Bay Lake Towers~almost ready

The excitement is mounting as BLT opening day 8/1/09 nears.

This new Disney Vacation Club resort has really changed the skyline around the Magic Kingdom. When you stand gazing over at BLT, it is amazing on many levels. First, it is an architectural gem because of its shape and vistas from nearly every room. Second, it nearly dwarfs the Contemporary in some ways, but not really. Staring at them together, they actually complement each other very well. Third, what a superb use of space. You Disney people really nailed this one. BLT looks like a condo complex and I imagine quite a few people wish it was. Fourth, another resort on the monorail loop and walking distance to the Magic Kingdom. It doesn’t get any better than this for the true Disney fan.

View from Bay Lake

Fifth, the room layouts have been changed compared to other DVC resorts with a more functional galley-style kitchenette in the studios. The one bedroom has a hall bath and a master bath which is a great improvement when you have another couple or children staying with you. Also in the one bedroom, you have access to the balcony from both the living area and the master bedroom, a definite plus with such a great view.

Bay Lake Towers will be making Disney World even more magical very soon. Whenever you can, take some time to resort hop and really look at the theming of each property. This is what makes Disney so special. It’s a bit about the theme parks, but mostly it’s about the wonderful atmosphere and relaxation that awaits each Disney guest, if they will slow down long enough to look. Will have more pictures when BLT opens in August.

More Kidani Pix

Thought you would enjoy a few more pictures!

Kidani Lobby-Looking Up

While the lobby is intimate, Disney went all out in the details. The lobby is rich with color and texture. You want to sit down and take it all in.

Firepit on the Savannah

The firepit area seems wider and more inviting at Kidani. You are very close to the animals with no obstructions to your view. You could easily imagine yourself in Africa. Each area makes you want to immerse yourself in the culture and feel of it all. You just want to absorb it and not let go for awhile.

Zebra Sighting

There are a lot more animals at Kidani. Next time you are visiting DW, go out to Kidani and take a look. Just follow Osceola Parkway almost to the end, going left at the Y, and then straight through the stoplight. Enjoy!

Kidani is Open for Business

Ground Floor on the Savannah

As you would figure, there are some definite positives and negatives on this new DVC resort addition.  Overall, it gets a thumbs up!

Kidani Village is intimate and beautifully built and decorated. Animal views are incredible and the outside viewing area near the lobby is top-notch. You can also see the animals on their level from the inside, bottom floor near the restrooms where there are benches to sit and relax.  The different areas to relax are superb, the areas for families don’t get any better, and it has both a Community Hall and a Library.

On the downside, you have to walk a lot. REALLY A LOT! While it is very nice to park under the resort, if you don’t have a car you could have some horrific problems getting around. The gift shop is small with just the essentials and Sanaa, the sit-down restaurant, is expensive and has what we feel is a limited menu. The pool area could be difficult to get to especially if you have an outlying room-that is near the tops of the W-shaped resort. It is across from the front entrance to what I think is the west side. If you drive to Kidani from another resort, be sure to go all the way to the front entrance and park in one of the 30 minute spots. We made the mistake of following the self-parking signs and ended up nearly a mile away from the lobby and main areas. [Only a slight exaggeration!]

Overall though, Kidani is beautiful and peaceful and a great place to see a lot of animals up close-more animals than at AK for sure.

No zoom used!

We’re back!

With Kidani Village opening today, we had to reopen the blog. Go Disney!

We’re hoping to check it out this weekend and have pictures for you. Halloween Party tickets also go on sale today and we have two weeks planned at DW and maybe a short DCL cruise this December. Life is good as long we can come up with the money and nothing else catastrophic hits us.

Thanks for stopping by…see ya real soon!

Nov 30 MVMCP

The Christmas party came at the end of our Thanksgiving week. It was nice, but there was NO Christmas tree! We went to Guest Relations and asked what happened and were informed that someone decided it wasn’t necessary until they taped the Christmas Day Parade. You have got to be kidding! The fun we did have was watching the Grand Floridian tree go up and the gingerbread house this year is the best ever.

New Pix Soon

Sorry to be away so long. Busy life and DW vacation kept me going in several directions. Took lots of new photos and spent 10 glorious days relaxing. More later…promise.

Contemporary Main Area

We have always enjoyed scoping out the Contemporary even before all the latest excitement. It’s a nice place to rest, cool off, and just hangout. Thought you might like this picture of the new food court.

looks like dining

I had some others but they are lost in 2SD land. We are going up on 11/8 just for the night to check and see how the holiday decorating is going. I am compiling a list of resort phone numbers. Michael wants to know exactly when the trees are going up. We are counting the days to our Thanksgiving week, which is more like 10 days. There won’t be any posts that week since the budget doesn’t allow for a wireless laptop just yet. Let me know if want us to check anything specific out. We love noseying around.

Headless Horseman

The October 19th Halloween Party was a spectacular and spooktacular event.

He really is headless!

 Will be adding a few more pictures of our great Halloween fun at the Magic Kingdom. It was a perfect night in every way from the fireworks, parade, trick-or-treating, rides, weather. You name it and it was fabulous. This picture was from the first parade, although we watched the second parade. I am proud of this shot because that guy rides pretty darn fast through the streets of MK. Maia, our granddaughter was a perfect angel through the whole event and absolutely adorable in her Aurora costume. We are in our AKL Studio in the background of this pix right before we left for the party.

A true princess!

She also had a Photo Pass picture taken with Aurora and Prince Phillip which is priceless. Maia and Aurora curtsied to each other and spun around one after the other. I’ll never forget it.

Beach Club Villas

Saturday October 18, 2008 was a beautiful day at DW.

Quiet Pool

There was no one in the pool or even in sight…a rarity especially at this popular resort. The aquamarine building is part of Disney Vacation Club while regular rooms are in the caribbean blue building. The Beach Club Villas sold out very quickly with Stormalong Bay has a big drawing point. We saw turtles sunning themselves in the canal, drank apple juice with a hint of Sprite, casually soaked in the ambiance, and then ate at the Captain’s Grille. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Yachtsman Steakhouse

Ok so we realize this picture is a bit weird, but we are fascinated with the meat locker just inside The Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club.

It looks good...and it is

The chauteaubriand for two…words can’t even describe it. We have eaten here on our anniversary several times and the dining space in the rotunda area is the perfect setting for a romantic meal. We stare at the menu with fond memories every time we visit the Yacht and Beach Club. How many of you realize how much fun there is for grownups at DW?