Animal Kingdom

[Carol Morgan]

Planning a trip for Sept/Oct 2022. Never stayed at this resort. Are animals 'loose' at these times? Which rooms have best views of animals? Are suites available for family of 6?

 

[EmilyGahr]

Can't comment on the suites, but yes, animals will be out! Make sure to book Savanna View!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Both Kidani Village and Jambo House have two bedroom villas, which are Disney Vacation Club Timeshare villas that you can rent for cash.

 

[purpliequeen]

Great resort - one of my favorite hotels in the world. You & your family will enjoy. Try to plan at least one "resort day" to enjoy the resort and all the amenities that it has to offer - scavenger hunt, drumming, s'mores/campfire, medallion rubbings, etc. (Granted some of this stuff may have changed due to COVID, so just an FYI.)

Yes, Animal Kingdom Lodge has suites for families, but you also have the option to book a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villa. I know you mentioned a family of six. A 1 bedroom sleeps 5 adults (noting that the value accommodation sleeps 4) at Jambo. I think a 2 bedroom would be most comfortable for you & your family should you go that route. You'd also get a full kitchen, washer/dryer, and more. The villas at Kidani are slightly larger than Jambo (they had to refurb/renovate Jambo from a deluxe resort into DVC villas on floors 5 and 6 whereas Kidani was purpose-built as DVC and is all DVC).

The animals are in the savannas during the day - and really fun to watch during dawn/dusk and feeding periods (when the cast members drive around placing enrichment activities and food in various spots throughout the savanna). The animals are actually brought into their pens at night so you won't see them if you're up at midnight. That being said, some animals must be left on the savanna up till a certain point because the resort has night viewing goggles that you can borrow/use from cast members at the Arusha Rock Savanna Overlook.

Assuming you're looking at Jambo House - which is deluxe resort and DVC resort combined - I recommend a room overlooking the Arusha Savanna (the inside of the horseshoe shape) or the Sunset Savanna - which is the northwest facing side of the horseshoe, as that savanna is shared with DVC's Kidani Village. Here's a great link with maps - https://www.kennythepirate.com/maps...imal-kingdom-lodge-kidani-village-resort-map/

Be aware that the hallways at both Jambo & Kidani can be very, very long. It is a common complaint of both resorts. A popular request is a room "near the elevator" or "near the lobby."

Also, floors 5 and 6 of Jambo are DVC villas. I reocmmend a room on the 3rd or 4th floor for prime animal viewing, as you're at a good height and it allows a greater view / vantage of the savanna; however, some people prefer a lower view, as it's closer to the animals.