hilsommer
Registered: February 2012
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Sun April 28, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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great decor, animal viewing, good restaurant, underground parking, spacious rooms for Disney
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Cons:
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no quick service dining
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I absolutely loved staying here. I had previously stayed at Jambo House (in a regular, non-DVC room) and while I think I would give it the edge, Kidani Village was wonderful. I especially like the ease and access of the underground parking and Sanaa is a wonderful place for meal or cocktail. Of course, the real attraction is the animals!
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stenson4
Registered: September 2009
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Posts: 11
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Review Date: Thu April 4, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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clean, atmosphere
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Cons:
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crowded pool
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Stayed here on March 31st for one night after a week at Boardwalk. We love the animals and detail of this resort. Was a long walk to our Deluxe Studio but the studio was very nicely decorated and clean. The shuttle to and from Jambo house was very quick and convenient. This was a very busy week in the parks and resorts but we could not find a chair by the pool at all due to the crowds. With this size of resort maybe it should be bigger? We have stayed at Jambo House in the past and never had that issue. Although this resort is very new and nice we would choose to stay at Jambo House next time.
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CEB1228
Registered: February 2013
Location: Bear, Delaware
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Mon February 18, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Staff, room decor, animals
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Cons:
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Walk to room
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My husband and I stayed in a savannah-view studio at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village from January 17-20, 2013. This was our first time staying at this resort. We were quickly greeted upon arrival and check-in was processed quickly. The staff was very nice and friendly. Before walking to our room, we checked out the lobby and viewing areas. It's amazing to see so many different animals outside the windows which we really enjoyed. The walk to our room was extremely long. Prior to our trip I read reviews that mentioned long walks to rooms but I honestly thought they were exaggerating. My husband and I enjoy walking but this distance made you think twice about a quick visit to the room before heading somewhere else. Luckily there are windows along the hallway so you can see animals on the savannah. The room itself was very nice, clean and comfortable. I liked the decor. During our visit we went Jambo House to look around that resort. After seeing that impressive lobby, my husband was sorry we didn't stay there instead of Kidani Village. Both resorts are beautifully-themed and worth a stay.
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hashdown
Registered: February 2013
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Fri February 15, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Comfort
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Cons:
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Absolutely none
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We have a wonderful friend who loves Disney as much as I do. As a vacation club member he gave us 6 days at Kidani. Talk about a wonderful gift. Anyway, I do know Disney. I have stayed at Deluxe, Moderate & Value but never at a Villa.
Overall for normal people this is a 10! It has aspects that are not to my taste but overall it is an incredible resort.
Everyone mentions the lack of counter service restaurant & I agree. Jambo is a fair hike & room service is over priced & not to my taste. However service provided is lovely ... tablecloth, napkins etc. I just didn't care for the food but service was notable.
People mention the darkness of the suite which I also found troublesome; coming in at night & you cannot finding anything. I laugh because I have been to Africa & light at night is a problem. Many power failures & use of flashlights to find your way around your room is not uncommon. This is realism!!
The suite was clean. The bathroom was over the top. It was a one bedroom suite for the two of us & we had more room than we needed. The decor is splendid.
We did not have Savannah view & if you are at the parks all day .. I recommend this as a cost saver.
The pool area was wonderful with games for kids which at 61 I enjoyed. Once a grandmother always a grandmother!. My husband found it a bit loud & was not that pleased.
I would love to stay here again but honestly if I am paying $400 to $500 a night I would not come back. I am a frugal Scot who really just enjoys the Disney experience rather than luxury.
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jdetrick
Registered: February 2013
Location: Mechanicsburg PA
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Tue February 12, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Beautiful architecture, animal viewing
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Cons:
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Long waits for busses, small on property store
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This was our first time staying at Kidani Village (having stayed in Jambo House previously) and we loved it! The lobby, while similar to Jambo House, is much smaller, but that made the lobby cozy and pleasant (I love the Jambo House lobby, but its a little cavernous). I actually like the entranceway, with the lanterns outside, better at Kidani Village. We had a three bedroom villa for eight people, and it was plenty of room, as well as being very well furnished. There were a few complaints about the beds being too hard, but most of the group seemed very comfortable.
