Trying to decide whether I want to try for standard or savannah view for Kidani GV. It would be 12 of us including my grandkids ages 5, 5, and 2. We will be staying 6 nights (all I can 'afford' with borrowing restrictions). If I get the standard view, I can also try to book a studio for DD and her husband so that we are not so crowded. With the savannah view, I will only be able to get them 3 nights standard studio (including buying OTU points) if it's available.
My question is - is the GV savannah view worth the extra points when you can walk to the lobby area and see all the animals? Are there any GV savannah views that really don't have a great view? I'm afraid of feeling like we weren't in the villa enough to appreciate the wonderful view if we are in the parks. Though we may not go to the parks each day of the trip, we are morning to night park people.
ETA - I think I'm going to try for standard view. We stayed in savannah view last time and, while it was cool, it wasn't necessary.
KIDANi has two standard view GVs. Despite the low number, they have in the past often been open at 7-months out, although that may be more difficult for 2022 because of the covid issue and all the extra banked points that so many members have accumulated and are now using for 2022 reservations.. See this map of Kidani
https://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/Kindani_Village_Map.jpg. The lobby faces west. On the north wing you will see a red AED sign between the sixth and seventh building units from the lobby. The Pumbaa elevator is where that sign is. At the end of the 6th building unit from the lobby is a standard GV, and the second one is right at the beginning of the 7th building unit. Since they are both next to each other, there is no need to make any location request with a standard view GV.
Both the standard view GVs have full savanna view (not partial). They are the only GVs that overlook the Pembe savanna. Pembe is considered the weaker savanna because of its lack of giraffes and zebras. Also, in the area where the GVs are, the outer perimeter of the savanna comes fairly close to the building, narrowing the savanna. Nevertheless, if you get a standard view GV, you will have savanna view and will see animals. Go here for a walk-through, from a number of years ago, of one those two standard GVs:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy38d42R_2o&t=227s
If you succeed in getting a standard view GV, and have a car, you will be able to park fairly close to the Pumbaa elevator in the under-building parking lot that runs almost throughout the entire building on the first floor. Nevertheless, be aware that, although the pool is somewhat within striking distance, walks to the rest of civilization -- the lobby and store, the bus station -- are very long (the entire Kidani building from end to end is about 2/3 mile long).
The savanna view GVs are all along the Sunset savanna, and distance to lobby ranges from fairly close to the lobby to walking forever from the end of a wing. Their views are better than the standards because the savanna is larger, there are more animals, and there are giraffes and zebras, but standard view is definitely worth it with the lower points.
The Kidani GVs are all two-story and are excellently designed. Each is on both the 4th and 5th floors (the highest two floors at Kidani), with the fourth floor as the main entrance but there is also an entry door on the fifth floor. There are four bathrooms, a master on the first floor, two on the second floor next to the upstairs bedrooms, and the fourth full bath just inside the main front door area. The laundry room is also located in that area. The living room's ceiling is the ceiling of the second floor, and besides doors to a balcony, there is also in that room almost floor to ceiling windows which provide very good views from inside. The dining room and each bedroom also has a balcony.There is a pull-out queen couch in the living room and also a second one, along with a TV and dresser, at the the alcove at the top of the stairs. The bedrooms are all good-size.
Also, be aware that all the rooms on the Pembe savanna side in those sixth and seventh building units are standard view rooms. Thus, for that extra studio you could reserve a standard view studio, request through MS that it be near the Pumbaa elevator, and thus possibly end up having that standard studio near the GV and the studio would also have a Pembe savanna view.