BLT - What do people like and dislike so far?

[andypooh]

Purchased into the BLT DVC last year and will be staying 11/6-11/14 with DW, 2 young sons and my parents. Now that it has been open for about 6 months i was wondering from those who have stayed what they feel are some of the best features and also some things people do not like? Thanks.

[mdhiggin]

Can't beat the location. It's quicker to walk to MK than bother with the monorail. We also love the clean, simple design. Community Hall was a hit with my kids with coloring, video games, crafts and video rentals. We felt special since you have to have a special key just to get into the building. The view from TOWL was great too. We watched Holiday Wishes from up there with only a small amount of people. We had a Bay Lake view, but we could still see the castle off to the side from our balcony and from the couch's position. I was able to do Christmas shopping at MK while everyone else was still sleeping by just walking over. The hardest part was walking back toting a Cinderella castle playset on my head with various other bags on my arms. I felt like the girl from Jungle Book toting the water pitcher. I could have taken the monorail back, but I thought it would be easier to just carry it than bother with all the ramps, lines and walkways. I just stopped by our vehicle in the parking lot to dump all the packages before heading back upstairs to our room with no one the wiser.

It doesn't bother me that we have to walk to Contemporary for food. It's really not that far, but I feel like the value resorts have better CS options. We did enjoy CG that trip for the first time with another great view of the fireworks on top of that building. They let us leave the table to view the fireworks and come back to order dessert. Cool. Our kids loved the extra chair bed. They had to take turns on it. We did try out the pool for a bit. The older kids went on the slide repeatedly while DD5 and I took a dip in the hot tub. You could also walk down some steps to the beach and play in the sand if you wanted. Altogether, I'm going to have to say, "Fabulous"!

[RAIDER]

Dislikes
I wish they had a proper reception on site instead of having to go to the Contemporay
Wasnt keen on the pool compared to the Contemporays

Likes
Location
Room size
Had a lake view on the south side high floor and it was amazing
The Top of the World Cafe

[tdk316]

My sons LOVED watching the monorail enter the CR from the walkway between BLT and CR. They're big into trains though so that helped!

Overall we loved the location and the view! The walk to CR wasn't that big of a deal for us and DS2 liked to eat at the CS in CR and watch the monorail go by.

He did not like Chef Mickey's, I think it was too loud and busy for him. We'll try it again in a couple of years.

[PlutoPlanet]

Can't beat the location. It's quicker to walk to MK than bother with the monorail. We also love the clean, simple design. Community Hall was a hit with my kids with coloring, video games, crafts and video rentals. We felt special since you have to have a special key just to get into the building. The view from TOWL was great too. We watched Holiday Wishes from up there with only a small amount of people. We had a Bay Lake view, but we could still see the castle off to the side from our balcony and from the couch's position. I was able to do Christmas shopping at MK while everyone else was still sleeping by just walking over. The hardest part was walking back toting a Cinderella castle playset on my head with various other bags on my arms. I felt like the girl from Jungle Book toting the water pitcher. I could have taken the monorail back, but I thought it would be easier to just carry it than bother with all the ramps, lines and walkways. I just stopped by our vehicle in the parking lot to dump all the packages before heading back upstairs to our room with no one the wiser.

It doesn't bother me that we have to walk to Contemporary for food. It's really not that far, but I feel like the value resorts have better CS options. We did enjoy CG that trip for the first time with another great view of the fireworks on top of that building. They let us leave the table to view the fireworks and come back to order dessert. Cool. Our kids loved the extra chair bed. They had to take turns on it. We did try out the pool for a bit. The older kids went on the slide repeatedly while DD5 and I took a dip in the hot tub. You could also walk down some steps to the beach and play in the sand if you wanted. Altogether, I'm going to have to say, "Fabulous"!

Great review. Thanks. We're at BLT in 2 weeks.

[MinnieMommie]

We love BLT. We were big CR fans especially when our children were young (BLT and CR are so convenient when staying with children). We used to get 2 rooms at CR and have the best memories.

That being said, we stayed at BLT for the first time in January and had a wonderful experience. You have all the advantages of staying at CR plus the additional benefits of being at BLT.

We stayed in a 1 bedroom and the room was remarkable. It was better than we expected even having done a walk through of the model. The lighting was spectacular in our rooms and the living area had the most spacious feeling. I really loved the floor to ceiling windows in the living area.

Dislikes:
1. No wireless connection in the rooms and only the bedroom had an internet connection. That meant our kids had to use our room to get onto the internet. Go figure in this day and age the technology would not be state of the art.

2. Loved the lounge on the 16th floor but did not appreciate having to go to the lobby and ask a CM to allow us entry. The CM had to code the elevator to go up to the 16th floor. Seemed like a waste of time for the CM and the guests.

The recreational opportunities and community room offered plenty of activities and the CMs were very helpful. I loved the beach area. I brought my binoculars and watched the birds (bird watching was also a enjoyable past time from our room!) and other wildlife. Even saw a sea otter and the lifeguard shared a wonderful story about the sea otters in Bay Lake.

Awesome resort. Really magical feeling being so close to the MK (the walk is quick) and being able to watch the electrical water pageant and MK fireworks as often as we selected to do. I highly recommend this resort!

