opinions of BLT

[fuji]

We are seriously considering buying BLT. Seeing how we never been there, we were hoping that those of you who have stayed there can give us some first hand opinions on the good and the bad.

How was getting to the buses and monorails for park openings?

How crowded was the roof top viewing of the fireworks and how was the view?

What you thought of the room designs? Sleeping arrangements in a one bedroom?

Any positives you really liked or negatives you didn't?

Thanks

 

[ceegibbs]

We stayed there two weeks ago! LOVED it! We were on the first floor and only had a standard view... not MK view, not water. It was fantasic! We loved walking to MK. The monorail was ok, we always have a car. We didn't use the bus or a boat. We own at at AKV and BCV. Some BLT points might be in my future!

Oh And we were in a one bedroom with four people two adults two teens. We loved the decor.

 

[BBG-BLT]

We own there and really like it - the pools (the one at BLT and short walk to the ones at CR) the 10 minute (yes 10 minute) walk to MK is fantastic. The lake and MK views are wonderful. and being on the monorail can't be beat. So I guess I actually love it - its great for our family. Some have said the decor is a bit cold but I haven't been to any other resorts and I like modern

 

[CapeCodFam]

Stayed in a 1BR lake view last week and loved it. We own and have stayed at BWV + AKV. We've also stayed at BCV a few times. BLT is well designed. They seem to learn from each DVC and make design improvements. The living room got wider the closer you got to the windows. It was nice to have plenty of room, even with the sofa chair and sofa bed in use. The balcony seemed more private than other resorts. The master shower had both a rain shower head above and shower head on the wall that both worked simultaneously, if you wanted. You could even sit in the shower and get hit by the shower head. We liked this design better than the other resorts we've stayed at. Plus, having 2 bathrooms in a 1BR is a real plus when you have kids.

MK is a short walk. Monorail is easy to get to. Bus stop was convenient too. We especially liked taking advantage of Sammy Duval water sports right outside. Roof deck was not crowded and the show was better than being in the park. The top of the world lounge was great. We loved the drinks and the food. Although, we didn't care too much for the food at the quick serve in the contemporary.

We'd love to stay there again.

 

[YourEveryDayAdam]

I'll post some negatives:

The BLT Studio is the worst studio in all of DVC. It's TINY. Yes, it technically sleeps 4, but it would be CRAMPED. It will really only sleep: A couple, A couple + 1 young kid, or 2 non-coupled adults with no kids. Any more than that and you will be cramped. Also, the kitchenette is back-to-back with the bathroom vanity.

The doors on the bathrooms in BLT don't lock. There is also a gap around the edge of the door that could be peaked in to.

The pool at BLT is small. It's JUST big enough for BLT guests. Fortunately, we have free access to the other contemporary pools, and can pool hop to most other pools.

Lack of sheer curtains. There are only black-out curtains.

I'll also post some neutrals: (could be positive or negative, depending on your POV)

Decor. A lot of people don't like it. They say it feels like any generic high-rise hotel. I personally love the decor, but this is really subjective. This is why we have so many DVC resorts to choose from. One (or more) for everyone!

"Delicate" furniture: A lot of people are complaining about how the furniture at BLT is holding up. There are a lot of scuff marks, scratches, etc. I list it as a neutral, because in my 3 trips to BLT so far, I have noticed the wear on the furniture, but none of it was terribly bad. The furniture wasn't falling apart and it certainly wasn't dirty. Just the way it's designed tends to show the wear more than typical furniture...The darker colors, etc. Finally, even though I did notice the furniture being worn, it was all still very functional, and once I noticed it I easily moved on and forgot about it.

BLT is pretty much completely dependent on The Contemporary. Aside from some appetizers at the TOTWL and the pool bar, there is no food. There are no shops, no check-in desk, etc. It's really just the guest rooms, a pool, and a bar. Everything else is at The Contemporary.

Finally, I'll post some positives:

The TOTWL is awesome. It's never crowded, even for fireworks... even during the peak times (new years, 4th of july, etc.)

The transportation at BLT is unmatched at any other DVC resort: 10 minutes Walk to the MK. Monorail to Epcot. Monorail to any of the monorail resorts for dining/activities. Very pleasant boat ride to Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge. 10 minute walk to the MK bus stop for quick bus access to any other resort on property for dining/activities.

Short hallways and very convenient access to resort amenities... You are never far away from what you need/want.

Not a bad view in the entire building. The views range from a few average/good views to LOTS of spectacular views.

The one-bedrooms are very roomy and comfortable. One of the best in all of DVC. Big beautiful master bath. Gorgeous views from the (almost) floor-to-ceiling windows. With a king bed, queen sleeper sofa, twin sleeper chair and two full bathrooms, it will sleep 5 very comfortably.

