Do you prefer Kidani or Jambo?

[momof2disprincesses]

We've stayed at both. I really don't have a preference one or the other. There are pro's and con's to each and most have been mentioned here. I just LOVE AKL all together, whether at Jambo or Kidani. It is one of my very favorite places on earth to spend time.

 

[CocosMeme]

We have stayed at both and prefer Kidani. Why? Quiet - 1st bus stop - pool - CM's - extra bathroom - parking under room - Sanaa - basketball court - community hall. We just hop on any bus or get off bus at Jambo when we want to go there - OR we drive our car over to Jambo. You can catch the DTD bus at Jambo to get back to Kidani. It is all a matter of preferences. Thank goodness we do not all like the same things!

 

[ShuisFan584]

I've only stayed at Kidani but we'll be staying at Jambo in another week. So I'll be able to tell you for sure after our trip!

One thing I can definitely say is that I like the fact that Kidani has the extra bathrooms in the 1 and 2 bedrooms. But I also like that Jambo has more food options.

I haven't been to the pool at Jambo yet, but it's gonna be hard to beat the pool at Kidani. It's our favorite pool in WDW because of the slide and play area.

 

[lisaviolet]

Because you can get a lower floor at Kidani, in some cases those views may be better. I recently had a savannah view value studio in Jambo and there were very few animals who bothered to make their way toward that end of the Sunset Savannah. Since I was in a value studio and the savannah was just a bonus, I don't have any complaints, but if I had had a savannah view studio I would have been disappointed.

However, I have never been disappointed in the Arusha savannah studios that I've had at Jambo. All in all, I like Jambo better, but if I'm with a larger group, I do book Kidani for the extra bathrooms in the 1-2 bedrooms there.

Bobbi

Bobbi, we've been lucky enough to get a Value Savannah twice and we've seen tons of animals.

We must have been fortunate to see so many and to be fair we spend a lot of time just hanging out.

Also, OP my parents had a regular Savannah room at Jambo and loved it. And it was at the end. About three doors down from the GV in the last block.

I'm at Jambo right now. I LOVE it here, but I have no desire to stay at Kidani. But I've never stayed there, so I really can't compare the two. However, I've talked to lots of people on buses, and those who've stayed at both places all prefer Jambo. And even those who've only stayed at Kidani are really bothered by the lack of CS. All I know is that I'm not giving up my value studios (I swear this one's the best room I've ever had at any WDW resort), wouldn't move away from Mara's butternut squash soup, and love being close to Boma and Jiko.

Simba's Mom - tell us more about your room location. Enjoy your stay.

Also, totally off topic but one day I will add-on. My first choice will be to add to my BW points for more standard view stays. However, the Values are a draw at AKV. Do you own at BWV? I'm asking because I'm wondering if we should seriously consider AKV.

 

[eporter66]

I am a little surprised that one of the big issues is the lack of quick service meal at Kidani. As I said in my previous post, it is not a big issue for us because we stop and get groceries, and have a 1 bedroom, so I have no problem cooking or getting a quick snack together for the family. But last year we also walked down to Jambo House a few times and it really is a quick walk. Not sure that I would make Jambo a priority just based on food service, but that's just me.

 

[jodifla]

We preferred Jambo because of all the restaurants and the feeling you are in a deluxe resort. We also liked the quick access to the pool and kids' club.

We took our car over the Kidani and tried out the pool there. We liked Sanaa, but the whole thing just felt too quiet and isolated.

 

[DebbieB]

I've stayed at both. Studio and 1 bedroom at Jambo, studio at Kidani. I'd give the slight edge to Kidani. I always rent a car and love the easier parking. The savannah views were better (I had Sunset at both but you can see more at Kidani). The counter service was not a big deal to us, we did drive over to Mara one time. Kidani felt more private. I was there in June and having the first bus stop was a big deal, we left some people at Jambo in the mornings a couple of times.

 

[samples78]

It is interesting reading this thread - I would have thought that opinions would be more evenly split between Kidani and Jambo. My husband and I stayed in a value studio last May and really enjoyed it, but to my surprise, we really enjoyed Kidani even more. We played on the tennis courts our first day, I loved the workout area, and we both loved the pool when we went there on our last day. What we loved about it was the peacefulness and remoteness and we can't wait to take our kids back here to play in the splash area when we hopefully return this coming May. I really liked the more intimate size and I am looking forward to being able to park near to our room.

I went into our last trip thinking that I would not like Kidani at all (based on what I had read here), but was surprised to find it fit our family the best. It ended up that we didn't use Mara as much as I thought we would, and it wasn't all that far to walk in between the two resorts (although I certainly would not complain if they decided to add a CS to Kidani - that would just be icing on the cake). It goes to show you need to experience the different options for yourself to see what you will like - you might be surprised. What might be a negative to one person might be what another likes best about a resort.

 

[Toonpies]

I prefer Kidani but to be honest I love staying in either. My preference is a room near the Zazu elevator in Kidani which is a 3-4 minute walk from either lobby.