Refurbishment Timeline Announced for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas!

[pkrieger2287]

Disney has officially announced the timeline for the long-awaited refurbishment of the Animal Kingdom Villas!

• Kidani Village guest rooms will undergo refurbishment from October 2025 through May 2026.
• Jambo House will follow from May 2026 through January 2027.

Guests may see or hear construction during this time, but all amenities will remain open throughout the work.

The refurb includes updated interiors, brighter theming, new Murphy-style beds, and refreshed public spaces—similar to what we’ve seen at other recently updated DVC resorts.

Personally, I’m excited to see the rooms modernized while still keeping that immersive Animal Kingdom feel.

Full breakdown + what to expect here:
https://dvcfan.com/news/refurbishment-details-announced-for-disneys-animal-kingdom-villas/

 

[intamin]

Much needed. I love the theming of the rooms currently but those carpets, sofas and ugly doors need to be changed. Heres to hoping the refurb does these rooms justice.

 

[Nicnicnic.nic]

Yay murphy beds!

 

[MartyParty]

Disney has officially announced the timeline for the long-awaited refurbishment of the Animal Kingdom Villas!

• Kidani Village guest rooms will undergo refurbishment from October 2025 through May 2026.
• Jambo House will follow from May 2026 through January 2027.

Guests may see or hear construction during this time, but all amenities will remain open throughout the work.

The refurb includes updated interiors, brighter theming, new Murphy-style beds, and refreshed public spaces—similar to what we’ve seen at other recently updated DVC resorts.

Personally, I’m excited to see the rooms modernized while still keeping that immersive Animal Kingdom feel.

Full breakdown + what to expect here:
https://dvcfan.com/news/refurbishment-details-announced-for-disneys-animal-kingdom-villas/

Thanks for posting, Paul. Curious to see the updates!

 

[davidhr]

Brighter theming is definitely welcomed.

 

[aoconnor]

This is fast - implies 35-40 units per month compared to BLT which was 25 units per month and BRV which as 14 units per month. I hope this doesn't mean it's a limited renovation like we saw with Grand Cal!

 

[drusba]

This is fast - implies 35-40 units per month compared to BLT which was 25 units per month and BRV which as 14 units per month. I hope this doesn't mean it's a limited renovation like we saw with Grand Cal!

The prior renovation that began in 2016 took much longer for Kidani. The issue the current time schedule raises may be something that is the opposite of a limited refurbishment (which I doubt). The prior refurb did half a floor at a time, and when that was completed it moved to the other half, and after one floor was done it moved to another.

The time now stated for the Kidani refurb looks eerily familiar. Before the 2023-24 BWV refurb, all BWV refurbs were done a half floor at a time and it lasted about 11-months. That 2023 refurb was announce to be one going from the latter part of Sep to March. That short period seemed strange and then we found out why. Instead of doing half a floor at a time, the schedule that was released essentially took all rooms on all floors for half the building out of service, and then, when finished, moved to the other half of the building. The result: the refurb actually took until June 2024 to be completed and the BWV standard and boardwalk view studios and 2BRs left open filled right at 8 a.m. at 11-months for almost the entire time of the refurb, and even the pool/garden view studios and 2BRs did so for about 50% of that time.

The short 8-month period given for Kidani, which is larger and has more rooms than BWV, raises the issue of whether DVC is going to again punish most of the members from getting reservations by closing half the building at a time to do every floor in that half at the same time. Interesting is that Jambo is being shown as taking 9-months and almost all of its rooms are only on one floor which itself is not anywhere near as long as one floor at Kidani.

 

[eticketplease]

The prior renovation that began in 2016 took much longer for Kidani. The issue the current time schedule raises may be something that is the opposite of a limited refurbishment (which I doubt). The prior refurb did half a floor at a time, and when that was completed it moved to the other half, and after one floor was done it moved to another.

The time now stated for the Kidani refurb looks eerily familiar. Before the 2023-24 BWV refurb, all BWV refurbs were done a half floor at a time and it lasted about 11-months. That 2023 refurb was announce to be one going from the latter part of Sep to March. That short period seemed strange and then we found out why. Instead of doing half a floor at a time, the schedule that was released essentially took all rooms on all floors for half the building out of service, and then, when finished, moved to the other half of the building. The result: the refurb actually took until June 2024 to be completed and the BWV standard and boardwalk view studios and 2BRs left open filled right at 8 a.m. at 11-months for almost the entire time of the refurb, and even the pool/garden view studios and 2BRs did so for about 50% of that time.

The short 8-month period given for Kidani, which is larger and has more rooms than BWV, raises the issue of whether DVC is going to again punish most of the members from getting reservations by closing half the building at a time to do every floor in that half at the same time. Interesting is that Jambo is being shown as taking 9-months and almost all of its rooms are only on one floor which itself is not anywhere near as long as one floor at Kidani.

I was thinking the same thing about Jambo taking one more month then Kidani when it’s room count is significantly smaller.

It will also be interesting when they have to take concierge and values out of inventory for the refurb.

