Kidani Village Questions!!!

[Sammie]

The thing with the walk to Jambo for QS is a good bit of distance can be getting from your room.

If you are get a room on the end of the hall to the left of the lobby it can be a good walk to get off the Kidani property before you even get to Jambo.

To me the lack of QS is the greatest con to Kidani and I wish the pool was larger.

 

[RunningWithScissors]

A walk down memory lane!! Thanks for taking me back to Kidani! Here is my $.02.

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 were there in Oct 2010 for fall break and didn't find the wait for the bus or the length of time it took to get from place to place to be that long. Like another poster said, 20 minutes was probably tops. We knew from the get-go that we were a little farther out and were okay with it.

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? The walk isn't bad at all. From the lobby of Kidani, it is probably about a 3 minute walk to Jambo. Like someone else said, you can use the exit at the far right of Kidani to get closer to Jambo. Great if it is hot or cold outside. Our villa was actually the second from the very end of the right wing of Kidani. However, for us, we had to walk to the entrance every time we left because there was construction going on for the Kidani bus stop.

3.Is the pool at AKV Kidani a good place to splash around for my little guy? Are the Jambo pools better for toddlers? Wonderful, less crowded, zero entry with splash pad. We only used it once, but it was fantastic.

4. Is the Savannah view really worth it and does it stink lol?!?Disney takes great care of the savannahs. We never experienced any odor at all. We had a 2BD Savannah view and could wake up every morning and see giraffes right off of our balcony. We were on the 3rd level and had the PERFECT view!! It was worth every DVC point but the kids in our traveling party (my family and my sister's family) were DS8 (x2), DS9, DS10, DD13 and DD4 months. Of course, she didn't care where we stayed!

5. Is the bed in the 1 Bedroom a King or Queen? There was a King bed in our master and I believe that all villas have Kings in the "master."

6. Is there a place to refill your resort mug at Kidani? Yes, in the gift shop and the pool area.

7. What are your top 3 biggest PROs of Kidani?Without a doubt, the design of this resort is amazing. The safari theme is awesome, the decor is beautiful, the art work is great. It is quiet and calm. My favorite thing was the fire pit off the main entrance/lobby where you could sit in these huge rockers and enjoy the savannah, a nice cocktail and some relaxation.

8. What are your top 3 biggest CONs of Kidani?There were no real "cons" to me. I guess the distance would be the closest thing to a con, but seriously, the ambiance and themeing (is that a word? haha) of this resort made up for that!!

 

[jojomoore]

Hi,

My family stayed at Kindani in 2009.

In 2009 the attributes that I view as Pros are
1. quiet
2. Lobby and rooms were clean, warm and elegantly appointed.
3. Fairly small resort
4. First stop on the bus route before Jambo
5. Nice pool and kids play area.

Cons are
1 NO QUICKSERVICE. A few times we found ourselves tired, but needed to walk or drive to Jambo for food. Mara food is OK. You can take the bus or I have read that there is a van that goes between resorts.

2. AKL or AKV is not in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot area so it is away from these areas. However, AKV has its own atmosphere and charm - just not as dynamic. And to me the bus routes at AKL and AKV were easier than staying in the Epcot area and very simple. Just walk out the front door, hop on the bus, and arrive at the front door to many parks. The bus stops first at Kindani, second at Jambo, and then directly to park. Except DTD. Its reverse. The only time we waited for a bus for more than 5 minutes was DTD. But this is typical for most resorts.

3. Even though we felt like Kindani was better in most ways(more exclusive) we found ourselves going to Jambo for several things. If you rent points, you may be able to stay at Jambo if there is availability. Fourth and 5th floors at Jambo are DVC rooms.

There was no bad smell when we stayed in November. Kindani actually smelled divine. I'm not sure what they used in the elevators and in lobby but it was lovely.

The Savannahs were very peaceful. Pictures do no do it justice. We did not have a Savannah view but I think the experience at Kindani would be greatly enhanced with a Savannah view. There are plenty of viewing areas at KIndani and Jambo however. From some disers accounts ,some Savannah views at Jambo are better than others at jambo.


Kindani does have its own front desk.

Both resorts have daily activities. You may want to check out aklresort.com.

My family loved AKL and AKV. I stayed at BC in 2010 and loved it but if you ask my family they would choose AKV or AKL over BC.

We really enjoyed Boma breakfast but didn't care for the flavorings of food at Jiko.

 

[Polynesian27]

Such wonderful posts!! Thank you so much!

Does anybody know if the shuttle from Kidani to Jambo is safe for me to hold my 1 year old on my lap, or is there an age limit?

Also, is there room service at Kidani, can you use DDP? Thanks!

 

[kalliyan1]

Does the Jambo 1bdrms also have 2 bathrooms?

 

[Sammie]

Does the Jambo 1bdrms also have 2 bathrooms?

No

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Such wonderful posts!! Thank you so much!

Does anybody know if the shuttle from Kidani to Jambo is safe for me to hold my 1 year old on my lap, or is there an age limit?

Also, is there room service at Kidani, can you use DDP? Thanks!

I ordered room service at Kidani (food is from Sanaa I think), I don't do the dining plan anymore though so no idea about that.