Disney’s
Animal Kingdom Villas-Jambo House
Located a little over a mile from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park are the DVC resorts of Animal Kingdom Villa-Jambo House and Kidani Village. On April 16, 2001, Jambo House opened, not as a DVC Villa, but as a Disney “cash” hotel. Because there was also a need for DVC accommodations near Animal Kingdom Park, part of the hotel was given a refurbishment and reopened on July 2, 2007, with 134 villas. Jambo House’s sister DVC resort, Kidani Village, opened in May 2009 as a full DVC-only resort.
Jambo House is a six-story, African-themed lodge with an iconic towering main hall, designed by Peter Dominick (he also designed Wilderness Lodge). Many argue that the resort is the best-themed one on Disney property. Attached to the main hall and forming an arc around the Savannas, are 14 five-story, thatched-roof pods. The DVC rooms sit on the top floor of the hotel and pods. The lodge has three Savannas (Arusha, Sunset, and Uzima) that provide the home for 200 animals, including giraffes, zebras, and ankole cattle and over 100 birds. Guests with savanna views can see these animals 24 hours a day from their resort balcony. The animals can also be seen from the common areas in the lodge. Printed wildlife field guides showing the African wildlife on the savannas, are in your room and at the hotel front desk.
This resort has the most diverse room inventory of any DVC resort. Jambo House accommodations include the “Value” rooms, which have the lowest points for Studio, One-Bedroom, or Two-Bedroom units, of any DVC resort. The lodge is also home to the only concierge-level accommodations across all DVC properties. In general, this resort is well-loved by DVC owners because of its diverse and plentiful room inventory, low initial cost, reasonable annual maintenance, and of course, animal viewing on the many savannas.
Room Descriptions
Studios
Studios are one-room units that can accommodate up to four people. The sleeping area of the room has a single queen bed and a double-size sleeper sofa. A kitchenette area houses a sink, a small refrigerator, a microwave, and a coffee maker. The bathroom has a double sink and a combination tub and shower. There are two kinds of Studios at Jambo House-Value and Deluxe. Value units are smaller than the Deluxe Studio but have the same amenities. Value rooms are approximately 316 square feet compared to 365 in the Deluxe rooms.
One-Bedroom Villa
One-Bedroom Villas are single bedroom units available in two sizes: Value, 629 square feet, and Deluxe, with 720 square feet. Value units sleep four while Deluxe units sleep five. Both rooms are made up of a separate bedroom, a second living/sleeping room, and a fully equipped kitchen. There is a table and chairs and a washer and dryer in the unit. The single bathroom has a double sink and a combination whirlpool tub and shower. In the Value One-Bedroom unit, the master bedroom has a king-size bed. In the living room, there is a double-sized sleeper sofa. The Deluxe One-Bedroom unit also has a king-size bed in the bedroom, and in the living area, there is a queen-size sleeper sofa and a sleeper chair to accommodate a fifth person.
Two-Bedroom Villa
Two-Bedroom Villas are all “lock-off” units. These units are made up of an adjoining Studio and a One-Bedroom unit. Value units are 945 square feet and accommodate up to eight people. The Deluxe Two-Bedroom units have approximately 1,075 square feet and sleep up to nine people. These Two-Bedroom units have a King size bed in the master bedroom and a queen-size sleeper sofa in the living area. The second bedroom has a queen-size bed and a double-size sofa bed. The Deluxe units will also have a sleeper chair in the living room to accommodate one more guest. Both bathrooms have a shower/tub combination, with the master bath having a jetted tub. There is a fully equipped kitchen, as mentioned in the One-Bedroom units above. These units also include a washer and dryer.
Grand Villas (3 Bedroom)
Grand Villas are Three-Bedroom Villas and sleep up to twelve people. They are 2,349 square feet in size. The six units all have a balcony view of the animals on the Savanna. Each villa has one master bedroom with a King size bed. There is a whirlpool tub and a walk-in shower in a dedicated bathroom. There are two more bedrooms, with two queen-size beds in each room. Each bedroom has a bathroom. One bathroom has a tub/shower combination, and the other has a walk-in shower and a shower/tub combination. There is a queen-size sleeper sofa in the living area of the villa. Each unit has a full-sized kitchen with a stove and oven, microwave, and a dishwasher. There is a separate dining area, a game room that features a pool table, and a washer and dryer. Grand villas are located on the “spokes” of the resort horseshoe, and face the Sunset or Uzima Savanna.
Villa Views/Types/Locations
Value
Value- When booking a value unit, there are no Standard or Savanna view choices available to pick. Guests who book Value Studio may view the parking lot, the pool, or the savanna animals. Although views can’t be selected when making a reservation, specific rooms can be requested but are not guaranteed. There are eight rooms with Savanna views facing the Sunset Savanna (Ostrich Trail), eight rooms that face the Uzima pool (Giraffe Trail), and two villas that face the landscape/parking lot (Ostrich Trail). The units are located near the front of Jambo House, on the fifth floor (Ostrich trail and Giraffe trail wings).
Standard
The official standard view description (from the DVC website) is “views of landscape, parking area, or pool/water,” although some of these rooms will have at least a partial view of the Savanna. The standard rooms are on the fifth floor, located outside the hotel arc facing the Sunset Savanna, Uzima Savanna, or the Uzima pool.
Savanna
Every “Savanna” unit has a 24-hour view of animals. Some of the rooms face the Arusha Savanna, and the remaining rooms face the Sunset Savanna and Uzima Savanna on the outer arc. Likely animal views are zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and kudu. All rooms are on the fifth floor. Units face either the Arusha Savanna, on the inside circle of the resort, or are located on the outer arc facing Sunset Savanna or Uzima Savanna.
Kilimanjaro Club
Like value units, specific views (Standard or Savanna) cannot be selected. There are only five club-level rooms, and they are located on the sixth-floor concierge level of the massive great hall main lobby. There are three rooms with views of the Sunset Savanna and two units that face the Uzima pool.
