AKL Kidani Standard/Savanna views

[FirstTimeCruiser]

Is there a link somewhere that shows which rooms are standard and which ones are savanna view? I booked a savanna view but I think I'm in a standard instead. On the Pembe side.

Thanks!!

 

[Splashboat]

http://allears.net/acc/kidanimap1.jpg

 

[Splashboat]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2421953
Sorry, meant to send this link to in case it helps.

 

[LisaS]

There are Savanna View rooms that face Pembe. A few of the Pembe-facing rooms have been reclassified as Standard View, specifically the ones facing that portion of Pembe that is only about 50 feet from the building to the back fence.

 

[delilah]

We stayed at Kidani in June in 7851. I reserved a savanna view room, and was charged points for a savanna view. The next building over, starting with 7853, which was actually the next room over from ours, is a standard view, reclassified from savanna. We have actually stayed in this particular room twice, so far. Generally, the only animals that we could see from the room were some birds, including native Florida birds, and some cattle. There were some gazelles and other antelope, which tended to stay more over to the 7853 side, because I think they make a special effort to get the animals to go over that way, with food, etc. The animals on Pembe savanna, which what is outside those rooms, are inside from about 7-10 am. I know, because from 7851, you can see the animals in the enclosure behind a fence. The cattle were sleeping in front of our room at 6:30 am, and were gone by the time I got my breakfast and sat out on the balcony to watch animals. One day, I got to watch the workers mow the savanna, and I got to see poop rounds, but no animals during breakfast. I saw more animals on the walk to the parking garage from the hallway windows than I saw from the room.

I think that the even numbered savanna rooms face the larger, sunset savanna, and those animals go inside at a different time. I think next time, I will request an even number room, and refuse an odd number room.

If I had requested a standard view room, I would have been happy with 7851, because it would have been 5 points less per night than what we actually were charged, which in turn, would be an extra night during a 5 night stay, not an insignificant difference.

 

[DebbieB]

I think that the even numbered savanna rooms face the larger, sunset savanna, and those animals go inside at a different time. I think next time, I will request an even number room, and refuse an odd number room.

Thanks for that info. I'm staying there in November and plan to request Sunset Savanna but I'll know by the even/odd when I get the room #.

 

[drusba]

Take a look at the map of Kidani in the link above in Splashboat's post:

1. The front entrance of the resort faces west, thus giving it a south wing that runs toward Jambo and a north wing on which the pool is. The building units on each wing are referred to as beads.

2. All even numbered rooms face Sunset savanna; all odd numbers face Pembe, the pool, the front entrance, bus stop, and road.

3. The standard rooms on the south wing are in the first four beads running from the lobby. There are no rooms on the road side in the rest of the beads on the south wing. In the link posted above, someone mentions that 65% of the standard rooms are on that south wing and have bus stop or road view. That is incorrect and possibly is based on the false belief that there are rooms on the road side in the beads after the fourth one or does not account for converted rooms on the north wing. Actually, about 50% of the standard view rooms are on that south wing.

4. The first three beads from the lobby on the north wing have standard view rooms that mostly face the pool and some in the first bead partly face the front entrance. I am not clear on the fourth bead down; there have been some unconfirmed indications that part of the rooms in it might be standard. The sixth bead on the north wing overlooking Pembe has standard view rooms that have been converted from savanna view rooms. That is also where one of the two standard GVs are. The second standard GV is in the 7th bead and DVD might have converted some of the rooms directly below that GV in that bead to standard. The rooms were converted because the outer boundary of the savanna comes in close to the building there and animals do not often stay there; you can see a picture of the standard GVs and beads in that area in LisaS's post here http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3072237.

 

[FirstTimeCruiser]

Thanks to everyone for the info!

 

[bman388]

We were just there in July and stayed in a 1BR SV. We payed for (with points) a Savanna view but got placed into the last bead on the odd side of the hallway (Pembe Savanna). Now this is supposed to be a Savanna view but the view is a relatively small caged area with a few cattle roaming around. We didn't even unpack and called the front desk to inquire about a new room on the even side of the hallway (Sunset Savanna). They said if we wanted to wait a couple hours they had a room 4 beads closer and on the even side. Needless to say we took the room and couldn't have been happier. If you don't get a room to your liking, ask for a new one! I think all odd room should be Standards. In all of those DVC videos of AKL, we never saw the view our first room had, but we would have been happy with it for Standard points. Have a great time there, you'll love it!!

 

[delilah]

We were just there in July and stayed in a 1BR SV. We payed for (with points) a Savanna view but got placed into the last bead on the odd side of the hallway (Pembe Savanna). Now this is supposed to be a Savanna view but the view is a relatively small caged area with a few cattle roaming around. We didn't even unpack and called the front desk to inquire about a new room on the even side of the hallway (Sunset Savanna). They said if we wanted to wait a couple hours they had a room 4 beads closer and on the even side. Needless to say we took the room and couldn't have been happier. If you don't get a room to your liking, ask for a new one! I think all odd room should be Standards. In all of those DVC videos of AKL, we never saw the view our first room had, but we would have been happy with it for Standard points. Have a great time there, you'll love it!!

I agree with this 100%. I think my room was on the 4th bead. The next bead over is standard view. The problem with the odd rooms is three fold. One is that the animals are free to roam that entire area, on the odd side of Kidani. I think I saw as many animals that would have been visible along the stand view beads as in front of our bead. Secondly, while the view outside our room is deeper, there are dense trees, and the animals tend not to be visible because of the trees. In the morning, they are either in the pens or waiting outside the pens. In either case, you can't see them because of the trees. The last problem is particular to me. The animals are brought in from Pembe savanna sometime between 6:30 and 7 am, and don't come out again until after 8:30. Now, I purchased points at Kidani (and Jambo) because I love sitting on my balcony and watching the animals. That is how Disney separated me from $20,000 or so of my hard earned cash, by promising that I could see interesting animals outside my room. This past June, I could see workers mowing the grass, cleaning up animal droppings, putting out new food. But, I didn't see any animals in the morning from my room. I saw more animals on the walk to parking or the bus stop than from my room. That's the same as a "standard" view, and if I had paid the 7 fewer points per night (about 20-25% less), I would be happy. But, I paid the full 35 points per night for a savanna view, the same as guests who could see Arusha or Sunset savanna from their rooms.

And the worst part about it is that I checked in early, my room wasn't ready when we got there, so, obviously, they had reserved this room especially for me. Sometime later in the day, they texted us with the room location. By then, there may not have been an alternative. Not sure why they would assign a room with a less than optimal view to a person who had made a reservation 10 mos out, checked in early, and patiently waited for the room. Not only that, but, when I got home, I discovered that we had actually stayed in that very same room on an earlier trip.