Seven isn't too far away-y-y-y-y-y; in fact it's here now! AKL Lite Thread presents:

[chris31997]

You got a dog?

That was my guess

Microwave, or was that in there last time

 

[franandaj]

That really was good Alison

That was my guess

Microwave, or was that in there last time

Actually, I'm pretty sure she is showing off her backsplash (which is quite nice). I was just giving her a hard time since Wendy actually got it first. One of our rental units is being rehabbed right now and is almost on the same sort of time frame as Kimmar's kitchen (although no one lives there now, so they can take their time). There is no stove in there either!

The funny thing is that as I look at our apartment and it's progress, and my pictures from our stay at BLT a year ago, the color scheme of the kitchen (only) is much the same as that of BLT!

 

[tiggrbaby]

Nice tile, Kim!

 

[dgbg100106]

That really was good Alison

I liked it too

 

[Glendamax]

Good Morning DISers! Nice to see that there are so many other fans of The Lodge! I often been told to try other resorts, but I can't yet! I love AKL, and get sooooo excited each time I stay there!

 

[kimmar067]

Microwave, or was that in there last time

 

[kimmar067]

You got a dog?

 

[kimmar067]

You got your tiles up?

[...they just have to be grouted ...]

 

[dgbg100106]

Good Morning DISers! Nice to see that there are so many other fans of The Lodge! I often been told to try other resorts, but I can't yet! I love AKL, and get sooooo excited each time I stay there!

welcome we all LOVE the resort and share everything about it here and try to help others with their questions...

 

[John's Mom]

Good Morning DISers! Nice to see that there are so many other fans of The Lodge! I often been told to try other resorts, but I can't yet! I love AKL, and get sooooo excited each time I stay there!

Glendamax,

Glad you are here! I really enjoy your trip reports!

 

[John's Mom]

You got a dog?

That was going to be my first guess!

 

[kimmar067]

That was going to be my first guess!

 

[PNO4TE]

Good afternoon, Js & Ks!

I like the dog (and the tiles and the microwave) Kim!

 

[PrincessRhi]

Hey there everyone! I haven't had the chance to read through everything here, but hope to catch up on 47 pages at some point.

DF and I (no kids, just two 30-somethings) will be staying at Kidani Village for the first time ever in April (DF's family has extra DVC points that are expiring and handed them off to us, so we figured we'd book rooms at a few different places we've never stayed), and I'm SUPER excited for this. However, I have to admit, I'm a little curious about some of the negative reviews I've read and was wondering if some of the pros here could give us some tips.

By far and large, the biggest complaint is the size. Apparently people don't enjoy walking more than a minute to their rooms or bus stops, and the pool is nowhere to be found unless you cut through the garage. So, my biggest question on this is that it seems like most of the people complaining (via yelp, trip advisor, etc.) are not DVC members or are used to the smaller resorts at Disney where everything is super close and accessible. Am I reading into this correctly? Or is the size THAT much of an issue?

Another concern that people had was how far away everything was from "Disney". Buses take a half hour to get anywhere and there are tons of stops. We're used to the buses at Saratoga Springs and if we absolutely need to get somewhere on time, we will have a car, so it's kind of moot. However, I was a little confused by the "tons of stops" part. Do they mean the different bus stops at the hotel?

I guess none of those complaints really bother us enough to avoid KV if that was the case, but it would be nice to know what the truth behind it is. We're super laid back vacationers where the second we get to our destination, the phone only comes out to take pictures and we're in no rush to get anywhere.

I couldn't be more excited for this trip. We're not worried about not seeing animals from our room (even though we booked a savannah view), but it will be a great perk if we can take advantage of the night vision goggles and such. I'm also super excited to feed flamingos and hang out by the fire pit. Any recommendations on don't-miss activities?

Thanks in advance

 

[kimmar067]

Good afternoon, Js & Ks!

I like the dog (and the tiles and the microwave) Kim!

...thank you....

 

[kimmar067]

DF and I (no kids, just two 30-somethings) will be staying at Kidani Village for the first time ever in April (DF's family has extra DVC points that are expiring and handed them off to us, so we figured we'd book rooms at a few different places we've never stayed), and I'm SUPER excited for this.
no rush to get anywhere....

....kewl beans...

 

[franandaj]

However, I have to admit, I'm a little curious about some of the negative reviews I've read and was wondering if some of the pros here could give us some tips.

Well it's pretty easy to find people who like to complain about virtually anything. Is the resort big? Yes. Is it remote from the rest of WDW? Yes. However how you handle this and your reactions are up to you.

You can make some room requests to minimize resort size issues. If you think you'll want to eat at the CS restaurant at Jambo request close to that. If you want easy bus access, request close to the lobby. People here can give you other ideas based on what's important to you.

The only stops for the bus are the Kidani and Jambo house stops, other than those it's the parks. AK is very close, the only really far away park is MK. The other parks and DTD aren't next door, but they're hardly far far away. One of the nice things about KV is that it is removed from everything, you really feel like you're in another world.

