View Full Version : Christening Kidani....just back and I'm here to tell you......
ekball
05-04-2009, 10:11 PM
IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!!!!! :love: Seriously, all I can say is wow, wow, and in case I didn't make myself clear.....oh my goodness WOW! I will upload pix tomorrow, but for now I'll try to give some details of the weekend.
I guess I'll start by sharing that this was truly a weekend of firsts....opening weekend at Kidani, our first DVC trip (we bought last Oct.), and our first trip without the kids. That's right. I said it. Our first DVC stay was without the kids (I know....we're terrible parents)!! We have never flown anywhere without our children. We've done short weekend getaways without them a couple of times, but always somewhere relatively close to home. So needless to say this was a HUGE deal for us.
You see, we had $450 in Southwest credits that we were going to lose in early June. We tried to sell them, tried to even give them away at a steal, but no-one wanted them. No-one is travelling! At least not when we were trying to get rid of them. So a few months ago I started thinking... why not plan a getaway for our anniversary?? We haven't had much 'couple time' lately and we really needed to get away and reconnect. So with the airfare paid for, where to go?? Well hmmm.....we didn't want to spend much money, wanted somewhere warm and sunny, somewhere we could get away with not renting a car....wait a minute....hold the phone....EUREKA!!! :idea: WE ARE DVC OWNERS! Why not a quick little get away to Disney?!
Yes, it felt a little wrong. Going to Disney without the kids. We felt more than a little guilt along the way as we planned our weekend. :guilty: But you know what, we also realized that we NEED this. We deserve this. And let's face it, our kids have been to Disney annually for the past 3 years straight. They're certainly not deprived children. So we did it. We booked it! And how exciting was it that the best weekend for us to do this was the weekend of our anniversary, and the weekend that Kidani was to open. Sooooooooooo exciting!! :woohoo:
So off we went - flying into Orlando around 11:00a last Friday. Wow, how easy is flying without children?! We carried our bags on the plane with us, enjoyed a quiet flight down where we weren't entertaining kids, feeding snacks, taking anyone to the potty, mediating arguments. We just read our books, drank our bloody mary's (can't do that when flying with the kids), and let the relaxation begin. :cloud9:
ME service was pretty quick and we were on our way to Kidani in about 30 minutes. We had one quick stop at Coronado Springs, then it was our turn. Only problem....the bus driver didn't know where to go. She had never been to Kidani, so we had to figure it out with her (this was the first of about 3 or 4 drivers who didn't know where to go). We were quickly greeted by an adorable girl from South Africa who welcomed us home :love: and showed us inside.
We were soon greeted with many more "Welcome Home(s)" as soon as we entered the beautiful lobby. The pictures I saw before leaving for Kidani were beautiful, but they just don't give you the true intimate feel that you get when walking into Kidani. It's very different from walking into Jambo House, but the decor and architecture is just so gorgeous that you get an equally impressive welcome. There were a TON of CM's there to greet us and get us checked in...they did a great job of making sure they were adequately staffed so that they were totally prepared.
We had done the online check in so our room was (obviously) ready and we were quickly given our welcome home packet, anniversary pins, a small gift (can't remember what it's called but I'll find the card that came with it and will report back later), and a map to find our room. I can't tell you how beautiful the whole resort is....from the lobby, to the hallways, to the artwork, even the elevators. It's all GORGEOUS!!!! Absolutely perfect in the execution of its theming. On the way to our room we were able to see our first animals on the sunset savannah - wildebeasts, cranes, giraffe and ostrich. So incredibly neat (for lack of a better word).
Because we didn't want to blow too many points, we booked a standard studio and it was truly perfect for us. I had requested a pool view and the request was granted. We were perfectly satisfied with our view. Yes, there were parking spots right below our balcony, and a view of the driveway, but they did such an AMAZING job with the landscaping that it really didn't bother us at all. And speaking of the landscaping....oh my gosh. It's so lush, and full, and beautiful. I was a little worried that it would look a little sparse since it's a new resort, but that is sooooo not the case. They did a FABULOUS job with making it look very well established and it truly lends itself to the overall theming as well.
We loved the room. The size, the decor, the set up. Everything was great! We were welcomed with a butterfly towel animal and a card with a little butterfly and an african proverb that said...."A family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, when you are inside you see that each tree has it's place". And that's the first time I felt really bad that my kiddos weren't with us to experience this. :sad1: Anyway, it was a very sweet touch that I hope they continue. There are proverbs like this written/painted/carved all over the the resort and this was a nice continuation of that.
