Anyone stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge villas Jambo recently?

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We just booked 7 nights in a savannah view studio room at Jambo House for the end of next month. I know the rest of the resort aside from DVC rooms are not open and that Kidani IS open. I'm a little annoyed that there is NO quick service available and Sanaa only offers QS breakfast. Is there truly NOWHERE to get QS lunch and dinner at AKL or Kidani? For a deluxe resort, even though we are in a pandemic, that is ridiculous. Every other deluxe resort has at least their QS and one table service restaurant open. Also, how do you do the refillable mugs there? Any insight anyone has would be helpful!
 

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
We just booked 7 nights in a savannah view studio room at Jambo House for the end of next month. I know the rest of the resort aside from DVC rooms are not open and that Kidani IS open. I'm a little annoyed that there is NO quick service available and Sanaa only offers QS breakfast. Is there truly NOWHERE to get QS lunch and dinner at AKL or Kidani? For a deluxe resort, even though we are in a pandemic, that is ridiculous. Every other deluxe resort has at least their QS and one table service restaurant open. Also, how do you do the refillable mugs there? Any insight anyone has would be helpful!
Maji Pool Bar is open from 11am to 8pm.

 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Maji Pool Bar is open from 11am to 8pm.


That'll be good for my traveling companions!! But I'm a vegetarian and The Mara has some really great veggie options which is why I was hoping it would be open while we were there. It just makes no sense that every other resort that is open has their QS open and usually at least 1 TS. Riviera has almost everything open! But not AKL... sad.
 

nickys

Premium Member
You can re-fill the mugs at the Kidani store, which also has some grab and go type items as well as some basics.

There is a take out service from Sana’a Lounge in the evenings, but the wait can be long and there is no lounge as such (no seats).
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
I stayed at Jambo from July 10-15. Nothing was open and what everyone else said is correct. Hopefully, they fixed the transportation. When I was there, the busses were only picking up at Jambo and then only dropping people off at Kidani and anyone staying at Jambo had to walk back or take the shuttle, which only took one family. We drove, so we used our vehicle after Day 1 at the parks. I was happy with the room and how quiet the resort was; however, we were extremely happy to leave for our stay at Poly and did not reminisce about what we left behind.
 

BlackCauldron

Well-Known Member
I stayed at Jambo from July 10-15. Nothing was open and what everyone else said is correct. Hopefully, they fixed the transportation. When I was there, the busses were only picking up at Jambo and then only dropping people off at Kidani and anyone staying at Jambo had to walk back or take the shuttle, which only took one family. We drove, so we used our vehicle after Day 1 at the parks. I was happy with the room and how quiet the resort was; however, we were extremely happy to leave for our stay at Poly and did not reminisce about what we left behind.

I'm glad they are picking up at Jambo at least - otherwise, the Jambo folks would never be able to get on a bus.
 

MrHappy

Well-Known Member
I'm hoping that a few weeks after Labor Day weekend, when the numbers come in from that period (overlaid with school openings), and if continuing to be positive news that Disney will start to open up more as travel restrictions and travel confidence is restored a little more.
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I stayed at Jambo from July 10-15. Nothing was open and what everyone else said is correct. Hopefully, they fixed the transportation. When I was there, the busses were only picking up at Jambo and then only dropping people off at Kidani and anyone staying at Jambo had to walk back or take the shuttle, which only took one family. We drove, so we used our vehicle after Day 1 at the parks. I was happy with the room and how quiet the resort was; however, we were extremely happy to leave for our stay at Poly and did not reminisce about what we left behind.

Oh goodness! So basically in the morning we have to walk over to Kidani for food.... and then turn around and walk back to Jambo to get the bus? That legit makes ZERO sense!! They really should have The Mara open. I don't understand why every other resort that's open has at least their QS and maybe 1 TS location open. I'm a vegetarian and the Mara has a couple great options for me. The pool bar only has one option and Sanaa has a few but we don't want to pay table services prices to bring things up to our room.
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm hoping that a few weeks after Labor Day weekend, when the numbers come in from that period (overlaid with school openings), and if continuing to be positive news that Disney will start to open up more as travel restrictions and travel confidence is restored a little more.

I see they are opening up a couple more table service and quick service properties so I'm HOPEFUL that the will open The Mara up soon.
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
you can get bread service to go! That much i know!

We have a meal planned at Sanaa already and as much as I love the bread service, I don't want it for every meal! lol I'm just super perplexed as why every other resort has their QS open except for AKL. Makes no sense. Riviera has almost everything there open!
 

