Having some nagging doubts

[rentayenta]

I just can't seem to love the idea of Kidani over Jambo. I've read the pros and cons lists and they seem about equal. What ultimately sold me on Kidani was the extra bathroom in the two bedroom and the pool/bar area. Being the first bus stop seems nice too.


But from what I've reading Kidani sounds, well, a little boring. Am I reading it wrong? I know it's not like we can't go to Jambo to shop if need be and Mara is an easy walk but it seems like Jambo is more lively, more our style.


We'll be in the THV for 5 nights prior and know that will be a more tranquil stay. I had no issues, once I decided between THV and SSR, that THV would be perfect for that part of the stay.


I've read the SV at Kidani are better too. Is this correct?



I just want to decide and feel good about it.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Kidani is actually very nice. The 2 bedroom villa is huge and you'll love the extra bathroom and master bath. Will you have kids with you? Mine really enjoyed community hall and the pool is tons of fun! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

 

[kamgen]

I love them both for a number of reasons. But most of all, I prefer Kidani.
I do not think that Jambo is more lively, I just think the lobby area is more busy. Two different things if you ask me.
We love the pool area at Kidani more than Jambo....much more activity and the pool parties are awesome! Kidani does have a gift shop...much smaller than Jambo but you can use your refillable mugs there which is nice and they have the DVD rentals. Also, Kidani has an awesome community hall. Great crafts, pool table, video games and movies. We spend hours there! And the view of the savannah from there is amazing!!!! The kids love playing the games and doing crafts!
The walk to Jambo is nice, or you can take the shuttle. Both very easy. We do love Mara at Jambo but unless you are eating there each meal, it isn't a big deal to us to be at Kidani and walk over.
The staff at Kidani are very nice, Sanaa has great food, and the savannah areas are wonderful.

I LOVE Jambo and we take the kids over there for certain activities, like free cookie decorating in BOMA and the medallion rubbing, but we love the rooms and atmosphere of Kidani.

You can't go wrong with either! Hope this helps!

 

[rentayenta]

Kidani is actually very nice. The 2 bedroom villa is huge and you'll love the extra bathroom and master bath. Will you have kids with you? Mine really enjoyed community hall and the pool is tons of fun! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Yes, we'll have 4 kids with us and a dedicated 2 bedroom. Thank you! I know it sounds so silly to worry about this. We've got ADRs at both Boma and Saana. We have always been very impressed with our villas at DVC and I'm sure Kidani will be no different. I think the dedicated seems nice too as it gives everyone a real bed. With 2 Q beds, my living gets to stay a living room.

Is the pool fun for older kids too? They will be 15,14,13, and 11 at the time of travel. I mean really, any kid should be able to have fun in any pool.

 

[Granny]

But from what I've reading Kidani sounds, well, a little boring. Am I reading it wrong? I know it's not like we can't go to Jambo to shop if need be and Mara is an easy walk but it seems like Jambo is more lively, more our style.

You indicated that you chose Kidani because of the extra bathroom. And the pool/bar area. And it being the first bus to the parks.

I think it is fair to say that Jambo public areas are a little more lively than Kidani.

So it comes down to...which is more important to you? You said that you like the pool/bar area at Kidani, but we found the pool to be much more laid back at Kidani than Jambo.

My two cents are that if you stay at Kidani, you can still easily experience the aspects of Jambo that you think you'll miss.

If you stay at Jambo, you can't experience the extra bathroom or the "first bus" aspect.

So a Kidani stay gives you the best of both worlds. But I don't think either would be a bad choice.

 

[rentayenta]

I love them both for a number of reasons. But most of all, I prefer Kidani.
I do not think that Jambo is more lively, I just think the lobby area is more busy. Two different things if you ask me.
We love the pool area at Kidani more than Jambo....much more activity and the pool parties are awesome! Kidani does have a gift shop...much smaller than Jambo but you can use your refillable mugs there which is nice and they have the DVD rentals. Also, Kidani has an awesome community hall. Great crafts, pool table, video games and movies. We spend hours there! And the view of the savannah from there is amazing!!!! The kids love playing the games and doing crafts!
The walk to Jambo is nice, or you can take the shuttle. Both very easy. We do love Mara at Jambo but unless you are eating there each meal, it isn't a big deal to us to be at Kidani and walk over.
The staff at Kidani are very nice, Sanaa has great food, and the savannah areas are wonderful.

