February 18, 2009 Kidani Village Update
The following was obtained from the Disney Vacation Club as PRE-Opening information, subject to change!
Kidani Village is scheduled to offer an array of recreational activities and facilities, including Samawati Springs, the resort’s feature pool and two spas, and Uwanja Camp, a uniquely themed wet activity playground. In addition, the resort is planned to offer basketball and tennis courts, shuffleboard, arcade, outdoor pavilion, community hall, and fitness center.
Resort buses will be able to transport guests between both buildings. At Kidani Village, guests will be able to board any theme park bus, as the next destination will be Jambo House. At Jambo House, guests will be able to board any Downtown Disney bus, as its next destination will be Kidani Village.
Alternatively, there will be a sidewalk that connect the two buildings for people interested in walking. However, please note that from porte cochere to porte cochere the distance is half a mile so this is not a leisurely stroll between buildings.
Sanaa -The restaurant is planning to serve familiar foods from tandoor ovens and slow-cooked specialties with the flavorful spices of Africa. Menu items are tentatively scheduled to include tandoori selections, curry entrees, salad sampler platters, paneer cheese with spinach, and Indian style breads. The inspiration for the creative menu is the many cultures and cuisines along the historical spice route—Africa, India, China and Europe.
Tandoori is a marinated meat cooked over an intense fire in a tandoor. A tandoor is a clay oven in which a hot fire is built. Marinated meats are lowered into the oven on long metal skewers and cooked in this smoky and extremely hot environment.
It is anticipated that Sanaa's menu prices will range from $4.49 to $21.99, though these prices are subject to change as the menus is finalized. *All prices are subject to change without notice:
Lunch*: Appetizer $ 5.49 - 11.99; Entrees $ 11.49 - 20.99; Dessert $ 4.49 - 5.49
Guests 3-9 $ 7.59
Dinner*: Appetizer $ 5.49 - 11.99; Entrees $ 16.99 - 21.99; Dessert $ 4.49 - 5.49
Guests 3-9 $ 7.59
Guests planning on dining at Sanaa are encouraged to make advance dining reservations as same-day availability may be limited.
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Okapi settling into Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas
As development work continues on Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, Disney's Animal Care team has reached a key milestone, welcoming okapi to the resort's animal population. The new animals are becoming acclimated to their new surroundings and will be visible to Members and Guests when the new Pembe Savanna opens as part of the second phase of Kidani Village (currently scheduled for September 2009).
Native to the rain forests of the northern Congo, these herbivores are members of the giraffe family and grow as tall as five-and-a-half feet at the shoulder. While okapi have been Guest favorites at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, this marks the first time the species will call Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge "home."
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Kidani Village to Open May 1, 2009
Photo by Disney
Members for whom Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas is "home" resort, may call Member Services beginning on August 10, 2008, to make vacation reservations for stays beginning on May 1, 2009, at the resort's Kidani Village accommodations (pictured above under construction).
Reservations become available to all Members within the 7-month booking window.
Membership at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas includes accommodations both at Jambo House (the existing resort building) and Kidani Village.
Kidani Village will feature dedicated Disney Vacation Club accommodations, a new pool and water-recreation area, a new African spice routes-inspired restaurant called Sanaa (Swahili for artwork) and other amenities.
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May 1, 2008:
"As the development of Kidani Village continues at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, crews are preparing to complete the new savanna and acclimate the animals to their new habitat. To accommodate this important process, animals are not scheduled to be on Sunset Savanna from Jan. 15-April 15, 2009.
Members and Guests who reserve a savanna-view room during this time will be advised of this process, and confirmations for those bookings will include a notation to that affect. Approximately 30 days prior to arrival, the resort will determine, based on occupancy and booking date order, which Members will be assigned to a Sunset Savanna view room. Member Services will notify affected Members, who, after their stay, will receive a Vacation Point credit reflecting the difference between a savanna view and standard view. As a reminder, animals on the other savannas can be viewed from multiple public locations at the resort."
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INTRODUCTION
The villas at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge will open in two major (and several minor) stages. To provide quicker access to Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villa accomodations, a number of existing rooms in the Animal Kingdom Lodge were closed and have been extensively renovated. (Detailed information below under Jambo House Villas)
The original Animal Kingdom Lodge building is now called the Jambo House. Construction in the Jambo House was completed February 2008.
A brand new Disney Vacation Club area is under construction and will be called the Kidani Village. This complex will be anchored by a building consisting of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and grand villas; a barbecue pavilion, basketball and shuffleboard courts, community hall, gift shop, fitness center, arcade, pool, tennis courts and special kids' play area, Uwanja Camp. Two new eateries are scheduled to be constructed too -- the full-service Sanaa (serving breakfast and dinner) and the pool bar, Maji.
