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Sometimes you need to really plan ahead of time to get the Disney Vacation Club accommodation you want. Come along with me as I show you around and compare this amazing accommodation with a standard room.
Disney Vacation Club
Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney’s version of a timeshare. They work off of a point system, so you are not stuck into a particular accommodation at a set time every year. In Walt Disney World there are twelve Disney Vacation Club Resorts. They are:
- Bay Lake at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
Want to know more about Disney Vacation Club? Read all about what Disney Vacation Club is HERE.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Animal Kingdom Lodge opened its doors in 2001. It is the only Disney resort that has views of animals from its guestrooms! On a typical day, guests might see zebras, giraffes, Ankole cattle, and okapi – just to name a few.
Not only does the resort house over 200 animals and birds, its architecture and theming are also incredibly impressive. Once you step into the resort, guests are immediately immersed in African culture and artwork. This is one of my favorite resorts as it is such a unique and fun place to stay!
Check out the complete guide to staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom HERE.
Booking Categories
If you ever looked into booking a room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House, you may have noticed that there are several booking categories. There are regular hotel rooms and Disney Vacation Club Villas. You can even find club level accommodations with both of these types of bookings.
However, did you know that there are even more options with a Disney Vacation Club villa? Yes, you can pick between your standard and savanna view, but there is also another booking category. Guests can book a Value room, if they are lucky enough!
That’s right, I said lucky because there are not many of these to book. You can book a value studio, one bedroom or two bedroom villa. My family was able to secure a one bedroom value villa. Did you know there are only TEN one bedroom value villas?
It is important to note that there are no value rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, only Jambo house.
No Guarantee
At Animal Kingdom Lodge, you normally get to pick between a standard room and a savanna room, but not here. In a value villa there is no guarantee on what type of view you will get. This is the draw back to booking this category, but you save a lot of points!
There is no guaranteed view when booking this category. There are only 10 one bedroom villas available for booking!
With only ten one bedroom value villas total, 4 of them have savanna views, 4 have pool views and 2 have parking lot views. If you book this category, you must be okay with getting any of these views. But honestly, we are all crossing our fingers that we get that savanna view.
The best chances of booking this category is at the 11 month window which you must own or rent through someone who own’s at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to book during that time frame. But sometimes, like I did, you can get lucky at the 7 month window!
One Bedroom Villa
One bedroom villas at Disney are a unique and amazing accommodation. This is usually an easier category to book in because it only sleep 4-5 people, which is the same amount that a deluxe studio can fit.
Personally, one bedroom villas are my (Heather) favorite. They offer so much space for your family to truly relax and enjoy and not feel on top of each other. Another big perk with one bedroom villas is that they are obviously bigger than a studio, but they also have a full kitchen and a washer and dryer in every unit!
Similarities
The value one bedroom villa still offers everything a one bedroom at AKL Jambo House does! It has a full kitchen, jetted tub, master bedroom, and laundry.
The layout is the same with an open concept kitchen, dining and living room area. The hallway leads to the bedroom, laundry and bathroom. This layout is different than other one bedroom villas you will find throughout Disney property, and I truly loved this unique layout!
All one bedroom villas at Jambo House have big beautiful balconies for your family to enjoy, no matter what view you have. Check out a review of a one bedroom savanna view at Jambo House HERE.
Differences
The biggest difference in this room is the size. This room is smaller, so they aren’t able to offer it at a regular one bedroom villa rate. You notice this in the fact that certain furniture items are missing.
In the kitchen, there is no island. This isn’t a huge deal, but having the island is nice to help prepare meals.
One bedroom value villas are slightly smaller and only sleep four people.
In the living room there is a chair, but it is not a sleeper chair. Without the pull out sleeper chair these rooms can only sleep 4 people versus the five in other one bedroom rooms at AKL.
When you head to the bedroom, the bedroom door barely clears the night stand. I actually had to move the nightstand closer to the wall in order to close the bedroom door.
Final Thoughts
It is really important for you and your family to weigh the pros and cons of this room type before booking. If you need the chair for a 5th sleeper, you won’t be able to book this category.
If a savanna view is a must, I wouldn’t gamble that you would get a savanna view room, as it would be a huge disappointment if you didn’t. However, if you want the accommodations of a one bedroom without the high cost, this is for you!
My family really enjoyed the space and being able to save some points for another trip was a big plus!
Have you ever stayed in a one bedroom value villa? Would you book this accommodation again? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to share this post with a friend who would love to stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Jambo House, too!
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