The animals seemed to be omnipresent and the staff was very nice and more than willing to discuss the animals with guests. We also used the pool, which the kids loved.
I have three complaints. We had frequent long waits for busses, including one morning when we waited over 35 minutes for a bus to the Magic Kingdom. I really wish that the resort had some sort of counter service restaurant, or even offered more food in its gift shop (we got room service one night, and found some of the food inedible, although the salad we got from them was quite good).
But even with those complaints, this is a great resort, and we had a wonderful time there!
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lizzie1974
Registered: March 2011
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 30
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Review Date: Thu February 7, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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cast members, decor, theming
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Cons:
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few and far between
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My family & I stayed here for 9 days at the end of January. We were very lucky to be in room 7707 which is in the first block off the lobby. A quick walk down the stairs to the Johari gift shop.
The major pros are the animals and the cast members. We've stayed at the value resorts and never see the same cast member twice. This was such a different experience. In particular, Irene, Clement, Rens, Elbe and Tipton were all stand outs. But honestly, everyone was great.
My 7 year old was excited to do the bead activities offered at both Jambo & Kidani. They are a great way to learn about Africa and earn a bead as a reward. This is a wonderful place for kids. Each night one of the CMs makes a presentation about their homeland. We enjoyed Irene's presentation about Uganda.
Next, the pool is fantastic. Great slide, great hot tubs, fun play area, ample seating. When we go back, we'll plan a whole day to just stay at the hotel to enjoy all the amenities. There is just so much offered.
Buses ran well, except for our very last trip to MK. Waited probably 25 minutes for that one. Other than that, the buses came in no more than 10 minutes. One cool thing is that the buses come to Kidani first, then to Jambo. There are far fewer people staying at Kidani so you always get a seat. No crush at the bus stop. (The bus to Downtown actually goes to Jambo first, but that is rarely a full bus ride).
There is a shuttle that runs between Jambo & Kidani every 5 minutes but the walk to Jambo is quite enjoyable as long as the weather is nice.
So, if there is one criticism, it's with the Johari Treasures gift shop. It's tiny by Disney gift shop standards. They do offer a good selection of staples if you haven't had time to go to a grocery store. I was disappointed that the hot beverage station did not have the usual hot chocolate machine. We typically have hot chocolate at night when we stay at Disney... Oh well, we had tea instead. Also, you have to ask for straws. They keep them in a draw behind the register for some odd reason.
As I mentioned, we were lucky to get a room so close to the lobby. Laundry was close (we just had a studio) and it was gratis. Very nice. If you had a room much farther than the 2nd block off the lobby, you're in for a hike. A car and a room with a full kitchen would probably be necessary.
All in all, it was really great and we would definitely stay there again.
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anita173
Registered: January 2013
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Fri January 25, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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animals, parking, resort theming
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Cons:
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bus transportation was terrible
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We stayed in a 1-bedroom Sunset Savannah from 12/9-12/15. I liked the fact that the room had 2 full baths and the African and animal theming is carried into the rooms. We also liked that the parking is under the building and our rooms were close to the elevators to the garage. Normally I would give this resort a 10 rating, but we had two issues during this stay.
Someone had left some clothes in the bathroom during a previous stay and it took 2 calls (over 2 days)to housekeeping for the clothes to be removed.
My other major complaint was the bus transportation. We had several days where we waited between 30-40 minutes for the buses. Since this resort is one of the furthest from the Magic Kingdom, I expected to have to wait for that bus. At times, the two buses would arrive at the same time for the Magic Kingdom. But the worst was waiting 40 minutes for the Animal Kingdom bus. We finally gave up and my brother went and got the car. Since the Animal Kingdom park is only about 3 miles from this resort, we could have walked to the park faster. Because of this issue, I would recommend this resort only if you have a car and are planning to drive to the parks.
The Sunset Savannah (giraffes, wildebeest, zebra and waterbuck) is closed in the mornings until approximately 9:30am, when the animals return to the savannah. If you plan to depart for the parks before this time, you may want to save the money or points and get a standard view room.
