Recent Experience/Review of Kidani

[Anjelica]

We stayed 7 nights in a dedicated 2-bedroom in Kidani. We had room 7413 (4th floor - standard view right over the bus stops).

Quick pro's/con's:

Con's

• No Counter Service (I know its just repeating what everyone else has said)
• I felt the public/common over look area dwarfs in comparison to Arusha Rock in AKL
• Internet access was ONLY through Master Bedroom - Not sure why in a dedicated 2-bedroom it was not in the common area
• There wasn't much buffering of noise from the common areas into the bedroom. While we didn't hear any noise from the hallways inside the 2-bedroom you could hear quite a bit even with the door closed from the common areas. I think they need better doors/sound cancellation.
• The bus stops need better shade - there was essentially zero shade at the bus stops. When it is as hot as it was last week the lack of shade becomes more evident.
• Store is WAYYYYYY to small and not enough product. I felt the food area was generally good but the store in general did not offer enough variation of non-food items.

Pro's

• Beautiful Master Bathroom - HUGE!!!
• Ceiling fans in both bedrooms and common area.
• We loved the pool area - especially the slide. The kids play area was nice but was being torn up a few days while we were there
• We enjoyed seeing quite a few animals especially at dusk. The Savannah is so small that it seems to be "easier" to see the animals out and about.
• Parking - LOVED, LOVED the parking right under the building and close to the elevators

Some other thoughts:
- I was a bit "underwhelmed" by the lobby area when we first got there. Compared to Jambo house it seemed so "forgotton" in the design. However, after a few days the lobby grew on me. In the past, I have enjoyed sitting in Jambo house and just "watching" everyone/everything around me but I eventually came to enjoy the quiteness of Kidani's lobby.
- I felt like the hallway ceilings were lower. Now these could be the exact same height as Jambo hallways but it definetly felt lower at Kidani.
- We didn't try Sanaa (maybe next trip) but I felt like this was also an after thought in the placement. It's on the lowest level and seemed "closed" in.
- Although we were right above the bus stop the noise was very minimal.
- The buses from the parks back to Kidani did not always stop at Kidani first. There were at least two times the buses from the park stopped at Jambo first then Kidani (and no this wasn't a DTD bus, etc.)

All in all it was a good trip. My only complaint was the fact it was so hot for the first week of May. We will be back at Kidani in January 2011 for 9 nights so we are definetly looking forward to that.

Let me know if you have any questions, etc. and I will do my best to answer.

 

[disney1474]

I'm glad you had a good trip. We were there the same time as you (stayed CL at Jambo). We walked over to Kidani to use the pool and noticed the padding they put in the splash area was really torn up in a few areas. My wife told them about it so hopefully it will be fixed.

 

[Pakey]

We were there last week in a 2 bedroom (7204) savannah view.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the resort. Loved sanaa; thought the walk to/from Jambo was fine, thought the kidani rooms were better than I had anticipated (that doesn't happen often with me). We had great animal viewing from our balcony in the morning and the evening.

I didn't notice the bus stop shade issue but then it was so hot the entire week that I don't think shade would have made me feel better, lol.

The noise from the hallway bothered us, easily could hear the screaming children running down the halls (we are not early risers).

I still prefer staying at our home resort at BC but I would happily stay here again.

 

[myDISboards]

Con's

• The bus stops need better shade - there was essentially zero shade at the bus stops. When it is as hot as it was last week the lack of shade becomes more evident.

Could you please elaborate on zero shade? Thank you!

The first few seconds of my video shows good shade at Kidani Village’s bus stops at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6002418


The above video link is one of the video links when I did my LIVE feeds for Kidani Village/Jambo House from Easter Sunday April 04-09, 2010 at

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2435645 Resort Photos & Video

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2435647 DVC-Mousecellaneous

 

[myDISboards]

We were there last week in a 2 bedroom (7204) savannah view.

next to Community Hall

We had room #7216 (1-bedroom) from Easter Sunday April 04-09, 2010.

 

[La2kw]

We stayed 7 nights in a dedicated 2-bedroom in Kidani. We had room 7413 (4th floor - standard view right over the bus stops).

Quick pro's/con's:

Con's

• No Counter Service (I know its just repeating what everyone else has said)
• I felt the public/common over look area dwarfs in comparison to Arusha Rock in AKL
• Internet access was ONLY through Master Bedroom - Not sure why in a dedicated 2-bedroom it was not in the common area
• There wasn't much buffering of noise from the common areas into the bedroom. While we didn't hear any noise from the hallways inside the 2-bedroom you could hear quite a bit even with the door closed from the common areas. I think they need better doors/sound cancellation.
• The bus stops need better shade - there was essentially zero shade at the bus stops. When it is as hot as it was last week the lack of shade becomes more evident.
• Store is WAYYYYYY to small and not enough product. I felt the food area was generally good but the store in general did not offer enough variation of non-food items.

