Jambo! The newest AKL Information thread

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

For those with food allergies it is still possible to order in person at the QS locations that have mobile order, as it is often necessary to speak with a chef or allergy-trained cast member in person in order to place the order to ensure safe food.

Although not guaranteed, I would expect that the locations would likewise be able to find a way to accommodate someone who has a vision issue that precludes their use of mobile ordering. There are also going to be people who just don't have smartphones, or who are having technical issues and there smartphone isn't working. They need to have a way to deal with those situations.

You may wish to make a post to the disABILITIES! Forum (https://www.disboards.com/forums/disabilities.20/) to ask if anyone (aside from food allergies) has experience being unable to use the mobile ordering app and how they were accommodated.

It is also possible WDW's Disability Services might be able to provide you with some information: Disability Services at (407) 560-2547 or email disability.services@disneyparks.com.

Finally... do you have/can you use a tablet ? Kind of a pain to carry around, but I *think* the MDE app on a tablet allows mobile ordering.

Enjoy your trip !!

SW

Well thank you for such a thoughtful reply! Yes, I use a Kindle Fire E-reader tablet, which allows me internet access and My Disney Experience through the internet like a laptop or desktop would, which is apparently different from the smart phone app. It does not allow the Disney app, which is needed for mobile ordering, lines wait times, and many other things. Weird huh? Amazon products don't allow it? Anyway, I would like to be able to do mobile ordering if I have to, but wouldn't probably be making and changing FP on the fly when it returns, or checking lines wait times, etc. If I could see well enough though, I don't know how many of those things I would ever use that are on the app. I am old enough, and like a more relaxed, spontaneous day, than heavily planned, and rides are not my focus. My daughter has said maybe we should get me an android or apple product tablet, so I can download the app and live in the current decade!

 

[Starwind]

Well thank you for such a thoughtful reply! Yes, I use a Kindle Fire E-reader tablet, which allows me internet access and My Disney Experience through the internet like a laptop or desktop would, which is apparently different from the smart phone app. It does not allow the Disney app, which is needed for mobile ordering, lines wait times, and many other things. Weird huh? Amazon products don't allow it? Anyway, I would like to be able to do mobile ordering if I have to, but wouldn't probably be making and changing FP on the fly when it returns, or checking lines wait times, etc. If I could see well enough though, I don't know how many of those things I would ever use that are on the app. I am old enough, and like a more relaxed, spontaneous day, than heavily planned, and rides are not my focus. My daughter has said maybe we should get me an android or apple product tablet, so I can download the app and live in the current decade!

Most welcome.

That is unfortunate that the Kindle doesn't have the MDE app, just the web-based access [which is a good thing itself, but as you noted, has its limits when it comes to things it can do at WDW!]. Perhaps it is because the MDE app is an android/apple smartphone app that also therefore works on those systems' tablets, while for Amazon it would just be a for the tablet / Who knows their thinking on that... There has got to be a chunk of people that will just have a tablet and no smartphone... Clearly they are missing a segment of their guests...

Your daughter may have a good idea, at least in that you would gain some functionality. There are probably some other things that you would be able to do as well that the Kindle limits/doesn't have. But there are also things Kindle is good at

I hope you find a solution(s) that work for you !

SW

 

[AKLover]

Did anyone ever figure out if a person is manning the front desk at Jambo? We like to use gift cards to pay off magic band charges each night, and while I guess we can just stop at Kidani each night first, it would be much more convenient if someone was at Jambo and we didn’t have to lol.

 

[momimouse27]

It will be my first time at AKL at the end of this month. We're staying in a 2 br villa using DVC point rental at Kidani.

We got a standard view, my question is does anyone have any suggestions on room requests? Is there a request that will get me a partial Savannah view? If not, what type of request would get me closest to the pool and the lobby? Thank you in advance!

 

[curlymom]

Same situation Momimouse. 2 bdr villa std view from a DVC rental. I pay for touring plans, it looked like the ones that might have an animal view were furthest away from Jambo, which our kids want to do both pools. I never could figure out which I wanted more, so I haven't made a room request.

 

[DVCTigger]

Did anyone ever figure out if a person is manning the front desk at Jambo? We like to use gift cards to pay off magic band charges each night, and while I guess we can just stop at Kidani each night first, it would be much more convenient if someone was at Jambo and we didn’t have to lol.

Here now, there has typically been at least one cast member at the front desk during the day. Haven’t paid too much attention, but have noticed someone there most of the time

 

[AKLover]

Here now, there has typically been at least one cast member at the front desk during the day. Haven’t paid too much attention, but have noticed someone there most of the time

Awesome. That is very helpful. Thank you!

 

[momimouse27]

As it stands right now, my room preferences in MDE are upper floor, near lobby. I figured if I have to have a view of the parking lot, at least I'd be close to the lobby/pool area. I just don't want to end up with a view of a wall(I've actually seen this view/someone posted a pic of it) or with a dumpster outside my window! I wish I had just sprung for Savannah view, but it's done now and I can't change it.

 

[DVCTigger]

At Jambo now, as of yesterday afternoon they opened the pool bar! Will be open through the holiday weekend, not sure if it will stay open after that. Pool hours for the holiday weekend also changed from 9-9 to 10-10

 

[cristen72]

At Jambo now, as of yesterday afternoon they opened the pool bar! Will be open through the holiday weekend, not sure if it will stay open after that. Pool hours for the holiday weekend also changed from 9-9 to 10-10

Food too or just drinks?

