1st time AKV

[6brumfields]

This is my family 1st time staying @ Kidani Village. I want a savanna view but don't no where. What are the pros and con of staying close to the lobby or the pool? How bad is the walk and how long did it take to get too and from parks and downtown Disney?

 

[disneynutz]

Request Sunset savanna.

Bill

 

[DVCcurious]

I have a negative view of AKL and will never go back.

You want to request Sunset Savannah because it has Giraffes and Zebras. The other one only has birds (ostriches and such).

You want to be close to the lobby because if you're at the end of the upper wing you are looking at a 15-20 minute walk to the bus (if you walk at a normal rate and are carrying stuff/have little kids who want to stop at all the windows and look at the animals).

Of course I made those requests and I got the second-to-last room at the top wing with a Arusha view. I was pissed. When I complained they said "not all requests can be honored".

There are so many good resorts so why should I risk getting a bad room at AKL when there are no bad rooms at VWL and other resorts?

As for the busses. They are as good as anywhere else, which I guess means they are terrible. Expect to get to MK 70 minutes after leaving your room. You got a 20 minute walk to the bus, then a 20 minute wait for a bus, then a 20-30 minute ride. Then the 5 minute walk from the bus stop to the actual park entrance. So if you want to be at MK at 9AM leave your room at 7:50. Epcot/HS are slightly better with about a 15 minute ride. After the bus leaves Kidani it goes to Jambo and stops there for a few minutes which increases your travel time. You can youtube Kidani to MK bus rides to see how long the ride takes.

But Kidani has the best rooms I've been in at any DVC (layout and size), so that's a major plus. And the animals are really cool. So staying there is not all bad. It's just mostly bad.

 

[DizDaD7]

I have a negative view of AKL and will never go back.

You want to request Sunset Savannah because it has Giraffes and Zebras. The other one only has birds (ostriches and such).

You want to be close to the lobby because if you're at the end of the upper wing you are looking at a 15-20 minute walk to the bus (if you walk at a normal rate and are carrying stuff/have little kids who want to stop at all the windows and look at the animals).

Of course I made those requests and I got the second-to-last room at the top wing with a Arusha view. I was pissed. When I complained they said "not all requests can be honored".

There are so many good resorts so why should I risk getting a bad room at AKL when there are no bad rooms at VWL and other resorts?

As for the busses. They are as good as anywhere else, which I guess means they are terrible. Expect to get to MK 70 minutes after leaving your room. You got a 20 minute walk to the bus, then a 20 minute wait for a bus, then a 20-30 minute ride. Then the 5 minute walk from the bus stop to the actual park entrance. So if you want to be at MK at 9AM leave your room at 7:50. Epcot/HS are slightly better with about a 15 minute ride. After the bus leaves Kidani it goes to Jambo and stops there for a few minutes which increases your travel time. You can youtube Kidani to MK bus rides to see how long the ride takes.

But Kidani has the best rooms I've been in at any DVC (layout and size), so that's a major plus. And the animals are really cool. So staying there is not all bad. It's just mostly bad.

Wow! Tell us how you really feel?

True the Sunset Savannah is better than the Pembe side, but a simple conversation w/ the CM there to see if you can switch is all it takes....I highly doubt every room was taken here.

Let's be honest here. 15-20 minutes? The slowest person can probably walk a mile & 1/2 in that time.... Once again a simple switch of the room location is all it takes.

In terms of what? Just looking at trees, or parking Lots? Those aren't bad? You could've requested Pool view or something else, and been closer & spent less.

70 minutes??? So I guess there's no walking from any other resorts room to the bus stop, & I guess there's no waiting for buses there either?Just an FYI If you're on the last wing of rooms on the right side, there's no need to walk all the way down to the lobby then around and back to the Bus stop...You could either a) walk 1/2 way down & take elevators to gr. floor and walk across the parking lot right to bus stop. ( shortens in by 1/2 ) Or simply walk to closest elevators , take it to the ground floor & a short walk to Jambo & hop on bus there...Cutting time by a lot. Buses to MK in both my trips were as followed for those that are interested:
MK-20mins.
EP-12 mins avg.
HS- 8-9 mins.
AK-5mins.
BTW. Have you ever stayed at BWV. (Which I love,) but buses there to MK were way worse and soo much closer in terms of mileage!! 5 stops total... Same w/ BCV...

