Reviews of Bay Lake Tower (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by dizneymom48 Review Date: 05/08/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Room was very clean and reatly by 11:30am. We were in the north tower 16th floor"the top" it was great lake view. yoy can see Epcot space ship earth and fireworks also tower of terror at HS also downtown disney. Walk down the hall to observation deck and MK fireworks. all in one nite
Will stay again. 4/5-4/10
Pros:
great veiwCons:
noneReviewed by disneyprincess1014 Review Date: 04/08/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed at Bay Lake Tower from March 31 through April 6 in a 2BR Villa and absolutely loved it. We are already planning to return next year with our DVC points. With two young children, the MK location is perfect. Being able to walk to MK kept us from lines for the monorail or buses. The monorail is great for Epcot, and the kids loved it. Even the bus service to AK and DHS was fine, and we didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes.
The room itself was beautiful and very bright, cheery, and kid-friendly. We liked how many things were cushioned like the ottoman, and the corners were rounded on the tables and some furniture. Great for little ones! The beds were comfortable, the showers (especially the master one) were great, and the view of the lake and pool was nice.
The room was very clean and well-maintained. Everything in it worked well. The employees at the Contemporary check-in were very friendly and efficient, and I didn't mind having to check in there. The shops there are great and we liked having a few options for food that were not a far walk (unlike Kidani). Would definitely return...can't wait!
Pros:
Location, bright and clean room, view of lake, comfortCons:
—Reviewed by girldrgn8 Review Date: 04/07/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My family stayed here March 28 through April 3. We loved our room. It was a little small but still a great view of the pool and the lake. I really like the kitchenette set up. My check in went great but my mothers did not. The cast member that checked her in was short and rude.
We only went to the pool once and it was nice. The Top of the world lounge was a great place to view the fireworks. The prices are high but nothing any different then anywhere else.
Overall, we loved our stay and will definitely return.
Pros:
Great location, nice roomsCons:
Check in, Contempo CafeReviewed by bigsol Review Date: 03/18/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
I am a DVC member, and I am basing my review on my last trip to BLT, which was 12/2011. My apologies for the untimliness of this review.
BLT is my home resort and I absolutely love it. First, let me say that, while I am a dedicated Disney fan and I am always expecting that "Disney Magic" at all times, I am also a realist. I realize that Disney, while they are top notch when it comes to service, is still just a vacation resort. They have normal human beings working there, and, I'm sure, they have their fair share company/personnel problems. That said, I go into every Disney vacation with the expecation that, while I wish it to be the most magical experience ever, I accept that there will always be certain vacation resort related issues. As long as these issues are handled properly and in a timely manner, I am Ok with it.
We stayed in 2br dedicated lake view room for 8 nights. We were very lucky and got a room on the 12th floor, in the corner. From our living room we had one of the best views of Bay Lake, but we could also see the Magic Kingdom and the fireworks. It was definitely a nice treat for us, as we were a party of 4 adults and 3 young children.
As for space, we were not cramped. My wife and I had the master and our son (1 1/2 at the time) slept in the pack 'n play in our room. Our guests and their 2 daughters shared the second bedroom. Each room had it's own full bath, plus the third full bath in the common area. Each bedroom had it's own private balcony.
The common area was very nice. It was clean and the living room area was spacious enough to comfortably fit all of us, with the kids running around playing, of course. The kitchen was properly stocked, everything was in order. I didn't notice any excessive wear or dirt/stains on any of the furniture or appliances. The carpets appeared to be clean, and everything worked as expected.
A few days into the trip, we experienced an issue within the room. Since it was over a year ago, the exact issue escapes me, so take this for what it's worth. However, I do recall notifying the front desk in the morning, going out for the day, and returning to the room with the issued fixed. Along the same line, we could not access the free wifi when we first arrived in the room. My friend called the front desk, who transferred him to a service representative. The service rep walked us through the settings on our laptop and got us connected with no further issue.
I've read some reviews on here that mentioned rooms not being fully stocked, rooms being dirty, elevators either dirty or unpleasant looking, leaks, etc. While I can't comment on the personal experiences of those individuals, I can only say that we did not experience any those issues. Perhaps certain things have changed or been neglected since December of 2011, but at that time the Bay Lake Tower was a beautiful, well kept resort.
