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Akv ?

weswife

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Hi, we are renting points for our next trip! We have never stayed at AKV. We are staying in a studio standard view. We will need a roll in shower accessible room for our DD.

Questions:

1) Does the pool and hot tub have a lift?
2) Where are the DVC room standard view located?
3) I am very confused with Jambo and Kidani probably spelled wrong. Which area would we be staying in?
4) Which location is close to dining and refill?

Any pic or info would be greatly appreciated! I tend to over plan....:dance3:
 
Hi, we just got back from a stay at Kidani in Sept.

So here's a brief summary of the Animal Kingdom Resort.

It is made of two different buildings that wrap around the safari area where the animals are kept. The animals are all on one side of the hotels, with the parking lots and roads wrapping around the other. A standard view gives you a view of the parking lot. A savana view gives you a view on the side on the hotels that face the animals. Water view looks out over the pools. There are no lakes or beaches at either. The room types are by floor, so really you could end up anywhere on the second or third floor, if I remember right, in the hotel on the parking lot side.

Now, for the two buildings, Kidani and Jambo. Both function as their own independent hotels. Both have their own lobby, checkin area, restaurants, shops, pools, etc. although the facilities at either are open to all animal kingdom guests no matter which you are staying at. You can catch a bus (at bus stop) or a shuttle (at lobby) to travel between the two. Kidani is a DVC hotel and all the rooms are studios or villas, but you can rent rooms there directly through Disney also. Jambo is not DVC and has regular hotel rooms as well as villas. If you booked through DVC, you will be at Kidani.

Kidani is shaped like a large backwards 3 with the lobby in the middle part of the 3. The lobby is much smaller than Jambo and has a small gift shop which also offers a few groceries and household items. There are no quick service restaurants at Kidani. The pool bar is the only place to get quick service, and the menu is very limited there. You should plan on eating in your room, taking the bus to Jambo, or eating somewhere else. I'm not 100% sure where the mug refill is as we didn't use it, but I'm thinking it was at the pool bar as I don't remember any drink machines anywhere else in the building. The pool at Kidani is very nice and has zero depth entry. They also have a splash area which is easily accessible. I never made it to the hot tub so can't help you there sorry.

Now for the "close" part. The words close and Kidani just don't go together. Really no matter where you are you will be far from something else, and many of the rooms are just far from everything. I mean 20 minute walk from bus stop or lobby far. The hotel is set up a little different from others I have seen. Parking is located underneath the rooms in an open air garage. At the end of each section of the building, there is an elevator that runs from the garage up to the different floors. If you have a car it's not as big a deal. You can just request to be near an elevator, but if you are using Disney buses, it can be a long walk back to your room. I had to fight to get us a room near the bus stop, but this still put us a ways from the lobby, and a long walk from the pool. The bus stop and the pool are about equal distance from the lobby on opposite sides. If you end up on either end, its a long walk to anything. Close to the lobby is your best bet, but everybody asks for that, so there's no guarantee. We checked in about 10:30 in the morning and insisted we would wait for something "close" to open, but it was a fight. They kept trying to stick us off at the end, and I knew better than to accept any of those rooms. Then when they realized we were serious about waiting for a better location one "magically" appeared. They know no one wants those far off rooms and will try to throw it off on anyone they think doesn't know any better.

Besides everything being spread out, we really enjoyed the hotel. We were rained out and actually spent a couple of days just at the hotel which the kids loved. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
 
Thanks so much for all of the info!!!! :thumbsup2

I now understand the 2 spots.

The main pool is located where?

Does the pool have waterfalls? ( My DD loves them! )

Is there quiet pools?
 
If you booked through DVC, you will be at Kidani.

I don't think that's always true. I've booked about 8 stays thru DVC, and all but one were at Jambo house. They give you a choice of which place you want to stay at (assuming availability of course). In September I had a standard studio that was so great for convenience. As you face the back of the resort it was to the right, on the 5th floor (all DVC studios at Jambo are 5th floor) just around the corner from the elevator closest to Mara. Last year I stayed in a standard view studio on the right that had a Sunset savannah view. Yes, although most standard view studios overlook the pool, a few have Sunset Savannah views. They're called "partial savannah view", but I didn't think there was anything "partial" about mine. On the downside, though, it was a longer walk to the elevators.
 


