Difference between Jambo House and Kidani Village at AKV

[Disneymom2266]

I have never stayed at AKV before, and my waitlist came through for a 1br at Kidani Village Savannah View. Can you tell me what is the difference between the two places? Thank You!

 

[dairyqueenmom]

Kidani has a quieter vibe, the lobby is not as impressive as Jambo. We love the community hall at Kidani and the pool at Kidani. In the 1 bedroom you will have two bathrooms instead of one. We like Kidani better, but some moan about the lack of counter service. You can get some food at the pool bar and there is one table service at Kidani.

 

[Disneymom2266]

Thank You DQ Mom

 

[Simba's Mom]

Also, all DVC villas at Jambo are on the 5th floor, whereas at Kidani you may be on the 2,3,4, or 5th. Since you have a savannah view, some people prefer the lower floors as they get closer to the animals.

 

[dvc_john]

If you have a car, parking is much, much, much more convenient at Kidani.

 

[MrsDuck]

It's really a personal choice.

In my opinion, Kidani is a good choice if you're looking for a quiet, relaxing getaway. It's much more relaxed and chill.

However, Jambo is better if you're on the "go". There's a quick service, it's busier, and the lobby is gorgeous.

Personally, we prefer Jambo simply for the easy access to the quick service.

 

[LisaS]

The master bathroom in the Jambo 1BRs have a combined whirlpool tub and shower. In Kidani you get a separate tub and shower stall which I find more convenient. The living area in the Kidani 1BRs is larger than the equivalent space in Jambo's 1BRs.

The park buses stop at Kidani first, then Jambo which means you will most likely always get a seat while some of the guests boarding at Jambo may have to stand. The DTD bus stops at Jambo first, then Kidani.

Sanaa (the restaurant at Kidani) does not serve breakfast unfortunately. We eat breakfast in the room most mornings but when we want a hot breakfast, it means walking over to Jambo to go to The Mara or Boma. We enjoy the walk over and back but that doesn't work well for everybody.

 

[AirGoofy]

As others mentioned, you can park under the resort at Kidani, which is convenient. I think the pool is better at Kidani, with a steeper slide and a splash park. However, if you are looking for a larger swim area, you can go to the Jambo pool which is much bigger. If you did get to stay on the side closer to Kidani, it is a short walk to Jambo.

 

[nolanboys]

We WL for 4 nights over Thanksgiving and got Jambo. We have decided to WL Kidani. Part of me wants to stay at Jambo for the gorgeous lobby, but DH and I have stayed at Kidani and want the master bath is just so awesome. To me, that is the biggest difference. I really enjoyed the seperate bath and shower - the tub was fantastic! We'll see what happens, but there's pros and cons to both. Jambo also has QS, but Kidani is the first bus stop.

 

[bbn1122]

Jambo has a beautiful lobby....but no one eve mentions the hundreds of people there at dinner time. With the 2 restaurants, especially Boma's with the buffet there are a lot of people from not staying at the resort mingling around the lobby.

We stayed at Kindani last August and love it. Quiet, pool was great, parking cool in summer. We found the walk to Jambo no problem and we were the farthest you probably could be.

It nice having the double resort....

 

[erin1715]

Not to hijack the thread but do you have to own DVC or rent points to stay at Kidani?

 

[rlduvall]

Jambo has a beautiful lobby....but no one eve mentions the hundreds of people there at dinner time. With the 2 restaurants, especially Boma's with the buffet there are a lot of people from not staying at the resort mingling around the lobby.

Actually, that's one reason why I love Jambo over Kidani. I love the hustle bustle of a resort. Alot of the DVC property rooms are separated from the main lobby of the resort, i.e. BCV, WLV and while those two examples are beautiful and luxurious resorts, it makes me feel isolated staying there because you don't need to walk through the lobby to get to your room.

 

[4Ds4Diz]

How far is the walk really from Kidani to Jambo main lobby/restaurant area? I have heard people complain about walks at the Poly or from BLT to the Contemporary Monorail. Can anyone give a comparison?

When we stayed at the Poly one year we were in a long house out near the TTC. Is Kidani a comparable walk from one of the far away long houses (near TTC) to the Grand Cermonial house or marina at the Poly?

I am trying to get a feel for how far the walk really is. Any feedback would be great!

 

[coup2516]

Not to hijack the thread but do you have to own DVC or rent points to stay at Kidani?

Kidani is intended to be a DVC-only resort. However, since the DVC contracts for AKL aren't sold out yet, you should still be able to make a cash reservation. Once contracts sell out though, the only way to stay at Kidani will be with DVC points.

 

[erin1715]

Yes, Kidani is DVC-only.

Are you sure? After I asked my question I went to the Disney website to see if I could book with Kidani online and it at least comes up with availability. I haven't gotten so far as to actually book though.