Reviews of Animal Kingdom Lodge KIDANI Village (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 10/04/2021
Rating: (8) Not Recommended
A friend and I stayed here from 9/20 to 9/25 in a 2 bedroom/3 bath Villa on the 3rd floor. We were actually expecting my son and his family to join us, which is the reason that I booked the larger Villa, but unfortunately due to work obligations, they weren\\'t able to join us. We are not DVC owners, but we were able to rent the points for a fantastic deal!! I felt bad that my son couldn\\'t join us because this was his dream resort. As many people have stated, the lobby is gorgeous, but much smaller and more personal than Animal Kingdom Jambo.
On my past trips to Disney we have stayed at Fort Wilderness Cabins a few times with my husband and when my 4 children were younger (Loved, Loved, Loved the cabins!!!), came back again in 2017 for the first time in many years with my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren and stayed at Art of Animation 3 separate times in a family suite and got very spoiled with the 2 bathrooms and since I had become an annual pass holder, I came back one Fall with a friend and stayed at All Star Movies. Was a little hesitant on that Value resort, but for $798 for 7 days at the end of September, it was a steal!! And I actually very much enjoyed my stay there. Many pools available to swim in, as well as the fact that I could refill my refillable cup all night long at the food court stations. When I am at Disneyworld, I am so excited that I sleep very few hours, so being able to refill my cup at any time was very nice. I also was able to do that at AoA. There was another year our family came down and stayed at a gorgeous golf resort outside of Disney, and although it was an amazing resort and our room was like a mansion, I very much Ed missed being in that Disney bubble, I missed chitchatting with other Disney fans in the pool/bar areas and so I would never suggest anyone to stay off property because it is just not the same...no matter how fancy of a place. Absolutely not the same experience as staying on Disney property. So don\\'t do it!!!
I mention all of the above so that I can be helpful on giving you my perspective on staying at this deluxe Disney resort. So that you realize that I have mostly stayed value resort, although FW cabins are considered moderate and AoA suites are really more than just Value resorts. And I may have tempted fate when I told my friend that we should have no problem getting right into our room although we arrived at 11am. I was wrong. This was the first time I have ever arrived at Disney and had to wait for room. And in the past, when we drove down, we would arrive at 5 or 6 in the morning and our room was always ready! Even with a 3pm check in. I also didn\\'t feel the excitement from the people working at the front desk as I normally feel, but I realize these are different times with Covid and they probably had a shortage of staff, so they weren\\'t super perky and helpful, but they were very nice, but I get it!! And I did my best to understand that that they were probably tired and putting in long hours. But I had gotten off a plane from Ohio, wearing long sleeves,and I was ready to change clothes! But we walked around the resort as we waited for room to be ready, found the pool area, found an amazing pool bartender that suggested a drink that wasn\\'t on the menu( Hakuna Colava), walked back to Savannah area to watch the animals and a very helpful young man answered all of our questions about the animals, back to air conditioned lobby, just waiting for room to be ready. I went up to front desk around 3:30 to inquire about room, mentioned I was a bit disappointed that we only found 1 not very large pool( I am used to numerous pools at other resorts), she was helpful, got on phone, our room was almost ready, being inspected. So we waited...
About 15 minutes later I received text that our room was ready, we were very excited! On 3rd floor, room 7746. Well.......that Trek to our room once we got off elevator took FOREVER!!! I mean FOREVER!!! I timed it one night. It was a 4 minute Trek....and we both walk fast, so that was a bit disturbing.
As for the room.....it was amazing! And HUGE!! So much closer space! Dresser space! Plenty of hook ups for phones, etc....Bathrooms were amazing! We only used 2 out of the 3 bathrooms. So much space in the bathrooms!!! Nice to have the washer and dryer. Kitchen was fully stocked with what we needed. We bought bagels and cream cheese from gift shop for late night snacks. Coffee was a Mr coffee with plenty of supplies( not Keurig). Balcony was AMAZING!!!! 3 lengths long ( master bedroom, living area, 2nd bedroom), plenty of animals outside at all times. That part was pretty impressive!!! Loved just watching the animals! At night, it was hard to really see, but you could hear them clashing their horns together, etc..... Very nice experience.
