Kidani - Noise vs. View?

[WoodysHat]

Hi All! Staying in a 1Bd Savanna View at Kidani this June (first time onsite!!!) and I need some help with our room request. I know requests are not guaranteed, but if they do honor our preference I'm not sure which floor to pick. My first instinct is to pick top floor - I'm a crazy light sleeper and whenever I haven't been on the top floor of a hotel, footsteps above us at night always wake me up and I can never get back to sleep. But...I've also read that the top floor of Kidani is too high to see the animals and I don't want to rob the rest of my family of a better view just because of my sleep issues! So, I guess I'm looking to hear of people who have been on the top floor and thought the view was just fine, or from people who have been on lower levels and have not heard much from neighbors above (I'm thinking since Kidani is relatively new, it may have better soundproofing?)

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[twinklebug]

I've been on top floor over at Jambo and had no problems seeing the giraffe. I think my favorite view, however, was the 3rd floor of Kidani. We were just low enough to make out the whites of their eyes, but being level with the foliage it kept guests on the opposite side of the loop from looking directly into our room.

You won't hear much from floor to floor in Kidani, but the hallways are a different ordeal. The closer you are to the lobby the more foot traffic you'll have as well as families yelling ahead to each other and the rare knock and run pranksters we encountered on two different trips (just not cute at 1am!) For this reason I ask to be half way down the loop, which has the bonus being close to the pool area if on the North loop.

 

[hakepb]

The biggest 5th floor complaint is the occasionsl tree tops obscuring animals.

Otherwise you are talking about animals being 60' from your room vs 40' (since the animals are kept 30' from the building anyway. (Good ole Pythagorean theorem) FWIW, I never felt slighted when I first stayed at Jambo on the 5th floor... But closer can be a bit nicer.

 

[drusba]

From what you mention, I am assuming you have savanna view. Not sure what noise you are worried about. The animals are seldom noisy. Once in a great while a feeding truck might go by, but otherwise there is not noise, in fact it can be eerily quiet. Maybe you wiull hear feet above but I don't recall even hearing that. In any event, there are only four floors with rooms, 2 through 5 (first floor is the parking lot under the building and you will not hear anything from that lot with savanna view). Personal view is that higher and lower both have their advantages. Higher you get more panoramic view; lower you get more direct sight line to animals. We don't even request floor because we like both of those and just go for luck of the draw for each trip to Kidani. Thus, if you request fifth floor you are likely to be quite pleased with it.

 

[WoodysHat]

Thanks everyone! I think I will request top floor and then if we want to see more eye to eye with the animals, we can go to one of the public viewing areas

 

[hakepb]

Thanks everyone! I think I will request top floor and then if we want to see more eye to eye with the animals, we can go to one of the public viewing areas

Also, check the activity schedule for the time in the evening when they have animal viewing through night vision goggles

 

[cvjw]

From one light sleeper to another, I have never had any problems with noise at Kidani Village, and we have stayed there 4 times so far. We have stayed on different floors, and never heard the people above us (don't get me started about a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, where the people above us were so loud our lights were shaking). Maybe we have been lucky, but we always stay in larger villas, and would not hesitate to stay at KV again.

 

[WoodysHat]

From one light sleeper to another, I have never had any problems with noise at Kidani Village, and we have stayed there 4 times so far. We have stayed on different floors, and never heard the people above us (don't get me started about a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, where the people above us were so loud our lights were shaking). Maybe we have been lucky, but we always stay in larger villas, and would not hesitate to stay at KV again.

Thank you! Great to know. I wish I was one of those people that could sleep through anything - it would make traveling a lot easier!

 

[WoodysHat]

Also, check the activity schedule for the time in the evening when they have animal viewing through night vision goggles

Can't wait for that one! My son (8) will love it!

 

[Pumbaa80]

We have also stayed at kidani a couple times as well as at Jambo. noise from upstairs neighbors has never been a problem. I enjoy hAving the doors open to hear when the trucks go buy, and sometimes to hear animals. It's fun to jump up and see what's going on. Love, love, love animal kingdom lodge! Have a wonderful vacation!

 

[rpcvpanama]

My experience was just the opposite. We were on the 3rd floor of Kidani and every night were subjected to the stampede above us when the family returned home for the night. I too am a light sleeper and that type of noise really bothers me. I never heard noise from the hallways, only the stomping, banging and general carrying on from the family above us.

However, as others have said, the best animal viewing is on the lower levels. To me the trade off, better animal viewing is worth the noise. You may get lucky and not have a noisy family above you...it really is random.

