August 25, 2025 • 35 mins
Venture into the wild heart of Disney with our comprehensive exploration of Animal Kingdom Villas – where African wildlife and Disney magic create an unforgettable vacation experience. The magic begins with giraffes outside your balcony. Discover why these villas offer the widest accommodation variety in DVC – from value studios starting at just 7 points per night to three-bedroom grand villas with breathtaking savanna views. And food lovers rejoice! Jambo House and Kidani Village are home to some of Disney World's most celebrated restaurants. AKV is where you can experience the magic of Africa without leaving Disney property!
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Adventures & Mousecapades is a passion project from Alicea & Nathan Novak - two Seattleites addicted to The Mouse. We are not affiliated with Disney, nor are we travel agents. Opinions are our own.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Hello everyone.
I'm Alicia and I'm Nathan.
Welcome to this week's episodeofest ride in the wilderness.
Hello everyone, I'm Alicia.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
And.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm Nathan.
Welcome to this week's episodeof Adventures and Mousecapades.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
This week.
We are wishing Alicia the verybest of luck, as tomorrow she is
having open-heart surgery.
If you caught the end of ourlast episode Yep, she's getting
some plumbing fixed.
Episode Yep, she's getting someplumbing fixed and uh yeah,
(00:51):
we'll be on the road to recoveryfor a while.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We have a bunch of episodes, Don't worry.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Uh in the can, that uh we'll.
We will be releasing on timeand it'll be all good.
We will keep you posted, ofcourse course, on her progress,
but best wishes and pixie dustare most welcome and appreciated
as she gets better.
Yes, and with that let's getinto the main topic of today's
(01:14):
show.
We're actually here to talkabout another DVC resort.
This is another in our DVCresort review series.
This time we are turning thetelescope on the Animal Kingdom
Villas, the official name isDisney's Animal Kingdom Villas,
jumbo House and Kidani Village.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
You know, just like pretty much everything else
Disney does, it's a lot of wordsand a mouthful.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Technically they're both Disney's Animal Kingdom
Villas Jumbo House and Disney'sAnimal Kingdom Villas Kidani
Village.
But I couldn't type that much,my fingers cramped yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Technically they are two separate DVC resorts, but
they are right next to eachother and folks often hop in
between the two for access tothe restaurants or the other
amenities that are there, andthey are both a combined entity
when it comes to the DVCcontract.
So today we are going to coverboth of them in one big episode.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
This deluxe villa resort is located a little over
a mile away from the AnimalKingdom theme park, in the
southwest corner of DisneyWorld's vast property.
Jumbo House opened in April of2001, three years after the park
first welcomed visitors.
Originally, the property was100% hotel rooms on Disney's
(02:39):
we'll call it cash side of theirlodging inventory, but demand
for DVC rooms near AnimalKingdom made them rethink that.
So a part of Jumbo House wasrenovated and reopened as 134
DVC suites in July of 2007.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Two years later, in May of 2009, Kidani Village
opened next door as a fullDBC-only resort.
Jumbo House, which is theoriginal, is a six-story
African-themed lodge and has theiconic main hall designed by
the folks behind WildernessLodge.
There are 14 five-story podsspread out in an arc into the
(03:22):
savannah from the main hall area.
The DVC villas sit on the topfloor of each pod.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Over in Kidani Village there are 324 villas
that were added to the mix andwhile it follows a similar
design and theming as JumboHouse, it has a more intimate,
ie smaller, main hall.
Just like you'll see with mostof the other DVC-only resorts,
that kind of main entrance areaisn't quite as grand as you'll
(03:53):
see with a hotel resort.
The villas of the KidaniVillage are all located on
floors two through five, withparking underneath the building
on the first level, which isreally kind of cool, and I can't
think of many slash any otherDVC resorts in Disney World
where you actually get coveredparking.
(04:14):
So it's kind of nice.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Both resorts offer rooms with savannah views
featuring visits by around 200different African animals who
live on site.
There is nothing like commutingwith giraffes on your veranda,
with your morning tea or coffee,if you so choose, exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
So we'll talk about the accommodations here.
Animal Kingdom Villas offersthe widest array of room types
at any DVC resort, of room typesat any DVC resort.
They have everything from valuerooms with the lowest points
for a studio, one bedroom or twobedroom at any DVC resort, all
the way up to having the onlyconcierge level or club level
(04:58):
offerings at any DVC property.
The whole resort is a mix ofhotel and vacation villas.
There are 972 hotel rooms andsuites there.
At Jumbo House and then spreadbetween Jumbo House and the
Kidani Village, there are 458DVC villas, or 672, depending
(05:21):
how you count two bedroom unitsthat can be split in half.
Look, dvc Villa count.
Math is crazy, it is.
And like no source agrees withany other source.
So if you're really interestedin knowing, I suggest visiting
Disney World and walking thewhole resort and counting the
rooms yourself.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
And then it'll still probably be wrong.
Right exactly For the viewoptions.
There are four different typesof views.
First is the value which isnear the front of Jumbo House on
the fifth floor.
It offers views of the parkinglot, the pool or, in very
limited cases, one of thesavannas.
The resort view option isdescribed as views of landscape,
(06:06):
parking or pool water.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It's pool slash water .
Yes, I mean although,technically, pools usually do
have water in them.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Sorry my pause.
There was like wait a minute.
A good number of these roomshave at least a partial savanna
view.
Speaking of savanna views,there is a savannah view.
It is a guaranteed 24-hour viewof where the animals roam and
typically at least some type offour-legged friend is visible or
(06:37):
winged.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Sure, the winged ones usually don't have four legs,
though.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Typically Four-legged or winged Right.
The unicorns only come outoccasionally.
That's an alicorn, oh, and thenthere's the pegasus too yeah,
pegasus, yeah, no, no dragonslast view is the kilimanjaro
club.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Just five of these on the sixth floor, club level,
jamba house rooms.
Three of them them have aSavannah view and to overlook
the pool.
There is no guarantee on whichone you will get.
This is, I think, the highestview type available because you
get the club amenities with it.
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Exactly.
All right, let's take a look atthe villas at the Jamba house.
Remember, this is the combinedhotel that has DVC villas on the
top floor of each of those pods.
We'll start out.
There are 18 value studios.
These are 316 square feet.
(07:36):
They sleep four in one queenand one double sized sleeper
sofa.
They come complete with akitchenette with a sink, small
fridge, microwave and a coffeemaker, and have one bathroom as
well.
Of course, it would be reallyweird to have a hotel room
without a bathroom, but anyway,I digress.
There are, then, 110 deluxestudios.
(07:59):
These are 356 square feet.
Other than that, it's prettymuch the same specs.
We have 10 value one bedroomvillas.
These are 629 square feet.
They sleep four in a king bedand then a queen sized sleeper
sofa.