I LOVE Jambo and we take the kids over there for certain activities, like free cookie decorating in BOMA and the medallion rubbing, but we love the rooms and atmosphere of Kidani.

You can't go wrong with either! Hope this helps!

Thank you! It does help. I guess the blurbs I've read about the comparisons haven't provided a lot of detail and this really helps. There is a difference between a busy lobby and actual activities. I didn't know Kidani had a community hall. I guess I've interpreted busy lobby to mean more things to do. We really love our resort time and are looking forward to the folk tales around the fire and night vision goggles to see the animals. And pool time is a must for us. I'm sure we can use the pool at Jambo if need be? I like the idea of Kidani's pool having food and drink service. That's one of our favorite things.

 

[rentayenta]

You indicated that you chose Kidani because of the extra bathroom. And the pool/bar area. And it being the first bus to the parks.

I think it is fair to say that Jambo public areas are a little more lively than Kidani.

So it comes down to...which is more important to you? You said that you like the pool/bar area at Kidani, but we found the pool to be much more laid back at Kidani than Jambo.

My two cents are that if you stay at Kidani, you can still easily experience the aspects of Jambo that you think you'll miss.

If you stay at Jambo, you can't experience the extra bathroom or the "first bus" aspect.

So a Kidani stay gives you the best of both worlds. But I don't think either would be a bad choice.

Thank you!!! The extra bathroom is a total perk with 3 teenage girls.

I like a laid back pool with access to ammenitites of that makes sense? I don't need raging pool parties by any means but do like to be able to order food and drinks while we chill. I enjoy good service.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We stayed at Kidani with 3 adults, and kids 15, 12, 11, 9, 6...

We all enjoyed the pool parties! They had fun stuff like Disney trivia contests which we all played. There was a night we went there really late and nobody else was around...it was gorgeous and sooooo peaceful! Do your teens like to work out? The gym is awesome and right by the pool.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We've stayed at AKL twice before the villas were built there and really enjoyed our stays. But since the villas were built, we're not all that enthralled with either location because there are things at both that are just too negative for us. Like the shower/tub at Jambo House. That's what I like about DVC one bedroom villas (besides the king bed) - the separate shower and tub. So rule out Jambo House.

Kidani Village still just looks too prison-like from the outside for us. So I guess we'll see how the vegetation grows up around the building before we can change our mind on that.

So for the present, we won't stay at either. But then that leaves all of AKV for those members who like it better than we do.

 

[vdub322]

We stayed at Kidani for the second half of our split stay last week. We had a 1 BR Savannah view in the part of the building closest to Jambo...room 7454. We loved it! (We took a vote and liked it more than BLT actually!) The walk to Jambo was easy...about the same as earlier in the week when we walked from our room on the 9th floor of BLT to the Contemporary. We also walked to the amazing pool at Kidani with no problem. Being the first bus stop was nice and we never had a problem with bus service. But the extra bathroom at Kidani (and the awesome master bathroom with separate shower and tub) was the big selling point for us. DD12 loved having her own space, and we loved it too. Now we are staying at Jambo in a 2 BR value in January, so I will have a more fair comparison then, but Kidani is definitely great!

 

[WolfpackFan]

One of the reasons I prefer Kidani over Jambo is the lobby. I love to sit in the lobby in the mornings, drink my coffee and get updated on the news on my iPad while DW sleeps in. At Kidani, it is a lot more peaceful because you don't have as many people checking in and out during weekdays. At Jambo, there is a constant rumble of people coming thru with luggage, etc. I feel like Kidani is our place (DVC members), while Jambo is more for regular hotel guests.

