Kidani Village Questions!!!

[Debrn]

Loved Kidani, and We preferred it to Jambo. The shuttle to Jambo was great we never had to wait. I would definitely recommend savana view. Kids loved it. The bus was great never waited long. I usually stay Epcot or Monorail resorts and would not hesitate to sty here again.

[goopysolelady]

Kidani pool area:















I was not a huge fan of Kidani; long bus rides; I really missed the QS; long, LONG walks down the hallway. Spring break trip last year was a spur of the moment one and it was all that was available. It was okay but I really, REALLY loved Bay Lake Tower. Have you considered the Villas at the WL? Really liked staying there too...so peaceful and such a beautiful resort!

[Sparkly]

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

We didn't use the Disney buses, but we went to Epcot the morning of checkout and it wasn't more then a 15-20 minute drive by car.

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

Quite long, but there's a shuttle to Jambo House where the QS is. Bit inconvenient though.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?

There's a zero entry area and a splash area which looked great for little ones.

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?

Oh goodness yes. We LOVED watching the animals! It doesn't smell at all.

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?

We stayed in a studio, so can't answer this.

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?

Can't answer this as we were only there for a night.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

It's a beautiful resort, really relaxing and waking up and looking out the balcony door to see giraffe is awesome!

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

Long walk to the lobby, no QS right there and feels a bit far out on Disney property.

[LeahA]

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

I DIDN'T FEEL ANY PARK WAS THAT FAR AWAY/WHEN STAYING AT ANY RESORT WITH BUS SERVICE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE 1 PARK THAT THE DRIVE IS A LITTLE LONGER

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

FUNNY, WE HAD FOOD IN OUR VILLA SO REALLY DIDN'T NEED THE QUICK SERVICE, WE FILLED OUR MUGS BY THE POOL OR IN THE GIFT SHOP
THE WALK ISN'T THAT BAD TO JAMBO, YOU CAN ALSO TAKE THE BUS OR ONE TIME A CM DROVE US OVER IN A GOLF CART

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy?

Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?
BOTH POOLS ARE VERY NICE BUT KIDANI HAS A BETTER POOL FOR LITTLE KIDS, THEY HAVE A GREAT PLAY AREA

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?

NO IT DOES NOT STINK BUT IT IS NOT REALLY WORTH IT, IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO DO IT ONE TIME, GREAT, BUT THE ANIMALS ARE NOT THERE 24/7 SO DEPENDING ON WHEN YOUR IN YOUR ROOM, YOU MIGHT NOT BE THAT IMPRESSED, WE HAVE HAD A NICE POOL VIEW AT JAMBO, AND A STANDARD VIEW AT KIDANI AS WELL AND WERE HAPPY WITH BOTH VIEWS

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?

THE BED IS A KING BED IN THE 1 BEDROOM

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?

GIFT SHOP OR POOL

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

THE POOL, KIDANI SEEMS A LITTLE QUIETER NOT AS MUCH HUSTLE AND BUSTLE (ALOT MORE PEOPLE HEAD TO JAMBO FOR BOMA AND JIKO), SANAA-
(I LOVE SANNA!)

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL, STAY AT JAMBO, IF YOU WANT TO BE A BIT REMOVED, TRY KIDANI, WE LIKE BOTH SIDES BUT LOVE KIDANI BETTER!

[Brave teacher]

Several people have provided you with their point of view already, so I thought I would add my two cents as well.

Originally Posted by Polynesian27

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....
We are early risers for the parks in the morning. We have never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus to the park. After a quick stop at Jambo House, the longest ride (to the MK) was 20ish minutes. It never seemed to be a ride that seemed to take forever. We have always thought it to be pleasant.

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?
Every morning during our stay at Kidani I am the first to wake up and get ready. As everyone else starts moving to get ready, I leave my room to walk over to Mara at Jambo House for a Chocolate Chip Croissant to eat for breakfast (love those things). We have always requested a lower floor close to the lobby and have always been placed in the same area...one of the first rooms to the right of the lobby and up one floor. I walk down the hall to the very last elevator (Zazu) and walk the remainder of the way outside. I timed myself one morning...to Mara, got my pastry, and back into the room took me 17 minutes total. Not bad. It may be longer with a child in tow, but I wasn't exactly sprinting to get there either.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?
Staying at Jambo for the first time in May, so can't compare except for the visual comparison. Kidani pool is fantastic. My boys (6 &10) love that pool! My youngest DS was 3 for his first stay there. I couldn't get him our of the splash area or off the little kids' slide. Zero entry ...lots of splash and spray going on.

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?
What's funny is that my biggest concern before staying there was whether or not it would smell like the zoo. It does not. When I think of what it smells like I begin to feel warm and cozy inside...nothing to worry about here. My boys have an automatic alarm clock when we are at Kidani. It only takes one of us to say there is a zebra/giraffe/wildebeast, etc. outside and they pop out of bed in amazement. Absolutely worth the cost.

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?
King

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?
There are mug refill stations at both the gift shop Johari Treasures in the lobby and at the pool.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?
I love the my vacation to WDW seems so separate from the resort. Many people feel it is too isolated, but that's what makes it work. You would not have an authentic feel of an African savannah if you could see the castle from the rooms. Having 2 bathrooms is fantastic! One for the boys and one for the parents. Love the pool! Can't go wrong with that....Community Hall is also one of my boys' favorites as well.

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?
I have none! There is not a thing I don't like about Kidani. I am a DVC member, and this is my home resort. As a family, it feels like home to us, and we truly miss it when we are not there. Nothing about the resort would cause me hesitation to suggest it to anyone for a vacation.