Mainahman

Well-Known Member
We have a meal planned at Sanaa already and as much as I love the bread service, I don't want it for every meal! lol I'm just super perplexed as why every other resort has their QS open except for AKL. Makes no sense. Riviera has almost everything there open!
I totally agree. I for one could, but shouldnt ha! It did seem odd considering it is a long walk, or a bus over to get to Kidani.. no QS was interesting to us too. We ended up getting a pizza from the shop, and cooking it one night, and ordered pizza in one night, as we had brought breakfast in. Hopefully they will do something soon..
 

nickys

Premium Member
I see they are opening up a couple more table service and quick service properties so I'm HOPEFUL that the will open The Mara up soon.
I don’t think they will, there is no reason for Disney to open the Mara. The resort isn’t open. Just the DVC rooms, which comprise a small number and which all have kitchenettes or a full kitchen. And given that initially they didn’t even open up the DVC rooms and only did so after a lot of unhappy owners, they never intended to open it.

Riviera still has a lot of rooms unsold and therefore being used by Disney - either booked or to move people to. Disney have moved all their guests from AKL elsewhere.
 

PolynesianPrincess

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I don’t think they will, there is no reason for Disney to open the Mara. The resort isn’t open. Just the DVC rooms, which comprise a small number and which all have kitchenettes or a full kitchen. And given that initially they didn’t even open up the DVC rooms and only did so after a lot of unhappy owners, they never intended to open it.

Riviera still has a lot of rooms unsold and therefore being used by Disney - either booked or to move people to. Disney have moved all their guests from AKL elsewhere.

Well I personally think its ridiculous to pay for a deluxe resort and have only one ONE dining option, a sit down restaurant. Oh well, guess we will be going off property for dinners then.
 

nickys

Premium Member
Well I personally think its ridiculous to pay for a deluxe resort and have only one ONE dining option, a sit down restaurant. Oh well, guess we will be going off property for dinners then.
Only DVC owners can book at Jambo House, so technically no one is paying to stay there.

At BCV there’s only Beaches & Cream open. And before the YC re-%opened to the public thee weren’t any other dining options, with only a pool bar for QS.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
I stayed at Jambo from July 10-15. Nothing was open and what everyone else said is correct. Hopefully, they fixed the transportation. When I was there, the busses were only picking up at Jambo and then only dropping people off at Kidani and anyone staying at Jambo had to walk back or take the shuttle, which only took one family. We drove, so we used our vehicle after Day 1 at the parks. I was happy with the room and how quiet the resort was; however, we were extremely happy to leave for our stay at Poly and did not reminisce about what we left behind.
I am not familiar with the usual bus routes at AKL as we usually have a car there and ride the bus very few times. But doesn't the BUS have to pass Jambo anyway when doing a drop offs? I don't understand why they can't drop off at both places.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
I am not familiar with the usual bus routes at AKL as we usually have a car there and ride the bus very few times. But doesn't the BUS have to pass Jambo anyway when doing a drop offs? I don't understand why they can't drop off at both places.
From what I understand and was told by the front desk that the busses not dropping off at Jambo was a mistake and it was going to be fixed. It probably is now, but we found it easier to just drive anyways. I left a scathing review in their survey about it and the fact that in the bathrooms they had dispensers instead of individual shampoos, conditioners, body wash (we actually got two body washes and no conditioner). It was a DVC room booked with points and I have higher expectations than that and thought that DVC got the travel-sized toiletries rather than the communal dispensers. I might be wrong, but Poly did not have dispensers. Just disappointing all around. It is a beautiful resort though.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
From what I understand and was told by the front desk that the busses not dropping off at Jambo was a mistake and it was going to be fixed. It probably is now, but we found it easier to just drive anyways. I left a scathing review in their survey about it and the fact that in the bathrooms they had dispensers instead of individual shampoos, conditioners, body wash (we actually got two body washes and no conditioner). It was a DVC room booked with points and I have higher expectations than that and thought that DVC got the travel-sized toiletries rather than the communal dispensers. I might be wrong, but Poly did not have dispensers. Just disappointing all around. It is a beautiful resort though.
Ya know considering this covid stuff, they should be giving individual products. We have no idea how clean the dispensers are when we put out hands on them.
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
Ya know considering this covid stuff, they should be giving individual products. We have no idea how clean the dispensers are when we put out hands on them.
I know. Do you know if they are charging for parking for non-DVC reservations? I am looking into booking CS during Christmas but we will be driving.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
I know. Do you know if they are charging for parking for non-DVC reservations? I am looking into booking CS during Christmas but we will be driving.
I think you get charged if it's not booked on points. What was the Jambo pool like? I assume it was almost like a private with so few guests over there. We're the bathrooms down there open, any way to get any pool refreshments or just BYOB?
 

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