unhappy with BLT

[KAT4DISNEY]

You really ought to try it yourself and not be overly influenced by a single review. FWIW I have pretty much the opposite feel about BLT and / or feel that the negatives expressed here apply in some way or other across the board to DVC resorts or to MK resorts. The dining at CR is no further away than from virtually every other DVC and other than the short outdoor walkway its all indoor access. Not all rooms have the maintenance issues that OP had. I've not had anything similar at BLT but have at other resorts - that's just a factor of rooms getting varying wear and tear and needing attention at various times.

The BLT decor is modern but that is simply a matter of taste. Nothing to dispute on the size of the studios. It's well discussed how small they are but I like the new layout since the moved the bathroom sink. There's a difference on brightness depending on where in the building your room is located but the decor is light and I haven't found it as dark as other resorts. Transportation at all deluxe resorts is little to brag about but at least you have access to one park that you know will always be fast - walking to/from the MK.

Just another opinion. And I just had a 5 night stay with an old college friend in a BLT studio in Nov. She gave a bite thumbs up to the resort and we had a great time.

 

[Tonygee]

You really ought to try it yourself and not be overly influenced by a single review. FWIW I have pretty much the opposite feel about BLT and / or feel that the negatives expressed here apply in some way or other across the board to DVC resorts or to MK resorts. The dining at CR is no further away than from virtually every other DVC and other than the short outdoor walkway its all indoor access. Not all rooms have the maintenance issues that OP had. I've not had anything similar at BLT but have at other resorts - that's just a factor of rooms getting varying wear and tear and needing attention at various times.

The BLT decor is modern but that is simply a matter of taste. Nothing to dispute on the size of the studios. It's well discussed how small they are but I like the new layout since the moved the bathroom sink. There's a difference on brightness depending on where in the building your room is located but the decor is light and I haven't found it as dark as other resorts. Transportation at all deluxe resorts is little to brag about but at least you have access to one park that you know will always be fast - walking to/from the MK.

Just another opinion. And I just had a 5 night stay with an old college friend in a BLT studio in Nov. She gave a bite thumbs up to the resort and we had a great time.

To the original poster... My wife and I just stayed at BLT, also during the first week of December here's our take on our experience..

Background: just purchased 210pts @ BWV a couple of months ago. Thanks to the folks on this board, you saved us alot of money. we originally purchased 160pts at VGF at $155pt. then we cancelled after some knowledgeable folks here pointed us in the right direction!!

We have been visiting the parks for years (just turned 40) first with our two children, but now more so just the two of us with the kids coming down once a year.. We like to visit at least once during Christmas Time for the decor and Christmas Party. Unfortunately we were unable to book a studio at BWV due to the short notice but found three nights at BLT (1st night lake view, 2nd theme park view, 3rd lake view).

Day of arrival: We always rent a vehicle, even before when we stayed off property we found that having a vehicle frees up alot of time waiting around and marching off to a designated area to be picked up.. we utilized the buses in the past and wife just doesn't enjoy it, nor do i that much but could deal if needed to. So we arrive at about 1130am. park, check in and sure enough they have a room ready (7518), this is a theme park view which they arranged to have us stay in the first two nights and said they would work on the third as well.. only downside was a couple extra points for 2 other nights which we agreed to. Staff = Wonderful helpful people...

First night: We notice the TV would freeze up? called downstairs they said they would replace it, they did (we guess) but sure enough when we got back, it was still freezing on an image while the sound was progressing.. then it got to the point of one picture and no changing of channels? i unplugged it and began to work properly for an hour then again... OK call them back 11pm, they come up say they'll change it tomorrow... We go to sleep... somewhere around 330am or so i wake up due to a noise coming from the Clock radio... almost like Morse code, some type of interference.. fantastic.. too tired, just slept, woke up etc etc lol...

Next Morning: Wake up.. phone message light blinking... phone will NOT respond to retrieve messages lol starting to get annoyed now.. Wife yells from the shower there's no hot water.. Now i'm getting extremely annoyed ... So............. Maintenance comes up we leave for breakfast (she wasn't kidding about the hot water lol) the Wave fantastic service food was fine, enjoyable experience we've eaten here several times. Just a note, my wife did not enjoy the sparse christmas decorations but it is "contemporary" so i get it... The monorail is so convenient and we were on the 5th floor so the sky bridge was a 100' direct walk if that, no issue there. i could see if we stayed on a different floor probably would get monotonous.. Great day at parks (we hop, another car must have too make up time imo)

We return home and 1.No clock radio... it's just gone. 2. TV STILL giving us a problem, called down and they said it's the "satellite" there's nothing to be done (even though when you unplug the TV it works fine for a while lol) hot water now fixed.. So 1 out of 3 not too bad.. also my wife pointed out the table was stained and that the carpet looked pretty dingy. We loved the view of the castle from our room.. that was nice.. but what's with the plastic cutlery and bowls/plates??? weird... Is it different for a 1br?