Did you ever consider staying at Jambo, which also has DVC rooms? Things would've been a lot different for sure.

I realize not every resort is for everyone, but a couple of simple questions ahead of time could of solved a lot of the disappointment for sure..

 

[DizDaD7]

This is my family 1st time staying @ Kidani Village. I want a savanna view but don't no where. What are the pros and con of staying close to the lobby or the pool? How bad is the walk and how long did it take to get too and from parks and downtown Disney?

Do your homework, on which bldg. you'd like to stay in...If youre staying on points or not? Jambo & Kidani both offer different experiences...In terms of pools, food choices, Grand or more reserved & quaint. There's pluses & minuses to both for sure , just see which one's appeal more for your group.... For this place is truly magical, and it's almost a vacation within a vacation when staying here!! There are plenty of threads out there to read through..Try this link. http://www.disboards.com/threads/ak...ad-11-a-little-lighter-than-the-rest.3332021/ Either route you go I'm sure it's going to be great!

 

[DVCcurious]

Wow! Tell us how you really feel?

True the Sunset Savannah is better than the Pembe side, but a simple conversation w/ the CM there to see if you can switch is all it takes....I highly doubt every room was taken here.

You didn't read my thread very closely. I asked to switch and was told "not all requests can be honored". They said all 2BRs were full at Kidani. This was MLK week 2014.

Let's be honest here. 15-20 minutes? The slowest person can probably walk a mile & 1/2 in that time.... Once again a simple switch of the room location is all it takes.

And let's be honest here, I DID ask to switch rooms and they told me the resort was full. They said requests were not guaranteed to be honored.

Just an FYI If you're on the last wing of rooms on the right side, there's no need to walk all the way down to the lobby then around and back to the Bus stop...You could either a) walk 1/2 way down & take elevators to gr. floor and walk across the parking lot right to bus stop. ( shortens in by 1/2 ) Or simply walk to closest elevators , take it to the ground floor & a short walk to Jambo & hop on bus there...Cutting time by a lot.

And people at BLT can just walk to MK.

What does being on the Jambo side have to do with what I'm talking about? I'm talking about the PEMBE savannah. Of COURSE the Jambo side is much closer to the bus stop.

Listen, AK is great as long as you're not at the Pembe savannah. If you want to play Russian Roulette that's your choice. I won't run that risk ever again.

 

[disneynutz]

We are at a point in our lives where we don't like to settle. Paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for Disney vacations hoping to get what you want doesn't make sense.

I don't like to make excuses for Disney either or letting them get away with a less than excellent vacation. It makes me laugh when someone posts that problems are okay because they are at Disney, a company who posts a 7 billion dollar profit per year.

Bill

 

[ToddyLu]

We simply write the bus waits into the trip--sorry we are fortunate to afford DVC and work in the healthcare industry and see sadness on daily basis--so the glass is always half full. Yes the hallways are long...Sunset savannah is better for viewing animals IMHO. Yes if I were on the long Kidani hallway to the right near Jambo. I would walk over to Jambo to catch the bus. I am sorry the PP had a negative experience at AKL...our negative experience was BLT.

We had a lovely room with a partial MK view and lake view, could watch fireworks from the room. But...the shower curtain attacked DH a couple of times due the venting in the bathroom which completely griped him, I thought it was funny when it happened to me. It was the audible sigh of disappointment when we pulled up to the resort...no lush foilage, looked like the hospitals we work in, just blah. Yes we were completely aware of the location and look of the resort but again staying there was different, right? We had to walk over to the Wave for breakfast not down the elevator to Boma...etc. We were just so happy to see AKL when we checked out of BLT...and we were only there one night. It is OK to give your honest opinion of resorts. I actually get a kick out of them...but trying a different one cemented with DH he only wanted to stay at AKL...ALWAYS...FOREVER...

