BLT - what am I missing?

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I can't see the draw to to the Contemporary. It seems like an airport to me. People love it so I must be missing something. What is it?

 

[wilbret]

Proximity.
Tradition.
Proximity.

My in-laws met there, mother in law was a monorail ticket-taker and father in law was a pilot.

 

[Thecrookedcap]

A fast walk to and from the Magic Kingdom.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I can't see the draw to to the Contemporary. It seems like an airport to me. People love it so I must be missing something. What is it?

Back in the old days , a popular Friday night TV Show was the Jetsons (cartoon show ) and it was cool & futuristic . I guess today it would still impress if seeing it for the first time. Unless you live in a modern city with cars zipping thru the high rise buildings... I still remember staying there because the bathrooms were very modern with a curved glass shower door . And silver chrome bar that curved around the bathroom sink. I think of that everytime I walk out the BLT lobby door towards the pool because the trees have a silver circle around them .
It might have been the first rooms that had sensors to automatically turn on&off the air conditioning. It sensed when the room was empty. Very modern !
The rooms were actually designed to arrive constructed to slide into place like a shoebox on a shelf.
I google searched an article about the design of BLT created to give the feeling of the movement of the air and the monorail as it arrived to glide thru the building.

 

[scili]

My family is definitely in the BLT fan club now. We’ve always stayed club level at CR, BWI (our favorite), GF and BC, with one stay at a deluxe executive suite at the Swan in August 2020, and weren’t that interested in BLT. Thought it seemed generic hotel-like. However, we stayed there very recently in December 2020 in a 2 bedroom and absolutely loved it. In addition to great cast members and amazing views, it had a warm Disney vibe coupled with a modern, sleek feel. Great use of space within the unit. We really liked how convenient it was in terms of all the fantastic amenities in BLT and the CR, as well as to MK.

 

[chalee94]

I can't see the draw to to the Contemporary. It seems like an airport to me. People love it so I must be missing something. What is it?

Yeah, the main thing is the short walk to the MK. No worries if the monorail is down due to maintenance issues. No worries if the buses are full at the end of the night. Just a short walk to the resort. For trips with little kids where the MK is the focus, BLT is hard to beat.

I also liked hearing the train whistle from the MK in the morning, and I had a villa where I could see the MK fireworks from my balcony.

I also liked that if I had plans to eat at another resort on property, a short walk to the bus hub made it easy to catch a bus directly to the other resort. No need to bounce to a park first.

(But it is pricey and I am a cheapskate so I usually stay at OKW...and the BLT studios are pretty cramped, so that can be a factor also - but overall, I did really enjoy BLT for that one trip...)

 

[JenBush]

Location, location, location. With a hint of nostalgia. The contemporary was the first Disney resort I remember staying at as a kid. I can see how it feels sterile and blah to some people, but to me it’s always felt very Disney(maybe because it’s in so many wdw commercials)

 

[GoingSince1990]

Maybe it is a bit like an airport. But it’s the most fun airport you will ever visit.

 

[Heather07438]

BLT is piggy backing off how cool the Contemporary is There's something about the whole resort that feeds our inner child. The monorail is going through your 'home' and you can walk next door to MK. It has an energy to it.

 

[Buzz2014]

Few years ago it was "Our first deluxe stay" so when we have been to other resorts we always seem to compare and nothing has ever come close to the value of walking to MK or catching the monorail for breakfast (to go)and having it back in your room. Seeing the castle from Blt balcony. Or convenience on park days having a portion of your party leave Mk early and meet up later/return.

" first deluxe stay" reason happened to our friends with Riviera we don't get it.. but it's their reason they love it. They constantly compare other resorts to it and say it's not Riviera.

 

[nw6675]

We personally don't care much if the hotel is themed much or not - it is the amenities we care about. We loved BLT and all the conveniences it offers at CR and MK. Just don't love the price

 

[nelsonkg]

I felt exactly the same way and was not excited to stay at BLT at all. During our stay I have to say I enjoyed every moment. The cast was wonderful it was just a really cool exciting vibe and seeing the monorail driving through the hotel never gets old. We had a villa with a Lakeview which was beautiful we could see the electric water parade from my room we could hear the train whistle in the morning it was just perfect. The only downside was we stayed in a studio myself and my two sons and It felt smaller than any room we had stayed at, so I recommend a one bedroom for more than 2 people.

