# ok = i have kidani ....



## krmlaw (Mar 2, 2011)

And im kinda disappointed, b/c it seems like jambo is a nicer central area/lobby, etc. 

should i not be disappointed?  is kidani nice too?

which pool is better for us (2 year old then)

thanks!


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## chalee94 (Mar 2, 2011)

And im kinda disappointed, b/c it seems like jambo is a nicer central area/lobby, etc. 

i like jambo better.  the lobby is amazing in december with the 3 story christmas tree.  jiko and boma are great and jambo also has a quick service food option which kidani does not.

should i not be disappointed?  is kidani nice too?

kidani 1BRs have 2 bathrooms (and so kidani 2BRs have 3 bathrooms).  kidani is the first stop on the bus routes IIRC so no worries about not having a seat.  kidani is newer.

which pool is better for us (2 year old then)

both AKV pools are nice and you can use either of them.

more info on AKV is here:

http://www.aklresort.com/content/jambo-house-vs-kidani-village


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## MichaelColey (Mar 2, 2011)

From what I understand, most RCI exchanges into AKV are Kidani.  I wouldn't be disappointed either way.

The more important question...  Did you get a Savannah View or a Standard View?


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## vacationdoc (Mar 2, 2011)

*You will be happy at Kidani*

We just returned from Kidani last week and it was great.  The pool is terrific for a 2 year old and I like it better than Jambo because it is not as busy.


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## heathpack (Mar 2, 2011)

I would actually be somewhat disappointed.  The lobby at Jambo is impressive, the pool is busy but has a really nice layout, and the building exterior is a little less plastic-looking.  Jiko, Boma, and the Mara are really nice amenities.  Saana actually had really good food and a nice viewing opportunity onto savannah, but was very loud and jangly with spotty service when we went (pleasant server, just a little inept).  Personally for me, it's savannah view at Jambo or else I'd stay elsewhere.

But plenty of people love Kidani, many comment favorably on the child's play area at the pool.  This is really a personal preference.  You will never know unless you visit the resort which you would like better.  So if you are trading in & Kidani's what you got, I would try it out and see how you like it.

H


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## elaine (Mar 2, 2011)

don't worry--it's a toss up. I have stayed in both--I prefer Jambo if it is just DH and me and Kidani if we have family. Most DVC owners seem to prefer Kidani. You can hop on a WDw bus and be at Jambo in 2 minutes, or walk with stroller in 7 or take the private AKL van parked out front if you just can't wait 5 minutes for a bus (we did--LOL)!
Kidani has a better pool area for 2 yr old with water spray-play area--which means you can park a chair right next to your son and let him play in the water sprayer/buckets, etc. by himself while you chill with a nice beverage--get the picture. You can also go over the the Jambo pool, if you want. The Community Hall ("CH") is a hang out place for kids and adults--- parents have to stay) is in Kidani--they have tons of coloring and activities for little kids for free all day until 8pm.  They would also have toddler games, puzzles, etc., so you can spend a few hours each day. The CH is the reason we stay at DVC over other timeshares.
Kidani's lobby is smaller, but still very nice and there is a nice lounge right off of the lobby with chairs/fireplace and animal viewing.
I also heard that all RCI trades are into Kidani--probably b/c they have more inventory.


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## 6scoops (Mar 2, 2011)

*Animal Kingdom Lodge*

You will love it there!!  Either place is great!  It is very easy to go from one to the other for the pools, restaurants and activities.  They have a small vehicle (golf cart) that goes back and forth continuously. 

As Micheal said, what you would enjoy the most is savannah view!  Also an important point is, Jambo House (DVC) only occupy the two top floors, this is one resort were higher is not better. 

At Kidani Village (if you have a SV), I would request first or second floor.  The views of the savanna are better on a lower floor.  I would also request to be closer to pools or lobby so you wont have such a long walk to your room while carrying a sleeping two year old!  

Your lucky to get such a great trade.  This is a great resort, with tons of free, activities that are educational as well!


