Is a Savannah View room worth it at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge- Kidani Village?

[Rubeng724]

Well, we're renting points from a DVC owner and I wanted to know if a savannah view was really worth the price. The price difference between a standard and savannah view is about $725 for 6 Nights in a 2 Bedroom villa. We're kind of on a budget, and saving those $725 would be great, however, if it's worth it, we are willing to pay the extra price. So, what do you think?

BTW On Day 1, we will stay the whole afternoon on the hotel. On Days 2-6, we will be visiting the parks all day, but we will still spent quite a time in the morning eating breakfast and getting ready in our room. At night, we will most probably be too tired that we will just sleep, except the day when we'll visit AK, they will close early so we'll spent a good evening at the hotel. On Day 7, we will check out of the hotel . So I,ll guess there will just be time to enjoy breakfast and start packing.

 

[mmmagic7754]

There are so many places to view the animals at Kidani. My fav resort!! We always book standard view because we spend so little time in our room and find it hard to justify the additional cost for savannah view.

 

[letsgoreds]

Personally, I wouldn't stay at AKL/Kidani without a savanna view. That being said, our last trip (Kidani) we didn't see as many animals as previous trips at Jambo house...took a couple of days before we saw the giraffes, and then we saw them a lot. Very cool. Love having breakfast with them on the balcony, or watching them at night.

Another deciding factor for you is that I have heard standard views are fewer and harder to book (availability). I enjoyed Kidani, but if I couldn't see animals out of my balcony, I would choose BCV, VWL, or BLT (my fave) over Kidani for park proximity and amenities (SAB is very cool, VWL feels like home, BLT is just cool and walking to MK, awesome).

Guessing if you aren't going to be in the room much, you would be very happy with a standard view at Kidani. That $725 could be used in SOOO many ways, or rather maybe spend half of it on something else?

 

[hakepb]

Most of Kidani is on the Sunset Savanna which has the best animal viewing in late afternoon (near sunset). And their animal checkup time is in the morning (when the animals "disappear")
I loooove the savanna view, but I typically go back to the resort for an afternoon rest, and that's a great animal viewing time .
Unfortunately most of Kidani standard view is parking/bus stop view but there are also some pool and partial (edge of) Pembe savanna view (no giraffes, but there is the unique Okapa and the entertaining red river hogs. Pembe is an available request (not guaranteed view) when you do online checkin for a standard view.

 

[Sammie]

Based on your schedule I don't think it would be worth it.

 

[Minniesgal]

I think the Savannah view room is the whole point of staying at Kidani I don't really see the point otherwise. I would only do a standard view if I was really short on points

 

[Dean]

Well, we're renting points from a DVC owner and I wanted to know if a savannah view was really worth the price. The price difference between a standard and savannah view is about $725 for 6 Nights in a 2 Bedroom villa. We're kind of on a budget, and saving those $725 would be great, however, if it's worth it, we are willing to pay the extra price. So, what do you think?

BTW On Day 1, we will stay the whole afternoon on the hotel. On Days 2-6, we will be visiting the parks all day, but we will still spent quite a time in the morning eating breakfast and getting ready in our room. At night, we will most probably be too tired that we will just sleep, except the day when we'll visit AK, they will close early so we'll spent a good evening at the hotel. On Day 7, we will check out of the hotel . So I,ll guess there will just be time to enjoy breakfast and start packing.

It's a very personal choice. IMO the value is there if you spend a fair amount of time at the resort but not if you're just getting up, ready and out the door plus the one afternoon. I'd go with the standard view or even value if it's available and fits your group) unless your'e spending hours every morning getting ready.

 

[lsbgvadvcer]

We did a Savannah view for the first time in December. We really enjoyed it but since it was only a 4 night trip we didn't spend much time in the room so not sure it was worth it. We've basically decided that in the future we'll consider the view for 7 or more nights so we can actually have time to enjoy.

 

[wdrl]

After your trip is completed, which of the following feelings will you be most comfortable with?

A. "Gosh, I wish we had spent the extra $725 for a Savanna View!"

or

B. "Drat, we would have been better off not wasting $725 on a Savanna View!"
​

Personally, I like the Savanna Views and will not book AKV without getting one. But we spend a fair amount of time on our balcony watching the animals and we interact with the Animal Caretakers, which gives us even more insight into the animal we are watching.

My advise to you is to save the money and opt for a Standard View Villa for this trip. After you have stayed at Kidani, you'll have a better feel for the resort and what it offers in terms of animal viewing and interaction.

Good luck and enjoy your stay!!

