The dvc rooms are only a few minutes walk to the main lodge and the closest to the buses.

And, with the monitors near the buses estimating arrival times for other destinations, Disney has improved their transportation.

The bus stop was close by and the buses came regularly without much wait.

We found the walk to the buses to the resort and boat to Magic Kingdom very reasonable.

another thing that was great about the building location was how close it was to the busses.

They are also close to the bus transportation.

Taking the boat to Magic Kingdom was a huge bonus, and the villas were super close to the bus transportation as well.

We love the lodge and our villa was in close proximity to the bus depot (which I requested and they granted).

It is a long walk to the buses and dining areas,

The property is not large and spread out like Saratoga Springs or Old Key West so it was easy walking distance to the bus or boat transportation and back to the main building.

I have stayed at most of the Disney Deluxe Resorts and visited all of them, and in my opinion, Wilderness Lodge is perhaps the most beautiful of all; Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House lobby might be more impressive,

Asked for a room close to main lodge and we were not disappointed with 3rd floor room over looking the BR quiet pool.

We had arrived to the lodge after staying at a Marriott timeshare in Palm Beach which was has down so much better including the mattress in the pull out couch.

Boulder Ridge is a brilliant rendition and representation of National Park lodges and natural scenic areas in the western United States.

We didn't use the main pool, only the Boulder Ridge pool and the splash pad at the main lodge.

The Lodge was decorated for Christmas and the Thanksgiving dinner was out of this world!

We had a great view of the new pool area and the main lodge.

We also rented bikes and rode around the Lodge area and over to the campgrounds, and this was a nice break from fighting the crowds in the park.

This is such a great way to learn about the history of the lodge.

This was  our third resort stay It was really great having the pine trees and all the wood really felt like a lodge in Yellowstone.

The Lodge itself is awesome especially the tall foyer.

For example, to get to Animal Kingdom Lodge you would have to take a bus to AK, then another bus from AK to AKL.

Pros:
Family Friendly – The entire Wilderness Lodge resort including the Lodge, Copper Creek Villas and Boulder Ridge offer first class family friendly experience.

The look and he charm of the lodge has always been so comforting.

There is a quick-service restaurant in  the lower level of the main Lodge with super tuna sandwiches and flat bread pizzas.

Loved the theming of the room, the BR Building, and of course, always love visiting the main lodge (have done so many times).

Beautiful lodge, lobby, pools and as always amazing service.

It was very quiet, and a quick walk up to the busy main lodge lobby and restaurants.

We've stayed at all three of the properties at Wilderness Lodge, and the Villas are right up there with the Lodge and the Cabins.

The food options are amazing as well, even if they are a bit pricey, then again it is Disney.

Premium price and very outdated, poor quality accommodation.

The cost of this place did not match the accommodations.

Because of this, we paid 50% less than we would have paid if we tried to book this room through Disney's website, so, this was a great deal!

But for the pluses above, I’d rate it 1 star for this problem.

We had to pay for regular guest parking each night which honestly should be free like other hotels.

The cost wasn't astronomical and was all covered by our travel insurance - what service!

All in all the price we paid is insane $1,000.00 per night!!

That's ridiculous considering the rates and cost of food.

Now I must say it is very expensive, even with the discount we received it was expensive to the point of almost being too expensive.

Since you are using dining credits, you don't pay for this(and probably won't even notice)

The price for these villas are less than the more expensive (but newer) Copper Creek counterpart.

We decided to book the 2 bedroom villa for 5 adults when we say that it was comparable in price to just getting two rooms.

(We pay a lot of money, so why do we have to do their work)  I don't like to complain

My only complaint are outrageous prices Disney charges for accommodations and food.

but the entire platter between the burger and fries I would of expected to pay 15+ considering its Disney.

The food at Roaring Forks was great everyday for breakfast and we loved the drinks at Geyser Point.

Loved the chocolate croissant and wilderness bark coffee from roaring fork.

The roaring fork was good pretty standard quick service,

They didn’t even give any take out utensils.

Roaring Fork, Geyser Point and Whispering Canyon are the restaurants open right now.

Would just recommend a few healthier options on the Roaring Fork menu, otherwise it was wonderful!

