blt or tree house villa

[married2mm]

Trying to decide.
Either a 2 bed villa at the bay lake tower or a tree house villa.

Anyone with experience of these resorts?
Pros/cons?

 

[Kwaschitz]

I have no experience with either, but I would pick BLT over THV. After staying at a monorail resort, the convenience factor of BLT is just too great...walking to MK, monorail to epcot...

 

[NJRRK]

Remember the THV has three bedrooms.

 

[Pakey]

Are you going to have your own vehicle? I would not stay at THV without my own car. We had the villa 4 in from the entrance and it was a long walk to everything-the pool, the store, the bus stop, etc.

How many adults vs children? THV gives you 3 bedrooms but one has very small bunk beds that wouldn't fit adults well. Also, THV only has 2 bathrooms--the over gorgeous master bathroom that is inside the master bedroom and a very disappointing small bathroom that the other people share.

Are you planning to spend a lot of time at your resort? THV has a private charcoal barbeque and a huge deck for outdoor dining. We had terrible mosquito problems when we stayed there (May visit) but the outside area at these villas is the best of any DVC resort in my opinion.

So, depending on the configuration of your group and whether or not you have a car, I'd pick THV if you are doing a lot of resort time and I'd pick BLT if you are doing a lot of park time.

I have owned DVC for 16 years and have stayed at all of the resorts and the THV are my least favorite because they are so remote. If I want to rent a cabin, I can do that an hour from home and it was the same type of experience for us. The treehouses are stunningly decorated but just more remote than we enjoy for a Disney vacation.

 

[ElizabethB]

BLT -- far more convenient.

 

[hgeisler]

Are you going to have your own vehicle? I would not stay at THV without my own car. We had the villa 4 in from the entrance and it was a long walk to everything-the pool, the store, the bus stop, etc.

How many adults vs children? THV gives you 3 bedrooms but one has very small bunk beds that wouldn't fit adults well. Also, THV only has 2 bathrooms--the over gorgeous master bathroom that is inside the master bedroom and a very disappointing small bathroom that the other people share.

Are you planning to spend a lot of time at your resort? THV has a private charcoal barbeque and a huge deck for outdoor dining. We had terrible mosquito problems when we stayed there (May visit) but the outside area at these villas is the best of any DVC resort in my opinion.

So, depending on the configuration of your group and whether or not you have a car, I'd pick THV if you are doing a lot of resort time and I'd pick BLT if you are doing a lot of park time.

I have owned DVC for 16 years and have stayed at all of the resorts and the THV are my least favorite because they are so remote. If I want to rent a cabin, I can do that an hour from home and it was the same type of experience for us. The treehouses are stunningly decorated but just more remote than we enjoy for a Disney vacation.

This

 

[RapunzelsGoodMom]

I haven't stayed at the THV but the Bay Lake Tower is great! We stayed there last year and will do so again this Fall. The location can't be beat and the 2br was beautiful. Be careful, it will spoil you!

 

[hgeisler]

Are you going to have your own vehicle? I would not stay at THV without my own car. We had the villa 4 in from the entrance and it was a long walk to everything-the pool, the store, the bus stop, etc.

How many adults vs children? THV gives you 3 bedrooms but one has very small bunk beds that wouldn't fit adults well. Also, THV only has 2 bathrooms--the over gorgeous master bathroom that is inside the master bedroom and a very disappointing small bathroom that the other people share.

Are you planning to spend a lot of time at your resort? THV has a private charcoal barbeque and a huge deck for outdoor dining. We had terrible mosquito problems when we stayed there (May visit) but the outside area at these villas is the best of any DVC resort in my opinion.

So, depending on the configuration of your group and whether or not you have a car, I'd pick THV if you are doing a lot of resort time and I'd pick BLT if you are doing a lot of park time.

I have owned DVC for 16 years and have stayed at all of the resorts and the THV are my least favorite because they are so remote. If I want to rent a cabin, I can do that an hour from home and it was the same type of experience for us. The treehouses are stunningly decorated but just more remote than we enjoy for a Disney vacation.

This

 

[BCV23]

We've stayed at both more than once and in fact first time during a back to back stay. I agree with Pakey and others that it depends on the makeup of your party and whether you will have a car. However, both my husband and I prefer THVs. We think they are very, very special.

