*** Bay Lake Tower Owners Group***

[pirate33]

Just returned from a great stay in a 1BR lake view. The soft goods refurb was a significant improvement. Also when we were first in the room around 3:00, the housekeeping manager stopped by. He said he had hoped to inspect the room before we arrived, and I invited him to go ahead and told him I was glad to see he was doing quality control. He seemed very concerned so I think the complaints one sees online have management's attention. I had no issues with the housekeeping. The exterior windows needed cleaning but I suspect Hurricane Matthew had something to do with that, and I saw window cleaner crews out on other areas of the tower.

After three days, there was quite a build up of midges (aka "blind [non-biting] mosquitos") on the ceiling of the patio. They are harmless but a bit annoying; I noticed the housekeepers getting rid of them when they were cleaning other rooms. Next time we will take our electric bug zapper with us. When they get inside they are a bother, and smushing them makes a mess. This is apparently the season for them. Not much to be done about this otherwise.

My only complaint is that the pools did not open until 10 am, eliminating the ability to swim morning laps. Only the smaller circular pool at the main hotel is open 24 hours. Everything else was really great.

 

[bpmorley]

Just returned from a great stay in a 1BR lake view. The soft goods refurb was a significant improvement. Also when we were first in the room around 3:00, the housekeeping manager stopped by. He said he had hoped to inspect the room before we arrived, and I invited him to go ahead and told him I was glad to see he was doing quality control. He seemed very concerned so I think the complaints one sees online have management's attention. I had no issues with the housekeeping. The exterior windows needed cleaning but I suspect Hurricane Matthew had something to do with that, and I saw window cleaner crews out on other areas of the tower.

After three days, there was quite a build up of midges (aka "blind [non-biting] mosquitos") on the ceiling of the patio. They are harmless but a bit annoying; I noticed the housekeepers getting rid of them when they were cleaning other rooms. Next time we will take our electric bug zapper with us. When they get inside they are a bother, and smushing them makes a mess. This is apparently the season for them. Not much to be done about this otherwise.

My only complaint is that the pools did not open until 10 am, eliminating the ability to swim morning laps. Only the smaller circular pool at the main hotel is open 24 hours. Everything else was really great.

The pool at BLT is the biggest issue we have there. Not only not opening til 10am, but closing at 10pm. When we do EMH or MVMCP, we don't get back til 2am. We figure on sleeping in the next day. We used to take a late night dip or sit in the hot tub(or not so hot at BLT). Now we can't anymore. The resorts with multiple pools always have one to go to. They say it's for safety reasons. I don't see their point, when they don't monitor quiet pools at all.

 

[seelyt2]

Any recommendations for room requests for a 1BR Bay Lake view? Was planning to call MS to add it to my ressie. I know it's not guaranteed, but I still like to request anyway.

We stayed a couple of years ago and were in the middle of the inside "C" and had a GREAT view of the lake. On the map (linked above in a post) we were either in 7527 or 7627. It was nice because we weren't facing the hotel - we were smack dab in the middle of the C and got a straight view of the lake. I figure you can't go wrong with any room number ending in a XX27 or XX21.

 

[DenLo]

The pool at BLT is the biggest issue we have there. Not only not opening til 10am, but closing at 10pm. When we do EMH or MVMCP, we don't get back til 2am. We figure on sleeping in the next day. We used to take a late night dip or sit in the hot tub(or not so hot at BLT). Now we can't anymore. The resorts with multiple pools always have one to go to. They say it's for safety reasons. I don't see their point, when they don't monitor quiet pools at all.

Disney and DVC are slowly adding fencing with locks on the gates at all of the pools including the quiet/leisure pools. It is to keep children out of the pools after the lifeguards leave. It is my understanding the changes are related to two children drowning in two different Disney Resorts, neither child was using the pool when a lifeguard was present. The pools were always marked that you swim at your own risk after the lifeguards leave, but that didn't stop the children's deaths nor the lawsuits that followed.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Disney and DVC are slowly adding fencing with locks on the gates at all of the pools including the quiet/leisure pools. It is to keep children out of the pools after the lifeguards leave. It is my understanding the changes are related to two children drowning in two different Disney Resorts, neither child was using the pool when a lifeguard was present. The pools were always marked that you swim at your own risk after the lifeguards leave, but that didn't stop the children's deaths nor the lawsuits that followed.

I think the "to keep children out after lifeguards leave" is speculation. Disney has never stated that. And the drownings - I thought one was during the pool open hours and lifeguard on duty. The other the parents were there.

When the rumor started about fences I think someone posted that either the state of FL or county had requirements for fences around pools - it's become pretty standard in most states - but Disney had somehow not followed - I'd guess some sort of exception or grandfathering or else "hardship" to get it done to all the pools quickly so a longer timetable. I suspect either officials said it's time or their lawyers said it was time.