We decided do to our love of all things disney we would try to stay another evening.. So when we were visiting BWV we inquired as to any availability.. they said SURE! if you want to pay cash.. I said, no thank you.. can we use our points? they said NOPE! this did not make me happy, but it is what it is.. So were travel home later on and i said you know the staff at BLT was so nice lets try to get another night here or somewhere else.. they made a call to the back office and sure enough they said they can accommodate us for another evening.. we were happy with the help, just not so happy about not trying another resort given the issues (more so with the wife) and me wanting to show her a great time. We explained to them that we own at BWV, it's our first trip etc etc, they were SHOCKED that BWV did not get us in for a night.. which i have to say surprised us... but again, i guess it's not what you know but "who you know"..


Also on the "studio" Disney is pretty cute with that term, it's an inch larger than a hotel room.. but that's OK, we're not in there much while down there.. on a longer vacation we will stay in a 1 or 2br..

Anyway, we are staying in a 1br at BWV in February for 5 days for our daughters birthday. I hope to report back with a great story.. We love Disney, we are retiring in 2028 and i plan on relocating us down there so we can enjoy it anytime we wish (going to move within an hour of the area).


In short: BLT scale of 1-10 gets a 6 from us.. Staff get a solid 10..

PS. we never did get our clock radio back lol

 

[Deb & Bill]

... We loved the view of the castle from our room.. that was nice.. but what's with the plastic cutlery and bowls/plates??? weird... Is it different for a 1br? ...
Also on the "studio" Disney is pretty cute with that term, it's an inch larger than a hotel room.. but that's OK, we're not in there much while down there.. on a longer vacation we will stay in a 1 or 2br.....In short: BLT scale of 1-10 gets a 6 from us.. Staff get a solid 10..

PS. we never did get our clock radio back lol

Studios never have real cutlery or dishes, except for a couple of ceramic mugs and glass glasses. You can request some from housekeeping, but they might even say no. Not sure. There was a time when they even took the mugs and glasses out because they couldn't wash them properly in the studio.

The BLT studio is the smallest studio on the property except for the value studio at Jambo House. There is so much more room in the kitchenette and bathroom than other studios. So that leaves a lot less room for the living area. We've only stayed in a studio four times, two at OKW which are pretty big and twice at BWV which is still bigger than BLT. All four stays were short kind of like your stay. Longer stays demand a one bedroom at least for the two of us.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

While I agree that this one isn't the nicest resort, what it lacks in charm it makes up for in location.

 

[CMOORE185]

My take on BLT. Had potential to be a top DVC resort but seems to have so many small issues it just starts to put a negative on vacation.

Seems a lot of people have these issues they never solve, TV problems, room condition issues, shower head leaking and water not hot enough. I have had everyone of these issues and more. Maintenance is super slow or does not respond at all.

 

[jimmytammy]

We own all our pts at VWL with a few at BWV for F&W Fest to boot. If you had asked me when we 1st bought in at VWL if I would stay anywhere else, I would say there is no other place. Then we branched out, stayed at OKW in a studio only to go never again. Then we stayed in a 1 bed at OKW and fell in love with it
I share this as we approached staying at BLT back in Feb with the same thoughts in my mind. I wasnt keen on the modern feel(remember, I am a woodsy VWL guy)so I tried to go it as its new, different, keep an open mind. So glad I did. We had a 1 bed LV and loved it. I love the amenities CR has to offer, The Wave for breakfast, the proximity to MK, etc.
The buses were hit and miss, but thats the case with all resorts. We drive to most parks these days.
I would say give it time but give it another try someday, maybe it will give better results, I know Im glad we did this with OKW

 

[deedisneydream97]

Newfangled..don't be swayed by some bad reviews. BLT is very popular for a reason. Of course it's "sterile". It's contemporary = modern. Definitely not my taste in decor, but really love staying there. Yes, the studios are small, but the kitchenette area is great and the great views from the balcony makes it feel less small. And as someone else said, all studios have paper plates and paper bowls, as there is no dishwasher and really not enough room for a dish drying rack. You cannot beat the one bedroom, though, with two full bathrooms. Plus a pull out couch AND pull out oversized chair. And the food a the wave has improved over the years (just wans't my taste). Love the Cali Grill, but so expensive. But the quick service is very good. A mono-rail ride to the Poly for some other good places to eat or the GF. Or a short boat ride over to the Wildnerness Lodge...Artists View (?) never lets us down.

I'm not a big fan of the pool at BLT. I like my pool water to be bathtub temperature. It doesn't get alot of sun because of the shade from the building. Also the afternoon pool party music is just too loud and the sound bounces off the building. I really enjoy sitting on the beach with a book or just watching the activity on the water.

