Disney Vacation Club Scheduled to Open Kidani Village, Second Phase of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – In spring 2009, Disney Vacation Club is planning to open the first phase of Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas to meet ongoing strong demand for its unique vacation-ownership program.

“We continue to see strong demand from families who want to build a lifetime of unforgettable memories by vacationing in ways they never dreamed possible,” said Jim Lewis, president of Disney Vacation Club. “Disney Vacation Club is entering a new era with Kidani Village, as it’s the first of four new properties opening in 2009.”

Vacation villas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas feature intricate African-inspired details and home-like amenities, and most offer sweeping views of an expanded savannah inhabited by a variety of African animals. Guests at this resort hotel 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 designed the new village of vacation villas to feel curiously at home in the natural world. The architectural style evokes the look of a thatched-roof, hewn-timber structure that appears 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 savannah. Add authentic artwork, imaginative architectural details and Disney’s world-class brand of storytelling, and the result is an immersive village unlike any other.

Jambo House, which includes 109 remodeled two-bedroom-equivalent accommodations on the fifth and sixth floors of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, opened in July 2007 and is considered phase one of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. The first rooms of Kidani Village are scheduled to open May 1, 2009, with the remaining rooms planned for a fall 2009 opening. Upon its completion, Kidani Village is planned to include 340 two-bedroom-equivalent vacation villas, for a total of 449 two-bedroom-equivalent accommodations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas.

The opening of Kidani Village will also include new additions to the resort, such as Sanaa, a table-service restaurant celebrating African-inspired cuisine with an Indian touch; Samawati Springs, a themed pool area; Uwanja Camp, a themed water-play area; Survival of the Fittest, a fitness center; Johari Treasures, a merchandise shop, and much more.

Disney Vacation Club is an innovative time-share program that lets families enjoy flexibility and savings on future vacations at Disney destinations and more than 500 other popular vacation sites around the world. Since 2004, Disney Vacation Club membership has doubled to include more than 400,000 individuals from approximately 100 countries and every U.S. state.

Can't wait for Kidani to open so I can see some proper photos :excited:

There are times when I wish we could afford to do this! WAAAAAH