 

[deedisneydream97]

Looking for some other helpful tips; will be doing a split stay there in the summer (Jambo studio, then Kidanai 1 B/R savanna). Appreciate the tip about sunset savanna. First time there...usually stay at BWV and BLT twice a year or more.

Is it hard to find a spot in the underneath parking at Kidani? To me, that is a GREAT plus.....no boiling hot steering wheel. I am assuming there are elevators in the parking garage?

Is the sunset savanna closer to Jambo and easier to walk to that bus stop? I won't ever park at the Magic Kingdom....very spoiled from staying at BLT. I agree with PP about BLT looking rather sterile...and contemporary is not my cup of tea...but the trade-off (walking to MK, monorail right there, great resort restaurants not far) is worth it....not to mention the view.

Don't mind long hallways if that where sunset savanna is.....the BWV hallways remind me of The Shining. I've gotten lost a couple of times.

I am not all that crazy about the food offerings at AKL. They do have "regular" food at their restaurants, right? I am not a big fan of their flavors. DD had her heart set on staying there and loves the food, so I am rolling with it.

Has anyone done the early morning savanah thing where they take you out and you eat lunch on the savanna? Is it worth the price?

Lastly, is it unbearably hot in August? May and October is when I usually go. Best to get out early, come back for lunch, go out again in the evening?

Thanks in advance.

 

[disneynutz]

Sunset Savanna is between Kidani and Jambo. There is some regular food available but not much. IMO August is hot and for some reason AKL and AK always seem hotter than other WDW locations.

Bill

 

[DizDaD7]

You didn't read my thread very closely. I asked to switch and was told "not all requests can be honored". They said all 2BRs were full at Kidani. This was MLK week 2014.



And let's be honest here, I DID ask to switch rooms and they told me the resort was full. They said requests were not guaranteed to be honored.





And people at BLT can just walk to MK.

What does being on the Jambo side have to do with what I'm talking about? I'm talking about the PEMBE savannah. Of COURSE the Jambo side is much closer to the bus stop.

Listen, AK is great as long as you're not at the Pembe savannah. If you want to play Russian Roulette that's your choice. I won't run that risk ever again.

Without going into a crazy rant, which wasn't my intention, so I do apologize for that. I was upset, because a lot of people read these reviews and tips and all, and just by what you said, might deter them when really they shouldn't be.
You never mentioned what type of room you were in originally ( which changes things a little. ) & I realize that NOT ALL requests can be honored...I'm guessing judging by your thread, that None,if any of your requests were made?.. I wasn't talking about being on the Jambo side of Kidani.....I was talking about being over there in the JAMBO house 5th floor, ( WHERE DVC ROOMS are ). There's possibly 82 possible 2br's over there & at least twice that over at Kidani.....You went in mid to late January, this is typically 1 of the Slowest weeks out of all weeks down in WDW....If you wanted to be moved, I'm sure they would've accommodated you. Unless there were other things that you needed 1st. Everyone runs the risk of playing Russian roulette when selecting a room at Whatever resort they are staying at....& Yes you can walk over from BLT, to MK, So.....The amount of points that you spend there is way way more than at AKL/V... You mentioned WL before... The bldg is small, so therefore easy to get from 1 area to another, but nowhere, does it have the same amenities as AKV.

 

[deedisneydream97]

DizDad...I was thinking what you were thinking. We've been members since 1997. Have I made requests for certain rooms every time we go? Sure have. Have those requests been met every time? Of course not. Have I been pleasantly surprised sometimes. Sure. Mostly at BWV...have had my share of wonderful standard view and not so great B/W view. that's the way it goes.

AKL can really give you a big bang for your points...that is why we will do 3 nights in standard view studio and 5 in savanna 1 BR.

Bill....thanks for the info. I'll do the best I can with the menu....glad we will have a kitchen part of the time.

So, the positives I see so far: roomy rooms, underneath parking (Kidani), two really great pools, a resort atmosphere unlike some other DVC resorts, different food, lots of interesting things to see outside.

Negatives: long hallways (I always bring my walking shoes to Disney), taking the bus everywhere (you haven't lived until you are waiting for the MK bus at BWV and have to wait for the second or third bus before you get on).

Have to say, I am really looking forward to staying there.