Pro's

• Beautiful Master Bathroom - HUGE!!!
• Ceiling fans in both bedrooms and common area.
• We loved the pool area - especially the slide. The kids play area was nice but was being torn up a few days while we were there
• We enjoyed seeing quite a few animals especially at dusk. The Savannah is so small that it seems to be "easier" to see the animals out and about.
• Parking - LOVED, LOVED the parking right under the building and close to the elevators

Some other thoughts:
- I was a bit "underwhelmed" by the lobby area when we first got there. Compared to Jambo house it seemed so "forgotton" in the design. However, after a few days the lobby grew on me. In the past, I have enjoyed sitting in Jambo house and just "watching" everyone/everything around me but I eventually came to enjoy the quiteness of Kidani's lobby.
- I felt like the hallway ceilings were lower. Now these could be the exact same height as Jambo hallways but it definetly felt lower at Kidani.
- We didn't try Sanaa (maybe next trip) but I felt like this was also an after thought in the placement. It's on the lowest level and seemed "closed" in.
- Although we were right above the bus stop the noise was very minimal.
- The buses from the parks back to Kidani did not always stop at Kidani first. There were at least two times the buses from the park stopped at Jambo first then Kidani (and no this wasn't a DTD bus, etc.)

All in all it was a good trip. My only complaint was the fact it was so hot for the first week of May. We will be back at Kidani in January 2011 for 9 nights so we are definetly looking forward to that.

Let me know if you have any questions, etc. and I will do my best to answer.

If you had eaten at Sanaa, you would have seen that it was definitely not an afterthought in the placement. You are at ground level with the animals and there is a feeding spot right outside the windows.

Here's the view from our table.

I find the small, quiet lobby with a view of the savanna a major plus. Jambo is way too busy for me. Same with the store. We aren't interested in CS either, but a short walk to Mara can handle that issue.

 

[AKV707]

I have to disagree with the bus stop shade issue. I have stayed at Kidani 3 times. The first time, in the summer of 2009, the DHS bus stop was not covered at all. It is now.

On a really hot day, I don't think that there is enough shade in all of Central Florida to give relief.

We are back at Kidani in June. Can't wait!

 

[ToddyLu]

I can understand that Kidani's lobby is underwhelming compared to Jambo--it was designed to be more intimate and homey. Alot of folks were not impressed with the outside decor and colors and landscaping. I thought it was perfect for "blending in with the savannah". I thought Mara was in a crazy location. One of the 4 of us on our last trip is actually a real rocket scientist.....and it still took us 20 minutes to find it. Even after asking for directions.

 

[Anjelica]

Of the 6 or so times we actually took a bus vs. driving we waited at the MK/Epcot bus stop 4 of those times between 3-630 in the afternoon. All the benches in the front of at least the three "areas" were all in the sun. The only shade that was provided was a very small portion of the covered bus stop - enough for about 5-6 adults to stand without getting any sun.

I remember distinctly none of the benches and a majority of the standing room to not be covered from the sun during those times of day. I truly think it has to do with the placement/direction of the bus stop compared to say Jambo house or WL - of all our trips to those resorts no matter what time of day or year (i.e. Spring, Fall, Winter) there was always shade.

Sorry folks disagree with my assessment on the shade - just my experience.

 

[Anjelica]

If you had eaten at Sanaa, you would have seen that it was definitely not an afterthought in the placement. You are at ground level with the animals and there is a feeding spot right outside the windows.

Here's the view from our table.

I find the small, quiet lobby with a view of the savanna a major plus. Jambo is way too busy for me. Same with the store. We aren't interested in CS either, but a short walk to Mara can handle that issue.

WOW - I think we need to try Sanaa our next visit but even more so during daylight hours to get the full effect.

For us - a short walk to Mara with two young and sometimes hungry children isn't always feasible. Having something closer besides the pool bar would have been nice.

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

Thanks for the review. Will be there Friday!

 

[Dizny Dad]

Thanks for the review. Will be there Friday!

Us, too!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for the review. My first impression of the lobby was that it was small too, but after staying there, I decided I LOVED it! It's intimate and beautiful and blends in so well with it's suroundings. I especially love the little balcony off the Library area. It's a great place to watch the animals.

As for counter serivce....DVC resorts are timeshares. Most timeshares expect people to rely on the full kitchen in their units for "pick up" meals. We hate going to quick service places, so the lack of counter service doesn't bother us a bit. We prefer to have those kinds of things in the privacy of our own villa.

 

[marvali]

Thanks for the report. I know everyone has their own personal views, that suit their own personal tastes and likes/dislikes.

Having said that:

Agree on the lack of CS. Not a long walk to Mara, but still would be nice to have something quick and convenient like at SSR.

La2kw beat me to it on Sanaa not being an afterthought, but planned for close viewing of the animals as part of the dining experience, even though we haven't tried it yet. It would probably seem less so if there were other things down there with it though.

Agree on the store not having very many options for non-food items. When we were there I actually didn't remember seeing any DVC items specific to AKV or Kidani until I saw someone past a picture with a few items. Not sure how I missed them other than not much to invite you in the doors other than personally the drink refill station.