If you are looking at the hotel from a birds eye view. You have a giant backwards 3. The street is on the left side, the savana is on the right side. The pool is about half way up the top part of the 3 on the left side. The pool area is made up of the pool, a slide, a spa, the water playground splash area, the pool bar, a changing room / bathroom, and a fire pit with an animal overlook. The gym is also located in this area. The lobby, restaurant, library, gift shop, and animal overlook, are all in the center of the 3. The bus stop is about half way down the lower part of the 3 on the left side. The arcade room and community center are between the bus stop and lobby on the bottom part of the 3. The barbecue and basketball and tennis courts are on the far lower left of the 3. Jambo is located below the 3 in a separate building. There is a sidewalk that connects the two, but its a very long walk. The pool is basically the only thing located on the top part of the 3, so if you are near it, you are far from everything else.

There are only two ways to enter the pool area. You can go in by the back entering behind the pool bar on the parking level. This is up near the top left side of the 3. To enter this way, you will need to walk through the hotel and take an elevator down to the garage level where you can take a short sidewalk across to the pool. The second entrance takes you in from the opposite side. It is located just above the center part of the 3. You go out a door on the lobby level of the hotel which connects to a bridge that takes you across to the pool area. You then have to make your way around past the spa, slide, and splash area to the main pool area. I remember going down stairs this way, but there may have been a ramp as well, not sure. I wasn't really looking for one.

There are only two pools at the hotel one for each building. Both are true zero depth entry, no steps or anything. Both have slides, neither have water falls, sorry. Kidani has one spa, Jambo has two. Kidani has a water splash area with lots of fountains, water cannons, water buckets, a small slide, a small playground, and a few small water falls. It is basically an open area made with that rubber foam stuff with a few standing fountain sculptures and landscaping mixed in. Some of the fountains come up from the ground, others from out of the statues and sides of the walls and structures. The area ends in a rock wall with a small slide inside it. The hotel's only water falls are located here coming down from the top of the rocks. You could definitely get a wheelchair in the area, it is wide enough to maneuver around, but not sure you would want to get it that wet. Jambo has a traditional playground. Neither building have quiet pools.
 
I don't think that's always true. I've booked about 8 stays thru DVC, and all but one were at Jambo house. They give you a choice of which place you want to stay at (assuming availability of course). In September I had a standard studio that was so great for convenience. As you face the back of the resort it was to the right, on the 5th floor (all DVC studios at Jambo are 5th floor) just around the corner from the elevator closest to Mara. Last year I stayed in a standard view studio on the right that had a Sunset savannah view. Yes, although most standard view studios overlook the pool, a few have Sunset Savannah views. They're called "partial savannah view", but I didn't think there was anything "partial" about mine. On the downside, though, it was a longer walk to the elevators.

That's interesting to know. I guess I learned something new. I was always told if you were DVC it was Kidani.
 
AWESOME!!!!

Thanks for all the info! Sounds like a wonderful resort. Jambo house seems to be the most convenient area. My DD likes to refill her mug, her brother takes her for walks. He will help her so being close to a station eases my mind. I know she is 20 but her health and strength are very weak.

We are excited to stay here! I know its a year away but its so fun planning.

:goodvibes
 


Hi, we are renting points for our next trip! We have never stayed at AKV. We are staying in a studio standard view. We will need a roll in shower accessible room for our DD.

Questions:

1) Does the pool and hot tub have a lift?
2) Where are the DVC room standard view located?
3) I am very confused with Jambo and Kidani probably spelled wrong. Which area would we be staying in?
4) Which location is close to dining and refill?

Any pic or info would be greatly appreciated! I tend to over plan....:dance3:
1- Both Jambo and Kidani have feature pools. Both of those, as well as at least one hot tub at each resort have lifts.
2 - Most standard view rooms are either parking lot or pool views. They can be located either close or far from the lobby. If you need an accessible room, be sure to have that on your reservation. I believe those are closer to the lobby.
3 - You said you are renting points. Whoever made your reservation will be able to tell you at which resort you will be staying. When making reservations you must chose.
4 - Jambo has 1 signature, 1 table service, and 1 quick service restaurant. (Jiko, Boma, and Mara) refill stations I believe are available at the pool and/or Mara. Someone can help me here, we don't use them and always stay at Kidani. Kidani has 1 table service restaurant, Sanaa. There are some quick service options at the pool bar. Refill stations are available at the pool bar and in Johari, the gift shop in the main lobby.
 
