Kidani Village...Are Standard Views Closer To The Lobby?

GranJan · May 29, 2015

We've got a 2 BR standard view booked at Kidani for Dec. I'm debating on changing it to a savanna view. We stayed in a savanna view 6 yrs ago & were very far from the lobby. Our 3 young grandkids will be with us so I'd like to be closer to the lobby but think they will enjoy seeing the animals from the room too. Savanna rooms are still available & we've got enough points. Are the chances of being closer to the lobby & bus stop better with standard or does it make any difference? Thanks for any advice...I want to make the change soon if I'm going to do it or the room will be gone & the decision will be made for me.

SusieBea · May 29, 2015

I don't think it makes any difference. I gather the rooms directly across the hall from the savanna views are mostly standard. We've booked savanna every time we've stayed at Kidani and gotten close to the lobby and half way down the hall. No guarantees. (But the savanna view is really nice!)

hakepb · May 29, 2015

Standard view can be a view of the narrow part (it's like a 40' pathway between the somewhat larger sections) of the Pembe savanna.

I enjoyed the view for the point savings, but it was a loooong walk almost to the long end of Kidani. I think we walked by 50 rooms (25 each side) from the lobby to get to our room.

Now, I did request "Pembe savanna" when I did online check in, you could choose near transportation or pool. (Choosing elevator is worthless because there are elevators near the end of the resort)

SusieBea · May 29, 2015

I've always requested Sunset Savanna, but again that view can get you close to the lobby or Waaay down the hall. But the view is nice!

supersnoop · May 29, 2015

There are standard views just as far out as savanna views. But I think there are more savanna views than standard due to the shape of the resort. So, percentage wise, you might have better luck getting a standard view closer to the lobby, but it's not a guarantee.

GranJan · May 29, 2015

supersnoop said:
There are standard views just as far out as savanna views. But I think there are more savanna views than standard due to the shape of the resort. So, percentage wise, you might have better luck getting a standard view closer to the lobby, but it's not a guarantee.

From looking at the map it does look like there are more savanna rooms farthest from the lobby but I'd hate it if we stayed with the standard & still ended up at the end. I'm so confused, I don't know what to do. With 3 kids & a husband in school, my daughter won't be going to WDW as often so we have plenty of points. With the cost of airfare & park tickets for a family of 5, I really want this trip to be special for them. Just don't know for sure if a savanna room will make it more special if we have to walk farther. But I also wonder if an extra 5 min walk would even be noticeable.

LvsTnk · May 29, 2015

Savanna view is special, you may have to walk with either view. I just took my grandson on his first trip and the look on his face at that savanna view was priceless.

KAT4DISNEY · May 29, 2015

More of the standard view rooms are closer to the lobby then many of the savanna view rooms so your odds are probably better with the standard room to be closer to the lobby. However close to the lobby standard view rooms will look out over the parking lot and might look towards the bus stop which could be a little louder. Personally I would probably stay with the savanna view and put in my request for close to the lobby and hope that request is filled but if not I think the ability to view the animals from the room balcony might be more special than a shorter walk to the lobby.

GranJan · May 29, 2015

I've decided to switch to savanna view. I'm waiting on the phone to do that right now. That's always stressful...worrying you'll loose the room you had & the one you're switching to disappears. Thanks for the help everyone!

ML_LovesDisney · May 29, 2015

SusieBea said:
I don't think it makes any difference. I gather the rooms directly across the hall from the savanna views are mostly standard. We've booked savanna every time we've stayed at Kidani and gotten close to the lobby and half way down the hall. No guarantees. (But the savanna view is really nice!)

I agree with this. It doesn't seem to matter. I've been far down hall and close (always standard view). One side of the hallway is savanna view and one is standard. We traveled with family in savanna view and they were across the hall from us each time

goofy friend · May 29, 2015

I stayed in November and had a standard view room. I requested and received a room close to the lobby.

drusba · May 29, 2015

Go here to the Kidani resort map:http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/Kindani_Village_Map.jpg The entrance faces west (bottom of map). The north wing is on your left and south wing on your right. Most of the standard view rooms are not a huge distance from the lobby.

On the south wing, the standard rooms are the ones in the first four building units from the lobby that face front entrance area, bus station, and some parking areas, There are no standard rooms in the other three building units on the south wing because there no rooms on the side of those building units facing the direction of the road or parking areas. On the north wing, the standard rooms are those in the first three building units from the lobby facing front entrance area and pool area. Part of the rooms in the fourth buidling unit are reported to also be standard. Then the rooms overlooking Pembe savanna in the sixth building unit from the lobby and possibly part of the seventh are now standard view rooms that were converted from standard view. They were converted because the savanna is quite narrow there and animals tend to pas through but not hang around. It is those rooms that would have the longest walk for standard view to lobby or bus stop. All other rooms, including all that face Sunset Savanna are savanna view rooms. As a result, your chances of not being hugely far from the lobby are better with standard view than savanna. Nevertheless, savanna view is still the one to get if you want to assure seeing animals from your room.