The pool area was nice. We had some cool weather during our stay, and only got to the pool once. It was cloudy and little breezy that day, so we didn't stay too long, but my son loved the little slide. I took a few trips down the big slide, myself. It was fun.
The rooftop lounge was never busy, except during the fireworks. I do admit that it was a bit of a pain to have to take the elevator all the way to the ground floor just to show my room key and be escorted back to the elevator. I am quite pleased that DVC decided to ease the rules of entry back somewhat for the Top of the World Lounge.
Contemporary staff never made us feel like unwanted guests, however, there were a couple of times where it seemed like nobody was, "manning the fort", so to speak, in the BLT lobby.
If you are on the far end of BLT (the NE corner) you have to walk 2/3rds of the way around the building to get to the covered walkway. Not a huge deal, but a little more than a short walk.
Instead of seeing myself as a BLT guest, I look at it as having 2 resorts in 1. See, staying at BLT gives you full access to the amenities of The Contemporary, including the pool, however, a Contemporary guest does not (well, isn't supposed to) have any access to BLT or any of its amenities. Hmmm, that's a great segue into my "Con".
One of BLTs big features is its exclusive access. The rule is that if you are not staying in BLT, you can't physically get inside the building and you can't use the pool. The biggest flaw I found was that the door on the Contemporary side of the covered walkway was unsecured on more than a few occassions. I never found it propped open, but on several occassions it was resting against the door frame and did not fully close. This bothered me. Not because I was concerned for my own safety, but because DVC thought highly enough of this feature that they promote it as a highlight of the BLT. Now, I never reported this issue to anyone, so I can only complain so much. The other entrances on the ground floor did not have this issue. The issue on the ground floors was piggybacking, and that is a human error issue, not mechanical. To that end, I am guilty as charged. While I did not hold the door open, or unlock the door for anyone, I forgot my card once and waited for someone to open the door for me. I admit that BLT isn't a U.S. Embassy or the CIA building. I don't fear that someone is going to enter the BLT and do harm, however, if DVC is going to use this security feature as a selling point, and I'm paying annual dues to this resort, I expect everything I am paying for to be in proper working order.
I've never ever had an issue with Magic Express or luggage delivery. If you plan ahead and read up on the services, they tell you to pack whatever you may need upon arrival, including an extra set of clothes, in your carry-on just in case. Same for curbside check-in at the resort. No issues. Well, except for the one time my wife packed her license in her suitcase and it left for the airport!! That's a story for another time.
I will just say that if you are going to Disney you are going to have a good time. If you stay at BLT, you are going to enjoy it. You just have to be reasonable and accept that while Walt Disney World (and the BLT) were built on the vision of some of the most innovative minds in the world (and a little magic), they are run by regular people. Mistakes happen, sometimes certain details get overlooked, sometimes it takes a little longer for your luggage to arrive. As long as you can accept that, prepare for it, and the staff respond to and correct the issue in a timely manner, what is there really to complain about?
One last thing, I promise. This comes from 13 years of planning WDW vacations- If you are going on a WDW vacation, not just a DVC resort, but any WDW resort, and you either fail to begin your planning as far out as they allow you (resort reservation, dining, tours, etc), or you simply don't plan for anything, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A MISERABLE TRIP. Believe me, I've seen it happen. the first 3 things you need to know about a Disney trip is Plan, Plan, Plan. Trust me.
Pros:
Location, Views, 2 in 1 resort amenitiesCons:
security not always so secure.Reviewed by tmbcole Review Date: 01/25/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
We stayed at Bay Lake from 1/20/13 - 1/24/13 in room 7206. After reading some of the other reviews, we weren't expecting much. However, the resort was beautiful, the room was clean, it's a great location, and we watched the Ravens playoff game at the Top of the World Lounge. We also loved watching Wishes from the Lounge. It's quite an experience. It was a great week and we loved the resort.
Some of the cons. I'm quite disappointed with Bay Lake/Contemporary because a cast member was caught opening our luggage and when we spoke to management, we were told they would look into it. So far, I'm not aware that anything has been done because management has not made further contact with us. It was an invasion of privacy and management should have taken immediate action.
Another strange issue we had was using the stairwell. Instead of waiting for the elevator, we used the stairs. Unfortunately, the door on the first floor was locked on several occasions. When we spoke to a cast member about this, she said was locked for fire hazard reasons. It forces you to use the emergency exit. However, that didn't explain why some days it was unlocked and some days it was locked. It made no sense.
