Wicked Wind Down, Wicked Disappointing

[Wedgeout]

The lounge is “carved out” from the DVC condo association as a commercial area, just like restaurants and shops elsewhere are. Because of that, BLT owners neither pay for lounge operations in their dues nor share in any profit or loss from those operations. It’s completely separate and independent from BLT.

Just strange to me then that it is advertised as DVC access.

 

[Sandisw]

So WWD is intermixed with everyone else in the lounge? It used to be in a separate room off to one side. I haven't paid attention in recent visits to notice if they had changed that or not.

See post above about my experience…

 

[Sandisw]

Just strange to me then that it is advertised as DVC access.

Technically, as commercial space, it could be turned into a lounge for anyone, but DVD decided to pay for it to be an exclusive space for those with membership extras.

So, it’s now an exclusive spot. It’s like all the other lounges. DVD pays Disney to rent the space.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

I can't find the menu. Can someone please post a link to it?
Thanks in advancce.

 

[CarolynFH]

Just strange to me then that it is advertised as DVC access.

As Sandi said, Disney could open it to anyone, but so far they have chosen to restrict it to DVC members. When BLT first opened, only members staying at BLT could go up there, but apparently the lounge didn’t get enough business that way. Over the years eligibility has gradually expanded - to DVC members staying on property, now to DVC members in general (I can’t remember when the DVC-Y requirement came in, probably when the blue card/DVC-Y distinction came into existence). And they’ve added the extra-cost events over the years. Everything they offer is designed to bring in enough revenue to justify continuing operations. I’m sure they hope that making it DVC-exclusive adds to the lure, but if at some point they determine it’s still not bringing in enough revenue, they’ll either open it to anyone or close it down and just use it for private events. That’s what happened to The Attic at BWV.

 

[Wedgeout]

As Sandi said, Disney could open it to anyone, but so far they have chosen to restrict it to DVC members. When BLT first opened, only members staying at BLT could go up there, but apparently the lounge didn’t get enough business that way. Over the years eligibility has gradually expanded - to DVC members staying on property, now to DVC members in general (I can’t remember when the DVC-Y requirement came in, probably when the blue card/DVC-Y distinction came into existence). And they’ve added the extra-cost events over the years. Everything they offer is designed to bring in enough revenue to justify continuing operations. I’m sure they hope that making it DVC-exclusive adds to the lure, but if at some point they determine it’s still not bringing in enough revenue, they’ll either open it to anyone or close it down and just use it for private events. That’s what happened to The Attic at BWV.

Thanks for the information. Learned so much now about that venue. Too bad about the state of the DVC side of the Boardwalk. Looking too much like a strip mall that went under & all we need now is “for lease” signs in the windows.

 

[CarolynFH]

Thanks for the information. Learned so much now about that venue. Too bad about the state of the DVC side of the Boardwalk. Looking too much like a strip mall that went under & all we need now is “for lease” signs in the windows.

I agree! I hope they have plans for that space. BTW The Attic is inside BWV, up on 4th or 5th floor, I think - can’t remember, way down at the end over where Jelly Rolls used to be.

 

[Sandisw]

As Sandi said, Disney could open it to anyone, but so far they have chosen to restrict it to DVC members. When BLT first opened, only members staying at BLT could go up there, but apparently the lounge didn’t get enough business that way. Over the years eligibility has gradually expanded - to DVC members staying on property, now to DVC members in general (I can’t remember when the DVC-Y requirement came in, probably when the blue card/DVC-Y distinction came into existence). And they’ve added the extra-cost events over the years. Everything they offer is designed to bring in enough revenue to justify continuing operations. I’m sure they hope that making it DVC-exclusive adds to the lure, but if at some point they determine it’s still not bringing in enough revenue, they’ll either open it to anyone or close it down and just use it for private events. That’s what happened to The Attic at BWV.

DVC Y requirement for TOTWL started in 2020 when they reopened after CoVId.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

DVC Y requirement for TOTWL started in 2020 when they reopened after CoVId.

We stayed on the 16th floor for 8 nights last week. All day, every day, we had to tap in the elevators just to get to our room. I cannot attest as to whether you had to be assigned a room on the 16th floor in order to access it (whether other BLT guests could have gotten there as well.), but I do remember the bewilderment when I punched 16 the first time on Saturday and it didn't work. Of course, I quickly figured it out and everything was fine the rest of the week for my entire party.

All of that just to get to these couple of points. At least in the North elevator (where we were), the scanner went green on or about 5:00 every day, meaning touching of a valid entry method was unnecessary to gain access to the 16th floor. It was true every day we were there. In an irony of ironies of sorts, I think we had a drink at virtually every bar around the monorail loop except the one only two doors down from our room. We just never went over there. I cannot speak to identification necessary to actually walk in, but there was something going on with access. Maybe it was just to lock out the lower floors until opening time, but why? The public certainly had access to the floor beginning at 5:00 and were certainly locked out before then, so something different was going on.

 

[Sandisw]

We stayed on the 16th floor for 8 nights last week. All day, every day, we had to tap in the elevators just to get to our room. I cannot attest as to whether you had to be assigned a room on the 16th floor in order to access it (whether other BLT guests could have gotten there as well.), but I do remember the bewilderment when I punched 16 the first time on Saturday and it didn't work. Of course, I quickly figured it out and everything was fine the rest of the week for my entire party.

All of that just to get to these couple of points. At least in the North elevator (where we were), the scanner went green on or about 5:00 every day, meaning touching of a valid entry method was unnecessary to gain access to the 16th floor. It was true every day we were there. In an irony of ironies of sorts, I think we had a drink at virtually every bar around the monorail loop except the one only two doors down from our room. We just never went over there. I cannot speak to identification necessary to actually walk in, but there was something going on with access. Maybe it was just to lock out the lower floors until opening time, but why? The public certainly had access to the floor beginning at 5:00 and were certainly locked out before then, so something different was going on.

You can get to the 16th floor after 5 pm, but they station someone outside the lounge and verify you are eligible.

The last two times we went, we were not going into the lounge, just the observation deck and we had to show the DVC Y.

It sounds like prior to 5 pm…you must be a guest of the floor!

 

[Cfabar1]

Very disappointing what they did to the community regarding the Attic... Could have really been something very special for DVC members...