Family Fun at Disney’s Kidani Village – Amenities and Activities Galore

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

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge which includes both Kidani Village and Jambo House has countless recreational activities and amenities for family fun through both the day and the night.

Before I dive into the fun, I have to say I was overwhelmed with all that was available to do and see. We were here only for a night to celebrate my 40th birthday and it simply was not enough time for us to do everything we would have liked to do.

I always love turning vacations and trips into a learning experience. Animal Kingdom Lodge definitely provides an opportunity for learning in a fun way. You can submerge into African culture through games, music, hands-on activities and discussion with Disney’s Cultural Representatives.

There are also various animal programs and wildlife discoveries. We had a great time using our Wildlife Spotting Guides to check off each of the animals we encountered throughout the resort. The guide has images and descriptions and includes all of the potential animals you may see. You can read my post all about the animals here.

One nice Disney touch was the savanna guides who are posted at each of the overlooks throughout the resort. They are full of knowledge about the wildlife on the savanna. These guides were a great help for identifying and learning more interesting facts about some of the animals on the savanna.

From sundown to 10 pm the resort even offers night vision animal viewing. Here you can search for the wildlife through military-grade night vision goggles. Even though the animals seemed to be in hiding while we were there the kids had a fun time looking through night-vision goggles.

If you really want to enjoy night time animal viewing, Disney offers a Starlight Safari at the resort. For a fee, you can join one of their animal program cast members on an African Game Drive through the savannas. Each guest is given their own night vision goggles. This experience is really geared toward tweens, teens, and adults.

Once we had gotten our fill of animal viewing we enjoyed the Samawti Springs Pool at Kidani Village. There is a large zero-entry pool with a fantastic play area for the little ones. There are also two hot tubs and two slides. A small slide for the little tikes and a 128-foot slide for the older children and adults. Even I enjoyed some time on the water slide. You can read more about the pool area here.

During the day they have everything from a pool party to crafts and activities, with these activities, varying depending on the day. An evening at the pool at Kidani Village and Jambo House’s rotate between a movie under the stars or currently the Usiku Festival. The festival has music, glow lights, games and crafts for the kids. On our evening there you could make glow in the dark slime for $4.

There is also a beautifully equipped fitness center at Kidani Village near the pool area that is surrounded by hedges and beautiful landscaping.

Now being in Florida we know it is probably going to rain and at some point, we may need a break from the intense heat. We had severe afternoon storms during our visit but it didn’t impede on our fun. During the storms, we walked the halls of the resort viewing the authentic African art.

We also stopped in the arcade and spent some time in the community hall. The community hall had a great animal viewing area as well as television, video gaming, a foosball and pool table. There were also crafts available for purchase including designing your own hair bows, ceramics and other crafts that vary daily.

No visit would be complete without a Safari Scavenger Hunt. To join in the fun you just had to visit the Front Desk to pick up your clue guide. When you return your completed clue guide to the front desk you receive a cool safari surprise.

Without ever leaving the resort, your day can be as action-packed as you decide when at Kidani Village. There is plenty of family fun at Disney’s Kidani Village with amenities and activities galore!