 

[rentayenta]

We stayed at Kidani with 3 adults, and kids 15, 12, 11, 9, 6...

We all enjoyed the pool parties! They had fun stuff like Disney trivia contests which we all played. There was a night we went there really late and nobody else was around...it was gorgeous and sooooo peaceful! Do your teens like to work out? The gym is awesome and right by the pool.

Thanks, I bet that third bathroom came in handy. DH loves to work out and my oldest likes to run so that's good. I might take a spin on the bike or treadmill too. My kids love the pool parties! Do they have them daily?

We've stayed at AKL twice before the villas were built there and really enjoyed our stays. But since the villas were built, we're not all that enthralled with either location because there are things at both that are just too negative for us. Like the shower/tub at Jambo House. That's what I like about DVC one bedroom villas (besides the king bed) - the separate shower and tub. So rule out Jambo House.

Kidani Village still just looks too prison-like from the outside for us. So I guess we'll see how the vegetation grows up around the building before we can change our mind on that.

So for the present, we won't stay at either. But then that leaves all of AKV for those members who like it better than we do.

Thanks for your insight however, we're staying at one of them for sure. What's the shower/tub situation at Jambo?

We stayed at Kidani for the second half of our split stay last week. We had a 1 BR Savannah view in the part of the building closest to Jambo...room 7454. We loved it! (We took a vote and liked it more than BLT actually!) The walk to Jambo was easy...about the same as earlier in the week when we walked from our room on the 9th floor of BLT to the Contemporary. We also walked to the amazing pool at Kidani with no problem. Being the first bus stop was nice and we never had a problem with bus service. But the extra bathroom at Kidani (and the awesome master bathroom with separate shower and tub) was the big selling point for us. DD12 loved having her own space, and we loved it too. Now we are staying at Jambo in a 2 BR value in January, so I will have a more fair comparison then, but Kidani is definitely great!

Awesome, thank you!!! I'm not worried about walking to Jambo from Kidani. We walk so much during a trip and it doesn't seem to phase any of us. Tell me about the pool at Kidani! My kids loved the pool party at OKW!

I think I need to do a search of photos. I've seen a billion concierge pics when that was my plan but very few of Kidani.

One of the reasons I prefer Kidani over Jambo is the lobby. I love to sit in the lobby in the mornings, drink my coffee and get updated on the news on my iPad while DW sleeps in. At Kidani, it is a lot more peaceful because you don't have as many people checking in and out during weekdays. At Jambo, there is a constant rumble of people coming thru with luggage, etc. I feel like Kidani is our place (DVC members), while Jambo is more for regular hotel guests.

I do love my quiet time too and am often awake much earlier than the rest of my family. That's one thing I loved about the GCV, the fireplace and lobby area. Thank you.

 

[twinklebug]

I think you need to think of Kidani as a new experience to embrace it, rather than a "room location" sort of a situation that it sounds like your fearing you might not enjoy. Kidani has it's own personality. Treat it as a new resort and you'll be more open to the new experience

 

[Granny]

Kidani Village still just looks too prison-like from the outside for us.

I think I overheard the giraffes saying the same thing.

Sorry for the joke, I was just struck by this comment. We've stayed at Kidani a couple of times now and I think it's fair to say that "prison-like" never came close to entering our minds. Beautiful lobby, beautiful views, very nice cast members.

But if it's a prison, then lock me up!

 

[bigtony777]

We stayed at Kidani in March and really enjoyed it. I didn't think getting back and forth to Jambo is an issue at all. We went over a few days for kids activities like cookies and face painting.

The only downside that I found with Kidani is the gift shop is not open early enough in the morning for mug refills to take advantage of early park hours. I do not drink coffee so the in room coffee pot is of no use. So no luck for a mug drink for me in the morning. Our girls love hot chocolate in the mornings while at disney. We found that they have packets to make it so we just heated water in the coffee pot in the morning for their drinks.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...
Thanks for your insight however, we're staying at one of them for sure. What's the shower/tub situation at Jambo?..

