Questions from new Kidani Owner Staying at SSR

[RickinPA]

We are Kidani owners currently using our developer points at SSR. Tomorrow is MK and Saturday we fly home.

This is our first stay as DVC owners. I must say that I was looking forward to enjoying a drink on the balcony / deck in the evening after DW and DS have gone to sleep.

As I stepped out onto the deck, I was greated by my neighbors for the week within arms lenght and my next to next door neighbors another 15 feet away. For some reason I expected a privacy barrier between the decks.

Are there privacy barriers between decks at any of the DVC Resorts?

We had some free time yesterday and decided to venture over to Kidani Village. We were thrilled with our home resort.

As we wondered around the lobby area, looking at the various displays, I noticed all of the CM's standing around waiting for customers. I realized this was an excellent time to ask some questions.

The CM I spoke with was very friendly. He told me that the one bedroom villas are located on every floor. When I booked my December 2009 trip to Kidani, I was told that all one bedroom villas were all located on the 4th floor?

The CM I spoke with today also told me that he had a special assignment prior to opening and was on every balcony / deck in Kidani. He then said there wasn't a poor SV room in the resort.

Can anyone with first hand knowledge recommend a floor for the optimal SV?

We loved the resort except for the lack of animals on the savanna. We went to the Savanna Overlook to the front of the lobby. We did not see a single animal.

Before leaving the resort, we decided to take a look at the pool area. We were greated by a locked gate. You need to slide your room key to gain access to the pool area. We were sad that we could not get a peak at the pool, but were happy to see the security.

 

[hakepb]

Answers in Red

We are Kidani owners currently using our developer points at SSR. Tomorrow is MK and Saturday we fly home.

This is our first stay as DVC owners. I must say that I was looking forward to enjoying a drink on the balcony / deck in the evening after DW and DS have gone to sleep.

As I stepped out onto the deck, I was greated by my neighbors for the week within arms lenght and my next to next door neighbors another 15 feet away. For some reason I expected a privacy barrier between the decks.

Are there privacy barriers between decks at any of the DVC Resorts?
I remember SSR Grandstand having barriers off my studio, it was an exceptionally private deck When I just stayed at SSR Congress Park, there were no barriers... (Grandstand is newer, I wonder if that is an improvement or just the difference between the long section of the building having barriers and the short ends having no barriers?) I recall barriers at AKV Jambo (although you can still somewhat see other decks due to the building curving around), and I think BWV had a partial barrier. OKW has seperate decks/patios so there are no barriers there. I have not experienced the other DVC's, Yet!

We had some free time yesterday and decided to venture over to Kidani Village. We were thrilled with our home resort.

As we wondered around the lobby area, looking at the various displays, I noticed all of the CM's standing around waiting for customers. I realized this was an excellent time to ask some questions.

The CM I spoke with was very friendly. He told me that the one bedroom villas are located on every floor. When I booked my December 2009 trip to Kidani, I was told that all one bedroom villas were all located on the 4th floor?
I believe most of Kidani is 2BR lock-offs (that can be seperated into a 1BR and Studio) I do not think there are any dedicated 1BR's. I imagine that even if 1BR's are on the same floors, there would have to be 3 floors that could be 1BR's, and in reality I think all floors have some 1BR's

The CM I spoke with today also told me that he had a special assignment prior to opening and was on every balcony / deck in Kidani. He then said there wasn't a poor SV room in the resort.

Can anyone with first hand knowledge recommend a floor for the optimal SV?
Some say lower is better (closer to animals) based on AKL (cash room) experience. I found the 5th floor to be adequate.
We loved the resort except for the lack of animals on the savanna. We went to the Savanna Overlook to the front of the lobby. We did not see a single animal.
Don't worry, there are different feeding times (where there are a lot of animals. Usually late day (sunset time) is best on the sunset savannah) and there are cleaning times where all animals are taken off the savannah for "scooper duty"
Before leaving the resort, we decided to take a look at the pool area. We were greated by a locked gate. You need to slide your room key to gain access to the pool area. We were sad that we could not get a peak at the pool, but were happy to see the security.

 

[zackiedawg]

My home resort at Boardwalk has dividers/bulkheads between most room balconies (not all - there are a few Boardwalk view small balconies on the higher floors which are open sided). I'd go so far as to say the majority seem to be private/separated. Some are excellent, such as the 2nd floor Boardwalk view rooms just above the stores - huge private balconies covered with a roof and full sides - 100% privacy on those!

I've stayed at some SSR rooms with dividers or privacy between balconies - so they do exist. In Congress Park in June, we had a ground floor that was walled on one side (with a window cutout) and divided on the other from a studio next door. I've had a Paddock room on the 4th floor which was a fully private balcony as well - it was the first corner studio room at the end of a wing.

Some Beach Club villas have private balconies as well. OKW have large covered porches essentially - most are viewable by the living room windows of the villa next to it, because of the way they are staggered - but some have significant tree cover making them more private, or are the farthest out of the staggered rooms making them more private.

 

[tink too]

We were in a studio on the 3rd floor of one of the Paddock buildings near the Carousel bus stop. We had a divider between our balcony and our neighbours. I did notice that the patios on the ground floor had absolutely no privacy at all. We walked right passed a teenage girl one morning as we left the building by the side entrance and I was so glad we were on a higher level.

 

[RickinPA]

Thank you to everyone for your replies!!!

As for hakepb, I'm not quite sure I want details with regard to, "it was an exceptionally private deck !!!"





Thanks again

Rick

 

[jbucci]

We just got back from a stay at Kidani and loved it The walk to our room was long, but we had a nice studio on the 2nd floor with a great view of the animals and a privacy barrier between balconies (although sound traveled really freely on the balcony and we had some loud kids in the room next to us). We saw tons of animals-- there were times when only one or two could be seen but if you waited more appeared quickly.

As for the pool-- you will not be disappointed, it was wonderful!

 

[gkrykewy]

If floor to ceiling balcony dividers are important to you, you certainly picked the right home resort - all AKV balconies have them (well, Jambo anyway, and I would presume Kidani too!)