***The Official AKV Owners And Lovers Thread***. Come And Chat

[Wedgeout]

I have a studio booked at Kidani savanna view. There is a 1 bed value available the same day. DH wants a 1 bed and it's only 4 points more. But we are going for my son's birthday and he really really wants a savanna view. Thoughts on if there's a high probability of seeing animals from a 1 bed value? The 1 bed value is at Jambo the studio is at Kidani. For someone who has never stayed is Jambo or Kidani better? One thing is DH really dislikes African food. So is either one better than the other for someone who wants more traditional food?

Believe have a 4 in 10 chance to be on that portion of Sunset Savanah. 2 on front parking lot side and 4 on the pool side. We got a value one bedroom last year for two nights. Received the pool. Really enjoyed it. Quick walk out to the savannah viewing area. We tried Jiko that visit. Great food and service for upscale experience. Boma in Jambo probably has the most variety for picky eaters.

 

[byurick]

Since it's your sons birthday and not your DH do the savanna view.

 

[VGCgroupie]

There's definetely more food choices at Jambo! Kidani only has Sanaa. The breakfasts at both are pretty much American food. Sanaa at Kidani has the Indian bread service for lunch/dinner which is really popular so I would say Sanaa and Jiko are more authentic African, but the rest (Boma, Mara, Sanaa breakfast have a lot of American options) I've never stayed in a value room so I can't answer to the rest!

We have ate an Sanaa. I loved it but DH and the kid did not. I booked breakfast already and at that time wasn’t even thinking about Kidani vs Jambo. How far is the walk?

 

[Girlstar30]

Since it's your sons birthday and not your DH do the savanna view.

I second this and people told me that Kidani would have better savannah views and I was worried about that because that was really important to us and I wanted to stay at Jambo for the location, but that turned on to be not true, the animals actually came closer to our Jambo room than Kidani and there were giraffes and zebras.

 

[Girlstar30]

We have ate an Sanaa. I loved it but DH and the kid did not. I booked breakfast already and at that time wasn’t even thinking about Kidani vs Jambo. How far is the walk?

I think they would like BOMA as well cuz there are so many choices and American ones with Simba waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, omelettes etc and I always talk about the sticky buns but they are so damn good and they have the delicious PoG juice and yogurts

 

[Girlstar30]

We have ate an Sanaa. I loved it but DH and the kid did not. I booked breakfast already and at that time wasn’t even thinking about Kidani vs Jambo. How far is the walk?

Somebody more qualified please answer this we literally slept at kidani, ate breakfast and then took the bus to magic kingdom and came back to Jambo so we didn't walk between the two, got to love that Disney luggage service! I heard Kidani is far from Jambo walking but there is an internal shuttle, not sure how well it works

 

[Wedgeout]

We have ate an Sanaa. I loved it but DH and the kid did not. I booked breakfast already and at that time wasn’t even thinking about Kidani vs Jambo. How far is the walk?

Even though shuttle & buses available. (Park buses stop Kidani first). The walk is estimated within 10 minutes max. Can stay in Kidani and use that end’s Zazu elevator to go to outside ground level. Very close to Jambo entrance.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Believe have a 4 in 10 chance to be on that portion of Sunset Savanah. 2 on front parking lot side and 4 on the pool side. We got a value one bedroom last year for two nights. Received the pool. Really enjoyed it. Quick walk out to the savannah viewing area. We tried Jiko that visit. Great food and service for upscale experience. Boma in Jambo probably has the most variety for picky eaters.

hmm 4 and 10. Probably not so good. The upside is we are taking the redeye so we will arrive at 7am to check in so I think I could request a specific room.

I second this and people told me that Kidani would have better savannah views and I was worried about that because that was really important to us and I wanted to stay at Jambo for the location, but that turned on to be not true, the animals actually came closer to our Jambo room than Kidani and there were giraffes and zebras.

Our studio is at Kidani.

 

[Wedgeout]

hmm 4 and 10. Probably not so good. The upside is we are taking the redeye so we will arrive at 7am to check in so I think I could request a specific room.

Our studio is at Kidani.

Never know! Think they usually don’t take requests to that category booking but might have one open up in morning. If going for the savannah, I’d pick Kidani. More viewing floor levels than just Jambo’s 5th floor. Plus after walking the hallways and looking out the viewing windows, I’d even be thrilled to get the opposite side without giraffes & watch the Okapi. If going points saving and picking resort view, Jambo has better odds at getting on the savannah with those boma people enclosures. We have next visit there in September. Jambo studio resort view.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Our studio is at Kidani.

We love the savanna room views at Kidani. If you are the DVC member and staying on points (sorry, you might've mentioned that in an earlier post), I would call/chat Member Services and request a room in the Zazu or Timone sections - those are nearer Jambo House, and we've always had an amazing savanna view.

If you're staying in Kidani, Sanaa is right below the main lobby in the middle of the resort - a simple walk and elevator/stairs from any of the Kidani rooms.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

You can watch the Savanah from overlooks at either resort if you don’t have a Savanah view.

