Hi James! Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Your
summer vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort will be here before you know it! It sounds like you have done an amazing job with planning the details of this trip. You will love your stay at
Disney's Beach Club Resort, especially the fact that it is within walking distance to the International Gateway (back) entrance of Epcot. It is a gorgeous Disney Resort hotel!
My family almost always uses
Walt Disney World complimentary transportation for our visits. Nothing screams vacation more than letting someone else do all the driving for you! For your dining reservation at
Jiko - The Cooking Place in
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village, I would recommend exactly what you mentioned: a bus to
Disney's Animal Kingdom, then on to Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village. When using the theme parks and
Disney Springs as your transportation hub, the transfer of buses typically takes about the same amount of time, so I would choose the location that is closest to your final destination.
You do have another option when it comes to traveling to other
Disney Resort hotels! If you have
Walt Disney World Park Hopper tickets, you can actually walk through
Epcot to the main entrance and catch a bus directly to the Disney Resort hotels. This obviously requires a little more walking, but it avoids the bus transfer and should save a little time. Entering Epcot does require valid theme park tickets, so keep that in mind if you decide to use this option.
I hope this helps as you plan your transportation, James! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Tabitha