Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is about to undergo an extensive lobby area refurbishment. Beginning August 17th, the main lobby and primary entrance will close for nearly two months. The work stretches well beyond the lobby itself. Guests will also lose access to the resort’s gift shop, both lobby corridors, the arcade, the laundry room, and the outdoor terrace observation deck at various points between August and November. Here’s a look at the planned work and the schedule.
Kidani Village Lobby and Surrounding Areas Face Months of Closures This Summer & Fall
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- The main lobby and primary entrance close August 17th through October 9th, with check-in relocating to the Palace Library.
- Additional closures affect Johari Treasures, the lobby corridors, the arcade, and the outdoor terrace observation deck in phases through early November.
Main Lobby, Entrance, and Johari Treasures Closures
The most significant piece of this refurbishment is the closure of Kidani Village’s main lobby and primary entrance. That closure runs from August 17th through October 9th. For nearly two months, guests won’t be able to check in through the resort’s usual entrance. Instead, check-in will move to the Palace Library. This is the longest single closure window of the entire project. It also overlaps with the start of every other phase that follows. Guests arriving during this stretch should expect a different check-in experience than what they’re used to at Kidani Village.
Johari Treasures, the resort’s merchandise shop located near the lobby, will close for a shorter but overlapping window. That closure runs from August 17th through August 28th. The timing lines up with the opening days of the broader lobby refurbishment. That suggests Disney is tackling work near the shop’s location early in the project. Disney has not detailed what specifically is changing inside Johari Treasures during the refurb. The shop reopens August 29th.
Lobby Corridor Closures Through Early November
From September 28th through October 9th, the north side lobby corridor will close. That closure also takes out the north side lobby elevators on the second floor. The outdoor terrace observation deck will be unavailable too. This phase overlaps with the tail end of the main lobby and entrance closure. Guests staying at Kidani Village in early October will be navigating multiple simultaneous closures at once.
The final phase runs from October 26th through November 6th, when the south side lobby corridor closes. This is the most sweeping of the four phases in terms of affected amenities. Community Hall, the Safari So Good Arcade, and the laundry room will all be unavailable. So will the Palace Library, the lobby restrooms, and the outdoor terrace observation deck. The loss of the Palace Library in this final phase is notable. That space serves as the temporary check-in location during the main lobby closure earlier in the timeline. By the time this phase begins, the main lobby and entrance are set to have already reopened on October 9th. Check-in should have shifted back to its usual location before the Palace Library itself closes.
This lobby refurbishment is separate from the guest room refurbishment at Kidani Village. That project ran from October 2025 through May 2026, with Jambo House’s guest rooms following afterward. Word of a likely Kidani Village room refresh first surfaced when Disney filed a permit for the work. Disney made the room refurbishment plan official months later.
Throughout the lobby refurbishment, Disney says guests may see or hear construction activity in the lobby area during daytime hours. That includes periods of more noticeable noise until the work wraps up in early November.
Here’s a breakdown of the current refurbishment schedule:
- Aug. 17–Oct. 9: The main lobby and primary entrance will be closed. During this time, check-in will move to the Palace Library.
- Aug. 17–28: Johari Treasures will be closed.
- Sept. 28–Oct. 9: The north side lobby corridor will be closed. During this time, the north side lobby elevators on the second floor and outdoor terrace observation deck will be unavailable.
- Oct. 26–Nov. 6: The south side lobby corridor will be closed. During this time, Community Hall, Safari So Good Arcade, the laundry room, the Palace Library, lobby restrooms and outdoor terrace observation deck will be unavailable.
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