Mixed view on Kidani

[chainkid]

My main resort is BWV but I do have a very small contract at AKV. I have never been a fan because it seems to remote for me especially Kidani and everything is too dark for old eyes. However if you have not tried Jiko please check it out. It is a fabulous place to eat. Not a fan of Boma or Sanaa but Jiko is wonderful. I will even drive over just to have dinner. Try it.

 

[kirstenb1]

DVC kitchens in general make me a little batty. They seem to walk a line between guests who have little use for them, and those of us who are used to more supplies and space, like if I rent a vacation condo. I've learned to adapt over the years. The pump H20 supplies are everywhere at WDW of course. I don't like them either, and will probably just pack extra shampoo/body wash etc for the bathrooms. Takes up more luggage space, but whatever. We like Mara fine.

I wish all the DVC pools would grill hamburgers and hot dogs poolside and sell them with chips and cokes. We love the pool at Kidani!! Lots of nice theming and shade. As for the darker interiors, we always go in summer. I like the respite from the heat. But if we went in winter, it might be too dark for me. Kidani is our daughters' favorite resort.

 

[Wakey]

AKL has some nice features but I will not stay again. My kids really like it.

If it's cloudy/ raining outside, I found It a bit depressing within, although it's great theming.

Kidani pool had a real bee problem, my wife was even stung.

Biggest issue though was there's nowhere to walk or run, except you the car park.

Can see why many love it though. Rooms are a great size. 2 bathrooms and sleeper chair in 1 beds.

They have just started a soft rehab in Kidani with new sofa beds.

 

[blluefaerie]

We just had a stay at Kidani. We love it there. The staff at front desk always deliver on views and room requests. Staff is helpful. and accomodating in a laid back way We love the African atmosphere and laid back style. We go there mainly for the Animals first, we use the pools between Jambo and Kidani and then feast at Boma. Love it all. Love sitting on the balcony having coffee and watching the animals in the morning and then at night after a day at the park we sit on the balcony eat candy and chips and watch the animals until hot tub time and then bed time. Love it. It is our home resort.

I did have a question tho one day in the hallway we saw a cm wheeling a kenneled beagle down the hall. What do they use the beagles for? Do I want to know?

 

[Pyotr]

We just had a stay at Kidani. We love it there. The staff at front desk always deliver on views and room requests. Staff is helpful. and accomodating in a laid back way We love the African atmosphere and laid back style. We go there mainly for the Animals first, we use the pools between Jambo and Kidani and then feast at Boma. Love it all. Love sitting on the balcony having coffee and watching the animals in the morning and then at night after a day at the park we sit on the balcony eat candy and chips and watch the animals until hot tub time and then bed time. Love it. It is our home resort.

I did have a question tho one day in the hallway we saw a cm wheeling a kenneled beagle down the hall. What do they use the beagles for? Do I want to know?

Sniffing for bed bugs.

 

[Ralphmiller007]

I love how DVC members have so many options. Granted, I've never stayed at Kidani, but have stayed at Jambo many times. It is my favorite. I expected to love Poly, wilderness lodge, beach club...but I found myself missing AKL when we changed up resorts. I've had really good food at the Mara, but also some mediocre food. I don't expect amazing things from any quick service, though. The wall dispensers don't bother me too much, they were at the majority of hotels we have stayed at lately.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

We are on the road home, so final thoughts! Okay, so we have flipped a bit and would book Kidani again, but it still would not be on of our top choices. This is what stand outs for us:
1. The room is absolutely fabulous. We were in a one bedroom with 3 kids and it was very comfortable. The kids told us going in that they did not want to share a sofa bed so we bought 2 cots and the third guy was on the single sofa bed. We did not know if we would use both cots or what but we did and put them away every morning.
2. We ended up going to Sanaa twice and loved it. Amazing service, great atmosphere. Loved that you could walk in without a reservation which dh and I did once. We hate how at the GF it is impossible to get into restaurants without making a reservation months in advance. Dh especially gets pretty annoyed that we pay to stay at a resort but cannot enjoy all of the facilities because Disney markets it to people not staying at the resort.
3. All of the cultural enrichment around the resort is splendid and unique! Never seen this at other resorts. We caught a power point lecture on Zambia and did the scavenger hunt where we ended up talking with a cm from Tanzania for quite some time. Also, the animals are really something special.