The Disney Vacation Club Kidani Village will share an expanded Sunset Savanna with the Jambo House and will also have its own Savanna. It is hoped that a couple new animal/bird species will be on the new savanna. Much of this depends how things are worked out with the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums).
JAMBO HOUSE VILLAS
The first Disney Vacation Club rooms opened on July 1, 2007:
The Jambo House has two types of villas Value and Regular. The value villas are smaller.
Villa Type Jambo House Value Jambo House Regular
Studio 316 sq.ft. 365 sq.ft.
One-BR 629 sq.ft. 710 sq.ft.
Two-BR 945 sq.ft. 1075 sq.ft.
Grand Villa N/A 2349 sq.ft.
The Jambo House room categories are: Value, Standard, Savanna and Concierge.
The value rooms are being converted from the former "standard rooms" of the AKL (think floors 1-4). There are also some value two-bedroom villas. About half of the value rooms have a savanna view.
The "regular" studios are being built in rooms that are part of the "deluxe" category for the lodge, hence the larger size (think floors 5-6). Standard villa views may be of the pool, garden or parking lot.
There is a sleeper chair (which folds out to a twin bed) in most of the Jambo House one-bedroom units.
Approximately 80 percent of all rooms will have a Savanna View.
Concierge rooms will have access to full Kilimanjaro Club concierge services and amenities. There are 5 two-bedroom lock offs with savanna and standards views. This is the first time a Disney Vacation Club property has offered concierge service.
Total Vacation Homes Jambo House Kidani Village Total
Dedicated Studio 46 0 46
Two-Bedroom Lock off 82 168 250
Dedicated Two Bedroom 0 140 140
Grand Villa 6 16 22
Studio Accommodations:
Sleeps 4, queen-size bed and full-size sofa bed. Flat panel TV and DVD. Wet bar, small refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker, private balcony.
One-Bedroom Villas:
Value one-bedrooms sleep 4, other categories sleep 5. There is no sleeper chair in the Value category. The Master Bedroom has a king size bed, master bathroom with whirlpool tub. There is a queen-size sofa bed in living room. Flat panel TV and DVD player in living room, flat panel TV in master bedroom. Full kitchen facilities. Laundry area with stackable washer and dryer. Private balcony. Non-value one-bedroom villa is 710 sq.ft.
Two-bedroom Villas:
Five of these rooms are in the value category (945 sq.ft.). Each two-bedroom villa sleeps up to nine. Master bedroom suite with king-size bed. Flat panel TV and DVD player in living room, flat panel TV in master bedroom. Full kitchen facilities. Laundry area with stackable washer and dryer. Private balcony. Non-value two-bedroom villas are 1,075 sq. ft.
Grand Villas - one-story - all have Savanna view. Sleep up to 12.
KIDANI VILLAGE
In addition to the differences stated above:
There are no Value or Concierge villas in the Kidani Village.
One-bedroom and two-bedrrom villas will have an additional bathroom off the living room.
The Grand Villas will be TWO levels. There will be 16 Grand Villas.
Kidani Village villas are larger than those in the Jambo House except for the Grand Villas. Estimated size of Kidani villas: Studios 366 sq.ft.; One-bedroom 807 sq.ft.; Two-bedroom 1,173 sq.ft.;Grand Villas 2,201 sq.ft.
New proposed amenities include:
Sanaa - 120 seat table service restarant with a 24 seat lounge. Breakfast and dinner will be offered. Sanaa means "work of art".
Maji Pool Bar - may also include lunch items. Maji means "water".
Samawati Springs Pool - 4,700 sq. ft. with slide and two whirlpool spas
Uwanja Camp - 4,200 sq. ft. interactive water play area for children to teens.
Barbecue Pavillion
Basketball and Shuffleboard Courts
Community Hall
Johari Treasures
Survival of the Fittest Fitness Center
Safari So Good Arcade
Tennis Court
Other notes about the Kidani Village:
A separate bus stop and parking area is currently in the plans.
It is highly UNLIKELY there will be a trail to the Animal Kingdom from anywhere at the Animal Kingdom Lodge/Villas resort.
While a Nature Trail in the Kidani Village is on the "wish list" there are no plans for one at this time.
ANIMALS AND SAVANNAHS
The Disney Vacation Club Kidani Village will share an expanded Sunset Savanna with the Jambo House and will also have its own Savanna. It is hoped that a couple new animal/bird species will be on the new savanna. Much of this depends how things are worked out with the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums).