Samawati Springs Pool:AKV Kidani Village???

[kamgen]

tkjraz,
I agree with you when you refer to not much for the teen crowd. Disney and DCL need to do a better job at that. But I don't see how anyone should be 'disappointed' with the pool area. Seems that people who are complaining and comparing everything to SAB and only focusing on the negatives are getting a little picky. There are worse things in this world than the pools at DVC resorts. God forbid we don't all get a lazy river and deep water. JMHO.

 

[pilferk]

Pilferk:

I think you might be looking at those images incorrectly.

The layout above appears to be just the kids play area. I think that pool to the far right is just a shallow wading pool. If you look at the image I doctored below, the blue oval highlights that wading pool thru the trees. I also put red circles around some of the round structures more in the middle and to the left of your image above.

The main pool appears to be off the bottom of your image. It's the white area where the words "proposed construction" appear.

Maybe. Actually, on further review, I think you're right.

I think it's the the orientation is a bit "wonky" when looking at the plans vs the artists rendering..,..at least to me.

If you look at the picture you "doctored"... it sure looks that's the main pool being depicted. Those are "swimmers", IMHO, and not "waders".

Here's some pics that shows a zoomed in version of the "plan" of that part of the resort.

You can see why there's some confusion in the interpretation...and why I wasn't sure in my initial post. To me, the orientation just seems "off", slightly.

I don't want to come across as stirring the pot but I do think some people are going to be a little disappointed with the pool once they see it first hand. I previously took some of the construction blueprints from both SSR and AKV. Taking scale into consideration, the Kidani pool is about 20% smaller than SSR. Now that is just the pool itself, not taking into account the play area.

Just looking at the artist rendering, they've drawn about 25 people in the pool, and you're nearing the limit where folks would be comfortable. Imagine this pool rendering with 2-3 times as many bodies.

This will be a nice complex for those with small kids, but many adults are going to be frustrated, IMO. Not only is this pool area geared toward kids to the extreme, but there is no "quiet pool" either.

Personally I'm still looking forward to trying it out in a couple of years, but once the resort is open I think that will be a popular complaint among members who were hoping for something a little more adult oriented.

We'll see.

Capacity wise, I'm not sure the artists depiction is "to scale", so I'm not sure I'd put much stock in the number of figures he's drawn.

But you're right, comparing with SSR's main pool...it IS smaller.

That being said, there seems to be a whole lot less units to satisfy, right? I'd have to break out the math, but you figure MOST of the units in Jambo will probably use the Jambo pool.

So you've got about 300 units needing to be serviced by the pool? Something like that...

What's SSR's total unit and total pool count? I don't know off the top of my head.

It might be an issue....we'll have to wait and see, I guess.

 

[jerseygal]

Will there be a water slide in the Samawati Springs Pool?

Thx.......

 

[tjkraz]

But you're right, comparing with SSR's main pool...it IS smaller.

That being said, there seems to be a whole lot less units to satisfy, right? I'd have to break out the math, but you figure MOST of the units in Jambo will probably use the Jambo pool.

So you've got about 300 units needing to be serviced by the pool? Something like that...

What's SSR's total unit and total pool count? I don't know off the top of my head.

It might be an issue....we'll have to wait and see, I guess.

SSR has about 800 units, but it also has three "quiet pools." And two of those pools have their own unique appeal--one sits on the water's edge overlooking Downtown Disney while the other has kids play area with water guns, nearby snack bar, etc.

Based upon my observations, the SSR, OKW and BWV pools are all about the same size. Kidani's looks to be smaller, but I agree it's difficult to predict how that will play-out in real life.

Overall, I think the play area at Kidani looks great on paper. But I wish Disney had struck a better balance between the water play area and the pool itself. The play area takes up a lot of real estate--apparently at the expense of the pool.

It's going to be a great complex for young children, but with no quiet pool at the resort there won't be any sort of refuge for adult DVC members.

 

[pilferk]

Will there be a water slide in the Samawati Springs Pool?

Thx.......

I believe so, yes.

 

[pilferk]

SSR has about 800 units, but it also has three "quiet pools." And two of those pools have their own unique appeal--one sits on the water's edge overlooking Downtown Disney while the other has kids play area with water guns, nearby snack bar, etc.

Based upon my observations, the SSR, OKW and BWV pools are all about the same size. Kidani's looks to be smaller, but I agree it's difficult to predict how that will play-out in real life.

