First look in the Top of the World Lounge

[tinkerbell 766]

Since I own at BLT (DVC) and we are staying there over our VR, I thought it would be nice to do our first look at the Top of the World Lounge so that we could do it with the MK in the background. Has anybody done this or even know whether it is possible. I asked this question over on the 'DVC Mousecellanous' thread but have so far received no replies
Thanks so much

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

That sounds beautiful!!! I don't know the answer but my first thought was, would your photog be allowed up there? I've read how strict they are about who can go up.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I thought this too, DH and I both qualify to go up there, but I am unsure if they would allow Randy up there. It's not as if he wants to use the facilities, he just wants to take a couple of photos. We'll see. I have e-mailed Randy to see what he thinks. I wish I could find an e-mail address of the manager at the TOTWL or even just at the BLT and I would contact them and ask permission!!! If anybody knows how I can contact anybody, I would be grateful if you would PM me!!

 

[disneystephanie]

If you ever find out, please post the answer! I was considering the same thing and would love to know Disney's response.

 

[lurkyloo]

When we stayed at BLT we were on the top floor, so we had easy access to the lounge even though we aren't DVC members, and we had no problem bringing the Roots up there for our Christmas shoot. You could try requesting a room on the top floor....

However, the lounge isn't open during the day, so you'd need to get someone to let you in, and now we're back at square one... Hmmm... I wish I had a contact number for you!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Thanks Carrie!
I wasn't sure what time it opened.
I wonder where we could get a contact e-mail address from?
Alternatively, is ther anywhere else with a view over MK at either BLT or Contemporary where we could do our first look?

 

[lurkyloo]

Well if all you're interested in is the view, not the lounge itself, then you can take Randy up there for photos. It's just the lounge door that's locked when the place is closed—anybody can go on the patio up there if they can get in the elevator. If your room is on the top floor, no problem. Otherwise, you'd just go to the DVC desk in the lobby and tell them you want to go to the roof. They walk to the elevator with you and put their card in the slot, step out, and send you on your way. We saw them do this a lot when we were going to our room.

The View

Alternatively, the walkway from CR to BLT is a great photo location too, and it's open to all.

View from the Walkway

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Oh wow, Carrie you are amazing
Are you telling me that I can get that amazing view for my 'first look' by not accessing the lounge itself but just going on to the patio? I assumed that the patio was accessed through the lounge. Is the wall round the patio very high? Would we be able to stand in front of it for photos and still see the castle and the MK in the background?
I also thought about the walkway, but as this will be my first BLT visit, I was unsure whether you could see the castle or the MK from there. Is the last picture in your post of the view from the walkway? What do you think?
Sorry for the questions, but I know you know everything!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

No, I just happened to have had the same idea as you—that we could get pix with the castle from up there!

Are you telling me that I can get that amazing view for my 'first look' by not accessing the lounge itself but just going on to the patio? I assumed that the patio was accessed through the lounge. Is the wall round the patio very high? Would we be able to stand in front of it for photos and still see the castle and the MK in the background?

Yes! When you get off the elevator you walk along a covered outdoor walkway toward the Lounge, and to your right is this expansive patio. There are no gates or anything - you could walk on the patio to get to the lounge too if you wanted.

Here's a shot of how high the wall is (DH is demonstrating how windy it was that day!):

And here's how we posed:

This one shows the wall is about waist high...

I also thought about the walkway, but as this will be my first BLT visit, I was unsure whether you could see the castle or the MK from there. Is the last picture in your post of the view from the walkway? What do you think?

Yes, that third shot is the view from the walkway. I think... that the walkway is probably better for getting cool walkway shots than MK shots. But you could get MK shots—just from a lower angle. We did a lot of these:

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Oh Carrie thank you so much for taking the time to post these!!! They are lovely. I have made up my mind to try to have Randy do our 'First Look' on the patio!! The logistics may be interesting as he will obviously have to put DH in place (having first bothered the CM to let them up there), and then come and get me (bothering the poor CM again). I have to ring MS soon to book the ME onto our reservation, so I will request a room on the top floor. We have a reservation for a 2 bed villa standard view, so I am not sure if there are any on the top floor. We shall see. Either way, I am determined our first look will be on that patio!! Or maybe better yet, the actual first look on the walkway and then stroll up to the patio together for the MK shots.
Thanks again Carrie, you never fail to amaze with your knowledge and your generosity!!