Personally love the smaller Kidani lobby vs. Jambo, and also the ability to view the savanna and animals much better from there. The Jambo lobby was too busy for me, with too many distractions. The Kidani lobby was actually a nice place to sit and relax, especially early in the morning for me.

Also loved the parking and the animal viewing. I especially loved the balcony areas with the chairs to sit and enjoy the animals over a cup of coffee.

We didn't notice any outside noise when we were there, but it may have had to do with location (second "bead" towards the pool) and the fact the resort wasn't completed yet when we were there. I guess I will get another chance to notice it when we are there again in December.

 

[myDISboards]

Con's

• The bus stops need better shade - there was essentially zero shade at the bus stops. When it is as hot as it was last week the lack of shade becomes more evident.

Could you please elaborate on zero shade? Thank you!

The first few seconds of my video shows good shade at Kidani Village’s bus stops at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6002418


The above video link is one of the video links when I did my LIVE feeds for Kidani Village/Jambo House from Easter Sunday April 04-09, 2010 at

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2435645 Resort Photos & Video

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2435647 DVC-Mousecellaneous

Of the 6 or so times we actually took a bus vs. driving we waited at the MK/Epcot bus stop 4 of those times between 3-630 in the afternoon. All the benches in the front of at least the three "areas" were all in the sun. The only shade that was provided was a very small portion of the covered bus stop - enough for about 5-6 adults to stand without getting any sun.

I remember distinctly none of the benches and a majority of the standing room to not be covered from the sun during those times of day. I truly think it has to do with the placement/direction of the bus stop compared to say Jambo house or WL - of all our trips to those resorts no matter what time of day or year (i.e. Spring, Fall, Winter) there was always shade.

Sorry folks disagree with my assessment on the shade - just my experience.

your original statement "essentially zero shade at the bus stops" and then your elaborated explanation above ==> conflicting!!!

I understand how you feel now by my iPhone 3G pictures besides my video.

Kidani Village’s shaded bus stops

 

[Anjelica]

your original statement "essentially zero shade at the bus stops" and then your elaborated explanation above ==> conflicting!!!

Guess we will have to agree to disagree - at the times we stood for the buses there was "essentially zero shade at the bus stops". Again personal experience and as the title stated "my review".

We didn't spend much time in the library but I did really like that location as well as the porch/balcony right off the location. Very pretty and nice.

 

[nolanboys]

DH and I are going in October and staying in a 1 bdrm for his birthday. It is our first trip as DVC members. We are eating at Sanaa on our first night. Can't wait to be there. Thanks for your review and thanks to those who posted pictures. We can't wait!

 

[theOCdisney]

We were there last week as well. 1 bdrm savanna view, third bead on the same floor as lobby. Loved the Savanna view. We were very close to the animals and I spent lots of time watching the animals. At one point 3 of the birds "jumped" the electrical fence and were right next to the villas. Loved the overall feel of the resort.

I agree with the OP in their assessment overall. I'm glad we tried it just the two of us instead of with extended family. I have always stayed at our home resorts BW and SSR and took for granted the easy access to all the action. (Parks and DTD.) It took 50 minutes on Friday evening and 75 minutes on Saturday to get to Epcot!! The buses just do not come frequently enough. If I came with children, I would rent a car/van so as not to wait so long to get anywhere.

I think they absolutely need a CS at Kidani. It was a hot walk in the sun over to Jambo house to eat at the Mara. (We are in good physical condition and work out 5 days a week, yet still felt drained walking over and back after a long day at the parks.) I don't agree with the argument that a CS restaurant is not needed at Kidani because it is a timeshare. Why then do they have Artist's Palette at SSR? They are all timeshares and close to DTD, yet they have a CS restaurant.

The bus stop faces west. So, morning shade and afternoon FULL SUN! It was very hot and miserable waiting for the bus in the late afternoon.

We ate at Sanaa and really liked it. We had a great table by the window and the food was unique and very good.

Soundproofing was poor. We could hear the family above us. A child played their drum for about an hour. When in the living room we could hear normal conversations as people walked down the hall.

Overall we had a good time, but I would not stay at AKV everytime I go to WDW. Maybe stay one or two days and spend the bulk of the time at a more centrally located vacation club.

 

[Harlemgirl720]

I was there last week too. Room 7908. Top floor. Studio SV. A few doors from the elevator. Great location

I took the golf cart a few times back and forth from Kidani to Jambo. Didn't want to wait for a bus.

Son loved the pool and the bus stop seemed shaded to me. I guess it depended on the time of day and the position of the sun. Sometimes it was shaded more than other times.

We walked once to Jambo and the walk wasn't bad at all.

Will be back in August in a dedicated 2br sv. Requested to be close to the lobby. Hope they can fulfill that request again.

It was wonderful.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think the lobby for Kidani Village is probably similar to the lobbies at VWL and BCV. Not as large and grand as the main hotel, but cozier and less activity.