(For the first page of this review of Kidani Village, see this.)
THE THEMING AND ART OF KIDANI VILLAGE
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas are described on Walt Disney World’s Disney Vacation Club website as a place where you can
“immerse yourself in the wonders of the wild, surrounded by colorful creatures … Delight in African-inspired details while you relax in accommodations that capture the adventurous atmosphere of the wild. Feel at home in this village alive with the spirit of the savanna.”
The two Disney Vacation Club areas here–Kidani Village and Jambo House Villas–share resources with Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
The original Animal Kingdom Lodge opened in April, 2001, as the most unique resort hotel at Walt Disney World, and one of the more unique in the world.
This distinction came partly from its stunning lobby, partly from its glorious African art and theming, but mostly from the fact that more than half of the rooms overlook “savannas” filled with wild animals.
Sipping your morning coffee on your balcony with a giraffe 50 feet away needs to be experienced to be believed…
The original Animal Kingdom Lodge also included two table service restaurants, a quick-service dining area, a pool and an exercise area.
In 2008, Disney completed converting some of the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s rooms into Disney Vacation Club rooms, and in 2009 it opened Kidani Village, a separate Disney Vacation Club building with its own lobby and check in area.
Kidani Village also has its own pool, workout area, and adds a third sit-down restaurant to the complex, Sanaa.
When Disney World opened Kidani Village, it renamed the original Animal Kingdom Lodge as Jambo House, to limit–or perhaps simply re-nominalize–confusion between it, its check-in area, and its DVC rooms, and those at Kidani Village.
Among the DVC resorts, Kidani Village’s strengths for first time visitors are its views of animals–especially if you reserve a savanna-view room–its spacious and very livable One and Two Bedroom Villa floor plans, and the fact the One Bedroom Villas can sleep 5 and Two-Bedroom Villas can sleep 9.
Kidani Village’s restaurant, Sanaa–with an Indian-influenced African menu–is also delightful for adults, but has limited options for kids.
But also a delight is the art of Kidan, in both its private and public spaces.
The rooms combine carved adventurous-looking furniture and fixtures with great textures in the floors and curtains, plus fun art.
More art on the doors.
Outside the rooms there’s not as much scope as at Jambo House for public art, but I still find the light fixtures charming–the ones at the top of the page, these…
…these.
There’s also original art here and there–not as much as in Jambo, but still fun.
Kidani’s principal negatives are its distance from Walt Disney World theme parks other than the Animal Kingdom, its distance from quick-service meal options at Jambo House, and the lack of drama of its lobby compared to that of Jambo House.
Returning visitors will likely find Kidani Village to be a favorite. Its spaciousness is a delight, it is quieter and more serene than Jambo House, and then there’s those animals!!
PAGES: Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR KIDANI VILLAGE AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS:
- Official Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge site
- Official Disney Vacation Club Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas site
- Cool unofficial fan site
- Wikipedia on Animal Kingdom Villas
MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this
- For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this
- For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this
- Military/DOD families should look at this
- Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this
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