 

[kkmauch]

We stayed in the THV this last May. It was fun, but I wouldn't stay there again. As PPs have mentioned, you really do need you own vehicle. The walk wasn't terrible, but the bus to the bus, that was annoying with small children that just wanted to get to the parks. The set-up worked well for us, but was a bit cramped. In the future, we'll do 2 2 bedroom units instead of a THV. But that was just what makes sense for us.

The convenience of being able to walk to MK and monorail would be well worth it for us compared to the nightmare of the bus to bus at SSR THV.

 

[married2mm]

Hi thanks for replies so far.

Yes,we will have a car.
There are 4 of us,3 adults and one 16 ds-taller than all of us- so essentially 4 adults.
We are always out for rope drop,and back to the resort after lunch.
So we spend several hours there during the day.

It would be August,would there be bugs around the tree house villas?
Don't fancy that much.

 

[BCV23]

Well, it is Florida so bugs might be present at any resort. Actually, the worst we've seen was at BLT. Tons of little things inside public areas. Can't remember what they were but they were tiny, like gnats IIRC. That was only during one of our stays though.

As for mosquitoes, we've had no problem at either resort. Here's a recent thread about bugs at THV from the DVC forums:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3061501&highlight=mosquitoes+thv

Since you will spend several hours each afternoon in the villa, I would pick THV in a nanosecond. We like the dining table better and find the chairs more comfortable. When we moved from THV to BLT on our first stay at each, we couldn't get over the difference in the chairs.

The bedding in THV is a queen in the master BR and also in the 2nd BR. 3rd bedroom has those smallish bunks. There is a queen sleeper sofa and twin sleeper chair in the living room.

BLT has a king in the master and the same setup in the living room. The second BR has either two queens or a queen and sleep sofa (can't remember if it's queen or double).

Both are very nice. Have fun whichever you decide.

 

[Gina35]

Would you be able to direct me to the link that is primarily for BLT...room locations, etc.? Thanks.

 

[Sheilaras]

We just stayed at THV, they were awesome. Yes, the bus to bus thing was notsoconvenient, but, it was quick and relatively painless. Much less so than I had anticipated. The deck is awesome, the space was awesome inside and the second bathroom wasn't small at all. The master bath was HUGE! We had 3 adults and 5 kids with no problem and still could've fit 2 more adults. The kitchen is so nice, breakfast bar with stools and a huge dining room table. Plus the table/chairs on the deck.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hi thanks for replies so far.

Yes,we will have a car.
There are 4 of us,3 adults and one 16 ds-taller than all of us- so essentially 4 adults.
We are always out for rope drop,and back to the resort after lunch.
So we spend several hours there during the day.

It would be August,would there be bugs around the tree house villas?
Don't fancy that much.

So basically, no one will be able to use the third bedroom at THV because it only has a set of bunk beds that are not that long. I'd go with the two bedroom at BLT. The 16 yr old could share the second bedroom with the third adult or use the sleeper chair in the living room and the extra bathroom.

The second bedroom at BLT will have two queen beds if it is dedicated or one queen bed and one double sleeper sofa if it is a lock off.

 

[spiceycat]

Would you be able to direct me to the link that is primarily for BLT...room locations, etc.? Thanks.

here it is
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2257082

 

[spiceycat]

would definitely go with 2-bedroom BLT - first of all the views are wonderfully these are in the outside part of the C - even number rooms.

love my standard view - also had lake and tp view - preferred standard views - don't like heights and standard stops at 5th floor. the 5th floor is where the sky walks to the CR (it 4th floor) - where the shops, restaurants, quick service and escalator o the monorail are located.

two bedrooms at BLT means 3 bathrooms - that is a big plus. Plus there is just more to do at BLT - if you don't want to do the parks - just go down to the activity center (community hall) - now in pictures the lobby looks better that what it is - it is lovely but tiny.

if you get one - your two bedroom will be bigger than the lobby.

if you want to eat some place other than CR - just get on the monorail to Polyn or GF - you can walk to the MK - take a boat to WL or FW. So you got lots of stuff to do at BLT.

the treehouses don't work for well for families with kids older than can easily use the bunk beds.

if you got 4 adults would go with BLT.

now if you want to feel more in the woods = might try VWL - it is lovely.