Lastly, we went to the Contemporary Grounds at 6:45 one morning and they were closed. A coffee house that is closed early in the morning. Go figure.
I gave this resort a 7 only because of the issue with our luggage. Had there not been an issue, I would have rated this resort a 10.
Pros:
Location to Magic KingdomCons:
A fewReviewed by jessicahs Review Date: 01/23/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I would love to give BLT a 10 but we did have one minor problem. Even with LEAK in our room and into the hall in front of our room, I love this resort and can't wait to stay here again. Our 2nd visit here was from 1/3-1/11/13. Amazing view even though I didn't request a MK view. Clean, friendly staff, good food, nice merchandise choices. I never experienced anyone trying to "get it" behind me anywhere in the resort. The new check in was amazing - I pulled up in front and the CM said my name! The leak was weird - not sure if it was the shower or air conditioner but it wasn't fully fixed during our stay but - so be it. Just a fantastic resort with great location. Can't recommend it enought.
Pros:
EVERYTHING!Cons:
Leak in room/hallway that wasn't fixed during our stayReviewed by mrspierce39 Review Date: 01/14/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Spent 4 nights, 1-5-13 to 1-9-13, with adult daughter in studio lake view on points. Could not have been happier. Loved the style of the rooms, the walkway to Contemporary, and monorail was so convenient. So close to Contempo Cafe for coffee and quick meals.
Excellent sitting area outside between walkway and contemporary with great view and monorail passing by overhead. Sat there many times to drink coffee and enjoy the designated smoking area there. Very relaxing.
It has become my favorite resort as it offers modern decor and location that is outstanding. Great for adults who prefer not to be bombarded with too much Disney in your face atmosphere. We are already planning our next visit with more family members and will stay at Bay Lake Tower 1 or 2 bedroom depending on size of group.
For 2 people, the studio is perfect. Even with 1 small child it has plenty of space. Check in was flawless and cm's were exceptional in customer service. Highly recommended.
Pros:
Location, decor, peopleCons:
NoneReviewed by Lou28 Review Date: 01/13/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
Loved the proximity to MK. The pool area was nice including fire circle and ping pong. Reservation was Lake View, but I also had a great view of MK. We watched Wishes from our balcony with the soundtrack played on TV. All the CMs were very friendly. The negatives were the distance to food at Cont. (it took 15 min. to get drink refills). I was not impressed with the QS dining. Better QS can be found at any moderate resort. Not sure what a "regular" bathroom layout is like. We were given a handicap room, which had a full tub, separate large shower area and large toilet area. The sink and vanity area was very small and everything was in one room. I would have preferred a larger vanity area and one that was separate from toilet and shower so someone else could be using vanity/sink.
Pros:
Walk to MK; view of WishesCons:
distance to food at Cont.Reviewed by annat856 Review Date: 01/11/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My party of 6 stayed in a 2bd dedicated villa 12/9- 12/14 on the 10th floor w/ a Bay Lake view. We had very prompt bell service and the check-in was easy and pain free. We got a text later that day when our room was available.
We had so much space! My sons had the 2nd bedroom and their own bathroom. My daughter slept in the living room and had the hall bathroom for her own use. Hubby and me had the huge master bedroom and master bath. I also really enjoyed the balcony and watched the water parade go by a couple of evenings.
The kitchen was well stocked and we did a little bit of cooking/ food prep. Mostly we go out to eat on vacation. The decor was crisp and modern to go with the theme of the Contemporary. It was cool and we didn't make use of the pool.
Beyond the space, the location is the big plus here. I loved being on the monorail! Getting to Magic Kingdom and Epcot is a breeze. We did drive to Hollywood Studios and to Downtown Disney.
One day the monorail was down and that was a real inconvenience. We ended up walking to MK that evening to the Christmas Party.
The doors to the walkway literally never would read our keycard. And other folks were having the same issue. And the Contempo Cafe, while having some nice meals, got old real fast! We had an impolite girl working the register the first day we went which didn't help either.
The rest of the staff we encountered was great!
One last thing to keep in mind. We stay in hotels quite a bit and are used to having the beds made and the place cleaned everyday. If you stay on points like we did you don't get the beds made! On the 4th day we got more towels and trash taken. Before Bay Lake Tower was built I never was interested in DVC because the other resorts are so far from the parks. The location makes it worth considering. Highly recommend this resort!
