Kidani Village Questions!!!

[Polynesian27]

My wife and I and our 1 year 4 month old son are planning a trip for this coming July or Aug for 1 week in a 1 bedroom. My mother-in-law is now joining us for the trip which we are both excited about, but is the reason we have to look for a 1 bedroom besides a studio. We need 2 bathrooms so our choices are limit with only BLT and AKV(Kidani), however we are looking at renting points and it seems like the BLT is booked solid. Can you guys help me answer some question about Kidani?!! I know this is a lot so please don't think you have to answer all my questions LOL!!

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

 

[Polynesian27]

Can you explain what you mean by intresting?

 

[JKMJ441724]

My wife and I and our 1 year 4 month old son are planning a trip for this coming July or Aug for 1 week in a 1 bedroom. My mother-in-law is now joining us for the trip which we are both excited about, but is the reason we have to look for a 1 bedroom besides a studio. We need 2 bathrooms so our choices are limit with only BLT and AKV(Kidani), however we are looking at renting points and it seems like the BLT is booked solid. Can you guys help me answer some question about Kidani?!! I know this is a lot so please don't think you have to answer all my questions LOL!!

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

1. We always drive, so yes, I feel like it's a long way to the parks, but not BAD.

2. I have never walked to the food court because I feel like it is too long of a walk, we have driven over a couple of times.

3. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Kidani kids spash zone. If I can find them real quick, I'll come back and post some pictures.

4. I like having a Savannah view room and if I thought this would be my only time staying at AKL I would spring for that view. We are staying there when school gets out this summer and only opted for a standard view. We don't spend a lot of time in our room, but with a child the age of yours, you may be back for naps, so being able to sit on the balcony while the baby sleeps would be nice in my opinion. I don't recall having any strong feelings about the smell. I'm sure there is a smell, but I don't remember it being a big deal....

5. Don't know.

6. Yes. At the gift shop.

7. (A) Parking garage, (B)

8. (A) no food (except by the pool), (b) all the "big" activities are at Jambo House - night vision goggles, etc. (c)

Can't get to my pictures here at the office but here's a link to lots of pictures - hope it lets me post it! http://allears.net/acc/g_kidani.htm This is for a bunch of pictures of the resort.

Here are the specific ones for the splash area:

http://allears.net/acc/kidani/kida09a73.jpg

http://allears.net/acc/kidani/kida09a75.jpg

http://allears.net/acc/kidani/kida09a79.jpg

http://allears.net/acc/kidani/kida09a80.jpg

http://allears.net/acc/kidani/kida09c17.jpg

 

[Polynesian27]

Thanks so much, the pictures of the splash zone would be great!

 

[JKMJ441724]

Thanks so much, the pictures of the splash zone would be great!

I edited my post to add some links for pictures.

 

[Polynesian27]

Thanks so much, it is very helpful!

 

[Hooked On The Mouse]

Yes, we feel that the savannah view room is worth it. There is no noticeable stink whatsoever. I think the walk from Kidani to AKL is about 10 minutes; it's not a "nice" walk imo, but it's okay. When we stayed at Kidani this January there was a shuttle van running from Kidani to Jambo and back; we took it to eat at Boma, but I don't know if it is running all the time or not. When we have used Disney transportation we have never noticed the ride to any of the parks as being terribly long. We have stayed at both Kidani and Jambo, and for our young children, we prefer the Kidani pool area because of the splash play area. If I remember correctly, the bed in the 1 bedroom is a king? Pretty sure. Biggest PROs: the animals and theming, the 2 bathrooms instead of 1, parking under the building (we always have a vehicle, but I appreciate that may not be a big deal to others). Biggest CONs: lobby is on a less grand scale than Jambo, the store is pretty small (but we're shopping all day, so not that big a deal), and that's really it for us for cons.

 

[RachelTori]

To answer #5, the 1-bedroom has a King bed in the master. The master bath is HUGE and the 2nd bathroom is a nice size! Washer/Dryer is very nice also!

 

[Sammie]

The walk is not horrible but far enough to be inconvenient especially if the weather is not nice, you have to go outside and through the parking lot, so is the walk nice, not really.

There is a shuttle that runs back and forth but again not very convenient.

 

[chalee94]

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

the park buses stop first at kidani and then at jambo house (AKL), so that means kidani guests have first crack at the seats and get back to their rooms first.

and those park buses would also function as a shuttle to AKL if you want to use them that way.