 

[gkrykewy]

Buses are terrible. Shared with poly and GF, and standing room only. Just ugh.

Rooftop deck is fabulous!

Studio was a bit small, and full length mirrors appear to be nonexistent anywhere.

The quick walk to the contemporary concourse food options was great.

Looking forward to going back.

 

[DenLo]

We are seriously considering buying BLT. Seeing how we never been there, we were hoping that those of you who have stayed there can give us some first hand opinions on the good and the bad.

How was getting to the buses and monorails for park openings?
My husband didn't mind the bus rides from CR/BLT, but it drove me crazy that it took 15 minutes just to leave the MK area since we always traveled to the Poly and GF first. Other than that the rides were quick. But we had our car and drove to DHS and AK for EMH. We also took the ferry to Wilderness Lodge that was really nice and despite that there was a stop at Wilderness Campground it was pretty quick.

Although the ride on the monorail was not quick especially since to go to Epcot you had to change monorails, it was relaxing and fun. However, on rainy days sometimes the monorail would just sit in place because another monorail was not moving for various reasons. You would be notified of a delay by the monorail driver.


How crowded was the roof top viewing of the fireworks and how was the view?

We didn't do the fireworks (we had an MK view), but did go up to the lounge after dinner one evening. There were only 10 adults in the entire lounge and by 10:00 pm we were the only two guests there.

What you thought of the room designs? Sleeping arrangements in a one bedroom? Sorry we had a studio.

Any positives you really liked or negatives you didn't?
Loved being able to walk to MK in 10 minutes. The walk between BLT and CR was a piece of cake, a quick elevator ride to the fifth floor and simple walk across to CR and you at the shops and a short walk to either the CS restaurant or to escalator for the monorail.

Thanks

We had an MK (Theme Park) view and were just fascinated by the monorails and ferries on Seven Seas Lagoon, traveling from WL or TCC. The balcony was a nice size and you could easily sit and watch the view. We were there in early March and there was a cold spell and with the wind we didn't spend a lot of time out there. But in good weather it would be really nice.

The pool was great, had good shade because of the building shape. Kids loved the slide. I was surprised to see how fast they traveled around the loops to the bottom and shocked that at the end they suddenly slowed down and gently dropped into the water. How do the Imagineers design that? The deepest part of the pool is 4 feet. A second kiddie slide is perfect for toddlers. There is a zero entry at the other end. A Mickey Mouse shaped water play area is nearby and a locked, KTTW accessible gate leads out to the beach where lounge chairs are located. The CM's at the Cove Bay Bar are very friendly and the soft drink dispenser is accessible for you to fill your own refillable mug. The locker rooms were equipped with showers and toilets and near by there were lockers you could use to store valuables (I didn't notice if the lockers required a deposit or were free). There was a hot tub that while we were there was dominated by children. Which surprised me since hot tubs are usually have too high a temperature for a child to use it safely. I put my hand in the hot tub to check and it was luke warm at best. Being an adult I found that disappointing, but I have seen many posts that parents thought this was an important detail.

We are looking forward to our first stay in a one bedroom in late September.

 

[Snurk71]

Just to let you know, you wouldn't be the first to buy BLT without being there. We bought BLT without ever going to BLT (even when we were at WDW) and not even seeing a model - nor had we even stayed at the CT before. We've had one trip so far to BLT - loved it and going back in a month.

 

[fuji]

You can pool hop to other DVC resorts? Does that include BC/YC storm along bay?

How comfortable are the pull outs?

Thank you for the responses so far. They have been great.

 

[Goofy DVC]

You can not pool hop to BCV SAB or to AKV.

 

[lmshaggard]

We have stayed at a BLT studio and have stayed in a studio at every DVC property except VWL in the past 12 months and I didn't find that the studio was smaller - in fact, I felt it was a better use of space. I didn't mind the bathroom sink being in the same area, but I am a bit OCD about cleaning/picking up etc. I did feel like we got a lot more room in the kitchenette because of this layout. I know that some addressed that BLT is completely dependent on the Contemporary, but what DVC attached to a hotel isn't. I have always checked in at the attached hotel, purchased food at the attached hotel, caught transportation, etc. (except for AKV - Kidani, but it is really a stand alone DVC near a Disney hotel) Just remember - everyone has an opinion - it is what makes us all different. My opinion - I prefer the attached DVC properties - I feel that their service is SIGNIFICANTLY better than SSR or OKW. Good luck!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

My DGC who were 5, 6 and 7 used and enjoyed the Community room a lot! We had a dedicated 2 bedroom and enjoyed our BLT experience. My DSis slept in the sleeper sofa and thought it was very comfortable. We had 5 adults and 3 children and hope to get into BLT again when the focus of the vacation doesn't revolve around swimming.