And love the walk to the MK! Can't be beat. If we don't feel like driving somewhere, we walk over to the bus depot at the MK and can grab a bus to anywhere! Agree that the wait can be long sometimes, but it's Disney; you expect to have to wait, especially during busy times.

Another great thing....you can walk over to MK just to take a stroll on Main Street...grab a cup of coffee and some great fudge. Or find a spot to people watch.

We own at BLT and BWV and love both resorts equally for different reasons. Stayed at BCV (not a fan), SSR (not a big fan, but those points have enabled us to stay at Aluani twice) and VWL (a nice resort...studios feel very roomy there). DD's new favorite resort is AKL....likes the "resorty" feel and said bus service was good.

Enjoy your stay. Can't wait for our next trip.

 

[purpleknightjc]

wow!! so many strong opinions here! like i said in my op, this resort was not for me for many reasons, and thats ok! there are lots of other resorts. I was looking forward to staying here because i did hear so many positive things. it was very crowded last week also, so maybe that added to my frustration with transportation. and yes, the pool doesnt get much sun because of the angle to the building
but to each his own! i like knowing the pros AND cons of resorts and what to expect.

 

[kittyab]

If you were unhappy with your room (ie the shower) you should had told management and see about being moved.

A bad shower is a deal breaker for me.

 

[purpleknightjc]

we did ask about being moved to a different room. also asked for different resort. everything was fully booked and couldnt be moved to either

 

[Tonygee]

If you were unhappy with your room (ie the shower) you should had told management and see about being moved.

A bad shower is a deal breaker for me.

^^^^^ this is unacceptable, to me.......
Things happen but that "you should have moved" mentality is ridiculous. Why?

this is DISNEY.. it's supposed to be head and shoulders above the rest. these things should be tested, fixed and upkeep should be better.. we pay maintenance fees for just that reason. I love Disney and i hope things are better for us in the future.. not impressed with my purchase so far, which was paid in full at closing. Hopefully our february trip changes my mind (about the upkeep)

 

[js]

Although BLT is the least favorite of the DVC resorts I have stayed at to date, I am staying there again in a few weeks for a three night pre cruise stay. The location for me is taking precedence over quality I guess.

There are 10 of us total and we wanted dinner at Chef Mickeys, Ohana and drinks at ToTW. We are doing a one-day only trip to MK prior to the cruise so this was a good choice.

I know most have a least favorite of SSR, which is where I own and is our favorite. When we purchased, my children were smaller but always knowing they get bigger, wanted the convenience of having us go for dinner/drinks, etc. spend evenings there as well as the large resort so this works perfectly for us and no worries of busses for the evenings.

Sorry your stay wasn't 100% magical!

 

[NoleFan]

Surprisingly, I really liked BLT. Our favorite park is MK so the location can't be beat. Our favorites about the resort: close parking, walking or monorail access to MK, multiple options to view fireworks, community hall, boat access to FW or WL, my DS enjoyed the large video game arcade at CR, variety of food options. Dislikes- decor, pool (prefer the pool at CR over BLT but still not our favorite resort pool).

 

[dbs1228]

I have only stayed in 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and GV and so far BLT room layout for the 2 bedroom is the best for my family. I love the 2nd bedroom being at one end of villa master at the other. Kitchen has so much storage space and work area and its all open to the living room plenty of seating for the whole family. Love the location. We stayed at GFV in Feb in a 2 bedroom and I did not like it at all, limited seating felt cramped in living room/kitchen. I kept wishing I was at BLT. Stayed at BWV in 2 bedroom for food and wine and let me tell you about a walk - if you forgot something in the room you were not going back, refillable mug no way not worth it - view was amazing! The 2 bedroom (since they are all lock offs) seemed so closed in. I like the open kitchen/living area because when we travel we like to spend time hanging out and having meals together. BWV (as much as I loved it there) had comfortable seating for 3 to watch TV or just to sit around and have a glass of wine. We only had 4 of us but at times we have had 8 at BLT and find plenty of room with the big kitchen table and living room. OKW 2 bedroom is probably my second choice for 2 bedroom followed by AKV. So far the only resort I will probably not return to is the GVF (beautiful resort) but would much rather be at BLT.

