BLT Studio Worth It?

[JM_97]

Looking at the possibility of a stay in April 2024. We were going to stay moderate but saw a comment about renting DVC points, so I gave it a look. There's a studio at Bay Lake Tower for a rate that is comparable to a standard room at Coronado Springs.

I have never stayed at a DVC resort and see some mixed reviews about BLT (which might explain the more affordable price?). Would it be worth it to go with the BLT studio? It's a lake view, which I think I would prefer anyway vs a park view. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated! I've stayed at the Contemporary but it's been a very long time. Last time I was there, the arcade was on the first floor!

 

[disney-inspired]

I just stayed there in August. The studios are VERY dated and small and not worth the cash price to rent points. I would suggest staying at Grand Floridian as those were recently renovated and if you stay at Big Pine Key area (resort studios), they have two queen beds instead of 1 queen and 1 murphy.

 

[JM_97]

I just stayed there in August. The studios are VERY dated and small and not worth the cash price to rent points. I would suggest staying at Grand Floridian as those were recently renovated and if you stay at Big Pine Key area (resort studios), they have two queen beds instead of 1 queen and 1 murphy.

What makes them dated?

 

[Marthasor]

If the price is truly comparable to a moderate, it might be worth it. As PP noted, the rooms are very dated (there are no USB ports in the rooms), however the location is spectacular. We stayed in a two-bedroom there in April and enjoyed our stay, however it was not worth what we paid for the room (we were on a cash reservation). Again, if you can get the room at the same cost as a moderate, it's worth it just for the location advantage.

 

[Marthasor]

What makes them dated?

Old furniture, dim lighting, dated theming, technology not updated. It's due for a hard good refurb - I believe it's starting in 2024. It had its last soft goods refurb about 7 years ago.

 

[JM_97]

If the price is truly comparable to a moderate, it might be worth it. As PP noted, the rooms are very dated (there are no USB ports in the rooms), however the location is spectacular. We stayed in a two-bedroom there in April and enjoyed our stay, however it was not worth what we paid for the room (we were on a cash reservation). Again, if you can get the room at the same cost as a moderate, it's worth it just for the location advantage.

It's about the same price as a Tower room at Coronado. I am willing to make a few compromises as well.

 

[disney-inspired]

Old furniture, dim lighting, dated theming, technology not updated. It's due for a hard good refurb - I believe it's starting in 2024. It had its last soft goods refurb about 7 years ago.

Yup - all of this.

For me, my favorite park is Epcot so the location wasn't best for me. Also, having to take 2 monorails to and from Epcot was a huge time suck. One night they shut down one monorail early and it took us nearly an hour to get back to the hotel. Also only way to HS and AK are bus, too and I like to avoid buses if at all possible.

 

[smrice95]

We stayed lake view a few years ago. You will love walking to MK. We loved watching the fireworks to MK on the walkway over to the Contemporary and then up to the room to watch Epcot's and the water pageant. If you get a room that looks like it is worn out will that bother you? For me it wouldn't as long as the bed was still comfty. We also liked taking advantage of all the eating options on the monorail loop.

 

[DVCjj]

We prefer Epcot area but we also love the BLT studio a lot. Yes very small but LOVE the totally different private layout of the kitchenette. Sooooo cool. I even use the mirrors and area there for makeup etc while DH has normal washroom area.
Perfect.

Plus certainly convenient to MK and monorail resorts. Our favorite trip is a split with BWV or BCV for walk to Epcot and BLT for walk to MK. Win/win.

 

[teamsamant]

BLT studios are tight. Are you traveling with a party of four? Having a child in a crib or two large teenagers and you will be cramped.

As stated they are worn and dated. In dire need of an update. Furniture is beat up, carpet stains, no USB, etc. They are the DVC resort that is next on the update list.

That being said. The balcony area is huge. The Contemporary is awesome and the location is great.

Most important I would not stay as a party of four unless two of those four are small children that do not require a crib!

 

[ak517]

I stayed in a BLT studio last March as a solo traveler and agree it would be tight with more than two adults (plus luggage, shopping bags, groceries, etc). It has a pull-out sofa and I cannot attest to its comfort though the general consensus is they are pretty uncomfortable.

That said, if the conditions were right I would absolutely put up with the room again for the location. I really considered adding on at BLT after walking into MK so easily every morning and watching the fireworks from the 4th floor walkway at night. My lake view room even had views of spaceship earth off in the distance and the water pageant down below. It definitely felt like Disney magic.

 

[zavandor]

The BLT studios are unique because the kitchenette has its own small room, which means it occupies quite a lot of space and makes the living area feel smaller.

 

[JM_97]

BLT studios are tight. Are you traveling with a party of four? Having a child in a crib or two large teenagers and you will be cramped.

As stated they are worn and dated. In dire need of an update. Furniture is beat up, carpet stains, no USB, etc. They are the DVC resort that is next on the update list.

That being said. The balcony area is huge. The Contemporary is awesome and the location is great.