 

[drusba]

In Sep 2013, some months after a 13 year drowned at Pop Century when using the pool in evening hours after lifeguards had left, Disney announced that it would start the process of adding fences or barriers around pools and would close many pools when lifeguards were not present. See http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...20130926_1_walt-disney-world-pools-lifeguards. That process is obviously taking a very long time to complete. There has actually been another drowning since, in 2015, of a three year old who wandered away from his parents and entered the pool at AofA when a lifeguard was present.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

In Sep 2013, some months after a 13 year drowned at Pop Century when using the pool in evening hours after lifeguards had left, Disney announced that it would start the process of adding fences or barriers around pools and would close many pools when lifeguards were not present. See http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...20130926_1_walt-disney-world-pools-lifeguards. That process is obviously taking a very long time to complete. There has actually been another drowning since, in 2015, of a three year old who wandered away from his parents and entered the pool at AofA when a lifeguard was present.

For some reason I thought the 3YO had family around but maybe I was mixing it up with the incident on DCL.

So many pools in this country with no lifeguards - I do have a hard time believing that is a liability or no hotels/motels would have pools.

 

[drusba]

What I remember reading about the three year old drowning in 2015 is that his parents were around but just not anywhere near where the child likely entered the pool. It sounded like a sad case of parents probably concentrating on something else and not paying enough attention to where the child was. Having had children and now grandchildren and watched many in parks, I am seldom amazed at how fast and far a small child can wander from the parents who are not paying full attention even for just a little while.

Liability is an issue with pools. Likely, for Disney's change, the drowning of the 13 year old without the lifeguard present was probably just one of several catalysts and I am guessing its liability insurers had a hand in the decision by either threatening exclusions or very high deductibles for pool accidents that occurred when lifeguards were not present and the pools were still open and not gated. As I understand Florida laws and regs, they require nearby barriers or fences for residential pools to prevent access when the resident adults are not present, but rules for public pools, such as those at hotels or resorts, are different, and basically require barriers that prevent access of the public that is not staying at the resort, e.g., as long as the pool is cut off from access by outsiders by such things as walls of the hotel or waterways, like Disney pools generally are, they remain in compliance, but compliance does not prevent liability since without a fence closing off the pool and discouraging access after hours when lifeguards are not present, you can still get liability.

 

[DenLo]

I remember reading that article at the Orlando Sentinel, so maybe I made an assumption that the fenced pools and locked gates were related. It just seems a likely reason for Disney to begin these changes with the pools.

 

[larissawbb]

Can you see the electrical water pageant from the north side even rooms?

 

[DenLo]

You cannot see much of Seven Seas Lagoon and the Water Pageant does not go far enough into Bay Lake to see from the north side even numbered rooms. You can hear it but not see it. You can see it from the elevator lobby, the hallway windows that face the pool and from TOTWL lounge.

 

[larissawbb]

You cannot see much of Seven Seas Lagoon and the Water Pageant does not go far enough into Bay Lake to see from the north side even numbered rooms. You can hear it but not see it. You can see it from the elevator lobby, the hallway windows that face the pool and from TOTWL lounge.

Thank you! This is exactly the information that I was looking for.

 

[rescuetink]

This page has been quiet for awhile!! Has anyone noticed many/any changes to the resort recently? We haven't been there in almost 2 years!!

 

[mrsmouse1960]

We are T-minus 9 days and are so excited to be going back to BLT once again! We were just reading tonight that there is a new Magical Express stop at BLT. We read that in the Disney Files that we received in the mail today. It didn't say when that new stop was added, but that will definitely help with the 6 of us not having to drag our luggage from Contemporary to BLT. We only did the luggage delivery twice since Magical Express was implemented and it took way too long to get our luggage. So, now that there is the stop at BLT, we are delighted!

 

[peabody58]

This page has been quiet for awhile!! Has anyone noticed many/any changes to the resort recently? We haven't been there in almost 2 years!!

Soft goods update in the rooms. Love the sheers added to the 1 BR (not the studios). No more DVD players or iClocks. We just brought our own DVD player. Nice check in desk in the lobby.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We are T-minus 9 days and are so excited to be going back to BLT once again! We were just reading tonight that there is a new Magical Express stop at BLT. We read that in the Disney Files that we received in the mail today. It didn't say when that new stop was added, but that will definitely help with the 6 of us not having to drag our luggage from Contemporary to BLT. We only did the luggage delivery twice since Magical Express was implemented and it took way too long to get our luggage. So, now that there is the stop at BLT, we are delighted!

ME dropped us off at BLT when we were there for NYE, it was unexpected and very convenient!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Soft goods update in the rooms.

Yes! This was all VERY nice during our stay last Aug.

 

[Shellyred8]

I'm joining this group, as our offer on 200 BLT resale points was accepted!!! Hopefully the rest of the process goes well!

We have stayed at BLT once and I loved it. Looking forward to more stays there in the near future!

 

[DenLo]

I'm joining this group, as our offer on 200 BLT resale points was accepted!!! Hopefully the rest of the process goes well!

We have stayed at BLT once and I loved it. Looking forward to more stays there in the near future!

Congratulations. Good luck with ROFR!

 

[DenLo]

Soft goods update in the rooms. Love the sheers added to the 1 BR (not the studios). No more DVD players or iClocks. We just brought our own DVD player. Nice check in desk in the lobby.

I am still disappointed that DVC couldn't figure how to add sheers to the studios. And I am still amazed they added them to the 1 and 2BRs, because that means the rooms look different from the exterior. That is something that Disney always wants all the rooms to look the same from the exterior.