Be Honest About Bay Lake Towers...

[Invisable89]

I think it comes down to what you're looking for in a Disney Hotel, do you want a Hotel that's got alot of grounds/surroundings that you can walk around & look at? Do you want an impressive pool? Do you want it to be themed a certain way? Do you want alot of children activities? Etc etc.

I personally LOVE the theming, i love modern/contemporary! So i can't wait to stay there in the near future.

My Uncle who's been going to Disney World every few years since he was about 10 years old (he's now 44 years old) loves BLT! Mainly because of the modern theming/style & the proximity to MK & Epcot. He doesn't have a problem with being in a seperate building to everything else, he personally feels it's more relaxing/quiet because of it. & he also doesn't mind the short walk to the CR, he said it's lovely at night as the CR is all lit up & he takes SO many pictures when he's walking over the Sky Way Bridge, he said it's very peaceful. & ofcourse you can't beat the views! Especially if you have a MK/Bay Lake view, both amazing! If you have a 1br, 2br or gvilla the kitchen comes completely stocked (apart from plates i think?) & you get a washer & dryer. The master bedroom bathroom is great, a decent size shower & whirlpool bath. He said that yes because it's more 'out the way' it does take a little longer to get to the other Parks BUT at the CR you're always the first to board & get off the buses. But as others have mentioned you have to check in at the CR which for some people might be a little annoying, but i don't think BLT intention is to be completely seperate maybe just an 'add on'. (This paragraph is my Uncle's wording btw).

 

[papertraveller]

We are DVC owners, and have stayed in 1BR and the studio (and yes, it is small). We have had only lakeview, and loved it. It's so wonderful to end the day on the balcony gazing out at Bay Lake with a glass of wine in your hand -- you could be in cottage country somewhere.

The pool is nice, DD loves the waterslide, but then having the option of enjoying the CR's pool just a very short stroll away is an added bonus. The bridge to the CR is much more convenient than it is walking from some of the Poly buildings to the main building, or just about anywhere at Kidani for that matter.

We love being able to eat around the monorail, but have found that the food at the CR (California Grill, The Wave) is terrific. The flatbreads in BLT's lounge are also yummy.

You'll have a great time.

 

[macnodos]

I am not a very big Contemporary or BLT fan myself except for the monorail access. Have stayed at Poly twice and GF and many others including Wilderness Lodge and now have DVC at Saratoga. Really do not like decor even a little bit. Good Luck!

 

[JandT'smom]

Just back from a split stay at BLT and Beach Club Villas. Have always loved the BCV area but Bay lake is a big winner hands down. Counter service food so much better at the contempo Cafe then Beach club market place and the convenience of monorail and walk to the Magic Kingdom can not be beat. Service at the resort was outstanding. Now my kids are older and the recreation choices at the Bay lake /Contemporary were great. Boys loved renting jet skis and the boats are faster at Bay Lake. The really big downer of the trip was BED BUGS at Beach Club Villas. ( yes problem was addressed and we were moved but what a pain)

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Wish I could do the 2 different units. With us it would be me-inlaw thing. Somehow I am always on trial and we have been married for almost 27 years so I hear your pain. Unfortunatley DH would be highly insulted if I even suggested seperate livingspaces. Fortunatly they are only comming for 2 or 3 days of our trip.

 

[Donnyduck]

Just wanted to jump in and add my two cents.

My family and I are DVC members for 6 years now and we have stayed at BLT 3 times already. We have stayed in 2 studios and a 2 bedroom. The studios were actually revamped a bit ago to move the sink into the bathroom where it was part of the kitchen previously. Definitely a little on the small side, but not too much.

For the 2 bedroom, the rooms are extremely spacious. One trip we found out that requesting a standard view could still give you a Magic Kingdom view. Rooms facing Magic Kingdom but 4th floor or below are standard view. We were able to watch all the fireworks from the balcony on our 4th floor 2 bedroom standard view room. Great deal and you might want to request when checking in.

Nothing beats the location to Magic Kingdom and the 10 min walk to the park, but BLT feels like a completely different resort from CR.

 

[gonesaleing]

We stayed 1BR, lake view, top floor in November 2009. Below is my trip report. My whole family loved the BLT... even my picky husband.

2 adults, 2 teens, 7 days, 1br.villa @BLT, NJ week, 2009. The pictures you are see posted on line are deceptive. Some places look better in pictures and some photos just don't do the place justice. The lobby is much smaller than it appears in most pictures. Ditto for the pool. The views, on the other hand, are way more spectacular than most photos show. Rooms are large with a subdued modern touch. Wooden doors are heavy, level of finish in bathrooms is fabulous. Second bathroom has retractable clothes line for drying bathing suits. Overhead ‘rain’ shower in master bath was really nice, as was steam shower in general. Master bath has drawers and cubbies for storing things. Jacuzzi was wonderful after a long day at the parks. Sometimes the nozzles came off but would snap back into place. Bring plastic cups to hold toothbrushes, as there isn’t a lot of extra glassware. Not enough places to hang things, so bring 3M removable hooks for things like backpacks/purses/robes. Can’t use over the door shoe holder for organizing bathroom as the doors are too thick. We attached it to a hanger instead and kept it in the closet.