There is one bathroom and thenthere's a full kitchen and a
(08:22):
dining banquette.
And then there are 72 deluxeone-bedroom villas.
These are larger at 720 squarefeet and sleep an extra person.
They sleep five total.
Again, we have that one king,one queen sleeper sofa, and then
there is a single sleeper chairin the living room.
Otherwise, they are the same asthe value one-bedroom villas.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
There are 10 value two-bedroom villas.
They're all lock-off unitswhich combine a one-bedroom and
an adjoining studio.
They're 945 square feet andsleep eight people, and they
have two bathrooms.
There are 72 deluxe two-bedroomvillas.
They are 1,075 square feet,sleep nine people and have two
(09:07):
bathrooms.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
A little bit bigger.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
And then we have three-bedroom grand villas.
There are six of those, that is2,349 square feet of all
Savannah View glory.
They sleep 12 people in oneking in bedroom number one.
In bedroom two and three wehave two queens each and then
there is a queen sleeper sofa inthe living room.
(09:31):
This villa has four fullbathrooms, a full kitchen, a
dining room for 12, full livingroom, a game room with a pool
table and three balconies.
These are on a single floor.
They are about five rooms wideand they are basically at the
end of each extension on.
(09:53):
If you look at the map on theend of each, I don't know what
it's called wings spokessomething.
But it's at the very top and atthe very end of each area.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Indeed, these are very nice rooms.
We haven't stayed in one ofthese, but we stayed in a
three-bedroom at Kidani Village.
But we're getting ahead ofourselves.
Speaking of Kidani Village,let's talk about the room types.
Over there, there are 169studio villas.
These are 366 square feet, so abit bigger than Jumbo House.
(10:28):
They sleep four, with one queenbed and one double sized
sleeper sofa.
Double-sized sleeper sofa.
There's a kitchenette, sink,small fridge, microwave, coffee
maker.
Same same single bathroom.
(10:49):
This is a hotel room.
And then there are 169one-bedroom villas that are 807
square feet.
These sleep five in a king bedin the bedroom and then a queen
sleeper sofa with that onesleeper chair in the living room
.
There are two bathrooms here.
So that is a big differencefrom Jumbo House, in that the
one bedrooms only have onebathroom.
(11:10):
Over in Jumbo House, the onebedroom villas here in Kidani
have two bathrooms, and then, ofcourse, you still have that
full kitchen and the diningbanquette.
And then, if you combine thosestudios and one bedrooms, you
can get up to 169 two bedroomlock-offs.
Again, this is a combination ofthe one bedroom and studios
(11:33):
that we just talked about.
If you do the math, you get1,173 square feet and you can
sleep up to nine with threebathrooms.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
There are 139 dedicated two-bedroom villas.
These do not lock off, it'sjust a two-bedroom villa.
They are 1,173 square feet,they sleep nine and they have
three baths.
And then we have the grandvillas over in Kidani Village
there are 16 of these.
They are three bedrooms, 2,201square feet, and they are
(12:05):
two-story villa suites.
They sleep 12 people.
The main floor has a one-kingbedroom and a living room
sleeper sofa.
On the second floor there aretwo bedrooms and both of them
have two queen beds.
There's also a loft area thathas a queen sleeper sofa.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
And if you do the math, that's 14 people and
Disney advertises it as 12.
And I'm not sure, between theliving room and the loft, if
both of those are sleeper sofasor not or just one of them.
It may change between the suites.
If you look on the floor plan,it actually has it drawn in that
(12:45):
both of them can be a queen,you know, like sleeper sofa and
that's.
You know, two people timesseven beds, is that's still 14
people, right?
All all right.
So this isn't quantum math.
Um, this room technically onlysleeps 12.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Take that as you will yeah, this room also has four
full bathrooms, a full kitchen,a dining room for 12, a full
living room and a three roomwide balcony.
We have stayed in one of thesebefore.
It's very nice.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
It's very nice.
Yes, these are actually prettymuch the exact same layout as
Bay Lake Tower.
Yeah, one important note whenwe're talking about the Animal
Kingdom villas is that they arestarting a hard goods
refurbishment later this year,in 2025.
Huzzah, it is needed.
It is definitely needed.
(13:39):
So, for those of you who don'tknow the DVC lingo, a soft
refurb is minor changes tothings like bedding or
upholstery, window coverings,carpets, painting, wallpaper,
that kind of thing.
Versus a hard refurb is a fullrenovation, including the
(13:59):
appliances, cabinets, bathroomfixtures, furniture replacements
and a lot more.
Basically, a hard refurb andthat's what the Animal Kingdom
villas are going to have happenhere is a tear it down to the
studs.
Refresh.
Kidani Villages refurb startsin October of 25 and is
scheduled to run through May of2026.
(14:23):
And then they will swing overto Jumbo House and that will run
from roundabout May 2026through January of 27.
I didn't see anything explicitly, although I didn't look too
hard to see whether Jumbo Houseitself, on the hotel side, was
also going to be getting arefurb and refresh during this
(14:47):
window.
It's entirely possible.
I would look at Disney'swebsite or reach out to your
travel agent for more detailsthere.
It's possible that would happen.
We saw a very similar thinghappening just recently at the
Grand Californian in Disneyland,where they were doing DVC
(15:07):
renovations at the same time asthey were doing hotel
renovations.
So something to think about andjust be aware of.
I wouldn't be surprised if wesee the pools at this resort
also go down for periods of timeto get an overhaul during this
window as well.
So just something to be awareof.
(15:29):
This is an absolutely fantasticplace to stay.
There may be some constructiongoing on in the next year and a
year and a half or so.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, On to the essentials about this DVC resort
.
For points charts, this startsat seven points a night for a
value studio in September, up to144 points a night for a
three-bedroom grand villa duringthe holidays.
This is broken into fourdifferent travel periods with a
(15:58):
variety of weeks and months ineach.
The DVC contract pointsexpiration date is January 31st
of 2057.
Dvc contracts are for 50 yearsfrom the resort's opening.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Indeed, looking at the basics about this resort, if
you're in a villa, that is a 4pm check-in.
This is standard for all theDVC resorts.
And then, as it is standard, ifyou're staying at Animal
Kingdom Lodge in a hotel room,that check-in is at 3 pm Again
standard across all of DisneyWorld.
(16:35):
So just note there are twodifferent times for check-in.
Checkout for both is at 11 am.
There is a check-in desk andconcierge bell services valet,
all available at the main lobbyat Jumbo House.
I think all of that, except forthe valet, is available at the
(16:58):
lobby there.
In Kidani Village, laundry is inroom for one bedroom and up
villas and there are communitylaundry rooms available in each
resort complex as well.
There's one in Kidani, there'sthree or four, I think, around
Jumbo House.
Donnie, there's three or four,I think, around Jumbo House, but
(17:22):
there is a dedicated one justfor DVC up on the fifth floor of
Jumbo House that you will needyour magic band or room key to
get into because those arecomplimentary.
