Just back from BLT some random thoughts...

[culli]

We have never stayed at the contemp resort or any monorail resort in the past so this was our first.

1. Nice place especially for those who like the contemp styling. It has the "high rise" deluxe hotel/condo feel.
2. Very kid friendly, the pool area and community hall is very nice. There is access to a small sand area for kids to play. However the sand area does not have access to the lake for kids who like to get water and play in the sand. It is not really a nice place but does meet the need if your kids love to play in sand like mind do.
3. Easy access to the contemp pool and beach and well everything.
4. Very easy walk to MK, probably about the same walk from BWV to HS.
5. VERY SHOCKED on how beat up the rooms already are for only being open a few weeks. The kitchen island had a chunk out of the wood as well as the dinning seating area. Walls with scrapes on them, and carpet was looking worn. Light tan couch already had lots of stains and actually looked dirty and kind of nasty, it looked like college students had it for a year then gave it to BLT. I'm not saying it all had to be replaced but at this rate WOW it will need to be in another year or so....or I assume people will be posting that BLT needs a rehab.
6. The flat panel TVS are nice
7. I like the layout, for us the 3 bathrooms in a 2 br is overkill and think the sq ft usage would be better used in the living/dinning area.
8. The staff was very nice, the community hall CMs are great.
9. I really liked the slide out pantry and stove/oven. Ice maker in freezer works great.
10. Cool shower in the master br has an over head "rain" setting
11. I swear when anyone in the building flushes the toilet you can hear it.
12. Balcony off each bedroom with a door access from living area to master bedroom balcony.
13. If you stay you HAVE to watch the fireworks at least once from the top floor lounge.........very cool.

ok here is my thoughts on some of this as it pertains to MY FAMILY ONLY:

1. Didn't feel like "home" to me, felt like I rented a nice hotel/condo. I'm a guy for the modern feel but for some reason it just didn't do it for me.
2. Monrail is ok but don't understand the big hype. You have to transfer to get to EPCOT.
3. BCV and BWV has a much better appeal to our family, has a more "fun" atmosphere not as a sterile type feeling.
4. Even with 3 young kids we like EPCOT and HS much better than MK and the ability to walk there is HUGE for us. I much prefer to walk than wait for any transportation.
5. If you take away the abiltiy to walk to MK, BLT would fall to the bottom of my wish list just before AKV.

Don't look at this any kind of rip on BLT, I really wanted to love the place. We did like it but for those "EPCOT" area people I really don't think BLT will do it for you. We walked down by the BW area and my kids went nuts with excitement and asked why we can't stay here now (note they are young). My daughter said it feels like we are home. Even my wife said "yeah this is nice but we are staying at BCV or BWV from now on if we can get in".

That is why DVC does a good job, lots of different options for everyone. My ideal resort would be SSR located in BW area with an SAB type pool. For those who like the MK and especially the Contemp resorts you will NOT be disappointed, I think they did an awesome job and I'm confident you will love it. Like I said I have never stayed at the Contemp or any monrail resort and was so pumped to stay there, but I don't think I would like any of them better than the BW area. I'm very happy we got to stay there espcially with all the hype. We had a dedicated 2br and a studio for 9 nights.

Thanks for reading my ramblings and with BLT here is my resorts of choice:

1. BCV
2. BWV
3. SSR (would be #1 but wish it was on the BW)
4. WLV
5. OKW
6. BLT (however with the ability to walk to MK it might move to 3 for requests)
7. AKV

 

[CarolMN]

Thanks for your report. My DH & I are BWV owners and will be staying at the BLT for the week after Thanksgiving. This is the first time we have used points to stay at WDW somewhere other than BWV. I really want to like BLT, but suspect I will end up feeling the same as you do. I love BWV location and atmosphere.

Sorry to hear that guest are treating the rooms so poorly. Thanks again for taking the time to share your impressions.

 

[dizneygirl123]

We too just returned from BLT and it is a beautiful resort - that said I felt like there were some design flaws.
The shared area between kitchen and bathroom sink
Non locking bathroom door
However on the flip side
It was extremely clean
Great Decor
Good choices of places to eat ( at Cont)
Above all was the fireworks viewing area - My kids ages 11 and 7 wanted to go back every night to watch fireworks from there. They were spectacular!!
Each resort has perks it is just what you are looking for - we loved the access to each park from BLT.

 

[culli]

Ok got to ask what is the big deal with the bathroom door not locking? We never lock interior doors at our house, if the door is shut it is occupied, if you are not sure you knock. If you hear the shower someone is in it. I like the sliding doors of BLT saves space and looks nice. Even if we stay at a friends house I never lock the doors.