The main lobby was beautiful and we loved Roaring Fork and all the places you can sit and eat, enjoy coffee or just people watch.

The room also had a kitchenette that had glassware, plates, bowls, coffee mugs, coffee pot, mini fridge, microwave and sink.

This hotel is not only visually stunning, there are more then three different places to eat including Whispering Canyon Cafe a sit down restaurant, Roaring Fork where you can grab a quick meal to go if you please and Geyser Point bar and grill located outside where you can order a meal or drink to have by the pool.

Roaring Fork, great for breakfast, we never got back in time to eat here any other time.

We enjoyed a decent amount of time at the resort with a 2nd stop at Geyser Point for drinks at night and an awesome view of the Electrical Water Pageant, breakfast at Roaring Fork and Whispering Canyon and of course taking the boat to/from Magic Kingdom.

Roaring Fork (quick serve) was kind of a walk for us

The Roaring Fork is an amazing place to eat.

The staff is friendly and very helpful, and the food is great- we ate at both the Whispering Canyon cafe for dinner (sit down meal) and the quick service restaurant, Roaring Forks, multiple times.

The food is good, we ate at the Whispering Canyon and the Roaring Fork.

although we mainly used the plates for snacks and the fridge for it's ample room.

Quick service has a lot of options, outside bar has even more, and the Roaring Fork doesn't disappoint (however we did not eat there this trip).

Roaring Forks, the resort's quick serve restaurant, was recently renovated and it's menu has been upscaled since we we visited.

Baths were large (though vanities were pretty cheap), grounds woodsy.

Our 3.5 year old loved the Murphy Bed and I loved the faucets in the bathroom and vanity area, the attention to detail here was astounding.

Standard bathroom with tub and shower over and separate vanity area with sink.

We had a 1 BR villa which had a separate living room / kitchen area with a pull out sofa along with a kind bedroom and very large bathroom with separate shower and tub along with 2 vanity areas.

Even for 2 people separate vanities was a nice luxury.

The villa came equipped with a full kitchen, living area, a small dining area, entry way closet, balcony, king bedroom, a bathroom with vanity and a large jacuzzi tub, walk-in closet, and another 3/4 bath.

There's also a jetted tub and vanity accessible from the master bedroom.

The bedroom featured a king-size bed, TV, and a great bathroom with a soaking tub, walk-in shower, two vanities, a walk-in closet, and a separate toilet room.

The bedrooms were quite large and each had it's own walk-in closet and large bathroom and vanity area.

There was a separate area in the bathroom for the large jetted tub and vanity.

- There's a seperate vanity area with 2 sinks.

We had a separate bedroom with a king-sized bed (hubby is quite tall), a separate bathroom area with vanity and whirlpool tub, a full kitchen (complete with dishes, cooking equipment and silverware), another bathroom with the toilet and large shower and a large living room with a table and two chairs, as well as a bar and two chairs.

The master suite had a king size bed, TV, it’s own balcony, and a whirlpool tub with a dressing area complete with a sink and vanity.

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

price

utensil

vanity-space

bus proximity

We found the rooms to be dark and a bit beat up in the Kidani 2 bedroom villa that cost around $1500 per night, with quality and comfort was equivalent to a 3 star hotel.

but the area with the toilet was dark and had zero decor, not a big deal but I was a little surprised, was like the bathroom area was overlooked.

but kind of dark because of the themed decor.

but they weren’t as long or as dark as I imagined they’d be!

Absolutely loved Jambo   hated Kidani   Our room  was  no lie at least a mile from check in, dark gloomy hall ways , was in a back corner  I think like room 7655?

but busy and main lobby area was pleasant but quite dark.

We arrived after dark and we’re assigned a top level 2 bedroom lock off room.

Unfortunately, this time of the year it gets dark early, so we had to catch them in the morning before heading to the parks.

It appeared a bit run down, the shower was terrible, the lighting in the bathroom was way too dark and overall, just did not feel Disney in quality.

Understanding the theme of the resort, I still found décor dark and very tired looking.

The African theme resulted in the rooms being dark and the necessity of taking buses everywhere was time consuming.

