Moonlight Magic-At AK Kidani?

[WilsonFlyer]

OK. Full disclosure. The title was to get your attention, though it's not as deceiving as you may think.

When we purchased AKK when it first became available, one of its rather unique sales pitches along with the savannah in the center, included simulated lighting on the savannahs to simulate moonlight on an African savannah, and to allow viewing, albeit understandably limited, of the animals during nighttime hours. For the first several years, this was wonderful and made savannah view rooms even more enjoyable.

For the last several years, the savannahs at Kidani have been pitch black every night of every stay we have had there, and we stay there a lot. I'm not sure the lights are even there anymore. I certainly can't seem to find them, even in daylight and I think I remember seeing them before this all started. Maybe I'm just imagining that. Are they gone? Are they just not being used anymore? Has my luck just been bad for the cycle on the weeks we have stayed there for the last several years? Are the savannahs over at Jambo still lit at night? Like a lot of other things at WDW, I think I can draw a line to this back to the pandemic. I may be wrong, but I don't think I am.

Does anybody know what gives? I feel like I've been sold a 'pig in a poke' as we say in the south. I was told it was/would be part of our dues and the maintenance for the savannahs, and part of our experience when staying there. I don't think our dues have been reduced. LOL

I really miss the night lighting. Anybody got any answers?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We've been enjoying Animal Kingdom Lodge for well over a decade, and I don't recall there being lighting on the savannas to enhance viewing. Over the years, we have done the night goggle vision, which is really cool. But for us, it's always been way too dark to see much unless we have the goggles or the animals are right next to the lookout area. If they made changes to the lighting over the years, it was probably better serve the animals. If a salesperson convinced you that there would be lighting on the savannas to enhance viewing, they did sell you something they couldn't deliver on. It certainly wouldn't be something they could know was always going to be there. The changes on the savannas are almost always about the animals.....

 

[WilsonFlyer]

This was not speculation sold that never happened. It most certainly existed, at least at Kidani We've been staying there since opening day. It wasn't stadium lighting, nor was it ever intended to be.

 

[sndral]

We stay at Jambo every other year but often overlook Sunset savanna which is shared between Jambo & Kidani. The last couple of visits we’ve been way out by the barn on Kudu trail & there was lighting in that area of Sunset savanna - here’s a photo using available light taken Dec. 2021 @ 11 pm. I think how much you can see depends on where your villa is located on the savanna .
I’ll be staying there next week & will report back .