Reviews of Animal Kingdom Lodge KIDANI Village (Disney Vacation Club)

Reviews

88

Rating

8.39 / 10

Recommended By

88%



Reviewed by slapps Review Date: 01/07/2013

Rating: (7)
Recommended

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.

Pros:

Animals are very nice.

Cons:

Small rooms and a long bus ride from most parks.
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Reviewed by anita173 Review Date: 01/26/2013

Rating: (8)
Recommended

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.

Pros:

animals, parking, resort theming

Cons:

bus transportation was terrible
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Reviewed by lizzie1974 Review Date: 02/08/2013

Rating: (9)
Recommended

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.

Pros:

cast members, decor, theming

Cons:

few and far between
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Reviewed by jdetrick Review Date: 02/12/2013

Rating: (8)
Recommended

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!

Pros:

Beautiful architecture, animal viewing

Cons:

Long waits for busses, small on property store
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Reviewed by hashdown Review Date: 02/15/2013

Rating: (10)
Recommended

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.

Pros:

Comfort

Cons:

Absolutely none
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Reviewed by CEB1228 Review Date: 02/18/2013

Rating: (8)
Recommended

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.

Pros:

Staff, room decor, animals

Cons:

Walk to room
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Reviewed by stenson4 Review Date: 04/04/2013

Rating: (9)
Recommended

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.

Pros:

clean, atmosphere

Cons:

crowded pool
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Reviewed by hilsommer Review Date: 04/28/2013

Rating: (8)
Recommended

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!

Pros:

great decor, animal viewing, good restaurant, underground parking, spacious rooms for Disney

Cons:

no quick service dining
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Reviewed by Disney6 Review Date: 06/07/2013

Rating: (8)
Recommended

Our family stayed here from June 1 to June 6, 2013. We arrived on the Magical Express and found our room was ready although our request for a room close to the lobby was not in the system. After a quick phone call our room was moved and we were all set. The room was clean and stocked with everything we needed. We ordered from garden grocer and these items were delivered within minutes of calling bell services. We were on the 2nd floor and right next to the door for the bus transportation so getting anywhere was easy. We opted to not have a room savanna view because we knew we would be out and about most of the time. It was fine as that was our choice. The rooms are a bit dark but still we enjoy the atmosphere. There is a shuttle van that took us to Jambo House for a quick service meal. It was busy and we had to wait about 20 minutes for a ride back to Kidani. There are no quick service in Kidani and the Market Place is very small compared to Jambo House. It is nice to be the first bus stop though, more chances of getting a seat on the bus that way. Overall a good stay (even though Tropical Storm Andrea rained us out of a few plans)but the distance to most parks makes me want to stay somewhere else next time. The bus rides are long for everywhere except Animal Kingdom.

Pros:

nice rooms, helpful cast members

Cons:

distance from most parks
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Reviewed by kekbug3 Review Date: 06/14/2013

Rating: (8)
Recommended

We stayed at Kidani from May 5- May 11th and I loved it! From the moment we pulled up, I was impressed with the theming of the resort. Everything was so beautiful. They offer a tour daily in which a cast member walks you around the resort and explains various aspects of the decor. I would recommend it, it was very interesting.

We stayed in a savannah view studio; I thought the rooms seemed quite larger than other DVC units; the bathrooms also seemed more spacious.

Of course the biggest draw of this resort is the animals. We didn't see as many animals outside our room as I was maybe hoping for, but we did see a decent amount and it was awesome. Plus, there were so many other places to view the animals throughout the resort that I didn't care.

Sanaa is amazing. It is my new favorite restaurant at Disney. Even if you aren't staying at Kidani, it is worth the trip.

The only thing I did not like about this resort is its size. They aren't kidding when they talk about how big the resort is! If you have mobility issues or small children, request a room as close to the lobby as possible. For us, it wasn't so bad and I liked stopping at all the windows to check out different parts of the savannah.

I would not hesitate to stay at Kidani again, although I don't think I would splurge for savannah view again. Plenty of other animal viewing spots throughout the resort.

Pros:

Animals, Beautifully Themed Resort, Sanaa

Cons:

Size of the resort
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