AKL Kidani vs Jambo House

[disneyhockeymad]

Hi! I'm new to this section of the boards but I figure I'm going to become a regular soon seeing as how my family purchased DVC at AKL back in September

We've booked our first trip for this December and initially our plan was to get a savannah room in Jambo House. But, when we went to book they were already all sold out, so instead we've got a standard view at Kidani. Now I'm not against this but I have a few reservations about it and was kinda hoping you could help me!!

Honestly, what are the pros and cons to being in Kidani vs Jambo House. We really really want to make the most of being DVC members and make the most out of the resort, but I'm a little worried that we'll get really annoyed having to walk to Mara if we want to fill our resort mugs up (I honestly don't know if there is a place in Kidani to do this) or to just grab something quick to eat.

Also I'm a little concerned that Kidani just won't have the same impact as Jambo House. We loved both but were absolutely blown away by the AKL lobby and just the general area.

I know this post may sound really stupid and really I think I'm making this into much bigger of a deal than it actually is but I think I just need someone to tell me that! Sorry!

 

[disneynutz]

My first thought is that you will have years to stay at all of the resorts many times over so does it really matter?

There are drink stations at both resorts.

The walk is 10 min at most or you can take the shuttle van between the two resorts, it runs about every 20 min.

Kidani is a shrunk down Jambo, I would stay savanna view though.

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

If you haven't already, waitlist for Jambo House. December is still many months away and I would be very surprised if it doesn't come through for you.

IMO, Kidani is just as nice as Jambo (and probably better savanna views), but your first trip should be where you want it to be.

Good luck!

 

[Splashboat]

OP, why don't you book Savannah at Kidani?

 

[jliehr]

We haven't stayed at Jambo, but spent time around it. Kidani seemed more relaxed and less crowded overall. If you use the bus system, you get the benefit of being the first stop in the morning which can mean the difference between getting on a bus or having to wait for another one.

Plus Kidani has a little bit larger rooms, minus the Grand Villas.

The walk honestly depends on where you end up in each building, it could be a 10 minute difference, or a 2 minute difference to fill up mugs. As mentioned, you can fill your resort mug at Kidani in the gift shop

 

[amypetecar]

I agree with you wanting to stay at jambo.


Kidani is beautiful, but jambo just seems so much more grand! The lobby, the restaurants, etc

 

[Kidanifan08]

We love Kidani. Yes, Jambo has an impressive entrance and lobby, but with that it also seems a little hustle-bustle and chaotic to us. We love the quaint and quiet Kidani lobby and understated porte-cochere. Not to sound uppity, but I feel more like a DVC member when I am at my Kidani home. Maybe because it was designed to be a DVC resort, as opposed to Jambo. We totally love having Sanaa on-site, but really, it is easy to get between the two buildings using the park buses or the resort shuttle for other dining options.

As far as the standard view, I think that December is the perfect time of the year to have a standard view and save on some points. It gets dark fairly early and sometimes the nights are a little cool. The savanna view rooms are better saved for when it is lighter later and more predictably warm at night. Our first standard stay at Kidani was December 2010, and it was freezing. By the time we got back from the parks every day, it was too dark to see the animals and too cold to be outside anyway.

Kidani has the huge advantage of the park buses stopping first for pick-up AND drop off. We don't use Mara much, so that is not a big deal for us. I do wish the gift shop was a little larger with more gift offerings, but it is no biggie to run over to Jambo.

Enjoy spending the holidays for the first time as a DVC member!!

 

[disneyhockeymad]

Thanks so much for your input, you've put my mind at rest entirely. Having never been in December before I hadn't really twigged the weather would be that cold, but I definitely get your point that it might be too cold/dark to see the animals anyway! Being first in line for the buses is a real plus too! And, as stupid as it sounds, I'm so glad to know there's a refill station in Kidani gift shop!

Thankyou! I really appreciate your help

 

[WMorganS]

The Kidani rooms will take your breath away - seriously... but Jambo has Boma.

 

[Kidanifan08]

Thanks so much for your input, you've put my mind at rest entirely. Having never been in December before I hadn't really twigged the weather would be that cold, but I definitely get your point that it might be too cold/dark to see the animals anyway! Being first in line for the buses is a real plus too! And, as stupid as it sounds, I'm so glad to know there's a refill station in Kidani gift shop!

Thankyou! I really appreciate your help

The weather can be really unpredictable. As I said, in Dec 2010 it didn't get above 60F then entire week, and most of the week was in the low 50's during the day and upper 30's to 40's at night. Obviously, there was no swimming! Now, we were just there the same exact week in Dec 2012, and the lows at night were in the 60's and the daytime highs were in the low 80's, which was absolutely perfect! We actually went swimming almost every day.

The resort has so many places to look out on the savanna, that you won't regret the standard view this time. By not having a savanna view room, you may actually have some motivation to get out of the villa and see the resort. But, you definitely will want a savanna view at Kidani sometime in the future. The savanna view balcony is a wonderfully peaceful place to sip on an evening cocktail and watch the animals.

Have a great trip!

 

[WMorganS]

Since you're new to DVC, you should make a point of checking out the demo rooms when you get a chance.

Whenever we find ourselves at a resort we haven't stayed at and we have a little extra time, we check with the concierge or at the DVC desk to ask about a room tour.

It's amazing to see how different each resort can be, and it's way better than just seeing pictures online.

 

[joelp]

If you're staying for more than a couple of days, you might want to consider going back to Jambo House - the convenience of having Mara (and Boma!) close by may make a big difference ...

But you didn't say if you were getting a Studio or something bigger - that could play into your decision-making also, as the set-up differs between the sections of the resort.

And as another poster noted -waitlist your original choice of a Jambo Savnna view ...

 

[brettcw23]

We stayed at Kidani our inaugural DVC trip. Did Savannah view and it was super cool, although our kids didn't appreciate the view as much as DW and me.

The rooms in Kidani are larger and give you an extra bathroom in the 1BR.
Getting drink refills was plenty easy but it was a pain in the butt to get quick service meals from Jambo.