-night vision goggles for kids to look for animals after dark
-covered parking deck
-lots of dining options

CONS - 
-distance from Epcot, MK 
-bus-only transportation
-I can see where the layout is a bit more like Coronado (read: you can end up with quite a hike from your room to, say, the bus or lobby).

I think the rooms could stand a little updating as it was very dark and the carpet had a musty smell.

So they take a little to get going in the mornings after they are released and have breakfast and of course you aren't going to see them in dark from your room.

Very nice pool with good kids area for younger ones.

The pool was very nice and my grandkids really enjoyed it.

Plus they brought all the African exchange members back and they fill the resort teaching classes on animals etc to the kids.

Do yourself a favor, book a room at the Waldorf or Jw Marriot, you will enjoy better service, more hospitality, nicer rooms, all for typically less money and you can simply Uber it take their own shuttle to the parks when you are out here with the kids.

Only option for vegetation is a vegetable curry (not much taste and salty) and a kids cheese pizza which was ok.

There was 2 adults and 2 teenagers (16&14) we all loved it! !

Having spent half our stay at Bay Lake Towers on this trip I can sincerely say the Kidani Village pool is a) better than the Jambo pool (my children tried both and agreed) and b) miles ahead of the Bay Lake pool.

You feel so relaxed, They have pool games for kids.

My 13yo son and I spent 1 night at AKL - Kidani Village in very late August.

my husband had to order off the children's menu because everything was highly spiced.

but always enough chairs and the life guards actually saved a child who didn’t come up from the slide.

The next morning we realized how high we really were and noticed that our grand daughter could squeeze herself through  the balcony bars.

It cut down significantly on walking to resort transportation and the resort placed us right across the hall from grandkids.

My kids (8 and 5) are just too big for strollers

The rooms are well-appointed and the savannah views are wonderful for the kids.

My wife and son loved the savanna view and it's worth the upgrade if you can swing it.

Luckily, we were fast walkers and didn't have any children with us because I tried to imagine having my grandkids with us and making them walk that long walk after a long day.

He did extensive research & picked Kadini Village to take our daughter,and her babies.

I took my 3.5 year old daughter to Disney, this was both of our first time.

The water play area was also fun for kids. 2.

Had just spent 5 nights in a one bedroom villa at Wilderness Lodge and had a wonderful time.

This is a very peaceful place..  the quieter and smaller of the two lodges.

We've stayed previously at Beach Club, Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge, and I would rank the Kidani pool as being our second favorite (because no one can touch Beach Club on that front).

We were not at all impressed with the Lodge pool.

The lodge is definitely themed beautifully.

We had our first stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge as we check our 10th Disney property off the list.

The hotel also needs a food court/quick serve dining location like the other Disney resorts-the trek to the main lodge got old after awhile.

It's a beautiful lodge and the scenic views of the savanna are very nice too.

Loved our week stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Kadani Village.

The large gift shop at the AK Lodge was closed when I was there.

We love this resort and are DVC vacation owners at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

My wife, family and I spent a week at the Kidani village at Animal Kingdom lodge.

DVC owners since 2000 and first time at an Animal Kingdom Lodge.

A wonderful stay and we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to "get in extra steps" each day by simply walking the grounds to Jambo House (which was basically closed at the time) or along the loooooooong lodge corridors.

I originally booked Copper Creek at the Wilderness Lodge

We are planning on a trip in 2021 with a large number of family members and we will be staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, because of the customer service alone.

Long walk to the main quick service dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge

I've been wanting to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for years.

Both located at the Lodge a short suttle ride from Kidani.

We stayed at Kidani Village as we wanted to stay on Disney property and we had family group of 7.

but you have to rely on the Disney app to keep track of the schedule, the staff aren’t able help with that.

Staying onsite is such a convenient, wonderful upgrade to a Disney trip.

The prices Disney charges for these hotels between 700-1000 a night for 1 bedroom suites or more during peak seasons, and what they deliver in return is laughable for anyone who has ever traveled to a true 5 star resort anywhere else in the world.

The staff here were exceptional, especially Mary at the front desk who provided us with so much Disney magic.

It was our first stay as a new Disney vacation member.

It was my husbands first time at disney and I hadn’t been back in many years.

We have visited multiple different Disney Resorts and this is by far my favorite.

