How bad are the AKL Kidani rooms in need of refurb? Should we stay somewhere else?

[marcar12]

After quite a bit of research, I have decided that renting DVC points to stay at AKL Kidani Village is my top choice for our next Disney trip. However, during all of the research that I have been doing, I have learned that the rooms there are in dire need of refurbishment. Would you agree with this? Is it bad enough that I should not stay there?

Plan B and C are either Jambo House (is it in a lot better shape than Kidani?) Or OKW.

For anyone who has stayed at Kidani recently, what were the rooms like when you were there?

Thank you for any input!

 

[hertamaniac]

The appliances in our 2 BR Kidani were dated, but fully functional. There was no Murphy bed in the LR, so that's probably part of the next facelift. We had the savanna view so the room was perfectly fine for us.

 

[TheDisBrews]

We stayed in a 1 BR Savanna View last month. The only issue we had was with the sofa bed. It was not comfortable at all, but we requested a mattress topper, which made it sleep-able. I agree with the above post - the appliances were a bit older, but we had zero issues. We usually stay at BCV or BWV, but waking up to giraffes outside the room was worth the switch up.

 

[KBoopaloo2]

We stayed in a studio for one night last week and the room was in better shape than I expected. Everything was clean and fully functional.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I had read awful things about the state of the rooms in Bay Lake Tower on here and my room was in fantastic shape there last month. I think we have a tendency to be hypercritical which helped me lower my expectations but there was really no need to. In fact, following a stay in a Main Tower room with the Incredibles theming that I was not a fan of, a truly Contemporary themed room was super welcoming. I'm sure Kidani is fine.

 

[Best Aunt]

When looking at reviews, you need to keep in mind that:

(a) People are more likely to post a review if they are unhappy. If everything was perfectly fine, they don't bother.

(b) People have different standards. To some people, scuff marks = dire need of refurbishment. To other people, as long as everything works properly, decor doesn't matter.

(c) Wear and tear won't be exactly the same in every room. If there is a problem in one room, that doesn't mean there is a problem in every other room.

 

[drusba]

AKV is due for a room refurb, likely to start next year. They have actually already done the outside refurb work, including redoing the roof at Kidani. The last room refurb was seven to eight years ago (DVC resorts usually refurbed every 7 years, but that has been delayed to some extent as a result of the pandemic). Every resort has some wear and tear issues toward the end of the refurb cycle but most rooms are usually OK, although a small number may have some real problems.

You mention doing Jambo instead. The DVC room portion of the Jambo building follows the same schedule as Kidani for refurbs -- during the prior refurb, they did the rooms in the rooms in one of the buildings first and then proceeded to the other. Refurbs of the hotel portion of Jambo and the shared areas, such as the lobby, are done on a different schedule from DVC

 

[john7994]

Kidani 2Bdr looked fine and we were in two of them in August … no issues … nothing majorly out of place or worn down. The decor is very specific and not my vibe, but wasn’t disappointed by it.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

When looking at reviews, you need to keep in mind that:

(a) People are more likely to post a review if they are unhappy. If everything was perfectly fine, they don't bother.

(b) People have different standards. To some people, scuff marks = dire need of refurbishment. To other people, as long as everything works properly, decor doesn't matter.

(c) Wear and tear won't be exactly the same in every room. If there is a problem in one room, that doesn't mean there is a problem in every other room.

This
I have seen people complaining and they included a picture and I am going "are you serious!" it would be scrap on the door or a small crack in a tile etc. Remember if you get a bad room, then go and ask to be moved to a different room.

 

[Erinmc3]

We just returned from a stay at Kidani. We had a 2BR and it worked out very well for us. We had kids sleeping in both the pull out couch and sleeper chair and neither complained. There were some scuff marks here and there but overall everything was functional and clean. My only (mild) complaint but I was not a fan of the shower in the master bathroom. While the walk in shower was huge, I thought that the way the shower head was aimed....it was a total waste of space. I know...dumb complaint lol.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I’d pick a different resort
It’s in decent condition but definitely needs a refurb

 

[heelphan]

We were there in April, and while I could see that it needs a refurb, that didn't stop us from booking another Spring Break trip there in 2024 in a 2 bedroom. Where else are you going to be able to wake up and look at Giraffes out of your window? Also, one of only a handful of resorts that have an extra bathroom in the 1 bedroom+ rooms. I am going to be happy when they get murphy beds, that will take it to another level.

 

[ajiuo]

They really are not that bad… not nearly as bad as bolder ridge got prior to its renovation… I think the AKV rooms have held up a lot better than the VGC rooms… I mention VGC because they are similar resorts with roughly the same referb schedule.

I actually hope that the recycle things like the headboards in the referb at AKV… similar to hotel rooms there. Kitchens and bathrooms definitely need an update though… but they still are not awful.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We were there earlier this year, and we're going to be heading back again next month. Need of refurb? Sure.... In bad shape? Not based on our recent stays. There's no question that the rooms at Disney, especially DVC, get used hard and need to be redone now and then - but I would not hesitate to recommend the current Kidani or Jambo rooms for any stay. In reality, it's probably a similar state of rooms at many of the resorts - there are rooms that could often use a refurb.

 

[mort1331]

Referb or not,,dont forget Kidani has the extra bathrooms in the 1 and 2 Bdrm....so worth the cracked tile or scuff marks

 

[kdm31091]

It's not like it's going to be a roadside motel dump no matter what. Maybe dated or some worn fixtures here and there, but certainly everything is still functional. Have stayed at Kidani a few times this year and no complaints.

 

[bwang123]

we stayed in a studio and a 2 bedroom this past week and both rooms were in good shape. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary and everything worked as expected.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If you look you'll find most every resort is "in dire need of a refurbishment" even if it's just that they don't agree with the decor or the wattage of the light bulbs.
We were at Kidani in October. I'd not hesitate to book there again.