Will we be disappointed with Kidani if we LOVE Jambo?

We were disappointed. We love Jambo House. The entire resort is beautiful - Kidani looks like a converted warehouse on the outside or something. The lobby and store are small. No real counter service. We absolutely love BOMA and the Mara. Who wants to walk 10 or 15 minutes or take a shuttle to go eat? And perhaps the biggest issue for us was that we use studios and we hated the layout at Kidani. The kitchenette felt like an afterthought. It doesn't even have a traditional barsink size sink!! It was a basin like you'd find in a bathroom. Very small countertop area. Even the microwave & refrigerator seemed smaller than usual. Then there was the weird bathroom. The traditional split bath has the toilet & tub/shower in 1 room with the sink(s) / vanity out in the main area. But at Kidani they had a watercloset for the toilet and the sinks were in with the tub/shower. We find it a lot more practical to be able to have more than 1 person getting ready at one time. There is less privacy to try to use the sink / vanity area while someone else is showering in the same room. We didn't like that. JM2C. We will probably never stay there again as long as there is an opening for our dates at Jambo.
 
DenLo said:
We like both resorts, so much so that we rotate stays at AKV between the too. When we are at one we love it so much so that the next time we hesitate on booking the other resort, but when we are at the other AKV resort we love it too.
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We tend to switch back and forth, as well, depending on the trip. DH & I love Kidani when it is the two of us. We will be at Jambo House this December with our son's family this December. Maybe next time, we might switch up and stay Kidani with the grandkids.

I prefer the Kidani rooms. We both prefer the quieter feel when just the two of us.
 
A few quick questions: Myself, hubby and 2 daughters are staying at Kidani for the first time this August for our youngest's birthday. We are using our DVC points. I was told by someone that Sunset Savannah was a great view/area to be in and that it was close to Jambo to get QS and visit the store, etc. and to buses - is this true? How far to the pool? Do the buildings have elevators or only stairs? Underground parking sounds awesome - can a van fit in the underground parking? (I'm sure it would keep it cooler than being out in the sun!) Is the parking convenient to most rooms or the lobby? Sorry for so many questions, I like to be prepared!:earboy2:
 
DisMomof2Princesses said:
A few quick questions: Myself, hubby and 2 daughters are staying at Kidani for the first time this August for our youngest's birthday. We are using our DVC points. I was told by someone that Sunset Savannah was a great view/area to be in and that it was close to Jambo to get QS and visit the store, etc. and to buses - is this true? How far to the pool? Do the buildings have elevators or only stairs? Underground parking sounds awesome - can a van fit in the underground parking? (I'm sure it would keep it cooler than being out in the sun!) Is the parking convenient to most rooms or the lobby? Sorry for so many questions, I like to be prepared!:earboy2:
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1st off. It's partly true. But somehow you'd have to request on the southern end of the building, or close to bus stops.

If you mean the pool @ Kidani, then you'd sacrifice a lil walking, if you did get granted your first wish to be closer to Jambo.. If you were talking about the Jambo pool, then Yes you'd have a decent walk, depending on which pod of rooms you get.

The buildings do have elevators.

Yes.

Whichever room/Pod that you end up getting, you can just take the elevators down to ground/ basement level and you should be able to find parking there. This goes for most of the resort as well...

Here's a link that'll give you an idea of the relation from one resort to the other, and what I meant by the southern rooms on Kidani side https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...7vZAhVRTt8KHVUxDfYQMwg6KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8
 


Just thought I'd add my two cents. AKV is our home resort. I absolutely love Jambo House. We stayed there many times in non-DVC rooms. Contrary to popular opinion, I think it has the best pool on property. I love that it is secluded, and I really feel like I'm away from it all when I'm laying at the pool, surrounded by lush greenery and palm trees. I also love the hot tubs, specifically the one in the back corner, where it's really quiet. I love being able to walk right out of the back of the resort to the pool area. I love the Mara for a quick bite. Jambo is always my first choice. On our past trip we weren't able to book a 2BR for this past December, so had to "settle" for Kidani. I've stayed at Kidani once before when I went on a girls' trip with my BFF. We enjoyed it. It's pretty. I wasn't thrilled with having to cross over the parking lot and walk a bit to the pool. I wasn't thrilled there wasn't a quick service there, and they weren't serving a quick service breakfast at Sanaa at the time. Knowing we were going in December this last trip, I wasn't as concerned with the pool/hot tub issue. Plus, this was a family trip with my adult son & his family, and my daughter and her husband. We had a 3 and 5 year old with us. I knew we wouldn't use the pool much, and we ordered groceries for breakfast, and snacks for the room, plus stuff the kids would like to eat. Having said that, I will never choose Kidani over Jambo. I wasn't disappointed in our stay there in any way, as I knew going in what the differences were, but I would have been even happier had we stayed at Jambo. I think the biggest plus of Kidani over Jambo is the third bathroom, esecially if you have a large group staying in a 2BR, which we did.
 
DizDaD7 said:
1st off. It's partly true. But somehow you'd have to request on the southern end of the building, or close to bus stops.

If you mean the pool @ Kidani, then you'd sacrifice a lil walking, if you did get granted your first wish to be closer to Jambo.. If you were talking about the Jambo pool, then Yes you'd have a decent walk, depending on which pod of rooms you get.

The buildings do have elevators.

Yes.

Whichever room/Pod that you end up getting, you can just take the elevators down to ground/ basement level and you should be able to find parking there. This goes for most of the resort as well...

