Animal Kingdom Refurbishment 2025

[muppets3d]

Unfortunately, I expect they'll remove the ceiling fans during the refurbishment, as they have from BWV and other resorts. My guess, having ceiling fans in every room in our house and keeping them running year round, is that ceiling fans are too difficult to keep clean. They get very dusty, and cleaning them takes some time and effort.

Saratoga kept them, I wish they would not remove them from rooms. I am not sure how they are any more difficult to clean than say the crystal lighting fixtures in the rooms at Riviera for example.

 

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Was planning on staying in a 2BR at Kidani next December and now I'm torn for what to do. We were expecting that the refurb would be largely done by the time we got there in December, but this very late start isn't great for that timing. The 3 bathrooms are very nice but it's a risk - Could get lucky and be in a newly refurbished room, or could be in the middle of construction mess. Three couples plus two kids, who we planned to put on the pull-outs.

Either way, I hope the 'brightening' doesn't destroy the charm of the place. The theme is the main reason we own there and it would be a big loss if they throw away all of Joe Rohde's work and replace it with a generic hotel room feel.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Was planning on staying in a 2BR at Kidani next December and now I'm torn for what to do. The 3 bathrooms are very nice but it's a risk based on the timing. Three couples plus two kids, who we planned to put on the pull-outs.

Aside from the potential for construction noise, the room you'll get will either be the old room with pullouts or a refurbed one with a Murphy Bed. I wish we had better info as to how they're going to approach the refurb, but we don't. We're also looking at Kidani in Dec, but thinking we might go with Jambo House instead since that might not be started yet. Of course, the means one less bathroom!

 

[Leight19]

Was planning on staying in a 2BR at Kidani next December and now I'm torn for what to do. We were expecting that the refurb would be largely done by the time we got there in December, but this very late start isn't great for that timing. The 3 bathrooms are very nice but it's a risk - Could get lucky and be in a newly refurbished room, or could be in the middle of construction mess. Three couples plus two kids, who we planned to put on the pull-outs.

Either way, I hope the 'brightening' doesn't destroy the charm of the place. The theme is the main reason we own there and it would be a big loss if they throw away all of Joe Rohde's work and replace it with a generic hotel room feel.

Comically I just got back from a big family trip in November that I booked last year under the assumption the room refurb had to be completed by Nov 2024 since it was technically due in 2023 lol. I’m also in boat of planning whether I want to stay akv Dec 2025 and I’ve landed on skipping until 2026 when refurbs will be definitely complete. Part of this is to avoid construction but the other part is the rooms are showing their age at this point and that will only get worse over the next year.

 

[tjkraz]

The BWV refurb was nicely done, but I can say that it lost its charm. It's nice, but like I'd have to go back to look at my pictures I took in June last year to really recall, because nothing about the refurbed theming stands out.

It's funny because I vividly remember when BWV was last refurbished in 2016, many people made the same argument here. That the 2016-2023 design was so much lesser than the original.

 

[bdrex28]

The walls aren't very dark now. The biggest problem I've noticed is the lighting....all it needs are some higher watt bulbs to make a huge difference. Every time we stay there I say I'm going to bring my own bulbs!

The very first stay we did at WDW was a split stay. We did 4 nights in a 1 BR at VGF and then 3 nights in a 1 BR at Kidani.

LOL it seemed like going from a sun room to a basement in terms of light and it's basically turned my wife off of ever staying at AKV again because it just seemed sooooo dark.

But I love the restaurants and such at AKV and we still make it to Boma every trip and usually hit up Jiko or Sanaa.

They could however do something like this:

I would say if you take the current AKV 1 BR above and lighten the floors and lighten the curtains/drapes then you would end up with a lighter room. but still keeping the Safari/African theme.

 

[kgou]

They could however do something like this:

something like this seems like it would be lovely and keeping in theme with the resort! love! crossing my fingers.

 

[sndral]

Comically I just got back from a big family trip in November that I booked last year under the assumption the room refurb had to be completed by Nov 2024 since it was technically due in 2023 lol. I’m also in boat of planning whether I want to stay akv Dec 2025 and I’ve landed on skipping until 2026 when refurbs will be definitely complete. Part of this is to avoid construction but the other part is the rooms are showing their age at this point and that will only get worse over the next year.

I hope things will be done at AKV by then, but, when I last stayed at the VGF in Dec. 2022 the GF was being refurbed, I consoled myself w/ the thought that at least they’d be done for my next VGF stay in 2024, yet here we are, 2 years later & 11 days out from my GF stay & the GF refurb is still a work in progress .

 

[kgou]

I hope things will be done at AKV by then, but, when I last stayed at the VGF in Dec. 2022 the GF was being refurbed, I consoled myself w/ the thought that at least they’d be done for my next VGF stay in 2024, yet here we are, 2 years later & 11 days out from my GF stay & the GF refurb is still a work in progress .

FWIW, we checked out from VGF on Tuesday and if there was work being done at the resort, I didn't notice it at all. The road work on Floridian way, however, is definitely noticeable.

 

[E & E Girls]

Hello! We just booked for April 2025 and it will be our first time going to this resort. Super excited! I was told rooms were updated and hoping we love it. We are staying at the Jambo standard room. LMK how you like it. Curious to hear as we are right behind you!

 

[ehh]

They could however do something like this:

Ugh, don't tease something so nice. Get my hopes up...

Signed,
Someone Who Thinks AKV is the DVC Resort that Falls Shortest of Theming Potential

 

[MamaKate]

The very first stay we did at WDW was a split stay. We did 4 nights in a 1 BR at VGF and then 3 nights in a 1 BR at Kidani.

LOL it seemed like going from a sun room to a basement in terms of light and it's basically turned my wife off of ever staying at AKV again because it just seemed sooooo dark.

But I love the restaurants and such at AKV and we still make it to Boma every trip and usually hit up Jiko or Sanaa.

They could however do something like this:

I'd be happy with this!

 

[ajiuo]

I feel like all they have to do to get this referb right is to basically copy what they did in the hotel rooms… obviously with a Murphy bed instead of two queens.

 

[act1980]

Is it true that Jambo won’t start until 2026?

 

[Hubalorian]

Is it true that Jambo won’t start until 2026?

Yes, Kidani doesn’t start til late 2025, then Jambo once Kidani is complete

 

[act1980]

Yes, Kidani doesn’t start til late 2025, then Jambo once Kidani is complete

Do you know how bad the rooms at Jambo are now?

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Do you know how bad the rooms at Jambo are now?

I think the rooms at Jambo are perfectly fine for now. Still have couches instead of pull downs and slightly showing its age, but its still one of my favs.

 

[Doingitagain]

I think the rooms at Jambo are perfectly fine for now. Still have couches instead of pull downs and slightly showing its age, but its still one of my favs.

My concern s that they will reduce maintenance and replacement in 2025 because refurb is coming soon.

 

[muppets3d]

The rooms at AKL are nowhere near as bad as the ones at HHI were before its refurb. I'm not saying they should delay the refurb, mind you. But it's not urgent in my view.

 

[tjkraz]

Do you know how bad the rooms at Jambo are now?

There's no blanket answer to that question. It will have been 7-8 years since the last renovation. Not every room ages identically. If there are maintenance issues upon arrival, notifying the resort staff is strongly recommended. But the rooms are bound to look a little dated by 2025/2026 standards. They're less inclined to replace a mediocre sofa bed or mattress just months away from a full update.