We quickly checked out the room and view and decided to change and hit the pool!!! The pool is AMAZING!!!!! (enter the second time I felt really bad that our kids were not with us) The splash area/playground is phenomenal and I can't wait until our children see it. They will got NUTS!!! The pool is not huge, but it is a nice size and it never felt overcrowded at anytime during the weekend. There are two nice sized hot tubs and the awesome slide. Best slide I have been on at any Disney resort....multiple twists and turns and it is long! DH and I spent a lot of time having fun on the slide this weekend. :thumbsup2 Just like the rest of the resort, the pool has gorgeous landscaping so it feels very lush and very authentic. We grabbed a couple of lounge chairs and headed to the Maji bar for some lunch.....
continued in next post
ekball
05-04-2009, 10:25 PM
Now for the one disappointment for the weekend....
We went to the bar to check out the food and order some lunch. They offered a sandwich, a salad, and a few small side items. We ordered and then gave the bartender our KTTW card to charge the food as a counter service credit. Well, bad news folks (if you haven't heard already).....they are not accepting QS credits at the pool!!!! So there is officially NO QS OPTION at Kidani. Nothing. Zip, zero, zilch. UGH. :headache: We politely complained to the bartender, who let us know that she had heard that from a number of people already that day (and this was around 12:45). So off we went to the Mara to get some food.
We walked on the path between the two resorts, a nice walk that takes about 10 minutes. Headed to Mara, ordered our food, got a bag so we could take it to go. We probably sat down with our food at the pool about an hour later....so that was a total bummer. I hope they hear from a lot of members about this because it is soooooooo inconvenient to have no QS options at Kidani. We mentioned this to a couple of CM's (again, very politely, but hoping they would pass it along) over the course of the weekend and like we said to them - we don't need a big CS restaurant, nothing major, just a few options at the bar would be just fine. Just so you don't HAVE to go somewhere else if you don't want to. I really hope they work on this. Honestly though, this was our only complaint of the weekend. It's a big one, but it's the only one.
The bar was great. We enjoyed a few cocktails (ahem...well, maybe more than just a few) over the weekend, all of the bar tenders were super friendly, and all of them made great drinks. There is a second refillable mug station at the bar, so that was convenient when we were at the pool.
Overall, we absolutely fell in love with Kidani!! We are BEYOND thrilled that Kidani is our home resort and are already considering an add-on. :rotfl: Yeah, that didn't take long. We have stayed at WL, CR, Poly, GF....and I'd say we most definitely have a new favorite!
Any questions?? Just ask. And like I said, I'll be uploading pix tomorrow so keep an eye out!
ETA - I saw another post from someone saying that they were having a lot of problems with the busses at Kidani. I have to say that this was NOT the case for us this weekend. For the most part we waited for about 5-10 minutes for the busses. We only went to the MK and DTD, so maybe that had something to do with it???? Now there is the extra stop at Jambo, but really, we felt like the bus service was good. The only problem we had was with the drivers who had no idea how to get to the bus stop at Kidani....we directed quite a few drivers to the bus stop this weekend, but that was no biggie.
Pictures posted on page 3...
MnMomW3Boys
05-04-2009, 10:37 PM
Thank you for sharing...sounds like you had an amazing trip. We will be there in a few days, but with our kids :eek: this time. We have Disney without them once a couple years ago, and we have yet to hear the end of it. :rotfl:
Can't wait to see the pictures.
J&JAKV08
05-04-2009, 10:43 PM
Thanks for posting about your stay! :thumbsup2 I am really looking forward to our trip to Kidani in October! It sounds wonderful!!:woohoo: Looking forward to seeing your pictures!!
SamSam
05-05-2009, 12:12 AM
Sounds like you had an amazing time. Never feel guilty for quality 'couple time'. Before you know it, your kids will be grown and gone and if you haven't had 'couple time' you could find yourselves at a total loss as to how to be a couple.
Now you know the resort and you can take your kids next time. :goodvibes
Looking forward to the pics.
AnnaS
05-05-2009, 05:48 AM
Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip with us. Can't wait for our trip this August.
Looking forwrad to your pictures. Waiting patiently. :)
Sandisw
05-05-2009, 07:11 AM
Thank you for the report, especially about the CS. We are going in August and are on the QSDP.
