AKV Kidani Questions

[Cmbar]

Hi All, just booked a 2-bedroom Lockoff in Kidani for late June. Had a few questions.

1. We are booked Sun-Thur. Can we book on cash through MS for Fri/Sat night(if available) and will it be refundable if we choose not to stay. I guess I am asking if we have to pay full cash like we do for a cruise when we book on cash.

2. Could I book the extra two nights through CRO using a PIN code I have for 45% off. Would that guarantee that we will need to move rooms? I think if we book through MS we can link them, but not through CRO. Right?

3. How bad is the walk to Jambo house? Could I request a location in Kidani that will give us easy access to Jambo? If so, what would that request be? Also can we walk all the way down the halls towards Jambo in the airconditioned halls and then go out closer to the Jambo building?? (we will have a van should we just drive to Jambo or take the bus over?)

4. Do they have soda machines at the Kidani pool? How about any kind of food there?

5. We are waitlisted for a dedicated. Should I also waitlist for a Standard at Jambo house. Jambo was not available, but if we switch to Jambo we won't have the three bathrooms right? (we have young adults in the crew!)

6. Is there room in the Kidani lockoff for a blow up bed? My kids don't want to sleep together!

Thanks for any help on these questions!!

 

[Sandisw]

If you book on cash through MS, you have to cancel that reservation 6 days prior in order to not be charge at least 1 days' stay. So, you can book now and change your mind prior to the trip (but not once you are there as it would not give you enough time).

You can also book a room via DRC using your discount pin. You can certainly ask that you be allowed to stay in the same room, but will have to check out and back in and there is no guarantee that the resort will be able to let you do this so you would have to be prepared to move (when booking through MS, they do link the two and you are allowed to stay).

 

[kristytru]

I will leave questions number 1 & 2 to the experts. As for the walk to Jambo, we enjoyed it, but it was not on a very hot day. There was also still some construction so not the prettiest walk either. Basically, we arrived at the entrance just as my 12 year old said "how much farther!?!?" DH and I enjoyed just because it was a leisurely walk (not running for a bus or ride)

We usually have a blow-up bed cuz my kids don't like to sleep together either, but we found the pull-out chair at Kidani to be a good replacement for the air mattress. It is very firm, though.

 

[kda]

Even though you won't be "guaranted" that you won't have to move if you book through CRO, you can still give Member Services the CRO reservation # and ask that it be noted. Ask that it be noted on your DVC reservation, and go over that again on check in. There's really no benefit to the resort in having you move and having to clean that room when you can stay in it. But you definitely will have to go to the front desk to check in for the CRO ressie and get new cards.

You can request to be in a room near Jambo House ..... that will be further from the pool. It's really easy to get TO Jambo by jumping on the first bus that stops, because all the busses (except DTD) go to Kidani and then Jambo. We weren't willing to wait to see how long the DTD bus would be, so always walked. Yes, you can get inside the building and walk in the air conditioned hallway, rather than walk outside. I'm guessing it's ~ 7 minutes from Jambo to the beginning of Kidani. You can walk into the underground garage, which is in the shade.

Hope you love Kidani as much as we did!

 

[JW2]

No problem walking - we had a 7 and 9 year old -- wore off those extra calories from Boma!!

There is a bar at the pool at Kidani to order small amount of food as well as soda machines. I believe the refillable mug station is at the bar - I can't remember if it was there or at the store inside the entrance - some food there as well.

Have fun - we are going back this August and can't wait!!

 

[Disneycouple99]

You will only have 2 bathroom at Jambo. You also will not have a seprate tub and shower. Just an FYI, no dedicated 2 bedrooms at Jambo.

 

[bookwormde]

One of the new enhacements this spring is supposed to be linking of all reservations during a single visit so that should increase the likelyhood of not having to move (which is actually pretty rare)

bookwormde

 

[catm]

Hi there,
We stayed in Kidani Village in August and loved it. We opted to take the bus over to Jambo. But sometimes it could be a wait. The food situation was the one drawback. The only counter service that Kidani has is at the pool and it is very limited. I think one sandwich and one salad. The only other food service was Sanaa which was very good but expensive if you're not on the dining plan. Also it is Mid-eastern cuisine. Yes, there is more than enough room for a blow up bed. The two bedrooms, (which we stayed in) are the largest two bedroom vacation villas on property. Ours actually had a pull out queen sized couch in the living room plus a chaise lounge. We have three teenage boys who refuse to share a bed so I know your pain! We had a savannah view, which was fantastic. I spent a whole day on my verandah reading and watching the animals. The rest chose to go to Universal studios. At one point my 13 year old daughter offered to stay with me because she was afraid I would be lonely, but I convinced her I would be just fine. Have fun!