It's a combo tub/shower like you have in studios/second bedrooms. They aren't separated.

 

[vdub322]

Awesome, thank you!!! I'm not worried about walking to Jambo from Kidani. We walk so much during a trip and it doesn't seem to phase any of us. Tell me about the pool at Kidani! My kids loved the pool party at OKW!

I think I need to do a search of photos. I've seen a billion concierge pics when that was my plan but very few of Kidani.

.

Walking doesn't bother us either! I had read so much about the loooooong hallways at Kidani, but we weren't bothered by it at all...and we were about as far away as you can get from the lobby.

The pool at Kidani is awesome. I have pics of the pool (and the room) that I can post on here tomorrow if you are interested in seeing them. The water slide is lots of fun. DH and DD12 agreed that Kidani's pool and slide is much better than the one at BLT. They have a pool party at Kidani, and a pool bar with some food and yummy drinks. I think I even took a pic of the menu. We had no problem finding chairs at the pool there. We stayed at Kidani, but we enjoyed exploring Jambo and Kidani. I think you will too!

 

[rentayenta]

I think you need to think of Kidani as a new experience to embrace it, rather than a "room location" sort of a situation that it sounds like your fearing you might not enjoy. Kidani has it's own personality. Treat it as a new resort and you'll be more open to the new experience

That's a great idea- love it! We were just talking over dinner and DH said almost the same thing and he has no clue about my doubts. When we were talking about the vacation I said we'll be at Kidani not Jambo and he said cool, it will be like a new resort.

I think I overheard the giraffes saying the same thing.

Sorry for the joke, I was just struck by this comment. We've stayed at Kidani a couple of times now and I think it's fair to say that "prison-like" never came close to entering our minds. Beautiful lobby, beautiful views, very nice cast members.

But if it's a prison, then lock me up!

Ditto. Thank you, I've been searching Google images and also Trip Advisor and found some neat photos.

We stayed at Kidani in March and really enjoyed it. I didn't think getting back and forth to Jambo is an issue at all. We went over a few days for kids activities like cookies and face painting.

The only downside that I found with Kidani is the gift shop is not open early enough in the morning for mug refills to take advantage of early park hours. I do not drink coffee so the in room coffee pot is of no use. So no luck for a mug drink for me in the morning. Our girls love hot chocolate in the mornings while at disney. We found that they have packets to make it so we just heated water in the coffee pot in the morning for their drinks.

Thank you. I love my morning coffee and we'll make great use of the pot....speaking of, I need to find out if it's takes pods or filters but back on topic....I don't think the walk to Jambo will be an issue. We've got an ADR for Boma so at some point we'll visit Jambo once. I'm sure the kids will want to browse the gift shop too. Honestly, not having to pass a huge gift shop everyday will be a bonus. My middle wants all things buyable. She's a very sweet child and will have a fist full of cash just waiting to be spent.

 

[vdub322]

Thank you. I love my morning coffee and we'll make great use of the pot....speaking of, I need to find out if it's takes pods or filters but back on topic....

The coffee maker we had at Kidani last week used the 8-12 cup basket filters.

 

[Mtnman44]

We love Kidani! Fairly good if you use a bus, very nice if you use a car. Very close to Jambo if you need to go to dinner or something. We prefered the backyard area of Kidani to Jambo. It was more initmate, quiet. Almost everynight (in January) we had the fire to ourselves and plenty of time on the night vision scopes.

I'd take Kidani no questions asked over Jambo for a one or two BR. For a studio, I don't think there is as much of a difference. As has been mentioned the extra room and bathroom are well worth it for a family. Kidani has a great pool and play area as well.

Your priorities may be different than ours but we don't spend a lot of time at the resort. It is mostly for sleeping. We never eat at the same place more than once.

It was one quiet evening in January, dark, as we were walking up the path towards the main Kidani enterance. As we got closer we noticed the detail like the old fanshioned "laterns" placed in the wall. It really felt a little like some aged, expedition outpost out on the savanah. My wife and I looked at each other and basically said at the same time "This is my favorite resort!"