On the other side...
1. We did continue to find the resort too dark and a bit depressing.
2. We did continue to feel meh about the African theme.
3. We never went back to the Mara— no thanks, sorry.

One aside, our room was quite clean but they never really did a full room service. We were there 8 nights and I thought we were supposed to get 2. We got one that was halfway done. They changed sheets once but did not refill shampoo ever or change out towels. We washed towels daily, so not an issue, but I was surprised.
We did not see another roach and there was no follow up on it. It was one of those medium ones, so I guess the German ones.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We are on the road home, so final thoughts! Okay, so we have flipped a bit and would book Kidani again, but it still would not be on of our top choices. This is what stand outs for us:
1. The room is absolutely fabulous. We were in a one bedroom with 3 kids and it was very comfortable. The kids told us going in that they did not want to share a sofa bed so we bought 2 cots and the third guy was on the single sofa bed. We did not know if we would use both cots or what but we did and put them away every morning.
2. We ended up going to Sanaa twice and loved it. Amazing service, great atmosphere. Loved that you could walk in without a reservation which dh and I did once. We hate how at the GF it is impossible to get into restaurants without making a reservation months in advance. Dh especially gets pretty annoyed that we pay to stay at a resort but cannot enjoy all of the facilities because Disney markets it to people not staying at the resort.
3. All of the cultural enrichment around the resort is splendid and unique! Never seen this at other resorts. We caught a power point lecture on Zambia and did the scavenger hunt where we ended up talking with a cm from Tanzania for quite some time. Also, the animals are really something special.

On the other side...
1. We did continue to find the resort too dark and a bit depressing.
2. We did continue to feel meh about the African theme.
3. We never went back to the Mara— no thanks, sorry.

One aside, our room was quite clean but they never really did a full room service. We were there 8 nights and I thought we were supposed to get 2. We got one that was halfway done. They changed sheets once but did not refill shampoo ever or change out towels. We washed towels daily, so not an issue, but I was surprised.
We did not see another roach and there was no follow up on it. It was one of those medium ones, so I guess the German ones.

You didn't use the sleeper sofa or the sleeper chair? I'm not sure which one you did use. You could have used both and then only use one of your cots.

For an eight night stay you should have gotten a full cleaning on day four and your towels replaced and supplies refilled on day four and day eight. But not two full cleaning services, just one.

And I still bet your roach was a palmetto bug or water bug, not a German roach. Those are the much smaller ones.

 

[Pyotr]

We are on the road home, so final thoughts! Okay, so we have flipped a bit and would book Kidani again, but it still would not be on of our top choices. This is what stand outs for us:
1. The room is absolutely fabulous. We were in a one bedroom with 3 kids and it was very comfortable. The kids told us going in that they did not want to share a sofa bed so we bought 2 cots and the third guy was on the single sofa bed. We did not know if we would use both cots or what but we did and put them away every morning.
2. We ended up going to Sanaa twice and loved it. Amazing service, great atmosphere. Loved that you could walk in without a reservation which dh and I did once. We hate how at the GF it is impossible to get into restaurants without making a reservation months in advance. Dh especially gets pretty annoyed that we pay to stay at a resort but cannot enjoy all of the facilities because Disney markets it to people not staying at the resort.
3. All of the cultural enrichment around the resort is splendid and unique! Never seen this at other resorts. We caught a power point lecture on Zambia and did the scavenger hunt where we ended up talking with a cm from Tanzania for quite some time. Also, the animals are really something special.

On the other side...
1. We did continue to find the resort too dark and a bit depressing.
2. We did continue to feel meh about the African theme.
3. We never went back to the Mara— no thanks, sorry.