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slapps
Registered: May 2012
Posts: 23
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Review Date: Mon January 7, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Animals are very nice.
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Cons:
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Small rooms and a long bus ride from most parks.
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My family of four stayed for a total of five nights at Kidani Village. We checked in on December 26th, in a standard studio. When we arrived in the room, we tried to turn the TV on and found out the batteries were dead. I called the front desk and was told they would have a new remote delivered right away. 25 minutes later, I once again called the front desk and waited another half hour and then walked to the front desk to see why it was taking so long and finally did receive the remote about 2 hours later. We also reported twice that the toilet seat would not stay up, this was never taken care of before we checked out of that room.
The room itself was on the small side but, we thought very thoughtfully decorated. Our biggest complaint was the rooms were on the dark side. We also did not enjoy the beds, too high and soft. We checked into a studio savannah view on December 29th and out on the 31st. This room was very nice. It was a lot of fun watching the animals in the morning.
I must point out how helpful and nice the front desk was during our stay. Always very nice and polite. The biggest issue with Kidani Village and Animal Kingdom Lodge is that it seems to be far from most everything except Animal Kingdom. I am not sure we would stay here again. Although it is a wonderful resort, just not for us.
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memymoe
Registered: June 2010
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Wed December 26, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Waking up and seeing the giraffes & zebras outside your room.
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Cons:
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Location in relation to the parks; Distance from the rooms to the lobby.
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The resort itself is nice (clean rooms, friendly staff). The week we went was beautiful so we lucky enough to have animals outside our room whenever we stepped out on to the balcony. However, my issue with Kidani is it’s layout. We had a room in the last “pod” and it was a haul to get the lobby. I was so thankful the kids didn’t join us on this trip. I couldn’t imagine having to make that trip back and forth to the buses every day with preschoolers. I’ve stayed at Boardwalk and the people who complain about the distance there should try doing the walk at Kidani from the last pod. I run 5 miles at least 3 times week so it’s not a matter of being lazy or too out of shape to make the walk. It’s more a matter of when I stay at a hotel I prefer not to spend 15 minutes every morning and night walking down what seems to be endless corridor of rooms just to get to the lobby/room. What Kidani should do is put everyone who has a car in rooms that are further out. That way those people are closer to their vehicles and the people who are more inclined to use the park buses are closer to bus stops.
Maybe when the kids get older we’ll give Kidani another shot but at least for the next could of years we’ll be staying at another resort.
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MagicKat103
Registered: March 2012
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Sun October 28, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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beautiful, quiet
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Cons:
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far away from other stuff in the world
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Beautiful resort. Room (studio) was clean, and room requests were met. Only strange things were the doors for the bathroom. LOVED having the toilet separated by a door from the vanity/tub area. Only thing was the door to the bathroom went right into the tub..so when bathing the kids, the door needed to be closed-very minor issue though. Ate in the Mara a couple times and it was not a bad walk at all. Really enjoyed staying here. Yes it is far from everything, but we just planned accordingly.
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colinlyoung
Registered: February 2007
Location: Nottingham, England
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Mon October 1, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Relaxing ambience, Great service.
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Cons:
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Small cups & only 1 bedside table.
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Kidani Village is a great place to stay at Disneyworld. This was our 3rd stay, and is the resort to stay at if you want some chill out time at Disneyworld. The customer service from the moment we arrived was excellent, especially from Shannon at check in. We had a great Savannah view room and enjoyed nothing better than sitting on our balcony with a cold drink watching the animals.
Our only faults with the rooms are minor ones.
1. Why are the cups so small, we always end up buying mugs from the gift shop so we can enjoy a proper drink of tea of coffee. (Maybe that's the idea!)
2. Why does only one side of the King bed have a bedside table, and why is there only 1 light switch for the reading lights?
These are only minor irritations, which hopefully will be fixed one day? They certainly wouldn't stop us staying there, it's a great resort.
