Category — d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, click here.)

OVERVIEW: THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT & CAMPGROUND

Note: guests staying at the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and have the ability to pre-book as early as  seven days before check-in Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass rides. As of late March 2024, guests staying in the Cabins (but not the campgrounds) are now eligible for Extended Evening Hours.

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is one of 5 moderate resorts at Walt Disney World:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, the first Disney World hotel to be designated a moderate, which opened in 1988
• Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort (opened in 1991 as Disney’s Port Orleans Resort)
• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort (opened in 1992 as Disney’s Dixie Landing Resort)
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (opened 1997) and
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, officially classed as moderate in 2008, but opened (as the Wilderness Homes) in 1986. (Fort Wilderness Campground opened much earlier, but precursors to the Cabins did not arrive until 1986.)

The moderates have much more room than the value resorts, more amenities, and (except for Fort Wilderness) much better landscaping. See this for what you get by Disney World price class.

Disney’s Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort officially

“combine an American Frontier theme with all of the luxuries of home…” and are situated in a resort that is “…a picturesque haven of natural beauty. Wander quiet trails between log-façade buildings like the Meadow Trading Post and Pioneer Hall. Water canals snake through the cabins, campsites and common areas, adding to the sense of being far from modern bustle—as do roaming ducks, deer and rabbits.”

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort were most recently refurbed in early 2016, except for Loop 2100, where the cabins were removed.

The cabins are unusual among the Disney World moderate resorts for several reasons.

Positive distinctive features include that they are

• The only moderate option that sleeps six
• The only moderate with multiple living spaces, including a separate bedroom
• The only moderate with a full kitchen
• The only moderates located within America’s best campground–Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
• The only moderate option with a deck and barbecue grill

But there’s also negative distinctive features here:

• They have the lowest kid appeal, and lowest convenience, of any of the moderates
• There’s only one bath for the 6 people held (the hot water situation also used to be a problem, but is now much better)
• They are typically around 50% more expensive than the 4-5 person traditional moderates
• They are about $60 to $110 more expensive per night than 6 person value resort alternatives at The Family Suites at All-Star Music, although they are $40-100 less per night than The Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Because of these negatives–especially inconvenience–based on our March visit (our sixth stay in the Cabins since I started this site), the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort remain the fifth best of the moderates for first time family visitors.

(For a review of the Campsites at Fort Wilderness, see this; for what the moderates provide, and how they compare to the other Disney World resort classes, click here)

REVIEW: THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT [Read more →]

(For the first page of this review of the Villas at Jambo House, see this.)

MORE ON THE JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is described on Walt Disney World’s website as an

“African lodge-style resort amidst a 43-acre wildlife preserve. The Resort offers authentic African-inspired architecture and the kraal African-village landscape design—a semi-circle design popular in Africa which offers expansive views of the surrounding savanna and its many animal inhabitants. Thatched ceilings, large beams, hand-carved golden-tone furnishings, real African artifacts and a vast mud fireplace in the main lobby surround you in the inimitable spirit of Africa.”

“Just outside the main lobby, an elevated rock platform—Arusha Rock—offers up-close glimpses of the animals and a panoramic view of the sprawling grounds. In addition to animals, thousands of indigenous African shrubs and grasses—including the most recognized canopy tree of Africa, the copperpod—paint a picture reminiscent of the unspoiled African grasslands.”

The resort opened in April 2001 and since has been changed twice.

• In the first change, Disney Vacation Club villas replaced a number of rooms in the Animal Kingdom Lodge itself.
• In the second, a new Disney Vacation Club resort in a new building–Kidani Village–opened next door. At the same time as Kidani Village opened, the name of the main resort building was changed to Jambo House.

So the Animal Kingdom Lodge is now the whole thing, and the building that holds the Jambo House villas and the resort’s regular hotel rooms is now Jambo House.

Jambo House is one large building.

You enter into the glorious lobby, with check-in and other services on the left, and a gift shop on the right.

Further on the right but down a few levels are Jambo House’s two great restaurants–Jiko and Boma, and its quick service option, Mara.

Between the lobby and these restaurants is a wonderful bar, the Victoria Falls Lounge.

Still further on the right is the spectacular Uzima pool.

The lodging components of Jambo House are divided into four “trails,” Ostrich, Giraffe, Zebra and Kudu. (There’s a resort map on the first page of this review–click here to get to it.)

