Animal Kingdom Refurbishment 2025

[MintChocoChip]

Hi All - we’re looking to rent DVC points from a family member in May 2025. I saw both Kidani and Jambo House listed on the refurb schedule.

Does anyone have any additional insight? Is this confirmed? Looks like Kidani pool was done recently so would this just be the rooms?

This would be our first time staying at AKL so we want to make sure it still makes sense to book!

 

[kes601]

I can't confirm anything, but while looking at the number of rooms available at Kidani (using the Developer Tools in Chrome mentioned in another thread) the number of units available each night takes a huge dip from January 4 or 5 (don't recall which) through the end of the current calendar.

I know we can't post specific availability here, but lets just say the Savannah View 1bedrooms all had 40 or more units available throughout the period leading up to that and then it dropped to under 10 from that January date through the end of the calendar.

That led me to believe that the refurb will start right after the first of the year, unless there are the typical DVC delays.

 

[MintChocoChip]

Thanks for doing some digging!

 

[marcar12]

I am curious about this as well!
We just booked our first-ever stay at Kidani (renting DVC points). We will be there at the end of March 2025, staying in a standard view room. SUPER EXCITED!!!

Does anyone know, if the refurbishment starts at the beginning of January, is there any chance that we would be able to stay in a refurbished room? I have no idea how long after a refurbishment starts that guests get to potentially use the rooms.

@kes601 - what is the end of the current calendar? 11 months out? Sorry, I am very unfamiliar with how all that works.

 

[kes601]

@kes601 - what is the end of the current calendar? 11 months out? Sorry, I am very unfamiliar with how all that works.

Correct, 11 months.

 

[CastAStone]

I am curious about this as well!
We just booked our first-ever stay at Kidani (renting DVC points). We will be there at the end of March 2025, staying in a standard view room. SUPER EXCITED!!!

Does anyone know, if the refurbishment starts at the beginning of January, is there any chance that we would be able to stay in a refurbished room? I have no idea how long after a refurbishment starts that guests get to potentially use the rooms.

@kes601 - what is the end of the current calendar? 11 months out? Sorry, I am very unfamiliar with how all that works.

You can usually see a few days past the 11 month window.

 

[Hubalorian]

What do we want to see in the refurbishments? Anything specific we want to see go/stay?

 

[JackosinDIS]

What do we want to see in the refurbishments? Anything specific we want to see go/stay?

Sofa beds have to go!!!

 

[Hubalorian]

Sofa beds have to go!!!

Absolutely! I think it be amusing if they kept sofa beds in value rooms to further separate that booking category

I also wouldn’t mind seeing some jungle book theming in the rooms either

 

[CastAStone]

What do we want to see in the refurbishments? Anything specific we want to see go/stay?

Keep the dark color scheme. Keep the lion king bathroom. Kill the sofa bed.

 

[MintChocoChip]

I am curious about this as well!
We just booked our first-ever stay at Kidani (renting DVC points). We will be there at the end of March 2025, staying in a standard view room. SUPER EXCITED!!!

Does anyone know, if the refurbishment starts at the beginning of January, is there any chance that we would be able to stay in a refurbished room? I have no idea how long after a refurbishment starts that guests get to potentially use the rooms.

@kes601 - what is the end of the current calendar? 11 months out? Sorry, I am very unfamiliar with how all that works.

This will be our first time staying too! We’ve stayed at Coronado Springs (and I stayed at Caribbean Beach but 30 years ago). Our 6 year old loves animals and our 4 year old loves pools/slides so think this will be a great option!

 

[Disneycouple99]

I can't confirm anything, but while looking at the number of rooms available at Kidani (using the Developer Tools in Chrome mentioned in another thread) the number of units available each night takes a huge dip from January 4 or 5 (don't recall which) through the end of the current calendar.

I know we can't post specific availability here, but lets just say the Savannah View 1bedrooms all had 40 or more units available throughout the period leading up to that and then it dropped to under 10 from that January date through the end of the calendar.

That led me to believe that the refurb will start right after the first of the year, unless there are the typical DVC delays.

Can you point to the thread please.

 

[kes601]

Can you point to the thread please.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/vgf-standard-resort-studios-availability.3930936/

 

[marcar12]

This will be our first time staying too! We’ve stayed at Coronado Springs (and I stayed at Caribbean Beach but 30 years ago). Our 6 year old loves animals and our 4 year old loves pools/slides so think this will be a great option!

Love it!!
My kids are older (17, 14, 11, and 8), but we are an animal-loving family for sure! Animal Kingdom is our favorite park and we adore the Lion King movies! I think AKL will be such a cool experience!!

 

[DisMomNCM]

Keep the dark color scheme. Keep the lion king bathroom. Kill the sofa bed.

Not me reading this in Cobra Bubbles' voice.

 

[marcar12]

I can't confirm anything, but while looking at the number of rooms available at Kidani (using the Developer Tools in Chrome mentioned in another thread) the number of units available each night takes a huge dip from January 4 or 5 (don't recall which) through the end of the current calendar.

I know we can't post specific availability here, but lets just say the Savannah View 1bedrooms all had 40 or more units available throughout the period leading up to that and then it dropped to under 10 from that January date through the end of the calendar.

That led me to believe that the refurb will start right after the first of the year, unless there are the typical DVC delays.

Is it just the savanna view rooms that are unavailable? Or standard view as well?

 

[kes601]

Is it just the savanna view rooms that are unavailable? Or standard view as well?

Both.

 

[marcar12]

Is it just the savanna view rooms that are unavailable? Or standard view as well?

Both.

Wow, that is surprising. I was able to book a standard view room for March (by renting DVCpoints), so hopefully that reservation doesn't get messed up

 

[kes601]

Wow, that is surprising. I was able to book a standard view room for March (by renting DVCpoints), so hopefully that reservation doesn't get messed up

They aren't going to shutdown every room. There was availability just a big drop.

 

[kes601]

Wanted to follow up my earlier response to this thread. Whatever inventory had been taken out for the dates I was seeing in January have been returned. I'm no longer seeing the large drop in early January that was there before.