Disney’s Announces Animal Kingdom Villas, Bravo!
By Dave
The one rumor that never seems to die is the “What DVC Resort is next?” rumor. We had all kinds of possibilities floating around, but it seems to me that the DVC folks have hit the target. The new property will be Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas.
It is hard to argue with this one. Almost every other rumor that floated around the internet had flaws. The Eagle Pines, which really wasn’t a rumor, didn’t have the “wow” factor that myself and other DVC members would like. It seemed much like Old Key West or Saratoga Springs, but with a golf course. If you aren’t a golfer, it wasn’t anymore exciting then anything currently available.
The STOL rumor, made popular by Lou Mongello from disneyworldtrivia.com and the Mousetunes podcast, was the most exciting to me. It was a new mega resort to be built on the grounds of the old STOL port (short take-off and landing for those who aren’t yet addicts) and was to be connected via the Epcot monorail line. Imagine, a DVC Resort that was on a monorail that went to Epcot and the TTC! This one seemed just too good to be true. If Lou got this one out of thin air, the DVC folks should listen. It is an amazing idea.
The Contemporary Resort rumor, which may yet pop up, had the Disney purists in a tizzy over such unknowns as sight lines, monorail crowding, and the old “messin with something Walt liked” complaint. There were plans and pictures that were passed around and most thought this was the next to be built. This rumor still has legs, so don’t be putting this one away. We all know a DVC resort on the monorail line will sell extremely well, even if the purists complain that Walt wouldn’t like it…how they know that is never really explained!?!?
Then on October 11 the DVC made the announcement. The new property will be the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. Here are some highlights from the press release…
The Disney Vacation Club accommodations will feature intricate African-inspired details and home-like amenities, and most will offer sweeping views of an expanded savannah inhabited by a variety of African animals. These new accommodations are scheduled for development in phases with an anticipated opening beginning Fall 2007 and a completion date planned 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 Disney Vacation Club homes.
How can this be anything but exciting? The Animal Kingdom Lodge is often thought of as the greatest and most creative resort Disney has ever built. It is raved about all over the travel industry. Also, it does not have the “sentimental” value that can get the purists upset if it is changed. My only complaint is that 458 rooms is entirely too little. This is going to be a tough one to get into without purchasing an add-on…uh-oh!
How can this be anything but exciting? The Animal Kingdom Lodge is often thought of as the greatest and most creative resort Disney has ever built. It is raved about all over the travel industry. Also, it does not have the “sentimental” value that can get the purists upset if it is changed. My only complaint is that 458 rooms is entirely too little. This is going to be a tough one to get into without purchasing an add-on…uh-oh!
MJMcBride said,
October 24, 2006 @ 9:15 pm
These things are like printing money. They build them and come people come. It seems like each DVC is cooler than the next. So, the next one will have to be on the monorail, right? Then they’ll build one actually inside of MGM studios.
Dave said,
October 25, 2006 @ 8:28 am
Actually, they are like printing money for 50 years. It wouldn’t shock me at all if DVC kept latching onto the popular Delux Resorts. It just makes sense. It locks revenue into the resort for years, pays for itself with the buy-in fees, and creates more rooms for the general public.
MJMcBride said,
October 26, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
And they do seem to keep “uping the ante” with these things.