drusba
I went to Iowa once, and it was closed.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
- Messages
- 14,858
Just returned from WDW, Kidani, Jan 1-9, 2BR dedicated Sunset Savanna view:
1. Weather: At 9:30 yesterday morning I was still in the room and looked out the sliding doors to see what was the final defining event to this vacation: it was snowing. Been many times in January and never experienced such a long stretch of cold days, 20s at night, 30s most of morning, 40s part of the afternoon and then 30s again quickly after sunset. Only "warm" afternoon was Jan 7 when it got up to 55 (and quickly fell to 30s after sunset). When we finally left Kidani at 11 a.m., Jan 9, it was 33 degrees.
2. Christmas decorations: were all still up when we left. Usually they take down hotel decorations by the 4th and start taking down park ones by the 5th when Jan 1 is toward end of a week. If a CM is to be believed, the reason they were still up was the cold--most come down outside during the overnight hours and it was too cold for the workers.
3. Kidani pool/Maji: Can't tell you much about the pool and kids play area since the play area was not operating and no one went in the pool. Moreover, Maji pool bar, the place to get short order items, was closed the entire time due to the cold. The area looks nice but pool is fairly small -- about 140 ft long and 70 wide at widest point; slide is long and well-hidden from view.
4. Distances: we requested 2d fl close to the lobby and did on-line check-in; we got 4th fl, rm 7872, which is right near the end of the north wing far from the lobby; so much for getting requests. The north wing is the longer of the two (Pembe savanna is to the north of the north wing) and we soon learned what you need to get from lobby to room and room to lobby: a car. The distance from the lobby to the last rooms in the north wing is about 465 yards (greater than 1/4 mile). It takes about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes to walk it, longer if with small kids. If familiar with that "long" walk at BWV to its last rooms just multiply distance and time needed by 3. South wing, with one less building unit, is a little under 1/4 mile. Walk to Jambo is forever if you are at end of north wing but only 5 minutes if you leave from near end of south wing.
5. Parking: The under-building parking runs throughout the entire building and there are two elevators along each wing in addition to lobby area elevators (Rafiki and Pumba elevators in the north wing and Zazu and Timon in the south). Parking fairly close to elevators was easy to find any time of day and thus you can park within easy walking distance of your room. Note there is only one real entrance/exit to the under-building parking and it is in the south wing area when coming in.
6. Busses: no problems; no wait longer than 12 minutes and usual was under 10. Having two stops at AKL now slows trip somewhat but service puts Boardwalk's multiple resort bus system to shame. Cover/roof to bus area was completed. In morning, Jambo residents going to parks may experience limited seating with Kidani being first stop.
7. Room: very nice, decor/furniture similar to Jambo. Refrigerator was working fine (had seen some reporting problems earlier). Lighting is dim (like Jambo). Pull-out couch in living room is not very comfortable. The larger room size (2d only to OKW) is very noticeable and makes it even nicer. Internet hook-ups are in bedrooms not living room. Your wireless router from home will give you wireless access by just hooking it in to the ethernet hook-up in the room (no impact on it being free as system goes by room hook-up for determining whether to charge and wireless is just an extension of that room hook-up). Did not see as many animals this time as we had seen before at Jambo but don't know if that is because of location or because even the animals decided it was too cold to wander about.
8. Crowds: usually first few days of January are extremely crowded (have seen that many times). This year they were heavy but not impossible, example: last year Soarin' had a 3 to 3 1/2 hour stand-by line most of afternoon on Sunday. Jan 4; this year on Sunday, Jan 3 it was consistently only 50 minutes (and it is the ride that usually has the longest stand-by line of any at any of the parks). Parks were fairly tame by Monday, Jan 4. Marathon group started moving in Thurs, Jan 7 but as before it really did not "add" to the crowd -- it simply is much of the easily manageable crowd that comes at that time; example, latter part of afternoon Jan 8, Tower of Terror had a consistent 5 to 10 minute stand-by line.
9. Sanaa: very good upscale (like Jiko) restaurant. Room decor is excellent and tables are well-separated from each other so you do not have to worry about banging into someone when you get up to go. Had an appetizer sampler, a tomato with cheese soup, lamb, all very good.
10. Airline check-in: they have a computer off the lobby area for airline check-in and printing boarding pass but do it during day, the area it is in has no light at night and you can barely see the key-board as a result.