 

[lurkyloo]

I'm so glad I could help! I'm not sure there are any standard-view villas on the top floor either, but when the CM sees you guys in your vow renewal finery, I'll bet s/he bends over backwards to help you out!

Cheers,
Carrie

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Sorry to be a pain Carrie, but can I just ask, did the Roots make the MK in the background larger for these photos - I kind of think they must have!!

 

[lurkyloo]

Nope! It's the type of lens they used—they can kinda "squash" the depth of field to make small distant things look closer. Like when you see shots of the castle through the picture window at the Wedding Pavilion—if the castle is pretty big, it's cuz of the lens the photographer used.

I dunno what kind of lenses Randy uses, but I think it's pretty common—I'll bet he can hook you up!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

OMG those pictures are sooo beautiful! I just posted a thread about having second thoughts about doing the MK photo shoot... and If I could get a shot like yours, Carrie, for free, I would be so happy with that! So after our ceremony at WP, could me, DF, and Randy go get pictures up there without any problem, or do we have to be DVC members?. This seems like it would be the answer to all my worries!

 

[pixie921]

OMG those pictures are sooo beautiful! I just posted a thread about having second thoughts about doing the MK photo shoot... and If I could get a shot like yours, Carrie, for free, I would be so happy with that! So after our ceremony at WP, could me, DF, and Randy go get pictures up there without any problem, or do we have to be DVC members?. This seems like it would be the answer to all my worries!

I'm not Carrie, but I do own at BLT so I'm pretty familiar with the way the building is run. It's considered secured, so that you must have an active room key to even enter the building. That's not to say there aren't ways in, but that's the official line. I think whether or not you could get up to the roof would honestly depend on the CMs working in the lobby at the time you tried to do it. Some would likely be more accommodating than others.

Of course you could always stay at BLT for your wedding ... then you'd have no trouble getting in and I can't believe anyone would deny a bride a trip to the top floor for photos whether she was a DVC member or not!

 

[lurkyloo]

OMG those pictures are sooo beautiful! I just posted a thread about having second thoughts about doing the MK photo shoot... and If I could get a shot like yours, Carrie, for free, I would be so happy with that! So after our ceremony at WP, could me, DF, and Randy go get pictures up there without any problem, or do we have to be DVC members?. This seems like it would be the answer to all my worries!

I'm not Carrie, but I do own at BLT so I'm pretty familiar with the way the building is run. It's considered secured, so that you must have an active room key to even enter the building. That's not to say there aren't ways in, but that's the official line. I think whether or not you could get up to the roof would honestly depend on the CMs working in the lobby at the time you tried to do it. Some would likely be more accommodating than others.

Of course you could always stay at BLT for your wedding ... then you'd have no trouble getting in and I can't believe anyone would deny a bride a trip to the top floor for photos whether she was a DVC member or not!

What she said! (And thanks for the kind words about the pix! )

 

[disneystephanie]

Just to piggyback on this - we are staying at BLT for our wedding. If we can't take pics in the TOTW lounge before 4pm, do you think it would be a decent idea for us to do it after our reception? Or would it be unlikely that we would get decent pictures? I have yet to see TOTW in person, so I'm just going based off other pictures, but it seems really cool.

 

[pixie921]

Just to piggyback on this - we are staying at BLT for our wedding. If we can't take pics in the TOTW lounge before 4pm, do you think it would be a decent idea for us to do it after our reception? Or would it be unlikely that we would get decent pictures? I have yet to see TOTW in person, so I'm just going based off other pictures, but it seems really cool.

The lounge is amazing ... very very cool! In my experience, it's pretty busy up until Wishes and it can sometimes be hard to find an empty table, but afterwards it empties out considerably.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

If you just want pictures of the view, as Carrie said, this can be done on the patio at anytime, even before 4pm (assuming you are staying at BLT on points). If you want pictures in the lounge itself, I agree after 'Wishes' is probably going to be best!!