Let’s Talk about Rooms Types at Animal Kingdom Villas
What’s the one commonality all DVC members share? We stay in DVC resort villas. For this reason, we’re starting a new series on the blog.
In each upcoming article, we’ll discuss the various room types at DVC resorts. And we’re starting with a fun one today. Let’s talk about the DVC room types available at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas!
Let’s Talk about the Value Accommodation Room Type
Compared to other DVC properties, Animal Kingdom Villas features a couple of curiosities. First, there’s the novelty of two different hotels in the same space. Thankfully, when you reserve a room, DVC will inform you whether it’s Jambo House or Kidani Village.
Second, you can book Value Accommodation here. You can think of it as a small Studio or a slightly larger-than-normal hotel room. The floor plan for the Value Accommodation lists 316 square feet of space. So, it’s not as big as DVC members are used to having, but it’s also not small.
Animal Kingdom’s Points Chart indicates why these rooms have proven so popular. They start at seven DVC Points per night and never cost more than 17 DVC Points per night. Depending on when you stay, you’ll pay from 62 to 114 DVC Points for a week in a Value Accommodation room.
Since these rooms are so inexpensive, they book quickly, though. The rule of thumb for multiple Animal Kingdom DVC options is that you should buy here if you intend to stay here frequently. The 11-month window is integral to booking these unique room types.
Let’s Talk about the Deluxe Studio
Here’s where the twin hotels become a factor. Since Kidani Village doesn’t offer the Value Accommodation room type, there’s nothing to compare. With Deluxe Studios, there’s at least a minimal variance.
Technically, Kidani Village Studios are 366 square feet, which is one square foot larger than the 365 square feet rooms at Jambo House. The only reason you’re likely to notice a difference is that the bathroom tub and patio/balcony seating are slightly different. So, they’re fraternal twins that look almost identical.
Thankfully, DVC reduces the potential confusion by charging the same number of DVC Points for both options. Deluxe Studios start at ten points per night, with a maximum of 23 points. For a week’s stay, your total DVC Points cost would range from 76 to 151 points…for the Standard View room type.
However, this resort also offers a better view, one I consider among the BEST views in the DVC catalog. You can book Savannah View Studios as well. These rooms cost 13 to 29 DVC Points per night. For a full week, you’ll pay 116-193 DVC Points.
What do you get for the extra points? Your Savannah View room overlooks the animal habitats at your resort. Whenever you look out your window, you’re staring at the animals who live at this resort. It’s as magical as Disney gets.
Notably, Savannah View isn’t the most expensive room type, though. That honor belongs to the Kilimanjaro Club Concierge room type. Basically, it’s a club-level Studio that provides you access to the concierge lounge…and all the glorious snacks and beverages you’ll find there.
As a former member of the hospitality industry, I’ve stayed in many club-level rooms. This one is really good. You get free POG Juice!
Let’s Talk about the DVC Villas
All the various Studio room types sleep four. Sometimes, DVC members require rooms that host more guests. Sometimes, we simply want more room, too.
In such instances, you’ll love the One-Bedroom and Two-Bedroom Villas at Animal Kingdom. However, those of you who care about space should definitely choose the Kidani Village side. Here’s why.
The One-Bedroom Villas at Jambo House include 720 square feet of space, while the same rooms at Kidani Village cover 807 square feet. That’s about 12 percent more room. Both options sleep five.
Similarly, the Two-Bedroom Villas at Jambo House are “only” 1,075 square feet, while the ones at Kidani Village are 1,173 square feet.
When you book a One-Bedroom at either resort, you’ll spend a minimum of 20 DVC Points per night and a maximum of 35 for Standard View. You’ll find the same room type options with the Villas as with the Studios. So, the nightly cost varies greatly.
One night of Savannah View ranges from 27 to 52 points, while Kilimanjaro Club Concierge runs from 38 to 73 points. That’s a sizable gap, but it comes with an essential benefit. You maintain flexibility in booking what you want at Animal Kingdom. That statement applies to both the room type and view/amenities.
I’ll add a couple of notes and a caveat here. You can book a cheap, smaller Villa at Jambo House. DVC offers the Value Accommodation for the Villas as well. The One-Bedroom Villa covers 629 square feet and ranges from 17 to 35 DVC Points per night. That’s a decent-sized Villa for an affordable nightly rate.
Similarly, the Two-Bedroom Villa features 945 square feet of space. You can book it for 22 to 48 DVC Points per night. In terms of bang for the buck, that’s quite strong.
Let’s Talk about the Grand Villas
When you travel with a large party, you should consider booking a Grand Villa at Animal Kingdom Villas. All these Three-Bedroom Villas sleep up to 12 guests thanks to all the bedding. The rooms include one king-size bed, four queen-size beds, and a queen-size sleeper sofa.
What I said about Villas earlier isn’t true with the Grand Villas, though. These suites are actually smaller at Kidani Village, although “smaller” is a relative term here. They’re 2,201 square feet, which is larger than many people’s homes.
Still, the Grand Villas at Jambo House are even larger. They cover 2,349 square feet of space. When you book one of those Villas, you may not want to leave your room to visit the parks!
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