All about the Samawati Pool at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village

This is part of a series on Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village. 
Click here to read our overview of Kidani Village.

When staying as a guest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge you have access to all of the amenities both at Jambo House and Kidani Village. This means you have access to two different pool areas as well. One amenity our family always takes advantage of is the pool area. Even when we visit our family in the Great White North in the middle of winter, we find a pool.

When we were researching which Animal Lodge property to stay at for my magical 40th birthday, the two major things we took into consideration was the wildlife viewing and of course the pool and we were not disappointed with either experience at Kidani Village.

Before I share about the pool at Kidani Village, I will mention the pool at Jambo House is much larger in comparison. The Uzima Springs Pool at Jambo House is an 11,000-square-foot area facing the Uzima Savanna. It has a zero-depth entry point similar to that of a natural beach. There is also a 67-foot-long waterslide for the kids or the kids at heart. There is also a lounge and bar nearby offering refreshments and snacks.

The Samawati Springs Pool area is a much smaller area at 4,700 square feet. Samawati Springs also is a zero-depth entry pool like the larger Uzima Springs Pool. Disney takes safety seriously and there are lifejackets for the non-swimmers that you can find near the pools at both properties.

Our favorite part of the Samawati Springs Pool was the 128 foot-long waterslide that winds through trees as you make your way to the pool below. At almost twice the size of the slide at Jambo House, many guests make their way to Kidani Village, just for the slide. Have small tikes that don’t meet the height requirements? No worries. There is a slide for tiny tikes too.

The pool area at Kidani Village also has a water playground called Uwanja Camp with three different zones. For children under 4, there is Observation Station where kids can climb through cargo crates, walk the wooden bridge, unscramble the animal image, and enjoy dry slides.

They also can play in a bubbling geyser and a shallow pool in this area. A big plus, there is seating nearby so you can relax while your little ones play.

The next area, Departure Zone is intended for children ages 5-7. Here there is a leaky water tower and squirting African irises.

While at Base Camp, children 8 years age and up can squirt each other with water cannons or stand under the dumping bucket station.

The water playground was very quiet in the evening so my children enjoyed the entire area. They loved it so much it was the first thing they wanted to do when they woke up in the morning. Unfortunately, the water features were not working in the morning. The system was still being worked on when we checked out, leaving me with two disappointed children and pictures that don’t do the water playground justice.

On the pool deck, you will also find a giant Connect Four and a ping pong table that both adults and children can enjoy. Speaking of adults, Mark loves hot tubs. There are two hot tubs at Kidani Village, one near the top of the water slide, the other near the zero-depth entry area of the pool which both were quiet during our summer stay.

During the day you will find many activities at the pool including a pool party. Depending on the evening, like many other Disney resorts, you can also enjoy a movie under the stars in the pool area. The movie nights rotate between Jambo House and Kidani Village. The non-movie nights you can currently enjoy Usiku Festival. This is a glow in the dark festival filled with games, crafts and glow in the dark fun, but remember even if you aren’t staying at the property that is hosting the festival you can take the courtesy shuttle that runs between the properties to check it out.

If you plan on spending the whole day at the pool, most likely you will need to use the facilities. The pool area at Kidani Village is equipped with lockers and wet/dry changing areas. There are also large restrooms with a shower.

Looking for refreshments and a light snack while at the pool? Maji, the pool area bar at Kidani, is open from 11 am until dusk, and offers refreshments, including specialty drinks. There is also food available for purchase. I even saw some yummy looking Tandoori chicken while there.

The morning of our departure there were many families from Jambo House enjoying the slide and pool area. The general feedback I received was that the guests preferred the pool area at Kidani Village. The main reasons I heard were the slide is better, it is quieter, and the pool area offers more shade.

After experiencing the pool areas at both Jambo House and Kidani Village, we couldn’t agree more that the Samawati Springs Pool, though smaller, was a much more enjoyable experience.

What do you look for in a pool while on vacation? Please share below.