Kidani Village was added as a DVC section to Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House. We previously had breakfast at Boma and loved Animal Kingdom Lodge, so we were very happy when we were able to get reservations for Kidani.
When we first arrived at Kidani Village we noticed that the lobby was much smaller than Jambo House, but no less beautiful. I've said it before, but it is so true, Disney is great with details. So, even though it may not have been as "grand" we were still very impressed by the lobby. I loved the chandeliers and the decor in the lobby.
There is a huge window that looks out to the Savannah and stairs that lead down from the lobby to the door that leads to the viewing area outside. The lobby has some seating, so you can just hang out there if you want and watch the animals through the big window. For a better view of the animals, head down the stairs and out the door (Sanaa is also downstairs from the lobby). They have a very roomy area to watch the animals, complete with a fire pit and rocking chairs. There is a cast member out in the viewing area who will be able to answer any questions you have. When we were there in January 2014 we were lucky enough to see a baby zebra and baby giraffe that were on the Savannah. It's pretty relaxing to spend some time out there just observing the animals.
Looking back from the viewing area at
the huge lobby window. You can also
see the fire pit and rocking chairs.
The lights that are around the viewing area.
I loved this fluffy headed bird.
Watching the giraffes follow the truck
was pretty funny.
They clearly know who feeds them.
More of the fluffy headed bird.
Baby zebra to the left :-)
The fact that these animals were right outside our hotel was pretty awesome! The kids loved watching them and it was a perfect activity for downtime from the parks. They never seemed to get tired of seeing the animals and the excitement was genuine every time.
Activities
Watching the animals is only one of many activities that they offer at Kidani. When you check-in the cast member will give you a map of the resort, which includes the viewing areas, and a list of different activities offered at the resort. Some activities are free and others will have a fee, but they list that on the activity sheet so there are no surprises.
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A map of the resort you receive when you check-in.
Notice the shape of the Kidani building. It is
supposed to look like Water Buffalo horns.
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A list of activities available at the resort.
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A list of activities available at the resort.
There are so many fun things offered at Kidani, I would try to make time for some of them (if your schedule allows). One thing we wanted to try was the night viewing of the animals. They actually give you night vision goggles to view the animals. It's a pretty fun activity! They have different culinary experiences for adults to try, like Wine Tasting at Jiko or you can dine with an animal expert at Sanaa. It is definitely worth it to hold on to these activity sheets and try to fit one of them in.
Dining
Between Kidani Village and Jambo House, you have many dining options. At Kidani there is Sanaa, which faces the Savannah and has large windows so you can watch the animals as you dine. Jambo House has Jiko - The Cooking Place, Boma - Flavors of Africa, and The Mara. We have not yet had dinner at Jiko, but I have heard the food is delicious.
We have had the breakfast buffet at Boma twice and loved it there. I think next time we will try dinner, but breakfast is delicious. They have so many options and the Jungle Juice is so good! If you or anyone in your party is not a very adventurous eater, don't worry, they have plenty of standard buffet options available. Both times we dined at Boma the cast members were great. They were very friendly and attentive. They even let us bring our stroller in, because our son had fallen asleep. Love Boma and can't wait to make reservations there again!
The Mara is the quick service option at Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have some pretty good food here too, but I think I was expecting more options. It is definitely less crazy than the food courts at the values and more organized. You fill out an order form for your choices and they will give you a slip so you can pay while your food is being prepared. Great system and there was really never a line. They have a refrigerated area where you can get desserts and bottled drinks. There is plenty of seating, so you shouldn't have to worry about finding somewhere to sit.
The Pool
One thing I wish we were able to experience more was the pool. We were only at Kidani for six nights and we didn't set aside enough time to enjoy the pool. The one time we did go it was so much fun! They have a zero depth entry section, so you can just walk in, which is great for little ones and those with disabilities. Another nice feature they have is a pool lift, for those that may have trouble walking into the pool. There are also pool towels available, so you do not have to bring your towels down from your room.
There are two pools available, one at Jambo House and one at Kidani Village. The pool at Jambo is the Uzima Pool and at Kidani it is Samawati Springs Pool. We used Samawati and loved it. The water slide was the most popular part of the pool with our group. Our friends have a daughter who was six at the time we were there and I can't even count how many times she went down the slide! Now for the next trip the water slide is an important feature in our hotel choice :-)
The Room
We stayed in 2 bedroom suite at Kidani and it was so spacious. Since it was built specifically for DVC and was not one of the first ones built, the rooms are pretty big. The bathroom in the master suite is ridiculously big. There is a jacuzzi tub, a pretty big separate shower with glass doors, a double sink with storage below, a separate room for the toilet, and a closet. It is seriously huge and kind of felt like wasted space.
In the living area of the room there is a full kitchen, with a full size refrigerator. We did cook some meals in the room, so it was very nice to have the stove there. The kitchen is fully stocked with all the cookware and utensils you will need, they even have a coffee maker and wine glasses. Across from the kitchen is the table with a bench on one side and two chairs on the other side.
The dining area and television.
Lighting above the table.
