Nervous about Kidani now....

[utahkennedys]

We are doing a split stay starting on 4/22 and chose Kidani even though we had the option of Jambo in a 1BR Savannah view. Now I am nervous after reading some pretty bad reviews on TripAdvisor. Should I try to switch? I just barely made the ressie a few day ago. I initially chose Kidani because generally we prefer a quieter feel, but then I read people prefer Jambo for access to restaurants, a better pool etc. and I am hoping we didn't make a mistake. Please tell me the things you LOVE about Kidani?

 

[fieldsmommy]

Kidani is a much more "relaxed" environment with a wonderful pool. My kids loved the swimming area! It is not so fast paced like Jambo. The only problem I ever had with it, is the eating options. There is a small pool bar that serves food, it just isn't on the meal plan. I don't think you'll regret it!

 

[SINK]

I had a one bedroom savanah view in the Jambo House back in Feb 2011, and saw NADA animals from my room.

 

[jmatias]

Our family loves Kidani. We enjoy the pool, workout room, community center, and seeing the animals on the savannah. Also, enjoy eating at Sanaa.

We have walked a couple of time over to Jambo house and thought it wasn't a big deal.....and that was in the heat of June.

Every time we plan a WDW trip kids ask to stay at Kidani.

I would say at least give it a try so you will know for yourself if you like it or not.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Kidani is the first stop for buses to/from the parks, so that's a plus. I like Jambo when I have a studio, or if we're lucky enough to get a value 2 bedroom for a bargain trip, but my family and friends really like Kidani!

 

[Kidanifan08]

We have done 2 trips to Kidani and love it. The pool area is great and you will love the savanna view room. The lobby is much smaller and there is not as much commotion. We have actually never been to Mara in 2 trips to Kidani. The park busses stopping at Kidani first is one great thing about staying at Kidani. You will always have an empty bus to board on your way to the park. You can always hop a park bus at Kidani to get over to Jambo for the larger gift shop, counter service restaurant and other restaurants.

You will love it! Have a great trip!

 

[utahkennedys]

Thanks everyone! I guess if we don't love it we'll check out Jambo for another trip and just enjoy the new experience.

 

[palaemon]

I can't believe no one mentioned the extra bathroom at Kidani 1-2BRs

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Oh man, we LOVE Kidani!! In fact, even after walking over to Jambo for Boma or shopping- my DH insists that Kidani is the only place for us. The rooms are huge, the extra bathroom is awesome. The bus service has been great, and the CMs are wonderful.

Can you tell I am hoping to get back "home" in January?!

 

[disneynutz]

Kidani has a smaller, homey feel to it but lacks the food choices like many of the DVC resorts. I'm sure that you will like it.

Bill

 

[Brandis]

I really enjoyed Kidani! I think it has a nice, remote feeling. I also like the parking underneath the building.

 

[Magic3forme]

we did Kidani in Feb, 1000x better than Jambo for the room alone. we didnt see one animal in our Savannah view room in Jambo in Dec. From our standard view, we saw the pool and some animals beyond the pool. right down the hall were the elevators and big viewing windows.. lots of animals.

The pool was great!! the food looked really good too.

The underground parking.. much closer than Jambo. and easier!!

definitely a less crowded feel.

we wont go back to Jambo.

 

[DenLo]

The only thing that is different about the pool at Jambo House is that it's larger and there is more shade around it. Every post I've read said the kids like the one at Kidani better.

Also you can ride the park buses from Kidani to Jambo House, if you don't want to walk. However, returning to Kidani there is only one bus, the one to DTD that goes from Jambo House to Kidani. So it might be quicker to walk home.

I also think the long hallways at Kidani does get to people. I would think the extra bathroom off of the living room in the 1BRs and larger would be a plus for a family. And if you have a savanna view you can get a villa on a lower floor than at Jambo House and have a better view of the animals. I understand the trees often block the views at Jambo House because the animals lie under the trees and you're looking down through the trees.

If you are unlucky and never see animals on your savanna view, note the times the animals are being checked by the veterinary CMs. Because the animals are removed from the savanna for morning check ups. The animals come and go. You just have to be patient. They prefer shade during the heat of the day too. Early evening is a pretty good time to see the animals.

 

[utahkennedys]

Thank you to all!

 

[Mtnman44]

Just how many meals do you plan on eating at your hotel? If it is two or three a day, you might prefer Jambo.

Otherwise, Kidanni has better rooms and as mentioned, a slightly smaller, more intimate feel. I definately prefer the night time savanah backyard and firepit experience more at Kidanni.

Kidanni is now our family's favorite resort.

 

[ElizabethG]

I was curious, so I looked it up on TripAdvisor. It does have a 4/5 rating. Some of the negative reviews were just some very uninformed people. They complained about how far it was from the parks and that there was no free wi-fi. They didn't have enough coffee in their room. It took and hour to bring them more coffee. wah!

We will be there as part of a split stay this year. I can't wait!

 

[KPOP]

Kidani is a fantastic resort! the pool area is wonderful, and the rooms are fantastic.

others have noted that the food situation isn't ideal, and the walk to the rooms can be loooong... all true. the other thing for me is that I love the grandeur of the main lobby at Jambo House. It has a special feel.

Having said that, Kidani does have an advantage on the bus routes, and is definitely 'homier' (if that's a word)

Don't let a couple of misinformed people on TA spoil it for you. You'll have a great time!

 

[DVCTigger]

Another big thumbs up for Kidani!! Our family of five absolutely love it there! And the food / resturant situation isn't an issue for us. We stay in a 2BR villa, so we eat most of our meals there!! Being a true DVC resort, we enjoy all the extras of the resort.....the community hall, sports area, pool, fitness center, BBQs.......it's all good!!
Enjoy your time there!

 

[2binak]

If you want to be close to the restaurants, request the wing closest to Jambo. For both of our Kidani stays, we requested that end and the walk is not very far at all.

As a pp mentioned, the firepit experience at Kidani is the best! The animals get much closer than they can at Jambo and the view is unobstructed. The animals seem to enjoy congregating at the firepit area at night.

Kidani is hands-down, my favorite resort! Remember, people are more apt to post about negative experiences online than they are to post positive ones. Enjoy your stay!!!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have stayed at both and I don't get why people worry so much about the distance between the two. It isn't like it's too far to walk! Heck, any hallway in either Jambo or Kidani is going to be longer than the walk between the two.