 

[cvjw]

We also didn’t think we would like BLT, but it is now one of our favorite places to stay. The walk to the magic kingdom is priceless. We also enjoy the larger villas at BLT - I wouldn’t stay in a studio with more than 2 people. The larger villas have a nice extra bedroom and we love how modern they are. We also love the views - either side. One side is the view of the MK, the other is a view of the beautiful lake.

 

[Buzzw0rthy]

Yeah, the main thing is the short walk to the MK. No worries if the monorail is down due to maintenance issues. No worries if the buses are full at the end of the night. Just a short walk to the resort. For trips with little kids where the MK is the focus, BLT is hard to beat.

This is so true. We did a Halloween Party and the 5 minute walk back very late at night with 2 tired kiddos was so great. No boats or bus rides.

Additionally one thing I loved about BLT is on the walk over to MK it had its own security screening (Not sure if its still the same in the age of COVID). Not having to wait in a security line with lots of others getting off a boat or bus was so nice we just sailed right by all of those folks.

 

[loves to dive]

Haven't stayed at BLT but did stay at the Contemp. a while ago. We got upgraded to concierge and were in one of the rooms that you step out of and are looking out over the restaurant and across to the monorail. It is our least favorite WDW resort and we actually pay more to not stay there. I didn't like the noise of the monorail, I didn't like the look and feel of the place. It was - pardon the pun - too contemporary feeling for me. Even the walk to MK couldn't sell it to me. In all fairness, MK is our least favorite park so being that close is not a huge draw.

 

[Moliphino]

Different tastes. I'm also not really interested in staying at the Contemporary/BLT just because the design isn't appealing. I'd go for the Boardwalk or Polynesian any day if I was going to splurge on a deluxe resort.

 

[OKW Lover]

Got to agree with the OP that the Contemporary and BLT are not my preferred resorts. Even before BLT was built I always thought the Contemporary just felt like a big, cold city hotel. BLT basically just created more of the same.

As others have noted, the location is a big draw for many people as is the view.

 

[lightguy]

We bought DVC at BLT. I was a bit concerned about what I perceived to be a lack of theming, but we figured with the short walk to MK it would always be a good choice and would be in demand if we ever wanted to sell or rent points out. I really fell in love with the whole complex on our first stay there (not as much as Poly....but BLT has 1 and 2 BR units and I wouldn't ever complain about staying there). We've stayed there several times since. It's just so peaceful and unhurried. I always feel "fancy" when we're there- especially in the Contemporary it's self. We stayed there 2 years ago over Halloween with our 3 kids... They had a Halloween party for resort guests- movie, costume contest and trick or treating. It was great and just felt soooooo.......right. Very low key. BLT is contemporary.. especially the lobby... but it has very much grown on me and I don't really feel like it's lacking in theme at all.

 

[DisneyMommy77]

At one time I felt the same, but a few years ago my 3 year old was obsessed with the Monorail so we stayed there for just a couple nights of our trip so he could watch it. We liked it more than we thought.

Fast forward to this summer and we stayed 9 nights. 3 words: Theme Park View! So magical!

We spent so much time on our balcony just looking at everything. Watching the ferries and boats, monorails and sunset over GF!!

I also could lay down in bed each night and see the castle from my bed. I get teary eyed just thinking about those 9 magical nights!

There is also something about sitting outside behind the back of the Contemporary at one of the tables along the dock eating food from Contempo Cafe that I love or sitting in a chair along the beach. Bay Lake is beautiful and peaceful.

Again, it never appealed to me in the past, but now I want to make sure every summer trip includes a stay there. Walking to MK just can’t be beat!

 

[holden]

We own at BLT because...

Walk to MK - priceless at night when crowds are waiting for transportation
Extra bathroom in units 1BR and up - priceless when you have teens
Quick access to restaurants/lounges on the monorail loop (during non-Covid times anyway)
TOWL - fun hangout and great place to watch fireworks (when they are operating)