• Giraffe Trail has only pool and standard views–avoid it
• Ostrich Trail is short and very lightly trafficked, and convenient to the lobby. About half its rooms have views of the Sunset Savanna. A savanna view room here is the best choice for families looking for quiet.
• Kudu Trail is very long. It rooms almost all have savanna views–most of the Sunset Savanna, but many of the Arusha Savanna. Kudu Trail has less traffic than Zebra Trail, because it is not convenient to anything.
• Zebra Trail is as long as Kudu trail, but more convenient to the restaurants and pools. Its rooms have a mix of views–pool views, Uzima Savanna views, and Arusha Savanna views.

The Jambo House Disney Vacation Club Villas are on the fifth and sixth floors.

Besides the “regular” villa types, which this review addresses, you’ll also find two other villa types unique to Jambo House:

“Value” villas and studios. These rooms are smaller–shorter–than the equivalent room types in the “regular” villas, and in the case of One-Bedroom and Two-Bedroom villas, value villas hold one person less–4 instead of 5, and 8 instead of 9.

These rooms are smaller because they were rebuilt from standard Animal Kingdom Lodge rooms, not its former “Deluxe” rooms, longer by the width of a balcony.

“Club Level” villas and studios. A few of the Jambo House villas are also part of the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s club service. “Club service” is what Disney calls what the rest of the world calls concierge service.

These rooms are the only DVC accommodations on property that also provide concierge service.

Jambo House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge’s strengths for first time visitors are its stunning theme and great kid appeal, it pool, and its great dining at Jiko and Boma.

Its DVC villas share these strengths, but, as noted on the first page, for some room types Kidani Village is the better choice.

Jambo House’s principal negative is its distance from the rest of Disney World, other than the Animal Kingdom itself.

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EXTERNAL LINKS FOR 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

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• 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

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• For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this

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• Large families should look at this, and also at
  • Large Families Looking for Value Pricing at Walt Disney World
  • Large Families Looking for Deluxe Accommodations at Disney World
  • Beds and Sleeping Spaces at the Walt Disney World Resorts
  • Renting Disney Vacation Club Points
  • Suites at Walt Disney World

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• Military/DOD families should look at this

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• Tightwads should look at this

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• Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this

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(For the first page of this review of the Villas at Jambo House, see this.)

THE LIVING/DINING/KITCHEN SPACE AT JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS

One Bedroom Villas at Jambo House, refurbed in 2016, have a king bed and shared bath on one side, and a kitchen/dining/living area that sleeps three more on the other.

You enter into the kitchen/closet area, with the main living space at the back, and the master bedroom at the side.

One side of the entry has the connecting door to a Studio and a closet.

Here’s the entry closet–there’s also a wardrobe in the master bedroom.

On  the other side of the entry is the large kitchen space. Here you can see most of what’s available here.

The kitchen from another angle. The island prep table makes meals easier than in some of the smaller DVC kitchens such as those at the Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, BoardWalk, and Saratoga Springs.

DVC kitchens come stocked with all regular appliances and all the basics you need to prep, cook and serve meals.

The rest of the space is the dining and living area.

The dining table will seat four easily, and five at a pinch.

Back in the living space, one side has this couch.

It folds out into a bed that I measured as 78 inches long by 60 inches wide, with a 4 inch cushion.

The other side has a TV dresser combo and large chair.

The chair unfolds (a little mysteriously–I had to look at the directions) into a bed that I measured as 30 inches by 76 inches, also with a 4 inch cushion.

Next to it is a dresser below and TV above.

The dresser has plenty of storage for the three people this room sleeps–especially with the large closet. Note also the power points on top of the dresser.

At the end of the room is an entry to the double-length balcony.

Note also the fun of the space–the carved furnishings, the textures, and the art.

Look closely and you’ll find some surprises!

THE BATH AND MASTER BEDROOM AT JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS

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(For the first page of this review of the Villas at Jambo House, see this.)

PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO AT JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS

DVC rooms come as Studios, as One Bedroom Villas, as Two Bedroom Villas either designed as such from the start (“dedicated”) or combined from a Studio and a One Bedroom Villa via a connecting door (lock-off), or Grand Villas, about twice the size of a Two Bedroom Villa.

The Villas at Jambo House include all these, except dedicated Two Bedroom Villas.

The DVC spaces on the upper floors of Jambo House were largely converted from former “deluxe rooms” which were three or four feet longer than Jambo House’s standard rooms.  Most of these rooms were built in groups of 7 or 8, meaning they don’t easily fit the usual DVC module of 3 bays–three bays fitting a lockoff, a dedicated Two Bedroom, or half of a Grand Villa.

(Some were converted from standard rooms, are smaller, and are labeled by Disney as “value” rooms–e.g.”Value Studio.”  Avoid these. )

Jambo House Villas were refurbed in 2016, and the photo tours are of the refurbed spaces. This page covers the Studio, which is also the second bedroom of a lock-off Two Bedroom Villa.

