Disneys Animal Kingdom Villas

Animal Kingdom Villas

Have you and the family been taking annual – or biannual, or nearly annual – trips to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida for what feels like forever? It feels like you’ve seen the best that the resort hotels have to offer, and though your family still loves the theme parks, you’ve feeling a bit underwhelmed by the lodging as of late. It’s clearly time for something new and The Animal Kingdom Villas provide an excellent opportunity for an upgrade!

You may want to consider: joining the Disney Vacation Club, and therefore gaining access to the Animal Kingdom Villas smack dab in the middle of 4 savanna areas in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. These accommodations are divided into two master complexes: Kidani Village and Jambo House.

In addition to savanna views at nearly every turn, these constructions feature African-style décor and architecture – complete with thatched roof and artifacts to make you and your family feel like they could be staying in an African Villa on a genuine safari adventure.

Guests of the Animal Kingdom Villas have easy access to the grand Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Guests of the Animal Kingdom Villas have easy access to the grand Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The Animal Kingdom Villas are a step up from a room in a resort hotel in almost every way – well worth the upgrade. If you feel that a resort hotel is just a place to stay – it may not be for you, but if you are one of the people who feels that your lodging should be your home away from home while you enjoy your Disney Vacation, then you should most certainly look into the Villas.

The Rooms

There are a few different room options available in each complex for your enjoyment. The Deluxe Studio sleep 4 or less people. The 1-Bedroom Villa can sleep up to 5. the 2-Bedroom Villa sleeps about 8, 9 or 10 people. The ultimate of these villas is the 3-Bedroom Grand Villa which sleep up to 12 people! These Villas are your solution to the desire to meet extended family at Walt Disney World Resort, let your kids bring friends, or even just bring yourself, your stuff, and your family to a bigger and better place to stay.

There are many more benefits to staying at an Animal Kingdom Villa than being able to cram more people into a room – each villa offers some ability to cook/store food, which helps save you money on your vacation, and also helps you feel more at home. The Studio has a kitchenette, and the other villas boast full kitchens for your family’s enjoyment!

Also, each step up in villa size boasts an additional full bath. The Deluxe Studio has one, and the 1-Bedroom Villa has 2, with a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom. The 2-Bedroom Villa has 3, with a whirlpool tub in the master, and the the 3-Bedroom Grand Villa has 4, with a whirlpool tub in the master as well. That’s pretty incredible, right? That is a bathroom arrangement you can get excited about, especially if you have a lot of teenagers, in particular, if you have a lot of teenage girls – they take forever in the bathroom and they value their privacy.

Sleeping Arrangements

Though with great luxury, comes great responsibility – or however that saying goes – it should be known, that there will be fights over the sleeping arrangements. It should also be known that each and every sleeping surface is comfortable, from the sleeper chair to the double-size sleeper sofa in living room areas, to the King-size bed in master bedroom areas and everywhere in between. The fact is, inevitably, everyone is going to want the best of the best, but you will have to remind them, that “mommy and daddy are paying” and so, “get the best of the best,” and that “the mediocre of the best” is still pretty darn awesome!

The View

One of the additional things that will make the upgrade into Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge worthwhile – more like worthmoney – is the views made available off of the balcony areas. These can be a villa with standard view of the park area or landscape, or sometime the pool area. They can also be a villa with a savanna view. Each savanna features a unique look and feel, and you can literally see animals from your balcony and windows. What experience could be more magical than sitting out on the parch, drinking some coffee from you full kitchen, getting ready for your day, looking out into the rising Florida sun, and catching sight of some African animal starting their own day? An African animal – like, from Africa, that you would have to go to Africa to see and have a similar experience with – which is way more expensive than becoming a part of the Disney Vacation Club Timeshare Program and gaining access to the Animal Kingdom Villas. Hint hint, wink wink.

If You Are Not Sold Yet…

But wait, there’s more! In addition to bus transportation to the other theme parks, staying in an Animal Kingdom Villa Complex, whether it be Jambo House or Kidani Village, gains you access to 4 pool and playground areas, 2 massage and fitness centers, 3 sports courts, and a host of other recreational activities, including but not limited to an arcade, African arts and crafts, a babysitting area, and campfire storytelling section. In addition, you gain some exclusive animal access – Flamingo Feeding, night vision animal spotting, and cultural safaris. Oh, and don’t forget the 4 different restaurants in the attached Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Though “timeshare” has come to have a negative connotation in recent years, the Disney Vacation Club is reputable, official, and worth the time and money spent planning the upgrade. You and your family will not believe the difference. Staying in a new place never felt so good. A Disney vacation spent at the Animal Kingdom Villas will feel like a whole new Disney vacation experience, with more opportunities for fun, adventure, and making memories – and if that isn’t what a vacation is supposed to be about, then what is?