The Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village
If you’re looking for a place to cool off, look no further than the Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village. This pool area has many features that make it unique.
This article will go over the Samawati Springs Pool in detail. We’ll look at the pool, water slide, poolside bar, and other nearby recreation.
In addition, we’ll preview the massive water play structure that sits adjacent to the pool area. If you’re traveling with children ages 12 and under, this resort is worth considering because of these extra elements.
Kidani Village sits next door to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Both resorts are on the same property and share amenities. If you are a resort guest, you’ll have access to both pools. We have a separate post that covers the pool at the Lodge.
Related: Uzima Springs Pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Kidani Village is a Disney Vacation Club Resort, so it operates differently than a regular resort. The villas will have more amenities, and DVC members have a few extra perks for staying here.
While we won’t detail those benefits in this post, I have another article coming soon that covers Kidani Village.
Related: Kidani Village Review (Animal Kingdom Villas)
The Samawati Springs Pool at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village is closed for refurbishment through April 2022.
Samawati Springs Pool
The Samawati Springs Pool has a zero-depth entry, 128-foot waterslide, and 4,700 square foot area. The pool holds up to 118,138-gallons of water.
We’ll start on the far end of the pool and work our way around. This side of the pool has a zero-depth entry.
The pool has a maximum depth of 4’11”. Across the way, there’s a small kiddie slide.
This smaller slide is an excellent option for those who aren’t big enough to use the larger slide.
Life jackets are available at the pool.
A bridge crosses the feature slide’s exit on the opposite side of the pool.
We’ll cross over the bridge as we make our way up to the top of the slide.
The platform at the top of the bridge provides a good view of the pool.
On the day I took these photos, it was around 90 degrees. There was only a handful of people at the pool. I would have gladly stayed out here until dark had my schedule not been so full.
The last time we stayed at Kidani, we spent a Saturday afternoon at the Samawati Pool. It was absolutely packed, and children were running amuck, as children do at the pool.
I mention this because if you ever find yourself at the pool on this quiet of a day, relish the experience. Unless it’s freezing, which is anything less than 80 degrees in Florida, it’s rare to find an uncrowded pool.
If it is freezing, there’s a reason only people from the Arctic states and Canada are at the pool. They can handle the temps. We can’t.
Anyway, there’s a staircase that leads up to the waterslide area.
At the top of this area is where you’ll find Samawati Springs.
The hot tub for the pool sits here beside the spring.
It’s located in a private nook and away from all the noise of the pool.
Additionally, the restrooms, changing area, and fitness center are located in this area. We’ll look at those amenities shortly.
The slide’s entrance sits among these rocks at the top of the pool area.
There are a few pool rules posted. The pool depth at the bottom of the slide is 3’6″. (It’s not 3-6 feet as the sign indicates.)
There’s a red light and green light at the top of the pool. Don’t go until the light turns green.
Other than the Flying Jib at Stormalong Bay, I think this has to be the coolest water slide at Disney World.
Related: Stormalong Bay Pool Review
You’ll spiral down 128′ until the slide deposits you back at the bottom of Samawati Springs.
It’s a lot of fun for children and adults alike.
Uwanja Camp (Water Playground)
The most significant thing about the Samawati Pool for children is the aquatic play area. To get to the pool area, you’ll walk out of the front lobby’s exit and take a right along the pathway to the pool.
You’ll run into this gate, which opens to a staircase that leads down to the pool.
If you prefer, you might take the slide over the staircase.
The slide will drop you off in Uwanja Camp, a large children’s recreation area.
There are two splash playgrounds at the bottom of the slide and one dry playground.
I don’t know how well you can tell from the photo, but the surrounding trees provide a glorious shade.
Bring a book to read while the children play. You’ll end up trying to fit more pool time into your vacation schedule.
When you visit Disney World, these resort days end up becoming the part where you feel like you’re on vacation.
Here are a few fun elements.
This large water reservoir dumps out a decent shower of water every so often. So be careful where you stand.
There were a few rules posted for the interactive water feature. The rules mention that you do not swallow any fountain water because it is recirculated.
There are so many important things to teach our children.
If you’re killing a little time before or after dinner, you might spend a few moments down on the dry end of the playground. It has a fun bridge with various activities and small slides.
Overall, you can’t beat the large children’s play area at the Samawati Springs Pool.
It had been a while since I stayed at Kidani last, and I had forgotten how much I loved the resort. I guess it’s true what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Before we wrap things up, let’s look at a few other amenities you’ll find near the pool.
Kidani Village Pool Area Amenities
Like every other resort at Disney World, the Kidani Village pool offers a recreation schedule with different activities. These activities usually change every month. Make sure to get a copy of the schedule during your visit.
The Survival of the Fittest gym at Kidani Village is right above the pool area.
This area is also where the lockers for the pool are located.
And the main restrooms for the pool are here. Usually, I don’t take photos of the restrooms near the pool. However, since no they were empty, I grabbed a few images to point out some important items.
For instance, most resort pools have large bathrooms with showers and essentials. You’ll note in this photo there’s a hairdryer on the wall by the sink.
And there’s a large changing area with plenty of towels.
Here is a photo of the full-size shower with soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispensers.
This amenity comes in handy if you’re spending time at the pool on a travel day. For example, you might use the pool after checkout for a couple of hours. Then you can get ready here to travel to the airport for a flight later in the day.
Likewise, you might have an early arrival before your room is ready. If you think ahead, you can pack your swimsuit in your carry-on. Upon arrival, you can check your luggage with bell services and head out here to change into your swimsuit.
I can’t think of a better way to start or end your Disney vacation, can you?
Pool Bar at Kidani Village
Lastly, I wanted to mention the Maji Pool Bar at Kidani Village.
Since Kidani Village doesn’t have a dedicated quick-service restaurant, this is your best option for a quick lunch at the resort.
They had a barbecue sandwich, hot dogs, a tuna pita platter, salads, and roast turkey listed as entrees. Kids’ meals were a choice of a turkey sandwich or one of the peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables.
There were a few seats at the bar and within the immediate area of the bar.
However, there are tons of tables with chairs that offer a little more privacy around the outskirts of the pool.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article provided you with a good overview of the Samawati Pool at Kidani Village. Even with all of the photos, I feel like I hardly did the space justice.
Overall, the pool at Kidani Village is a step above many others in comparison. And it gets high marks for all the child-friendly spaces at the pool and water play area.
For more information about the Animal Kingdom Lodge, all of our articles are available here. Or you might enjoy the following:
- Animal Kingdom Lodge Review
- Sanaa Review with Bread Service
- Boma Breakfast Buffet Review
- Best Deluxe Resorts at Disney World
Or you could browse the full list of Disney World Resorts.
Comments: What do you think about the pools at Kidani Village? Does this pool look suitable for your group?
