Kick'n It at Kidani (aka Am I Becoming a Resort Snob?)Final Update 8/20 p.54

[MEK]

I am really enjoying your trip report. We're headed to Kidani on the 26th.

Thanks! So you are leaving in a little over a week. Lucky you! We are ALL jealous! Have a great trip! and welcome to my TR

 

[MEK]

We get our start at a very young age....It must have something to do with parenting!

And then we develop the super-hero skills! ​

Shocker.....

Again, you made my day! You rock! That picture with the head in the sand is perfect for my DH. Sooooo perfect! Hey - I thought you went to Vegas! Have a great time!

 

[MEK]

Thanks for sharing all the fantastic pix Mary Ellen! (Heavy sigh!) I can't wait to see it all in person!

Tricia and Catie can't wait to use that Kidani water slide!!

And our first WDW trip was with the 4/3 "Fairy Tale Package" in 2003, too!!

Kathy

I'm glad you like the pics! LJ really like the Kidani slide. He rated them all! (which I will tell you about) Did you get the framed picture back in 2003? I love that pic! I Still have it in my son's room. That was such a nice bonus.

 

[MEK]

Great pics of the Kidani pool. I think we definitely need to have a stay there (at least a short stay and split with my resort addiction Y&BC). We have stayed at AKL twice in the past and really enjoyed it there, think it is my second favorite.

I have also experienced listening to "that kind of conversation", surprising these people do not realize that they are totally in a public place revealing such private thoughts!! My DH would be oblivious as well

Again, great update, just love your report.

Glad you like the pool pics! I can see what you would be addicted to Y&BC. I can't wait to get a chance to stay at BC. I love the location and planned breakfast there in September just so I can walk around the resort!

She had to know we were listening, but I don't think she cared. Hey - how did you like Mr. Oblivious, courtesy of Shocker! Just perfect!

So glad you are enjoying the report!

 

[MEK]

Hi Folks.....

I was so lazy tonight, I didn't even do combined posts! Sorry. I just didn't feel like opening another window. I am wooooped. That drive to pick up my son was such a PITA. It was all back roads and traffic for two hours each way. He had a good time, but was in one of his cool teenager modes when I got there. I took three boys home and one has soooooo much stuff we barely got everthing in the car. I was sweating for a few minutes, but we made it! And as predicted, the only kid who made the call back camp from Delaware was the same kid who makes it every year. I am just dumbfounded because my son has played with this kid for two years and he is just not that great. He is fast, that's it. I don't understand how he gets called back every year. This is my son's first year doing ODP and I guess the call back team is pretty set. Oh well, sorry for the rant. It's just annoying.

So I will post a real update tomorrow. Sorry I didn't get one in tonight! Just didn't have it in me.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Can you believe I just made it back here today. Picking up DS from soccer camp took so much longer than I thought and then I went straight to practicing music for church and other things. I purposely ignored my TR today to get some things done.

That was me -- I spent the day cleaning and rearranging, and then we went out to eat. I just got on a little while ago.

So - Cp - you think its funny that I had all those passes???? I carry one of those platics things around my neck that you can wear to the water parks. Only half of my passes and things would fit in there. I was in a constant state of confusion.

It was like carrying around a deck of playing cards!

Mr Oblivious had obvious struck, thanks to Shocker. And he certainly doesn't need any Xanax cause he is already chilled.

Yes, he had obviously struck!

So I will post a real update tomorrow. Sorry I didn't get one in tonight! Just didn't have it in me.

That's the way I felt last night!

 

[eandesmom]

Hi Folks.....

I was so lazy tonight, I didn't even do combined posts! Sorry. I just didn't feel like opening another window. I am wooooped. That drive to pick up my son was such a PITA. It was all back roads and traffic for two hours each way. He had a good time, but was in one of his cool teenager modes when I got there. I took three boys home and one has soooooo much stuff we barely got everthing in the car. I was sweating for a few minutes, but we made it! And as predicted, the only kid who made the call back camp from Delaware was the same kid who makes it every year. I am just dumbfounded because my son has played with this kid for two years and he is just not that great. He is fast, that's it. I don't understand how he gets called back every year. This is my son's first year doing ODP and I guess the call back team is pretty set. Oh well, sorry for the rant. It's just annoying.

