Refurbishment Timeline Announced for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas!

[muppets3d]

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.

I doubt they're going to shut down the lounge because there are a lot of cash rooms on the 4th floor.

It will be interesting to see how they handle the club rooms during the refurb. Do they do them all at once or do one lockoff at a time? If they do have to relocate a club guest where do they go? etc. Same for the value rooms.

Part of me wishes they would just do the entire value wing and the entire club level at once to interrupt everyone's walks so we all get a fair shake at these room types again, even if only for a moment.

 

[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/

Hello All,

Visualization of what DVC is planning for the refurbished rooms. Carpet flooring is replaced with wood verner and sofa with a Murphy bed.

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/r...isneys-animal-kingdom-lodge-for-2025-to-2027/

 

[eticketplease]

Part of me wishes they would just do the entire value wing and the entire club level at once to interrupt everyone's walks so we all get a fair shake at these room types again, even if only for a moment.

That would be great!!

 

[sndral]

I don’t care how long they take at this point - AKV Jambo’s last refurb (soft goods) was in 2016, so starting in 2026 is well beyond the ‘usual’ 7 year timeline, as a result they’ve had an extra 3 years worth of time to build up the refurb fund from our MFs, so they have no excuse to cheap out.
I wonder if Jambo is going to require more extensive plumbing related changes - if they intend to take out the spa tubs (which I’d personally hate to see go) maybe they’ll need to do more plumbing & create a walk in shower + normal tub in the Jambo 1 br.s?
Having the huge spa tub that you have to climb into whenever you want to take a shower makes the Jambo 1 br.s an unattractive option for some, I’m ok w/ it because I’m mobile enough to step up & over into the huge tub & I’m willing to clamber into it for showers because I like throwing a bath bomb from basin into it for a jetted spa soak. If it were just a ‘soaker’ tub w/ no jets I’d not use the tub part & I’d be irritated at the gymnastics needed just to take a shower.

 

[juxtapose]

Anybody there recently and know if they started construction early? I've seen a few posts on Facebook saying that there was loud construction near their rooms. Maybe they're doing an example room? It sounded like demoing and not just floor/furniture replacement.

 

[Nicnicnic.nic]

I was there Sunday to Wednesday and didn't notice anything but I also wasnt looking for it

 

[Girouard7]

I was there on the 5th-13th and also didn’t hear or see any construction going on. We were in room 7953. Very quiet.

 

[DisnEElove]

We've been staying on the hotel side (even though AKL is one of our home resorts), and we absolutely love the way those hotel rooms are. There are enough rooms at other properties that are bright and airy-- I want something different when I step in AKL. I want those dark mahogany tones in the furniture and countertops. Even the doors are wonderfully done. The room feels cozy, and I do some of my best sleeping at that resort. DVC room walls are already lighter than the updated hotel rooms... let's not lose the African theming. They can put up more lighting for those who'd choose to use them, but please, no white walls and bright furnishings. UGH.

 

[intamin]

We've been staying on the hotel side (even though AKL is one of our home resorts), and we absolutely love the way those hotel rooms are. There are enough rooms at other properties that are bright and airy-- I want something different when I step in AKL. I want those dark mahogany tones in the furniture and countertops. Even the doors are wonderfully done. The room feels cozy, and I do some of my best sleeping at that resort. DVC room walls are already lighter than the updated hotel rooms... let's not lose the African theming. They can put up more lighting for those who'd choose to use them, but please, no white walls and bright furnishings. UGH.

I don't think it'll be white but I have a hard time seeing them keep a similar color scheme unfortunately. I like the dark colors but I feel like most people don't. I am looking forward to the sofa beds, doors and carpets being replaced though.

 

[starfrenzy]

We've been staying on the hotel side (even though AKL is one of our home resorts), and we absolutely love the way those hotel rooms are. There are enough rooms at other properties that are bright and airy-- I want something different when I step in AKL. I want those dark mahogany tones in the furniture and countertops. Even the doors are wonderfully done. The room feels cozy, and I do some of my best sleeping at that resort. DVC room walls are already lighter than the updated hotel rooms... let's not lose the African theming. They can put up more lighting for those who'd choose to use them, but please, no white walls and bright furnishings. UGH.

I agree! It’s so warm and cozy. We do NOT need another set of bright resort rooms. Let AKV be unique!