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## elaine (Mar 3, 2011)

re. savannah view--we have had one all times of our stay and could care less. We are usually in our room am and pm. The animals are usually sleeping and not many, if any, are around. There are so many places to view the animals from the resort areas in the day that IMHO the view doesn't matter. So, if you get at SAV view, great, if not, don't fret. Kidani has a nice lounge area that is kid friendly on the way to the commuinty hall. It's a nice, rarely used spot to view animals.


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## HudsHut (Mar 3, 2011)

Do any of the pools at AKV have a water slide?


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## chalee94 (Mar 3, 2011)

hudshut said:


> Do any of the pools at AKV have a water slide?



i believe both do.  (i'm pretty sure all disney "deluxe" hotels do.)


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## lily28 (Mar 3, 2011)

Jambo house for sure has a water slide


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## 6scoops (Mar 3, 2011)

*Svannah View*



elaine said:


> re. savannah view--we have had one all times of our stay and could care less. We are usually in our room am and pm. The animals are usually sleeping and not many, if any, are around. There are so many places to view the animals from the resort areas in the day that IMHO the view doesn't matter. So, if you get at SAV view, great, if not, don't fret. Kidani has a nice lounge area that is kid friendly on the way to the commuinty hall. It's a nice, rarely used spot to view animals.



You are correct, I would not fret either way, as far as SAV- view or non- SAV view.  You will see lots of animals no matter what category of room you are staying in.  I'm just saying if you are going to be picky about anything between the two resorts,  SAV- View would be it.   Especially if the trading power is all equal.  They each have a water slide, Kidani has a water play (splash pad) area as well   They will love the resort no matter what.


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## MichaelColey (Mar 3, 2011)

6scoops said:


> At Kidani Village (if you have a SV), I would request first or second floor. The views of the savanna are better on a lower floor. I would also request to be closer to pools or lobby so you wont have such a long walk to your room while carrying a sleeping two year old!


Great suggestions!  I'll have to make that request for our May trip.



elaine said:


> re. savannah view--we have had one all times of our stay and could care less. We are usually in our room am and pm.


We'll be doing a total of 11 weeks at Disney (7 in DVC properties) during the 12 months that we have our annual passes, so we'll likely spend a lot more time in our room and at the resort the week we're at AKL than we do elsewhere.  We're normally in semi-commando mode at the parks, but this is an experience we don't want to miss.


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## chriskre (Mar 3, 2011)

Yes they have a slide.  One for the big kids and one that looks like a handicapped ramp but I saw little ones using it as a slide.

Here are some pics of the pool.
Kidani is my favorite resort this year.


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## 6scoops (Mar 3, 2011)

*Animal Kingdom Lodge*



MichaelColey said:


> Great suggestions!  I'll have to make that request for our May trip.
> 
> We'll be doing a total of 11 weeks at Disney (7 in DVC properties) during the 12 months that we have our annual passes, so we'll likely spend a lot more time in our room and at the resort the week we're at AKL than we do elsewhere.  We're normally in semi-commando mode at the parks, but this is an experience we don't want to miss.



WOW, Michael that is great!  I bought an annual pass one year, and like you I tried to get as much use out of it as I could.  We went 4 times in one year.  Animal Kingdom Lodge, is a experience and worth spending a lot of time there. The activities for the kids are so good.  The kids learn something about animals or Africa, and earn beads to put on a pin they give you.  My kids don't want to go to the parks when we stay at AKL.


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## krmlaw (Mar 3, 2011)

savannah view!!!! YEAH!!!!

Ok, im sure we will like it no matter what! and we can walk/drive/bus over to jambo when we need to. 

we are going to skip the dining plan this time anyways bc we wont be doing many park days (maybe 2 "parks
 and 2 water parks).


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## Jasmine658 (Mar 16, 2011)

*Just returned Kidani - great for little kids*

I've stayed at both Jambo and Kidani, just returned from Kidani. Dined at Sanaa, BOMA & Mara, cancelled Jiko and instead tried Artist Point over at Wilderness Lodge (but wished had kept Jiko reservation). BOMA dinners were great, spicy soups, everything delicous, finished off our plates - even the kids liked everything. My seafood dish at Sanaa was bland - didn't taste any spice, kind of tasted like chicken broth for base so was disappointed, but their naan bread was tasty. For the price, thought Mara was all we needed for breakfast, although BOMA much better atmosphere, more choices of breakfast items.