 

[summabreeze85]

I'm a BLT owner (but just sold half my original investment). Sold because I didn't know what I was doing when I bought direct back in 2009 and this was my 3rd stay at BLT out of the 30 DVC trips I've made. My husband and I stayed last Sun-Tues in a STANDARD view studio (requested north tower highest floor possible even number room). View was AWESOME! Saw the tip of the castle and all of space mountain.
Experience:
-The shower was painful. The shower head didn't exactly leak, but a few streams sprouted out. Had to turn it just above coming out from the bath faucet to make it bearable
-Room is VERY small. I didn't remember them being that small. The layout is just too weird me. Also, my husband and I were arguing whether or not the sink used to be in the kitchen. I tried google'ing it but didn't really come up with anything. The sink is now in the bathroom which makes the bathroom even smaller.
-Bathroom door is still terrible. Even though they relocated the locks, the door definitely doesn't shut all the way. It feels weird to know my husband can see through the crack (ha ha...)
-TV doesn't have a great picture
-I think the OP said these were the best beds in Disney...I think the complete opposite - the are the WORST beds in Disney! It was so hard and uncomfortable.
-First time we've stayed there since the new check-in desk was installed. I think it's a nice convenient feature but I never minded checking in at the contemporary.
-Food: I loved chef mickeys dinner. The lobster mac n cheese and the halibut with the pineapple salsa were 2 of the best things ive ever had a restaurant in Disney. Didn't do it this time but love the wave and the cali grill also. We took a boat ride to Wilderness Lodge and ate at Artist Point; it was a nice atmosphere and food was real good but I don't need to go back there again. We did quick service for breakfast and lunch. The food by the contemporary pool isn't great (boxed wraps and such). The pool bar at BLT was closed but the drink refill station still worked
Went to MVMCP - it was absolutely awesome being able to walk in and out of MK. Location of BLT is its best asset. We took the monorail over to the poly to lay on the beach and check out the bungalows.
All in all I am not sad I sold half my BLT points. It's nice to know I have them for when my kids get a little older but I definitely prefer other resorts.

 

[sleepydog25]

Yikes! I have been thinking of trying for a couple of nights at BLT when our DVC purchase goes through (not our home resort). No kids for us, so I had been thinking this might be a great spot but maybe not!

I have heard that Chef Mickey's is nothing to write home about (never been because of that). I do love California Grill - first time there was this past March and it was magical. On another random evening we had a spontaneous dinner at the Contempo Cafe ...low expectations and were pleasantly surprised. (we did stuff like this when we lived 10 minutes away in Celebration - but we moved an hour away so it's prompted the DVC purchase, and more planning)

Are there any dining options at BTL without going over to the Contemporary?

Most disheartening to hear about your transportation issues! I would have thought BLT / Contemporary to be superior in this regard given the array of monorail, boat, and bus options! We never had any issues when just browsing around the resorts, but I'm certain it's different when you are staying there (thus coming and going at the same time as other guests).

As others have said, don't let others' opinions stop you from trying. Any resort will have issues at some point, and sometimes stays are less than magical as was the case for the OP. Our experiences at BLT have been nothing but good, especially regarding the staff. It's usually just the two of us, so the studio is just fine (even if smallish, it's not as if we need the extra space). Our views have been of the lake and pool, and that view is wonderful--seeing the EWP is delightful. Walking to MK is a huge bonus, and the monorail is quite convenient, too. Since we almost always drive, getting to the parks is not an issue for us. The two times we haven't driven, transportation was adequate to good; however, poor bus performance is one of those static issues which will continue to rear its head. Chef Mickey is not one of the restaurants we frequent since it's always crowded and the food pedestrian. The only option for food at BLT is the TOWL which has a good bar and some bar food type selections. That's fine with us for when we want to watch Wishes. While BLT doesn't speak to us the way VWL does (and that resort has plenty of detractors), we'll definitely go back in the future. Don't worry. Have fun!

 

[disneynutz]

^^^^^ this is unacceptable, to me.......
Things happen but that "you should have moved" mentality is ridiculous. Why?

this is DISNEY.. it's supposed to be head and shoulders above the rest. these things should be tested, fixed and upkeep should be better.. we pay maintenance fees for just that reason. I love Disney and i hope things are better for us in the future.. not impressed with my purchase so far, which was paid in full at closing. Hopefully our february trip changes my mind (about the upkeep)

Sad reality is the more you stay, the more you see behind the curtain and the greater the odds that you will see some negative things and have things go wrong.

Guests that vacation once or twice in their lifetime have a much different view of Disney compared to someone who vacations at WDW 3 times per year.

Bill

 

[DenLo]

Very few DVC resorts actually have a restaurant, AKV Kidani - Sanaa, SSR-Turf Club, and OKW-Olivias. For the rest the restaurants are located at the Disney cash resort that the DVC resort is attached to. Even BWV is set up that way, the restaurants are in front of the cash resort on the boardwalk.

If something in the room doesn't work, I hope that the DVC member or their guest reports the problem otherwise it will never get fixed.

For the poster that mentioned that the shower stung in the BLT studio, it is has a variable setting level for the shower. You just move the lever back a little to reduce the forcefulness of the shower spray.

 

[jessicaanne86]

I love BLT but I don't know if it is great for kids. Try Saratoga if you like great lighting! I found that one to be the brightest