AKL Kidani

[SueQ]

Anyone stayed in AKL Kidani before?? We've booked a studio with standard view. Wonder how the resort is. I've heard it's a looong walk around. Plus how is the walk to pool and to Jambo section?

[ThanxForNoticin]

It's not that bad!! It really depends WHERE you stay in Kidani. If you are planning to spend time at Jambo House, perhaps for the Jambo pool and/or restaurants, I would recommend you make a special request to get a room in a section that is closer to Jambo. If I remember correctly (and I'm not sure I do!), I think it's the the Zazu and Pumba sections of Kidani that are a very short and simple walk to Jambo. I'm sure a resort map could show you for sure.

There is also the separate pool at Kidani, which is closer to the main lobby - and that's not a bad walk from any of the Kidani sections.

Enjoy your stay. Kidani is one of our favorite resorts anywhere - not just at Disney.

[chefmickey3]

We love Kidani! After BLT it is our favorite resort. I like that it is away from the hustle and bustle. The rooms are great and the common viewing areas are relaxing and fun! We like the Kidani pool better than Jambo House. We walk over to Boma and it is not far. Enjoy your stay!

[Gator]

It definitely has a long walk if you're at one of the ends of the building wings. We weren't too far in a "value" DVC room. View of practically nothing, but you get what you pay for. The room was fantastic, the lobby has great Savanah views, and bus service to AK was good (MK, not so much). Also, you get on the bus before Jambo House does - or at least that used to be the way it was. I'd love to go back. It's a great place.

[disneypastor]

Loved Kidani.

Yes...depending on where your room is, you could be in for a long hike to the lobby or store.

The pool and water play area is one of my favorites at any Disney resort.

[Disney4us2]

Love Kidani! First time there we had that long walk to our room. Now I request a room near the lobby elevator. There are 2 or 3 different elevators, so that is why I specify the lobby elevator. I also had the standard room and our view was of the valet parking.

[lawgirl]

We've stayed at Kidani a couple of times and loved it. It is quite a hike to Jambo, especially for breakfast, but overall not too bad. One thing I would recommend is ordering groceries. We stayed in the 1 bedroom and the kitchen was so great. It was nice and cost efficient to eat breakfast and some lunches in the room. One night, I got a nice bottle of wine and we cooked in the room.

The pool area at Kidani is great for little ones. My son loved it. For us, it was just as good as a water park.

And Sanaa is one of our all-time favorite restaurants.

[SBETigg]

There is a shuttle to Jambo that leaves from the lobby and goes between the two (Jambo and Kidani) all day until 11 pm. There's no need to make the trek over to Jambo when you have the shuttle, unless you wanted the walk. The shuttle is great, drivers are friendly. We found it very easy to enjoy both Jambo and Kidani while staying at Kidani.

Also, overall, we loved Kidani. It was much better than we expected (we had no idea how we would like it). If you can swing it, it's worth paying more for a savanna view. Watching the animals from our balcony really made our stay. A giraffe slept right outside my window for hours one night. I'd never seen giraffes sleep! They actually curl up on the ground with their heads down. Though you could also just spend some time in the viewing areas.

[famlovesdisney]

We stayed at Kidani on our last trip, and we are booked there for our upcoming trip in September. We did not find it to be a burden to walk to Jambo House at all. That being said, our children aren't toddlers and are completely capable of walking great distances. With toddlers, I can see it being a bit of a hike. But, like others have said, there is a shuttle between the two hotels if needed. The pool at Kidani is pretty great. It is a short walk from the lobby. My kids preferred it to the pool at Jambo House. The pool at Jambo is larger though. The water play area at Kidani for younger kids is incredible! The younger kids played there for hours! We had a one bedroom with a kitchen so we ordered groceries from Garden Grocer. That is my one complaint about Kidani is the lack of quick serve restaurant. I love that it is quiet and out of the way. That could be a detractor for some. We live in a city and it is noisy and crowded at all hours of the day and night. When we go to Disney, we like to stay away from the hustle and bustle. Peace and quiet is a vacation for us! It is also seriously cool to see animals out your window everyday! There are also kids programs everyday that are pretty cool. Some are even educational, but don't tell my kids!:secret: If you can't tell, we think this is a really great resort with a lot to offer.

[tundramom]

Take time to go out to the firepit some evening and talk to one of the CM's- they are super nice, knowledgeable about the animals and of course their country. I agree with previous poster, wish it had a CS restaurant, and I would like to see longer hours at the convenience/gift store. Many times we come back at park closing and would like to pick up a cold drink, but it is closed. Still one of our favorite places!