AKV Kidani Village -- A little underwhelmed

[KiminChicago]

We stayed at Kidani last October and I think we may have been as far from the lobby as it is possible to get. I had asked for an upper floor close to the lobby and we ended up on the 5th floor in the bead farthest away from lobby and on the side farthest away from Jambo. There was only one other door in our little "wing" (I think it may have been one of the upstairs doors of a Grand Villa). We were also on the Pembe Savannah side and given the location of our villa, there was maybe 50 yards between the building and the fence at that point. From our room we saw maybe two animals in a 5 night stay. When I got the satisfaction survey I gave them the room number and suggested that calling it a Savannah view room was really a misnomer.

It didn't ruin our vacation, and my sister, her DH and my two nieces were so happy to be at WDW for the first time that we just dealt with the walk, but you should have heard all the jokes we made about being "the family that disappeared on the walk to their room" and "packing a meal for the walk down to the lobby!"

My sister had arrived earlier than we did, but if I had been the first to check-in, I might have asked if there was a better room location. They really ought to charge fewer points for rooms that far away from everything!

 

[BeesKnees]

They really ought to charge fewer points for rooms that far away from everything!

Now there is an idea that has merit. Just like rooms with views cost more charge more points for the 25 percent of the rooms closest to the lobby. That way people who do not want to walk the entire state of florida to get to their room can choose to pay more.

Even better... charge a cash fee for specific room selections. For $100 you get one of 10 rooms you select.

 

[Anal Annie]

We stayed at Kidani last October and I think we may have been as far from the lobby as it is possible to get. I had asked for an upper floor close to the lobby and we ended up on the 5th floor in the bead farthest away from lobby and on the side farthest away from Jambo. There was only one other door in our little "wing" (I think it may have been one of the upstairs doors of a Grand Villa). We were also on the Pembe Savannah side and given the location of our villa, there was maybe 50 yards between the building and the fence at that point. From our room we saw maybe two animals in a 5 night stay. When I got the satisfaction survey I gave them the room number and suggested that calling it a Savannah view room was really a misnomer.

It didn't ruin our vacation, and my sister, her DH and my two nieces were so happy to be at WDW for the first time that we just dealt with the walk, but you should have heard all the jokes we made about being "the family that disappeared on the walk to their room" and "packing a meal for the walk down to the lobby!"

My sister had arrived earlier than we did, but if I had been the first to check-in, I might have asked if there was a better room location. They really ought to charge fewer points for rooms that far away from everything!

We stayed at AKL the first year it was open - on DS's first trip to Disney. We paid extra for a "Deluxe Savanna View" room and ended up in the VERY FURTHEST wing on the back side of the Uzima savanna. Had pretty much the same thing - only 2 animals all week long and cursed the walk every time we did it. Anyway, that is why I refuse to waste points on a "savanna view" now. That would be our dumb luck again and just because there is a field out there does not make it a savanna IMO. I'm sure if we'd have had giraffes outside our balcony every morning we'd have a different opinion of what's worth it and what's not. But just knowing that it MAY suck is enough to keep those extra points tucked away for another trip sometime!

 

[ajf1007]

We stayed at AKL the first year it was open - on DS's first trip to Disney. We paid extra for a "Deluxe Savanna View" room and ended up in the VERY FURTHEST wing on the back side of the Uzima savanna. Had pretty much the same thing - only 2 animals all week long and cursed the walk every time we did it. Anyway, that is why I refuse to waste points on a "savanna view" now. That would be our dumb luck again and just because there is a field out there does not make it a savanna IMO. I'm sure if we'd have had giraffes outside our balcony every morning we'd have a different opinion of what's worth it and what's not. But just knowing that it MAY suck is enough to keep those extra points tucked away for another trip sometime!

I'm with you! Absolutely agree. Our first trip to AKL (nonDVC) was I swear a 5 mile walk. As I said in a previous post, it didn't bother me too much but I wasn't carrying a child back at the end of the night. By the end of the week though, I was spent with the walking to the room. Our first DVC trip we saved our points and opt'd for a standard view, close to the lobby. It was such a difference! When I wanted to see animals, I walked around the resort and looked at animals. It was perfect! Plus, I saved points which I banked and am getting an extra HHI long weekend out of this years UY points! BONUS! (we only have 160 pts.)