 

[LuvtoPlan]

We just returned from a wonderful week and wanted to try some of the resorts that we never stayed at before in our 6 years as members. We stayed the first two nights at BLT and really did not like it. Lobby too small, way too much cement around the building, and just did not have that Disney special feel. I like contemporary design so I was surprised that I was disappointed. I also agree that it was getting pretty beat up all ready. There were several dirt marks on our walls and the entrance for the elevators was not well maintained. Another disappointment was that we booked the first two nights on cash and used our points for the rest of the week at the Boardwalk, we did not know that you would not be permitted to go to the lounge at the top of the BLT if you did not stay on points. If I had known that I would have changed my reservations around and tried to stay at least one night on points. However, I don't think that would have changed my mind too much. The lobby of the Contemporary where you check in for BLT had a very musty smell as well. We still had a good time and enjoyed our stay at Boardwalk and the last two nights at Saratoga Springs our home resort.

 

[carolina_yankee]

We just finished a 9 night BLT stay in a studio. There was much we liked and there were some problems.

I agree that the rooms are showing some serious wear and tear for 6 weeks after opening (our case). The chairs had severely scuffed the side of the TV credenza, and you couldn't wipe it off. There was also a gouge in the granite counter top on the kitchenette side, though that was probably just a flaw in the granite to begin with.

We (2 adults) had no issues with the sliding door, but I can see how a family with kids could experience privacy violations. Why the architects couldn't design some sort of latching mechanism that fits the design is beyond me.

However, we LOVE the look of the bathroom door!

Housekeeping had some very serious issues - the former guest's duvet was draped over a chair and table and there was still food in the fridge when we checked in. They didn't give us dish soap and a sponge and sounded clueless when we requested it. Three hours later, they finally figured it out.

On the full housekeeping day, they took away all our towels and returned half as many. We're entitled to 4 sets, and there were 4 names on the ressie. Give us the four sets! We called, and they delivered. (Over delivered, actually).

The tons of bugs resting on the first floor walls at night is a little unsettling, but there were no signs of them the next AM and no smell of chemicals, either - so whatever they do to take care of them seems to work.

The A/C in our room didn't work either. It took two calls to maintenance to get them to actually fix it. The first time, they insisted it was the thermostat (never mind it was at least 80 in the room) working appropriately. The second time, they finally got in and mucked with the air handler. Instant success, then things worked just fine for the rest of the trip.

I think BLT will have a very difficult maintaining the hype among guests who have already stayed there, but I think there will always be some hype because it's the "monorail DVC" and folks just have to stay there.

We enjoyed it well enough we'll happily do it again. It's nice to have very easy access to the other monorail resorts (we always at Kona and at V&A or Citrico's), and its nice to walk over to the MK to catch a bus to another resort, or use the MK bus from another resort to get back home. This was very convenient given we spent a fair amount of time eating or visiting friends at AKV, too.

Dirk

 

[disneynutz]

We have never stayed at the contemp resort or any monorail resort in the past so this was our first.

2. Very kid friendly, the pool area and community hall is very nice. There is access to a small sand area for kids to play. However the sand area does not have access to the lake for kids who like to get water and play in the sand. It is not really a nice place but does meet the need if your kids love to play in sand like mind do.

This concerns me. Standing bodies of water are not to be played with. Disney has a "no touch" policy regarding their lakes. Critters such as snakes are common in the water and the State of Florida issues warnings every year about the high bacteria contamination.

Wouldn't want our fellow DISers to get sick or kissed by a snake.

 

[lah3hh]

I don't know about anyone else but after reading this thread I just want to scream....Come on guys, let's take care of the BLT. To know that it is showing wear and tear so quickly is unacceptable!!!

If this trend keeps continuing, the MF(s) at this home resort are going to start sky rocketing. I don't know about anyone else, but when I go to a DVC resort (whether it is a home resort for me or not) I take care of it as if it were my own home.

If people act as if it doesn't matter...we all end of paying for that kind of attitude. Let's take care of our beloved DVC homes!!!!

Ok, I am off my soap box now...sorry for the ranting and thank you for listening to me.

 

[disneynutz]

I don't know about anyone else but after reading this thread I just want to scream....Come on guys, let's take care of the BLT. To know that it is showing wear and tear so quickly is unacceptable!!!

If this trend keeps continuing, the MF(s) at this home resort are going to start sky rocketing. I don't know about anyone else, but when I go to a DVC resort (whether it is a home resort for me or not) I take care of it as if it were my own home.

If people act as if it doesn't matter...we all end of paying for that kind of attitude. Let's take care of our beloved DVC homes!!!!

Ok, I am off my soap box now...sorry for the ranting and thank you for listening to me.

I would think that DVC Members would take pretty good care of their rooms. The problem is, only half of the rooms are is being used by members, the other half are Disney cash paying Guests. The quality of the products selected might also be on the cheap and aren't wearing so well. Disney is always trying to cut costs, and sometimes it bites them in the butt.