My Studio had some slight variances from the floor plan–I’ll note these as I go.

The entry opens to a bath on one side and a kitchenette on the other.

Some Studios have a connecting door to a Villa here, and others have a closet. In my Studio, neither was here.

The kitchenette.

Besides the coffeemaker and mini-fridge that all deluxe rooms have…

…Studio kitchenettes add a toaster, microwave, sink, storage, and some basic utensils–paper plates and bowls, and plastic knives, forks and spoons.

On the other side are the bath sinks…

…and in a separate space the tub/shower and toilet.  Note the fun tiles.

Deeper in the room on one side you’ll find a queen bed and a sofa. The refurb eliminated some of the with fun colors and textures that used to be here.

Here’s the bed and sofa from the other side.

A closer view of the queen bed.

There’s a small table between the bed and sofa with a bit of storage…

…and also with power points that are new with the refurb.

The sofa…

…unfolds into a bed that I measured as about 59 inches wide by 76 inches long. The cushion was 4 inches deep.

The other side of the room has the rest of the furnishings–table and chairs, a TV and dresser combo, and a wardrobe.  In some studios, there’s a luggage rack where in my room there was a connecting door.

The same from the other side.

For Studios without the entry closet, the wardrobe provides just barely enough closet space.

The dresser has a big TV above…

…power points new with the refurb…

…and plenty of storage.

The table and chairs.  Something in this image is in focus, but I’m not sure what.

At the end of the room you’ll find the balcony.

Every Jambo Villa bay has a balcony, as watching the animals from them in Savanna View spaces is the main glory of this resort. Our Studio was sold as a Standard View, but note we do have a bit of a Savanna view.  The corral-like structure, I guess, is what makes it a Standard View.

THE LIVING/DINING/KITCHEN SPACE AT JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS

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OVERVIEW: DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS–JAMBO HOUSE FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Note: guests in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and have the ability to pre-book as early as  seven days before check-in Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass rides. They are also eligible for its Extended Evening Hours.

Most room options at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House (a Disney Vacation Club resort) are wonderful places for returning visitors to Walt Disney World to stay.

For typical first-time visitors, I don’t recommend the Disney Vacation Club resorts.

That said, these “DVC” resorts can be a great choice for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Among the Disney Vacation Club resorts, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House ranks fourth overall for first-time visitors, but specifics vary a little for by room type.

THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS

You can have a spectacular visit at any Walt Disney World resort.

However, this site recommends that typical first time visitors to Walt Disney World avoid the Disney Vacation Club resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first.

(You can find extensive detail on the DVC resorts here.)

The recommendation comes from the simple fact that the distinguishing feature of these resorts–extra space and full kitchens–(the Jambo House Villas kitchen in One and Two Bedroom Villas is above) will not be of much value to first-time visitors following one of the itineraries on this site, as they won’t be used much.

However, the Disney Vacation Club resorts represent more than 10% of Walt Disney World’s total rooms, and are very appropriate for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Because of this, I’m providing a series of up-to-date reviews.

We’ve stayed in Jambo House Villas five times, and this review is based those stays.

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS–JAMBO HOUSE

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience.

On this basis, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House comes in fourth overall of the Disney Vacation Club resorts. (See this for resort rankings.)

However, there’s a little variability here depending on room type and family size. You’ll find more detail on this below, but the upshot is this:

• Regular Studio rooms: fourth-best, after Studios at the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows,  the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and the Copper Creek Villas at the Wilderness Lodge
• Regular One-bedroom Villas: fourth-best, after after the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the Copper Creek Villas at the Wilderness Lodge and Kidani Village
• Two-bedroom Villas: for families that can fit into two queens in one bedroom and a king in a second, third-best after  the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and the Copper Creek Villas at the Wilderness Lodge . For families that can’t, and thus also need to use the sleeper sofa and/or sleeper chair in the combined living/dining/kitchen space, third after Copper Creek Villas at the Wilderness Lodge and Kidani Village
• Grand Villas: Second best of the DVC resorts with high kid appeal, after those in Copper Creek

(Note that  these rankings apply only to regular studios and villas–not “value” ones–and only to rooms with savanna views.)

This review has five pages

• The overview page you are now on
• Theming and accommodations at the Jambo House Villas
• A photo tour of a refurbed Jambo House Studio
• A photo tour of the kitchen/dining/living space in a refurbed One Bedroom Villa at Jambo House
• A photo tour of the bath/master bedroom space in a refurbed One Bedroom Villa at Jambo House

Kid Appeal. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Jambo House share the services, resources and lobby of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo House, plus compatible theming.

