Will the Animal Kingdom Villas be the jewel in the DVC crown?
by Dave
As if current Disney Vacation Club members weren’t excited enough about the opening of the new Animal Kingdom Villas, the spring 2007 edition of Vacation Magic, the members-only newsletter, has a terrific story about the new property. As details roll in and the place gets closer to opening, it truly seems to get better and better.
The design appears to be architecturally fascinating. Take a look at this excerpt from the article…
Imagineers describe the new village as, “a man-made structure that seems curiously at home in the natural world.” This blending of the human and animal worlds will be evident in the village’s overall layout, which, for some explorers, will evoke images of an African necklace, with Vacation Homes serving as “beads,” hallway connectors on the upper floors as “knots” and the intimately designed lobby as the central “jewel.” Others may equate the organically curved layout to the shape of a Cape Buffalo’s horns, and the Port Cochere to a butterfly with thatched wings.
I am a sucker for great architecture, and this has all the makings of Disney breaking new ground once again with a resort. The current Animal Kingdom Lodge is a beautiful structure, but this is both different and potentially complimentary. For all the flack Disney has received in recent years over budget restrictions, they certainly have spared no expense in this plan.
Also offered in the article are some details about the pool area…
That exterior construction involves more than just erecting alls and thatching roofs, as crews will develop a variety of outdoor-recreation areas including a 4,200-square-fott water-play “camp” that’ll be central to the villages storyline.
“kids will discover an old animal-observation camoe divided into three distinct areas for various age groups,” explained Imagineer Tim Warzecha. “Water jets will flow through everything from an iconic water tower to sculpted snakes and Venus flytraps, and kids will trigger the action by aiming hoses, stepping in pressure-sensitive pads and more. We think this is going to be one of the most popular places in the village.”
Like I said before, my fellow members are already over the moon about this resort, but these details just keep raising the bar as they trickle out. This is going to be a tough ticket, that’s for sure. At least until the Contemporary is opened.