Disappointed in Bay Lake Theme Park View

[disneynutz]

It is what it is. Some folks like it, others don't. Disney's marketing info tends to hype things up a bit. We find the view less than expected.

Bill

 

[abner1776]

Stayed at BLT in 2011...asked for lake view and while initially disappointed with 8th floor - south side view, we could see over to the GF on the far right and the lake on the far left with the Contemporary Resort and pool in front of us. The view was actually pretty good as we were high enough up to see all the way to Epcot and the fireworks at night...ya, it was a bit far away. As owners we watched wishes from the lounge at the top of BLT, so not having a MK view was not a big deal.

I would not dismiss the lake views at least from the outside rooms and from reading some of these posts, it looks like we had a better view than some of the MK rooms.

 

[Sammie]

I am sure also it is much easier to like a view or be content with lack of a view when you are getting a room for about 50% off rack rate over owning.

 

[4Ds4Diz]

Did we miss something? LOL

I know what you mean when you talk about the parking lot. We stayed at the CR Theme Park view back in 2008. It was our first time with my kids. They were 5 and 8 at the time and being able to lay in bed at night and watch the fireworks was priceless to us. I loved the view in the morning of the Floridian, Poly and the monorail gliding by. Ahhhhh.....memories.

To be honest, I didnt realize how much parking lot there was until I looked at the photos once we got home! Ahhh that Disney magic, it does provide the rose colored glasses.

I guess I can understand the disappointment with a view after using all those points, but I guess I am a "glass is half full" type. Beats a week at work!

Glad to hear it didn't ruin your trip.

 

[LJD2143]

Contrary to the OPs experience, we booked a LV room last year and ended up with a partial Theme Park view....it was spectacular!

For those considering a stay at BLT, I would highly recommend taking a look at the BLT thread with room views. It can help with your expectations.

 

[Anal Annie]

We just got back from our first stay at BLT over spring break. We felt like we truely splurged just to do the LV. I would never "spend" so many points for a MK view. I had requested "upper floor, north side, even numbered room" and we got a great view on the 8th floor that was half lake / half tennis court, parking & theme park. We watched the fireworks from our balcony the first night and it really almost rivaled the night we watched them from the TOTWL. (NOTHING beats seeing them from a prime spot in the park itself though.) I think the 8th floor is still pretty close to the parking lot though & I feel like the higher the floor the less you notice the parking lot. We stayed there as a matter of convenience for easy access to the monorail and less need for buses over the busy Easter crowd week and I was happy with the LV villa that we got...although I could see easily being disappointed if you booked MK view and got a lower floor right above the parking lot.

 

[YankeePrincess]

I will be doing my first TPV this May and I have no expectations of not seeing the parking lot. I mean it is common sense that you would see the parking lot since the hotel faces the parking lot. I just want to see the fireworks and the parking lot doesn't bother me.

 

[Think Pink Tink]

We stayed at the Contemporary Resort in 2006 in a room with a TPV. At the time DD's were 3 and 5 and we were spolied by watching the fireworks every night from our room. It was the most magical thing we ever saw. And like a few others stated, at night, when it it dark, all I could see was the castle all lit up and it was beautiful! Not to mention how convienent it was to sit on our balcony and watch the fireworks...the kids had their baths and were in their PJ's and once the fireworks were over, BAM, into bed. A view of the parking lot is a small price to pay for the convienence and comfort of watching those fireworks from our room and not having to battle with the crowds with two small children.

We stayed at the Poly three years in a row after that and would watch the fireworks from the beach...it was also a great experience because they streamed the music from Wishes through speakers. But we always missed being able to sit on our balcony sipping a drink and watching from the comfort of our room. This August we are staying at BLT and have a room with a TPV and I am hoping the view is just as special as it was from the CR six years ago. I already know the parking lot will be there but once the sun goes down all I am going to see is the most magical view of the most magical place on earth

 

[RobPickles]

It all depends on your room location.

We have done the MKV at BLT twice and the first time we had a room smack in the middle of the building and had a "perfect" dead on view of the Castle. We were able to see the fireworks from any part of our room and really enjoyed it since we had our DD who was 9 months old and didn't stay late in the park that often.

Last year, we tried it again and had a room that was off to the left, closer to the Contemporary and the MKV was not all that great. This time you could NOT see the Castle from ANYWHERE in the room and had to go out on the balcony to see the fireworks AT ALL.

We mentioned it to a few people and they told us to complain about it and most likely they would move our room, but we decided against it. We only did a few firework views from our room this time around anyway and figured we would let another family have the good view.

This year we figured it wasn't worth it. We took a LV room and extended our stay three extra days.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Which floor? Yours is one of the repeated complaints of TPV. As a result, beginning next year, the 3rd and 4th floors are being converted to standard view (second floor has always been standard view). My personal view is that still is not enough of a conversion to solve this problem and they need to go up at least one more floor on that conversion but it is a start.

I would not want anymore re-categorizing. Every time this happens it changes the point chart, increasing the points per night. The points chart is already high enough.

 

[Sunshine22]

The MKV is quite magical if you are on a high floor (10th or greater IMO) directly facing the castle. Otherwise, the parking lot becomes a distraction during the day and somewhat at night. We had a spectacular exterior LV room on the 14th floor where we could see the lake but also MK to our left (castle, space mountain, etc). If we had been in our room during the fireworks, we would have had a decent view of them (only had this room for 2 nights). For the points, I would prefer this view vs. the MKV on a lower floor or not directly facing the castle. I've also stayed in interior LV rooms that face the pool and rooms on the other side of the resort with limited views of the lake. These rooms are not as magical as the exterior LV rooms. Since we own at BLT and know that we will be back, we are ok knowing that we will have great views on some trips and ok views on other trips. We will probably stay in MKV rooms when it's not peak season and LV rooms when it is.

