Parts of the Kidani Village main lobby have been closed for refurbishment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World.

Kidani Village Lobby Ceiling Stripped

Since our last update, the black curtains obscuring the refurbishment work from view have now been replaced with black construction walls. “Pardon our pixie dust” signs have been added to the walls as well.

We spotted a single crew member on a green boom lift working on the ceiling. The worker — who cheerfully smiled at us — appears to be prepping the surface of the ceiling. Much of the decorative straw material (some of which can still be seen in the corners of the photos) has been stripped, revealing the wood structure underneath.

For reference, this is what the area used to look like last month:

The entire ceiling was covered with a straw-like material as part of the resort’s African kraal theme. We’re not sure if the lobby’s ceiling design will just be refreshed or completely changed yet.

Kidani Village Lobby Refurbishments

The Kidani Village lobby refurbishment started August 17 and will be completed in phases. Each area will be closed for a certain amount of time for refurbishment between mid-August and November 2026.

The refurbishment dates are as follows:

• August 17 – October 9: Both the main lobby and primary entrance will close with check-in moved to the Palace Library.
• September 28 – October 9: North lobby corridor will close, making both the second-floor lobby elevators and outdoor terrace observation deck unavailable.
• October 26 – November 6: South lobby corridor will close. The following areas will not be available during this time:
  • Community Hall
  • The laundry room
  • Lobby restrooms
  • Outdoor terrace observation deck
  • Palace Library
  • Safari So Good Arcade

During the refurbishment period, guests may hear or see construction activity during daytime hours.

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