Bobbi

 

[BeesKnees]

We enjoyed our time there last November. We liked the decor but then we have liked the decor at all the DVCs we have stayed at so we are probably easy to please.

The one thing I found frustrating was that we were on the other end of the building and we were only there for 4 nights. Now this is true of all valet (aka hotel) DVCs that if you are there for a short stay you have more to do in less time and you are more likely to eat out more because buying too many groceries may lead to waste. We found that all that extra walking became quite the time thief. Like others have said the bus situation is not ideal so you combine a nice long walk from your room, a wait for a bus, and a nice long bus ride your vacation time is leaking away.

Now if you are there for a nice long visit it doesn't matter but even then sometimes it is annoying that nothing is convenient to the room. I think we ordered room service three times while we were there.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Do you ever head in to NYC? There is a Disney Doorway to Dreams DVC retail location in Long Island. They have a full scale mockup of the 2 bedroom unit - so you can see what a studio looks like and what a 1BR unit looks like.

Obviously we love BLT. We went to the Doorway to Dreams location at Woodfield Mall in Illinois, and they have the same full scale mockup.

DVCnews.com has a photo tour of the Woodfield location. http://http://dvcnews.com/index.php/friday-feature-helpful-information-214/1304-doorway-to-dreams-photo-tour

 

[Muhlenberg]

I'm another one completely turned off by the studios. It was "awkward" for 3 adults...and I was TRYING to stay out of the way of my parents, and kept my things put away out of the way, etc. The bathroom/kitchenette is probably the MOST awkward, along with "two people passing" in the little hallway. I'm probably an average-sized, middle-aged female, and I cannot walk between the bed and the wall without rubbing the wall.

There are no towel racks in the toilet/shower room. There's no soap dish. As was mentioned, there are no sheers.

OTOH...the sofabed was VERY comfy. But I'm used to memory foam beds.

TOTWL was VERY nice. If I had been on the trip with my hubby, we would have used the lounge more.

I REALLY wanted to like BLT, as we had stayed at CR MANY times. However, what they did/didn't do with the studios and the points charts really turned me off.

Oh and I knew all this going into our stay there, and I tried to keep an open mind. But the stay closed my mind. lol

 

[Tara]

Buses are terrible. Shared with poly and GF, and standing room only. Just ugh.

.

I don't use buses anymore, but I remember using them when staying at GF - I agree this route is terrible. However, that was at GF, which was always the last stop. CR/BLT is the first stop, which makes a big difference.

Another thing I'll say about bus transportation - there is no other resort where you can walk for about 5 minutes and get on a bus going directly to another resort.

 

[YourEveryDayAdam]

I'm another one completely turned off by the studios. It was "awkward" for 3 adults...and I was TRYING to stay out of the way of my parents, and kept my things put away out of the way, etc. The bathroom/kitchenette is probably the MOST awkward, along with "two people passing" in the little hallway. I'm probably an average-sized, middle-aged female, and I cannot walk between the bed and the wall without rubbing the wall.

There are no towel racks in the toilet/shower room. There's no soap dish. As was mentioned, there are no sheers.

OTOH...the sofabed was VERY comfy. But I'm used to memory foam beds.

TOTWL was VERY nice. If I had been on the trip with my hubby, we would have used the lounge more.

I REALLY wanted to like BLT, as we had stayed at CR MANY times. However, what they did/didn't do with the studios and the points charts really turned me off.

Oh and I knew all this going into our stay there, and I tried to keep an open mind. But the stay closed my mind. lol

I agree. 3 Adults in a BLT studio is too many. IMHO these are the maximum recommended occupancy limits for comfort:

1) A couple
2) A couple + 1 small child
3) An adult + 1 adolescent child
4) 2 non-coupled adults.
5) Solo traveler

The studio is actually very good and comfortable for those arrangements, I believe. But any more than that and you are going to feel cramped.

The one-bedroom OTOH, is one of the best one-bedrooms on property.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I can only give an opinion from doing the tour last month at BLT.

DH and I liked the one bedroom and two bedroom villas. We could see our family enjoying a stay there for a couple of nights.
But we would not stay in a studio unless it was just the two of us. It felt very small and cramped. And the layout for the bathroom and kitchenette made absolutely no sense at all. We felt only one person at a time could utilize that area.

I am not a fan of modern design generally, but I didn't feel the rooms felt cold.
We enjoyed the pops of color.
I didn't look too closely at the furniture, but reports here say they are wearing out fast.

Really liked both the lobby and the lounge, though they were smaller than I expected. The lounge was full for the presentation and you literally couldn't move without bumping into someone. The view can't be beat.

I thought the pool area looked a little small.