The spectacular kid appeal of Jambo House, especially its lobby, its art, and its views of animals, makes it fourth on the kid appeal list, and the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House share this ranking. (For more on the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo House, click here.)

Convenience. For first time visitors following this site’s itineraries, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House are the 8th-most convenient of all the Disney resort hotels, and the sixth most convenient of the DVC resorts.

You will see some nonsense about how far away Jambo House is from, for example, the Magic Kingdom–e.g. that it’s a 25 minute drive.  I’ve timed this drive multiple times and it’s 12-15 minutes, less if you drive past Coronado Springs rather than take Disney’s suggested route.  That said, the complex is the most isolated of the Disney World deluxe resorts, and one of the least convenient.

THE JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS VERSUS KIDANI VILLAGE

If all else was equal, you’d prefer the DVC options at Jambo House to those at Kidani Village.

The Jambo House villas are both more kid-appealing (because of the Jambo House lobby) and more convenient, because Jambo House has a complete quick-service restaurant and Kidani Village does not.

But all is not equal.

For all room types except Grand Villas, Kidani Village options are larger than those at Jambo House.

Moreover, Kidani Village One and Two-Bedroom Villas have one more bath than do those at Jambo House.

The difference in Studios is just a few square feet, immaterial, and as noted Grand Villas are larger at Jambo House.

So for Studios and Grand Villas you’d prefer Jambo for its kid appeal and convenience.

For One-Bedrooms, I give the nod to Kidani Village.

See the floor plan to the right for Kidani Village, and above for Jambo House.

Kidani Village’s extra width makes the living room more usable when the convertible seats are opened into their bed position.

And the extra bath can be a godsend.

For Two-Bedroom Villas, my recommendations vary depending on how you mean to use the space.

• If you won’t be sleeping in the living space, then for Two-Bedrooms go with Jambo House, as the extra space and third bathroom at Kidani is not enough to make up for Jambo’s appeal and convenience advantages.
• If you do need the living space to sleep in, then Kidani Two-Bedrooms beat Jambo House, for the same reasons that give it the preference for One-Bedrooms.

BEST AND WORST ROOMS AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS–JAMBO HOUSE

See the image for a map of Jambo House. (As always on this site, click it to enlarge it.)

This site usually suggests that first time visitors stay in standard rooms, not preferred rooms. This is because they won’t be spending much time in their rooms. The single exception is for visitors to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, who should always pay for savanna views.

Rooms fronting Arusha savanna are the most popular. But be sure to reserve a savanna-view room.

The DVC options are mostly on the fifth floor of Jambo House, with some on the sixth.

Request a fifth floor room, about halfway down the trail. The fifth floor rooms have better views than those on the sixth, and halfway down the trail gives the best balance between quiet and walking distance.

BEST FOR:

First time family visitors looking for extra or more comfortable space, who don’t mind the inconvenience, and prefer its theme to that of  the Polynesian or The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge.

WORST FOR:

Families on a budget; families looking for convenience; families seeking a One-Bedroom Villa (see above for Two Bedroom Villas)

ACCOMMODATIONS AND THEMING AT DISNEY’S JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS

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(For the first page of this review of Kidani Village, see this.)

THE SAMAWATI SPRINGS POOL AT KIDANI VILLAGE

The Samawati Springs pool at Kidani Village is one of two pools at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge–the other is the Uzima Springs pool at the main Jambo House.

Guests at Kidani can use either.

Some prefer Uzima, despite the distance, for being a little more verdant.

But Samawati Springs is a great pool, and of course much more convenient.

Samawati is not the kind of low-amenity quiet pool that you will find near some other DVC resorts, but rather comes with all  the pluses that you’ll find at any main pool.

My favorite feature, though, is simpler–it’s the vista from the zero entry side. I love the sky and trees…

Here’s the pool from another angle–this shows the smaller of the two slides here.

A couple of shots of the larger pool slide:

There’s also two hot tubs, one by the pool deck…

… and a more secluded one on an upper level:

Nearby is a water play area…

…the water play area at night…

…a playground for kids…

…and a ping pong table.

There’s also a bar. It has a real menu–albeit not with a lot of options. See the  bottom of the image (click it to enlarge it):

Near the bar is a refillable mug station.

Also in the pool area, in an upper level, is the spa.

Kidani guests are also welcome at the Uzima Springs pool at Jambo House, and can walk, take a theme park bus (check with the driver first to see if the bus is stopping at Jambo) or take the couretsy van at the guest drop-off point.

 THE THEMING AND ART OF KIDANI VILLAGE

This review continues here!

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