Kidani Room Request Question

[carlbarry]

My waitlist for Kidani has come through for early December. I now will be 5 days there, and then 5 days at Jambo (my 4th stay there, and also waitlisted to replace Kidani).
I've never stayed at Kidani before, and I have 2 questions, which I know are subjective, but I'd still appreciate some input:
1. Lower floor or higher floor? 5th floor at Jambo is nice, but will a low floor at Kidani bring me closer to the animals, or just a more limited view?
2. Near elevator or near lobby? I will have a car, and I understand that you can park near the elevator and be closer to your room. Is this a good benefit over "near lobby"?
Thanks!

 

[disneynutz]

I would go with lower floor, sunset savanna.

If you are driving daily, near elevator is easy or close to lobby if you like hanging out there.

Bill

 

[drusba]

My waitlist for Kidani has come through for early December. I now will be 5 days there, and then 5 days at Jambo (my 4th stay there, and also waitlisted to replace Kidani).
I've never stayed at Kidani before, and I have 2 questions, which I know are subjective, but I'd still appreciate some input:
1. Lower floor or higher floor? 5th floor at Jambo is nice, but will a low floor at Kidani bring me closer to the animals, or just a more limited view?
2. Near elevator or near lobby? I will have a car, and I understand that you can park near the elevator and be closer to your room. Is this a good benefit over "near lobby"?
Thanks!

You should make any requests through MS and not use the request page in the online check-in pages:

1. We believe either low or high floor is fine and thus usually do not waste a request on it. Low gives more direct and thus "closer" view of animals, high more panoramic.

2. Neither. There are three sets of elevators along each of the two wings at Kidani, with the result that a "near elevator" request, without identifying the particular elevator, can be met by putting you anywhere in the building. Also, because of extreme length of the two wings, and because "near lobby" is a request that can be made even by cash paying guests with online check-in, "near lobby" has become the request most made and most not given. And when they cannot meet a location request, they just stick you anywhere that is open with the result that many who request near lobby end up as far from the lobby as you can possibly get.

Consider one of the following four location requests to avoid the extreme distances (up to 1/3 mile) from lobby to room: (a) "near community hall" which would put you on the south wing fairly close to the lobby, near the bus station, and automatically on the Sunset Savanna, which has giraffes (Pembe, the other smaller savanna, does not); (b) "near the Timon elevator," which would also put on the south wing on the Sunset Savanna, near the door that leads directly to bus station, and just somewhat further from the lobby than near community hall; (c) "near pool" which would put you on the north wing running anywhere from close to the lobby to not too far from the lobby, but any north wing request should also add Sunset Savanna as a request if you want to see giraffes because there is a chance you could get Pembe savanna with a near pool request; (d) "near the Rafiki elevator" which would also put you on the north wing near the pool, but down that elevator to ground/parking lot floor gives you shortest possible walk from the buidling to a gate to the pool, and also request Suinset savanna for giraffes.

 

[LisaS]

I would go with lower floor, sunset savanna.

If you are driving daily, near elevator is easy or close to lobby if you like hanging out there.

Bill

I agree with your requests but I would put them in the opposite order: Sunset Savanna first then low floor. We enjoy watching giraffes and zebras and they do not have either of those on the Pembe Savanna at Kidani. Pembe has some unique animals (okapi, red river hogs) but I really would miss the giraffes so we always make Sunset Savanna our primary request. We prefer being as close to the animals as possible so our second request is always low floor.

We don't request to be near the lobby or near an elevator. I prefer a Sunset Savanna view on a low floor even if it means walking a long way to get to the lobby, buses or the pool. Rooms near an elevator or near the lobby can be noisier (more hallway traffic).

 

[carlbarry]

Thanks for the suggestions.
However, the drop down window for room requests no longer lists choice of savanna. This is true for both Kidani and Jambo.
The only things on the Kidani drop down menu are upper floor, lower floor, near lobby, near elevator, near transportation.

 

[BobNed]

Thanks for the suggestions.
However, the drop down window for room requests no longer lists choice of savanna. This is true for both Kidani and Jambo.
The only things on the Kidani drop down menu are upper floor, lower floor, near lobby, near elevator, near transportation.

That's exactly why you should contact Member Services for your requests. Best way is to contact them via e-mail using the "Contact Us" link on Web site.

 

[disneynutz]

I agree with your requests but I would put them in the opposite order: Sunset Savanna first then low floor. We enjoy watching giraffes and zebras and they do not have either of those on the Pembe Savanna at Kidani. Pembe has some unique animals (okapi, red river hogs) but I really would miss the giraffes so we always make Sunset Savanna our primary request. We prefer being as close to the animals as possible so our second request is always low floor.

We don't request to be near the lobby or near an elevator. I prefer a Sunset Savanna view on a low floor even if it means walking a long way to get to the lobby, buses or the pool. Rooms near an elevator or near the lobby can be noisier (more hallway traffic).

Good points, thank you!

Bill