The Circle of Life

A sneak peak at Kidani Village in the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Some very familiar characters from Disney’s The Lion King.

Sanaa

Kidani Village over at the Animal Kingdom Lodge opens May 1, 2009 with its Phase 1 rooms. Kidani Village includes a new shop, restaurant, feature pool, and savanna.

The new restaurant Sanaa, with almost 200 seats, means artwork in Swahili. Inside pillars symbolize beads while you sit beneath a forest campy.

Some of the items you might find on the menu include Dum Biryani, New York Strip, Spice-crusted Cornish Game Hen, and Banana Leaf-wrapped Sustainable Fish. The items on the menu are meant to reflect a combination of Indian and African flavors.

The Worst Kept Disney Secret

It has recently become a hobby of mine to capture images of similar things throughout the parks.  I don’t plan on starting a new series yet, but I do find the branding of the Disney Vacation Club kiosks to be pretty spot on.  These locations blend in very well with their surroundings and are functional for their purpose of getting Guests to go to an Open House at a preview center on property.

This kiosk in Disney’s Animal Kingdom caught my eye because it is not a DVC kiosk at all.  It follows the standard shed shape, tables meant for display, and Castmembers.  But this location in Dinoland, U.S.A has been taken over by an activity area for children.  The only evidence for what once inhabited this location is a crate to the left of the building saying “Ship to Disney’s Old Key West Resort-RUSH”.