Closets are small but there is plenty of drawer space. Kitchen is adequate outfitted but bring plastic bags for leftovers. Appliances are all wonderful.
Pull out couches are very comfortable to sleep on but awful to sit upon. TV remotes are temperamental. DVD works fine. Bedding is heavenly, balconies are small and lighting is dim. Bath products are adequate, plenty of towels. Overall the place is very clean… I had no problems walking barefoot and allowed the kids to do so as well sit on the floor. Loved the large kitchen table, plenty of room to spread out and eat.

Hospitality suite offered varied activities for kids. Many activities had a cost associated with them, so we avoided those. Kids loved pin trading. Movies on the beach in the evening with s’mores were also a nice treat.

If you have teens and they can go down to the Contempo to refill their mugs, then it’s a no-brainer. If you have little ones that you always need to be with, it’s a drag to constantly have to go to the CR for everything. We were on the 16th floor and I timed it… 10 minutes up and back to refill mugs.

If you are staying on points, I highly suggest viewing the fireworks from the deck at the top of the world. Breathtaking. If you are an early riser, grab a cup of coffee and go up to watch the MK waking up. Very relaxing way to start the day.

Getting around was easy. Never a problem with buses or monorail or walking to MK. Can never leave your room without your room key, so make plans to always have it handy. Staff was all very helpful, though we didn’t interface with them much. We rarely saw people, to be honest. Never had crowded elevators, no noise from hallways and rarely even saw people in our hallways.
We don’t eat in restaurants, so I can’t speak to the crowd levels there.

Finding which lights go with what light switches is tricky. Others complain about the thermostat but we had no problem with it. Washer/dryer is extremely quiet. Triangular plates are silly but go with the theme. If you like to make juice from concentrate or iced tea, then bring a large pitcher, as the one they have is too small.
Benches around the table and ottoman in living room have storage inside so use it if you need it to store sofa pillows when sleeping. Black chair is uncomfortable so switch it out for the yellow chair in bedroom. Much more comfy. Bring power cord for charging cameras/ipods etc. There is one there but doesn’t have enough plugs. Request outside crescent room whenever possible. Better view, less noise, more privacy. Laundry room has large shelves for storing suitcases. There are no buses to Epcot, so you must take the monorail.
Mousekeeping was efficient but came at all different times, sometimes as late as 4 pm. If you have little ones napping, it can be a problem.
Something I found invaluable was a purse with an outside compartment to hold my KTTW. I used a vera bradley mini hipster. Highly recommend it.

 

[BBG-BLT]

We've been there twice and love it. Being able to walk from BLT to MK is GREAT. Even better is being able to walk from MK after the fireworks or the afternoon parade to BLT and not having to spend time in the monorail or boat line.

We really do love it there - we're trying BCV this year because we want to spend more tim eout of the park (yeah - we'll see how that works). But for young kids and parents being on the monorail and only having a walk/travel a bit to get to MK or Epcot is wonderful.

And we do like the decor - it's clean and modern. (We're from the east coast so the whole beach theme resorts don't add much to our stay (AKV might).)

The pools are great (because the CR pools are right there) and the boat to the campgrounds for Hoop Dee Do or just being able to take a boat for a ride is nice.

TOWL is great also - a neat experience to be able to watch the fireworks from the roof

In June 2013 we'll be going back to BLT (3BR villa MK view) and I think the kids will be happy to be back on the monorail.

 

[joeytdog]

traveling there in 19 days!!!

CANT WAIT!

 

[zmanandshan]

A bit late to the post, but I'll add my honest $.02. We stayed here in Oct 2010 in a dedicated 2BR with LV. Best thing about it was the location to MK and the monorail. Contemporary is not my style so much, but I knew that going in. What I was most disappointed was that for a new resort, the condition of the room was. Dirty furniture, scratches, stains in the rug, candy wrappers in the pull-out bed... some things which really irk me when I am staying somewhere in a hotel. I travel a lot on business, and have come to do some quick cleaning esp if I plan on staying there for a week or so, and if a room irks me enough, I'll request a different room, which is usually no problem. This was one of the few occasions, where I felt a room change was warranted if available, but due to our later check-in, all the 2BR were already occupied. I requested maintenance to re-clean thinking they were from the people who stayed just before us. I thought maybe there were more people leaving, perhaps the cleaning crew was shorthanded, perhaps they were rushing to get our room ready so we didnt have to wait (all good reasons), and I was told they would send someone right up and to stay in the room until they arrived. The lady was very pleasant as was I. About two hours later, I called back saying that nobody from maintenance had showed up. She apologized profusely and someone did come shortly after. Again, I was very polite, which she was very very thankful for. Once maintenance arrived, I felt they went through the motions, and it didnt really improve things, but I didnt want it to ruin everyone's vacation, so I did some extra cleaning myself.