We had a studio booked at Kidani but I called Sunday to switch to a savannah view room and they only had Jambo House. I guess it will work out being closer to Mara.
Glad to hear you had a wonderful trip!!!
stopher1
05-05-2009, 07:12 AM
Sounds like you had a really nice time. That's great. We're looking forward to our first Kidani stay next January. Can't wait to check it out in person in 3 weeks when my sons and I are there for Star Wars Weekends.
podsnel
05-05-2009, 08:09 AM
Thanks for the great info!! I was very glad to tell my boys that the slide is so much fun!:banana: They were not impressed by the one over at the Jambo pool.
NEVER feel guilty about taking a trip without the kids- we all need a break, and it's nice to be able to focus on each other (or just yourself and your friends) once in a while.:thumbsup2 I LOVE adult Disney trips!! I actually took my first DVC trip without mt kids OR my DH!!:rotfl::thumbsup2
I hope everyone DOES complain about the no QS option at Kidani- Disney has made changes before at resorts, I'm sure they'll do it again. It doesn't matter much to me- we never get the DDP, but I can see where it would be an issue if we did.
Can't wait for pictures!!
mcrabeck
05-05-2009, 08:29 AM
Looking forward to seeing your pictures. Sounds like a great trip!
robandkelly13
05-05-2009, 08:33 AM
Thanks for posting. I can hardly wait to see your pics! :thumbsup2
glennbo123
05-05-2009, 08:34 AM
Thanks for reporting on Kidani. It's great to hear such fantastic reviews. We'll be taking our first DVC trip home to Kidani in late June and can't wait.
RweTHEREyet
05-05-2009, 09:22 AM
Your report was great and I really enjoyed reading it. Can't wait to see your pics. We don't own there, but do hope to stay some time.
pumpkinfish
05-05-2009, 09:27 AM
Yeah, I agree with everyone else...we need to voice our opinions strongly in regard to no CS. Hopefully someone will take note and make this change happen.
ead79
05-05-2009, 09:30 AM
Thanks for the great report! It's making me even more excited to stay at Kidani in December! :cool1:
christa112
05-05-2009, 09:40 AM
You are making me want to leave my kids at home for our next trip!!! :rotfl2:
I am glad you guys had a great weekend together.
Can't wait for the pics!!!
Disney Princess
05-05-2009, 09:52 AM
Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Sounds like you had a great time. I hope you and your husband had a wonderful, relaxing weekend together. :)
lugnut33
05-05-2009, 11:11 AM
Sounds just like our trip!!
First DVC stay was opening weekend at Kidani... Without kids... For our anniversary!
I'll be doing a trip report soon.
Crisgw
05-05-2009, 12:01 PM
:thumbsup2 Sounds amazing! You have me totally STOKED to get there Sunday morning!!
MnMomW3Boys
05-05-2009, 02:21 PM
:thumbsup2 Sounds amazing! You have me totally STOKED to get there Sunday morning!!
We check in Saturday maybe we will see you around the pool. I am sure that is where my boys will be all week. :lmao:
lugnut33
05-05-2009, 02:26 PM
I'll tell you this about the pool.. if there are lots of people at the pool it's going to seem cramped. It's not that big.
MnMomW3Boys
05-05-2009, 02:38 PM
I'll tell you this about the pool.. if there are lots of people at the pool it's going to seem cramped. It's not that big.
If its bigger then the bath tub my boys will be in HEAVEN! :rotfl::rotfl:
Debs Hill
05-05-2009, 03:22 PM
Can't wait to see to the photos!
Debsx:goodvibes
El&Asmom
05-05-2009, 04:46 PM
Thanks for the TR. Dh and I did the same thing last fall before dd3 was born. We had the extra points and thought, why not treat ourselves. I'm so glad we did. It was an amazing vacation. We also had a few guilty moments when we felt bad the kids weren't there, but we got over it quickly.
For me the hardest part was flying. I hate to fly, so feeling like we were going to orphan our children was the hardest part.
Dh is already planning our next solo trip. I think we need to wait until dd3 is at least 2 years old. We'll see who wins.
Can't wait for pictures.
tiggrbaby
05-05-2009, 05:09 PM
Can't wait for the pics!
