Kindani vs Jambo House

[Lacincotta]

Hello,

I am booking a trip to animal kingdom 10/25- 11/3. I will be there with my husband,two small children, my parents and mother in law. We will be in a two bedroom. I know that kindani has three bathrooms which is a plus but it seems like there is more going on on the Jambo side. Any suggestions or thoughts?

Thanks

 

[LilacGarden]

I can't speak to Kidani but we stayed in Jambo in Oct. We loved it there. The lobby was amazing and it seemed like there was always something going on when we were coming in or out. Simba's Clubhouse is also there if you wanted some adult time as well. We used that for DD8 and there were no issues. The gift shop (if it matters) is also much bigger. My DH and I ventured over to Kidani for dinner and it was nice there but I liked the atmosphere at Jambo.

I'm not sure if the buses stopped at Kidani first because we were always getting onto an empty bus when leaving for a park. The buses always stopped at Kidani first when dropping off after a park.

 

[WDW Traveler]

OP, also know that Kidani does not have a QS restaurant. You have to go over to Jambo. We did it once and it wasn't a bad walk, less than 10 minutes. Both resorts are beautiful, I do agree with LilacGarden that Jambo seemed to have more going on.

 

[Texans_loyal]

Jambo has a lot going on and is full of life. Kidani is private and quite. The buses do stop at kidani first so you don't have to deal with a full bus. there is a shuttle that goes back and forth about every 15 minutes, it's great!
while I wouldn't mind staying at Kidani again, my brother wants to stay at Jambo because he felt like he was missing out on all the action. our trip is a month away, I will come back and report my observations! keep in mind that a stay at AKL is magical, either resort will do the trick.

 

[delfinavacano]

I prefer Kidani because it is quiet. Sanaa has a QS breakfast, so you don't have to go to The Mara for that - but you have a full kitchen, so you could just do food prep there if that's your style. (When I have a kitchen I'll generally do quick meals, like lunches and breakfasts in the villa.) I like having the extra bathroom for my girls, so we don't have to share. Kidani picks up first and drops off first, as well. You can always walk over to Jambo. (And vice versa, of course.) There are also kids' activities at both Jambo and Kidani, and I like the community hall in Kidani for getting coloring pages or little crafty things for the kids. You can look at the Activity Calendar for things to do at both places. http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/resorts/wdw/pdf/AKLCalendar.pdf

Kidani has a kids water splash area that's really extensive. Both have nice pools. Jambo has a playground.

Either way, both places are very nice, so it is more personal preference.

 

[gillep]

Although Jambo is my absolute favorite resort, and I think it has more going for it than Kidani (lobby, QS, 2 amazing TS restaurants, gift shop) I would only ever choose Kidani when staying in a 1 or 2 bedroom, I personally think that they are set up in a nicer manner, and I love that extra bathroom. The walk between the two resorts isn't enough that I would feel like I were missing out on the amenities of Jambo house, I would probably still use the Jambo pool too, because I prefer the layout to the one at Kidani.

 

[rpcvpanama]

Also, the 2 bedrooms at Jambo are 2-bedroom lock offs. So the second bedroom will have a queen bed and a queen sleeper sofa. If you want 2 "real" beds you will need a 2-bedroom at Kidani.

 

[shellyj]

AKL is our very favorite and we always stay in 2 bedrooms with our family of 5 and my inlaws in the 2nd bedroom. We prefer Jambo House but we have ended up at Kidani more often because of availability. We love everything about Jambo House. We don't eat at the Mara very often, but we absolutely love Boma.

I think my kids would probably say they slightly prefer the Kidani pool, but both are fun and available to everyone.

We do prefer the parking garage at Kidani. It always feels like less of a hike than parking at Jambo, but that might be perception more than fact.
My kids are young, so for now the 3rd bathroom doesn't matter to us.

We haven't had any trouble with the buses and we haven't experienced many of them being full already when they get to Jambo.

 

[happymommy]

I've stayed at Kidani once (in a one bedroom as a last minute rental from an owner, just my family but it was WAY too tight and would NOT do it again). Jambo a few times.

No way would I do a two bedroom with the amount of adults you have, but that is me. The extra bathroom was no big deal - it was only used as a toilet for us.

The living room with both pull outs open was insane - you could not walk. We made it work for us but it wasn't ideal.

Would your parents be comfortable sharing a room with your mother in law? As a 50 year old I'd pay for my own room.

 

[basketlacey]

I was booked in Jambo for our Christmas trip in a one bedroom. I picked Jambo bevause i love the lobby! But then i found out that Kidani has two bathrooms and with three teenagers, that is a no braoner. We switched to Kidani and cant wait!

 

[Deb & Bill]

The master bath at Jambo House is across the hall from the master bedroom, not in the master bedroom. Plus, there is no separate shower and tub, only the combo tub/shower. It is a renovated hotel room, not a new build. The master bath at Kidani is luxurious.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Also, the 2 bedrooms at Jambo are 2-bedroom lock offs. So the second bedroom will have a queen bed and a queen sleeper sofa. If you want 2 "real" beds you will need a 2-bedroom at Kidani.

That was the main reason we chose Kidani over Jambo. We were DH and myself (1 bedroom-one bed), the DS and DDIL, and the two DGDs, who needed one room with two beds. Frankly, if it weren't for that need, I'd much prefer Jambo, with its grander lobby, nearness of Mara, and larger gift shop.