Live report from Kidani

[tsmvp]

Ok ladies and gents, first trip using our DVC membership.
I have been to Disney probably 10 times before I got into the DVC that I bought direct (per my needs, resale was not an option) and I am very happy we did it.
Once we arrived at Kidani and got into our room, wife was very impressed and happy.
So far here is what I want to report:
- Room was not super clean. Bear with me as we are indeed extremely picky with cleanliness. And that said, the room was not to our standards. Could definitely be better. What do you guys have to report? Is it usually 'OK', above average or simply below average?
- Room is great. I cannot imagine going back to an All-Star Resort or even a moderate one. We are in a 1BDR and it is spacious. The view (Savannah) is great and the balcony is huge!
Once I understand how to post pictures I will get you some nice panoramas we made! Awesome stuff, I promise!

Cheers.

CR

[DisneyTravelers]

Hope you have a great first DVC trip!!!

[hurricaneb]

Enjoy your trip!

[AnnaS]

Enjoy your trip and thanks for reporting.

It is true that everyone's standards/levels might be slightly different. What might be bad for one, might not be so bad for someone else.

Definitely looking forward to your details but most of all relax and enjoy it all.

[Brian5581]

Have a great trip!

[Yogi3323]

enjoy your trip ... we have stayed at Kidani twice and loved both experiences. I am sure you and your family will enjoy it. You are absolutely correct about the large balcony, imagine it in a 2 Bedroom (it stretches from one room to the other).

[cherene]

Originally Posted by tsmvp

Ok ladies and gents, first trip using our DVC membership.
I have been to Disney probably 10 times before I got into the DVC that I bought direct (per my needs, resale was not an option) and I am very happy we did it.
Once we arrived at Kidani and got into our room, wife was very impressed and happy.
So far here is what I want to report:
- Room was not super clean. Bear with me as we are indeed extremely picky with cleanliness. And that said, the room was not to our standards. Could definitely be better. What do you guys have to report? Is it usually 'OK', above average or simply below average?
- Room is great. I cannot imagine going back to an All-Star Resort or even a moderate one. We are in a 1BDR and it is spacious. The view (Savannah) is great and the balcony is huge!
Once I understand how to post pictures I will get you some nice panoramas we made! Awesome stuff, I promise!

Cheers.

CR

Did you report your room? I hope you did because there's no reason for that. I think disney has to train there house keeping better or check up on them now and then. They do have some wonderful house keepers but the last trip we took to AKL, we had to change rooms 2 times because of poor house keeping. I am picky also especially with bathrooms. I don't think you should find other peoples hair in the bathroom or shampoo on shower walls. YUCK... That said when my room is cleaned well I make sure I leave notes for housekeeping and great tips too! I believe you have to earn your tip, how much is up to you.

[tsmvp]

Sorry for disappearing for a while. Well we were busy at Disney. :high five:
Here you have the final, more detailed report/take on this trip.
The group: myself, DW, DD13, DS17, DS0.5 (yes the young one is 6 months old).
We are leaving today. Spent a week at Kidani in a 1BDR, Savannah view.
First thing people should be aware of:

- Even though this is a Savannah view, after talking to the Disney people around, the Savannah area is divided in sections and these are completely separated from each other. That means depending where you get your room you will never see a Giraffe for example. Depending on your expectations you may get disappointed. In order to get a view to the area where Zebras and Giraffes stay you must ask for a SUNSET view.

- Wireless internet sucks big time. On my computer it work pretty much 100% of the time but on portable devices like iPhones/iPads it was terrible. From what I can see the room still has the Ethernet connection so if you bring an ethernet cable and your own router this should fix all the issues.

- GET a car. First rentals are damn cheap. Got a brand new Ford Escape with 3000 miles on it for $200 for the full week, with a full tank of gas included. The reason why I think it is a must have really gets down to the time of the year you will come here. We came during March/Spring break and it was not super full but it was somewhat packed. I can definitely see people missing the bus during peak hours as they are full. So if you want to get at the parks, at dining reservations and so on in time without having to leave 3 hours before the scheduled time, a car helps a lot. Seriously.
Even for going to the grocery shop and so on.

- If you get a 1BDR I think there is no turning back moving forward. You will never be able to get a Studio again. Yesterday we did a quick stop at Boardwalk and I was able to check their studios. Sure it beats All Stars hands down but the 1BDR is simply MUCH bigger. Sure if it was a trip for me and the wife only a studio fits the bill perfectly. But with the baby and two teenagers, I cannot see us using a studio anytime.

- For those considering a studio a couple tips: if you plan cooking, bring a small 2-burner stove on your checked luggage. You can then get propane at Walmart and you will be good to go. Keep in mind there is no washer/drier in the room like the 1BDR has.

The trip:
We indeed saw the usual parks (AK, HS, MK, EP) during our stay but not in a hurry. We did not spend full days at any park. Very different from our previous trips where we had an 'obligation' to see everything. I guess due to the DVC, knowing we will be back 49 times we just took it easy, what was great.
Had dinner at Yaki Yeti (a family favourite, great food), Chefs the France and Boma. All good food.
And here is another comment regarding food/prices/how-to-save. It all gets down to your habits. For example during this whole week we had breakfast in the room every single day as it was much more convenient not having to go anywhere and of course much cheaper. As we would have big breakfasts we would just bring something quick for lunch or buy a snack and later go back to Kidani and eat (again cooking something). Even though we did go to some places (as reported above) the total of the bills were not enough to make us get a TIW. We would not save any money probably or maybe a few bucks. If you know you will be eating out with a family of 4 or bigger, then TIW makes sense (for your reference, expect to pay around $35-$45 per person per meal - not quick service I mean). So for a family of 4, TIW makes sense if doing 4 or more dinners out.
We also (me and my son) did the Exotics Experience at the Speedway. You get to drive some cool cars (Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc) for 6 laps after attending a 30 minute class on how to drive in a track race. If car is your thing, you will definitely enjoy. My son that is 17 was able to drive a Lamborghini and an Audi R8 and we were the only two in the whole class so we had full time attention from the instructors. Cool stuff.
Well too bad we are heading out today. But definitely looking forward to our next trip next year!
Location wise after what I saw yesterday at Boardwalk I think you cannot beat that resort. Walking distance to Epcot (not to mention beating the damn lines through that back entrance), to Hollywood Studios AND if you have a hopper pass you can just cross epcot and get the monorail to MK.
And being able to walk right into France at Epcot for lunch or to go to the Boulangerie makes it a great option for sure. We may try BW next year!

Cheers guys.

Pics coming soon.

CR

[SnowWhite4]

Enjoyed your TR. Always sad to go home knowing it will be a long time until you return but being a DVC member makes it a little more bearable!

Thanks for taking the time to share with us.

[babbs098]

Sounds like a great trip. And really good advice on the "Sunset" view. Since we have not looked at AKV that will be something we keep in mind when we do. We did a studio at the Boardwalk. LOVE that resort!