The Savannah
From our balcony we were able to see wild African animals (whose names I cannot remember nor pronounce). They would stroll by, stop to eat or rest. It was truly amazing to be so close to nature, and to watch Jaxy "moo-ing" at everything that passed by. From the resort lobby and patio, we could see more familiar giraffes, zebra and ostrich. Harrison especially liked the opportunity to view the animals with night vision goggles.
A Full Kitchen
In additional to the jar of peanut butter we packed in our luggage, we bought a few essential groceries at the in-hotel store (eggs, milk, bread, booze, Doritos...). Prices were a little high, as expected, but not ridiculous for the basics. Our kiddos have pretty poor restaurant-eating skills: someone is always climbing under or over the table, bugging the people behind us (like, literally touching them), sitting on our laps or watching a show on our phones... only to take two bites of the chocolate chip pancake and declare it to be "too sour." We didn't want to put ourselves through this anymore than necessary, so each morning we cooked and ate breakfast in the room before heading out for the day. It saved us a ton of money too (no $8 "sour" pancakes going to waste).
Activities for Kids
Every evening there was a camp fire- complete with marshmallows and roasting sticks! We'd usually stop for a marshmallow (or three) as we left the pool to get changed for dinner. In our childless days, we'd have been heading out after dark for an evening of fancy dinner and drinks, but this vacation was really about the kids, so we made sure to focus on things that were fun for them... and not torture ourselves by keeping them out too late every night. There was also a pool-side Disney movie shown every night on a blow up screen. Sitting outside, in your bathing suit, watching a movie with your family is pretty cool.
Not everything was rainbows and sunshine though. Things that could have been better:
Distance to our Room
Our room was so far from the lobby/entrance. I timed it to be an 8 minute walk! That doesn't sound too bad until you throw in a tired toddler, wet flip-flops, a too-full stroller and a couple of margaritas... and do it four times a day (at least). Next time we'll surely ask for a room closer to the lobby.
The Kiddie Pool
For the entire time we were there, the kids water area was not working. There was not even a sign of anyone trying to fix it. We were bummed, because the pictures online looked pretty fricken awesome! As it turned out, the boys loved the regular pool and we couldn't keep them off the small water slide (even little Jaxy!). We did complain to the front desk, and we reimbursed for 1/2 night's stay.
The Food
Because our kids suck as eating
This could be a post in itself, but I give you the abridged version- We did have dinner one night at the African buffet, Boma. There was a wait, so by the time we got a table we were all starving and tired and the whole thing was a bit of a nightmare. The food was pretty amazing! Lots of protein options: grilled salmon, pork shoulder, and beef tenderloin... the best edamame salad I've ever had... and a curry seafood stew that I wish I could eat everyday! That being said, the price-tag was pretty outrageous. Adults were $38 each, and Harrison was $17. Dadd-O and I shoveled food in as fast as we could (we had to get our damn money's worth!) and Harrison ate cantaloupe. Only cantaloupe, for $17! Luckily, Jaxy was free and he got his fill of sweet potatoes, meatballs and macaroni and cheese. I would love the opportunity to go back under different circumstances and really enjoy all that Boma has to offer.
In spite of the few issues (which were mainly OUR issues, not Disney's) I highly recommend Kidani Village. We will surely return to the Animal Kingdom Lodge again, but probably stay at Jambo House where most of the restaurants and the larger pool are located.