 

[Sandisw]

I would not want anymore re-categorizing. Every time this happens it changes the point chart, increasing the points per night. The points chart is already high enough.

One thing they could do, I think, without further affecting the points chart is make rooms on a certain floor--maybe 7th or 8th--and higher a booking category. Same points as those other TPV rooms, but you'd know when you booked what you were getting. Sorta of like how BW view and pool/garden are the same points.

 

[dvcforever]

Love the Mk view rooms at BLT!!! So worth it!!!!

 

[Finally DVC]

One thing they could do, I think, without further affecting the points chart is make rooms on a certain floor--maybe 7th or 8th--and higher a booking category. Same points as those other TPV rooms, but you'd know when you booked what you were getting. Sorta of like how BW view and pool/garden are the same points.

I so love this idea! As at BWV (and also OKW) it guarantees owners the chance to book the best rooms. On a side note, I'd love it if SSR bookings could be done by section. It's such a big resort and I've always thought owners (and anyone else booking, but especially owners) should be guaranteed the section they want.

 

[JJSWDW]

Per other comments about the view being over hyped and not accurately represented in the marketing, there's probably some truth to that. Think about how many people stay at AK and expect to have animals eat out of their hands from their balcony. Either way, I don't think I've ever let the view from a hotel room ruin a trip, but maybe I've just been lucky.

 

[Sandisw]

Per other comments about the view being over hyped and not accurately represented in the marketing, there's probably some truth to that. Think about how many people stay at AK and expect to have animals eat out of their hands from their balcony. Either way, I don't think I've ever let the view from a hotel room ruin a trip, but maybe I've just been lucky.

I do think you have a good point--how someone judges view is a matter of opinion so it would be very hard to completely meet everyone's mindset.

I am sure that the higher up you are at BLT, the better the view in those TPV rooms but we are like you--we don't go for the view but the location so seeing the parking lot--or the dumpster--would not bother us when we have the castle and Space Mountain in the distance.

Personally, we would never book a TPV room because the cost, compared to SV rooms, just wouldn't justify spending those points on view. But, for others, I am glad that they have at least changed things so that those that book know they will be 5th floor and higher.

 

[las3888]

I just wanted to chime in and agree with the OP. We were disappointed with our MK view when we stayed at BLT. We were on a higher floor but basically had a monorail view. Also, it is super sunny in the late afternoon and that made it difficult to sit outside on the deck in the late afternoon/early evening. However, that is just one of our pet peeves. We booked a lake view this past spring and I'm not sure if we were given a true lake view--we checked in really really early and were given an available room--I don't think it was our intended room, but we took it since we really wanted to get settled. It was facing the lake if we were on the balcony and faced to the right. However, it was shady and we could watch the pool activities. It wasn't our favorite, but it was probably better than the MK view. I would love a standard view--I feel like we probably would end up with our best view ever and save a ton on points!!!!

 

[supersuperwendy]

I don't think I'd splurge for theme park view at BLT....a couple of weeks ago I splurged on a lakeview 2 bedroom with dreams of really seeing beautiful bay lake. Instead I was 4th floor northfacing and could see space mountain and wishes clearly. I enjoyed seeing the fireworks but wasn't in love with my lake view. Our standard view in 2010 was far more worth the points for the view we had. So from now on it's standard view or nothing. I'd be afraid of splurging on a theme park view and hating it.

 

[smidgy]

I just wanted to chime in and agree with the OP. We were disappointed with our MK view when we stayed at BLT. We were on a higher floor but basically had a monorail view. Also, it is super sunny in the late afternoon and that made it difficult to sit outside on the deck in the late afternoon/early evening. However, that is just one of our pet peeves. We booked a lake view this past spring and I'm not sure if we were given a true lake view--we checked in really really early and were given an available room--I don't think it was our intended room, but we took it since we really wanted to get settled. It was facing the lake if we were on the balcony and faced to the right. However, it was shady and we could watch the pool activities. It wasn't our favorite, but it was probably better than the MK view. I would love a standard view--I feel like we probably would end up with our best view ever and save a ton on points!!!!

hiere is our mantra: always, always wait for the better room rather than just take what is ready.

what's a few hours to wait (at the pool , getting something to eat, going to a park) compared to the whole stay in a room you don't care for.. just cause it was ready?

 

[Sandisw]

I don't think I'd splurge for theme park view at BLT....a couple of weeks ago I splurged on a lakeview 2 bedroom with dreams of really seeing beautiful bay lake. Instead I was 4th floor northfacing and could see space mountain and wishes clearly. I enjoyed seeing the fireworks but wasn't in love with my lake view. Our standard view in 2010 was far more worth the points for the view we had. So from now on it's standard view or nothing. I'd be afraid of splurging on a theme park view and hating it.

It's amazing how the number of points you spend can alter one's perception. We too will only book SV rooms--unless I hit the lottery and then it will be GV all the time!!!

When we go next month, we have both SV and LV rooms--had them all at SV and then canceled one of the rooms when one of my guests couldn't go and realized that is was a mistake so could only get back LV--so we will see how it goes...just hoping that we can all be the same floor with the SV rooms on the front of the building and the LV on the back so they can be close.