Construction work at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas has forced officials to temporarily remove animals from the resort's Sunset Savanna. Disney Vacation Club has issued a statement detailing how the situation will impact members.
As the development of Kidani Village continues at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, crews are completing the new savanna and acclimating the animals to their new habitat. To accommodate this important, exciting process, the Resort will not be placing animals on the Sunset Savanna until April 15, 2009. Members and Guests who reserve a Sunset Savanna View room before that date will be advised of this process, and confirmations for those bookings will include a notation to that effect. Approximately 30 days prior to Member arrival, the Resort will determine, based on occupancy and booking date order, which Members will be assigned to a Sunset Savanna View room. Member Services will notify affected Members, who will receive a Vacation Point credit after their stay reflecting the difference between a Sunset Savanna View and Standard View. Please note that animals on the other savannas will still be visible from multiple public locations at the Resort.
UPDATE: The above information is taken from a news release posted on DVCMember.com. We have since received several unconfirmed reports that DVC Member Services is telling callers that the savanna closure will actually be limited to dates in January to April of 2009.
With the modifications being made according to booking date, those who are among the last to book a Savanna View room for any given date will be placed overlooking the vacant Sunset Savanna and given a credit to reflect the downgraded view.
Note that all Concierge level rooms on the sixth floor have a view of either the resort's pool complex or the Sunset Savanna. This news means that Concierge guests will be unable to obtain any sort of savanna view until April 2009.