The pools and the water playground area are far better at Kidani for pre-swimmers than at Jambo. My kids are 4 & 6, and my son loved the zero entry and learn to swim depth at Kidani. My daughter just likes hot tubs. At Jambo, I would be more comfortable if my kids were already swimming, so didn't take them to that pool. The water play area at Kidani was cute, but no one using last week as was too cold when we were there (low 50's most of time never reaching over 70). Wanted to try using Simba's Childcare, they take 3 years and up, but didn't get around to it. We saw lots of kids activities going on like drums, animal and culture education, trivia parties, hoola hoop and dance & freeze in lobby and pool areas. Fun resort, but not a good walking resort as walking to and from Jambo just wasn't pleasant, nor walking down through 8 beads of the building which I tried and timed at 10 minutes, but just not interesting enough. So we drove instead of walked over to Jambo, but saw vans, golf carts, buses all ready to take guests between the 2 resorts. Also the resort's basketball court and tennis courts required walking across street as well, but it's nice that they at least offer them and saw teenaged kids using them.

We had standard view and I requested being near the Rafiki Elevator bank, as this one is closest to the pool. We always request rooms near the pool, as that is one of my favorite things about staying in a resort, and our request was filled - but you have to ask again at front desk as reservation requests are frequently lost by MS at Disney, as ours was. Our standard room was 3rd floor, Rm 7739 and had fabulous view of Pembe Savanaah and the pool lanterns and bar area - no parking lot view at all. However, I treated friends to a room too (asked for same adjacent to us), and they were instead placed way on other wing, that required going down to lobby transferring to another elevator bank across the lobby, then back up to their floor. Their standard view room had a terrible view of the driveway, portico and lots of buses passing, and they even kept the drapes drawn. I felt bad as hoped to treat them to same kind of room we had, and views for standard rooms as well as savannah rooms rooms vary vastly in quality at Kidani for same number of points used. Having the 2nd bath that comes with a 1BR at Kidani was great, well utilized, and the 2nd baths are not offered in the 1BRs at Jambo.

We rented a SUV from Alamo for the week $350, and drove to all the restaurants (best restaurants tend to be at the resorts, not the theme parks). Loved BOMA for dinner, thought MARA better deal for basic breakfast, ate dinner at bar at Sanaa when family too tired to go out. Always make reservations prior to walking into any Disney restaurant - found using iPad better than calling most of time. We got in much quicker that way, while others were asked to wait.

Rooms were great, no complaints except for the darkness which didn't bother us at all until came time to pack up and we couldn't see well even with all lights on (pre-dawn). There are no overhead lights and switches on lamps are hard to find located on the cord, not on stand base which I prefer. 

But we loved the long balcony we had to sit out and watch animals but they provided only 2 chairs for the 1BR units so not all 4 of us could sit out there - no problem, as 2 always happy to stand. Daughter got the fold out chair (perfect but too short for 6' adult), and son got the sleeper sofa. Yeah, husband and I got king to ourselves. As of last year, it was 4 of us in a king, now with DVC, Hilton Club and Worldmark....no more of that!

Suggestion - bring coffee filters, basket style 12 cup size for coffee maker and your favorite coffee. Although they offer free coffee in gift shop downstairs after they open (if have a reusable mug - just brought my own from home), it's so much better to make in room. I usually am up hours before rest of family. Watching the sunrise over savannah on balcony was great with my cup of coffee and iPad. Would stay here again, as the theming was amazing - most international feel of any of the Disney DVC resorts, all others based on American themes. Have a great time!


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## krmlaw (Mar 16, 2011)

this has made me feel so much better! we have a 2.5 year old when we will be travelling and love the report!!


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## logan115 (Mar 16, 2011)

MichaelColey said:


> Great suggestions!  I'll have to make that request for our May trip.




We were lucky and got our request last year in May - 2nd floor, near the lobby.  Our 2BR Savanah View was about the 5th or 6th door down from the lobby and was incredibly convenient for refilling our mugs.