I think that part of the problem was in the use of black, which really showed scuffs and streaks. Overall, the room just looked beat up, I couldnt imagine how it would look in another 2 years. Not all Disney's fault, as people sometimes dont treat things like their own. This was my first DVC stay, so lets see how my second stay at BCV will be and then I'd have something to compare it to. I heard the rooms there are pretty beat up as well. I'm generally ok with beat up a bit, but as long as they are generally clean, free from garbage, visual stains which could be removed, etc.

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

We have stayed in a 1 Bedroom two times over the past couple of years and have really liked it. Not my favorite decor, but the location is just so great. The short walk to the MK is wonderful and the monorail is right there. You just can't beat the location.

 

[LJD2143]

Like many other PPs have stated, I am not a big fan of the modern decor either.
But remember - you're on VACATION! I love all the various theming of the Disney Resorts and how they can "transport" you to a different place and time. So although I would not decorate my house that way, I just love that I am in "another world"!

 

[jade1]

It was great-stayed in our room much more than any other DVC stays, just felt like we were in the MK. The outside 1BR's are much wider in the LR than inside the ring-but with so few guests you will be fine. We split stays with BCV-much better for hanging by the pool (SAB) and walking the resort, but really like walking to EPCOT. A stroller back to BLT will be very nice after Wishes.

 

[SevenSeasLagoon5]

It was great-stayed in our room much more than any other DVC stays, just felt like we were in the MK. The outside 1BR's are much wider in the LR than inside the ring-but with so few guests you will be fine. We split stays with BCV-much better for hanging by the pool (SAB) and walking the resort, but really like walking to EPCOT. A stroller back to BLT will be very nice after Wishes.

Thanks for the BEAUTIFUL pics of our "home away from home"!!!

To the OP, I don't think you'd regret BLT for a minute!

 

[thebwit]

Without having read the other reviews here's mine. We've stayed there twice now. Both times were Lake views. The first time we had a view of the lake and the MK which was awesome. The second time we had a view of the shoreline and weren't impressed with the view but that didn't "break" our trip by any means.

The location is absolutely amazing. A 10 minute walk to MK. Monorail access to the other resorts and Epcot. The only time we had to ride a bus this trip was to DHS which was awesome because we have strollers for the little ones.

The food has been good at the low end and just fantastic at both The Wave and California Grill. The views of MK with the fireworks is nice.

The pool for BLT is fantastic for our needs. It has never been over crowded and we have always found chairs there.

My wife and I dine at a lot of the TS places so that's a priority with where we stay. Staying at BLT we have never had an issue getting to the restaurant on time due to the numerous transportation options available (FYI theres a boat to Fort Wilderness if you dine there).

I cannot state enough how much we enjoy this resort. Our next trip we will probably be staying at BWV or BCV just for a change of pace, but BLT is definitely our home.

 

[RachaelA]

It was great-stayed in our room much more than any other DVC stays, just felt like we were in the MK. The outside 1BR's are much wider in the LR than inside the ring-but with so few guests you will be fine. We split stays with BCV-much better for hanging by the pool (SAB) and walking the resort, but really like walking to EPCOT. A stroller back to BLT will be very nice after Wishes.

Your pictures make me super excited that we just bought at BLT!! We aren't huge fans of the Contemporary, but I figured you can't beat the location and views!

 

[minniebeth]

jade1, what fantastic pictures! Thanks for sharing!

 

[jade1]

Thanks on the pic comments, glad to contribute.

 

[jnfr2424]

In '09 we booked a studio with a view of MK How excited were we when we were upgraded to a 1 BR. We loved it so much we brought into DVC on Thanksgiving day!!

 

[goopysolelady]

We have stayed at AK twice and BLT once. ( have 3 mini trips booked at BLT for this year.)

BLT for us was just better! We liked the layout of the rooms better. (had a 2 bedroom and 1 bedroom stay... 2 bd was Magic K view , the 1 br was Lake view, but we could see the castle from our balcony).

My kids all like the pool better at BLT. being able to see the fireworks from our balcony.. another huge bonus.. this summer we are going to the roof.

Being able to walk to MK.. major bonus! and at night it is the first stop on the monorail. walking over to the Contemp to get breakfast was really easy too. (and we were in the section closest to the lake...furthest from CR).

Also my sons favorite place to eat is Chef Mickeys.. so again, another bonus for us.

Everyone has their own opinions.. but we are thrilled with BLT.

the only thing we do not like is BLT does not have its own check in desk, it has to be done at the Contemp.

I like AK, but I just dont "love " it. The rooms were a little dark for me..and I just like the feel of BLT better! ---I have always loved the atomsphere of the contemp.. .the shopping etc on the 4th floor.

Totally agree with this post with the exception of AKL...we've never stayed there and I don't think I ever will. The entire resort seems dark to me...just does not appeal to me in the least. Now, DD (DVC member) has stayed there and likes it but only schedules that resort as a "fill in" while waiting for rooms at WL or BLT. We loved, loved, loved BLT. My only "negative" was having to walk to CR for morning coffee...which I wouldn't have to do if I'd use the coffee pot provided! BUT...love getting out first thing in the morning and the walk really isn't that bad at all. We had a BAY Lake view and it was fabulous! I have photos posted (2 bed. villa) on Resort Photos & Videos...BLT photos only if you'd be interested in checking them out.