So I will post a real update tomorrow. Sorry I didn't get one in tonight! Just didn't have it in me.

Rant away, you are allowed. I'm so sorry to hear your update. I'm sad for your DS but glad at least he had the ODP experience, that is huge. I understand how frustrating it all is. And, sadly, how political at times.

UGH on cool teenager modes!

 

[torsie24]

Thank you for such amazing updates and such wonderful photos!!!!

Eeee, I'm so excited for AKL!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Oh my goodness I am loving all of your AK pictures! I know too well the "it's my last day I must rush around and take pictures of everything" feeling. I appreciate your diligence in including the fitness room and bathroom! That bathroom is gorgeous. I saw the Sanaa bathroom pics on another thread and WOW!

at your description of the lady on the cell phone, Captain Oblivious and the emergency xanaax!

 

[BigDogHU75]

Love the updates & especially the pics of the pool. I am sure DS will love the slide. It is a combination of his two favorite things, water & and a slide. Looking forward to your next report.

 

[MEK]

It was like carrying around a deck of playing cards!

Oh CP - You are a hoot! That's exactly what it was like only most of them looked the same! uggghh!

Rant away, you are allowed. I'm so sorry to hear your update. I'm sad for your DS but glad at least he had the ODP experience, that is huge. I understand how frustrating it all is. And, sadly, how political at times.

UGH on cool teenager modes!

I think my DS is fine with it. He knows its all fixed. He said he had a really "chill" national ODP coach and he liked the guy a lot. The coadh put him in center D and said, " I know you want to move up, but I really need you back there". He also complimented him on having a good mental game. I'm not sure what his exact words were, so there were definately positives. My son has met a lot of good coaches over the last year and they all seem to really like him, so I hope the networking pays off.

Bu ugh, definately, on the cool teenager thing. He is much better today. We dropped my younger son off at soccer camp today and then the three of us went out to eat, so we had some good bonding time!

Thank you for such amazing updates and such wonderful photos!!!!

Eeee, I'm so excited for AKL!!

Hey Torsie,

I'm so glad you like the photos. I hope they help with your "fix" before you actually get there in person!

Oh my goodness I am loving all of your AK pictures! I know too well the "it's my last day I must rush around and take pictures of everything" feeling. I appreciate your diligence in including the fitness room and bathroom! That bathroom is gorgeous. I saw the Sanaa bathroom pics on another thread and WOW!

at your description of the lady on the cell phone, Captain Oblivious and the emergency xanaax!

Hey C,

I'm glad you like the pics. Since I spent three days in the fitness room I thought it was fitting that I take some pictures. And the bathroom....well that impressed me so much at the beginning of the trip that I had to go back and take a pic!

You know what - I never went in the Sanaa bathroom. Horrors - I missed something!

Love the updates & especially the pics of the pool. I am sure DS will love the slide. It is a combination of his two favorite things, water & and a slide. Looking forward to your next report.

Your DS will definately like the slide. Both slides got a big from LJ. I did not go on either. Last year I swear I got whiplash from the slide at Vero Beach , so now I am a big chicken.

 

[MEK]

I feel like I have been neglecting my TR this weekend, but I had a lot of running around to do. Yesterday, I picked up older DS at his ODP camp and today I drove younger DS to his high school soccer camp. Today's drive was much better. Actually we all went....to Washington college in Chestertown, Md. It was a nice, easy drive from my house. We decided to go over to Rock Hall, Md. and have crabs at the Waterman's House, a local place on the water. Well, as luck would have it, they ran out of crabs. And this was at 5pm. Bummer! So we had crab cake sandwiches, which I guess is the next best thing. That is one thing I love about living close to the Eastern Shore. We have crabs a couple times every summer. I like nothing better than to drink beer and pick crabs. For me, it is an event. Sort of like a marathon. I don't get up except to occasionally wash my hands or go the the bathroom. I have the patience of a saint when it comes to picking crabs.

So, despite the lack of crabs, DH, DS, and I still had fun. We tried a new beer (not DS). Something with an orange citrus flavor and we listened to this fabulous band. Seriously, they covered a wide spectrum of the 70's and 80's and they were fantastic musicians. The singer played flute, sax, and clarinet, plus drums. How often do you get to hear something like that? They never took a break the whole time we were there. I hated to leave.