One aside, our room was quite clean but they never really did a full room service. We were there 8 nights and I thought we were supposed to get 2. We got one that was halfway done. They changed sheets once but did not refill shampoo ever or change out towels. We washed towels daily, so not an issue, but I was surprised.
We did not see another roach and there was no follow up on it. It was one of those medium ones, so I guess the German ones.

You should have taken a picture. We could have identified it.

I’m 99% positive that it wasn’t a German cockroach. I am sure Disney has exterminators in all their properties. German cockroaches are smaller and usually brown. We have all sorts of bugs in Florida. ‘‘Tis the season.

 

[LoverDisney]

I don't own at Kidani but stayed there last summer and loved it. I wasn't crazy about Mara, but It serves it's purpose as a quick service option. If I saw a cockroach I would ask to be moved because I would be afraid of taking one home!

 

[MomOTwins]

No wonder the resort is dingy and has bugs if they are only cleaning the rooms once a week! That squicks me out big time. I hate the soap dispenser thing too—it id one thing if you are staying in a moderate, but the price if not a member for a one bedroom kidani for our family was over $700 a night! They need to adjust their rates for guests paying cash if they are not keeping it up to standard.

We stayed at Jambo and liked it but remember swinging by Kidani and were not impressed. It does seem a bit darker and drabber. Disney keeps advertising DVC as deluxe at a lower cost but there are some pretty noticeable differences.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

No wonder the resort is dingy and has bugs if they are only cleaning the rooms once a week! That squicks me out big time. I hate the soap dispenser thing too—it id one thing if you are staying in a moderate, but the price if not a member for a one bedroom kidani for our family was over $700 a night! They need to adjust their rates for guests paying cash if they are not keeping it up to standard.

We stayed at Jambo and liked it but remember swinging by Kidani and were not impressed. It does seem a bit darker and drabber. Disney keeps advertising DVC as deluxe at a lower cost but there are some pretty noticeable differences.

On cash stays it's daily housekeeping. And of course when the room turns over it gets a cleaning between guests.

Public spaces with hundreds or thousands of people passing thru daily probably need daily cleaning but in what is essentially your "home"? I'd never do anything else but clean if that were the case.

 

[sndral]

No wonder the resort is dingy and has bugs if they are only cleaning the rooms once a week! That squicks me out big time. I hate the soap dispenser thing too—it id one thing if you are staying in a moderate, but the price if not a member for a one bedroom kidani for our family was over $700 a night! They need to adjust their rates for guests paying cash if they are not keeping it up to standard.

We stayed at Jambo and liked it but remember swinging by Kidani and were not impressed. It does seem a bit darker and drabber. Disney keeps advertising DVC as deluxe at a lower cost but there are some pretty noticeable differences.

I’m curious, do you thoroughly clean your home every day? Vacuum, clean bathrooms & kitchen, change sheets, etc. daily? All DVC villas are cleaned thoroughly on days 4 and 8 for longer stays and between guests on points stays and daily on cash stays. You can pay for daily cleaning if you like.
Interesting how the fact that OP saw one bug has become ‘the resort ... has bugs,’ Florida has insects, occasionally those insects wander into the rooms at all the resorts, which has nothing to do with how often the villas are cleaned.

 

[MomOTwins]

I’m curious, do you thoroughly clean your home every day? Vacuum, clean bathrooms & kitchen, change sheets, etc. daily? All DVC villas are cleaned thoroughly on days 4 and 8 for longer stays and between guests on points stays and daily on cash stays. You can pay for daily cleaning if you like.
Interesting how the fact that OP saw one bug has become ‘the resort ... has bugs,’ Florida has insects, occasionally those insects wander into the rooms at all the resorts, which has nothing to do with how often the villas are cleaned.

I do vacuum daily—I have kids, and they can’t eat without getting crumbs on the floor. And I take out the trash daily, which doesn’t happen in a resort that doesn not have daily cleaning and is the biggest source of attracting insects.

