Kidani or Saratoga Springs?

[leebee]

We're taking a fast trip to Disney in January (either the 4th-6th or 5th-7th) to burn some DVC points. There is plenty of availability at Kidani (but savanna view is sold out) and Saratoga Springs. I booked Kidani because I LOVE AKL/Jambo, but have concerns. With everything closed at Jambo House (restaurants, pool, QS) except the DVC studios, will Kidani will be overrun at the pool, in the QS, at Sanaa? DH doesn't always tolerate teeming masses very well so this is a concern for me. OTOH, how bad can it really be? What would you choose, Kidani or SS, and why (and hey, OKW is available, too!).

 

[RoseGold]

Tough one. Reports seem to say Disney Springs can be very crowded and non-compliant, which is not my comfort level right now, so that might eliminate a big advantage for SSR/OKW.

AKL might be my pick, because you can always go over to Jambo pool. Jambo will be a ghost town, but Uzima pool is open. But, AKL has had transportation issues, so some Ubers might be in your future.

SSR is just SO big and so vacant lately, it might also be a good pick if you are trying to avoid people.

Poly might also be a good pick, because all the cash rooms are closed, but the pools are open and there's no pool hopping to it.

 

[JustABru]

We stayed at Kidani in August and felt it was very safe in terms of crowds and mask compliance, but limited in terms of food. The Mara and Boma both being closed definitely makes a big impact. If you're okay with snacks and Sanaa only, it's a great choice.

 

[Shellyred8]

I would vote for SSR for it's proximity to DS and the food options there. The afternoons at DS were pretty decent from a crowd perspective. The crowds definitely pick up in the evenings. I also like the openness of SSR and all of the walking paths. We haven't been to SSR since COVID, but I would suspect that the pools would be less busy than Kidani, just because of the fact that there are more of them.

Have a great trip!

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I also think SSR is a better choice just based on food options. In normal times when everything is open, at both Jambo and Kadini, I'd choose AKL. But I think having Disney Springs so close tips it for me to SSR.

edit: i looked and saw both OKW and CCV have studios those days. I'd probably pick either one of those if it was me. I think if there are other resorts you want more I'd definately waitlist. With all the cancellations you'd have a great chance with a wait-list with only a 2 day stay.

 

[cpep42]

If it was between AK and SS i would pick AK. Otherwise my choice would definitely be OKW because in my opinion it's the best.

 

[leebee]

Options are SSR, Kidani, OKW; number of points available is what is limiting the options. We've been to OKW and didn't love it; it felt like every off-site condo/vacation villa we've stayed at in FL. Apparently availability is pretty open for our time period at SSR and Kidani. HOWEVER... we are waitlisted for a value studio at AKL for THREE nights. Fingers crossed. I know Jambo is somewhat of a ghost town these days but AKL is my favorite!! If that doesn't come through we'll do one night at POP and then go over to the DVC property.

 

[clayfolks]

To me, SSR feels more like an off-site condo than OKW. I’m a huge fan of Kidani. I’ve never felt like it was overcrowded. We were there in August for a few nights and will be back the first week in December. Sana’a has a great QS breakfast that is cooked to order. There is a shuttle that runs full time between Kidani and Jambo house. Both pools are open.

 

[nkereina]

Tough call. Kidani is the most appealing to me aesthetically, but from what I've read, it seems services and amenities are pretty limited right now. IMO, I don't think the pool would necessarily be overrun because the most amount of people staying there is relegated to however many Kidani holds, and I don't think early January will be a sell out. We just returned from CBR and were pleasantly surprised with low to moderate crowd levels at the feature pool. It was noticeably busier around 4pm and later as people returned from the parks, but not uncomfortably so and we always managed to find chairs.

All of that said, we visited Disney Springs 3 times on our 6 day trip, more than we ever usually do on a typical trip. This was because we couldn't park hop and with parks closing early, there was simply nothing else to do in the evenings. Its just DH and I, no kids. The walkways at Disney Springs feel more crowded in the evenings, but stores and restaurants still seem to be adhering to capacity requirements. Being able to walk there from SSR would be a big advantage both as an easy option for something to do in the evenings as well as dining options. Twice I found last minute same day TS availability there at a good time, with good options to choose from.

If you plan to have ample resort time, OKW might be the best choice for that. Its probably the most relaxing and I would expect it to be a toss up between SSR and OKW as to which resort would be the most quiet in the current environment. You'd also still have the benefit of a quick boat ride to Disney Springs (I assume its currently operating).

 

[Dug720]

Early January (at least the time around what was to be Marathon Weekend) could be a bit busier at Kidani as it was not available during that time with the discounted rates. It would still be limited in numbers to Kidani's capacity, but it might be a bit fuller than the other DVC resorts.