Bay Lake Tower (impressed but also not so impressed....)

[disney323]

DH and I stayed in a 1BDR at Contemporary's Bay Lake Tower for 2 nights w/our 5 yr old DS last week. I was shocked at how large the rooms were. The living area is much larger than the Boardwalk or any other DVC resort I've stayed at.

I didn't like that the doors on bathrooms/bedrooms were simply sliding doors (no locks) which didn't matter to us this trip, because it was just us, but when we travel w/my sister and family it would matter. Doors are opaque too so you can see the silhouette.

I also thought it was too bad that the dark wood is already so scuffed and chipped and it's only a year old. I can't imagine what it will look like at 10 years (or even 5 years!). Overall it was nice, but to me, I like the "homey" feel of the boardwalk or others. I guess I'm not a Contemporary gal!

Our room was on the first level so we could walk out our door across to the contemporary's pool. BUT, there was no way to unlock to door so we'd have to leave it unlocked...so that didn't work well, we had to walk around the long way. I wish they made the card key slots for that 1st level of rooms so we could've taken advantage of the ease to get to the pool or movie night etc.

We'd stay again but as a 2nd choice.

[Melanie]

We here at INTERCOT were fortunate to get a tour of BLT yesterday and I can see a lot of what you are saying. One of the rooms we toured had chipped furniture and I was a little shocked by that considering the age of the place.

I get what you are saying about it not feeling 'homey', but I was really impressed by the crisp, clean feeling of the place. I liked the decor and especially all the artwork. Understood that decor may not be for everyone.

Can't beat the location and the views. If you are one of the fortunate owners with access to the Top of the World Lounge - lucky you! Just breathtaking! Can't imagine how wonderful it is at night.

Thanks so much for your review!

[SBETigg]

I've been thinking about a future stay here, so good to see a review. Very surprising about the furniture/decor chipping. Melanie, I saw the BLT pictures on Twitter. The views are pretty awesome indeed. I'm still not sure it's for me. Time will tell. Thanks for reviewing!

[disney323]

The views are perfect! We didn't do the Top of the World but we could see great views from the walkway between the 2 hotels.
We chose to walk to MK because it's a 10 min. walk....if we took the monorail it is 3 or 4 stops before MK and it's about 30 mins. BUT, to take the monorail back to hotel it is the 1st stop so that was great! I like being in the heart of MK because we usually spend 2 days at that park, whereas the others we tend to spend just one day (well, EPCOT is a 2 day for us as well.)

I forgot to mention that they also have a light water show (lasts about 10 min.) and we saw that right out of our room so that was great.

I also noticed no hair dryers in the rooms!

[andypooh]

really no hair dryers??

[Hammer]

really no hair dryers??

I wonder if it may have been in a bag in the cabinet underneath the sink. When I stayed in a 2 bedroom at WLV, the hair dryer was in a cloth bag (marked as hair dryer) in a shelf under the sink.

This is a trend in nicer hotels to not having a hairdryer mounted on a wall. When I stayed at a Sofitel this year, that is how the hair dryer was presented.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I stayed for a week in BLT last year and loved it... I am staying there again next year... MK view was awesome.. Got to watch Hallow-Wishes from the balcony of my room.. Love how they pump the music in through the TV...

The walk to MK is only 10 minutes, as previously said... Went to the lounge a few times.. Loved the view... Just sat back, relaxed, talked to my friend, and had a few sweet teas and lemonaides...

Over all, I think BLT is a great addition to the DVC family of resorts... Glad I bought into it when I did...

[faline]

We stayed in a Bay Lake Tower studio for our summer vacation 2 months ago. We were very pleased with our room and, at least in the room we occupied, did not notice an extraordinary amount of wear and tear on the room though we did notice a shelf in the bathroom that was bent a bit - probably from holding items that were too heavy. Hairdryers are, indeed, in a bag and not wall mounted.

[PETE FROM NYC]

We stayed in BLT for 9 days last month, a 1 BR on 9th floor, lake view, with a partial view of MK. It was just DW and myself. We did not do the pool, or the movies. And the only time in Top of the World was for a DVC presentation one afternoon. Our room was in brand new condition, with no signs of wear and tear. One complaint I did have is that when I first walked into the bathroom, I almost slipped and fell due to the newness of the flooring. I hope that improves with age. I also wish the toilets had brighter lighting, for shaving, etc.
We are both scooter users and had ample room for parking and charging.
I do remember seeing a hair dryer in a drawer someplace.
We loved the room. Full sized refrigerator with ice maker, washer-dryer, fully equipped kitchen. Practically everything I have at home.
We can't wait to get back there sometime in 2012.

[RAIDER]

I love the place , my only critisism is that they dont have a proper reception when you arrive and you have to go to the Contemp which is a pain

[KAT1811]

I always said that when they had DVC at an MK resort I'd buy in. DH and I were very excited to hear that Disney finally added a DVC resrot in the MK area. We went to check out BLT, we toured the demo until at SSR. I will say that I was disappointed that they chose to build at the Contemporary as that is my least favorite MK resort. I like the "homey" feeling that others have commented about and to me BLT just doesn't have that feel. We spend zero time in our room (other than sleeping and dressing) so the view wouldn't do much to overshadow the decor. I'm glad that there are tons of people who love BLT but I can relate to the OP.

We've decided to buy resale but are going to try out each DVC resort until we find the right fit. So far OKW has our vote. We are a family of 6 (8 including my parents, our frequent travel companions) and enjoy the extra space OKW provides and the quiet nature of the resort.

Thank you for the review!

[MyDisneyworld]

We are thinking about staying there next year for our trip so thanks for the reviews.
Also thanks for the info on the music from the fireworks and parades coming in on the TV.

[Through the looking Glass]

Was there in May. Studios are quite small. If your family of four is large try to get a one bedroom. I felt like I was staying at POP with the size of the studio. View was great, front desk wasn't very helpful. The walk to MK was excellent, only a 5 to 10 minute walk.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

I always said that when they had DVC at an MK resort I'd buy in.

I like the "homey" feeling that others have commented about and to me BLT just doesn't have that feel.

We've decided to buy resale but are going to try out each DVC resort until we find the right fit. So far OKW has our vote. We are a family of 6 (8 including my parents, our frequent travel companions) and enjoy the extra space OKW provides and the quiet nature of the resort.

We felt the same way. We are at SSR and while the "theme" isn't so in-your-face Disney, it does have that "homey"feeling. But, not until we stayed at the Treehouse Villas have we REALLY LOVED owning at SSR. The Treehouse villas is a great value and very quiet. We felt like we were coming home everyday... not a hotel feeling AT ALL!

Can't wait to make the round to the other DVC properties so we can buy more points! But, so far SSR has our heart because of the Treehouse Villas. Now I just hope that they put more into the store and the dining options there.