There is a pull-out sofa (queen size) in front of the television and a chair that actually pulls out to a twin sleeper. The television stand has drawer space for anyone that needs the extra room or if someone is sleeping on the pull-out. Someone in our group slept on the pull-out for the six nights we were there and said it was very comfortable. There is also a sliding glass door that leads out to the long balcony.
The view from the balcony.
In the living area you will also find a closet and the washer and dryer. I can't tell you how great it was to have the washer and dryer in the room. I know some people don't like to do laundry on vacation, but we didn't mind. The kids would go to sleep early and the adults stayed up to plan out the next day, so we just did laundry then. It saved a lot of space in the luggage for souvenirs ;-)
The big bonus was that there was a third full bathroom in the living area. It was great for us, because we had an adult sleeping on the pull-out, so this way he had his own space to get ready in the morning. Great feature that a lot of the older DVC resorts don't have.
Both the bedrooms were very nice and a good size. The master bedroom had the ridiculously big bathroom that I already told you about, but the tile design is nice.
The tile design in the bathroom.
We loved the jacuzzi tub that was in the bathroom! After a long day at the park, those jets are good for your feet. There was a king bed and a dresser with the television and plenty of drawer space. We were able to put the desk against the wall by the bed and move the twin pull-out chair in the room for our daughter. Even with the twin sleeper open and the pack and play open for our son, we still had plenty of room to move around. It was great!
The second bedroom had two queen size beds. Again, this is a nice feature with the newer DVC resorts, because some of the older ones will have a queen bed and a queen pull-out sofa instead of a second bed. There is a separate closet in the second bedroom with a decent amount of space. The bathroom is your standard shower/tub combo bathroom. Both the master suite and the second bedroom have sliding glass doors that lead to the balcony.
Half of the balcony.
The full length of the balcony.
When you enter your room for the first time there will be a folder that has some pamphlets in it. Definitely take the time to look through this. It basically lets you know everything that is offered at the hotel. From the activities, to dining, to services offered, it is a pretty informative packet. There is also information on Disney Vacation Club and the Disney Visa card. So if you have been think about joining or getting the card, you can get a little more information.
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The cover of the folder.
(Jan. 2014)
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What was included in the folder.
(Jan. 2014)
The Service
The service at Kidani was great! We only had a few bumps while we were staying there. One of the bigger bumps was a problem with our Magicbands. For some reason we had trouble getting everyone's bands linked to the room. We spent the first three nights down at Concierge trying to get it fixed. The second night we had to go down to the Concierge, they gave everyone in our group three extra fastpasses, per person, per day for the rest of our trip! So nice of them to throw some pixie dust our way for the Magicband problems.
Anytime we had a question they were quick to answer and most people were so friendly. I say most, because I did get some less than magical attitude from a few cast members. I ended up sending an email when we got home and Beth from Disney called me a few days after it was sent and apologized, assuring me they would address the situation. I wish I had said something when we were there, but we were so busy, I just didn't address it. I would recommend that if you have a problem to talk to management at the hotel so they can talk to the cast members right away. Beth was great though, the Disney service didn't end when we left the resort.
The cast members at Boma and The Mara were great as well. Friendly service and they were on top of everything. We had a problem with one of our Rapid Refill mugs not working at The Mara and they gave us a new one. We had very pleasant dining experiences at both locations.
Tips
If you are trying to decide between Jambo House and Kidani, here are a couple of tips we learned on this past trip.
The bus picks up and drops off first at Kidani. It was nice to know that, no matter how crowded the bus was going to get from the two stops, we would most likely get a seat since we were picked up first. Plus, on the way home we were dropped off first. So, if we ended up standing for that ride, we knew that we didn't have to wait for the unload at Jambo first.
The second tip I would give for Kidani Village would be to ask for a room close to the lobby. If you get one of the rooms at the end of the "horns" (see map above), you will be very far from the lobby. We requested close to the lobby and had a very short walk to the buses and to Jambo House when we had reservations at Boma or were eating at The Mara.
The Conclusion
Kidani is a great resort and we would happily return there. It was nice to have Jambo House so close, you can walk there in 5-10 minutes (depending on where your room is and how fast you walk). Also, it is a quiet resort. It is not like some other resorts that are in the middle of busy areas. If you want a quiet resort, Kidani is for you. It is a very relaxing experience and the resort is beautiful. You could spend so much time just wandering around and looking at all the details Disney has included.
Then, of course, there is the main attraction, the animals. Even if you are staying in a standard view room, like we did, you still have an opportunity to see the animals. Not just at the viewing areas, but also when you step into the hallway. They have big windows in the hallways that look out onto the Savannah. So, we may not have had a Savannah view room, but all we had to do was literally step into the hallway and we could see the animals.
With all of the activities and dining experiences offered at both Kidani and Jambo, you can easily have a resort only stay here and not run out of things to do. Plus, the cast members have a wonderful knowledge of the animals on the Savannah and of the history of Africa. They will also make you feel at home during your vacation.
Really, I cannot say enough good things about Kidani. One of these days we will stay there again and I am excited for that day!
Thanks for reading!
Liz ⁰O⁰
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