NEWS: Confirmed - Jambo House To Remain Closed

NEWS: Confirmed – Jambo House To Remain Closed

Jambo House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas will not reopen on June 22 with the rest of the Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World.

DVC has confirmed that Jambo House will remain closed indefinitely as other areas of the Florida vacation complex begin reopening to guests. A statement posted to the DVC member website indicates that Jambo will remain closed “during this initial period” and that it will eventually reopen “as the volume of reservations increase.”

For the time being, guests holding reservations for Jambo House will be relocated to nearby Kidani Village.

In recent weeks, Disney has frequently used phrases like “initial period” to describe the days immediately following hotel reopenings. However, no timeline has ever been attached to this period. For dates in late June and early July, guests with cash hotel reservations are being moved to vacation DVC villa rooms. It does not appear that any of the cash hotels will reopen prior to mid-July. Even hotels attached to DVC resorts like Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Disney’s Beach Club Resort will not be operating.

Guest demand will undoubtedly play a role in which resorts reopen and how quickly it happens. A resort like Jambo House–which has just 134 villas and more than 1000 hotel rooms–is low on the priority list. This is particularly true since DVC can offer Kidani Village as alternative lodging to both owners of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas and other club members.

As we previously reported, DVC availabilty at Jambo House has disappeared and reappeared over the last several weeks. The DVC booking system does show Jambo availability from June 22 forward as of this writing. However, owners who are able to secure reservations in the coming weeks should do so with the understanding that they may be relocated to Kidani Village.

The complete statement from DVC is as follows:

As Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World prepare to reopen on June 22, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House will not be open during this initial period. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village will initially welcome home Members and Guests. Member Services will contact Members with confirmed reservations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House to transfer their existing reservations to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village. Over time, as the volume of reservations increase, inventory will be expanded to include Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House. Upon the reopening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, some amenities such as restaurants and merchandise locations will likely remain closed until the rest of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge opens. However, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village, merchandise locations and restaurants will be available

About the Author: DBTN - FOUNDER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF DBTN

My enthusiasm for all things Disney all started when my parents took our family to WDW for a vacation. My first trip was at age 13. Since that first time, I have made a trip to WDW almost every year from age 13. As far as I knew there was only one place to vacation! My fascination with WDW began on that first trip. I wanted to know how things at WDW operated and what made it so magical. I wanted to know details like how many people worked there and the length of the monorail track. It is that fascination that fueled my interest in WDW. Each year that my family vacationed at WDW, I learned more about WDW as they built more parks and added more attractions. I am not the average fan; I want to know all the details and I love researching the facts of WDW. I research facts through the Internet, books and DVDs. To me, the best part is to conduct research trip at WDW. After college, my father was transferred to Orlando and I moved with my parents. Seeking employment, I applied for a job at WDW. I passed the first rounds of interviews and was proud to join the Disney family as a security cast member! The job was great. It included Disney-specific training and security training before assuming four duties: driving a security vehicle, standing a post, working in a resort or walking a park or other area. Sometimes I even had special duties like working the Epcot Christmas Processional. I would escort the celebrity guests from backstage to onstage. Interestingly, every cast member is given a WDW fact book monthly to aid in answering guest questions. The pocket book contained great Disney facts that added more fuel for my thirst of Disney facts. Well, all-good things must come to end so we moved back to NJ. In the summer of 2010 I moved back to Florida I am now living in Orlando less then 15 minutes from WDW and living the dream and have fun along the way. Favorite Park – Magic Kingdom Favorite Character – Mickey Mouse Favorite restaurant – California Grill Favorite attraction – Toy Story Mania Favorite resort – Bay Lake Tower / Contempoary First time at a disney park – 1976 & have been every year since Who was on your first disney trip – My entire family Favorite disney memory – My first trip and my first trip with my kids How far do you live from disney now – 15 minutes When is your next Disney trip? – every weekend Favorite Disney Movie – Jungle Book & Toy Story