News Kidani Village and Jambo House Guest Room Refurbishment Dates at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

[DCBaker]

Disney has announced the guest room refurbishment at Kidani Village will begin in October 2025 and is expected to continue through May 2026. The refurbishment at Jambo House is scheduled to begin in May 2026 and extend through January 2027.

Here's the announcement: From October 2025 through May 2026, Guest rooms at Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will undergo refurbishment, followed by refurbishment work at Jambo House from May 2026 through January 2027. During these times, Guests may see or hear construction work in the area. All amenities will remain available throughout the refurbishment.

 

[tissandtully]

Disney has announced the guest room refurbishment at Kidani Village will begin in October 2025 and is expected to continue through May 2026. The refurbishment at Jambo House is scheduled to begin in May 2026 and extend through January 2027.

Here's the announcement: From October 2025 through May 2026, Guest rooms at Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will undergo refurbishment, followed by refurbishment work at Jambo House from May 2026 through January 2027. During these times, Guests may see or hear construction work in the area. All amenities will remain available throughout the refurbishment.

This is great, as our home resort and also our favorite, a hard goods refurb is much needed here. Hopefully there's a way to get a refurbished room in December.

 

[Wngo905]

(grabs my temples and shuts my eyes, thinking outloud) Don't de-identify the rooms, don't de-identify the rooms, don't de-......

In all seriousness, I hope they don't bland-up these resorts with similar "loss of themeing" like the previous ones. This is my DVC home resort and I am glad I have a week stay in a 1bd room Value for my 50th B-Day in April 2026. Since Kadani will be almost finished by then, I will at least know if my Jambo room (we have been fortunate to stay in the same room 3 times now, THANKS TOURINGPLANS ROOM REQUEST SERVICE) will be the final fully themed stay.


(Edit to add) PS. wow I really need to update my signature line.

 

[esskay]

About time, it was starting to feel pretty run down in some of those rooms, the DVC ones especially need some love (and murphy beds)

 

[prberk]

Coming soon: your new Marriott rooms “inspired by” the Animal Kingdom: white walls and beds with a few paintings of animals on the wall and Lion King accents on the curtain.

 

[Nottamus]

They’ve already down themed the rooms once since we started staying there

I’m hoping it’s DVC room love this time around too…

 

[Disone]

Coming soon: your new Marriott rooms “inspired by” the Animal Kingdom: white walls and beds with a few paintings of animals on the wall and Lion King accents on the curtain.

I think it'll be Lion King art on the walls and reveal once the Murphy bed is pulled down but regular curtains. Might have some of the kitchen tile backsplash be " African inspired" patterns.

 

[Tinkerbella16]

Great news! It needs it badly. We enjoyed our stay at Kidani in October, but our rooms were screaming for a refurb.

 

[Dr.GrantSeeker]

Since they are doing DVC rooms, do we think that this means Club level goes down as well?

 

[JaxFLBear]

Since they are doing DVC rooms, do we think that this means Club level goes down as well?

The DVC Club Level rooms on the 6th floor should be refurbished. Not sure if the lounge portion will be touched or not.

 

[Dr.GrantSeeker]

The DVC Club Level rooms on the 6th floor should be refurbished. Not sure if the lounge portion will be touched or not.

That’s why I ask, since I can’t imagine them keeping the lounge open when those 6th floor rooms go down. I don’t know if there is anywhere else they could even host the lounge during the referb.

 

[esskay]

IIRC in the past they just "sell out" certain floors or areas so they cant be booked, doing that for the club level floor would allow the refurb of that whole area to be done at the same time, they don't often make a big song and dance about it and just make it appear that they've got no availability instead.

 

[nickys]

IIRC in the past they just "sell out" certain floors or areas so they cant be booked, doing that for the club level floor would allow the refurb of that whole area to be done at the same time, they don't often make a big song and dance about it and just make it appear that they've got no availability instead.

I believe the only rooms on floor 6 with the club lounge are DVC. Maybe a suite or two there are non DVC.
Regular club level rooms are on floor 4.
If they take out all of floor 6 then that would mean no club lounge access at all.

AKL is unique in this regard, so we don’t know exactly what will happen, unless someone can remember back to the last time.

However the announcement says all amenities will be available, so that suggests some kind of club level will remain. Maybe they’ll use some rooms for the buffet and drinks etc.

 

[Disone]

I believe the only rooms on floor 6 with the club lounge are DVC. Maybe a suite or two there are non DVC.
Regular club level rooms are on floor 4.
If they take out all of floor 6 then that would mean no club lounge access at all.

AKL is unique in this regard, so we don’t know exactly what will happen, unless someone can remember back to the last time.

However the announcement says all amenities will be available, so that suggests some kind of club level will remain. Maybe they’ll use some rooms for the buffet and drinks etc.

Pretty accurate assessment. There are no suites on the 6th floor. Just DVC and Fun fact; They are the only DVC rooms in all of the Disney vacation Club inventory world wide that are on the same level as a concierge lounge.

The way the six floor is laid out it is entirely possible to block off access to those rooms without closing the lounge.

 

[nickys]

Pretty accurate assessment. There are no suites on the 6th floor. Just DVC and Fun fact; They are the only DVC rooms in all of the Disney vacation Club inventory world wide that are on the same level as a concierge lounge.

The way the six floor is laid out it is entirely possible to block off access to those rooms without closing the lounge.

Thanks, so no problems then.

I do wonder why Jambo, with far fewer rooms, is scheduled to take as long the whole of Kidani. Perhaps just building in contingency.

 

[Disone]

Thanks, so no problems then.

I do wonder why Jambo, with far fewer rooms, is scheduled to take as long the whole of Kidani. Perhaps just building in contingency.

Rooms or villas? JH may have less villas but more regular rooms.

 

[nickys]

Rooms or villas? JH may have less villas but more regular rooms.

I thought this was just the DVC villas refurb.

Didn’t the regular rooms get done a few years ago?

If it does include all the rooms, the breakdown is

Jambo non-DVC - 972
Jambo DVC - 214
Kidani (all DVC) - 458

Admittedly I don’t know the “equivalent” room numbers allowing for the DVC villas, with living rooms and multiple bedrooms. The info is available. But I guess that would make more sense if this is a whole resort refurb.

 

[AKLrocks!]

Does anyone know if the refurbishment at Jambo House is for DVC rooms only or are all the rooms at Jambo House being refurbished? Thank you, looking to book a 2026 vacation.