Just returned from AKV; Kidani's not quite ready for prime time

[AKV707]

How long is the walk from Kidani to Jambo? I have heard about 10 minutes. DW and I will walk. It is healthier for as long as we can do it.

 

[ekball]

How long is the walk from Kidani to Jambo? I have heard about 10 minutes. DW and I will walk. It is healthier for as long as we can do it.

10 minutes, unless you're racewalking, then I'd say 7. It's a nice walk, and over before you know it. Much easier (IMO) than waiting for the bus, but the bus is there if needed.

 

[TK Brown]

Is there a place like Mara in Kidani? Ive been reading several posts and i dont see any mention of a place like that.

 

[Demosthenes]

Is there a place like Mara in Kidani? Ive been reading several posts and i dont see any mention of a place like that.

No. There is a menu at the pool bar (limited), though they don't yet take DDP.

 

[disney1474]

Absolutely! Imagine Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, Baby/Stroller and another couple of toddlers, for the most part, they aren't walking! Add to that the typical summer rain storms! It's not a matter of fitness, lazyness etc., it's convenience and/or personal choice. DIsney may have to review the bus situation when Kidani is operating at full capacity!

I disagree about the wait for the buss. We just returned after staying 8 nights at Kidani. Everytime we went to get a bus to go to Jambo a bus was either there waiting or it came literally in 1 or 2 minutes. Remember, any of the 4 theme park busses you can take to jambo. This is why you usually don't have to wait because there is always a bus coming. We had no problems at all.

oh...and the resort looks fantastic!!

 

[Anal Annie]

It is a big resort. I would expect things not to be right next to each other. Quite frankly, I don't get all the anxiety over the walk. Then again I have walked from the last building in the Grandstands at SSR to T-Rex Cafe in DTD so I might not be the typical guest

Out of curiosity, about how long of a walk was that for you door to door and at what kind of pace? We're staying at SSR over Memorial Day weekend & I have requsted the Grandstand area (tho of course it's not guaranteed) and we have ressies one nite at T-Rex. This will be our first stay at SSR so I'm not familiar with it at all but I figured we'd walk to DTD. If we can't get into the Grandstand area then I plan to request Congress Park. I just want to make sure we allow ample time for our ressie...

(Oh, and what did u think of T-Rex? We are going for DS's birthday dinner so I thought it looked like fun more than anything.... We've never eaten at Rainforest Cafe either so this is new territory for us!)

 

[HayGan]

Out of curiosity, about how long of a walk was that for you door to door and at what kind of pace? We're staying at SSR over Memorial Day weekend & I have requsted the Grandstand area (tho of course it's not guaranteed) and we have ressies one nite at T-Rex. This will be our first stay at SSR so I'm not familiar with it at all but I figured we'd walk to DTD. If we can't get into the Grandstand area then I plan to request Congress Park. I just want to make sure we allow ample time for our ressie...

(Oh, and what did u think of T-Rex? We are going for DS's birthday dinner so I thought it looked like fun more than anything.... We've never eaten at Rainforest Cafe either so this is new territory for us!)

I would say it was about 25 mnutes. DS#2 (7) and I did it and I will say that I walk faster than him so his little legs were kind of tired! We have stayed in both Congress Park and the Grandstands and we all prefer CP.

As for T-Rex, we did not end up eating in there. The line was abotu 50 people long and they told us the wait was over an hour. Plus we walked in and DS said "this is way too crazy in here - let's go to McDonald's" We find the food and service at Rainforest to be mediocre. I really think it is overpriced but it is an experience. You are definitely paying for the decor and not the food. Prepare yourself and your party for a loud/crazy environment with somewhat slow service.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree with much of your first post (sorry, I haven't read the rest of the thread yet, so this may have already been said), but I don't understand the part about waiting 40 mintues for a bus to go from Jambo to Kidani after dinner.

We were at Jiko for dinner the other night and walked from there to the Kidani lobby in about 5 minutes NO WAY would I wait 40 minutes to ride that short of a distance. Heck, it takes me that long to walk to the end of my driveway at home, and I wouldn't think of driving it.

 

[Demosthenes]

I agree with much of your first post (sorry, I haven't read the rest of the thread yet, so this may have already been said), but I don't understand the part about waiting 40 mintues for a bus to go from Jambo to Kidani after dinner.

We were at Jiko for dinner the other night and walked from there to the Kidani lobby in about 5 minutes NO WAY would I wait 40 minutes to ride that short of a distance. Heck, it takes me that long to walk to the end of my driveway at home, and I wouldn't think of driving it.

