Reviews of Animal Kingdom Lodge KIDANI Village (Disney Vacation Club)
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!
Pros:
Amazing views on the savannah side! Restaurant downstairs is amazing and worth every penny!Cons:
Have to walk to Jambo house to get to the Quick Service Restaurant.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 11/19/2020
Rating: (10) Recommended
I love everything about this resort. On our first night my son and I had a hard time sleeping because we kept peaking out to see the animals. We felt like the rooms were very much on point with theming and loved the extra bathroom!
Pros:
Animals, Great food, Great ThemingCons:
A bit farther away from other resortsReviewed by MagicPreppy Review Date: 11/12/2020
Rating: (9) Recommended
We went from 9/13-7/16 (3 adults, 1 three yo). we really enjoyed staying here. The room was nice, and it was cool to see the animals during our downtime. We did get AMAZING togo from Sanaa, but would have loved a QS. WE ended up driving ourselves to the park most days, but found that whole process easy.
Pros:
zebra domes the TS food the animalsCons:
no QS distance to the parks means we didn't get to enjoy the resort as much as we'd like toReviewed by BethWebb1981 Review Date: 04/14/2020
Rating: (10) Recommended
We had an upgrade here for our family of six, when our room at another resort was closed due to a hurricane. We have a two-bedroom suite with a savanna view. I wouldn't change a thing. I was so glad we had a resort day to relax at the pool (there were about 10 people at the pool), engage with all of the learning opportunities for the kids. They loved earning their African beads at the different activities. We loved the Bread Service at Sanaa for a break in our resort day. The animals were perfect! Even though there isn't a QS, there are items you can buy & cook in your room...we grabbed some frozen pizzas when we arrived late on our first night.
Pros:
Peaceful. Unique. Beautiful. Large rooms. Great food! Easy access to Jambo House for "more excitement."Cons:
Only buses available to parks.Reviewed by hystericalbender Review Date: 04/24/2019
Rating: (8) Not Recommended
We stayed at Kidani in January 2019 with a savanna view room. We really loved the room and the ability to see the animals at any time. Kidani was the first bus pick-up and drop-off (vs. Jambo), which gave us better transportation options to the parks. It was rather limiting, though, not having a quick service location on-site. The gift shop carries very limited snacks and drinks. While the African food on-site is delicious, it can become tedious if staying for several days. Also, the animal views of the savanna made us feel a little guilty leaving to go to the parks each day. If staying here, I would recommend paying for the savanna view. Otherwise, I don't think I would have felt our stay was worth the cost. In the future, we will likely return to view the animals or grab a bite to eat during our trip, but we would not choose this property as our hotel for future visits.
Pros:
Unique atmosphere, friendly staff, access to animal viewing, efficient bus serviceCons:
very limited food options, difficult to travel to Jambo for amenitiesReviewed by HeidiC Review Date: 04/24/2019
Rating: (8) Recommended
I enjoyed staying at Kidani Village. The room was spacious and I loved having a 2nd bathroom in the 1 bedroom suite. The suite was set up like an apartment and had all the amenities of home. We loved having the Savannah view and really enjoyed watching the animals roam.
Pros:
The space of the room and the view of the SavannahCons:
You do a lot of walking to get yo your room if your room is not close to the elevator. It can be exhausting after a long day at the park.Reviewed by csfranklin Review Date: 04/24/2019
Rating: (10) Recommended
We recently stayed here on our first DVC stay. We loved everything about it. The animals are out a lot and can be seen, not only from savannah rooms (which we had, and I highly recommend), but from viewing areas all over the lodge. The gift shop has a drink station, so we were easily able to fill our mugs (unfortunately, it closes at 11, and we were not back by then and really wanted a drink, but no biggie!) The shuttle to AKL was efficient and quick. We never waited long. It took us to the quick service at AKL, and we enjoyed the food there, since Kidani does not have one. The pool and slides were fun. The buses were excellent both to and from the parks and DS. The hallways are long, but if you were walking to a room at All-Stars or a moderate, you'd walk the same distance. Overall, we loved it and highly recommend the night time viewing of the animals with the night vision googles. Too cool!
