Kidani Village or Jambo House

[jformica]

We're about to book our trip for spring break and I am wrestling with whether we book a standard studio with standard view at Kidani Village or Jambo House. We've never stayed at AK before but we have visited about 3 times (ate dinner there, lunch, etc) most recently yesterday. We visited the pool area at Kidani. For me the pro's of staying at Jambo is the size and splendor of the main lodge (not to mention its a tad bit closer to civilization). Also, there are more dining options, the store is larger and there is more to do. Kidani seems very nice but we its seems a bit smaller and quieter.

Any feedback on which one we should book?

 

[DeanDoug]

This is a hot topic!
It all depends on what you are looking for. The rooms in Kidani are larger than Jambo... but you are right, it is a bit more out of the way. No counter service, or breakfast. The splash area of the pool, however, is amazing.

It all depends on what you need- more space or more amenities?

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Hi! I stayed at Kidani this past August.

Here is my trip report: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2975354

While it was a great resort, not having the QS right in front of you was inconvenient. Kidani has the better pool and animal viewing spots though.

Any other questions please ask!

Good Luck planning!!!

-FantasiaMagic

 

[Mom2six]

Is parking at Kidani convenient? If we stay at Kidani, we might consider driving over to Jambo for QS. Or we could stay at Jambo and drive over to the Kidani pool? How frequently do buses come and do you often see people in bathing suits coming from the pools. I think I would feel weird taking a bus from the pool.

 

[jamelynn24]

How many kids? We stayed in a 2-bed in Jambo in 2008 and liked it but we stayed in the 'studio' with our 3 kids (ages 2, 4 and 6) while my parents stayed in the room with the king bed.
Last month we stayed at Kidani (kids now 6, 8 and 10). We stayed in the king bedroom, kids stayed in the family room and my parents stayed in the studio room.
I liked them both for different reasons. Everyone seems to love the pool at Kidani, but we didn't. Liked Jambo's pool better! Jambo has the bigger gift shop and food court, but there is a shuttle that runs between Jambo and Kidani and we never waited more than 5 min for it.
The 3rd bathroom in Kidani is the biggest thing for our family. It was so nice to have the extra shower and bathroom for the kids!! So if we stay there again, we'd definitely stay in Kidani!
We wrestled with this same choice a few months ago and were very happy with our choice of Kidani. It really just depends on the amenities that you want in the room/resort.
Good luck!!

 

[sb127]

If you are doing a standard studio, I would prefer Jambo because all of the standard rooms are close to the lobby and overlook the pool. Close proximity to Mara and the bus stop make it very convenient. However, if you have a one bedroom I prefer Kidani because of the extra bathroom. The buses are a little bit better at Kidani because they are the first stop and you always get a seat. The shuttle that runs between Jambo and Kidani is very nice but if you have a wet suit you might want to take extra towels for the seats as they are fabric. It really depends on how much you use the counter service and whether you want to be close to the lobby and pool.

 

[mkymouse4ever]

We stayed March 2011, at Kidani. And although we loved the savannah view and our 1 bdr villa, great parking under building, & and pool area > > the resturant problem is a major problem. We didn't even like the room service offerings. Believe us, I would definately next time do Jambo house.

Any questions happy to help. mky

 

[rentayenta]

Just had to make the same decision. We went with Kidani. They're 6 in our party, 3 of which are teenage girls. That 3rd bathroom beats out a closer CS any day. I can handle a 5 minute walk better than I can sharing a bathroom ;-)

 

[ALMomof2]

Is parking at Kidani convenient? If we stay at Kidani, we might consider driving over to Jambo for QS. Or we could stay at Jambo and drive over to the Kidani pool? How frequently do buses come and do you often see people in bathing suits coming from the pools. I think I would feel weird taking a bus from the pool.

bump