The walk to/from Jambo from Kidani is not bad at all, actually somewhat relaxing IMO.

The other really nice thing about Kidani is the buses stop at Kidani first (except for DTD), and while they then stop at Jambo, we didn't have to stand on a single ride to any of the parks.

Chris


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## krmlaw (Mar 16, 2011)

ive been thinking about location too ... is it possible to request a savannah view room close to the pool and lobby?


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## Jasmine658 (Mar 16, 2011)

*Savannah Views*

Savannah view is a booking category, and it can end up being back of the curve or inside of the curve of the 2 hidden mickey ears. It cost more points, and quality varies widely. Standard rooms do not get to see all savannah, but we feel we lucked out getting as good of a savannah view as we did, but apparently view of the pool and dividing fence between pool and savannah made it into a standard.

If booking a standard view and want to be near pool, then best bet is to ask for location next to the Rafiki elevator. The sleeper chair will be perfect for a 2 1/2 year old - is just like a toddler bed. Never request a particular "view" if booking standard room, much better to request "nearest to pool" "nearest to elevator" "nearest to lobby" etc. Upon check-in, CMs, although almost always polite get very annoyed with requests for "views" and I would too, so be specific as to location instead. Doesn't matter what request you make on your reservation, you must ask again when you arrive, as communcation is poor I have found between MS and the resorts.

Also, this resort is the only DVC resort with covered parking downstairs, no patio level units, so great for summer. We just went down the elevator (or stairs), jumped in car and went where we wanted. Jambo does not offer covered parking. Kidani pool is considered best pool for little kids of all WDW pools. 

Our usual touring plan is to go to parks EMH after small breakfast in room, then hit some rides before rest of crowds, then have ADR for character breakfast mid-morning (every few days), then back to resort, back out to parks after sunset. However, since this resort is somewhat far, we felt it was too difficult to return back and do this routine (especially since we drove to all the parks). I suggest using bus for AK and for MK parks, actually much much faster. I drove with the kids, parked, photographed sign where parked as lot is so massive and dread forgetting, walked to tram, boarded tram, transferred to monorail or ferry, then walked to MK. Who said driving to MK was easier - my friend did who's been many times, but it was not! My husband, slow in the morning, left after we did taking the bus, and always beat us to both AK and MK on those days, as parking cars was such an ordeal at most of the parks. However, one evening we went straight to a taxi after MK (just down to right of tram cars at TTC) and the cost was $22 back to Kidani ($18 +tip we gave).

The exception is Epcot. I used the car to park in BWV lot, then walked through the International Gateway entrance to Epcot - so much more pleasant avoiding the crowd at front gates. They don't let everyone park there, but when I showed I was an owner at BWV, I was allowed to park there.

My friends I met up with at WDW approach Disney World commando style, and wanted us to go from 7am character breakfast, 8am park opening, multiple ADRs until 9:30 firework show at night then fight crowds through 3 different forms of transportation at MK to return to car. It kind of ruined our trip a bit, until we broke away from their schedule last few days. Kidini and Jambo are so nice, next time we will tour parks for 2 days (no more than 8 hours), then take day off 3rd day of trip to enjoy resort, maybe go to a park after sunset every 3rd day.

Just a note - didn't like Disney Meal Plan options. Friend talked us into the basic plan. We used up our sit-downs too fast, couldn't use all the counter services, and had 19 snacks left when we left as not big into sugar and salt, etc. Although they have fruit stands, etc, we found all the leftover grapes from lunch and carrot sticks, etc were enough for afternoon snacks. Meal plan didn't work at all for us, and encouraged us to eat way too much sugar (dessert included with every lunch & dinnner - every day). Why not option of appetizer or salad instead, come on?


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## luvsvacation22 (Mar 16, 2011)

Jasmine658 said:


> .
> They don't let everyone park there, but when I showed I was an owner at BWV, I was allowed to park there.


How did you show you were a owner at BWV specifically?


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## krmlaw (Mar 16, 2011)

we did an RCI exchange, and got a savannah view ... so question is now where do i request the room i guess? didnt know if there were diff savannahs to request, or different room locations within the savannah category at kidani?

we too use a car, find it much easier. for ouor MK day, we always do a breakfast ADR at ohana for 735 (or thereabouts) and then head over to MK.