 

[Jonathan Friedman]

No sign of the Mara opening?

 

[Dug720]

No sign of the Mara opening?

Nope. Nor Boma or Jiko.

 

[stargazertechie]

At Jambo now, as of yesterday afternoon they opened the pool bar! Will be open through the holiday weekend, not sure if it will stay open after that. Pool hours for the holiday weekend also changed from 9-9 to 10-10

How are the crowds at the pool this weekend?

 

[curlymom]

I'm curious if the pool bar at Jambo stays open this week. We arrive Saturday. I have an epcot park reservation to eat dinner on Saturday, but I don't know that we will feel up to it after traveling. I like the Jambo bar's menu better than Kidani.

 

[grease1739]

We are staying for 2 weeks in a Jambo studio later this month and given the lack of amenities available, I'm debating asking for a switch to Kidani so we have some things to do without having to make the trek over. I'm curious to those who are there, or have recently been can you answer a few questions?

1. Is the Sanna Lounge open? If so is it open until 11 each night like the website states, or do they have reduced hours?
2. Do the DVC studios at Kidani have smaller TVs than the DVC studios at Jambo?(from the videos I've seen online, it appears all of the Kidani studios have smallish tvs that fit right over the dresser and Jambo TVs appear quite a bit larger.
3. How easy is it to do "walk up" dining at Sanna right now?

Given we are staying for 2 weeks, would you ask to switch to Kidani when you check in, or stay with Jambo.(We've stayed at both before). Not being able to walk down to a gift shop or grab a drink at the lounge without a walk doesn't seem too appealing.

Thanks!

 

[SamFaniam]

We are staying for 2 weeks in a Jambo studio later this month and given the lack of amenities available, I'm debating asking for a switch to Kidani so we have some things to do without having to make the trek over. I'm curious to those who are there, or have recently been can you answer a few questions?

1. Is the Sanna Lounge open? If so is it open until 11 each night like the website states, or do they have reduced hours?
2. Do the DVC studios at Kidani have smaller TVs than the DVC studios at Jambo?(from the videos I've seen online, it appears all of the Kidani studios have smallish tvs that fit right over the dresser and Jambo TVs appear quite a bit larger.
3. How easy is it to do "walk up" dining at Sanna right now?

Given we are staying for 2 weeks, would you ask to switch to Kidani when you check in, or stay with Jambo.(We've stayed at both before). Not being able to walk down to a gift shop or grab a drink at the lounge without a walk doesn't seem too appealing.

Thanks!

1. 11
2. I think they are both pretty big
3. Nearly impossible except for breakfast.

 

[cristen72]

We are staying for 2 weeks in a Jambo studio later this month and given the lack of amenities available, I'm debating asking for a switch to Kidani so we have some things to do without having to make the trek over. I'm curious to those who are there, or have recently been can you answer a few questions?

1. Is the Sanna Lounge open? If so is it open until 11 each night like the website states, or do they have reduced hours?
2. Do the DVC studios at Kidani have smaller TVs than the DVC studios at Jambo?(from the videos I've seen online, it appears all of the Kidani studios have smallish tvs that fit right over the dresser and Jambo TVs appear quite a bit larger.
3. How easy is it to do "walk up" dining at Sanna right now?

Given we are staying for 2 weeks, would you ask to switch to Kidani when you check in, or stay with Jambo.(We've stayed at both before). Not being able to walk down to a gift shop or grab a drink at the lounge without a walk doesn't seem too appealing.

Thanks!

We were at Kidani Saturday night. We didn’t have a reservation for Sanna but figured we would just get a drink and bread service in the lounge.

We were told that even though the lounge is considered “open“ that they have actually expanded the dining room into the lounge and that the lounge is all part of the restaurant for now. So basically if you don’t have a reservation for Sanna you aren’t going to even sit to get drinks.

They were willing to make drinks “to go”, and you could order take out food from Sanna ;although we were told it would probably be an hour wait just for the take out). We ended up riding to Jambo and getting a drink from their pool bar and sitting in the deserted Victoria Falls lounge to drink it (which was actually kinda fun). Then we just ate food we already had in our room.

 

[curlymom]

Anyone have any good finds from door dash? Trying to come up with a solid plan B if we don't want to leave the resort and Sanaa is a zoo for take out.

 

[SamFaniam]

Anyone have any good finds from door dash? Trying to come up with a solid plan B if we don't want to leave the resort and Sanaa is a zoo for take out.

We like both Uno Pizzeria and Miller’s Ale House

 

[grease1739]

We were at Kidani Saturday night. We didn’t have a reservation for Sanna but figured we would just get a drink and bread service in the lounge.

We were told that even though the lounge is considered “open“ that they have actually expanded the dining room into the lounge and that the lounge is all part of the restaurant for now. So basically if you don’t have a reservation for Sanna you aren’t going to even sit to get drinks.

They were willing to make drinks “to go”, and you could order take out food from Sanna ;although we were told it would probably be an hour wait just for the take out). We ended up riding to Jambo and getting a drink from their pool bar and sitting in the deserted Victoria Falls lounge to drink it (which was actually kinda fun). Then we just ate food we already had in our room.

Wow so basically it’s a hail Mary Sanna reservation or drive somewhere to get food. Boma or the Mara need to open up to accommodate for more guests.