Animal Kingdom Villas information begins to emerge

While we're hearing of guests unhappy with construction sounds near their rooms, work on the conversion of the first phase of the Animal Kingdom Villas continues apace. Meanwhile, more information is becoming available about the new features to be added as part of the new Animal Kingdom Villas, the DVC conversion and expansion of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The existing Lodge building will be called Jambo House, while the new annex will be called Kidani Village.

New dining at Kidani Village includes Sanaa (meaning "work of art"), which will serve breakfast and dinner in a large dining room. A 24-seat adjacent lounge will give you a place to sit and wait for your table. The Maji (meaning "water") pool bar will give you a place to grab a cool beverage near the Samawati Springs pool.

The Samawati Springs feature pool will feature zero-entry access, as well as a 128-foot-long water slide. Two whirlpool spas will round out the wet entertainment. Nearby, the Survival of the Fittest Fitness Center provides a chance to work out while you're on vacation.

The Uwanja (meaning "play area") Camp provides just that – a three-zone play area with elevated rope bridges, geyser jets, a waterfal lagoon and camp cabanan. The three zones include the base camp, the departure zone and the observation station, each themed to its own character and has activities for age-specific groups.

Other Kidani Village features include the Safari So Good Arcade, the Johari Treasures gift shop, DVC Community Hall, tennis, basketball and shuffleboard courts, and a barbeque pavilion. Kidani Village is currently scheduled to open in early 2009.