[Sammie]

The thing with the walk to Jambo for QS is a good bit of distance can be getting from your room.

If you are get a room on the end of the hall to the left of the lobby it can be a good walk to get off the Kidani property before you even get to Jambo.

To me the lack of QS is the greatest con to Kidani and I wish the pool was larger.

[RunningWithScissors]

A walk down memory lane!! Thanks for taking me back to Kidani! Here is my $.02.

Originally Posted by Polynesian27

My wife and I and our 1 year 4 month old son are planning a trip for this coming July or Aug for 1 week in a 1 bedroom. My mother-in-law is now joining us for the trip which we are both excited about, but is the reason we have to look for a 1 bedroom besides a studio. We need 2 bathrooms so our choices are limit with only BLT and AKV(Kidani), however we are looking at renting points and it seems like the BLT is booked solid. Can you guys help me answer some question about Kidani?!! I know this is a lot so please don't think you have to answer all my questions LOL!!

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....We were there in Oct 2010 for fall break and didn't find the wait for the bus or the length of time it took to get from place to place to be that long. Like another poster said, 20 minutes was probably tops. We knew from the get-go that we were a little farther out and were okay with it.

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice? The walk isn't bad at all. From the lobby of Kidani, it is probably about a 3 minute walk to Jambo. Like someone else said, you can use the exit at the far right of Kidani to get closer to Jambo. Great if it is hot or cold outside. Our villa was actually the second from the very end of the right wing of Kidani. However, for us, we had to walk to the entrance every time we left because there was construction going on for the Kidani bus stop.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers? Wonderful, less crowded, zero entry with splash pad. We only used it once, but it was fantastic.

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?Disney takes great care of the savannahs. We never experienced any odor at all. We had a 2BD Savannah view and could wake up every morning and see giraffes right off of our balcony. We were on the 3rd level and had the PERFECT view!! It was worth every DVC point but the kids in our traveling party (my family and my sister's family) were DS8 (x2), DS9, DS10, DD13 and DD4 months. Of course, she didn't care where we stayed!

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen? There was a King bed in our master and I believe that all villas have Kings in the "master."

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani? Yes, in the gift shop and the pool area.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?Without a doubt, the design of this resort is amazing. The safari theme is awesome, the decor is beautiful, the art work is great. It is quiet and calm. My favorite thing was the fire pit off the main entrance/lobby where you could sit in these huge rockers and enjoy the savannah, a nice cocktail and some relaxation.

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?There were no real "cons" to me. I guess the distance would be the closest thing to a con, but seriously, the ambiance and themeing (is that a word? haha) of this resort made up for that!!

[jojomoore]

Hi,

My family stayed at Kindani in 2009.

In 2009 the attributes that I view as Pros are
1. quiet
2. Lobby and rooms were clean, warm and elegantly appointed.
3. Fairly small resort
4. First stop on the bus route before Jambo
5. Nice pool and kids play area.

Cons are
1 NO QUICKSERVICE. A few times we found ourselves tired, but needed to walk or drive to Jambo for food. Mara food is OK. You can take the bus or I have read that there is a van that goes between resorts.

2. AKL or AKV is not in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot area so it is away from these areas. However, AKV has its own atmosphere and charm - just not as dynamic. And to me the bus routes at AKL and AKV were easier than staying in the Epcot area and very simple. Just walk out the front door, hop on the bus, and arrive at the front door to many parks. The bus stops first at Kindani, second at Jambo, and then directly to park. Except DTD. Its reverse. The only time we waited for a bus for more than 5 minutes was DTD. But this is typical for most resorts.

3. Even though we felt like Kindani was better in most ways(more exclusive) we found ourselves going to Jambo for several things. If you rent points, you may be able to stay at Jambo if there is availability. Fourth and 5th floors at Jambo are DVC rooms.

There was no bad smell when we stayed in November. Kindani actually smelled divine. I'm not sure what they used in the elevators and in lobby but it was lovely.

The Savannahs were very peaceful. Pictures do no do it justice. We did not have a Savannah view but I think the experience at Kindani would be greatly enhanced with a Savannah view. There are plenty of viewing areas at KIndani and Jambo however. From some disers accounts ,some Savannah views at Jambo are better than others at jambo.


Kindani does have its own front desk.

Both resorts have daily activities. You may want to check out aklresort.com.

My family loved AKL and AKV. I stayed at BC in 2010 and loved it but if you ask my family they would choose AKV or AKL over BC.

We really enjoyed Boma breakfast but didn't care for the flavorings of food at Jiko.

[Polynesian27]

Such wonderful posts!! Thank you so much!

Does anybody know if the shuttle from Kidani to Jambo is safe for me to hold my 1 year old on my lap, or is there an age limit?

Also, is there room service at Kidani, can you use DDP? Thanks!

[kalliyan1]

Does the Jambo 1bdrms also have 2 bathrooms?

[Sammie]

Originally Posted by kalliyan1

Does the Jambo 1bdrms also have 2 bathrooms?

No

[chloelovesdisney]

Originally Posted by Polynesian27

Such wonderful posts!! Thank you so much!

Does anybody know if the shuttle from Kidani to Jambo is safe for me to hold my 1 year old on my lap, or is there an age limit?

Also, is there room service at Kidani, can you use DDP? Thanks!

I ordered room service at Kidani (food is from Sanaa I think), I don't do the dining plan anymore though so no idea about that.