BLT Fireworks help!

[cruisedad]

We will be staying at BLT this weekend (party of 4). We are planning on going to the observation deck to see the fireworks. We have a relative who will be staying for the day only (no room key). Does anyone know if he will be able to join us or will he not be allowed up???

 

[Who's your Mickey?]

We will be staying at BLT this weekend (party of 4). We are planning on going to the observation deck to see the fireworks. We have a relative who will be staying for the day only (no room key). Does anyone know if he will be able to join us or will he not be allowed up???

That depends on the CM. I've had a CM check everyone's room key in the group (once!) and others just looked at my room key. My guess is that you'll be fine. TOWL is intended for DVC members staying on points AND their guests.

 

[londonderrydisneyfan]

You can try, but technically he's not allowed to go the lounge. If they don't let him up you can always watch the fireworks from either the walkway to the Contemporary (we did this friends our last trip and the view was fine) or from the 4th floor Contemporary balcony.

 

[Sandisw]

If you are staying in something other than a studio and are not on the dining plan, you can add him for that night at the front desk and then he would have his own key.

 

[cemeb4dk]

Last year when we stayed there, my mom and her husband went back to our hotel(they stayed at POP) and went up there with us. No questions asked, you are allowed guests as I understand it. The number of guests, I am not sure of. But as long as they saw my key showing I was DVC it was never an issue. Not sure if we got lucky or its policy.

 

[Granny]

Last year when we stayed there, my mom and her husband went back to our hotel(they stayed at POP) and went up there with us. No questions asked, you are allowed guests as I understand it. The number of guests, I am not sure of. But as long as they saw my key showing I was DVC it was never an issue. Not sure if we got lucky or its policy.

I think that like most things at WDW, it's hit or miss. When we stayed at BLT in April they definitely checked the room key of everyone in our party.

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

I would hate to count on it. I was there for a week, they all knew me, but still had to ask for my card..they seemed very strict with the policy, when I watched others approach.

 

[Ramsfan28]

As others have stated -the policy would say "no" - but a CM might allow it.

I know the last time I was there (May) the CM's were being very strict.

 

[starry_solo]

Is the TOWL available for those staying at BLT on points (not a DVC member but renting from a DVC member).

 

[TDC Nala]

If you get a CM in the lobby sending people onto the elevator who requires a KTTW card from every member of the party, then no. If they require only one KTTW card, then yes. Unfortunately you aren't going to know which type you'll get until you actually try to take your party up to the lounge. If your room isn't at capacity already, you can add your relative to the room after you have arrived and get them a KTTW card. (This will work even if you are on a dining plan. Any guests added after check-in will not have dining credits, nor will they have access to the party's dining credits on their KTTW card. But it will not work if the room is already at capacity.)

 

[spiceycat]

Is the TOWL available for those staying at BLT on points (not a DVC member but renting from a DVC member).

they only check KTTW - so you might be able to go.

you are considered a guest of the dvc member.

 

[lecellierfan]

I wouldn't count on it. A DVC coworker just came back, and they wouldn't let friends of theirs go who were staying off property.

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

that's too bad...just my opinion but i think if you are staying
there on points, then you should be allowed to take a
guest or 2.

however, i am also glad to read they are enforcing the rules.
last year there were several threads on how to sneak in.
we went twice for new years, & the second was way over-
crowded. [ if a fire had broken out, many would not had
made it out. ] david the sponser was there too, but he went
to his room. we were allowed to go up front so we didn't
complain but it was a mess. there's should have been plenty
of room since i read somewhere the capacity is 499. that
night, there were @ least 1500 or more...just liked david
stated..."shoulder to shoulder."

the same thing about parking. i had to drop the family off, &
parked in the boonies. we were there 2 weeks and it was
never that way until new years eve.

is the current rule same as before?

 

[disneynutz]

As others have posted it all depends on which CM is working. Our last stay at BLT we had to go back to our room to get DW KTTW card because the CM wanted everyone to show their own card.

The lounge and deck were almost empty so it wasn't a capacity issue and the server told us that due to lack of sales, they had reduced the number of CM's on duty.

 

[Sandisw]

they only check KTTW - so you might be able to go.

you are considered a guest of the dvc member.

Not necessarily. Some have reported being asked to show their blue DVC card. And, those that are renters are technically not considered guests of a DVC member.

I would say the same rules apply for renters as others not staying at BLT but going with some who are--it will really depend on the CM at the front desk and what they ask for that night for entrance. With the new computer system, some of the KTTW cards have not indicated the reservation was DVC and therefore, a membership card was required.

 

[dvcblt93]

there's should have been plenty
of room since i read somewhere the capacity is 499. that
night, there were @ least 1500 or more...just liked david
stated..."shoulder to shoulder."

Where do you come up with this stuff? There is no way in heck they could fit 1500 on that deck! They are very strict with the counts, and the count has never ever gone over the max of 499.

 

[dbs1228]

Where do you come up with this stuff? There is no way in heck they could fit 1500 on that deck! They are very strict with the counts, and the count has never ever gone over the max of 499.

I would love to see how long it would take to get 1500 people up/down from TOWL! It would take quite awhile! anyhoo.....

 

[lecellierfan]

there's should have been plenty
of room since i read somewhere the capacity is 499. that
night, there were @ least 1500 or more...just liked david
stated..."shoulder to shoulder."

Maybe you were smoking something that made it SEEM like there were that many people up there, but you couldn't get that many people up there if people were sitting ON other's shoulders.

If capacity is 499 (and it is) then Disney will keep the crowd at, oh I dunno, 499.

 

[Suellen]

We were there in May and asked for DH and I's KTTW card as well as our blue DVC card.

Personally I thought it was really neat ~ but it was pretty empty.

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

, who said i was joking?! oh, fyi, there's a reason my
wife came up with lil'grumpy. however, since i don't know
you , it isn't important ~for me to redirect or set a limit.

as for the estimate, wasn't something i made up. i would suggest
you read david's report. when he was up there , it was
shoulder to shoulder. and he left early.

maybe it would help if you had ever been up there. the area
is quite large. my estimate was on the low side. if one took
the time to do the math, over 3,000 could "fit" in, base on
the available spaces. 499 is the limit, & i am sure it has
to do with 2 factors, safety and quality of experience.

my estimate came from my eyes:
as we came up the ramp, the was a wall of people. think "main
street" during the fireworks. it took me 2 seconds to realized
there were too many over the limit. so i just
asked about a dozen of people, & they allowed us to advance.
* if they hadn't then we would not have gotten off the
ramp @ all and would not have seen anything.

wow! i look around toward the other side & all available spaces
were taken. people were standing shoulder to shoulder all the way back
to the benches. also people were standing on them. the area seem
liked a "good" 40 yards from the 2 towers [north to south] , with
the lounge jetting out from the middle. speaking of, there
were people standing on the chairs inside there too.- so they could
see over the crowd leaning against the lounge windows.

is it possible for others to obtain access that are not dvc members ?
[ i cringed @ reading all the different ways they posted on other
threads.] i am thinking the front wall, all the way across, have room
for 499 with maybe 2/3 rows deep. i think they designed that, expecting
families with children & for those enjoying the lounge to be able
to see...without having to stand on the chairs & benches. the night
before , we were able to sit on the rear benches and watched.