Room was absolutely spotless, spacious, and had all the amenities of home with a Disney touch.

although Disney is dropping RCI at the end of 2023.

Our room was very pricey and I would recommend trying to obtain Disney Vacation club points if you really want to experience the Savannah views and Animal kingdom experience.

This was our third trip to Disney and our first as a Disney Vacation Club member.

I felt we got what someone staying at a Disney budget hotel would have gotten.

Let me lead off with saying that my rating is compared to other Disney properties.

Again, not being critical because we love Disney,

Everyone at Disney was overwhelmingly friendly and helpful.

All in all good job Disney, we had a fantastic stay.

They have a very large pool and its shaded.

No wait for the slide at that time, and it was great to have life jackets and a zero-entry pool for my 2-year old.

The decor is beautiful, Club rooms are on point as always and the pool areas are super fun!

Lovely pool,open till 11pm,lovely atmosphere.

There is the magnificent lobby, the great restaurants, the arcade, the pool area, great fitness area and a wonderful room.

Overall impression is that the hotel was pretty good - pool area was nice

Weather was chilly and pool was under renovation.

The CM at that point told me the pool was close to my room

The gym had everything we could ask for and the pool was a lot of fun with a big slide for the older kids and small slide for the toddlers.

There is another refillable station outside of pool area,

The pool was good and the staff at the pool bar was exceptional.

It was ok…but below the standard I would expect at a Disney property and for the price.

First words from him, “This is terrible, why did we pay for this?”.

We paid for Savana
View and placed us in a back yard and ignored other requests.

but when you have paid thousands for a time share membership and this happens it is inexcusable.

I read previous reviews about long hallways and we're a young able bodied family, no strollers, wheelchairs or anything so didn't pay much attention to that.

We ended up opting for a no-view room due to the much higher savanna-view price point.

but a bit expensive especially as kids pay full$30 at age 10.

We got zero apology on, which was disappointing considering how much it costs to stay.

When I got there first night, late after long drive, didn’t realize that and my car paid the price.

Like all of Disney's main resorts, expect to pay a premium to stay here.

Billed as a deluxe resort with deluxe pricing

Yes, the cost of Kidani is high compared to other Disney proprieties.

We stayed in a one bedroom savanna view room, which was a little pricey,

but wow, what a puzzling way to speak to a guest, especially at the cost of being a DVC owner or paying cash to stay at this type of a resort, baffling to suggest traveling offsite to a McDonalds, by a manager?

Lyft drivers could not figure out how to enter the parking garage and drive to the nearest elevator where we would have been more than willing to meet them and pay for that transportation.

They need to pay attention to room numbers.

For what we paid, we were generally disappointed.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village

dark

pool

kid friendly

magic-kingdom-park

I think it's a beautiful experience if you have time to really enjoy the grounds at the Lodge

We all needed the breather, and this room and resort are rainy day proof:  you could just spend the day at the lodge and find plenty to enjoy and experience.

We had a once in the life trip to Disney, staying a the Lodge, which made it that bit extra.

For our purposes, I think a standard view room would have been just fine as there are so many windows and sitting places to get to see the animals throughout the lodge.

I thought club was on par with wilderness lodge

Our room was located in the Jambo house section of the lodge.

We drove in and went into the lodge snd fell in love with the lobby.

Lots of great spots to sit and relax around the lodge and outside to take in the scenery.

We did Magic Kingdom one day and from standing at the bus stop at MK to getting back to the resort AK Lodge bus stop it took over 70 minutes.

At the very end of our trip I had a huge transportation issue (not related to the lodge's buses or transportation) and this wonderful woman working in the valet area (I think her name was Ashley,

The lodge signature restaurant Yinkos is excellent experience exotic African cuisine.

From the moment I stepped into the lodge it was breathtaking with all the decor and relaxation.

This was a big family trip to Disney and we had four rooms at the Lodge.

It was very convenient that we never  had to use the elevators and could walk straight to our room when we entered the lodge.

The first was The Wilderness Lodge and now Animal Kingdom Lodge.

I chose this resort because of the savanna view and enjoying the amenities in the lodge.

We stayed at AK Lodge about 10 years ago with our kids, and it was even better this time around without kids!

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