AKV (Kidani Village) versus BLT

[brettcw23]

This is more about expectations than halping to decide a resort since we're already booked. So I'm not looking for anyone to 'help' me decide which resort.

We were DVC virgins until 3/2/2012. We stayed at Kidani Village for a week (DW, DD7, DD4 and me) and LOVED it!
This was our first non-value, so we were in awe at the space and amenities of the room alone.

In November, we are booked for BLT. 10 family members in total.
We have a 2BR lock-off and a Studio
2BR:Me, DW, DD, DD...then SIL,BIL, neice, niece
Studio: MIL and my oldest niece

So remove the zany family from the mix...how have people's experiences been with BLT after staying at other resorts?
I'm selfishly concerned about having gone from AKV to BLT, but I'm happy to hear about your experience going from any DVC resort to BLT.

Please provide as much insight about what you did\didn't like.
I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm about being so close to Magic Kingdom as it's our favorite park.

I appreciate your feedback

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

We stayed at BLT for Gay Day. Just the two of us (one bedroom). It was truly lovely and the location can't be beat.

However, the one thing that really struck us was to stay there for any length of time would be a challenge with regard to storage.

Completely different atmosphere than Kidani. (Which we also really like).

Top of the World lounge is a terrific place to view the fireworks, or just escape for some relaxation.

You'll enjoy it!

 

[brettcw23]

However, the one thing that really struck us was to stay there for any length of time would be a challenge with regard to storage.

Could you elaborate on this? I'm assuming that you mean the overall room size is just smaller?

 

[Reddog1134]

We stayed at BLT in a studio for one night last year and I'm glad we only did one night.

When we bought DVC in 2009, our options were AKV or BLT. We chose AKV because we liked the decor better. AKV felt warm and inviting. BLT felt cold and sterile, like a hospital. (Ironically, the last 2 times I've visited a hospital, they felt more like AKV then BLT.) The BLT room felt smallish even for a studio.

If you are sharing a hotel room with someone than there is an implied amount of trust so the following shouldn't be a problem for most people. I found that the bathroom door leaves a lot to be desired in the privacy department. It's a sliding door mounted to the outside of the bathroom. Originally (I've heard) it had no lock. Now, there is a small "flip panel" that you push to block the door from sliding open. The privacy issue I have is that there is a large gap between the wall and the door which gives a clear view into the mirror, which reflects directly into the shower.

Also, I didn't care for all the bugs in the hallway and on the lounge viewing deck.

All those little black dots are bugs.