 

[crvetter]

I do vacuum daily—I have kids, and they can’t eat without getting crumbs on the floor. And I take out the trash daily, which doesn’t happen in a resort that doesn not have daily cleaning and is the biggest source of attracting insects.

Trash is now removed daily during the daily room checks at DVC. However, your concern of the lack of cleaning of rooms now exists on the Cash side with guests being able to opt out of housekeeping for length of stay at Value and Moderate Resorts (here they don't even get trash removal unless they specifically ask for it to be collected).

 

[murphy7573]

Stayed twice, once in a 2 bedroom and 1 bedroom both with Savannah views. Freakin' awesome both times. Rooms were huge. Wanted to impress the crap out of the in-laws with the 2 bedroom Savannah view for that first Kidani trip. Opened the blinds and "bam" giraffe right out side the balcony. Gave the in-laws the master suite since our daughter was in the second bed in our room. My father-in-law still talks about that shower in the master suite. Boma is great ! My wife's fav ! Covered parking, pool never crowded. As for the dishes, make the set up the way you want it to be. I'll admit it is way out there, but sooooo quiet at night. It's a looooong bus ride to MK.

BTW, thought this was topic on Kidani, not "which cockroach is the coolest"?

The fact you guys know so much about 'em and different "breeds"...."Scary"

 

[Deb & Bill]

I do vacuum daily—I have kids, and they can’t eat without getting crumbs on the floor. And I take out the trash daily, which doesn’t happen in a resort that doesn not have daily cleaning and is the biggest source of attracting insects.

Water bugs/palmetto bugs are not attracted to food crumbs or garbage. They are usually seeking water when they are inside. German cockroaches are the ones that you get if your home is dirty. Florida has tons of water bugs/palmetto bugs. Plus, you have many animals on the savanna and water bugs/palmetto bugs may be attracted to the animals and decaying organisms like animal waste, dead plants. When I find a water bug in my house (I live in SW Florida) it's usually in the bathroom or near the patio doors from the pool lanai. If they are not in the bathroom, my cats will find them and play with them. Water bugs survived the Ice Age and live wherever it's warm, damp.

 

[MomOTwins]

Trash is now removed daily during the daily room checks at DVC. However, your concern of the lack of cleaning of rooms now exists on the Cash side with guests being able to opt out of housekeeping for length of stay at Value and Moderate Resorts (here they don't even get trash removal unless they specifically ask for it to be collected).

Eeewwwwwwwwwwwww

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

So, we are not too squeamish about roaches. That’s why we did not ask for another room, but we did inform the front desk because they should know. We also figured if there was one in our room, they were in other rooms too. So as we were leaving for the day the next morning, I told the front desk that we had killed a roach last night. They just responded that pest control would go to our room during the day. But honestly they did not seem phased or overly concerned which was a bit odd to me. Nor did they follow up, which also seemed, well, not professional. We lived in New Orleans for a while years ago, so we are familiar with them. That’s where dh became my real hero. Lol. No roach gets past him. We do not have any roach issues where we live today btw. Lol. But it was definitely what people today call a “German” roach. We have always called them indoor roaches. Verses outdoor roaches— the big ones. They are all American to me. Lol. Palmetto bugs don’t phase me at all. I have seen them but we do not have those where we live now and we did not see very many in New Orleans. Sure we were a bit grossed out, but I travel with a lot of zip lock bags and meticulously seal everything up anyway. It was in the kitchen area on the wall. I was standing in the middle of the kitchen with my back to it and dh was facing me, talking to me, but looking beyond me with a not happy look on his face. I was like, what’s wrong? I thought he was mad about something. He said don’t move. A few seconds later, the roach was toast. He said he had been watching it for about 5 minutes, thinking about how to get it. Apparently there is high level strategy involved in nailing them. Lol. We did keep our eyes open throughout the rest of the trip and did not see another one.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I usually just suck them up with my hand vac. Had one in my bathroom last night when I went to take my shower. Should have just put one of the cats in the bathroom to get it for me.