You do not have to feed thecoin monsters in order to do
your laundry like you would ifyou were a hotel guest.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
For transportation.
You have bus transportation.
It's to all key Walt DisneyWorld locations the parks, the
water parks and Disney Springs.
The bus does stop at both JumboHouse and Kidani Village.
Make sure, if you are takingthe bus, you give yourself
plenty of time.
This resort is out a little bitfarther from a lot of other
(17:59):
places and it can take a whileboth for waiting for the bus and
just the whole transportationitself.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Yeah, it could be a 15 to 30 minute run, depending
on traffic, to get from AnimalKingdom all the way up to Magic
Kingdom.
So this is at the far corner ofthe park.
Just keep that in mind.
Unfortunately, animal Kingdomall the way up to Magic Kingdom.
So this is at the far corner ofthe park.
Just keep that in mind.
Unfortunately, animal Kingdomis not on a Skyliner.
It's not on a monorail.
It doesn't have a boat goinganywhere.
(18:27):
You are stuck either with yourrental car or with your access
to the Disney World buses orrideshare or rideshare.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Indeed, self-parking is free and in Kadadi Village it
is underneath the building.
Valet is available only atJumbo House and it is $42 a
night and if you need accessibleparking and have a pass for
that, if you are unable to finda spot, you can valet with the
proper state-issued hang tag forfree.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yes, that is important to note.
That is pretty consistentacross all of the resorts at
Disney World.
It is not necessarilyconsistent Disney-wide.
I don't know that all of theresort locations do that.
In California, if memory serves, I think they would do that for
(19:19):
you at the Disneyland hotel,but they would not do that for
you at the Grand Californian.
I don't know.
If it's a thing, just ask andthey will tell you what the
current policy is.
But just be aware that is not aconsistent policy across all of
the Disney locations.
Our experience is that is aconsistent offering there in
(19:43):
Disney World in Florida.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
One of the really cool things about the Animal
Kingdom Lodge is it's primarilyknown for being able to see a
lot of animals 30 plus speciesright from your room and other
viewing locations around theproperty.
It's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yes, we love this place for that reason, and so do
lots of other people.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, lots of other people.
Yeah, jumbo House offers all ofthe amenities of a mixed hotel
and DVC resort, and Kidani is alittle bit quieter, dvc only
location.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Indeed, if we look at the pools, the Jumbo House has
the Uzima pool.
This is 11,000 square feet.
It's a zero depth entry pooland it faces the Savannah, which
is pretty cool.
There's a overlook spot rightnear the pool and there is a
67-foot water slide.
Kidani features the SamawatiSprings Pool.
(20:38):
This is smaller.
It's listed at 4,700 squarefeet, also a zero-entry pool.
It has a 128-foot water slide,so a much longer slide.
Though I have seen the KidaniVillage Pool noted as being kind
of more kid focused than theother one over at Jumbo House.
(21:01):
So just, I don't know that it'squieter, I just think it's more
kid friendly in a little bit ofa smaller location.
Leaning into that morekid-friendly focus over at the
pool complex there at KidaniVillage is the Uwanja Camp water
play area.
This is themed around anAfrican safari and it has three
(21:25):
different zones depending on theage of your kids.
The observation station waterplay area is for the littles.
You have the departure zonefeaturing a leaky water tower
and squirting flowers for kidsfive to seven and then, for kids
eight and over, you have basecamp where they get to douse
(21:47):
each other with water cannons.
Important in, very, very, veryimportant.
So I think that's probably why,like having the the uanja camp
water play area, is why thekadani village area is more kind
of kid focused and it has asmaller pool, because there's
more of this other like splashzone stuff going on versus over
(22:08):
at Jumbo House.
It's a very nice, but it's justa big pool.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, jumbo House also has the Hakuna Matata
playground.
Both resorts have movies underthe stars at different times
during the week.
There's also campfires at both.
You can get s'mores if you sochoose.
Kidani Village has a communityhall.
Jumbo House does not.
(22:32):
At the community hall you cando arts and crafts.
There's books for checkout.
You can play billiards or pingpong, check out movies, rentals,
stuff like that.
There's also sports equipmentavailable for tennis, basketball
and shuffleboard, and becauseyou can check out those things,
there's also tennis andbasketball courts at Kidani,
because it'd be kind of weird tohave that without somewhere to
(22:54):
use them and pickleball thetennis courts have pickleball
painted on them as well.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yes, both resorts have a fitness center.
At Jumbo House that is theZahanadi Fitness Center.
It has saunas, a steam room andshowers too.
This used to actually have aspa, but that hasn't come back
since the pandemic.
There are a number of resortsaround Walt Disney World that
(23:22):
used to have full spa servicesand they don't anymore.
I think the only one left isover at the Grand Floridian.
I could be wrong in thatthere's one other, but I'm
pretty sure that's the only oneleft, at least for now.
And then over at Kidani Villagethere is the survival of the
(23:42):
fittest fitness center, becausepuns Most of the fitness centers
are some sort of puns at theseresorts, yes, there are arcades
at both Kidani and Jumbo.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Jumbo has Pumbaa's Fun and Games Arcade and
Kidani's Safari, so Good.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
More puns.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
And you might see some resources.
Talk about Simba's Clubhouse,which is a kids club at Jumbo
House, but this closed in 2018,along with the other two
remaining child care facilitiesin Disney due to declining
demand.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Alicia let's talk about food at Animal Kingdom
Lodge and Villas.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
One of our favorite pastimes.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Oh my gosh, especially here, because these
foods, these restaurants are onpoint.
We'll start off talking aboutBoma.
This is the flavors of Africa.
This is a fantastic breakfastand dinner eats location for the
whole herd to graze on at thisbuffet style restaurant.
(24:47):
It is sure to be a favorite ofyour pack, just like it is for
ours.
It's open 7.30 to 11.30 in themornings and then 5 to 9.30 in
the evenings for dinner.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Gico.
The cooking place is thesignature dining dinner
restaurant in Jumbo House.
It offers incredible blend ofAfrican, indian and
Mediterranean flavors.
It has stellar service and oneof the most incredible South
African wine cellars this sideof the Atlantic.
It is open from 5 to 9.30 pm.
Also, if you make friends withthe restaurant manager, you can
(25:23):
get them to challenge the headchef to make the perfect grilled
cheese Off menu, of course.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Of course, just you know.
Ask us how we know.
I'm sure we've said it a coupleof times.
Oh, I know We've told that story.
Yes, next up we have Sanaa.
This is the only restaurantover at Kidani Village and it
offers African favorites andIndian flavors with a view of
the sav.
(25:49):
But fear not, they've got pickyeaters covered too.
Breakfast is quick service from7.30 to 11, no reservations
required, and then for lunch anddinner.