OTOH, DTD buses stop first at AKL and then at kidani...so use them for the trip back if needed.

other than the stop at AKL, park buses go directly to the parks (i think AK buses may also hit blizzard beach or something). but MK does feel like it's a long way away...it's just a trade-off.

 

[nelsonkg]

The look on our two yr olds face every time he looked out and saw those amazing creatures Priceless I would book Savana
The pool is great zero entry is a huge plus for a toddler!
I have to admit lack of counter service combined with the remoteness of the resort was a drag with young children. I would suggest getting grocery delivery from GG to help with this and I would rent a car. I did not find using Jambo a realistic option with a young child.
Pluses: The animals, restaurants and staff all wonderful. It's a beautiful exotic place
Minuses:LACK of counter service and small store, remote local (unless you like that) and I really missed having nice walking paths/areas that exist at most other resorts.

 

[stormer]

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....I don't know what everyone complains about. We always drive and it is just a few extra minutes in the car. No big deal.

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice? We usually take the shuttle. There is a van that just goes back and forth between the two buildings all day. It holds about ten people. We never waited more than a few minutes for it.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers? Kidani has a splash area that is perfect ofr little kids. He will love it.


4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?
We got a savannah view once. It was absolutely amazing. Breakfast on the balcony watching the giraffes was great. I wish we could do it everytime, but we don't have that many points so we usually get standard view. We spend a lot of time down by the lobby where you can just sit and watch the animals.

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen? King

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani? We don't get the mugs, but I think you can fill it at the pool.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?
Love the animals, the pool, and the extra bedroom.

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani? Haven't found any yet

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

My wife and I and our 1 year 4 month old son are planning a trip for this coming July or Aug for 1 week in a 1 bedroom. My mother-in-law is now joining us for the trip which we are both excited about, but is the reason we have to look for a 1 bedroom besides a studio. We need 2 bathrooms so our choices are limit with only BLT and AKV(Kidani), however we are looking at renting points and it seems like the BLT is booked solid. Can you guys help me answer some question about Kidani?!! I know this is a lot so please don't think you have to answer all my questions LOL!!

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

I for one love the Animal Kingdom Lodge!! We have stayed at Jambo house in the past and will stay atnKidani village for the first time in June! Very excited!!!

1. The bus ride to and from the parks is not bad at all. No more then 20 minutes tops. The longest ride is probably to downtown Disney. The the bright side, Kidani is the first pick up and drop. So you are likely to alway get a seat on the bus.

2. Mara is located in Jambo house and is a short. 5 minute walk. There is also an internal shuttle that takes you between the two. You can also hop on any bus at Kidani as it will take you to Kidani.

3. You can use both pools, but I think the splash area at Kidani will he a huge hit for you little one!!

4. Definitely worth the view!!! Words can't describe the feeling of sitting on your balcony and seeing the animals. I loved drinking my coffee on the balcony in the morning and just watching the animals roam. This year in an effort to save some cash we opted for a standard view. And now I'm wishing I booked the savannah view, but oh we'll there are plenty of viewing areas around the resort.

5. Think the bed is a king.

6. Yes you can refill your mugs in Johari treasures gift shop. There is a refill station there.

7. Can't answer b/c I haven't stayed there yet

8. Can't answer this one either.

 

[SRiley1985]

My wife and I and our 1 year 4 month old son are planning a trip for this coming July or Aug for 1 week in a 1 bedroom. My mother-in-law is now joining us for the trip which we are both excited about, but is the reason we have to look for a 1 bedroom besides a studio. We need 2 bathrooms so our choices are limit with only BLT and AKV(Kidani), however we are looking at renting points and it seems like the BLT is booked solid. Can you guys help me answer some question about Kidani?!! I know this is a lot so please don't think you have to answer all my questions LOL!!

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....We didn't really think the distance was that bad except it seemed like Magic Kingdom took about 25 minutes but all in all, it was not a big deal. Kidani picks up first for all the parks, but Jambo is first for Downtown Disney. It was nice always having a seat on the bus

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice? It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk to Jambo House. I would just hop the first park bus and get off at Jambo House. That is what we did when we stayed at Kidani in September.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers? My son was 20 months old and he loved the splash areas, the playground and the pool at Kidani. There is a little slide (3ft long maybe?) in the main pool that he loved to go down. I would help him go down at the top and Dh would catch him before he hit the water. Mason did it about a million times during our stay LOL!

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?
We got the standard view because there are so many places to view the animals around the resort. Kidani also has the night vision goggles to view animals in the evening, which the older kids and myself though was cool.
5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen? King! It was great. I missed that bed after I came home to my little queen LOL!

