Disney Vacation Club at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

[Figment!]

4/2/07

Disney has released the following details through recent promotional material:

• All 5th and 6th Story Lodge Rooms will be converted to Disney Vacation Club Units
  • Conversion of the 407 - 437 section of the Zebra Trail is scheduled for completion in July 2007
  • Conversion of the 456 - 596 section of the Zebra Trail is scheduled for completion in September 2007
  • Conversion of the Kudu Trail is scheduled for completion in December 2007
  • Conversion of the Ostrich Trail, Giraffe Trail and Lobby Sections are scheduled for completion in May 2008
• Concierge Rooms on the 4th floor will retain access to the concierge lounges on the 6th floor after the conversion, additionally some of the new villas will have access.
• Post completion, the existing Lodge will become known as "Jambo House" and the new section being built will be known as "Kidani Village" (at least in reference to the Vacation Club Units)
• The converted units will consist of 1 Bedroom and 2 Bedroom Villas. The units will be further categorized as "Concierge Villas" and "Value Villas". The former having access to the 5th floor concierge lounge and the latter being smaller in square footage than comparable units.
• The new units will consist of Studios, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom Villas and 3 Bedroom Grand Villas.
  
  • Studios Units:
    • Feature one queen bed, one full-sized sleeper sofa, flat panel TV, DVD player, and a kitchenette.
    • Are 366 sq ft in size
    • Sleeps 4 guests
  • 1 Bedroom Villa Units:
    
    • Feature a master bedroom with a King-sized bed and whirlpool tub, a living room with a queen-size sleeper sofa and pull-out sleeper chair, flat panel TV, DVD player, full kitchen, and washer/dryer.
    • Are 807 sq ft in size
    • Sleeps 5 guests
  • 2 Bedroom Villa Units:
    
    • Feature a master bedroom with a King-sized bed and whirlpool tub, a bedroom withone queen bed & full-size sleeper sofa or two queen-size beds and private bathroom, a living room with a queen-size sleeper sofa and pull-out sleeper chair, flat panel TV, DVD player, full kitchen, and washer/dryer.
    • Are 1173 sq ft in size
    • Sleeps 9 guests
  • 3 Bedroom Grand Villa Units:
    
    • Feature a master bedroom with a King-sized bed and whirlpool tub, a living room with a queen-size sleeper sofa flat panel TV, DVD player, dinning room, full kitchen, washer/dryer, and 2 two second floor bedrooms each featuring 2 queen-sized beds and a private bathroom.
    • Are 2201 sq ft in size
    • Sleeps 12 guests
• The Kidani Village will add new amenities to the resort such as, a second "feature" pool, an interactive water play area, a third full-service restaurant, a fourth savannah and new animals.
• Membership Pricing starts at $16,640.00 plus annual dues.

3/13/07

The Animal Kingdom Lodge will conduct a major construction project March 5, 2007 through April 30, 2009. The project entails the addition of the new Animal Kingdom Villa buildings in the vicinity of the Lodge, Guests may see and/or hear signs of construction. All construction is scheduled for daytime hours only; such that, Guests will not encounter any disruptions during normal sleeping hours.

1/25/07

Disney has released the following regarding the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas as part of their current press event:

Disney Vacation Club Members to Find African Adventure in New Time-share Resort
Members Will Own a Piece of the Magic Near Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- Disney Vacation Club is developing a new time-share resort on Walt Disney World property to meet ongoing strong demand for its unique vacation-ownership program.

The Disney Vacation Club accommodations will feature intricate African-inspired details and home-like amenities, and most will offer sweeping views of an expanded savanna inhabited by a variety of African animals. Members who call this resort "home" will live their very own true-life adventure in a setting inspired by the intrepid explorers and historic expeditions of 19th century Africa.

Walt Disney Imagineers are designing the new village of Vacation Homes to feel curiously at home in the natural world. The architectural style will evoke the look of a thatched-roof, hewn-timber structure that will appear to emerge organically from the land beneath it, drifting in and out of view from lush landscapes like a giraffe hiding in the tall grasses of the savanna. Add authentic artwork, imaginative architectural details and Disney's world-class brand of storytelling, and the result will be an immersive village unlike any other.

These new accommodations are scheduled for development in phases with an anticipated opening beginning fall 2007, with completion scheduled for spring 2009. The project's first phase will include 134 remodeled accommodations on the fifth and sixth floors of the existing Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge building, and subsequent phases will include the construction of 324 Vacation Homes in a new building on the resort property, for a total of 458 Vacation Homes.

The highly anticipated project also calls for construction of a new table-service restaurant, themed pool and water-play area, fitness center, merchandise shop, sports-and-recreation facilities and more.

Concept Art:

Lobby

Approach

Savanna

1/22/07

The following is an excerpt from the Executive Summary of a water permit filled for Disney Vacation Club at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. In addition to the description of the new water infrastructure, the summary also outlines the new resort.

The following work has been previously announced as in-addation-to the conversion of exsiting 5th and 6th floor units.

Proposed Conditions

The proposed Resort site is broken down into the following areas:

Resort Building- There are 18 5-story beads and a check-in building that are all connected in the form of a chain.

Savannah- The main attraction for the guests at the resort is the view of the free roaming animals in the Savannah. A majority of this area will be left in its natural state. There will be several soil cement paved roads to allow for fire access and off-road vehicles to serve the needs of the animals.

Pool Amenity Area- This 1.5-acre area-consists of two buildings, swimming pools and lounging areas.

Tennis Court and BBQ Amenity Area- is just south of the existing Pond 302 a.

Cast Parking and Osceola Parkway Re-alignment- Osceola Parkway is being shifted out to accommodate extra parking spaces that the new resort is eliminating from the Cast parking Lot.

Guest Parking- There are 472 proposed parking spaces. The first floor of each of the guest buildings will be reserved for parking.

Below is a schematic from the water permit showing the foot print of the new buildings in relation to the existing lodge foot print. The schematic has been colorized and labeled for clarity.

[lockedoutlogic]

great info...thanks alot......can't wait until points go on sale...any idea when that will be?

[vizsla]

Thanks for the update.

[pdrlkr]

Thanks Jason!

[WED1901]

Thanks for the update! We are wating to purchase there instead of the other location. It's killing me!

[Figment!]

can't wait until points go on sale...any idea when that will be?

It doesn't appear they have released a sale date, although the first phase (5th & 6th floor Lodge units) is scheduled to open Fall 2007.

[Surfer Stitch]

I've been waiting for a very long time for this to happen. Thanks for the update.

[Figment!]

**Update**

[Figment!]

**Concept Art Added**

[Captain Ed Teach]

I am waiting for DVC resort at the Contemporary. I know it has been a rumor for a while -- I spoke with a cast member in December, he said 2010.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Someone want to handf me $20,000 so I can join DVC via Animal Kingdom Lodge? LOL....

[dlpmikki]

If some are due to open Fall 2007 do you think that means they may be available 1st October to stay in? Not sure exactly when fall 'falls'!

[Figment!]

**Update**

[Maleficent's Dad]

Super! Thanks for the update, Figment!