[pox24]

All the previous positive comments are spot on. I particularly like the fact that the BLT is a keyed resort. Meaning you have to stay there to take advantage of what it offers. To me it adds more value to the DVC membership. Not to sound snobbish, I just like the members only
perk.

[PlutoPlanet]

We loved the 5 minute walk to MK. It was great being on the monorail, although it was slow a couple of days we were there. The pool was very nice. Our studio room was small, but fine for 2. I wouldn't stay in a studio with 4.
Surprisingly, our Bay Lake view had a view of the MK fireworks. We had to lean to one side over the railing, but that was a nice surprise.

[candleshoe]

I agree with all the goods so far, so just want to comment on some of the bads. Human nature is such that once you invest so much into something, you can't get yourself to admit to all the bads otherwise you may be admitting that you made a bad choice and your ego can't handle that. Enough of my armchair pscho-babble though. Here's what we were disappointed with:

1) "Lobby". Ho-hum. There is no "wow" factor when you enter into BLT. Not the feeling you get at any of the deluxe resorts when you hit that lobby, look around, and just go "wow. I'm in Disney". And it doesn't have to be huge to give a wow. Kidami Village is a small lobby, but it has some "wow" factor, especially at night.

2) No distinct personality/not a distinct entity. It just feels like an outcropping of the contemporary. Heck, you have to check in at the contemporary, catch the buses and the monorail at the contemporary, eat at the contemporary- it just feels like they've added rooms to the contemporary and put them in a separate tower.

3) The decor. And yes, I know it's supposed to be assocaited with the contemporary so it sticks to the same theme for the consistency. The problem is, the Contemporary isn't contemporary any more so to me the decor feels very 70's. They could have kept it sleek and modern but updated it to make it ultra sleek and modern, not retro sleek and modern.

4) Bottom line- the irony is that even though I'm right next door to magic kingdom, I feel less in Disney in BLT than at other resorts. It doesn't hve the feel of a Disney resort to me. It feels like a really nice and classy hotel that just happens to be on disney property, if that makes any sense.

All that being said, the location is why we bought in to BLT, and the rooms are gorgeous, and we like the QS at Contempo Cafe and love Chef Mickey's and California Grill. Still glad we bought into it, but maybe that's just my defense mecahnisms kicking in to protect my ego.

[VWL Mom]

Dislikes:
1. No wireless connection in the rooms and only the bedroom had an internet connection. That meant our kids had to use our room to get onto the internet. Go figure in this day and age the technology would not be state of the art.

Uh-oh! I may need to cancel my Oct. waitlist for BLT and stay with VWL. DH has to run numbers every morning and gets up at 5AM to do the work he needs to. Why wouldn't you have the internet connection in the living area like VWl & BWV? Does anyone know if this is the same for the dedicated 2bdrm there? Has anyone ever brought their own router and how did it work?

[PlutoPlanet]

I've heard other people have brought wireless routers to DVC rooms, like the treehouses, and it worked out fine.

[mjm12000]

Uh-oh! I may need to cancel my Oct. waitlist for BLT and stay with VWL. DH has to run numbers every morning and gets up at 5AM to do the work he needs to. Why wouldn't you have the internet connection in the living area like VWl & BWV? Does anyone know if this is the same for the dedicated 2bdrm there? Has anyone ever brought their own router and how did it work?

What if you just bring a longer ethernet cable so you can plug the cable into the bedroom but work in another room?

[Through the looking Glass]

Here at BLT now. So far not impressed. In fact I'm pretty sure we will not stay here again.

A. Keyed resort? All people are doing is waiting till a member walks in and follows them. Actually asked one couple, as they followed us in, if they were staying here and they said no. Sat at the pool and a cast member let them in from the CR, once again not staying at the resort.
B. I feel the cast members at the Contempary really don't care what is going on over here. We asked for extra blanket and pillow three times and still haven't recieved them. This was three days ago! Son disided the over sized beach towel will do. Quite a few of the other guests I spoke to said the same thing. Spoke to a manager and was informed there wasn't much he could do. He would ask to have the bedding delivered (so where is it). He stated the hotel was full and he wouldn't be able to change our accomindations. (Basicily sent us on our way with his nose in the air).
C. You must be kidding with the size. I truly think DVC should inform members that a studio sleeps 2 with space for 4. Really, 4 grown adults would kill each other in the room. I have a 14dd and a 7ds and we are pressed for space.
D. Sliding bathroom door with no lock. Kinda 'stinks' getting suprise vists from my son. Sorry designers poor move.

Plusses+++ Top of the World lounge was neat. Little expensive for the drinks but the different view of the fireworks was worth it. Not as Magical as standing on main street but neat.
Able to see fireworks from room also cool.
Ability to walk to MK, very nice, bout 8 minute walk.
Pool area very nice. Kids had a blast there.

Oh the only other thing and either you would think it was cool or not was the Turkey Buzzards. Our room faced a little beach to the north and in the evening the buzzards arrived and did thier little mating dances. (no nothing like Michael Jackson). Wife thought it was creepy.

Over all. I don't think I would ever stay here again unless some changes were made. Seems some love it some hate it.

[PlutoPlanet]

Thanks for the post Through the looking Glass. I second the notion that 4 people cannot stay in a BLT studio.

[Through the looking Glass]

Recently found out that the studio at BLT is 73sf smaller than one at BWV.