 

[butsy113]

We actually prefer a room towards the end of the necklace on the Jambo side. It seems to put you in the middle of both worlds. It's an easy walk over to Jambo for the Mara, Boma, the main pool. Yet, it isn't a bad walk to the lobby, community center, buses, or even the Kidani pool. It also seems to be quieter on that end than the lobby area, for the most part.

As far as bus times, I always give myself 45 minutes per transfer to get where I need to be. I have honestly never needed longer than that. I read horror stories about bus service, and I keep waiting to experience it. IMHO, bus service from AKV/L has always been some of the best bus service I've had. I refuse to go to MK and AK while staying at the EP resorts. When we want to stay there it's always a split stay because of the bus service.

 

[madelyn]

Just back from a stay at Jambo House during which our party of 8 stayed in a 2 bedroom value and a standard studio. The couple staying in the standard studio arrived first around noon and were hoping to have a room available early. Their wish was granted but she texted me their room number, I checked the map and informed her it was located far away from the value rooms. My sister tried to request something closer but they were at 100% occupancy. They told my sister we should have requested the rooms be located close to one another (we did through DVC). But she did get her room early and ended up with one of the reclassified savanna views which was nice. Those of us in the 2 bedroom value had requested "close to the elevator". My other sister found it humorous when she was told, "We met all your requests" and she went to the room and it was the next to the last room in the hallway, so almost as far away from the elevator as we could be! It was also a parking lot view but we knew we had a chance of getting that view and were fine with it.

 

[quandrea]

You didn't read my thread very closely. I asked to switch and was told "not all requests can be honored". They said all 2BRs were full at Kidani. This was MLK week 2014.



And let's be honest here, I DID ask to switch rooms and they told me the resort was full. They said requests were not guaranteed to be honored.





And people at BLT can just walk to MK.

What does being on the Jambo side have to do with what I'm talking about? I'm talking about the PEMBE savannah. Of COURSE the Jambo side is much closer to the bus stop.

Listen, AK is great as long as you're not at the Pembe savannah. If you want to play Russian Roulette that's your choice. I won't run that risk ever again.

This post is beyond ridiculous. Pembe savannah is smaller but has birds, niallas, warerbucks, antelope, gazelles and more. Only missing giraffes and zebras. The longest walk is about seven minutes to the lobby. When a hotel is full a move would be impossible. Timeshares usually run at capacity. Kidani has its own bus stop. No need to walk to jambo.

Kidani is a wonderful resort. If you want the large savannah, request Sunset. My children actually fell in love with pembe savannah. They love niallas. If you request near the Timon elevator you will be near the bus stop and lobby. Keep in mind that you will survive the walk even if you get placed further from the lobby.

The hotel is clean, well appointed and has a great staff. Pool is fabulous and it has an amazing cultural program. Don't be put off by the negative, ridiculous post.

 

[msp2mco]

We have just returned from 5 nights at Kidani; we had stayed at Jambo house a couple of years ago. After looking through these boards, I requested a lower level room overlooking the Sunset Savannah and was pleasantly surprised to get just that. Our view of the savannah was great, but we really didn't see a lot of animals. In fact, I think we had more animal action with a standard view in Jambo house. However, we loved having 3 bathrooms. We were about in the middle of the hallway, so the walk didn't seem bad to me. I'd say the vibe was a lot quieter at Kidani compared to Jambo, and we missed that.

 

[sndral]

...
You want to request Sunset Savannah because it has Giraffes and Zebras. The other one only has birds...

Of course I made those requests and I got the second-to-last room at the top wing with a Arusha view. I was pissed. When I complained they said "not all requests can be honored...