So back to my neglected TR. Oh...but wait....I almost forgot one thing. In front of the restaurant was a pirate in a small ship, very reminiscent of POC. He was advertising Rock Hall's second annual Pirate and Wenches Party on august 8/9. How funny is that? I wish shocker was around now to give me an appropriate picture for that party. I really wish I had my camera, because it gave me a chuckle. It's funny, but when you are writing a TR, you tend to see a lot of things that remind you of Disney and could find a spot in your TR.

So when I left off last we learned that our rooms were ready at CSR. I texted the older boys who asked if we would pick them up lunch at the Mara and then drive down to get them. Sure.....2 double cheesebergers to go. I was a little leary about getting the zebra domes cause those suckers melt fast! Finally, we all piled in the car and headed to CSR.

So to conclude this portion of my trip, I thought it would be helpful to make a list of everything I loved about AKL and the things I didn't like. So here goes:

Things I loved
1. The general setup of both Jambo House and Kidani. This is the first time I stayed in a Disney hotel that is a deluxe hotel. I really liked the feel of how everything is connected.

2. The room furnishings, bedding, and amenities - top notch!

3. The Mara - I really enjoyed this CS restaurant. I liked the buzzer system, too.

4. The Pools - both were excellent. Its hard to pick a favorite, but I think I liked the theming of the Jambo pool a tad more. I know I appreciated the mature foliage.

5. The African music - I really miss this more than anything else. I loved hearing it everywhere.

6. The Savannah and the animals - so cool to see the animals up close and personal. Very amazing

7. The Cast members - no complaints whatsoever about customer service.

8. The cool artwork at Kidani. Really top notch.

(I will add to this list as I think of more things

What I didn't Love:

1. I wasn't crazy about the parking garage. It sort of kills the resort ambiance, even though the amount of time spent in the parking garage is minimal. I think they need to open the overflow parking lots to give more parking choices. I didn't care for having walk a distance to the room. This is one thing I like about the mods and SSR - up close parking.

2. The lack of counter service at Kidani - I found this particularly bothersome at breakfast when you want a quick pastry.

3. The lack of good outdoor running places. I am an outdoor runner and I like to look at pretty things when I run. I like to have nice paths to run on. I wish there were some designated paths to run on. But you can't have everything. The setup of the resort and the savannah does not lend itself to running paths.

4. The lack of a clear cut walking path to Jambo. The path just sort of ends and then you have to walk through the parking lot. As my coworker (who is an SSR owner) says: "The villas that were added to exisisting resorts always seem like an after thought to me". I don't know if I agree with this, but I see her point.

Arrival at CSR was uneventful. We were in Casitas 5 on the second floor. I couldn't remember our room numbers if my life depended on it. We had a view of the parking lot. As soon as we entered the rooms I felt very claustrophobic. The rooms were nice, but immediately all our luggage seemed to take over. LJ stayed with DH and I and the other boys had there own room. They were adjoining rooms and I honestly wished they weren't, but that's the rule. The kids reverted to 5 year olds and started opening and closing the doors, locking the doors, and taking all the bolster pillows off the bed to have a pillow fight. It was ridiculous that I had to discipline teenagers for this!

Here's a picture of LJ's yet to be demolished bed:

The flat screen TV:

And that's it ...yup, that's all the pictures I took of the room. LJ, DH, and I did decide to go to the pool. The teenagers all fell asleep. Here are some pics on the way to the pool. Note: I did find a boat to photograph....

The infamous CSR pool:

LJ is going to turn into a fish if he swims anymore today:

And that's all the pics I have from our arrival. I did have a drink from the bar. It was a fiest Mojito. probably no different from a regular Mojito. After I ordered the bartender proceeded to tell me how this was his least favorite drink to make because of all the prep time. Did I need to know that? No, cause he made me feel a little guilty for ordering it. I left him a decent tip and went back to find a spot were I could see LJ. Then I got nailed for drinking too close to the pool, but the seating choices were extremely limited. CSR was busy and the " laid back" feel of the AKL was sadly gone.

LJ declared this new slide a definate winner. Here is his review of the AKL slides:
Kidani: Longer, Slower
Jambo: Shorter, Faster
CSR: Longest, Fastest! So there you have it folks. CSR is the clear winner in the battle of the water slides.

