Disappointment at BLT

[csaj]

BLT should have an additional category of view rooms to split the bay lake views on the outside with the ones on the inside facing the pool. We stayed there and had specifically requested to stay on a high floor, on the outside, facing north. We were placed in the middle (9th floor) facing the pool. The rooms facing the pool have over half of the view blocked by other rooms. We spent the last four days of our vacation staring at other people on balconies, in various stages of disrobement. We tried to get a MK view, but those had been booked solid from the first day of the seven month booking period for non BLT owners. If DVC had a specific category, I would have either been guaranteed the view I wanted, or would have known I would be getting a pool view and would not have been disappointed. I would have been willing to use more points for the additional view. My advice would be if you cannot get a MK view, don’t bother with a bay lake view. If you get stuck on the inside, your view would be just as good, if not better with a standard view. We were also supposed to be in a 2BR lock off, but got a dedicated 2BR. When we complained, we were told by the CM, “You can see the bay. You’re in a two bedroom. You got what you paid for.” If enough people complain about this, DVC might actually do something about it.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Sorry you were disappointed.

Not to sound harsh but I have to sing the "A request is just a request" song.

IIRC from the BLT room thread, I think MK view & Standard view make up only about 10% each of the resorts total availability so EVERYTHING else is considered Lake View. If you were in the center section then you had a direct view of Bay Lake, just not a panoramic view, right?

Trust me, if you were booking in Hawaii & could see the tiniest square of ocean while leaning out the balcony as your partner held your feet they'd be charging you for an Ocean View room.

I don't think additional booking categories are needed here at all.

If you didn't get what you booked it would be one thing. I guess I just don't understand the complaint. Maybe your disappointment in not being able to book a MK view soured you from the beginning?

 

[5forDiz]

........We were also supposed to be in a 2BR lock off, but got a dedicated 2BR. When we complained, we were told by the CM, “You can see the bay. You’re in a two bedroom. You got what you paid for.” If enough people complain about this, DVC might actually do something about it.

I'm not sure on this 100% but if your confirm said lock off then you should have been in lock off barring an extreme set of circumstances that took the lock off out of service. Hopefully others will be along to tell you for certain if this should have been case ( if so, you may want to contact member satisfaction ).

 

[DVC Mike]

As DVC MS tells you when you make a request:

"Requests are not guaranteed"

 

[VrBchJ]

Just wait until you use extra points to book MK view and end up with a parking lot view.

 

[rlovew]

10% of the resort is standard view and 20% is MK view. I would guess that except at the least busy times of year both of those views will be sold out well before the 7 month window. I know when I called at 11 months on the dot for a standard view in Nov I got the last studio. In fact even before the 7 month window opened up for Jan (but well after the 11 month- I couldn't get a Sun-Thurs reservation for a studio in any view the week I was looking at, they had some days in lakeview but not all of them.

 

[bytheblood]

Just wait until you use extra points to book MK view and end up with a parking lot view.

 

[parlay]

wow, if spent the points for a MK view and got that view, I would be upset!!

 

[VrBchJ]

You have a photo of my MK view!

 

[Deb & Bill]

wow, if spent the points for a MK view and got that view, I would be upset!!

I can see the MK in that photo. The top of Space Mountain. The top of the castle. It appears to be a MK view to me. Not the best MK view I've ever seen, but a MK view none the less.

I bet you could see the fireworks from there. Tilt that camera up and bit and the fireworks should be clear at night.

By the way, how did it look from the balcony? This photo was taken through a window.

 

[DigDug]

That looks like a MK view to me too. You see the castle and space mountain. I think people really don't know what to expect when they stay at the contemporary or BLT and ask for a MK view. The majority of the view is going to be the parking lot.

With regard to the original poster, we recently got back from an inner lake view studio and I didn't think the crescents took away from the view of the lake at all. We had a gorgeous lake view. The mornings were absolutely beautiful with the sun shimmering on the lake.

 

[disneynutz]

Disney has reported that they are working to correct the view categories across property, not just the DVC resorts.

There are questionable view categories at most of the newer DVC resorts. Hopefully Disney has realized that they may have been a little over zealous with their creativity and make some corrections.

