Which is better Jambo House or Kidani Village?

[John2247]

We have stayed in both and you can't go wrong with either one, but Kidani would be my first choice. Primarily for the extra bathroom, assuming you are getting a two bdrm. villa.

John

[bradybunch]

Thanks for all your replies!! All your tips are super helpful! We’ve been to Boma for breakfast but didn’t get much further than the lobby as we were starting our drive back home. I thought the resort was beautiful! I wasn’t expecting it to be a nice as it was (not sure why). Also loved the design and its connection to Wilderness Lodge and Grand Californian

[Rigby]

Jambo all the way! Kidani is too far from the main building, the hallways go on forever, and I just felt like we were away from all the action over there. Have fun!

[taccol]

Originally Posted by John2247

We have stayed in both and you can't go wrong with either one, but Kidani would be my first choice. Primarily for the extra bathroom, assuming you are getting a two bdrm. villa.

John

AGREE!! They are both wonderful and each has a different feel. No matter which we're are booked at, we also go and enjoy the other.

[helenabear]

Originally Posted by WDWGoof

I find it amazing how everybody views each resort differently. Several mentioned that Kidani is quiet. I found it just the opposite. The small lobby jams up at night with people waiting for their ADRs of restaurant downstairs so each night I had to squeeze through people to get to the narrow hallway to my room. Also I found the walls paper thin, being the loudest stay of all the resorts I've stayed at. On the other hand, I LOVE Jambo. Big, open and cozy. Thinking it's just a matter of personal preference so until you stay at each of them, you won't know.

It is interesting, but I think that's because we all have different feels. I'm one who said it was quiet. I've never experienced the lobby the way you have at Kidani, but have at Jambo. So crowded and loud So sometimes experience can make or break a thing.

The good thing IMO about AKL is that both sides are great. While one may have a preference there isn't a real bad answer.

[yahoo]

Jambo would be my choice for sheer beauty and Kidani because of the pool area since it is much larger and more fun there.

[Deb & Bill]

All the two bedroom villas at JH are lockoffs (studio plus a one bedroom). So you only get two real beds. KV has both lockoffs and dedicated. And all those two bedrooms at KV will have three full bathrooms.

The master bath at JH is across the hallway from the master bedroom, not just a doorway from the master bedroom. And you don't have to share it. The bathroom at JH doesn't have a standalone shower, just a combo shower/tub. KV has a massive standalone shower and a massive jetted tub just through the door from the master bedroom. JH is converted hotel rooms. KV was all new construction.

[PurrfectPrincess]

Kidani Village

[mustinjourney]

Originally Posted by Rigby

Jambo all the way! Kidani is too far from the main building, the hallways go on forever, and I just felt like we were away from all the action over there. Have fun!

we only stayed one night at Kidani in a 1 BR -- we absolutely loved the room and savannah views, but dear god, our room was practically at the end of the hallway. It took FOREVER to get to the lobby. I can't imagine trying to fill up a resort mug there. And there was a lot of noise from the hallways.

If I could get a room close to the lobby, I'd love it. But I have no plans to stay there again b/c I just can't handle the prospect of lugging my suitcase that far again.

I might feel differently if I stayed longer, but we literally had to lug suitcases to our room and then back to the lobby within 14 hours since we didn't check-in until around 6 pm and then left at 8 am the next morning. So my experience was:

Arrive at 6 and check in;
trek 15 minutes with two suitcases, rolling on carpet no less, to my room (those hallways feel like they just keep going and going and going);
shower and get ready for 8 pm dinner;
walk 15 minutes back to lobby and then head to Jambo (via foot) for dinner;
wait 40 minutes to be seated despite having reservation (they apparently forgot about us);
hang out in Jambo lobby for a little bit;
walk back to Kidani and then make long journey to room;
crash for evening around 11 pm;
wake up at 5 am and watch the savannah come to life (best part of the stay);
pack up lug suitcases back to bell services around 7:30 or so.

So in a period of 14 hours at the resort (including 6 hours of sleep), we spent about an hour or so just walking to and from our room and the Kidani lobby.

[tink711]

We absolutely love Jambo House. We love the lobby and the feel of the resort. Even on trips where we are not staying in Jambo, we often go over for a visit because we just love the resort.
Having said that, for a larger villa, I would probably choose Kidani. Our stays at Jambo have mostly been just my husband and I, in a studio, so the rooms are essentially the same. We only stayed with the kids in a 1 BR once. The extra bath and the stand up shower at Kidani would have outweighed my lobby preference. I really dislike the tub/shower combo in the larger villas at Jambo. It's not a normal tub. The full size villas have this deep tub and a tile step up to get into it that I found very awkward to get in and out of. I am sure there is a way to get in and out of that thing gracefully, but I never figured it out. I discovered that I had a new pet peeve, trying to figure out the best way to get in and out of the shower every day while on vacation is just not something I want to have to do. Taking a shower is not supposed to require a lot of thought and it is not supposed to be an annoying experience