J&JAKV08
05-05-2009, 05:10 PM
If its bigger then the bath tub my boys will be in HEAVEN! :rotfl::rotfl:
:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:
pyrxtc
05-05-2009, 06:23 PM
I'm glad you mentioned a walkway. I have read a few reports that said there wasn't one. Is it easy to find ? I'll be at Jambo in September but want to walk over and check out Kidani while there.
timandlesley
05-05-2009, 08:01 PM
Can't Wait to see the pics!:thumbsup2
ljcrochet
05-05-2009, 09:35 PM
I can't wait to see your pictures.
Cyndibear
05-05-2009, 09:40 PM
Thanks for the wonderful report. So nice to hear you enjoyed Kidani! I can't wait to see your photo's.
Cyndi
Maliki2
05-05-2009, 09:44 PM
Thanks for the report, nice to see a good one, I have seen a few no so kind ones. This puts some faith in the resort!
ekball
05-06-2009, 09:59 AM
Finally, the pictures.....
DH and I on the ME....relaxed already
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/001_1.jpg
Pulling up to Kidani
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/003_3.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/005_5.jpg
I love the lanterns
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/007_7.jpg
Looking toward the front of the lobby, front desk is to the right, Johari Treasures is to the left.
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/021_21.jpg
Hall leading to our room...I love the lighting all around the resort.
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/008_8.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/015_15.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/016_16.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/038_38.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/023_23.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/024_24.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/025_25.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/026_26.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/027_27.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/028_28.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/032_32.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/058_58.jpg
We were in a standard studio, room 7823, 4th floor in the second building to the left of the lobby.
View from our balcony from left to right...
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/050_50.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/051_51.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/052_52.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/053_53.jpg
Looking down to the right
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/054_54.jpg
Looking down to the left
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/055_55.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/060_60.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r29/ekball/062_62.jpg
disneymom8589
05-06-2009, 10:04 AM
Your pictures are great!! I love your enthusiasm and it makes me all the more excited for our Kidani trip in January!! :goodvibes
bobbiwoz
05-06-2009, 10:06 AM
Beautiful pictures, I'm so glad to see them. We'll be there in a few weeks, and I'm happy for your preview!
Bobbi
KyleRayner
05-06-2009, 10:35 AM
I'm staying at AKV in a 2BR w/ Savanna View in October. Right now, my ressie is at Jambo House. But I'm waitlisted for Kidani Village. I hope it comes through. Even if it doesn't, I'm just grateful to have a ressie at AKV. It will be my first stay there and I'm so excited.
I hope there will be more pictures. Love what you posted so far!
I love going without the kids! As you can see from the picture to the left, they're NUTS. And far to old to keep following us around, but they have yet to outgrow Disney! I can't wait to finally stay at this amazing resort. :goodvibes
J&JAKV08
05-06-2009, 10:56 AM
Great pictures!!! :thumbsup2 Makes me look more forward to our trip to Kidani in October!! Thanks!!
amandelba
05-06-2009, 11:03 AM
Great pics! I am so excited for my August trip. It's great to hear someone relax and enjoy, rather than complain non-stop.
manntra
05-06-2009, 11:31 AM
Thanks so much for the great pictures and report! It has made me even more excited (if possible?) for my trip in October. I even picked up on your Vera Bradley bag on the ME bus! :rotfl::rotfl: I have tons of them!!! Thanks again for sharing! :flower3:
ekball
05-06-2009, 11:36 AM
Thanks so much for the great pictures and report! It has made me even more excited (if possible?) for my trip in October. I even picked up on your Vera Bradley bag on the ME bus! :rotfl::rotfl: I have tons of them!!! Thanks again for sharing! :flower3:
Hehe....yes, that was another "first"....first time without the huge diaper/kid bag, and just a small mom bag. This bag was perfect for the parks!
ekball
05-06-2009, 11:44 AM
Great pics! I am so excited for my August trip. It's great to hear someone relax and enjoy, rather than complain non-stop.
Relax and enjoy, we did. :thumbsup2 I am really having a hard time understanding the complaints about Kidani right now. Sure, there are a few kinks to work out, but overall I thought they did a fabulous job with opening weekend. And I'm not a pushover when it comes to resorts, my standards are pretty high I think. I just didn't find much to complain about at Kidani, even considering the 'kinks'.
gkrykewy
05-06-2009, 12:36 PM
Wow, you weren't kidding about the landscaping. Just lovely.
disneynutz
05-06-2009, 01:08 PM
I hope everyone DOES complain about the no QS option at Kidani- Disney has made changes before at resorts, I'm sure they'll do it again.
