Animal Kingdom Lodge Advice

nancynancy428

nancynancy428

New Member
Original Poster
I've read through a few kidani vs jambo threads and I'm still so torn!!!! I always stay at the Polynesian, but am ready for a change as all my trips/memories/pictures are looking the same lol. So we've decided on rented dvc points for Animal Kingdom Lodge and just can't decide between Kidani and Jambo. Kids are 7 and 4.
I read that the buses stop first at kidani, both for pick up and drop off- can anyone tell me if this is still true? I also read that recently there were dedicated buses for each house - is this still true and if so is it permanent? Any input would be greatly appreciated! P
 
correcaminos

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
Yes it is true, Kidani is first to pick up and drop off. I find Kidani to be more relaxing than Jambo. It's about a half a mile between the two so you can easily take a bus/shuttle to Jambo from Kidani and vice versa.

I'm not sure what you mean about dedicated buses for each house. Sometimes I have seen Kidani and Jambo separate, but not always. In June we stopped at Jambo after being picked up at Kidani.

Kidani if you are doing a 1 bedroom or larger you get an extra bathroom which is nice. We do seem to prefer the Kidani pool as well (bar service with food there is very good). Jambo is more extravagant in the look. You will only be on one of 2 floors if at Jambo as well. Kidani has parking in a garage near elevators which I like. So yep we do like Kidani more than Jambo. We're also huge Polynesian fans and we feel Kidani has a similar relaxing vibe yet different look than Polynesian. Good luck deciding.
 
nancynancy428

nancynancy428

New Member
Original Poster
Thank you!! Super helpful- hearing that it's a 1/2 mile between both definitely takes the pressure off knowing we could always head over to Jambo for a quick bite or to enjoy the lobby or gift shop. Another question- since I've been a bit spoiled with monorails and boats at the Poly....honest opinion on the bus rides?!? Rating from annoying to totally doable? I've heard that the ride to magic Kingdom is 15 min from some and 30 from others.....
 
GCTales

GCTales

Well-Known Member
Ride is longer than most other resorts. Stayed at Jambo twice... never really worried about the length of the ride... Both times there was one bus for the two properties. Was not an issue for me.

You can;t really go wrong with either Kidani or Jambo. If it is in the budget, get a savannah view room. My son still talks about the Kevin bird that woke us each morning and the time he heard a noise outside our room, rushed out onto our balcony to see a giraffe feeding near our room (he was 7 at the time).

I think the lobby at Jambo is much more impressive.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
nancynancy428 said:
Thank you!! Super helpful- hearing that it's a 1/2 mile between both definitely takes the pressure off knowing we could always head over to Jambo for a quick bite or to enjoy the lobby or gift shop. Another question- since I've been a bit spoiled with monorails and boats at the Poly....honest opinion on the bus rides?!? Rating from annoying to totally doable? I've heard that the ride to magic Kingdom is 15 min from some and 30 from others.....
Click to expand...
My experience with the monorail resorts and transportation is they have great, quick access to MK. The rest is pretty much like every other resort on property at best. At times, it has been far worse than even the value resorts.

I have found AKL to have great consistent travel times to every location on property.
 
danheaton

danheaton

Well-Known Member
Like others have said, you can't really go wrong. I'd prefer Jambo due to access to the restaurants; I also love the lobby. I don't think there's a big difference in time for transportation. If you want to be more out of the way, Kidani is the way to go. The resort on the whole feels more isolated and relaxing; I've had that experience at Jambo House both times we've stayed there.
 
correcaminos

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
nancynancy428 said:
Thank you!! Super helpful- hearing that it's a 1/2 mile between both definitely takes the pressure off knowing we could always head over to Jambo for a quick bite or to enjoy the lobby or gift shop. Another question- since I've been a bit spoiled with monorails and boats at the Poly....honest opinion on the bus rides?!? Rating from annoying to totally doable? I've heard that the ride to magic Kingdom is 15 min from some and 30 from others.....
Click to expand...
I'll be honest here, I feel like Disney buses can be hit or miss. We had people at Beach Club, no joke, waiting an hour to get to MK. Going to and from AK in June we waited 10 minutes max. The ride itself isn't too bad honestly. Again our Beach Club guy... he got lost. We took 25 minutes to get to MK. Seriously... It was sad. The buses are more reliable IMO than the monorail though. I wouldn't worry too much about it. We did fine staying there.
 
freesvoice

freesvoice

Active Member
Can you rent points at both? For some reason I thought DVC points were Kidani only.

Look at it like one big resort. Pool is way bigger at Jambo but I liked Kidani better as it was easier to keep in eye on my son, bigger/better slide, and more intimate. There's an awesome splash pad play area for kids too. More dining at Jambo but they're just a 3 minute shuttle ride away. Lobby at Jambo is impressive but how much time do you spend in a lobby?

Bus rides were quick and almost empty during our stay so it can go any way during your stay.
 
epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
freesvoice said:
Can you rent points at both? For some reason I thought DVC points were Kidani only.

Look at it like one big resort. Pool is way bigger at Jambo but I liked Kidani better as it was easier to keep in eye on my son, bigger/better slide, and more intimate. There's an awesome splash pad play area for kids too. More dining at Jambo but they're just a 3 minute shuttle ride away. Lobby at Jambo is impressive but how much time do you spend in a lobby?

Bus rides were quick and almost empty during our stay so it can go any way during your stay.
Click to expand...

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/list/florida/animal-kingdom-villas-jambo/
 
NelleBelle

NelleBelle

Well-Known Member
When we stayed at AKL, our buses to the parks were always nearly empty--always had a place to sit! I never felt that it took that long to get to MK. Then again, when we stayed at Contemporary, we always used the walkway to MK--loved that hotel for that feature!
 
SyracuseDisneyFan

SyracuseDisneyFan

Well-Known Member
I stayed at Kidani Village back in May. We used the bus a few times. They picked up passengers at Kidani Village first and dropped off at Kidani Village first.
 
SyracuseDisneyFan

SyracuseDisneyFan

Well-Known Member
I also checked out the gift shops at both Kidani Village and Jambo House, but I liked the gift shop at Jambo House better. I thought it was bigger and they had more of a selection. However, I was very pleased to get a 4 pack of the Zebra Domes and an AKL mug at Kidani Village.
 
aw14

aw14

Well-Known Member
Master Yoda said:
My experience with the monorail resorts and transportation is they have great, quick access to MK. The rest is pretty much like every other resort on property at best. At times, it has been far worse than even the value resorts.

I have found AKL to have great consistent travel times to every location on property.
Click to expand...
I agree. Stayed at AKL 3 times. Amazing resort and would likely be the most popular if it was on the monorail line.

The times are fairly consistent, just know that the time to MK is longer than normal.
 

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