Up Next.... Our evening in Epcot and the best dinner of the trip......and do you know where that was?????

 

[podsnel]

Soooo..NEXT year, when we have our Rehoboth DISmeet, we should go to Claws- they have all you can eat crabs, or crabs by the 1/2 or full dozen of different sizes. I LOVE to hammer and pick those suckers!!! I am very envious of the "crab thing" in MD- we have been lucky enough to have the joy (with our MD friends) of newspaper table cloths, beers and crabs a few times, and it is ALWAYS a good day!!

And I'm so happy to hear that teenage boys can wreck the room as fast as the younger boys. Oh. Joy.

And I miss AKV sooooo much looking at your pics! And guess what? I got to take pics of the Kidani fitness equipment when I was there because I have NO SHAME! I'm a DISmom!!!

 

[Charleston Princess]

I agree wholeheartedly with your list of things you loved about AKL! I miss that African music as well! I need speakers throughout my house that can play mood music all day long.

I love the refurbed rooms at CSR -- how pretty! Too bad about the boys acting like idiots though.

My kids loved the CSR pool -- I loved gazing at the pyramid while sipping a drink.

I hate when people try to make you feel guilty for making them do their job.

 

[Minnie]

Went back to find a spot were I could see LJ. Then I got nailed for drinking too close to the pool, but the seating choices were extremely limited. CSR was busy and the " laid back" feel of the AKL was sadly gone.

Up Next.... Our evening in Epcot and the best dinner of the trip......and do you know where that was?????

I've never heard of this rule before

Hmmm maybe the Coral Reef???? It is our fave - and I can't stand fish

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Holy cow! I was so busy the past week and had nooooo time to get on here. All caught up now and ready for the last few days! Hoping the Disney magic made up for the change from Kidani to CSR!!!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

The CSR rooms look really nice! Can't wait to hear where your best dinner was!

 

[SunnieRN]

]​

I know a few men like that!!

I think my DS is fine with it. He knows its all fixed. He said he had a really "chill" national ODP coach and he liked the guy a lot. The coadh put him in center D and said, " I know you want to move up, but I really need you back there". He also complimented him on having a good mental game. I'm not sure what his exact words were, so there were definately positives. My son has met a lot of good coaches over the last year and they all seem to really like him, so I hope the networking pays off.

It seems like sometimes coaches don't really take the time to evaluate the players, instead just going with who did well in the past, or who is popular. Glad your DS got some kudos as they sound well deserved!!!

I think our trip will still take place and I would love to swap itineraries!

I really liked the CSR grounds, the look and feel of the resort, but there were a few things I was disappointed with. Overall I thought it was nice though.

Your summations on AK were really helpful as I have been thinking about some of the same things. Why they wouldn't offer a cs location and they don't have a dedicated walking path between the two, just doesn't make sense to me?​

 

[TINKERIFIC]

I like the new rooms at CSR. We were there the dreaded week between Christimas and New Years in 2008. Our DD had a gymnastics competition at CSR, so we stayed there for convenience purposes. OMG, I do not think I will ever NEVER go to WDW at that point in time again....at least not to visit the parks. They were UNBELIEVEABLE!!! On the plus side, CSR was so empty and quiet. We were in the Cabanas...right in between the pool and bus stop, facing the small pond with the sand beach....great location. At the busiest time our bus stop had 7 people waiting. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. My DH did not like that room at all.......at that time the Cabanas had not been yet renovated.

 

[mickeysmyboy]

Getting caught up again after a few days away from Dis!

Great updates! I would have hated to have to leave Kidani! Just a little note for you, there is a play list of AKL music that you can download from itunes and put on your ipod or other MP3 player. I know this because Charleston Princess posted a link to it in BrookElizabeth's Tasty Planning Time with ZeBrook PTR! I have the WL music (another play list ) on my ipod, yes I'm a giant geek. I haven't gotten to downloading the AKL music yet but I will! I believe the website that has the lists is mousesavers.com.

Your too funny about the women at pool! That's just crazy! Who sits at a public pool at WDW and talks about that?! Your emergency Xanax comment made me laugh out loud!!!


Sorry CSR made you feel not as laid back! It's funny, that people either seem to love it or hate it there! I hope everything got better!