Most important I would not stay as a party of four unless two of those four are small children that do not require a crib!

It is an adults only trip so the lack of a murphy bed is a non-issue.

 

[ehh]

We stayed in a BLT Lake View Studio a little over a year ago and it's in our bottom 2 of DVC Deluxe Studios (OKW is the other).

Like others have said, its layout makes the living space cramped, it's due for an imminent hard goods refurb and dated and worn.

However, we prefer 1 queen bed Deluxe Studios over 2 queen bed hotel room layouts, and it was nice to be able to walk to MK, two things it has over Gran Destino Tower standard rooms.

If you only need a single bed and if you're able to get a Gran Destino Tower King Bed room for the same price as the BLT Deluxe Studio, I'd probably go for the Gran Destino room (I'm more on the fence about standard Gran Destino vs. BLT). You also get more flexibility by booking through Disney instead of renting and keep your options open for any discounted rooms that come up closer to your travel dates.

---

Another BLT Studio anecdote: last fall we cruised with some friends on the Wish and after the cruise they stayed in a BLT Studio. After their first night in the room they rhetorically asked why the TV in the BLT room was smaller than the one in their stateroom on the Wish.

 

[kes601]

I will be the outlier here. We love BLT and we tolerate the studios. Is the layout funky? Sure. Is it dated? Sure. Does the TV really suck? Yep. But, the location can't be beat. The views of Bay Lake, the ability to watch the fireworks from the bridge that connects to Contemporary, being able to walk to Magic Kingdom. If the price is truly comparable to Coronado then I would pick BLT.

 

[Mle8308]

You would also get the extra magic hours in the evening, as a deluxe resort benefit, if that is important to you. I'd do BLT if it's comparable to Coronado, especially with their busses. At least you can walk to one park and monorail to two.

 

[crisi]

So, things to know about a DVC room and renting points:

1) A studio will have a queen bed and a murphy bed (some units still have a pullout couch at some resorts, I think)
2) You will want to make your reservations NOW for April 2024. You are within six months of your trip - many rooms and room types will be booked up, including most of the less expensive options - its possible that BLT studio you are looking at was gone a month ago or more - especially if you are looking at standard views.
3) Reservations are generally not changeable and non-refundable - get your own trip insurance and make sure it covers timeshare rental. However, to balance the cost of trip insurance, there will not be taxes and fees on top of a DVC rental.
4) You rent through a private owner (or a broker) - which means if something goes wrong with your reservation, Disney is not getting involved to fix it.
5) DVC is a timeshare - there is no late checkout, no daily housekeeping and you may not get into your room until after 4pm. Some of the things you are used to with a hotel aren't necessarily there with a timeshare - they just operate a bit differently.

For your question, BLT is about location. The rooms are smaller than most DVC rooms, but the location at the Contemporary is great and it is due for refurbishment. However, its likely that studio available for April is spotty.

 

[KPeterso]

BLT is our family's least favorite DVC studio. And by a lot. We find the studios ridiculously small and we only had 2 people in the room. The bathroom was very small with not much storage and 2 people could not both get ready in there at the same time. The location is great if you are a big MK fan, but that is not our favorite park. And then when we were there last, the buses were a complete and utter disaster most days. Would be a ton of people and no order for the buses. Those who arrived last often were the first on the buses based on where the bus would stop causing near riots out there a couple mornings. We had a scooter and often had to wait 2-3 buses before we could be accommodated (including the morning the transportation person at the stop totally forgot about us and that she needed to put us on a bus).

So while others love BLT (not so much on this thread but there are major BLT lovers), we never want to stay there again. Good thing there are lots of choices so those who love it there can stay there and I don't have to.

 

[tjkraz]

I don't really get all the hate for BLT. While most of what's mentioned here is true, OP will have to decide if it impacts their stay or not.

Yes they are among the smallest DVC studios.
Yes they still have old style pull-out sofa beds, smallish TVs and no built-in USB ports.
Yes the resort is due for a refurbishment.

If the party is two adults--maybe even with 1-2 kids--can bring own phone chargers and don't mind a 40" TV, above issues are incidental.

I stayed in a studio less than a year ago and its condition was perfectly acceptable. No battered furniture or stained carpets. That condition may vary from room to room, but that's true of every resort to a degree. If one appreciates what the Contemporary has to offer (location, theme, dining, etc.) and none of the drawbacks are deal-breakers, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there.

 

[maui22]

At BLT, you have a huge kitchenette area with tons of storage. If you have groceries, these studios are among the best DVC studios for grocery storage. Sleeping area is smaller than other DVCs, but unlike some DVC studios Disney didn't cram a 5th person into these rooms for a reason.

If it's 3+ adults or large children, room will be a bit tighter. My nieces/nephews and their children have stayed in BLT studios using our points. They fold up the sleeper sofa when they are not sleeping to have more room. No resort is more convenient for MK access because of the super short walk.

However, if you are going spend a lot of time in the room, BLT studio may not be a good option.