Kidani Village

[AdamsMum]

Hi All, haven't been on the boards for a very long time.

I'm a proud Boardwalk Villas owner, but recently stayed in a 2 bed at Kidani with my brother and his young family. I was in the process of selling my house and the deal fell through at 4pm the day we were leaving for Disney. Another offer came right away so it got sold for a very good price over asking.

Here's my comment about Kidani. We were in room 7672. As a boardwalk villas owner I've suffered the complaints about the long hallways at BWV. Well, let me tell you, BWV has nothing on Kidani. Our room was in the second last section of the hallway, and it was taking me 10 minutes to walk to the front desk. Because of the situation with my house, I had to fax a lot of documents back and forth to my realtor. This was truly exhausting. At one point my brother drove me to the lobby, as I had forgotten to sign one spot on the papers and had to refax.

The resort was beautiful, the room amazing, staff most helpful, we had a constant parade of animals to view from the balcony. But there has to be a solution to those hallways. Maybe moving sidewalks like at the airport.

We hardly used our refillable mugs, because we didn't need coffee enough to motivate us to walk to the lobby.

Thankfully all the legal stuff was complete by the end of the second day of our stay.

 

[BestDadEver]

LMAO would be really funny to see people movers in the resort hallways . IDK about kidani but stay at Jambo next time . My room was 5024 it had a pool view and an elevator no one used right next to it . it was 100 feet from the main lobby .

 

[Splashboat]

I think all the resorts have pros and cons. We also own at BWV and have had the very last room - looong walk. Bad part was the walk, good part was the quietness - never heard anyone.
We stayed at Jambo and had a room far from the lobby. I specifically did not make a room request because we used standard points but were hoping to get a reclassified Savannah view - we got the view but had the walk.
People mover is funny but nobody will want to pay the extra dues for installation and maintenance

 

[AdamsMum]

I think all the resorts have pros and cons. We also own at BWV and have had the very last room - looong walk. Bad part was the walk, good part was the quietness - never heard anyone.
We stayed at Jambo and had a room far from the lobby. I specifically did not make a room request because we used standard points but were hoping to get a reclassified Savannah view - we got the view but had the walk.
People mover is funny but nobody will want to pay the extra dues for installation and maintenance

I have stayed at almost the last room at BWV, Kidani still out paces it by a lot. I saw people jogging from the lobby. I'm just saying...

 

[Antonius215]

We were recently in 7675 and you are so right about that walk! We loved the room, the pool, the staff and everything else (especially the sleeper chair and 1 bedroom sleeping 5) but with my arthritis, the walk was daunting. We also never used our mugs and just made coffee in the room.

It was our first time staying in our home resort since we joined in 2008 - in the past we never made any requests with regards to our rooms, but we will at least try to next time we stay at AKV.

 

[drusba]

The hallway length, which is actually three to four times longer than what you can face at Boardwalk, has been one of the complaints since that portion of Kidani opened in 2009. I am aware of guests who have used their cars on several occassions to go to the lobby. The way to avoid that walk when you have savanna view is to request a room close to lobby, close to community hall, or near the Timon (for close to bus station) or Rafiki (for shortest walk to pool) elevator, and hope you get your request.

 

[msd1776]

Off topic, but if you parked a car there, how have you found the parking? We have looked at Kidani 2x now, never stayed, and we've decided if we stay there we must have a car due to the long hallways and distance from attractions.

 

[BestDadEver]

I think you would also have a huge noise Issue with people movers

 

[drusba]

Off topic, but if you parked a car there, how have you found the parking? We have looked at Kidani 2x now, never stayed, and we've decided if we stay there we must have a car due to the long hallways and distance from attractions.

The under-building parking runs throughout the building. Each of the two wings has an elevator near the lobby and then two more along the wing, with the result that you can always park fairly close to your room. During late evening or early morning, you might not find a place real close to your applicable elevator like you can mid afternoon, but even for those early and late times you should be able to find one not too far away from your applicable elevator.

 

[RachaelA]

Off topic, but if you parked a car there, how have you found the parking? We have looked at Kidani 2x now, never stayed, and we've decided if we stay there we must have a car due to the long hallways and distance from attractions.

We only had issues in the evening, but since we were the 2nd room by the Rafiki elevator, we just parked in the extra part of the parking garage (near the few spaces of outside parking). If we wanted to park in the main part of the garage, we just would have had to drive farther. It was easier to turn around and go to the other part of the garage.

 

[MarineFam]

We head down to Kidani on the 28th for our first stay there and also our first DVC trip. We will have a rental this time so either way we will deal with what comes. I made two requests. Sunset Savanna and Close to Lobby so maybe that will help a bit. We are also staying next April in a 2BR Savanna View so this trip will help me figure out what requested I need to make and where at Kidani we want to be. We may try Jambo next year after the April trip in June once we check things out.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

There is a plus to being far away - fewer people walking past your room making noise!

 

[Kelnick]

I like the walking, so I know that everything I eat at Disney is going to be walked off, just a positive spin on it, lol

 

[DebbieB]

I thought the same thing when I stayed at BLT in March. My room was on the north side, the farthest away from the Contemporary. Nice view of MK but a long walk from the monorail. One night I was coming back from Epcot I thought the walking distance from the monorail to my room had to be about the same as the bus stop at BWV to the end of the boardwalk view rooms.

 

[Moniqu17]

We will be staying at Kidani in September with a 2 yr old, but want to stay the closest to Jambo since we'll be using the quick service a lot. If we are in a standard studio... any suggestions on where to request to be the closest to Jambo?

 

[AdamsMum]

Off topic, but if you parked a car there, how have you found the parking? We have looked at Kidani 2x now, never stayed, and we've decided if we stay there we must have a car due to the long hallways and distance from attractions.

We found the parking to be very good. Evenings after the park we had to park a bit further away from our elevator. It's great to have underground parking especially I you leave your car at the resort. We even found it wasn't a bad walk to the pool if we used the underground parking to get there.

Don't get me wrong the resort was outstanding in every way but the walk to the lobby.

 

[AdamsMum]

I think you would also have a huge noise Issue with people movers

But it would be such fun. Think about a Wedway with a loop at both ends of the building. I'd never have to go to the park. Wedway is my favourite classic attraction.

 

[ercrbc]

We got that section our one and only stay at Kidani. I was 7mo pregnant and the walk from the lobby to the room was HORRIBLE. We went to the Community Hall one time and never took the bus. It was just too far away. The parking was OK. I remember several nights coming back and not being able to find any spots at all in the far sections so we ended up hiking a ways from the room to the car as well. But if we got a spot by the elevators it wasn't that bad. I honestly can't imagine if I had been hiking all the way to the bus stop that week though.

But to be positive, the rooms were beautiful and large and the savannah view was definitely worth staying there for. Oh, and the pool is great for kids. But the risk of being so far down one of those hallways.... Next time we stay at AKV we plan to try for Jambo house

 

[Iggipolka]

We will be staying at Kidani in September with a 2 yr old, but want to stay the closest to Jambo since we'll be using the quick service a lot. If we are in a standard studio... any suggestions on where to request to be the closest to Jambo?

I'd love to know this too. We're thinking of staying at Kidani in Feb with a 1 year old and 4 year old in a 1bedroom Savannah View and will be using quick service frequently.
What should I request to hopefully be close to Jambo house?

Thanks!

 

[delilah]

We had the second to last room on the hallway closest to Jambo house. We regularly will walk to Kidani, but, because of the configuration of the building, there isn't really any particular advantage to being in the room closest to Jambo, because you need to back track a fair amount to get out of the building.