Hi, we are renting points for our next trip! We have never stayed at AKV. We are staying in a studio standard view. We will need a roll in shower accessible room for our DD.

Questions:

1) Does the pool and hot tub have a lift?
2) Where are the DVC room standard view located?
3) I am very confused with Jambo and Kidani probably spelled wrong. Which area would we be staying in?
4) Which location is close to dining and refill?

Any pic or info would be greatly appreciated! I tend to over plan....:dance3:

Your reservation should state if you are in Jambo House or Kidani Village. And you need to reserve a HC accessible studio with a roll in shower. Make sure the owner you rented from knows that.

At JH, the standard are mostly pool view, not parking lot. At KV, the standard are mostly parking lot and pool. Both views sometime also have obstructed savanna views. But having HC accessible may limit your choices.
 
Hello,

Thanks for all the info! I am studying the resort, it sure looks beautiful! My DD LOVES going in the pool so I need to make sure we are able to get her in and out safely. I am renting points from a member on here. I have told my renter I will need a roll in shower for her as she is not able to stand or walk. My booking window opens next week so I do not have a reservation # yet. I am not sure which I will be staying at JH or KV I will follow up on that.

One more question, if we do not have a view of the animals is there a place for general viewing?

Thanks for the names of the restaurants! I will have a look at the menus!

:wave2:
 
One more question, if we do not have a view of the animals is there a place for general viewing?

:wave2:


There are viewing areas off both lobby's, and there are also viewing areas and windows throughout the hallways and the hotels as well as at the pool. We had a standard view and still got to see the plenty of the animals. Some people like to sit on the balcony and watch the animals, but we never have time for just sitting around, so paying the extra for a savanna view didn't seem worth it for us.
 
Hi, we are renting points for our next trip! We have never stayed at AKV. We are staying in a studio standard view. We will need a roll in shower accessible room for our DD.
As far as I'm aware, there is only ONE Standard View HA studio with a roll-in shower in Jambo House. A couple of years ago they reclassified some Savanna View rooms as Standard View so it is possible that as part of that process an HA studio was reclassified but there have been no reports here.

Kidani is all DVC so I would expect there would be more than one Standard View HA studio with a roll-in shower there but I don't know for sure. In any case, the DVC owner you are working with needs to book as soon as the booking window opens to try to secure the exact room you need, especially if you decide you want to stay in Jambo House.
 
As far as I'm aware, there is only ONE Standard View HA studio with a roll-in shower in Jambo House. A couple of years ago they reclassified some Savanna View rooms as Standard View so it is possible that as part of that process an HA studio was reclassified but there have been no reports here.

Kidani is all DVC so I would expect there would be more than one Standard View HA studio with a roll-in shower there but I don't know for sure. In any case, the DVC owner you are working with needs to book as soon as the booking window opens to try to secure the exact room you need, especially if you decide you want to stay in Jambo House.


Thanks for the info. 1 room.. wow! Well I will have to wait to hear from the DVC member on Tues. They told me they would call early Tues, fingers crossed! Maybe Tues will be my lucky day! I am going to our managers' Christmas party in the city with work and hopefully securing this room! Tues is a BIG day! pixiedust:
 
I sent you a PM with a link for our photos from our Sept. trip. There are pics of the pool and so on.
 
Thanks for the info. 1 room.. wow! Well I will have to wait to hear from the DVC member on Tues. They told me they would call early Tues, fingers crossed! Maybe Tues will be my lucky day! I am going to our managers' Christmas party in the city with work and hopefully securing this room! Tues is a BIG day! pixiedust:
Jambo House has mostly hotel rooms with the DVC rooms occupying most of the 5th floor and all of the 6th floor (where the Club Level DVC rooms are located). I looked at my list of Jambo House DVC HA rooms again to see if there were any other studios with a roll-in shower that might have been reclassified from Savanna View to Standard View. According to the floor plans for Jambo House there are only four DVC rooms with a roll-in shower:

1. 5456 Standard View Studio facing the pool area
2. 5319 Savanna View 1BR facing the Arusha savanna
3. 5483 Grand Villa facing the Uzima savanna
4. 6202 Club Level 1BR facing the Sunset savanna

So as you can see, the Standard View studio I mentioned appears to be the only HA studio in Jambo House with a roll-in shower. There are a few more HA DVC rooms in Jambo House but they do not have roll-in showers and there are no studios on that list.