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## logan115 (Mar 16, 2011)

Here's some basic info on Kidani -

http://allears.net/acc/faq_kidani.htm

And here's the map.

http://allears.net/acc/kidanimap1.jpg

We stayed in a unit near 7604 on the map, just left of the lobby.  From the lobby to the pool is probably a 100 yard walk (+/- 20 yards) so very manageable.

We tried Jiko last year and it is no my wife's favorite restaurant and we'll be going back there again this year.

Chris


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## krmlaw (Mar 16, 2011)

that map is great. should i request a high floor or lower floor?


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## logan115 (Mar 16, 2011)

krmlaw said:


> that map is great. should i request a high floor or lower floor?



We were on the lobby level and it worked out perfect for us.  I've heard some people say that the ground floor can make it difficult to see all the way across the savanah, and on the top floor some folks have had their views blocked/partially blocked by the tops of the trees.

Regardless of where you are there is no shortage of spots to view the animals - there's even a viewing area by the Kidani pool of the Pembe savannah.

Our full request was Sunset savanah, lobby level, near the lobby and we got exactly what we asked for, but as you know requests are just that - requests - and not guaranteed.

On our departure day we hung out at Jambo and we really like it over there too as it provided one of the highlights of our trip.  The space shuttle was taking off that day and we had a perfect view of it - was really neat and just pure luck on the timing but was a perfect ending to a great trip.

Chris


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## krmlaw (Mar 16, 2011)

so the lobby level is floor two?


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## logan115 (Mar 16, 2011)

I believe so, but if no one else chimes in you could give the resort a quick call to confirm.

Chris


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## SuzanneSLO (Mar 16, 2011)

Jasmine658 said:


> [snip]The exception is Epcot. I used the car to park in BWV lot, then walked through the International Gateway entrance to Epcot - so much more pleasant avoiding the crowd at front gates. They don't let everyone park there, but when I showed I was an owner at BWV, I was allowed to park there. [snip]


Just so no one gets the wrong idea, owning at BWV does not allow one to park there to visit Epcot, unless you are also staying at BWV.  Obviously, guests do it all the time.  Some internet sites suggests parking here when staying offsite to avoid paying Disney's parking fee.  At certain times of the year, such as during the Food & Wine Festival, parking rules are strictly enforced.  So don't be surprised if you are turned away and just plan to stay next time at BWV, which remains our favorite resort. -- Suzanne


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## HudsHut (Mar 22, 2011)

We'll be at AKV, Kidani, 2br STD view in April.

I'm looking for recommendations for room requests. Also, what number do we call to enter a request for room location?

Thank you.


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## MichaelColey (May 7, 2011)

We're here at Kidani right now, and all I can say is...  WOW!

By far, our favorite of the DVC timeshare we've stayed in (Beach Club Villas, Wilderness Lodge and Saratoga Springs).  It's more spacious (the 2BR is about 100 sqft larger than the other three we've stayed in - but it feels even bigger than that).  The appliances are better quality (the dishwasher has a separate sprayer for the upper shelf, for instance).  The pool is awesome (not quite as nice as Stormalong Bay at BCV, but very close).  The third bathroom is handy.  The close, covered parking is very handy.  The master bathroom has a door, so you can use the jacuzzi tub without bothering anyone in the master bedroom.  (Our 1-year old sleeps in a pack and play in our room, so that's always an issue, and this is only the second timeshare we've stayed at that is configured this way!)  And the Savannah view is stunning.

We're near the Rafiki elevator, and like that area.  It's close to the pool and lobby, and animals seem more plentiful near the lobby.  We requested a lower floor but got the top floor.  The view is still good, but lower is definitely better.


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## krmlaw (May 7, 2011)

mike - so excited! i want a full review ... with pics!  cant wait to go, have a great time!!


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## krmlaw (Sep 29, 2011)

ok - going to call tomorrow to request our room, for oct 9 check in. 

going to request near rafiki elevators/lobby/pool, on 2nd or 3rd floor. 

let me know if i have it right!!


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