I notice that alot of people don\\'t seem to like time spent on the buses. But to me, that is all a part of the Disneyworld experience, so for me, transportation is just a part of the experience. Whether it\\'s a chance to get to know people, fellow Disney Lovers, I have never actually timed how long it gets from here to there because I enjoy the experience so much...and the people that I meet. You are not always going to be able to meet people, some people just like to stay quiet on the voyage to whatever park we are going to, but if you just ask questions, people open up. We are on this adventure together. And we all love Disney, so the transportation is all a part of my excitement. It doesn\\'t matter to me how long it gets from here to there.
Now....with all that being said, you probably want to know my actual take on Animal Kingdom Kidani.
Honestly, I met some amazing other Disney lovers around pool areas( both Kidani and Jambo), but as I told my son, I never want to go back there. If you are looking for a nice large room, this is a good place. But if you have walked the parks all day long and dread getting dropped off at your resort because you know it will be a quarter if a mile hike down long boring corridors/hallways, this isn\\'t your place The value resorts may be large, but at least the hike back to you room isnt boring.
And need I mention the gift shop that closes early? ( Can\\'t refill your refillable cup). Even by the Pool I waited one morning to be able to fill my cup but they didn\\'t open the drink station until 10am!I will still be on the lookout for other deluxe 2 bedroom/2 bathroom resorts at Disney to stay at. I am looking more towards Boardwalk or Beach Club since they are in the middle of Epcot and HS. I am really happy that I was able to at least experience Animal Kingdom Kidani. Met some wonderful people, mist DVC owners so I was able to hear their thoughts, which was helpful, but I will probably never stay here again unless it is close to FREE. my son will be disappointed, he actually Already bus because I have already told him I don\\'t plan on going back to Kidani
Pros:
Savannah view, many animalsCons:
Longggggghh Trek to room after spending all day in parks, forget trying to refill your refillable mugs because small gift shop never opens early enough and is closed once you get \\'home\\'.Reviewed by PJgrrl10 Review Date: 07/18/2021
Rating: (9) Recommended
This resort is our home away from home. We love the authentic African ambiance and, of course, the amazing savannahs. Sanaa is an amazing plus to this resort. The restaurant's food is delicious and the view of the savannah is breathtaking. Jambo House is just a walk or shuttle ride away, too! Jambo's restaurants are must dos for our family, Boma and Jiko are tremendous.
Pros:
The ambiance, the beautiful animals, the top-notch cast member interactions, the food, the pool area, and did I mention the food?Cons:
Magic Kingdom is almost a 30 minute bus ride away. In fact, other than Animal Kingdom, theme parks aren't super convenient. My family loves the feeling of being out of the hustle and bustle of busier areas but some may find the commutes to the theme parks annoying. This is the only reason this resort is not a 10!Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 06/21/2021
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
5 star prices for a 2 star motel room
Pros:
cleaner than a 2 star motelCons:
lack of food choices open, rooms are no bigger than a cruise cabin, 7' ceilingsReviewed by BookishPrincess Review Date: 05/26/2021
Rating: (8) Recommended
Such a beautiful resort! We stayed here for several days and were completely blown away by this gorgeous resort. If transportation and quick service dining weren’t an issue, this resort would score a perfect ten. The service is impeccable and our one bedroom suite was one of favorites at Disney.
Pros:
This is such a beautiful resort, particularly at Christmas when we visited. We loved viewing the animals from the balconies This is a great value for DVC members with a smaller contract or those who want to get the most bang for their points.Cons:
The quick service dining location is located in Jambo. Transportation is not the greatest. It takes forever to get anywhere on the buses.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 05/10/2021
Rating: (10) Recommended
This hotel is truly a work of art. I love it so much and it is the hotel I always go to when visiting Disney. Even though I have been to other hotels, I always come back to this one because I truly believe nothing can top it. It has amazing theming and stunning views. Not to mention how entretaining it is. The restaurants are also amazing and I just give it a 10/10 for sure.