Here's a link that'll give you an idea of the relation from one resort to the other, and what I meant by the southern rooms on Kidani side https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ed/ef/96/edef963c190d5615c5b52c52ead11359.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1970393557120920/&docid=uj8qsjKFuBIbGM&tbnid=SkpZfsDnsNdiBM:&vet=10ahUKEwjIybW4h7vZAhVRTt8KHVUxDfYQMwg6KAAwAA..i&w=3229&h=2480&hl=en&bih=579&biw=1242&q=animalkingdomjambo and kidanimap&ved=0ahUKEwjIybW4h7vZAhVRTt8KHVUxDfYQMwg6KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8
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Thanks so much for your help!!! The link is great!
 


I always love this topic because of the variety of opinions. Full disclosure we have visited Jambo but never stated there. Let's talk about the pool first. Jambo's is nicer but the two times we were there it was crowded and loud. I dont see the big deal crossing the road to get to Kidani pool, but some people do. Kidani is first on and first off most of the buses, which is a plus if it's crowded. Jambo has QS food, a much nicer lobby and better gift shop, no question, but will those things make or break your stay? All that said, go in with an open mind, enjoy the view and have a great time!!
 
This was always my concern as well. I would love to try Kidani. Note to self; Close to the lobby, savannah view!
 
mdelano4 said:
I always love this topic because of the variety of opinions. Full disclosure we have visited Jambo but never stated there. Let's talk about the pool first. Jambo's is nicer but the two times we were there it was crowded and loud. I dont see the big deal crossing the road to get to Kidani pool, but some people do. Kidani is first on and first off most of the buses, which is a plus if it's crowded. Jambo has QS food, a much nicer lobby and better gift shop, no question, but will those things make or break your stay? All that said, go in with an open mind, enjoy the view and have a great time!!
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Interesting, we have always found the Kidani pool much more crowded, to the point that we have not been able to find two loungers together, and we have never had that issue at Jambo, not sure about louder, those pool parties are so loud that anything that isn't that seems downright silent in comparison.

We really like both, but prefer Jambo, if staying in a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom, we would always choose Kidani.
 
We own AKV also and have only stayed at Jambo and we love it. I feel the same way, reluctant to try Kidani. I don't like thought of having to cross a parking lot to get to the pool...that is very unappealing to me. I'm sure the villas are just as nice, or perhaps nicer at Kidani because they offer an extra bathroom but I still will always choose Jambo over Kidani. I will probably be forced to try Kidani at some point and maybe that will change my opinion.
 
Biggest downside with Kidani is the onsite food. Saana is great for dinner and now offers breakfast buffet, but that is about it. It is not a restaurant you would want to eat at everyday for something quick. The pool has very little selection and is not really a quick serve alternative, especially if the weather is not behaving.

You will have to walk over to Jambo which is not terrible, but will probably take you about 10 minutes if you do not take the van. Because of this we ended up eating most breakfast's in our room.

That being said Kidani is quieter, has a more relaxed pool, and has more to keep the kids busy.
 
We love both and there are pros and cons to each. There is no doubt that Jambo lobby is incredible which IMO tends to weigh heavily in preferences between the two. The pro's for Kidani are the rooms themselves, kids play area at pool and the underground parking (which allows you to park near your room which is very nice after a long day of walking around parks).
 
I love Jambo House but I am not a fan of Kidani. We had a savanna view and the walk to the elevator/lobby was LONG!!! No real QS food options is a pain as well. Pushing a double stroller over to Jambo just for a quick snack gets old quickly! The pool at Jambo is amazing and easy to get to. The lobby at Jambo is one of my favorite places to hang out and relax. I own at BWV and BRV but do stay at other resorts. I will not stay at Kidani again.
 
I am staying at Kidani in July in a savanna view studio with my 15 yr old son. I’m not to picky about a room and don’t mind the walk but I know I definitely want to be in the south wing. Should I just request south wing or should I be more specific? TIA
 
wdrl said:
There are many great things about Kidani. As long as you approach it with a positive attitude you will be fine. Remember, you will only be a short walk or free shuttle ride away from Jambo, so you'll be able to easily take advantage of all the things you like at Jambo.

Here is a short list of things that you might want to check out at Kidani:

Saana -- I admit Boma and Jiko are nice restaurants, but Saana is really something special. Be sure to check out the bread service while there. Also, Saana offers great views of the Sunset Savanna, something you can't get at Boma or Jiko

The Bar at Saana -- A Disney bar is a Disney bar, but at Saana's bar you can order most items that are on the Saana menu. This is great because it means you can have a table service dinner without having an ADR almost any time you want.

Savanna Views - Jambo's villas are on the fifth floor, which means that trees and landscaping can block some of your views of the animals on the savanna. At Kidani, the villas start on the second floor. You can have some pretty spectacular views of the animals because you will be a lot closer to them at Kidani than at Jambo.

Underground parking -- If you have a car, you can take advantage of Kidani's underground parking. Its the only DVC resort the offers covered parking at Walt Disney World.

Water Play Area -- Kidani has a really nice water play area for kids. Although Jambo has a kids' play area, I don't think it has water features.

Community Hall -- Kidani has a Community Hall; Jambo doesn't.

Transportation: Did I mention you will only be a short walk or free shuttle ride away from Jambo, so you'll be able to easily take advantage of all the things you like at Jambo?

Refillable mug stations -- There are two: One at the gift shop off the lobby and another at the pool.
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This is a great breakdown. Thank you!
 
I love love love love love Jambo and I can deal with Kidani. the only reason I book Kidani is if I need the extra bathroom a one or two bedroom. It just feels like a Jambo wanna be to me {sorry - just my opinion}
 
Like most DVC resorts, each has it's own pros and cons. Kidani and Jambo may share savannas but they are like two different DVC resorts within walking distance to each other.

:earsboy: Bill

 
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