Bill

 

[Sandisw]

I can see the MK in that photo. The top of Space Mountain. The top of the castle. It appears to be a MK view to me. Not the best MK view I've ever seen, but a MK view none the less.

I bet you could see the fireworks from there. Tilt that camera up and bit and the fireworks should be clear at night.

By the way, how did it look from the balcony? This photo was taken through a window.

When BLT first opened, understanding what the view could be was tricky. But now, with all that has been reported, I think those who read the boards have an idea that some of the MK views, on the lower floors, are not as great as higher floors as well as that some of the LV rooms are wonderful.

But, everyone wants the rooms that are there. We have requested just what the OP requested for our upcoming stay.

Obviously, everyone can not have outer side, north end, and higher floor rooms. We have had one of those rooms and they are great. But, when we get there in August, if we are on the inside, that will be fine too.

 

[Crystal_27]

I can see the MK in that photo. The top of Space Mountain. The top of the castle. It appears to be a MK view to me. Not the best MK view I've ever seen, but a MK view none the less.

I agree - - you can see MK; I would classify that as an MK view too. For what its worth, when we took the tour and bought into BLT, our Guide was very straightforward about the views - - he said that a view having any portion of MK was considered an MK view, just as any view having a view of Bay Lake was considered a lake view. Perhaps knowing DVC's classification of views going in has made me more of a realist when it comes to views and what to expect. When we stayed at BLT, I wasn't crazy about our lake view either, but that's why we will now book standard view at BLT for our future trips - - problem solved.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Okay, so I'm sure this has been addressed somewhere, but exactly WHICH north end rooms are considered lake view, and which are considered MK view? When we did the tour at BLT in March, we went through a GV that was on the north end. Yes the view was predominantly lake, but I thought the MK view from that balcony was FAR superior to the MK view from those on the MK side of the building.

 

[dizfan]

Okay, so I'm sure this has been addressed somewhere, but exactly WHICH north end rooms are considered lake view, and which are considered MK view? When we did the tour at BLT in March, we went through a GV that was on the north end. Yes the view was predominantly lake, but I thought the MK view from that balcony was FAR superior to the MK view from those on the MK side of the building.

work2play has a thread tracking the rooms and their category at BLT.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2257082

 

[n2mm]

We stayed there in May and had an INSIDE LV 1 bedroom. We did not make any request because we just didn't really have a feel for the layout yet. We too looked down on the shuffel board court and pool. We could HEAR the ELP every night but could not see it. We knew it was out there and would try to lean to see it, but it could not be done. No complaints, lesson learned for us. Next time we'll try for a request. But in November we have a dedicated 2 bedroom standard view, and we are aware of the possibilities, but we're OK with that.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

We were also supposed to be in a 2BR lock off, but got a dedicated 2BR. When we complained, we were told by the CM, “You can see the bay. You’re in a two bedroom. You got what you paid for.” If enough people complain about this, DVC might actually do something about it.

You wrote that you were supposed to get a 2BR lockoff... but to guarantee this, you would have to book a studio and a 1BR and link the reservations. That would be more points.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You wrote that you were supposed to be in a 2BR lock off, but received a dedicated 2BR. The point total for these is different. Which one did you book (per the point total)?

The point totals are the same for a dedicated or a lock off.

What you may be thinking of is booking a 1BR and a studio separately. The point total for that differs from booking a 2BR lock off.

Still - the are booking categories and the poster should have recieved what they booked. That would have been on their confirmation letter.

 

[LisaS]

You wrote that you were supposed to get a 2BR lockoff... but to guarantee this, you would have to book a studio and a 1BR and link the reservations. That would be more points.

If you book a studio and 1BR rather than a 2BR lockoff it would be more points and there would be no guarantee that the two rooms would connect. You could be assigned a 1BR on the 5th floor and a studio on the 10th floor for example. If you want a studio and 1BR that connect then you should book a 2BR lockoff.

Reservations can be linked only if they are for the same room type. For example, let's say you have two master contracts and you want to book a 7-night stay in a 1BR but you don't have enough points in either contract to book all 7 nights. You could book the first 3 nights of your stay with points from one contract and the last 4 nights of your stay in the same room type with points from your other contract. MS would link your two reservations together so that you don't have to check-out/check-in halfway through your stay and so that the room assigner puts you in the same 1BR for both parts of your stay.