If you were at Kidani you didn't have Arusha view (which can only be seen from Jambo rooms/villas) I think you mean Pembe, the smallest savanna visible from Kidani only. BTW, they were keeping a zebra on part of Pembe in January as part of their zebra breeding program and I thought Pembe has always had Okapi?
Funny how a bad view can sour your feelings about a resort, several years ago I paid cash for 2 deluxe rooms for an 11 night stay at the Poly & I had 2 requests - I wanted a balcony and I did not want to see a parking lot - so of course I got 2 rooms w/out balconies looking towards a parking lot. I asked to be moved but it wasn't doable for a couple of days and the replacement option wasn't much better - thus I'm not a Poly fan

 

[madelyn]

We have just returned from 5 nights at Kidani; we had stayed at Jambo house a couple of years ago. After looking through these boards, I requested a lower level room overlooking the Sunset Savannah and was pleasantly surprised to get just that. Our view of the savannah was great, but we really didn't see a lot of animals. In fact, I think we had more animal action with a standard view in Jambo house. However, we loved having 3 bathrooms. We were about in the middle of the hallway, so the walk didn't seem bad to me. I'd say the vibe was a lot quieter at Kidani compared to Jambo, and we missed that.

We returned from a stay at Jambo House a couple of weeks ago. It was my first time. Stayed at Kidani in in 2009 and 2010. We liked being close to Mara for quick service food and I liked the location of the pool better at Jambo House. I don't like how the Kidani pool seems a little remote (across the street). We walked over to Kidani one evening and took the bus back to Jambo house because my daughter wanted to go to the Community Hall. The atmosphere in the Kidani lobby was a contrast from Jambo. So much more going on at Jambo. So while I don't necessarily prefer one over the other, they are different. If staying in a 1 or 2 bedroom unit with a lot of adults, I think I would chose Kidani because of the extra bathroom. It is also nice to have the separate shower in the master. But otherwise, I would prefer Jambo House. It is also nice to have the option of the value and club level units at Jambo House. Plus I believe the standard views at Jambo are either pool or re-classified savanna while at Kidani they might be pool or parking lot. I also believe most of the studios at Jambo have 2 sinks and the configuration is such that someone can still use the vanity area if someone is showering or using the toilet. So sharing a studio bathroom for those requiring privacy may be more difficult at Kidani. I did find that our value studio at Jambo (part of a 2 bedroom lock-off) had less storage area under the sink vanity area than what we had at Kidani. Also all 2 bedrooms at Jambo are lock offs so the second bedroom with 2 real beds is only at Kidani.

 

[DizDaD7]

Listen I know we all have had certain stories of good things, or great things happening @ some resorts, and some not so.

I've stayed at both Kidani & Jambo, and to be honest, I thought I was going to hate Kidani much more when staying there....

My 1st trip was Jambo, and we scored a poolview Value studio on Giraffe trail...Literally 2 minutes from lobby/elevators and such. Also quick short cut to bus stops....Also the Mara we frequented many times during that trip....And although the pool is grander ( & so is the Lobby) the water slide is puny... Also having Boma's right there is a bonus.

But what I didn't realize is this while at Kidani...It definitely had a laid back leisurely feel. Plus the pool area to me is set up nice, where you can keep your eye on everything/body..The slide is bigger and better for kids of ALL ages..LoL me included. Community Hall is located there which was nice for the kids. And getting on & off the buses 1st is a nice perk as well....

To put it bluntly, Both have a place in my heart, and are equally impressive, as is the incredible staff/CM's that work here too.

 

[CocosMeme]

AKV is our home resort, but we have now stayed at all of the resorts on property (except Poly). We love them all for different reasons. They each have pros and cons. We just got back from a stay at BWV for the F&G Festival and loved it. But our all time favorite is AKV. I love both Jambo and Kidani. WE have had good and not so good locations there, but still love it. We always request "close to lobby" and have only gotten it once out of 5 stays. Always request Sunset Savannah and have always gotten it. The time we had a Grand Villa at Kidani with 12 of us (grandkids and kids in tow) we had the last one on the last bead closest to Jambo. It was a long walk to the lobby and busses, but we did not care. We were at Disney with our family! I love going back to AKV's after a hectic day at the parks and just relaxing on the patio with animals in front of us. It is like getting away from the world. We had a split stay last year at VGF and AKV and I was so happy to get to AKV's. We have not had any problems with bus transportation there. We waited a long time at BWV for the bus to Magic Kingdom and then had to stop at Swan and Dolphin. Somebody gets lucky and gets the "prime rooms" and somebody has to get the "not so prime" ones. Good luck with your request.