 

[nuhusky123]

I was thinking the same thing about Jambo taking one more month then Kidani when it’s room count is significantly smaller.

It will also be interesting when they have to take concierge and values out of inventory for the refurb.

I have a value one bed booked mid June at jambo. I’m wondering what they will do as is right in the middle of jambo refurb

 

[intamin]

I have a value one bed booked mid June at jambo. I’m wondering what they will do as is right in the middle of jambo refurb

Probably give you either a normal 1BR or an unrefurbed 1BR.

 

[kanerf]

Owner there (Kidani) and looking forward to this. I do hope they keep some of the theming though. The furnishings are huge, but unique with the animal feet. I would like the murphy beds. Also, get rid of the black appliances which make the rooms look even darker then they are. Not suggesting white, but perhaps stainless. They could do black stainless like I have in my home. It is a dark grey really.

 

[muppets3d]

I have a value one bed booked mid June at jambo. I’m wondering what they will do as is right in the middle of jambo refurb

Hopefully they've been taking rooms out of inventory before they're available in the booking engine, and will continue doing so through the end of the refurb. That way people won't be booked in rooms not available. But if that does end up happening they'll put you in the closest room type they have available. Probably a standard view 1 bedroom as @intamin said.

The Boardwalk refurb ended up taking longer than Disney expected so they did have to move quite a lot of folks. I haven't heard of too many folks being moved at Bay Lake Tower though for example so hopefully the same holds true at AKV.

 

[muppets3d]

It's interesting that Kidani and Jambo will end up taking about the same amount of time (indeed, Jambo will take longer!) despite Kidani being a much larger DVC resort. Jambo is just one floor of rooms plus the few rooms on Concierge. Will they be refurbishing Jambo's hotel rooms as well or just the DVC rooms? I feel like the Jambo hotel rooms were recently refurbished, but maybe not all of them were?

 

[eticketplease]

It's interesting that Kidani and Jambo will end up taking about the same amount of time (indeed, Jambo will take longer!) despite Kidani being a much larger DVC resort. Jambo is just one floor of rooms plus the few rooms on Concierge. Will they be refurbishing Jambo's hotel rooms as well or just the DVC rooms? I feel like the Jambo hotel rooms were recently refurbished, but maybe not all of them were?

You are correct Jambo hotel side was recently refurbed. This is just for DVC rooms.

216 rooms if all are booked as lock-offs at Jambo vs 492 rooms (10 more Grand Villa's) if all booked as lock-offs at Kidani.

I can certainly see why Disney thinks Jambo will take 1 month longer.

 

[muppets3d]

You are correct Jambo hotel side was recently refurbed. This is just for DVC rooms.

216 rooms if all are booked as lock-offs at Jambo vs 492 rooms (10 more Grand Villa's) if all booked as lock-offs at Kidani.

I can certainly see why Disney thinks Jambo will take 1 month longer.

The only thing I can figure is since there are fewer rooms, they're doing fewer at a time at Jambo so availability isn't as limited as it was at say the Boardwalk.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Owner there (Kidani) and looking forward to this. I do hope they keep some of the theming though. The furnishings are huge, but unique with the animal feet. I would like the murphy beds. Also, get rid of the black appliances which make the rooms look even darker then they are. Not suggesting white, but perhaps stainless. They could do black stainless like I have in my home. It is a dark grey really.

So agree. We would like to see the Murphy Beds, but please don't ruin the theming by brightening the rooms too much. It's not supposed to be the beach/shore feel like at BCV......

 

[eticketplease]

The only thing I can figure is since there are fewer rooms, they're doing fewer at a time at Jambo so availability isn't as limited as it was at say the Boardwalk.

That makes sense but I don't know why they would do that.

There are 708 total rooms at AKL for the 11 month window vs 532 at BWV.
That is almost 200 more rooms that are bookable.
I would think they pull more out of inventory to work on giving those numbers.
The issue for me is the club level rooms. I think they would have to do 1 2 bedroom lock-off at a time there.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

To me it makes more sense to close all the CL rooms at once and get them updated. Otherwise you just have ladders and equipment and construction folks around all the time during people's vacations. And who knows, the lounge itself might be part of the refurb. If not, perhaps they'll block off the CL DVC rooms, but offer a few of the 5th floor rooms with CL options until the 6th floor is done.

We're really good at making up solutions, aren't we?!

 

[muppets3d]

To me it makes more sense to close all the CL rooms at once and get them updated. Otherwise you just have ladders and equipment and construction folks around all the time during people's vacations. And who knows, the lounge itself might be part of the refurb. If not, perhaps they'll block off the CL DVC rooms, but offer a few of the 5th floor rooms with CL options until the 6th floor is done.

We're really good at making up solutions, aren't we?!

There are a lot of cash Club rooms on the 4th floor, they could move DVC guests down there if need be during the renovation.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

There are a lot of cash Club rooms on the 4th floor, they could move DVC guests down there if need be during the renovation.

There are also DVC rooms on the 5th that they could designate as CL and just charge the extra points.

Or, it's also possible the lounge is shut down as part of the refurb - although I've not seen anything saying that.