Five Reasons Why You’ll Love Animal Kingdom Villas.
Choosing where to purchase a Disney Vacation Club contract or deciding where to stay comes with many challenges.
The opportunity cost is tremendous because all DVC properties are luxurious but homey. You definitely don’t want to select the wrong place! So, where should you choose?
Here are five reasons why you’ll love Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, along with one reason why you might prefer to keep looking.
The Animals
Let’s not overthink the reason you’re most likely to stay at Animal Kingdom Villas.
Disney has designed this hotel so that most parts of it face the best spot here.
I’m referring to the savannas, which are home to more than a dozen different animal species.
Disney didn’t just build natural habitats for these creatures at Animal Kingdom. It set up several at the nearby hotel as well. Now that’s comprehensive!
When you visit Animal Kingdom Villas, you can exit the hotel lobby and see these adorable animals almost immediately afterward.
Meanwhile, when you’re spending the night here, you’ll encounter animals throughout your visit.
You can watch them go about their daily routine as you spend your vacation at Disney.
In fact, some rooms offer near-constant views of the animals, which can be a life-changing vacation experience. I’m not even joking.
I can vividly recall moments I’ve spent in my hotel room here watching the animals. Where else could you say that but at a Disney resort?
The Lobbies
This resort consists of two standalone facilities, each of which includes its own lobby.
While both are great, I’d honestly list the one at Jambo House in my top three for best DVC resort lobby overall.
This majestic setting mirrors the one you’ll find at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. However, it’s better because the same design team improved on its original creation.
The late Peter Dominick worked on both and used what he learned at Wilderness Lodge to perfect the massive, multi-floor lobby concept at Animal Kingdom Villas.
Even better, Disney added noble African cultural touches to all phases of the lobby. The result is a serene but awe-inspiring destination for hotel guests and visitors alike.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that I have fallen asleep in this lobby multiple times. The overall ambiance here is like a warm hug for me.
The Restaurants
DVC members argue constantly about which resorts host the best restaurants.
While nobody is completely right or wrong on the subject, I suspect most lists would include Animal Kingdom Villas somewhere in the top five. At least, they should.
In fact, we can objectively use travel sites like TripAdvisor to quantify the hotel’s standing here.
To wit, Boma ranks 86th out of 2,270 Orlando restaurants according to TripAdvisor. That places it in the 97th percentile among Central Florida eateries. It’s an incredible place to dine.
Somehow, Boma only ranks third out of three fine dining options available at Animal Kingdom Villas!
Seriously, TripAdvisor ranks Sanaa 84th, while Jiko – The Cooking Place currently slots in 42nd.
Let me spell that out for you. You’ll find three of the top 86 restaurants in Orlando at a single hotel. The odds of that are mathematically impossible.
Then again, words cannot do justice to the savory African flavors available at these three locations.
You’ll love every meal at Animal Kingdom Villas, and I’m speaking from experience here. I’m not even a foodie, but this place still dazzles me.
The Room Types
I gave away one of the reasons already. Disney allows DVC members to book Savanna View rooms.
When you stay at one of these locations, you’ll ensure that you can spy on your new animal friends whenever you like.
In fact, many members love drinking their morning coffee while staring down at the playful critters who are starting their days as well.
Somehow, that’s only one of three different unique room types that are available here.
Obviously, you can book a Standard room type at Animal Kingdom Villas, but what fun is that?
Instead, you should either save your points by booking a Value room or splurge some to book a Kilimanjaro Club Concierge room.
The advantage of the Value accommodations is obviously the DVC Points cost. They’re just standard hotel rooms, so they cost fewer points.
Conversely, when you book the concierge rooms, you gain access to not just the concierge floor but also its concierge club.
This place serves free food and drinks throughout the day and even serves the exclusive Jungle Juice that Disney fans adore.
You’ll only find this fruity concoction at a handful of places on the Disney campus. The concierge room at Animal Kingdom Villas is one.
Of course, I usually stick with the Savanna room type because I cannot get enough of the animals. They’re so adorable!
The Twin Options
Animal Kingdom Villas can claim something that no other DVC resort offers.
You have your choice of standalone facilities here, both of which fall under the same DVC contract.
I’m not talking about buildings like you’ll find at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, either. I mean full-fledged twin properties.
At Animal Kingdom, you’ll always have your choice of Jambo House or Kidani Village as your home base during your visit.
Each hotel comes with its own unique amenities and restaurants. When you stay at Animal Kingdom Villas, you instantly gain access to both.
The only debate lies in which ones you prefer and want closest to you! Everything else about your hotel stay is the same.
Personally, I’m a Jambo House fan, but I know some folks who feel very strongly that Kidani Village is the best choice.
The great thing about DVC ownership is that you’ll have plenty of time to try both!
The Only Downside to Animal Kingdom is: The Location
This answer doesn’t apply to Resort Hoppers for reasons you’ll understand in a moment.
In short, the knock against Animal Kingdom Villas also underscores one of its strengths.
When you stay here, you’re merely a three-minute bus ride away from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You can’t pick a closer location to the park!
For parents, this sort of convenience is ideal…as long as you’re solely visiting Animal Kingdom.
Alas, Walt Disney consists of three other theme parks plus two water parks and Disney Springs.
Animal Kingdom resides on the outskirts of the Disney campus as a means of protecting the safety of the animals.
Disney carved out a huge parcel of land specifically for that purpose. But that strategy comes with a downside.
You’re totally reliant on buses or ridesharing/Minnie Vans here. The free transportation requires a 5-20-minute drive to those Disney destinations.
Which can turn into a lot of time you’re spending on buses. Or worse, it’s that much more time you must wait on buses to arrive.
Personally, I use Resort Hopping to solve this problem. When I stay at Animal Kingdom Villas, I’m spending my park days at Animal Kingdom.
That way, I’m minimizing travel time and taking advantage of the logistics.
I know that Resort Hopping isn’t for everyone, but I’d still recommend it during longer Disney vacations.
No matter the approach you take, you’ll love your time spent at Animal Kingdom Villas, though. It’s a DVC favorite for oh so many great reasons!