Jambo Gayleen, and thanks for bringing your question to planDisney!
Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village is such a special place to stay at Disney World. Where else can you wake up in the morning to stunning views of zebras outside your window?!
Let’s talk about the Savanna View rooms and figure out what kind of request you might want to add to your reservation. Keep in mind that room requests are not guaranteed, but Cast Members will try their hardest to make your wish come true!
There are a lot of factors that go into what might be the “best” room for your crew, like your favorite animals and view and location preferences.
Favorite Animals - The Savanna View rooms at Kidani Village overlook the Sunset or Pembe Savannas. There are a wide range of animals in both savannas, but in my experience, if you want to see giraffes or bongos, they’re typically in the Sunset Savanna. On the other hand, the rarer okapi are usually found in the Pembe Savanna. My family likes to request the Sunset Savanna since we love giraffes, but if you don’t get your request, you can see this savanna from the overlook off the Kidani Village lobby.
Preferred View - The rooms at Kidani Village are spread across floors 2-5. I like the lower floors so you’re closer to the animals, but the higher floors will give you a beautiful, sweeping view of the savanna.
Preferred Location - Finally, depending on your preference, you might want a room closer to the lobby, buses, the pool, or
Jambo House—if you’re planning to walk there for the additional shopping, dining, and activity options. There’s also a shuttle that runs between Kidani Village and Jambo House outside the lobby.
I hope this helps you decide on the practically perfect room request for your crew. In my experience, the simpler the request, the easier it is for Cast Members to fulfill. For instance, you may have better luck with “Sunset Savanna” versus “Sunset Savanna, 2nd floor, near lobby.”
To add a room request to your reservation, you can contact
Member Services if you booked through
Disney Vacation Club or the
Disney Resort Hotel Reservations phone number if you booked through the
Disney World website.
One last thing before I go! Animal Kingdom Lodge has some of my favorite activities for a resort day. So be sure to carve out time to enjoy the resort, and check the recreation guide for both Kidani Village and Jambo House. My family loves the Jambo House Lobby Art Tour (they have the largest private collection of African art outside of Africa!) and the nightly campfire with complimentary marshmallows. Sometimes you can also find Cast Members outside on the overlooks who can answer any questions you may have about the animals.
I hope you have a magical stay at
Animal Kingdom Lodge! Don’t hesitate to visit us again at planDisney if you have any other questions.
JoAnna