In 18 months, when Disney's newest hotel opens, guests will be able to look out their hotel room windows and see zebra, giraffes and antelopes grazing nearby.

Walt Disney World has already begun construction of its 18th resort, a 1,307-room safari lodge close to the Animal Kingdom theme park.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge, an upscale hotel set to open in spring 2001, will be modeled on an African village and will overlook three savannas with more than 200 birds and a variety of grazing animals.

The savannas will total nearly 35 acres, about one quarter the size of the savanna at Animal Kingdom.