If you had a choice

[Sandisw]

A little presumptuous of you to claim my experience as false, don’t you think? If you can see the animals at night, Why would you need night vision goggles to see the them then…. ?

It was PITCH BLACK and not a blackout. The Savannah is NOT lit at night for the animals comfort. Have you perhaps considered you had a view of a different savannah with better positioning and visibility than the one I had a view of instead of automatically claiming me a liar?

I am going to say our experience was similar to yours for the few times I or my guests were in them..both Jambo House.

There was a definite difference in what we could see at njght va during the day.

Now, maybe the animals were hiding in the darker areas but we, like you, could see nothing. We were there only one to three nights each time and it’s only been 4 visits in total between all of us and our family.

So it may just depend on time of year, room, etc but definitely not a guarantee you can see animals off your balcony at night due to the darkness.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Long story short, we may have a chance to stay at a DVC resort in late January. Our choices seem to be

Animal Kingdom (safari view)
Boulder Ridge
Old Key West
Saratoga Springs

We will have 7-8 days there and do 6 park days. We will have an infant, a 12 year old and a 9 year old. Our parks will likely be 2 days MK, 2 days HS, and one day at EP and AK. No hoppers. If it's not too cold we will swim (and are Canadian so not too cold is relative! )

I'm sort of tempted by the AK safari view but I know the resort is far from everything.

Which one would you pick? Why? Any advice is super appreciated. We will be happy to stay at any of the resorts, but if we have a choice, what should we pick?

I'm with others on BRV.

 

[gmi3804]

I'm sort of tempted by the AK safari view but I know the resort is far from everything.

AKL/AK isn't that much farther. It's 25 minutes on a bus instead of 20 minutes. Getting to OKW, BW, SSR takes longer, in fact, because of the traffic lights. So don't let that misconception you from staying at AKL.

I think the savannah views are oversold; I don't spend time on a balcony looking at animals. You may feel differently, but that's never my reason for staying there.

 

[DonMacGregor]

It was PITCH BLACK and not a blackout. The Savannah is NOT lit at night for the animals comfort. Have you perhaps considered you had a view of a different savannah with better positioning and visibility than the one I had a view of instead of automatically claiming me a liar?

Never stayed there, but it would seem, from an animal conservation perspective, that adding artificial ight to an animal's habitat would adversely affect their natural body rhythms. In the wild, they experience the normal phases of the moon, so wouldn't artificially illuminating their habitat every night be detrimental?

ETA: And I DO understand there is starlight in Africa...

 

[gmi3804]

Never stayed there, but it would seem, from an animal conservation perspective, that adding artificial ight to an animal's habitat would adversely affect their natural body rhythms. In the wild, they experience the normal phases of the moon, so wouldn't artificially illuminating their habitat every night be detrimental?

But the CHILDREN!

 

[RoseGold]

Never stayed there, but it would seem, from an animal conservation perspective, that adding artificial ight to an animal's habitat would adversely affect their natural body rhythms.

My dude! This is one of the peak DVC experiences! It's why I bought in this mess in the first place. You MUST book it. At least for one night one the end of a trip. The savanna is really something special no other hotel can replicate.

It's not like they are throwing a rave all night. There's a few dim lights. You can totally see it if your room is dark. If your room is lit up, it probably does look pitch black.

 

[DonMacGregor]

My dude! This is one of the peak DVC experiences! It's why I bought in this mess in the first place. You MUST book it. At least for one night one the end of a trip. The savanna is really something special no other hotel can replicate.

It's not like they are throwing a rave all night. There's a few dim lights. You can totally see it if your room is dark. If your room is lit up, it probably does look pitch black.

It's not like I haven't been there. I've visited, had lunch and dinner at Jiko, Sanaa, and Boma as well. Just haven't stayed overnight. Probably will sometime, although no desire to own there.

Someone posted this photo:

And while it's obviously just one corner, that's a bit more than dim lighting. If it's like THAT, then that's not so cool.

 

[RoseGold]

It's not like I haven't been there. I've visited, had lunch and dinner at Jiko, Sanaa, and Boma as well. Just haven't stayed overnight. Probably will sometime, although no desire to own there.

Someone posted this photo:
View attachment 778837
And while it's obviously just one corner, that's a bit more than dim lighting. If it's like THAT, then that's not so cool.

You could make that photo look like full daylight or pitch black with any phone. In person, it's not that bright.

 

[AC168]

I stayed in a 2BR just under the GV at the very top and it was quite a bit darker than this photo from my balcony.

 

[paults]

Boulder ridge would be my choice too.

 

[TheLyinKing]

Would do BRV. Newly renovated, boat to MK. Peaceful and serene. AK is a wonderful resort but the rooms are getting dated (c'mon DVD...waiting for the refurb announcement pleeeease).

 

[crisi]

I love both resorts.

Unless its changed the boat from BRV is diesel - it gives me a headache. I love the resort, but I also love VAKL. VAKL bus transportation isn't really any worse than BRV - which is busses everywhere except the MK boat - and that's a slow diesel ride. As was said, for any certainty at rope drop, you need to leave either resort 90 minutes before rope drop if you are taking a bus. (And it isn't that much shorter to Uber or drive with the MK parking situation).

 

[DonMacGregor]

I love both resorts.

Unless its changed the boat from BRV is diesel - it gives me a headache. I love the resort, but I also love VAKL. VAKL bus transportation isn't really any worse than BRV - which is busses everywhere except the MK boat - and that's a slow diesel ride. As was said, for any certainty at rope drop, you need to leave either resort 90 minutes before rope drop if you are taking a bus. (And it isn't that much shorter to Uber or drive with the MK parking situation).

They are the same boats that all of the Bay Lake / Seven Seas Lagoon resorts use.