroom has a king size bed with its own master bathroom and whirlpool tub. In the second bedroom there is a queen-size bed and a full-size sofa bed. In the living room there is a further queen-size sleeper sofa and a single sleeper chair.

The three-bedroom grand villas are bigger still with 2201 square feet and will sleep up to 12. They are on two levels unlike the other villas and have a total of four bathrooms and a separate dining room. The Master Bedroom has a king size bed with its own master bathroom and whirlpool tub. In the second and third bedroom there are two queen-size beds in each. In the living room there is a queen-size sleeper sofa and an additional upstairs seating area with another queen-size sleeper sofa.

All villas have flat-screen TVs in the bedrooms and living rooms.

Dining

The Animal Kingdom Villas at Kidani Village have their own dining facilities but you can walk to the other restaurants at the nearby Animal Kingdom Lodge.

There is one main restaurant; the 120 seat table service Sanaa (open for lunch and dinner) serving beautifully prepared food in style. The cuisine is African but with Indian flavors. Alongside is a lounge where you can relax.

The Maji Pool Bar is situated close to the Samawati Springs Pool.

Recreation

As with dining, guest at Kidani Village can also use the recreation facilities at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The Samawati Springs Pool is a zero depth entry pool with a 128 foot slide and two whirlpool spas and adjoining is the Maji Pool Bar. For the children there is also Uwanja Camp which is an interactive water play area for kids.

At Safari So Good Arcade you can play both classic arcade and the latest video games and is located next to the lobby.

The villa complex also has the Survival of the Fittest Center which features exercise equipment and free weights.

There are also two tennis courts, two shuffleboard courts and a half basketball court.

The Community Hall provides ping pong, football table, video games, TV and various other activities. Outside there is a Barbeque pavilion with two charcoal barbeque grills and picnic tables.

Amenities

The resort offers a host of amenities including:

• room service
• rooms and facilities for guests with disabilities
• free parking, valet parking (charge applicable)
• minibar, iron and ironing board, wall safe
• coffee maker and microwave
• flat panel TV and DVD player
• refrigerator and wet bar
• babysitting and childcare services, Pak-n-Play Crib available
• laundry area with stacked washer and drier (except studios)
• bath robes and hair dryer
• voice mail, dial-up internet access (surcharge for high-speed access)
• plus a number of shops including the Johari Treasures where you can find African-themed gifts and souvenirs