Pros:
EverythingCons:
NothingReviewed by ccooney1307 Review Date: 02/17/2021
Rating: (10) Recommended
Even though we own our points at Old Key West, we did our welcome home visit at Kidani in June of 2019 and stayed in a 2 bedroom villa and oh my goodness it was incredible ! The animal viewing from our room from our giant balcony and the 3rd bathroom were the absolute best features. It literally felt like we were in another country whenever we stepped food into the lobby. We just fell in love and can't wait to go back!
Pros:
Incredible balconies with Savanna views, 2 bedroom villas have a 3rd bathroom which is awesome when traveling with a larger party. They had tons of educational activities going on throughout the resort all the time, our kids loved them and learned so much! It was relaxing and quiet inside. The pool, and splash zone are incredible ! Sanaa for lunch has become one of our favorite dining spots !Cons:
The full quick service location is over at Jambo house. Other than that, literally no complaints !Reviewed by DisFowlerFamilyAZ Review Date: 02/13/2021
Rating: (9) Recommended
Stayed at Kidani the weekend WDW opened after closure, and it did not disappoint. Such an immersive hotel, feels like you are on a Savannah. The kids loved being in the room . . . animals . . . walking down the hall . . . animals . . . recreation room . . . animals . . . dinner . . . animals. It was awesome
Pros:
Animals everywhereCons:
Only buses for Disney transportationReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 01/10/2021
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
I have never had such a horrible experience at a DVC property. I booked a savanna view studio from 12/30/2020 until 1/11/2021. I was placed in a lock off unit adjacent to a one bedroom with an adjoining door. From the very first night, I had neighbors with two sons who yelled and used profanity and I could hear everything as if it was in my own room. I called twice the first night and asked management to ask them to quiet down. They claim they sent security who heard nothing . I called again the next night when the son was swearing at his brother and parents. Nothing was done. I finally was resigned to hearing yelling and whining in the mornings and evenings. I was so thrilled when I heard them say they were leaving today. However they were replaced by a family with a baby who has been screaming for over two hours and shows no sign of stopping. I called the front desk and asked if they could bring the child into the bedroom and nothing has been done. The parents are making no attempt to soothe the child or respect their neighbors by simply bringing the child into the master bedroom. I’m not sure they are even in the room. While I understand some noise is to be expected, this is ridiculous. I came here for a relaxing vacation and I am exhausted.
Pros:
Beautiful view of the Savannah.Cons:
As set forth above.Reviewed by AKVHutch Review Date: 12/18/2020
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
We actually own points here and have stayed here a couple of times. We have never had a pleasant experience. We find most of the CM with whom we have interacted to be rude and lacking knowledge. Every time we have been in the gift shop we have had something go wrong with a purchase and are consistently treated as if we are stealing when requesting DVC or AP discounts.
Every time we have stayed here (we have had a 2 bedroom and a studio) years apart) we have requested a room close to the lobby area, because we were not driving down at that time. Yet we have been in the furtherest or next to furtherest building. On our last trip, we had a post cruise weekend and Kidani was all that was available, so we got a Savannah room. We saw exactly 1 giraffe for a few minutes over the weekend. Since it was Easter and our DVC pass was blacked out this was our entertainment. That weekend was a horrible end to a great cruise. It was so bad, I still am too angry to write much about it. I complained to the hotel management and it fell on deaf ears.
So we just won't go to Disney World if that is the only DVC location available.
Pros:
It is a very nice building and the extra bathrooms in what not in the 1 and 2 bedrooms are very handy.Cons:
Distances to the main building. Lack of quick service meals (pre pandemic). A tiny gift and sundry shop with a surly staff.Reviewed by Snooganz Review Date: 12/08/2020
Rating: (10) Recommended
Amazing atmosphere. As a DVC member this is my home resort. Try to get a savannah side room! Watching the sunrise over the savannah with a cup of coffee is how we as a family end every vacation stay here!