This is a table servicelocation from 11.30 to 3 for
lunch and then 5 to 9.30 pm fordinner.
For lunch and 9, 30 pm fordinner.
(26:10):
For lunch and dinner,reservations are highly
recommended.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Can you mobile order Sanaa?
I vaguely remember thathappening.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I know you can do the mainline stuff for breakfast
and I believe they have Sanaa togo although it's not listed on
the Disney website for whateverreason but I'm pretty sure you
can do lunch and dinner to gofrom Sanaa as well.
So that's an absolutelyfantastic option if you want to
do dining in your room Althoughboth Jumbo and Kidani will do
(26:45):
room service.
If you want to pay those higherprices and service fees and all
the rest of that, that is up toyou.
Speaking of higher prices androom service fees, if you want
to avoid those, you can checkout the Mara.
This is a quick and counterservice restaurant over at Jumbo
House with everything fromentrees to grab and go bites.
(27:08):
This is open from 6.30 am to 11pm to meet your rope-drop to
late-night snack needs.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
And, of course, there are bars and lounges, because
that is important Absolutely.
The Cape Town Lounge and WineBar is near the entrance to GECO
.
It has appetizers, wine, a fullservice bar open with the
restaurant from 5 pm to 9.30 pm.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
A fantastic place to get a drink before your meal.
Yep, ask us how we know.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Or after your meal D all of the above.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Yes, there is the Victoria Falls Lounge, which is
the perfect place to relax orenjoy a nightcap, overlooking
the Boma restaurant there atJumbo House and the Fire Pit
outside.
This is open from 4 to 11nightly, with light bite bar
snacks available from 5 to 10 pm.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
The Sanaa Lounge offers African wines, specialty
drinks and appetizers in alocation inspired by African
spice markets.
It is open from 1130 am to 11pm.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
And that's over in Kidani Village.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
In Kidani Village.
Yeah, there's a couple poolbars too.
There's the Uzima Springs PoolBar at Jumbo House and the Mahi
or Maji Pool Bar at Kidani andthe Mahi or Maji Pool.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Bar at Kidani.
Lastly, just like any DVCresort, there's always a place
to get groceries at a veryhealthy markup and all sorts of
swag and pins and magnets andall of the other things that us
DVC owners are known to spendour money on while we're there
(28:50):
on vacation.
At Jumbo House, this is theSawadi Marketplace and over at
Kidani Village it is JohariTreasures.
Both of these are there in themain lobby areas of both resorts
.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Our thoughts on this resort.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yes, please, yes please.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
We have enjoyed this quite a bit.
This was our first Disney Worldlocation, way back in 2009,
when we did our first land andsea package as a hotel stay.
We had a Savannah View hotelroom and literally had giraffes
on our balcony every morningWell, not on our balcony but
right outside our balcony.
It was amazing.
(29:30):
This was so much fun.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
I'm literally getting goosebumps right now Just
thinking about it Like it wasand that was.
We had my parents there with usas well.
And I know that was magical forthem too.
They, it comes up often ofremembering uh, especially my
parents.
Uh are addicted to coffee andthey very much enjoyed having
coffee on the lanai there andcommuning with the local
(29:58):
residents.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
We'll say yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
All told, we have stayed at Animal Kingdom five
times for 19 nights, so we arevery familiar with this location
.
Again, we had that one hotelstay at Jumbo House.
We've stayed twice at KidaniVillage, once in a one bedroom
and then we had a five nighterin one of the three bedroom
(30:20):
grand villas.
And then we've been in onebedrooms or no, I think they
were both one bedrooms at JumboHouse twice as well, and Caitlin
and I stayed here I think theywere both one bedrooms at Jumbo.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
House twice as well, and Caitlin and I stayed here, I
think, for a night or two,before her 13th birthday cruise.
Got it and this was a lot offun.
We made up names for all of theanimals.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
If you couldn't tell, this place has absolutely
incredible food options.
I am actually very excitedknowing what Disney has pulled
off with these African flavors,to see what they do with the
Lion King restaurant.
On the Disney Destiny, yes, Ithink that has an excellent shot
(31:08):
at being an absolutely terrificrotational dining restaurant
and while the Destiny and itsMarvel theming may not make it
the top ship in the fleet on mylist, I think this at least from
(31:28):
my expectations and I need totemper myself because
expectations are a rough thingto deal with I think that Lion
King restaurant has a good shotat being my favorite rotational
restaurant in the Disney fleet.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
There's potential for sure there is potential.
Yeah, and with regards to theAfrican flavors, my favorite
character dining breakfast is atTusker House and Animal Kingdom
Lodge.
It's not just your typicalbreakfast buffet, because it
does have other optionsavailable to you that use
differing spices that you're nottypically thinking of for
breakfast.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
And it's not like for those of us who are picky
eaters or who have picky eatersin the family.
We use the spices term loosely.
It's not spicy food, it's notheat Right, it's flavor.
It's just different flavorsthat our American palates just
aren't used to having.
And man, try it because thisstuff is absolutely fantastic.
(32:28):
And then we've said it before,we will say it again there is
nothing like being on theSavannah and having giraffes and
wildebeests and all sorts ofother things around.
I love Animal Kingdom and I'mso glad it is getting referred.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Yes, so the last time we stayed here, um, it was
definitely showing its age andwe were a bit snobby and we're
like I don't know if we need tostay here again yeah but with it
doing a hard refurb.
I would like to see it again.
I would like to see the upgradesthat they make, just because it
(33:08):
is such a beautiful resort,everything around there, the
food's very good, just all theamenities, just that area there
it's a lot of fun, like, if wehave a couple of days that are
just resort days, I wouldn'tmind staying here again.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Agreed and I would love to.
In that same vein, I would loveto go check out Bay Lake Tower
again because we love thatlocation.
But it as well was getting alittle tired and it is in the
middle, or, I think, justgetting ready to finish up a
massive hard refresh.
As long as they're better thanthe Grand Californian refresh,
(33:44):
yeah that was disappointing, andwe are not the only people who
are disappointed based on whatwe have seen online.
But anyhow, this is all aboutanimal kingdom lodge and the
villas.
So gone elsewhere.
Sorry we digress.
Hey look, we are known fortangents and we just took like
four.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
So if any of you have gone to animal kingdom, we'd
love to hear your thoughts onthis.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
It is definitely a place that we really like.
Yeah, let us know.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Remember, we are not affiliated with Disney or their
subsidiaries.
These are our personal opinionsand suggestions based on our
own experiences.
We recommend working with atravel agent or contacting
Disney directly to plan yourperfect vacation.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
If you have questions or suggestions or would like to
be interviewed on our show toshare your Disney experiences,
please send an email to podcastat ourmousecapadescom.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
You can follow us on socials.
We are at Our Mousecapades.