Please take the time to send a email to the DVC Satisfaction Team and lets get QS added at Kidani. dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com
Cyndibear
05-06-2009, 04:27 PM
Thanks for the wonderful photo's! It looks like both of you were very relaxed. I can't wait to get there and explore the place. The photo's have been amazing!
Cyndi
disney4metoo
05-06-2009, 04:51 PM
Thank you so much for your awesome pictures! We also bought at AKV and after BLT came into the picture I was concerned and hoped we bought at the right place. After reading your thread, I am very happy! Our first trip home will be next year! Thanks!
ga9497
05-06-2009, 04:53 PM
Can you tell me if you looked at what food offerings where in the gift shop? Could you purchase milk, soda, snacks, etc was there any other food option other then just snacky items?
jblrn2b
05-06-2009, 07:00 PM
Thanks so much for your TR. I am jealous of your Adult Only Trip. Wish DH would do for our anniversary but its the middle of Lacrosse season - :) maybe we can sneak off for a long wkend in the Fall.
Thanks so much for your pictures - your view was amazing even if it wasn't on the Savanah!! I love the theming.
I also don't think a 10 minute walk is all that long. We walked about that at SSR to get to the main pool in Feb. But, my kids are older so I don't have a stroller and etc.
Can't wait to go and its good to have someone who is so enthusiastic about it. The more I see the pictures of Kidani the happier I am we bought there.
jblrn2b
05-06-2009, 07:11 PM
I forgot to ask if you ate at Sannaa?
robandkelly13
05-06-2009, 07:23 PM
Great pics! I can hardly wait until July!
tiggrbaby
05-06-2009, 07:44 PM
Great pics! Thanks for sharing!
ekball
05-06-2009, 07:57 PM
Can you tell me if you looked at what food offerings where in the gift shop? Could you purchase milk, soda, snacks, etc was there any other food option other then just snacky items?
There was quite a bit offered in the gift shop....milk, juice, yogurts, limited whole fruit (apples, oranges, bananas), lunchmeat (limited), cheese, some frozen items like pizzas, dinners (can't remember what else was frozen). Shelf items - cereals (all sizes), oatmeal, condiments, chips, bread, bagels, english muffins, PB & J, pancake mix & syrup, and a bunch of boxed pastries, donuts, etc. (I want to say Entenman's?). Beverages included milk, cream, juices, beer, wine, liquors (WAY cheaper to buy a bottle than get mixed drinks at the bar....not speaking from experience or anything ;)) There was quite a lot for a small store.
I forgot to ask if you ate at Sannaa?
No, we didn't eat as Sanaa this time, though I will tell you that it smelled awesome every time we walked out of th building. I'm sure it was the tandoori ovens. mmmmm....
jblrn2b
05-06-2009, 08:02 PM
There was quite a bit offered in the gift shop....milk, juice, yogurts, limited whole fruit (apples, oranges, bananas), lunchmeat (limited), cheese, some frozen items like pizzas, dinners (can't remember what else was frozen). Shelf items - cereals (all sizes), oatmeal, condiments, chips, bread, bagels, english muffins, PB & J, pancake mix & syrup, and a bunch of boxed pastries, donuts, etc. (I want to say Entenman's?). Beverages included milk, cream, juices, beer, wine, liquors (WAY cheaper to buy a bottle than get mixed drinks at the bar....not speaking from experience or anything ;)) There was quite a lot for a small store.
No, we didn't eat as Sanaa this time, though I will tell you that it smelled awesome every time we walked out of th building. I'm sure it was the tandoori ovens. mmmmm....
Thanks for the info. Not going to Sanaa this trip just means you have to plan a trip soon!!! :goodvibes
Are you out of your post WDW depression yet? :lmao:I am feeling your pain!
ekball
05-06-2009, 08:14 PM
Thanks for the info. Not going to Sanaa this trip just means you have to plan a trip soon!!! :goodvibes
Are you out of your post WDW depression yet? :lmao:I am feeling your pain!
Not quite out of the depression yet. I was enjoying the afterglow of a lovely weekend until about 7:00 last night...when my daughter dropped a good bracelet of mine down the bathroom drain. It gave a whole new meaning to "Welcome Home". :sad2: (although we did get it out of the drain, so I guess there was a tinge of pixie dust mixed in with that "Welcome Home". :lmao:)
TagsMissy
05-06-2009, 08:42 PM
What wonderful images! I cannot wait until our stay there for 4 wonderful nights!!! :D
HayGan
05-06-2009, 08:53 PM
Thank you for the great report and the FANTASTIC pictures!