GranJan · May 29, 2015

After all the stressing out about the decision & finally getting through to MS, we decided to stay with the standard view. We have 2 contracts & savanna view required using points from both. They would be borrowed points so a transfer couldn't be done. We had planned to book the 1st day with one contract & the rest with the other...we've done this before & the reservations were linked with no problems. We were exactly 24 points short in the large contract so the lady was telling me about the one time use points for $360. When I told her about the other contract we wanted to book 1 day with, she informed me that we might have to change rooms if we did that. I've never been told that before but she assured me it was a possibility so I didn't want to take that chance. She might have just wanted to sell some one time use points. We decided that $360 could be used for a character breakfast for the whole family or help pay for park tickets for grandkids. It's different when it involves cash instead of points. I'm sure we'll love it no matter what the view is since there's lots of places to enjoy views. Thanks for the tips on where to make requests. I'll be using that advice & some I've found on other threads to hopefully get a room that won't be too far from everything.

KAT4DISNEY · May 30, 2015

GranJan said:
After all the stressing out about the decision & finally getting through to MS, we decided to stay with the standard view. We have 2 contracts & savanna view required using points from both. They would be borrowed points so a transfer couldn't be done. We had planned to book the 1st day with one contract & the rest with the other...we've done this before & the reservations were linked with no problems. We were exactly 24 points short in the large contract so the lady was telling me about the one time use points for $360. When I told her about the other contract we wanted to book 1 day with, she informed me that we might have to change rooms if we did that. I've never been told that before but she assured me it was a possibility so I didn't want to take that chance. She might have just wanted to sell some one time use points. We decided that $360 could be used for a character breakfast for the whole family or help pay for park tickets for grandkids. It's different when it involves cash instead of points. I'm sure we'll love it no matter what the view is since there's lots of places to enjoy views. Thanks for the tips on where to make requests. I'll be using that advice & some I've found on other threads to hopefully get a room that won't be too far from everything.

Just to respond to what MS said - that is what they always should state and usually have with me, but it has been missed a few times. However, we have never had to move and I can't actually recall a report where anyone reported they had to. It would be possible, but unlikely. The resort does not to want to have you move since that's an extra full cleaning. We've always confirmed upon check in that they see we have a continuing stay. Once BWV had missed it but got it fixed. All other times they already had it noted.

GranJan · May 30, 2015

We've never had to move either but had never been told we may have to. I can see your point about the room cleaning.

Now you've got me questioning my decision to stick with the standard view just based on this slim possibility.

GranJan · May 31, 2015

KAT4DISNEY said:
Just to respond to what MS said - that is what they always should state and usually have with me, but it has been missed a few times. However, we have never had to move and I can't actually recall a report where anyone reported they had to. It would be possible, but unlikely. The resort does not to want to have you move since that's an extra full cleaning. We've always confirmed upon check in that they see we have a continuing stay. Once BWV had missed it but got it fixed. All other times they already had it noted.

After talking it over with the family, I switched to savanna view today. Your comments gave us confidence that it was very unlikely we'd have to switch rooms. When I asked MS today if having linked reservations would be any problems, she said not at all & that there was no chance we'd have to move. Everyone's excited about the savanna view & said they didn't mind if it could mean a longer walk to the lobby.

KAT4DISNEY · May 31, 2015

As I mentioned just to be certain to confirm when you check in so that they can doublecheck that your set up for the same room and you should be good to go. I don't know if you have done a split stay since the new magic bands system and MDE went in but it's a little different than it was before. They do have to check you out and recheck you in so it may require a trip to the front desk on the day that it switches between contract reservations. Not quite as seamless as it used to be but still usually no issue. Have a great trip!

LvsTnk · May 31, 2015

I've never had to move either but good to get that confirmed at check in.

drusba · Jun 1, 2015

You mention having two different contracts. I assume you mean two different use years with different member numbers because if you have two AKV contracts in the same use year with same member number, you can combine the points for a single reservation. We have two use years and my experience with MS has been different from that mentioned above and told to you. We have often (over a period of more than 15 years) used both contracts for one trip, resaerving some nights with one use year and the other nights with the other use year. We then have MS link those two reservations. In my discussions with MS, they have always assured me that doing that link of the reservations guarantees that you do not have to change rooms. At times, about 2 to 4 years ago we were required to do a mini check out and check in for the same room on the turnover date but have never been required to change rooms. Moreover, in the last two years (and all years before 4 years ago), we have not even been required to do that mini check out and check in, as the front desk has treated the linked reservations as one.

GranJan · Jun 1, 2015

drusba said:
You mention having two different contracts. I assume you mean two different use years with different member numbers because if you have two AKV contracts in the same use year with same member number, you can combine the points for a single reservation. We have two use years and my experience with MS has been different from that mentioned above and told to you. We have often (over a period of more than 15 years) used both contracts for one trip, resaerving some nights with one use year and the other nights with the other use year. We then have MS link those two reservations. In my discussions with MS, they have always assured me that doing that link of the reservations guarantees that you do not have to change rooms. At times, about 2 to 4 years ago we were required to do a mini check out and check in for the same room on the turnover date but have never been required to change rooms. Moreover, in the last two years (and all years before 4 years ago), we have not even been required to do that mini check out and check in, as the front desk has treated the linked reservations as one.

Yes we do have 2 use yrs. If we ever get to the point that we're not borrowing, we could just transfer points from one to the other. We've done 2 trips before with linked reservations with no problems although we did have to do the check out & check in but never was the possibility of changing rooms even mentioned until I called to book the savanna room. The second time I called they said it was no problem to have linked reservations & assured me we wouldn't have to move. I got the feeling the 1st time they wanted me to buy one time use points & tried to convince me that was the best way to go.

Kidani Village...Are Standard Views Closer To The Lobby?

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