You can find us on Instagram,facebook threads and YouTube.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
And please give us a rating and review in your
podcast app.
It really helps people find us.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Of course, do not hesitate to share us with your
friends and fellow Disney loversof all ages.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Thanks for listening.
We'll be in your ears next week.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Thank you for flying Star Tours.
Bye-bye.
Love you Alicia, Love youNathan.
Love you Alicia, love youNathan.
Hello everyone.
I'm Alicia and I'm Nathan.
Welcome to this week's episodeofest ride in the wilderness.
Hello everyone, I'm Alicia.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
And.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm Nathan.
Welcome to this week's episodeof Adventures and Mousecapades.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
This week.
We are wishing Alicia the verybest of luck, as tomorrow she is
having open-heart surgery.
If you caught the end of ourlast episode Yep, she's getting
some plumbing fixed.
Episode Yep, she's getting someplumbing fixed and uh yeah,
(00:51):
we'll be on the road to recoveryfor a while.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We have a bunch of episodes, Don't worry.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Uh in the can, that uh we'll.
We will be releasing on timeand it'll be all good.
We will keep you posted, ofcourse course, on her progress,
but best wishes and pixie dustare most welcome and appreciated
as she gets better.
Yes, and with that let's getinto the main topic of today's
(01:14):
show.
We're actually here to talkabout another DVC resort.
This is another in our DVCresort review series.
This time we are turning thetelescope on the Animal Kingdom
Villas, the official name isDisney's Animal Kingdom Villas,
jumbo House and Kidani Village.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
You know, just like pretty much everything else
Disney does, it's a lot of wordsand a mouthful.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Technically they're both Disney's Animal Kingdom
Villas Jumbo House and Disney'sAnimal Kingdom Villas Kidani
Village.
But I couldn't type that much,my fingers cramped yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Technically they are two separate DVC resorts, but
they are right next to eachother and folks often hop in
between the two for access tothe restaurants or the other
amenities that are there, andthey are both a combined entity
when it comes to the DVCcontract.
So today we are going to coverboth of them in one big episode.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
This deluxe villa resort is located a little over
a mile away from the AnimalKingdom theme park, in the
southwest corner of DisneyWorld's vast property.
Jumbo House opened in April of2001, three years after the park
first welcomed visitors.
Originally, the property was100% hotel rooms on Disney's
(02:39):
we'll call it cash side of theirlodging inventory, but demand
for DVC rooms near AnimalKingdom made them rethink that.
So a part of Jumbo House wasrenovated and reopened as 134
DVC suites in July of 2007.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Two years later, in May of 2009, Kidani Village
opened next door as a fullDBC-only resort.
Jumbo House, which is theoriginal, is a six-story
African-themed lodge and has theiconic main hall designed by
the folks behind WildernessLodge.
There are 14 five-story podsspread out in an arc into the
(03:22):
savannah from the main hall area.
The DVC villas sit on the topfloor of each pod.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Over in Kidani Village there are 324 villas
that were added to the mix andwhile it follows a similar
design and theming as JumboHouse, it has a more intimate,
ie smaller, main hall.
Just like you'll see with mostof the other DVC-only resorts,
that kind of main entrance areaisn't quite as grand as you'll
(03:53):
see with a hotel resort.
The villas of the KidaniVillage are all located on
floors two through five, withparking underneath the building
on the first level, which isreally kind of cool, and I can't
think of many slash any otherDVC resorts in Disney World
where you actually get coveredparking.
(04:14):
So it's kind of nice.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Both resorts offer rooms with savannah views
featuring visits by around 200different African animals who
live on site.
There is nothing like commutingwith giraffes on your veranda,
with your morning tea or coffee,if you so choose, exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
So we'll talk about the accommodations here.
Animal Kingdom Villas offersthe widest array of room types
at any DVC resort, of room typesat any DVC resort.
They have everything from valuerooms with the lowest points
for a studio, one bedroom or twobedroom at any DVC resort, all
the way up to having the onlyconcierge level or club level
(04:58):
offerings at any DVC property.
The whole resort is a mix ofhotel and vacation villas.
There are 972 hotel rooms andsuites there.
At Jumbo House and then spreadbetween Jumbo House and the
Kidani Village, there are 458DVC villas, or 672, depending
(05:21):
how you count two bedroom unitsthat can be split in half.
Look, dvc Villa count.
Math is crazy, it is.
And like no source agrees withany other source.
So if you're really interestedin knowing, I suggest visiting
Disney World and walking thewhole resort and counting the
rooms yourself.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
And then it'll still probably be wrong.
Right exactly For the viewoptions.
There are four different typesof views.
First is the value which isnear the front of Jumbo House on
the fifth floor.
It offers views of the parkinglot, the pool or, in very
limited cases, one of thesavannas.
The resort view option isdescribed as views of landscape,
(06:06):
parking or pool water.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It's pool slash water .
Yes, I mean although,technically, pools usually do
have water in them.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Sorry my pause.
There was like wait a minute.
A good number of these roomshave at least a partial savanna
view.
Speaking of savanna views,there is a savannah view.
It is a guaranteed 24-hour viewof where the animals roam and
typically at least some type offour-legged friend is visible or
(06:37):
winged.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Sure, the winged ones usually don't have four legs,
though.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Typically Four-legged or winged Right.
The unicorns only come outoccasionally.
That's an alicorn, oh, and thenthere's the pegasus too yeah,
pegasus, yeah, no, no dragonslast view is the kilimanjaro
club.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Just five of these on the sixth floor, club level,
jamba house rooms.
Three of them them have aSavannah view and to overlook
the pool.
There is no guarantee on whichone you will get.
This is, I think, the highestview type available because you
get the club amenities with it.
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Exactly.
All right, let's take a look atthe villas at the Jamba house.
Remember, this is the combinedhotel that has DVC villas on the
top floor of each of those pods.
We'll start out.
There are 18 value studios.
These are 316 square feet.
(07:36):
They sleep four in one queenand one double sized sleeper
sofa.
They come complete with akitchenette with a sink, small
fridge, microwave and a coffeemaker, and have one bathroom as
well.
Of course, it would be reallyweird to have a hotel room
without a bathroom, but anyway,I digress.
There are, then, 110 deluxestudios.
(07:59):
These are 356 square feet.
Other than that, it's prettymuch the same specs.
We have 10 value one bedroomvillas.
These are 629 square feet.
They sleep four in a king bedand then a queen sized sleeper
sofa.
There is one bathroom and thenthere's a full kitchen and a
(08:22):
dining banquette.
And then there are 72 deluxeone-bedroom villas.
These are larger at 720 squarefeet and sleep an extra person.
They sleep five total.
Again, we have that one king,one queen sleeper sofa, and then
there is a single sleeper chairin the living room.
Otherwise, they are the same asthe value one-bedroom villas.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
There are 10 value two-bedroom villas.