If you're not running around to the parks constantly you'll have plenty of time to check out the fire pit, night vision goggles, and all the other neat stuff. Check the activity sheets for times and locations. And have a great time!

 

[wendypooh]

Good Morning DISers! Nice to see that there are so many other fans of The Lodge! I often been told to try other resorts, but I can't yet! I love AKL, and get sooooo excited each time I stay there!

- glad you joined us!! We ALL love the lodge too!!!

Hey there everyone! I haven't had the chance to read through everything here, but hope to catch up on 47 pages at some point.

DF and I (no kids, just two 30-somethings) will be staying at Kidani Village for the first time ever in April (DF's family has extra DVC points that are expiring and handed them off to us, so we figured we'd book rooms at a few different places we've never stayed), and I'm SUPER excited for this. However, I have to admit, I'm a little curious about some of the negative reviews I've read and was wondering if some of the pros here could give us some tips.

Congrats on your trip - you will LOVE Kidani, it's our home resort and we love it!!! I will try to answer your questions!!

By far and large, the biggest complaint is the size. Apparently people don't enjoy walking more than a minute to their rooms or bus stops, and the pool is nowhere to be found unless you cut through the garage. So, my biggest question on this is that it seems like most of the people complaining (via yelp, trip advisor, etc.) are not DVC members or are used to the smaller resorts at Disney where everything is super close and accessible. Am I reading into this correctly? Or is the size THAT much of an issue?

Another concern that people had was how far away everything was from "Disney". Buses take a half hour to get anywhere and there are tons of stops. We're used to the buses at Saratoga Springs and if we absolutely need to get somewhere on time, we will have a car, so it's kind of moot. However, I was a little confused by the "tons of stops" part. Do they mean the different bus stops at the hotel?

Kidani is "large" in the aspect of walking distance from the lobby to some of the rooms, it CAN be a trek, esp. if one is tired from the parks all day. So, that is true, however, it's worth the walk!!! The rooms are so well appointed and the view is priceless. Are you in a studio or 1br? As for "tons of stops" - NO, there are 2 stops. ONE at Kidani and ONE at Jambo house, the bus stops at Kidani first. We NEVER drive our car anywhere, but, depending on WHEN your trip is, you DO want to give yourself at least 30 mins to an hour to get where you need to be, i.e. - dining adr's. - I personally don't think it's too far from everything - the appeal for me is that it's not "close" to everything - the only way you'll know if it's right for you guys is to try it out, but, I'm pretty sure once you do you'll love it!! As for the pool, it's not right in the middle of the resort, like most resorts, so I guess that's why some find it odd, but, I don't think it's "too far" and NO you don't have to walk in the parking garage to get there, at least we didn't!!!

I guess none of those complaints really bother us enough to avoid KV if that was the case, but it would be nice to know what the truth behind it is. We're super laid back vacationers where the second we get to our destination, the phone only comes out to take pictures and we're in no rush to get anywhere.

I couldn't be more excited for this trip. We're not worried about not seeing animals from our room (even though we booked a savannah view), but it will be a great perk if we can take advantage of the night vision goggles and such. I'm also super excited to feed flamingos and hang out by the fire pit. Any recommendations on don't-miss activities?

Thanks in advance

If you are indeed super laid back - Kidani is right up your alley!!! It's is a nice, warm, cozy resort, it is in my opinion, VERY laid back - there is NO hustle and bustle, I guess some people like that, not us, we want to relax on vacation!!! The ONLY drawback to Kidani that some people REALLY have is the no counter service - however, it's a short walk to Jambo for Mara. Also, the pool bar has a few food items and then there is Sanaa - I think it's the hidden gem of any resort restaurant - we LOVE it, it's become a MUST DO for us!! As for the activities, the best advice I can give you is to check the activities board right next to the check - in desk - it'll let you know what is going on each day, when and where!!! Here is a site that gives a LOT of info about Jambo and Kidani - www.aklresort.com there is a dvc section that list all the amenities for dvc. If you have any other questions ask away, a lot of us are owners, and we'd be happy to help you out!!!!

 

[wendypooh]

Sorry Alison, I didn't realize you'd posted when I posted!!! ---- But see, we're all here to help!!

 

[kimmar067]

:
...The ONLY drawback to Kidani that some people REALLY have is the no counter service - however, it's a short walk to Jambo for Mara. Also, the pool bar has a few food items and then there is Sanaa...

Please note [from OP]:

ADDED:

Resort buses will be able to transport guests between both buildings. At Kidani Village, guests will be able to board any theme park bus, as the next destination will be Jambo House. At Jambo House, guests will be able to board any Downtown Disney bus, as its next destination will be Kidani Village.

Alternatively, there will be a sidewalk that connect the two buildings for people interested in walking. However, please note that from porte cochere to porte cochere the distance is half a mile so this is not a leisurely stroll between buildings.