AKV - Jambo or Kidani

[Cdn Jeff]

Which side do you prefer at Ak? Jambo or Kidani? Why?

 

[BillPA]

Depends on the unit size. 1 BR or larger Kidani, studio Jambo.

 

[DVC Doctor]

I prefer Jambo as it is close to everything, but would not be unhappy at Kidani as the theming and colors are nice and there are limited hotel guests there (i.e. more quiet and more dvc members)

 

[clayfolks]

1 bed and larger have an extra full bath at Kidani. That trumps everything for me.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I like Jambo for studios. The two sinks in a studio there is why I prefer it.

 

[cruisin5]

Jambo for a short stay, much better access to restaurants.

 

[OKgirl]

I vote Kidani for better Savanna Views! And Sanaa is my favorite restaurant as well. The pool is fabulous and my kids also love the community hall there. We also love that the bus stops at Kidani first so there's more chance for grabbing seats on the bus.

 

[DisneyDiana]

We much prefer Jambo. We like the atmosphere much better and don't have young kids so we like the larger pool. We also go to Jiko and Boma and enjoy popping in at Mara for the bakery items.

 

[Jennasis]

Jambo, by far. Better vibe/energy. Better pool. Better access to dining, shopping and activities.

That said, I LOVED our 1 bedroom at Kidani (we dream of that master bath shower), but that death march to and from our room every day and night totally killed our love for the resort. It was so long! We also hated the location and size of the pool. Seriously? It took me forever to find it and then realized you have to go out the front door and practically through the parking lot. Stupid.

 

[NoTime42]

Jambo, by far. Better vibe/energy. Better pool. Better access to dining, shopping and activities.

That said, I LOVED our 1 bedroom at Kidani (we dream of that master bath shower), but that death march to and from our room every day and night totally killed our love for the resort. It was so long! We also hated the location and size of the pool. Seriously? It took me forever to find it and then realized you have to go out the front door and practically through the parking lot. Stupid.

It should be more clearly shown on maps, but there is one of the elevators down to the parking that puts you close to the pool bar entry, because it is weird to walk through the lobby in pool gear.

 

[Jennasis]

It should be more clearly shown on maps, but there is one of the elevators down to the parking that puts you close to the pool bar entry, because it is weird to walk through the lobby in pool gear.

It's weird to have to go through the parking garage to get to the pool too. It was a bummer overall since we loved the room itself and Kidani is so beautiful. But that walk and the awkward pool just killed it.

 

[rg35]

Kidani primarily because the 1BRs sleep 5.
We/our kids also make use of the Community Hall regularly.
The "underground" parking is also great because your car isn't 150 degrees when you get in it.

 

[bdphill22]

Can you walk from Kidani to Jambo and vise versa indoors or do you have to go outdoors and enter/exit at the main entrances?

 

[NoTime42]

Can you walk from Kidani to Jambo and vise versa indoors or do you have to go outdoors and enter/exit at the main entrances?

It’s an outdoor walk (Jambo wasn’t designed to have a connected resort, so it’s a lot of mechanical and service entrance hidden between the resorts. In hindsight, I think they would have swapped Jambo’s bus stop and service areas)
You could shorten the outdoor section a bit by taking the last Kidani elevator down.
You can also take any park bus from Kidani to get to Jambo, or take the shuttle van from front door to front door.

 

[BNukem]

Kidani... first stop for the busses to the parks

 

[nanswa91]

Which side do you prefer at Ak? Jambo or Kidani? Why?

Tough call. Jambo has the concierge level, which can’t be beat. It seems to me that every room is a 1/4 mile walk @ Kidani. Not an issue unless you’re already into a 6 mile day hike. Kidani is more quite and has the larger 2 bedrooms. But Jambo has more to do. Tough call

 

[Deb & Bill]

Tough call. Jambo has the concierge level, which can’t be beat. It seems to me that every room is a 1/4 mile walk @ Kidani. Not an issue unless you’re already into a 6 mile day hike. Kidani is more quite and has the larger 2 bedrooms. But Jambo has more to do. Tough call

But the concierge villas are really hard to book, even at 11 months out.

 

[bdphill22]

We'll be staying there next year. I can look at the floor plans but I'm still looking for some input. What are the advantages / disadvantages between booking a dedicated 2-BR vs a Lock-off?

 

[Brett Wyman]

Kidani = better rooms. Jambo = better amenities. Although I like Kidani's pool better.

 

[nanswa91]

We'll be staying there next year. I can look at the floor plans but I'm still looking for some input. What are the advantages / disadvantages between booking a dedicated 2-BR vs a Lock-off?

Lock offs are just that - they are a Studio connected to a 1 bedroom. My teens love the lock off because they get their own space consisting of a bed and couch and kitchenette w fridge etc. And they can lock us out (well they think they can). The 2 bedroom gives you 3 large beds and a common space w couch and kitchen etc.

Consider how many in your party need beds and can sleep together and who can crash on a rollout couch bed. And how will you spend your resort time. When the kids were young we preferred the 2 bedroom, now we all prefer the lock off.