They're all lock-off unitswhich combine a one-bedroom and
an adjoining studio.
They're 945 square feet andsleep eight people, and they
have two bathrooms.
There are 72 deluxe two-bedroomvillas.
They are 1,075 square feet,sleep nine people and have two
(09:07):
bathrooms.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
A little bit bigger.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
And then we have three-bedroom grand villas.
There are six of those, that is2,349 square feet of all
Savannah View glory.
They sleep 12 people in oneking in bedroom number one.
In bedroom two and three wehave two queens each and then
there is a queen sleeper sofa inthe living room.
(09:31):
This villa has four fullbathrooms, a full kitchen, a
dining room for 12, full livingroom, a game room with a pool
table and three balconies.
These are on a single floor.
They are about five rooms wideand they are basically at the
end of each extension on.
(09:53):
If you look at the map on theend of each, I don't know what
it's called wings spokessomething.
But it's at the very top and atthe very end of each area.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Indeed, these are very nice rooms.
We haven't stayed in one ofthese, but we stayed in a
three-bedroom at Kidani Village.
But we're getting ahead ofourselves.
Speaking of Kidani Village,let's talk about the room types.
Over there, there are 169studio villas.
These are 366 square feet, so abit bigger than Jumbo House.
(10:28):
They sleep four, with one queenbed and one double sized
sleeper sofa.
Double-sized sleeper sofa.
There's a kitchenette, sink,small fridge, microwave, coffee
maker.
Same same single bathroom.
(10:49):
This is a hotel room.
And then there are 169one-bedroom villas that are 807
square feet.
These sleep five in a king bedin the bedroom and then a queen
sleeper sofa with that onesleeper chair in the living room
.
There are two bathrooms here.
So that is a big differencefrom Jumbo House, in that the
one bedrooms only have onebathroom.
(11:10):
Over in Jumbo House, the onebedroom villas here in Kidani
have two bathrooms, and then, ofcourse, you still have that
full kitchen and the diningbanquette.
And then, if you combine thosestudios and one bedrooms, you
can get up to 169 two bedroomlock-offs.
Again, this is a combination ofthe one bedroom and studios
(11:33):
that we just talked about.
If you do the math, you get1,173 square feet and you can
sleep up to nine with threebathrooms.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
There are 139 dedicated two-bedroom villas.
These do not lock off, it'sjust a two-bedroom villa.
They are 1,173 square feet,they sleep nine and they have
three baths.
And then we have the grandvillas over in Kidani Village
there are 16 of these.
They are three bedrooms, 2,201square feet, and they are
(12:05):
two-story villa suites.
They sleep 12 people.
The main floor has a one-kingbedroom and a living room
sleeper sofa.
On the second floor there aretwo bedrooms and both of them
have two queen beds.
There's also a loft area thathas a queen sleeper sofa.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
And if you do the math, that's 14 people and
Disney advertises it as 12.
And I'm not sure, between theliving room and the loft, if
both of those are sleeper sofasor not or just one of them.
It may change between the suites.
If you look on the floor plan,it actually has it drawn in that
(12:45):
both of them can be a queen,you know, like sleeper sofa and
that's.
You know, two people timesseven beds, is that's still 14
people, right?
All all right.
So this isn't quantum math.
Um, this room technically onlysleeps 12.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Take that as you will yeah, this room also has four
full bathrooms, a full kitchen,a dining room for 12, a full
living room and a three roomwide balcony.
We have stayed in one of thesebefore.
It's very nice.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
It's very nice.
Yes, these are actually prettymuch the exact same layout as
Bay Lake Tower.
Yeah, one important note whenwe're talking about the Animal
Kingdom villas is that they arestarting a hard goods
refurbishment later this year,in 2025.
Huzzah, it is needed.
It is definitely needed.
(13:39):
So, for those of you who don'tknow the DVC lingo, a soft
refurb is minor changes tothings like bedding or
upholstery, window coverings,carpets, painting, wallpaper,
that kind of thing.
Versus a hard refurb is a fullrenovation, including the
(13:59):
appliances, cabinets, bathroomfixtures, furniture replacements
and a lot more.
Basically, a hard refurb andthat's what the Animal Kingdom
villas are going to have happenhere is a tear it down to the
studs.
Refresh.
Kidani Villages refurb startsin October of 25 and is
scheduled to run through May of2026.
(14:23):
And then they will swing overto Jumbo House and that will run
from roundabout May 2026through January of 27.
I didn't see anything explicitly, although I didn't look too
hard to see whether Jumbo Houseitself, on the hotel side, was
also going to be getting arefurb and refresh during this
(14:47):
window.
It's entirely possible.
I would look at Disney'swebsite or reach out to your
travel agent for more detailsthere.
It's possible that would happen.
We saw a very similar thinghappening just recently at the
Grand Californian in Disneyland,where they were doing DVC
(15:07):
renovations at the same time asthey were doing hotel
renovations.
So something to think about andjust be aware of.
I wouldn't be surprised if wesee the pools at this resort
also go down for periods of timeto get an overhaul during this
window as well.
So just something to be awareof.
(15:29):
This is an absolutely fantasticplace to stay.
There may be some constructiongoing on in the next year and a
year and a half or so.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Yeah, On to the essentials about this DVC resort
.
For points charts, this startsat seven points a night for a
value studio in September, up to144 points a night for a
three-bedroom grand villa duringthe holidays.
This is broken into fourdifferent travel periods with a
(15:58):
variety of weeks and months ineach.
The DVC contract pointsexpiration date is January 31st
of 2057.
Dvc contracts are for 50 yearsfrom the resort's opening.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Indeed, looking at the basics about this resort, if
you're in a villa, that is a 4pm check-in.
This is standard for all theDVC resorts.
And then, as it is standard, ifyou're staying at Animal
Kingdom Lodge in a hotel room,that check-in is at 3 pm Again
standard across all of DisneyWorld.
(16:35):
So just note there are twodifferent times for check-in.
Checkout for both is at 11 am.
There is a check-in desk andconcierge bell services valet,
all available at the main lobbyat Jumbo House.
I think all of that, except forthe valet, is available at the
(16:58):
lobby there.
In Kidani Village, laundry is inroom for one bedroom and up
villas and there are communitylaundry rooms available in each
resort complex as well.
There's one in Kidani, there'sthree or four, I think, around
Jumbo House.
Donnie, there's three or four,I think, around Jumbo House, but
(17:22):
there is a dedicated one justfor DVC up on the fifth floor of
Jumbo House that you will needyour magic band or room key to
get into because those arecomplimentary.
You do not have to feed thecoin monsters in order to do
your laundry like you would ifyou were a hotel guest.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
For transportation.
You have bus transportation.
It's to all key Walt DisneyWorld locations the parks, the
water parks and Disney Springs.
The bus does stop at both JumboHouse and Kidani Village.