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani? Yep! You can refill it in the gift shop.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani? Nice, new feeling rooms, great pool area and love the extra bathroom!

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

Feels further from the parks than other resorts(this is kind of a pro for me though, it felt like 2 vacations in 1), no "true" QS at Kidani, and umm...there isn't anything else. We loved it there and we will definitely be buying at Kidani (we rent points for now) when I get out of nursing school.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

My wife and I and our 1 year 4 month old son are planning a trip for this coming July or Aug for 1 week in a 1 bedroom. My mother-in-law is now joining us for the trip which we are both excited about, but is the reason we have to look for a 1 bedroom besides a studio. We need 2 bathrooms so our choices are limit with only BLT and AKV(Kidani), however we are looking at renting points and it seems like the BLT is booked solid. Can you guys help me answer some question about Kidani?!! I know this is a lot so please don't think you have to answer all my questions LOL!!

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

I didn't find the bus ride long, unless you are comparing it to being on the monorail line.

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

It is about a 5 minutes walk to Jambo. I actually walked thru Kidani till the end, then exited for the remainder to Jambo to stay in the A/C.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?

My son was just turning 6 months old when we went last spring, and I preferred the Kidani pool. We did go to Jambo for one afternoon to eat at Mara, check out Jambo and use the pool there. I found it much more crowded even though it was larger. I did enjoy spending an afternoon there, but otherwise was happy being at Kidani.

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?
I didn't want to pay the extra for the Savannah view because we were also planning a trip to the Beach Club six months later. If you have the extra money it's of course a special treat. My son was really so young he didn't care, I'd rather save that for when he is a little older. You can easily see the animals in Kidani in the viewing areas.

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?
Don't know, stayed in a studio.
6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?
Yes, right in the gift shop. I luckily had requested a room not far from the lobby, so it was an easy trip for a refill.
7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

A few other things, I ordered some breakfast food, snacks and babyfood (he had just started eating) from gardengrocer. I did NOT miss not having a counter service at all, we had most meals planned for and it was fine having some food available in the room otherwise. I also ordered in room service from Sanaa one evening, as well as ate in their lounge one evening with my son sleeping in his stroller. It was not loud for him, and he slept just fine. I didn't have to worry about being in the restaurant with the stroller, and found it nice to just hang out on the sofa having a bite to eat and a glass of wine.

That might also be a nice option one evening if your mil watches your son while he sleeps and you and your wife run down to the lounge. No reservations necessary, so the timing is flexible depending on when your baby goes to sleep/needs feeding.

They had a bonfire or whatever it is called outside which was nice in the evening.

One evening we watched a movie by the pool at Kidani. It was actually my favorite evening, my son had never seen a movie and just seemed to like watching the screen and it was relaxing and sweet to just lie on the loungers with him. Another family had brought food and was having a late dinner at a table next to the loungers watching the movie.

I personally did not find the walk long at all. I live in NYC and am used to walking. Same when I have stayed in a DTD hotel, I don't find the walk to DTD long at all, but others would never consider walking that distance. If you drive anywhere and everywhere and are not used to walking, you may find it far.

 

[Debrn]

Loved Kidani, and We preferred it to Jambo. The shuttle to Jambo was great we never had to wait. I would definitely recommend savana view. Kids loved it. The bus was great never waited long. I usually stay Epcot or Monorail resorts and would not hesitate to sty here again.

 

[goopysolelady]

Kidani pool area:

I was not a huge fan of Kidani; long bus rides; I really missed the QS; long, LONG walks down the hallway. Spring break trip last year was a spur of the moment one and it was all that was available. It was okay but I really, REALLY loved Bay Lake Tower. Have you considered the Villas at the WL? Really liked staying there too...so peaceful and such a beautiful resort!

 

[Sparkly]

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

We didn't use the Disney buses, but we went to Epcot the morning of checkout and it wasn't more then a 15-20 minute drive by car.

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

Quite long, but there's a shuttle to Jambo House where the QS is. Bit inconvenient though.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?

There's a zero entry area and a splash area which looked great for little ones.

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?

Oh goodness yes. We LOVED watching the animals! It doesn't smell at all.

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?

We stayed in a studio, so can't answer this.

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?

Can't answer this as we were only there for a night.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

It's a beautiful resort, really relaxing and waking up and looking out the balcony door to see giraffe is awesome!

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

Long walk to the lobby, no QS right there and feels a bit far out on Disney property.

 

[LeahA]

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....

