Kidani Village Lobby Refurbishment: Full Closure Schedule

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The lobby at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village is getting a significant refurbishment starting August 17, 2026, and this one runs into November. The Kidani Village lobby refurbishment happens in phases, with different areas closing at different times.

This is a larger project than the previously announced Johari Treasures closure. Check-in relocates. Community Hall closes. The arcade, the laundry room, and lobby restrooms all go offline for stretches.

If you have a Kidani stay booked between mid-August and early November, here’s the full breakdown of what’s closing and when.

Quick Summary

• The Kidani Village lobby refurbishment starts August 17, 2026 and wraps in early November
• Main lobby and primary entrance close August 17 through October 9
• Check-in moves to the Palace Library during that stretch
• Johari Treasures closes August 17–28
• North side lobby corridor closes September 28 through October 9
• South side lobby corridor closes October 26 through November 6, taking Community Hall, the arcade, laundry, and restrooms with it
• Expect visible and audible construction during the day

Main Lobby and Entrance: August 17 – October 9

The main lobby and primary entrance close for this stretch. Check-in moves to the Palace Library during this time.

Nearly two months without the main entrance is the headline. If you’ve stayed at Kidani before, you know the lobby is a genuine highlight — the carved detail, the lighting, the sense of arrival. Losing it for most of your stay is a real subtraction from the experience.

The Palace Library is a smaller space and a functional substitute, not an equivalent one. Expect check-in to feel more like a desk transaction and less like an arrival moment.

Practical note: confirm your arrival instructions before you drive up. Bell Services and valet routing may shift during the entrance closure.

Johari Treasures: August 17 – 28

The gift shop closes for these two weeks. Normal hours return August 29.

Johari Treasures carries Animal Kingdom Lodge merchandise, snacks, and sundries. During the closure, Zawadi Marketplace at Jambo House is your nearest alternative — a walk or an internal shuttle ride away.

North Side Lobby Corridor: September 28 – October 9

This closure includes:

• North side lobby elevators on the second floor
• Outdoor terrace observation deck

The elevator closure is the one to plan around. If you’re assigned a room on the north side, confirm your walking route from the working elevators before you haul luggage down a long corridor. Kidani is a long building.

The outdoor terrace observation deck is one of the better savanna viewing spots at the resort. Losing it for twelve days in early October is unfortunate timing, since that’s some of the best weather of the year for standing outside in Florida.

South Side Lobby Corridor: October 26 – November 6

This is the phase that affects the most guest amenities at once:

• Community Hall
• Safari So Good Arcade
• The laundry room
• The Palace Library
• Lobby restrooms
• Outdoor terrace observation deck

This Phase Is the One to Avoid

Read that list again. Community Hall, the arcade, and the laundry room all closing simultaneously is a meaningful hit for families on a longer stay.

Community Hall is where you check out DVD movies, board games, and pool equipment, and where kids’ activities run. Families with young children use it constantly.

The laundry room matters for anyone staying more than a few days. Kidani villas have in-unit washers and dryers in the one-bedroom and larger villas, but studio guests rely on the shared laundry room. If you’re in a studio during this window, plan accordingly.

The Palace Library closes here too — which is notable because it served as the check-in location during the earlier phase. Check-in arrangements will shift again for this stretch.

Note the outdoor terrace observation deck appears in both the north and south corridor phases. Between September 28 and November 6, expect limited access to that viewing area.

What to Expect During Your Stay

Disney says guests may see or hear construction in the lobby area during the day, including periods of noticeable noise, until the project finishes in early November.

That’s more direct than Disney’s usual language on refurbishments. “Periods of noticeable noise” is a warning, not boilerplate.

A few things that help:

• Request a room away from the lobby at booking. It costs nothing to ask, and Kidani is long enough that distance genuinely helps.
• Plan savanna viewing from your room balcony. Every Kidani villa has one, and the terrace deck is unavailable for chunks of this window.
• Sanaa is unaffected. The restaurant, the pool, and the savanna viewing areas along the trail remain open.
• Consider Jambo House. If you’re booking new and flexible on which side of Animal Kingdom Lodge you stay, Jambo House avoids all of this.

Should You Cancel a Kidani Booking?

Probably not, but be honest about your situation.

Stay if you’re there primarily for the savannas, the villa itself, and Sanaa. All three are unaffected, and the animals are why people book Kidani.

Reconsider if you’re traveling with kids who’ll use Community Hall and the arcade, you’re in a studio and need the laundry room during the late October window, or you’re a light sleeper booked near the lobby.

Definitely check your dates against the phases. A stay entirely in mid-September dodges the worst of it. A stay in the first week of November hits the heaviest closure phase.

The Bottom Line

The Kidani Village lobby refurbishment runs August 17 through early November 2026, closing the main lobby and entrance until October 9, relocating check-in to the Palace Library, and taking Community Hall, the Safari So Good Arcade, the laundry room, and lobby restrooms offline from October 26 to November 6.

Match your travel dates against the phase list, request a room away from the lobby, and know that the savannas, pool, and Sanaa are all still running normally.

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