Will you be staying at Walt Disney World in the future and need an accessible room for someone with mobility issues? Would you like to get a better idea of the room layout and more importantely, the bathroom and shower layout? Join us at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Kidani Village where we show you the features in a wheelchair-accessible studio room (savannah view!).
We have briefly covered mobility accessible rooms in the past. We loved the wider hallways and roll-in shower at the old Cabins at Fort Wilderness. We’ve also had our fair share of trying to maneuver in regular resort rooms, with varying levels of success. Believe us, an accessible room is the way to go! More room to work with, less stress to deal with!
The Parking Situation.
Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is unlike any resort we’ve stayed at here at Walt Disney World. It’s the first resort we’ve stayed at that has a parking garage! Unlike other resorts on property, it also has more elevators. Every section of Kidani Village has an elevator, so you won’t have to travel far to find one.
We were located in the Rafiki section. Parking near the elevator was possible, but scarce by the time we arrived. There is additional parking located just outside the parking garage, which we opted for instead. In both instances, ramps for wheelchairs and ECVs to the elevators are easy to find and not inconvenient.
We’re here!
Pro tip! Request a room near the elevators! Kidani Village is a very long resort, so having a room near the elevator may not be a big deal if you’re using an ECV, but it is if you’re not!
Standard Studio Features
All Disney Vacation Club Studios include a kitchenette. There is a beverage cooler (more shallow than a mini fridge), a microwave, and a whopping 12-cup coffee maker! In the cabinets you will find silverware, cups, and plates. Lately, due to covid, Disney had switched to single-use paper and plastic, so don’t be surprised if they are still in the cabinets. A sink with sponge and soap is perfect for any light washing, and paper towels help with any spills. Coffee, some creamer and sugar is provided, or you can bring your own.
The Lion, The Witch, and The…
In this studio, one of the places for storage includes this wardrobe, although it’s already well-utilized.
I wasn’t expecting the ironing board to be on the door, so the sound kind was kind of startling when we opened the doors. We thought we broke something and it was tumbling out! Along with an ironing board are extra blankets and pillows for the pull down bed, an iron, extra towels and toilet paper. Some hangers are provided should anything require it.
Spacious bathroom!
The bathroom itself is very spacious. Yes, there’s only one sink, but the counter has some good room for toiletries and accessories.
The toilet area is very spacious with lots of room to maneuver and turn around. Grab bars on the walls are very helpful for getting up and down. We were very impressed with the available room in the bathroom.
We were also surprised and impressed with the shower. To the right, just out of frame, is a fold down seat. It’s not the largest seat we’ve had but it wasn’t skimpy, either. We loved the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were at the perfect height when using the shower chair.
Easily reachable shower controls were also appreciated. There is a knob selector to switch from the handheld shower to the regular shower head further up. Grab bars along the walls also made this perfect for entering, sitting, and exiting.
The bed.
Our room included a queen bed, and a fold out sofa. The bed itself was nice and comfortable, with end tables on either side. Next to the phone were two electrical outlets and two USB outlets for charging. We had just enough room for a CPAP and a phone to fit without it being cumbersome. There was just enough additional space for a pair of glasses and the TV remote.
More room highlights!
Additional storage for clothing and whatnot can be utilized with this dresser. The dresser also includes electrical and USB outlets for charging, four drawers, and two cabinets. Atop the dresser sits the TV.
A small table and chairs complete the room, near the door to the savannah. There is also a Hey Disney Alexa-like device should you want to try that out. We tried to activate it by saying “Hey Disney!” but it ignored us. Fair enough, I’d ignore me, too. You know what, let’s go outside.
Not much, for now.
It may not look like much now, but wait until morning!
Ta-da! Giraffes! That’s how Disney magic works.
These clusters of something (we’re not sure what they’re called), keep the animals from getting too close to the rooms. It also provides a space buffer should anything drop, fall, or be tossed from the rooms.
Wasn’t expecting this.
One interesting note, and we’re not sure if this is a feature of accessible rooms or the rooms in general at Kidani Village. Most resort rooms at Walt Disney World that feature a patio or balcony have a sliding glass door, so we were surprised to find a regular glass door in our room. We don’t love it or hate it, it’s just different.
For your reading pleasure.
Finally, should you wish to do some light reading, included in the rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge is a hefty book about the Disney Conservation Fund.
Hope this helped!
We hope you enjoyed this room tour of a wheelchair accessible studio at Disney’s Kidani Village. Hopefully this provides some much needed insight into how the rooms are arranged and the accessibility features you or your loved one can utilize in the room while on vacation.
We were very impressed with the size of the bathroom, and loved how easy and convenient it was to take a shower in the room utilizing the fold down shower seat. We also appreciated the size of the room and with a little but of furniture moving (pushing the coffee table to the side) we had enough room to turn an ECV around to make it easier to exit with in the morning.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next time!
Disney Rover 