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nrymut
Registered: July 2006
Posts: 87
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Review Date: Sat September 8, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Peaceful, decor
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Cons:
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None
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We spent 5 nights here Aug 19-24. Cast is very friendly. Room was ready upon check-in at 12 noon, always a plus. Lots of activities if you want to participate. Lots of quiet spaces for relaxing. Housekeeping well done. Close to a Target Superstore on 192.
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tammilip821
Registered: August 2012
Location: Langhorne, PA
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Thu August 23, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Savannah, quiet, ambiance
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Cons:
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limited options on mug refills
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We stayed in a 2br Savannah view on 3rd floor in between Timon and South elevators. Great location. Parents and 2 adult children so plenty of room, extra full bathroom a great addition! Hotel staff were great, best Disney employees we encontered all week. As read on many reviews, the unit can be very dark although we found this only to really be in the MBR. We usually stay in OKW for the bigger villa but this was a great size. We were unsure of staying here due to the location but it really wasn't a problem at all and we will definitely stay here again!
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shortfieldno1
Registered: August 2012
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Fri August 17, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Decorations, Music, Animals, Very Unique, Community Hall
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Cons:
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A Lot of Walking
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We stayed part of our August trip at AKL as DVC members for the 3rd time. We were in the Pumba Parking area. It was the last section for parking and quite a walk to everything.
I love the resort! We stayed in a Savannah View Studio. This time we rarely had animals to view when we were in the room. Again, we were at the very end.
Rooms are clean and bathroom space is great! Lots of room to store stuff.
It took me over 15 minutes to walk to the lobby area one night to do laundry. Also, to park your car and walk to your room with 2 sleeping kids can be difficult. Also, there is no counter service food except by the pool. You have to drive or take the bus to Mara. They do have the fountain drinks in the gift shop and by pool if you get the reusable mug. It would be quicker and less expensive to by the small bottles of pop for the fridge.
Otherwise, the atmosphere is wonderful and relaxing. In order to get the most of your money, yo much really take time to enjoy the resort and all it has to offer.
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Momof4
Registered: January 2007
Posts: 22
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Review Date: Wed July 25, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything
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Cons:
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Distance from parks
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Just back from a 5 night stay in a 2bd villa with a pool view. Room 7727. There were 8 of us- 2 adults, 2 young adult children, and 4 kids. I'll start by saying I did not have high expectations because we usually stay at the Boardwalk and love the location and convenience of it. Well, I fell in love!!!
This resort has the best customer service and accommodations that we've experienced. The staff here is top notch, super helpful and friendly. Our room was not ready on check in but I promptly received a text when it was available. (Boardwalk has never done that.)
Our room was spotless and comfortably slept 8. The third bathroom was awesome!!! The resort is beautiful with so much to do. The animal viewing is great and the pool was so fun and had lots of activities for the kids. We did not mind the walk to the lobby or pool to fill our mugs. We found the gift shop sufficient and enjoyed our lunch at the pool from Maji. We also saw many people ordering private dining at the pool, so that's another option.
We did not find the walk between Kidani and Jambo to be bothersome. We ate at Mara 2 times for lunch and actually joked about it. We are an active family but it really is not that far. None of my kids complained about it and the temperature was greater than 90. In fact, they went there more than I did to see the animals and look in that gift shop.
We just could not find anything to complain about at Kidani! In fact, my 18 year old son who is not a huge Disney fan would go back tomorrow. He had so much fun - visited all the animal viewing spots, used the night vision goggles, swam at the pool and bought souvenirs from the gift shop. (I haven't bought him a souvenir in YEARS! They were all AKL or African inspired)
Lastly, I'll give my two cents on the buses. Those drivers did an outstanding job. We never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus and usually it was less. The time on the buses is related to the distance from the parks. The resort is far away. I really don't think a car could have saved us much time. I don't love taking buses and am spoiled by the Boardwalk but I think they did a good job. A bonus being they only go to Kidani and jambo, not three other resorts!
Obviously, I could continue gushing over Kidani for quite some time but I'm going to try and change my November reservations from Boardwalk to here instead!! ;-)
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