How active is your son. My kids needed room to move around, and so the bigger space was good for us, but not all kids are that way. If your husband likes what he likes, a 1BR also gives you a full kitchen to prepare food. My kids were not morning people so they also liked breakfast in PJ’s and morning chill time.

I love both Jambo and Kindani, good luck on deciding.

 

[Wedgeout]

If was on a family trip with children, it would be Kidani. Did a walking in to see that community hall. It’s really nice & has a savannah view!

 

[VGCgroupie]

We love the savanna room views at Kidani. If you are the DVC member and staying on points (sorry, you might've mentioned that in an earlier post), I would call/chat Member Services and request a room in the Zazu or Timone sections - those are nearer Jambo House, and we've always had an amazing savanna view.

If you're staying in Kidani, Sanaa is right below the main lobby in the middle of the resort - a simple walk and elevator/stairs from any of the Kidani rooms.

We are DVC staying on points. Thank you for this!

You can watch the Savanah from overlooks at either resort if you don’t have a Savanah view.

How active is your son. My kids needed room to move around, and so the bigger space was good for us, but not all kids are that way. If your husband likes what he likes, a 1BR also gives you a full kitchen to prepare food. My kids were not morning people so they also liked breakfast in PJ’s and morning chill time.

I love both Jambo and Kindani, good luck on deciding.

Thanks! We will only be there for 1 night this trip, then moving to a Boardwalk 1 bedroom. He is very active but with us taking the red eye the night before Im sure he will be much less active

 

[Mirabell Rose]

We are DVC staying on points. Thank you for this!

Thanks! We will only be there for 1 night this trip, then moving to a Boardwalk 1 bedroom. He is very active but with us taking the red eye the night before Im sure he will be much less active

One can only hope it wears him out. I just marvel at how some kiddos seem to have so much excited energy when at Disney, but then again to a kid it’s DISNEY!

 

[VGCgroupie]

One can only hope it wears him out. I just marvel at how some kiddos seem to have so much excited energy when at Disney, but then again to a kid it’s DISNEY!

Right? They have boundless energy. We aren’t doing the parks that day because I’m not sure I’d survive it.

 

[Bucketfoot]

We have ate an Sanaa. I loved it but DH and the kid did not. I booked breakfast already and at that time wasn’t even thinking about Kidani vs Jambo. How far is the walk?

10 minutes or you can hop on the shuttle that goes between the two. About the same time either way. I do this walk multiple times in a stay.

 

[VGCgroupie]

10 minutes or you can hop on the shuttle that goes between the two. About the same time either way. I do this walk multiple times in a stay.

Okay great. That’s a relief.

 

[sndral]

This is what the shuttle looks like, it picks up much nearer the lobbies than the regular buses - just ask the bellhops where the pick up spot is. It runs continuously between Jambo & Kidani. It cannot accommodate ECVs. The walk between the two lobbies is 10 minutes or so, from Jambo to Kidani’s pool a few minutes further.

 

[twinklebug]

I have a concern about Disney that perhaps is just a misunderstanding on my part. I'd like clarification of what I'm seeing in regards to Jambo's value rooms on the hotel side reservation system:

I understand that Disney is one of the largest owners of points and they're permitted to resell and profit off them, however I'm seeing DVC Value rooms at Jambo listed as available a half year out up on Disney's hotel side reservation system. I went all the way through to where I'd add my billing info - the system is insisting that those rooms are in their inventory.

Questioning if perhaps the hotel side has its own version of what it calls a value room and this isn't DVC, I looked through the images, they do appear to be DVC deluxe studios with the kitchenette, fold up sofa bed and all. Not the standard hotel rooms.

This is 6 months out I'm looking and there are many value rooms available across consecutive dates. For Disney to have the number of days available indicates to me that they grabbed them up before the rest of us had a chance at them. Value studios fly out of stock as soon as the system opens that 11 month window, and I was stalking these particular dates until I got some. It took week of waiting for people to release those days.



Could it be I'm I reading this wrong? It is noted that the room description states "Views of Landscape or Parking Area". Perhaps these were rooms along the front side of the hotel that were converted for DVC but never acquired by the system? I know there are only a couple of studios facing parking that are DVC, the rest are pool or savanna.

Could it perhaps be a bait and switch on Disney's part as they'll "upgrade" the paying guest to a savanna view hotel side room upon arrival?

 

[TinkAgainU]

Even though shuttle & buses available. (Park buses stop Kidani first). The walk is estimated within 10 minutes max. Can stay in Kidani and use that end’s Zazu elevator to go to outside ground level. Very close to Jambo entrance.

There is a dedicated white van running only between Kidani and Jambo all day (not sure when it stops at night). Makes it super simple to attend functions or eat at either one. That said, I prefer JAMBO since it often has shorter walks from the room to wherever.

BOMA buffet has great all-family options - I love their breakfast. I found SANAA bread service over rated felt a step up from Denneys (at 4x the price) if you did not get a view table lol.