Overall, I think the play area at Kidani looks great on paper. But I wish Disney had struck a better balance between the water play area and the pool itself. The play area takes up a lot of real estate--apparently at the expense of the pool.

It's going to be a great complex for young children, but with no quiet pool at the resort there won't be any sort of refuge for adult DVC members.

So, per "unit", SSR breaks down to about 200 units "per pool" (and yes, I know all pools aren't created equal )

With Kidani, we're looking at around 300 units "per pool", with a slightly smaller pool. BUT, there's also the play area which you would think should offload SOME pool capacity....as in, the kids normally in the pool will be over in the play area and wading pool.

I definitely think it bears watching....we're in roughly the same demo as you, but our kids are younger, so I suspect they'll spend more time in the play complex than the pool, itself, for a little longer than yours will. From seeing them at the local water park, I think that's a safe assumption for us. But I can see, as they grow, that there may be an issue.

I wonder if there are any future contingency plans to possibly add a quiet pool. They're adding some recreational facilities (basketball and tennis courts...stuff like that..it looks like, more toward the half of Kidani closer to Jambo. Wonder if there is enough land down there to, at some point, add a quiet pool if they need to? I know it's not been done before, but I wonder if it's possible.... I know construction costs would be higher than just doing it NOW, rolled in. But maybe they think they can get away with it and push those costs out.

It's not part of the Public offering, in any event...which probably means the membership would have to bear the brunt of the cost to add it. Hmmm.....

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

I'm not really concerned about the size of the pool at Kidani. It will be fine, I hope. Although, I think at first it will be crowded as people from Jambo come to check out the new facilities. Does anyone know if there are going to be pool view rooms as a booking categoryat Kidani or is there just going to be standard view and savanna view rooms?

 

[LisaS]

I'm not really concerned about the size of the pool at Kidani. It will be fine, I hope. Although, I think at first it will be crowded as people from Jambo come to check out the new facilities. Does anyone know if there are going to be pool view rooms as a booking categoryat Kidani or is there just going to be standard view and savanna view rooms?

There are two defined views at AKV: savanna view (just what it says) and standard view (pool, garden or parking lot). Rooms in the "Standard View" booking category have a standard view. In Jambo House it just happens to be the case that all of the Standard View rooms have a pool view. In Kidani, the Standard View rooms face the pool, landscaped areas or parking lot/road.

Jambo's Concierge rooms have either a savanna view (Sunset Savanna) or standard view (fortunately pool only in this case). Jambo's Value rooms have either a savanna view (Sunset Savanna) or standard view (pool, trees or parking lot).

 

[LisaS]

Thanks for posting these. I've been wondering how guests will get to the pool area since it involves crossing a parking area. It looks there there will be a walkway (can't tell if it is at ground level or from the second floor) over to the pool area. Those two parking areas on either side of the walkway seem to be accessible only from the under-building parking area. I wonder if those parking spots are for people with first floor rooms in that building segment. If so, then it provides a pretty good idea where the Standard View rooms are located. The buildings that have no parking out front would be savanna view (Pembe Savanna).

Also one of your other captures shows what appears to be a walkway and viewing area accessible from the lower level of the main lobby.

ETA: It looks like the rooms facing the Pembe Savanna are in quite a nice location. I am excited to stay there because of the okapi and hornbills on that savanna. It will also be close to the pool area. It's a long walk over to Jambo and back but I always feel like a need a long walk after eating at Boma.

 

[WoodysRoundup]

Does anyone know for sure if the Kidani pool area will be open by May '09??

Here's HOPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[WoodysRoundup]

Does anyone know for sure if the Kidani pool area will be open by May '09??

Here's HOPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone??

 

[tjkraz]

The pool area and all other standard amenities (front desk, restaurant, gift shop, etc.) should be open by the time the resort begins accepting guests.

 

[WoodysRoundup]

Thanks Tim! Do you think the "should be" open part should make us nervous? I will be booking there for next May.

 

[tjkraz]

Thanks Tim! Do you think the "should be" open part should make us nervous? I will be booking there for next May.

No, I wouldn't be worried. Guests expect to have access to a pool and Disney wouldn't open a resort with such a significant amenity incomplete.

If anything there may be minor features which are not quite ready to be utilized. The best example I can think of is last Summer when the final rooms and pool opened at SSR. There is a snack bar at the pool which was not immediately open. Of course, that appears to be more of a seasonal location anyway, which may have been part of the reason.

Anyway, all of the major features of Kidani should be open from Day One.