The walkway wasn't open on Friday night, May 1(it may have been open on May 2, but I know it was by the 3rd); there just wasn't a way back, short of walking the road, which I wasn't going to do with a 5-year-old.

 

[Demosthenes]

I disagree about the wait for the buss. We just returned after staying 8 nights at Kidani. Everytime we went to get a bus to go to Jambo a bus was either there waiting or it came literally in 1 or 2 minutes. Remember, any of the 4 theme park busses you can take to jambo. This is why you usually don't have to wait because there is always a bus coming. We had no problems at all.

oh...and the resort looks fantastic!!

I'd definitely agree that from Kidani to Jambo was never a problem; there was always a bus going that route. From Jambo to Kidani was where we experienced our problem.

 

[disney13]

Just wanted to thank the OP for posting their trip report.

Cheers!
Andy

 

[ekball]

The walkway wasn't open on Friday night, May 1(it may have been open on May 2, but I know it was by the 3rd); there just wasn't a way back, short of walking the road, which I wasn't going to do with a 5-year-old.

Someone must have given you some misinformation about the walkway on Friday (that it wasn't open) because we walked it at 1:00 that afternoon to get food from the Mara. We walked it again Sat. morning, and then again Sunday night. I guess it's the confusion of a new resort.

 

[disney1474]

Someone must have given you some misinformation about the walkway on Friday (that it wasn't open) because we walked it at 1:00 that afternoon to get food from the Mara. We walked it again Sat. morning, and then again Sunday night. I guess it's the confusion of a new resort.

I walked it on the friday the 1st at 7 am to go check in!!

 

[Demosthenes]

Someone must have given you some misinformation about the walkway on Friday (that it wasn't open) because we walked it at 1:00 that afternoon to get food from the Mara. We walked it again Sat. morning, and then again Sunday night. I guess it's the confusion of a new resort.

That's certainly a possibility. The left hand never knows what the right hand is doing at WDW.

 

[5forDiz]

OP great photos & enjoyed reading your TR & observations; thanks for taking the time

 

[Anal Annie]

I would say it was about 25 mnutes. DS#2 (7) and I did it and I will say that I walk faster than him so his little legs were kind of tired! We have stayed in both Congress Park and the Grandstands and we all prefer CP.

As for T-Rex, we did not end up eating in there. The line was abotu 50 people long and they told us the wait was over an hour. Plus we walked in and DS said "this is way too crazy in here - let's go to McDonald's" We find the food and service at Rainforest to be mediocre. I really think it is overpriced but it is an experience. You are definitely paying for the decor and not the food. Prepare yourself and your party for a loud/crazy environment with somewhat slow service.

Holy Smokes!! 25 minutes!? That's more than what we will be up for after walking around the parks all day. GLAD I asked before telling DH & DS "hey let's walk"!! And good thing I made a ressie at T-Rex for DS's birthday rather than chancing a walk-up. Our ressie is for like about 8:00 I think - we will have a late lunch & I think we will be ready to just sit, get off our feet for awhile and have a slow dinner by that time. The one thing I WAS disappointed about when I made the ressie was that I wanted to order a b-day cake for DS and since it's not a Disney restaurant they won't deliver one there. I've heard the food is so-so...but I just thought it looked like an interesting place. Thanks for the heads up on the walk time!! Anybody know how long we should allow for the bus / boat? The boat would be quickest, right?

This walk between Kidani & Jambo House is sounding like a breeze in comparison...

 

[Dean]

Holy Smokes!! 25 minutes!? That's more than what we will be up for after walking around the parks all day. GLAD I asked before telling DH & DS "hey let's walk"!! And good thing I made a ressie at T-Rex for DS's birthday rather than chancing a walk-up. Our ressie is for like about 8:00 I think - we will have a late lunch & I think we will be ready to just sit, get off our feet for awhile and have a slow dinner by that time. The one thing I WAS disappointed about when I made the ressie was that I wanted to order a b-day cake for DS and since it's not a Disney restaurant they won't deliver one there. I've heard the food is so-so...but I just thought it looked like an interesting place. Thanks for the heads up on the walk time!! Anybody know how long we should allow for the bus / boat? The boat would be quickest, right?

This walk between Kidani & Jambo House is sounding like a breeze in comparison...

I don't think 25 minutes is typical. Even if you walked all the way from the farthest side of Grandstand or Carousel or even THV to the side where the buses let off and back to Cirque, it's not 25 minutes. If you take the bridge over and walk from the West Side to T rex, it should be even less. The only walk that should be 25 minutes normal walking would be from some sections of OKW.