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I'm on my third stay at Kidani Savanah View (1 BR) this week and I must say that I'm glad so many of you are disappointed. LOL

My family and I absolutely LOVE it here; so much so that we've YET to even stay in our other home resort, BLT. We're staying there in December.

We've stayed at SSR and OKW and while they both have their good points, AKV just feels like home to us.

We're admittedly just off the lobby on the second floor in a one BR that's right beside the 2BR we stayed in last summer. I'm sure the other end of the hall is a long ways away and I can certainly understand people's concern with the distances. I hope I never even see the other end of the hall. LOL

Love it here. Glad ya'll don't.

 

[BeesKnees]

We're admittedly just off the lobby on the second floor in a one BR that's right beside the 2BR we stayed in last summer. I'm sure the other end of the hall is a long ways away and I can certainly understand people's concern with the distances. I hope I never even see the other end of the hall. LOL

Love it here. Glad ya'll don't.

You have had 2 rooms close to the lobby? I hate you now.

 

[KiminChicago]

Don't get me wrong -- I don't hate Kidani. It's our home resort and I love it. I just got unlucky with the room placement. And the long hallways aren't enough to keep me away -- I just think that if the walk from the room to the lobby is really longer than the average, one should be able to get it for fewer points as it is a less desirable location. It really helped on our stay there that we were all able to keep a sense of humor about the trudge back to our room. I think it would have been an improvement if we had at least been in the bead closest to Jambo, but we were even on the completely opposite side from there! We always took the busses back and forth.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

We got a laugh tonight walking through the lobby, bracing ourselves for the trek back to the room. As we passed the front desk, we could hear someone checking in having a conversation with the CM as they looked at their room location on a map. "No, you can't walk across there," the CM was explaining, "that would be a little dangerous."

We figure they were asking why they couldn't just cut across the savanna. When you look at it on the map, it certainly would be quicker to cut across there. I know you couldn't do it at ground level, but would it have been so difficult to have an underground passageway to cut down on the walk?

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

We've stayed at Kidani twice now . The first time we stayed we had a standard view over looking the front of the resort near the porte cochere. I loved the room and the location but my DW and DD were both fuming that I didn't get a Savanna view room. The next trip we got the Savanna view and it was great. There were animals outside for much of the time. Since then when we have discussed future AKV vacas it has been emphasized to me that we are only staying in Savanna rooms in the future.


And yes, there are loooong hallways at Kidani.

 

[gkrykewy]

We generally prefer Jambo to Kidani because of the epic lobby, larger pool, and Mara access. It's more of a deluxe hotel/lodge experience, whereas Kidani is more of a "home away from home" condo experience.

Kidani does have its pluses:

• Ability to book savanna view rooms on all floors, getting closer to the stars of the show (the animals) [DVC rooms at Jambo are 5th Floor only]
• Unique animals on the Pembe savanna, such as Okapi
• Probably the friendliest, most accomodating staff encountered at DVC so far

It's also generally much quieter, if you like that sort of thing.

 

[jerseygal]

We're booked in Standard 2 BR KIDANI..CAN'T WAIT!

Question...Will more likely use Jambo Pool..Want to be close to Mara....

I've requested "closest to Jambo" but am now concerned about not being able to sleep with bus noise???? I cannot be over an area with bus loading..

I think we'll be using the Jambo Pool more and Mara, so WHERE AT KIDANI SHOULD I REQUEST? NEED QUIET ROOM, NOT ON TOP OF ELEVATORS, BUT CLOSE, AND CLOSE TO JAMBO?????

YOUR THOUGHTS FOR KIDANI STANDARD 2 BR REQUEST WOULD BE APPRECIATED!THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRST TIME AT KIDANI 3 NIGHTS! CAN'T WAIT! FOLLOWED BY 4 NIGHTS VERO BEACH!

 

[PoohNFriends]

OP, thanks for sharing! We just bought AKV in April and don't have a trip planned to stay their until Fall 2011. So all of the info I can gather from others will be helpful in future planning!
Loved what we experienced when we stayed at AKL pre-DVC and in general love animals so deciding to purchase here was an easy choice. However, if Poly was part of DVC it may have stolen our hearts! Can't beat the great location, theme, and watching Wishes from the beach!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

The novelty of the savannah view - I will take the view at OKW any day.

Agree on both points, while I enjoy the savanna, it's a 2 day max thing, usually booked with friends/family that have never experienced it and for that I really prefer Jambo to Kidani. I love the grandeur of the lobby at Jambo. OKW is still my favorite but push come to shove, to get a Disney stay if my faves are taken, I'd stay anywhere, Kidani included.