Bottom line, if you need an HA studio in Jambo House, there appears to be only one. I'm sure Kidani has HA rooms with roll-in showers but I don't have the details as to the number of studios and whether there are any with a Standard View.

Good luck. I hope everything works out and you have a wonderful stay.
 
We stayed at Kidani a few years ago and we're staying in Jambo in January. While there is a shuttle between the resorts it's also a flat and pleasant walk. When we stayed at Kidani we always walked between the two. I know the walk was wheel chair accessible because DD was 4.5 months old that trip and we pushed her in the stroller.

Our "standard" 1 BR in Kidani overlooked the pool and just barely overlooked the smaller less scenic savannah. We were pleased though, and my Mom enjoyed sitting out on the balcony a lot and listening to the cast members discuss the animals barely below us.

There were a lot of animal viewing areas, from the hallways, to the lobby, to an outdoor viewing area directly below the lobby. There were lots of elevators.

Buses to the parks stop at Kidani first (coming and going) which can be a definite plus. Sanaa is nice, and you can watch the animals while you eat but Jambo has more dinning options. We really enjoyed Boma and Jiko.

Both pools were huge and very very beautiful. I thought Jambo's seemed a bit more shaded. You can use both pools.

They're both really beautiful resorts and I think you will enjoy them!
 
We stayed at Kidani a few years ago and we're staying in Jambo in January. While there is a shuttle between the resorts it's also a flat and pleasant walk. When we stayed at Kidani we always walked between the two. I know the walk was wheel chair accessible because DD was 4.5 months old that trip and we pushed her in the stroller.

Our "standard" 1 BR in Kidani overlooked the pool and just barely overlooked the smaller less scenic savannah. We were pleased though, and my Mom enjoyed sitting out on the balcony a lot and listening to the cast members discuss the animals barely below us.

There were a lot of animal viewing areas, from the hallways, to the lobby, to an outdoor viewing area directly below the lobby. There were lots of elevators.

Buses to the parks stop at Kidani first (coming and going) which can be a definite plus. Sanaa is nice, and you can watch the animals while you eat but Jambo has more dinning options. We really enjoyed Boma and Jiko.

Both pools were huge and very very beautiful. I thought Jambo's seemed a bit more shaded. You can use both pools.

They're both really beautiful resorts and I think you will enjoy them!

Thanks for the info! All the replies are making me believe we are making a wonderful choice especially for DD! I am happy to read about all the elevators. I will definitely book Sanaa for a meal, I have never been there. Its always a worry when travelling with DD that a place will not be accessible.
 
Jambo House has mostly hotel rooms with the DVC rooms occupying most of the 5th floor and all of the 6th floor (where the Club Level DVC rooms are located). I looked at my list of Jambo House DVC HA rooms again to see if there were any other studios with a roll-in shower that might have been reclassified from Savanna View to Standard View. According to the floor plans for Jambo House there are only four DVC rooms with a roll-in shower:

1. 5456 Standard View Studio facing the pool area
2. 5319 Savanna View 1BR facing the Arusha savanna
3. 5483 Grand Villa facing the Uzima savanna
4. 6202 Club Level 1BR facing the Sunset savanna

So as you can see, the Standard View studio I mentioned appears to be the only HA studio in Jambo House with a roll-in shower. There are a few more HA DVC rooms in Jambo House but they do not have roll-in showers and there are no studios on that list.

Bottom line, if you need an HA studio in Jambo House, there appears to be only one. I'm sure Kidani has HA rooms with roll-in showers but I don't have the details as to the number of studios and whether there are any with a Standard View.

Good luck. I hope everything works out and you have a wonderful stay.

Thanks.. yes I see what you mean. We are going with a studio so that cuts it down too. EEEkkkkk! I will have to wait to see what Tues. brings..pixiedust:

I will be checking my email on my mgs party! hahhaha! I am so happy to get the booking for her!
 
Thanks.. yes I see what you mean. We are going with a studio so that cuts it down too. EEEkkkkk! I will have to wait to see what Tues. brings..pixiedust:

I will be checking my email on my mgs party! hahhaha! I am so happy to get the booking for her!

Any word on what you were able to get? Did you book yesterday?
 

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