Make sure, if you are takingthe bus, you give yourself
plenty of time.
This resort is out a little bitfarther from a lot of other
(17:59):
places and it can take a whileboth for waiting for the bus and
just the whole transportationitself.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Yeah, it could be a 15 to 30 minute run, depending
on traffic, to get from AnimalKingdom all the way up to Magic
Kingdom.
So this is at the far corner ofthe park.
Just keep that in mind.
Unfortunately, animal Kingdomall the way up to Magic Kingdom.
So this is at the far corner ofthe park.
Just keep that in mind.
Unfortunately, animal Kingdomis not on a Skyliner.
It's not on a monorail.
It doesn't have a boat goinganywhere.
(18:27):
You are stuck either with yourrental car or with your access
to the Disney World buses orrideshare or rideshare.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Indeed, self-parking is free and in Kadadi Village it
is underneath the building.
Valet is available only atJumbo House and it is $42 a
night and if you need accessibleparking and have a pass for
that, if you are unable to finda spot, you can valet with the
proper state-issued hang tag forfree.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Yes, that is important to note.
That is pretty consistentacross all of the resorts at
Disney World.
It is not necessarilyconsistent Disney-wide.
I don't know that all of theresort locations do that.
In California, if memory serves, I think they would do that for
(19:19):
you at the Disneyland hotel,but they would not do that for
you at the Grand Californian.
I don't know.
If it's a thing, just ask andthey will tell you what the
current policy is.
But just be aware that is not aconsistent policy across all of
the Disney locations.
Our experience is that is aconsistent offering there in
(19:43):
Disney World in Florida.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
One of the really cool things about the Animal
Kingdom Lodge is it's primarilyknown for being able to see a
lot of animals 30 plus speciesright from your room and other
viewing locations around theproperty.
It's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yes, we love this place for that reason, and so do
lots of other people.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, lots of other people.
Yeah, jumbo House offers all ofthe amenities of a mixed hotel
and DVC resort, and Kidani is alittle bit quieter, dvc only
location.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Indeed, if we look at the pools, the Jumbo House has
the Uzima pool.
This is 11,000 square feet.
It's a zero depth entry pooland it faces the Savannah, which
is pretty cool.
There's a overlook spot rightnear the pool and there is a
67-foot water slide.
Kidani features the SamawatiSprings Pool.
(20:38):
This is smaller.
It's listed at 4,700 squarefeet, also a zero-entry pool.
It has a 128-foot water slide,so a much longer slide.
Though I have seen the KidaniVillage Pool noted as being kind
of more kid focused than theother one over at Jumbo House.
(21:01):
So just, I don't know that it'squieter, I just think it's more
kid friendly in a little bit ofa smaller location.
Leaning into that morekid-friendly focus over at the
pool complex there at KidaniVillage is the Uwanja Camp water
play area.
This is themed around anAfrican safari and it has three
(21:25):
different zones depending on theage of your kids.
The observation station waterplay area is for the littles.
You have the departure zonefeaturing a leaky water tower
and squirting flowers for kidsfive to seven and then, for kids
eight and over, you have basecamp where they get to douse
(21:47):
each other with water cannons.
Important in, very, very, veryimportant.
So I think that's probably why,like having the the uanja camp
water play area, is why thekadani village area is more kind
of kid focused and it has asmaller pool, because there's
more of this other like splashzone stuff going on versus over
(22:08):
at Jumbo House.
It's a very nice, but it's justa big pool.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, jumbo House also has the Hakuna Matata
playground.
Both resorts have movies underthe stars at different times
during the week.
There's also campfires at both.
You can get s'mores if you sochoose.
Kidani Village has a communityhall.
Jumbo House does not.
(22:32):
At the community hall you cando arts and crafts.
There's books for checkout.
You can play billiards or pingpong, check out movies, rentals,
stuff like that.
There's also sports equipmentavailable for tennis, basketball
and shuffleboard, and becauseyou can check out those things,
there's also tennis andbasketball courts at Kidani,
because it'd be kind of weird tohave that without somewhere to
(22:54):
use them and pickleball thetennis courts have pickleball
painted on them as well.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yes, both resorts have a fitness center.
At Jumbo House that is theZahanadi Fitness Center.
It has saunas, a steam room andshowers too.
This used to actually have aspa, but that hasn't come back
since the pandemic.
There are a number of resortsaround Walt Disney World that
(23:22):
used to have full spa servicesand they don't anymore.
I think the only one left isover at the Grand Floridian.
I could be wrong in thatthere's one other, but I'm
pretty sure that's the only oneleft, at least for now.
And then over at Kidani Villagethere is the survival of the
(23:42):
fittest fitness center, becausepuns Most of the fitness centers
are some sort of puns at theseresorts, yes, there are arcades
at both Kidani and Jumbo.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Jumbo has Pumbaa's Fun and Games Arcade and
Kidani's Safari, so Good.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
More puns.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
And you might see some resources.
Talk about Simba's Clubhouse,which is a kids club at Jumbo
House, but this closed in 2018,along with the other two
remaining child care facilitiesin Disney due to declining
demand.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Alicia let's talk about food at Animal Kingdom
Lodge and Villas.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
One of our favorite pastimes.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Oh my gosh, especially here, because these
foods, these restaurants are onpoint.
We'll start off talking aboutBoma.
This is the flavors of Africa.
This is a fantastic breakfastand dinner eats location for the
whole herd to graze on at thisbuffet style restaurant.
(24:47):
It is sure to be a favorite ofyour pack, just like it is for
ours.
It's open 7.30 to 11.30 in themornings and then 5 to 9.30 in
the evenings for dinner.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Gico.
The cooking place is thesignature dining dinner
restaurant in Jumbo House.
It offers incredible blend ofAfrican, indian and
Mediterranean flavors.
It has stellar service and oneof the most incredible South
African wine cellars this sideof the Atlantic.
It is open from 5 to 9.30 pm.
Also, if you make friends withthe restaurant manager, you can
(25:23):
get them to challenge the headchef to make the perfect grilled
cheese Off menu, of course.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
Of course, just you know.
Ask us how we know.
I'm sure we've said it a coupleof times.
Oh, I know We've told that story.
Yes, next up we have Sanaa.
This is the only restaurantover at Kidani Village and it
offers African favorites andIndian flavors with a view of
the sav.
(25:49):
But fear not, they've got pickyeaters covered too.
Breakfast is quick service from7.30 to 11, no reservations
required, and then for lunch anddinner.
This is a table servicelocation from 11.30 to 3 for
lunch and then 5 to 9.30 pm fordinner.
For lunch and 9, 30 pm fordinner.
(26:10):
For lunch and dinner,reservations are highly
recommended.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Can you mobile order Sanaa?