 

[NSL]

We stayed at Kidani in June in a dedicated 2 bedroom. There would be enough room for an air matress in the living room part. As far as food goes at the pool, you can order and they will bring it out to you at the pool bar and they also have some grab and go type options, but not many. There is a refillable mug station there and other drinks in the bar. There is also a refillable mug station in the small store off the lobby and snack options there as well, but as others have said sadly no counter service. The walk was not bad, I believe it would take much longer to drive and park, etc. then just walking. It is less than 10 minutes from lobby to lobby.

 

[Cmbar]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I think we will just stock up on drinks and snacks in our Villa that way we don't feel the need to go to Mara all the time, but know that we can walk it if need be.

I am curious about the parking garage. Where is it? Some of us will be driving and I can't find a map of where the parking is. Is it underneather the villas? Thanks again for all your replies!

 

[kda]

Yes, the primary parking is underneath the building (there's some parking on the street level, but not as much). In hot weather, it seemed really nice to have the car out of the sun. Remember that the building is a semi-circle, and the underground parking seemed to have lots of turns. I thought some of the other drivers were a bit reckless. Note where the elevators are --- parking close to them will decrease walking / carrying luggage.

 

[Cmbar]

Thank you. I have seen some people saying they walked int he garage over to Jambo. Would that be the preferred way or could we just walk on the main floor of Kidani and go out the last door and pick up a walk to Jambo's main entrance?

Sorry, I just have never walked between the two buildings!

Oh two other questions....

Any way to increase your odds of getting a pool view with a Standard room? Should I request to be near the pool??

Also, can we use Jambo's pool since we are DVC members even though we are staying at Kidani? Thanks so much!

 

[Disneycouple99]

To answer your last two questions, yes and yes.

 

[Cmbar]

To answer your last two questions, yes and yes.

Thank you!!

 

[CruznLexi]

We stayed in KV in Oct and asked for a pool view or to be close and had a tennis court view. Slightly left of the pool. We walked through the garrage to get to JH about a 10 min walk.

 

[Cmbar]

We stayed in KV in Oct and asked for a pool view or to be close and had a tennis court view. Slightly left of the pool. We walked through the garrage to get to JH about a 10 min walk.

I am a little confused about the garage. Does it connect to Jambo, or do you have to come up a level and walk outside to get to the Jambo entrance. If so, why not walk along the main corridors of the villas. Still very confused at how the garage is situated underneath the villas or is it ground level?? Thanks!

 

[Lesia]

The under building parking at Kidani is level 1. the lobby and first floor of rooms is level 2, and goes to level 5.

You can walk almost to the end of Kidani toward Jambo on level 2, then go down to the ground. then it is a fairly short walk to Jambo.

 

[Cmbar]

The under building parking at Kidani is level 1. the lobby and first floor of rooms is level 2, and goes to level 5.

You can walk almost to the end of Kidani toward Jambo on level 2, then go down to the ground. then it is a fairly short walk to Jambo.

Thank you! That makes sense now. We have only walked in the lobby so I guess we walked in on the level that is 2! Thanks everyone for your answers!

 

[franandaj]

Yes, the primary parking is underneath the building (there's some parking on the street level, but not as much)....

Note where the elevators are --- parking close to them will decrease walking / carrying luggage.

We will have two people in scooters and a car on our trip in three weeks. I've seen the map on allears.net, and heard that the elevators in the lobby don't go to the parking lot. Do the elevators in the halls go all the way down to the parking lot? If so, it would be nice if they had done something like that for BWV to avoid the never ending hallways. I've heard it's a long walk at Kidani from the lobby to the farthest ends.

 

[Goofy4]

Do the elevators in the halls go all the way down to the parking lot?.