I can't wait to be at our Kidani home in just over 3 weeks :cool1:
marvali
05-07-2009, 09:47 AM
Glad you had a great trip! Can't wait to get there the end of June.
You said your room was in the second building to the left of the lobby. Do you know how many buildings down that same hallway were open? What appears to be the most direct path to the pool area comes out between the third and fourth buildings to the left of the lobby. Could you get out that way to go to the pool, or did you have to take the path from the lobby?
I was assuming that everything to the right of the lobby (towards Jambo) would be open and just a few down that left hallway, but maybe the buildings towards the end of each hallway are still being worked on instead and all of the ones in the vicinity of the lobby were the first to be completed. Do you know where the cutoff is that you can't go beyond because there is still work going on? I'm guessing they had barriers up.
Thanks for the great pictures and sorry for so many questions.
ekball
05-07-2009, 10:09 AM
Glad you had a great trip! Can't wait to get there the end of June.
You said your room was in the second building to the left of the lobby. Do you know how many buildings down that same hallway were open? What appears to be the most direct path to the pool area comes out between the third and fourth buildings to the left of the lobby. Could you get out that way to go to the pool, or did you have to take the path from the lobby?
I was assuming that everything to the right of the lobby (towards Jambo) would be open and just a few down that left hallway, but maybe the buildings towards the end of each hallway are still being worked on instead and all of the ones in the vicinity of the lobby were the first to be completed. Do you know where the cutoff is that you can't go beyond because there is still work going on? I'm guessing they had barriers up.
Thanks for the great pictures and sorry for so many questions.
No problem!
We were told that the entire wing to the right of the lobby was open, and the first two buildings to the left of the lobby. The rest of that left wing is still under construction. We were actually in the very last room of that second building on the 4th floor. The quickest route to the pool is to take the elevator to the lobby then walk down the sidewalk leading to the pool area (it's a quick walk). There are certain elevators that will go all the way down to the parking garage, then you would need to walk up near the Maji bar to get to the pool. We never did that - never even tried (not sure why, we just didn't). It was an easy and pretty walk through the lobby and down the sidewalk and we almost always checked out the savannah to see if there were any animals, and grabbed a quick refill in the gift shop.
marvali
05-07-2009, 10:34 AM
Thanks for the quick answer. We are doing this trip in a standard view to save some points, and we wanted to wait until the Pembe savanna is open before doing savanna view. Wanted to add a room request to our ressie and not sure whether to ask for near lobby or pool view. Sounds like pool view will do both since only two buildings are open that direction. Of course, they may have more open by the time we get there.
rpk1951
05-07-2009, 04:20 PM
Great pictures. We stayed at the original lodge thw week it opened. I love AKV< and BCV, and BWV, and I guess we have not hit a bad place yet.
supersuperwendy
05-07-2009, 07:31 PM
Thanks for the great info and pics! Our booking window opens next month for our first trip "home"! I can't wait..thanks!
ShuisFan584
05-07-2009, 08:22 PM
Thanks for the trip report and pictures! Everything looks beautiful. I'm so excited to go "home" in 3 weeks! :cool1:
KathyRN137
05-07-2009, 11:00 PM
Thanks so much for posting your report! :goodvibes
Kathy
Crystal_27
05-08-2009, 08:05 AM
Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip with us!! I, too, yearn for the day that DH and I can take a trip to Disney without our DD, but she's only 5 so we have many years of Disney vacationing before I'm ready for that. :laughing:
I'm glad that you and your DH had such a wonderful time, and thank you again for sharing.
Cheryl N. WI
05-09-2009, 11:04 AM
Thanks for the great trip report and pictures :thumbsup2 I can't wait to stay at Kidani in Oct. :banana:
disney1474
05-09-2009, 11:46 AM
I forgot to ask if you ate at Sannaa?
We were also there for opening week and the resort is awesome!!
We ate at Sanaa twice and it was very good. I had the curry chicken and beef ribs the first night and new york strip on the 2nd night. My wife had the fish wrapped in a banana leaf and the curry chicken and shrimp. Dessert was very good....try the chai creme:love:
Almost forgot, we also tried the different breads with hummus and a couple of the salads. I don't remember the names of these. Enjoy your vacation!!
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