I vaguely remember thathappening.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I know you can do the mainline stuff for breakfast
and I believe they have Sanaa togo although it's not listed on
the Disney website for whateverreason but I'm pretty sure you
can do lunch and dinner to gofrom Sanaa as well.
So that's an absolutelyfantastic option if you want to
do dining in your room Althoughboth Jumbo and Kidani will do
(26:45):
room service.
If you want to pay those higherprices and service fees and all
the rest of that, that is up toyou.
Speaking of higher prices androom service fees, if you want
to avoid those, you can checkout the Mara.
This is a quick and counterservice restaurant over at Jumbo
House with everything fromentrees to grab and go bites.
(27:08):
This is open from 6.30 am to 11pm to meet your rope-drop to
late-night snack needs.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
And, of course, there are bars and lounges, because
that is important Absolutely.
The Cape Town Lounge and WineBar is near the entrance to GECO
.
It has appetizers, wine, a fullservice bar open with the
restaurant from 5 pm to 9.30 pm.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
A fantastic place to get a drink before your meal.
Yep, ask us how we know.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Or after your meal D all of the above.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Yes, there is the Victoria Falls Lounge, which is
the perfect place to relax orenjoy a nightcap, overlooking
the Boma restaurant there atJumbo House and the Fire Pit
outside.
This is open from 4 to 11nightly, with light bite bar
snacks available from 5 to 10 pm.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
The Sanaa Lounge offers African wines, specialty
drinks and appetizers in alocation inspired by African
spice markets.
It is open from 1130 am to 11pm.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
And that's over in Kidani Village.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
In Kidani Village.
Yeah, there's a couple poolbars too.
There's the Uzima Springs PoolBar at Jumbo House and the Mahi
or Maji Pool Bar at Kidani andthe Mahi or Maji Pool.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Bar at Kidani.
Lastly, just like any DVCresort, there's always a place
to get groceries at a veryhealthy markup and all sorts of
swag and pins and magnets andall of the other things that us
DVC owners are known to spendour money on while we're there
(28:50):
on vacation.
At Jumbo House, this is theSawadi Marketplace and over at
Kidani Village it is JohariTreasures.
Both of these are there in themain lobby areas of both resorts
.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Our thoughts on this resort.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yes, please, yes please.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
We have enjoyed this quite a bit.
This was our first Disney Worldlocation, way back in 2009,
when we did our first land andsea package as a hotel stay.
We had a Savannah View hotelroom and literally had giraffes
on our balcony every morningWell, not on our balcony but
right outside our balcony.
It was amazing.
(29:30):
This was so much fun.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
I'm literally getting goosebumps right now Just
thinking about it Like it wasand that was.
We had my parents there with usas well.
And I know that was magical forthem too.
They, it comes up often ofremembering uh, especially my
parents.
Uh are addicted to coffee andthey very much enjoyed having
coffee on the lanai there andcommuning with the local
(29:58):
residents.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
We'll say yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
All told, we have stayed at Animal Kingdom five
times for 19 nights, so we arevery familiar with this location
.
Again, we had that one hotelstay at Jumbo House.
We've stayed twice at KidaniVillage, once in a one bedroom
and then we had a five nighterin one of the three bedroom
(30:20):
grand villas.
And then we've been in onebedrooms or no, I think they
were both one bedrooms at JumboHouse twice as well, and Caitlin
and I stayed here I think theywere both one bedrooms at Jumbo.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
House twice as well, and Caitlin and I stayed here, I
think, for a night or two,before her 13th birthday cruise.
Got it and this was a lot offun.
We made up names for all of theanimals.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
If you couldn't tell, this place has absolutely
incredible food options.
I am actually very excitedknowing what Disney has pulled
off with these African flavors,to see what they do with the
Lion King restaurant.
On the Disney Destiny, yes, Ithink that has an excellent shot
(31:08):
at being an absolutely terrificrotational dining restaurant
and while the Destiny and itsMarvel theming may not make it
the top ship in the fleet on mylist, I think this at least from
(31:28):
my expectations and I need totemper myself because
expectations are a rough thingto deal with I think that Lion
King restaurant has a good shotat being my favorite rotational
restaurant in the Disney fleet.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
There's potential for sure there is potential.
Yeah, and with regards to theAfrican flavors, my favorite
character dining breakfast is atTusker House and Animal Kingdom
Lodge.
It's not just your typicalbreakfast buffet, because it
does have other optionsavailable to you that use
differing spices that you're nottypically thinking of for
breakfast.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
And it's not like for those of us who are picky
eaters or who have picky eatersin the family.
We use the spices term loosely.
It's not spicy food, it's notheat Right, it's flavor.
It's just different flavorsthat our American palates just
aren't used to having.
And man, try it because thisstuff is absolutely fantastic.
(32:28):
And then we've said it before,we will say it again there is
nothing like being on theSavannah and having giraffes and
wildebeests and all sorts ofother things around.
I love Animal Kingdom and I'mso glad it is getting referred.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Yes, so the last time we stayed here, um, it was
definitely showing its age andwe were a bit snobby and we're
like I don't know if we need tostay here again yeah but with it
doing a hard refurb.
I would like to see it again.
I would like to see the upgradesthat they make, just because it
(33:08):
is such a beautiful resort,everything around there, the
food's very good, just all theamenities, just that area there
it's a lot of fun, like, if wehave a couple of days that are
just resort days, I wouldn'tmind staying here again.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Agreed and I would love to.
In that same vein, I would loveto go check out Bay Lake Tower
again because we love thatlocation.
But it as well was getting alittle tired and it is in the
middle, or, I think, justgetting ready to finish up a
massive hard refresh.
As long as they're better thanthe Grand Californian refresh,
(33:44):
yeah that was disappointing, andwe are not the only people who
are disappointed based on whatwe have seen online.
But anyhow, this is all aboutanimal kingdom lodge and the
villas.
So gone elsewhere.
Sorry we digress.
Hey look, we are known fortangents and we just took like
four.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
So if any of you have gone to animal kingdom, we'd
love to hear your thoughts onthis.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
It is definitely a place that we really like.
Yeah, let us know.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Remember, we are not affiliated with Disney or their
subsidiaries.
These are our personal opinionsand suggestions based on our
own experiences.
We recommend working with atravel agent or contacting
Disney directly to plan yourperfect vacation.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
If you have questions or suggestions or would like to
be interviewed on our show toshare your Disney experiences,
please send an email to podcastat ourmousecapadescom.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
You can follow us on socials.
We are at Our Mousecapades.
You can find us on Instagram,facebook threads and YouTube.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
And please give us a rating and review in your
podcast app.
It really helps people find us.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Of course, do not hesitate to share us with your
friends and fellow Disney loversof all ages.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Thanks for listening.
We'll be in your ears next week.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Thank you for flying Star Tours.
Bye-bye.
Love you Alicia, Love youNathan.
Love you Alicia, love youNathan.
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