And Next year I have decided to book Disney's resort in Alaska, the same place I was this year.
1. Weather: At 9:30 yesterday morning I was still in the room and looked out the sliding doors to see what was the final defining event to this vacation: it was snowing. Been many times in January and never experienced such a long stretch of cold days, 20s at night, 30s most of morning, 40s part of the afternoon and then 30s again quickly after sunset. Only "warm" afternoon was Jan 7 when it got up to 55 (and quickly fell to 30s after sunset). When we finally left Kidani at 11 a.m., Jan 9, it was 33 degrees.
2. Christmas decorations: were all still up when we left. Usually they take down hotel decorations by the 4th and start taking down park ones by the 5th when Jan 1 is toward end of a week. If a CM is to be believed, the reason they were still up was the cold--most come down outside during the overnight hours and it was too cold for the workers.
3. Kidani pool/Maji: Can't tell you much about the pool and kids play area since the play area was not operating and no one went in the pool. Moreover, Maji pool bar, the place to get short order items, was closed the entire time due to the cold. The area looks nice but pool is fairly small -- about 140 ft long and 70 wide at widest point; slide is long and well-hidden from view.
4. Distances: we requested 2d fl close to the lobby and did on-line check-in; we got 4th fl, rm 7872, which is right near the end of the north wing far from the lobby; so much for getting requests. The north wing is the longer of the two (Pembe savanna is to the north of the north wing) and we soon learned what you need to get from lobby to room and room to lobby: a car. The distance from the lobby to the last rooms in the north wing is about 465 yards (greater than 1/4 mile). It takes about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes to walk it, longer if with small kids. If familiar with that "long" walk at BWV to its last rooms just multiply distance and time needed by 3. South wing, with one less building unit, is a little under 1/4 mile. Walk to Jambo is forever if you are at end of north wing but only 5 minutes if you leave from near end of south wing.
5. Parking: The under-building parking runs throughout the entire building and there are two elevators along each wing in addition to lobby area elevators (Rafiki and Pumba elevators in the north wing and Zazu and Timon in the south). Parking fairly close to elevators was easy to find any time of day and thus you can park within easy walking distance of your room. Note there is only one real entrance/exit to the under-building parking and it is in the south wing area when coming in.
6. Busses: no problems; no wait longer than 12 minutes and usual was under 10. Having two stops at AKL now slows trip somewhat but service puts Boardwalk's multiple resort bus system to shame. Cover/roof to bus area was completed. In morning, Jambo residents going to parks may experience limited seating with Kidani being first stop.
7. Room: very nice, decor/furniture similar to Jambo. Refrigerator was working fine (had seen some reporting problems earlier). Lighting is dim (like Jambo). Pull-out couch in living room is not very comfortable. The larger room size (2d only to OKW) is very noticeable and makes it even nicer. Internet hook-ups are in bedrooms not living room. Your wireless router from home will give you wireless access by just hooking it in to the ethernet hook-up in the room (no impact on it being free as system goes by room hook-up for determining whether to charge and wireless is just an extension of that room hook-up). Did not see as many animals this time as we had seen before at Jambo but don't know if that is because of location or because even the animals decided it was too cold to wander about.
8. Crowds: usually first few days of January are extremely crowded (have seen that many times). This year they were heavy but not impossible, example: last year Soarin' had a 3 to 3 1/2 hour stand-by line most of afternoon on Sunday. Jan 4; this year on Sunday, Jan 3 it was consistently only 50 minutes (and it is the ride that usually has the longest stand-by line of any at any of the parks). Parks were fairly tame by Monday, Jan 4. Marathon group started moving in Thurs, Jan 7 but as before it really did not "add" to the crowd -- it simply is much of the easily manageable crowd that comes at that time; example, latter part of afternoon Jan 8, Tower of Terror had a consistent 5 to 10 minute stand-by line.
9. Sanaa: very good upscale (like Jiko) restaurant. Room decor is excellent and tables are well-separated from each other so you do not have to worry about banging into someone when you get up to go. Had an appetizer sampler, a tomato with cheese soup, lamb, all very good.
10. Airline check-in: they have a computer off the lobby area for airline check-in and printing boarding pass but do it during day, the area it is in has no light at night and you can barely see the key-board as a result.
And Next year I have decided to book Disney's resort in Alaska, the same place I was this year.