 

[nursegirl]

We just returned from an 8 night stay at BLT in a one bedroom. We thought it was just awesome! Didn't actually see anything in the way of wear and tear - we were on the 12th floor on the MK end and I have to admit that seeing the fireworks from our balcony everynight was great! Also, the view of MK every morning waiting for the elevator was stunning.

It met our expectations and we would definitely stay again. If I had to pick one thing that we thought was sort of eh - it was the birds. I enjoy nature as much as the next person - but we felt like they were absolutely everywhere. In the Contempo Cafe, on the walkway, on the balcony, flocks on the tennis courts and on the beach. Not a deal breaker, but very... birdy.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...On the full housekeeping day, they took away all our towels and returned half as many. We're entitled to 4 sets, and there were 4 names on the ressie. Give us the four sets! We called, and they delivered. (Over delivered, actually).....
Dirk

You didn't get five bath towels, two or three hand towels and five face cloths in the one bedroom on day 4?

 

[quirty30]

Ok got to ask what is the big deal with the bathroom door not locking? We never lock interior doors at our house, if the door is shut it is occupied, if you are not sure you knock. If you hear the shower someone is in it. I like the sliding doors of BLT saves space and looks nice. Even if we stay at a friends house I never lock the doors.

I agree, I don't see what all the fuss is about. At our house a closed door means the bathroom is occupied - I never lock the door.

 

[carolina_yankee]

You didn't get five bath towels, two or three hand towels and five face cloths in the one bedroom on day 4?

Mousekeeping basically needs to be on speed dial for BLT stays.

Dirk

 

[Deb & Bill]

You didn't get five bath towels, two or three hand towels and five face cloths in the one bedroom on day 4?

Mousekeeping basically needs to be on speed dial for BLT stays.

Dirk

So did you???

 

[carolina_yankee]

So did you???

In the studio, on day 4, we got something like 3 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 4 washcloths, and 1 dishtowel.

We called, and then ended up with something like 5 bath towels, 4 hand towels, and 3 dishtowels. (Wash cloths stayed the same).

I made a total of 5 calls to mouskeeping, 2 to maintenance, and 1 to internet services on the trip. While not on speed dial, I did know the pre-programmed buttons on the phone well enough to not have to look.

Oh, the internet service was interesting - I couldn't connect (couldn't get past the confirmation page). I called. They gave me a special code - I stayed logged in for 4 days before it reset and asked me to confirm access. Then, it worked as normal. Had I been paying, I would have had 4 days for the price of one!!

Dirk

 

[Muhlenberg]

I would think that DVC Members would take pretty good care of their rooms. The problem is, only half of the rooms are is being used by members, the other half are Disney cash paying Guests. The quality of the products selected might also be on the cheap and aren't wearing so well. Disney is always trying to cut costs, and sometimes it bites them in the butt.

Not only that, but the studio is so small, they're only asking for problems with the chairs bumping into things like the TV armoire. And then there's the bed that's about 18" from the wall...that's going to get scraped by people, too.

I toured the models at BLT, and the ones they had open (which are on the inner side) look like if someone has a scooter that they're keeping in the room to charge, they'd have a hard time maneuvering around the walls at the entrance to the unit. It's just asking to be bumped into.

That's NOT to say that people shouldn't be careful! There was also a stain on the carpeting (I think in the studio) that looked like someone had dropped a soda.

 

[CommandoDawg]

My wife and I just got back from 4 nights at BLT with my older DD, SIL and 18 month old GD. Our room was in great shape. We had a LV 1BR but the castle and firewords could be viewed from the sofa bed. My GD loves slides right now and the kiddie slide in the pool may be her favorite thing in the world (not just DW).

 

[Rat-a-too-ee]

I agree, I don't see what all the fuss is about. At our house a closed door means the bathroom is occupied - I never lock the door.

Agreed. I actually don't think they should have locks, especially with the chance of a little kid playing around and accidentally locking him/herself in a strange bathroom and not knowing how to get out. Can you imagine all of the frantic calls to maintenance they could get in a year's time?

 

[carolina_yankee]

Agreed. I actually don't think they should have locks, especially with the chance of a little kid playing around and accidentally locking him/herself in a strange bathroom and not knowing how to get out. Can you imagine all of the frantic calls to maintenance they could get in a year's time?

A lock can be designed to not lock someone in. I'm pretty confident a Disney architect can figure out how.

Kids get rambunctious. The door slides very loosely. Things can happen. An adult could also accidentally bump the door and it would go flying open. For some people, that would be very annoying. For others, not.

Dirk

 

[culli]

Kids get rambunctious. The door slides very loosely. Things can happen. An adult could also accidentally bump the door and it would go flying open. For some people, that would be very annoying. For others, not.

Dirk

Boy those examples are a stretch, but anything is possible I guess. Hey to each their own on the lock issue. But accidentally bump the door and it would go flying open........yeah if they had way too many adult beverages that could be a possibility.