 

[RebelSoul]

Personally, I love the Savannah view rooms at Kidani. It's such a joy to eat breakfast in the morning on the balcony and sip my coffee while watching all the animals. I find it relaxing to animal watch on the balcony in the afternoons and early evenings. I probably have 1000+ pictures taken from balconies at Kidani and Jambo. When it's just my husband and I staying there, we always get a Savannah view room, but we spend a lot of time at the resorts when it's just the two of us. Kidani is one of our home resorts, so we tend to stay there at least once a year, if not twice.

It's a different story when we bring the kids. We are not in our room as much and my boys are at the ages where they don't really care if we get a standard view. Saves on points (or in your case, $$$$.) Although I do miss the Savannah view when we stay at Kidani with the kids, as previous posters have mentioned, there are plenty of other places at Kidani to view the animals if you're in a standard view room. We've also done split stays, half the time in standard room, the last half of our trip in a Savannah view, but not everyone wants to pack up and move half way through a stay. Plus it may not be feasible if you're renting points either.

If it were up to me and I was on a budget, standard view would be my choice. I could think of many different ways I'd rather spend $700+. Maybe save that money for a future trip in a Savannah view room. Either way, you'll like Kidani.

 

[Rubeng724]

Thanks Everyone! I'm leaning toward saving the money and getting the standard room. Does anyone know at what time is the "checkup" time for the animals? I'm afraid it's in the early morning when were going to be in our room having breakfast. I mean, it would be horrible not to see the animals in the morning because that's really the only time i'm going to have to see them! Help!

BTW By early morning, I mean like 6-8am.

 

[bobbiwoz]

It seems to me that the hours between 6 and 10 would be prime time for the animals to be taken care of in their houses. Yet I have seen the animals in the mornings as I have eaten breakfast. They are not all gone from all savannah's at once. You really could be out of luck in the mornings. I stay at AKV often, and have saved points with standard views and have had no regrets.

If there are children in your group, Kidani has a community room that is on the savannah. My grandchildren love to do activities in the room, and we adults often stay there as well.

 

[the who #3]

we usually get a sav view and don't see much of it. i watch the animals more than anyone else in the family. if i wake in the middle of the night i can go out on the patio and watch them, always before bed and early in the morning. but that is my thing.

that amount of money would pay for several meals in the signature restaurants or pay for the african safari. i think i would chose the safari and take a standard view room. you see more animals on the safari and it is a great experience. you can go over to jambo house to the viewing area.

if you are not a dvc member you probably don't go to disney very often. i would spend the money on the other things since you can go to one of the viewing areas to see the animals.

 

[eandesmom]

If you are set on the extra bathroom then go Kidani. However if you book standard at Jambo you will either get a pool view or a reclassified savanna one. We has one of the reclassified ones and it was amazing and lots of animals in the am.

 

[wdrl]

Does anyone know at what time is the "checkup" time for the animals? I'm afraid it's in the early morning when were going to be in our room having breakfast. I mean, it would be horrible not to see the animals in the morning because that's really the only time i'm going to have to see them! Help!

BTW By early morning, I mean like 6-8am.

The four savannas at AKV -- Arusha, Uzima, Sunset, and Pembe -- each have different times when their animals are called into their pens for their daily check-ups.

Last November we attended the "Dine with an Animal Keeper" at Saana and had lunch with Chris, the Manager of Animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas. Chris said that the animals are called into their pens for two hours each day starting at 5:00 AM. I remember that the Arusha Savanna animals are called in last at 9:00 AM and then released around 11:00 AM. I can't remember the exact order of the other savannas. However, last week we were at AKV-Kidani overlooking the Pembe Savanna and I think Pembe might have the 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM slot. We saw the Ankole cattle being herded into their pen just before 7:00 AM and then come back out of their pen just before 8:00 AM.

 

[stargazertechie]

Are you far enough out that you could snag a 2 BR Value at Jambo house? That would be my suggestion for the best "savings" with bonus animals. I know the values are one of the hardest categories to book just due to how few there are, but we were able to get a value studio for less than $90/night (point rental) that had a savannah view. The view's not guaranteed, but you could look at it as a lucky bonus if you do get the view.

 

[living20057]

We enjoyed the view. The kids used the sheet with all the animals listed. Soon as a different animal came by they would immediately grabbed their sheet. It was hard to get them to leave the room.

 

[dgaston]

While the animals are on the Savannas 22 out of 24 hours, they do go into the barns first things in the morning. So this means that you may be disappointed if you are hoping to breakfast with the animals. Afternoons are a better time for creature gazing.

 

[rentayenta]

I'm with the others who prefer a SV when at AKV. It's just a must for us. Sure you can view the animals from all over but nothing beats morning coffee or an afternoon glass of wine from the comfort of your own villa, on the deck, viewing the animals.

 

[rentayenta]

Oops duplicate post