I DIDN'T FEEL ANY PARK WAS THAT FAR AWAY/WHEN STAYING AT ANY RESORT WITH BUS SERVICE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE 1 PARK THAT THE DRIVE IS A LITTLE LONGER

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?

FUNNY, WE HAD FOOD IN OUR VILLA SO REALLY DIDN'T NEED THE QUICK SERVICE, WE FILLED OUR MUGS BY THE POOL OR IN THE GIFT SHOP
THE WALK ISN'T THAT BAD TO JAMBO, YOU CAN ALSO TAKE THE BUS OR ONE TIME A CM DROVE US OVER IN A GOLF CART

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy?

Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?
BOTH POOLS ARE VERY NICE BUT KIDANI HAS A BETTER POOL FOR LITTLE KIDS, THEY HAVE A GREAT PLAY AREA

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?

NO IT DOES NOT STINK BUT IT IS NOT REALLY WORTH IT, IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO DO IT ONE TIME, GREAT, BUT THE ANIMALS ARE NOT THERE 24/7 SO DEPENDING ON WHEN YOUR IN YOUR ROOM, YOU MIGHT NOT BE THAT IMPRESSED, WE HAVE HAD A NICE POOL VIEW AT JAMBO, AND A STANDARD VIEW AT KIDANI AS WELL AND WERE HAPPY WITH BOTH VIEWS

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?

THE BED IS A KING BED IN THE 1 BEDROOM

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?

GIFT SHOP OR POOL

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?

THE POOL, KIDANI SEEMS A LITTLE QUIETER NOT AS MUCH HUSTLE AND BUSTLE (ALOT MORE PEOPLE HEAD TO JAMBO FOR BOMA AND JIKO), SANAA-
(I LOVE SANNA!)

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?

IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL, STAY AT JAMBO, IF YOU WANT TO BE A BIT REMOVED, TRY KIDANI, WE LIKE BOTH SIDES BUT LOVE KIDANI BETTER!

 

[Brave teacher]

Several people have provided you with their point of view already, so I thought I would add my two cents as well.

1. I hear complaints about the distance to all the parks (beside AK of course), is it really a long trip? Are there stops along the way (AKL first then AKV?)....
We are early risers for the parks in the morning. We have never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus to the park. After a quick stop at Jambo House, the longest ride (to the MK) was 20ish minutes. It never seemed to be a ride that seemed to take forever. We have always thought it to be pleasant.

2. My wife says that QS is a must, how long of a walk is it from Kidani to the Quick Service/Food Court at AKL? Is the walk nice?
Every morning during our stay at Kidani I am the first to wake up and get ready. As everyone else starts moving to get ready, I leave my room to walk over to Mara at Jambo House for a Chocolate Chip Croissant to eat for breakfast (love those things). We have always requested a lower floor close to the lobby and have always been placed in the same area...one of the first rooms to the right of the lobby and up one floor. I walk down the hall to the very last elevator (Zazu) and walk the remainder of the way outside. I timed myself one morning...to Mara, got my pastry, and back into the room took me 17 minutes total. Not bad. It may be longer with a child in tow, but I wasn't exactly sprinting to get there either.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers?
Staying at Jambo for the first time in May, so can't compare except for the visual comparison. Kidani pool is fantastic. My boys (6 &10) love that pool! My youngest DS was 3 for his first stay there. I couldn't get him our of the splash area or off the little kids' slide. Zero entry ...lots of splash and spray going on.

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?
What's funny is that my biggest concern before staying there was whether or not it would smell like the zoo. It does not. When I think of what it smells like I begin to feel warm and cozy inside...nothing to worry about here. My boys have an automatic alarm clock when we are at Kidani. It only takes one of us to say there is a zebra/giraffe/wildebeast, etc. outside and they pop out of bed in amazement. Absolutely worth the cost.

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen?
King

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani?
There are mug refill stations at both the gift shop Johari Treasures in the lobby and at the pool.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?
I love the my vacation to WDW seems so separate from the resort. Many people feel it is too isolated, but that's what makes it work. You would not have an authentic feel of an African savannah if you could see the castle from the rooms. Having 2 bathrooms is fantastic! One for the boys and one for the parents. Love the pool! Can't go wrong with that....Community Hall is also one of my boys' favorites as well.

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?
I have none! There is not a thing I don't like about Kidani. I am a DVC member, and this is my home resort. As a family, it feels like home to us, and we truly miss it when we are not there. Nothing about the resort would cause me hesitation to suggest it to anyone for a vacation.