 

[disneynutz]

Hi All! Staying in a 1Bd Savanna View at Kidani this June (first time onsite!!!) and I need some help with our room request. I know requests are not guaranteed, but if they do honor our preference I'm not sure which floor to pick. My first instinct is to pick top floor - I'm a crazy light sleeper and whenever I haven't been on the top floor of a hotel, footsteps above us at night always wake me up and I can never get back to sleep. But...I've also read that the top floor of Kidani is too high to see the animals and I don't want to rob the rest of my family of a better view just because of my sleep issues! So, I guess I'm looking to hear of people who have been on the top floor and thought the view was just fine, or from people who have been on lower levels and have not heard much from neighbors above (I'm thinking since Kidani is relatively new, it may have better soundproofing?)

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

Since the only variable that you can control is you, have you thought about ear plugs? You will get a good nights sleep and it won't matter where your room is.

Bill

 

[Simba's Mom]

From one light sleeper to another, I have never had any problems with noise at Kidani Village, and we have stayed there 4 times so far. We have stayed on different floors, and never heard the people above us (don't get me started about a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, where the people above us were so loud our lights were shaking). Maybe we have been lucky, but we always stay in larger villas, and would not hesitate to stay at KV again.

That's good to hear! Have you ever stayed at Jambo? I swear the noise from the hallways is the worst there! I constantly hear people running and laughing up and down the hallways. I'm not complaining-one time I happened to be going out and saw that it was Grandpa and his grandson racing each other down the hallway. As a grandma, I'd certainly want to do that if my granddaughters wanted. However, I know DH is a light sleeper and that would drive him bonkers (one time at OKW, he even complained to me the next morning that the frogs were too loud!). If he and I ever go to AKV, we'll choose Kidani.

 

[WoodysHat]

Since the only variable that you can control is you, have you thought about ear plugs? You will get a good nights sleep and it won't matter where your room is.

Bill

Funny you mentioned that, I had just been looking up ear plug reviews! I found a brand called Hearos that is supposed to block up to 33 decibels...I'm going to give them a try!

 

[disneynutz]

Funny you mentioned that, I had just been looking up ear plug reviews! I found a brand called Hearos that is supposed to block up to 33 decibels...I'm going to give them a try!

Sounds like a good plan. Others may have had good luck with quiet neighbors but that doesn't mean that you will.



Bill

 

[Sammie]

I would go with top floor, our last stay we had the wildebeest herd above us.

I honestly think they were rearranging the furniture every night and considering how many times I have seen questions about moving the sleeper chair, I would not be surprised.

 

[zumbergc]

About noise.
We started using an app called ambiance.
We all have allergies and have air cleaners in the bedrooms. So when we traveled I feared my son wouldn't sleep because the fan noise wouldn't be there

It helped him sleep.

With the app it let's u record a sound then it plays on a loop. So if u have a favorite noise that helps you sleep. Use that.

Now when they have the ihomes in the room it filled the room more. But using just the phone helps knock out stray noises. Just make sure to have it plugged in so the phone doesn't die

With my sons first visit at first he wouldn't go down. Then I went into the room attempting to get him to sleep then realized it was strangely quiet. Got the phone out then ds went to sleep

I'm sure they have similar apps for android.

 

[WoodysHat]

I would go with top floor, our last stay we had the wildebeest herd above us.

I honestly think they were rearranging the furniture every night and considering how many times I have seen questions about moving the sleeper chair, I would not be surprised.

Oh geez, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! I bought the earplugs to try them out and they don't seem to work all that well. I'm leaning back towards top floor...

 

[quandrea]

Like other posters, I have found the hallway running to be very loud at Kidani. Ear plugs could help that.

We always request an upper floor for good perspective. I also like being near the Zazu elevator. We are close to our parked car and Jambo house is only a two minute walk away. I love shopping there and picking up a few thinkgs at the Mara. We don't mind the longer walk to the pool (it's really on about three minutes or so). I always get the Zazu request by the way. Have fun. We are staying at BLT starting tomorrow and I feel a bit homesick for Kidani already.

 

[Lucia_27]

We've stayed at Kidana, Savannah View, twice. Once was 1st floor, once was top floor. Honestly, we liked both, but the 1st floor really lets you see the animals up close.

However, the noise from the hallways both times was close to unbearable. I don't blame it on the property, I blame it on the parents who let their kids run up and down the hall at midnight, yelling and stomping. Sigh.