Ahh! The beauty of DVC!

 

[LIGrumpyGirl]

I agree TOTALLY!

We stayed there the week of July 10th...can't remember the room number but it was close to the OP's. It was FAR!!!!!

Also, did anybody else mind that they had to risk cancer to get to the bus stop?! The only way we found to walk to the one bus stop was to walk through the smoking area.

 

[Anal Annie]

We're booked in Standard 2 BR KIDANI..CAN'T WAIT!

Question...Will more likely use Jambo Pool..Want to be close to Mara....

I've requested "closest to Jambo" but am now concerned about not being able to sleep with bus noise???? I cannot be over an area with bus loading..
I think we'll be using the Jambo Pool more and Mara, so WHERE AT KIDANI SHOULD I REQUEST? NEED QUIET ROOM, NOT ON TOP OF ELEVATORS, BUT CLOSE, AND CLOSE TO JAMBO?????

YOUR THOUGHTS FOR KIDANI STANDARD 2 BR REQUEST WOULD BE APPRECIATED!THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRST TIME AT KIDANI 3 NIGHTS! CAN'T WAIT! FOLLOWED BY 4 NIGHTS VERO BEACH!

The bus stop is outside the 2nd bead from the lobby and knowing how big Kidani was we'd requested close to the bus / lobby...but there are still like 4 more beads (sections) beyond that as you head toward Jambo...so there's still PLENTY of building left for you to NOT hear the buses...so when you check in just be sure you're in at least like the 3rd bead out from the lobby...

 

[kdfogliano]

We are staying at Kidani in a 2BR savanna view in sept. we are usually BLT/BC folk, but with a little one now obssessed with animals we thought this may be fun

My questions is what to request... from the reading it seems close to the lobby, but will that give us good animal sitings?

any suggestions would be great!!

 

[dizfan]

We are staying at Kidani in a 2BR savanna view in sept. we are usually BLT/BC folk, but with a little one now obssessed with animals we thought this may be fun

My questions is what to request... from the reading it seems close to the lobby, but will that give us good animal sitings?

any suggestions would be great!!

Dec 2009 we were second or third bead away from the lobby (to the left side as you enter the front of the building). The animal viewing from there was incredible. There was a feeding place near the balcony, so giraffes and at least one other animal were very close by.

We were on the same floor as the lobby, so it felt like the animals were right there. In fact, Kilmanjaro Safari ride at AK was a bit of a disappointment after having animals so close to our room.

 

[kdfogliano]

Dec 2009 we were second or third bead away from the lobby (to the left side as you enter the front of the building). The animal viewing from there was incredible. There was a feeding place near the balcony, so giraffes and at least one other animal were very close by.

We were on the same floor as the lobby, so it felt like the animals were right there. In fact, Kilmanjaro Safari ride at AK was a bit of a disappointment after having animals so close to our room.

Thanks!!! Big help!

 

[Donald's Fan in PHX!]

I think each dvc resort fits different interests and personalities. I plan to visit each resort at least once over the next several yrs. With that said, I absolutely love Kidani. I like that its smaller and more intimate then jambo, and I love the decor. I think over the next couple of years the savannah idea will grow tiresome with some dvc members, but it will be a yearly stop for me and my fam.

 

[ToddyLu]

We had always wanted to stay at AKL because it sounded so exotic. Of course without DVC paying those prices would be out of the question. So when DH supported my DVC purchase...he chose AKV. Our first visit was last Oct/Nov and was terrific. We were on the left third bead from the lobby at Kidani. Near the curve. Yes, it was a bit of a walk after a long day, but our studio on the second floor was worth it. I knew what to expect because of the You Tube videos and the DIS. I was not disappointed. It was the perfect DVC resort for us and closest to the decor and colors of our home.

However...

When we entered the lobby of Jambo House...my MIL and I looked at each other and at the same time "Wow this place is noisy". Lots of activity, kids running around, CMs who could not give us clear directions to Mara. One of us was an actual rocket scientist and it still took us 20 minutes to find it downstairs and outside. So we are absolutely Kidani folks and will just do Jambo to get a value room. I would love to stay at all the DVC resorts, but for now DH is a DVC purist and any mention of staying elsewhere..I get the "are you crazy" look.