*** Bay Lake Tower Owners Group***

[KAT4DISNEY]

This was great info and helps a lot. Yeah I liked the kitchenette well enough and yes we always use the crib option which has always been somewhat annoying in any studio layout but not horrible. We are easy to please mostly. Stroller parking and a more active 4 year old does sound a little stressful so we may lean away from getting the view. We like Lake view but it was not really a huge deal for anyone except me... I drink a glass of KY water some nights and watch the EWP.

Are any standard rooms high and do they tend to face the contemporary side exclusively? I dont mind looking back towards other resorts and the monorail. I guess view wise I want to see space mountain or the monorail this time around but not a deal breaker. Functional space is important.... do not want to spoil myself until I get a raise for more points lol

Standard view are the lowest floors. We've seen reports of assignments up to the 5th floor in standard view but I think that was more due to a need by the resort. Expect 3rd floor or lower and they go all the way around both the inside of the C and the outside of the C. Follow my suggestions for request to try and see Space Mt or the monorail. Plus the even numbered rooms are slightly larger in the living area due to the shape of the buildings.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

This was great info and helps a lot. Yeah I liked the kitchenette well enough and yes we always use the crib option which has always been somewhat annoying in any studio layout but not horrible. We are easy to please mostly. Stroller parking and a more active 4 year old does sound a little stressful so we may lean away from getting the view. We like Lake view but it was not really a huge deal for anyone except me... I drink a glass of KY water some nights and watch the EWP.

Are any standard rooms high and do they tend to face the contemporary side exclusively? I dont mind looking back towards other resorts and the monorail. I guess view wise I want to see space mountain or the monorail this time around but not a deal breaker. Functional space is important.... do not want to spoil myself until I get a raise for more points lol

This post shows the room category locations. It's not 100% as DVC won't state what rooms are what but it's pretty good:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...e-of-post-1-10-21-2015.2257082/#post-33152565

 

[hilltopper152]

This post shows the room category locations. It's not 100% as DVC won't state what rooms are what but it's pretty good:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/b...e-of-post-1-10-21-2015.2257082/#post-33152565

Thank you. This will be of great use if we go that route!

 

[CarolynFH]

I know people cook on vacation and such but do you do it for fun or to save money. My wife and I thought we would do that one trip and quickly realized we were on vacation and told ourselves that made no sense. We use the fridge for small leftovers and milk mostly. We do not eat breakfast at all really and usually bars for the toddler but habits change and sure they will with the second kid arriving.

Well, we started because DH loves to cook breakfast for me but couldn’t do it at home due to work. And that was also back in the day when I washed my hair every morning and even put on makeup (why I did that at WDW is now a mystery to me), so it was a timesaver as well. And we have always been a family of breakfast eaters, too, which is why we don’t like studios. Having to get dressed before we can eat breakfast every day is not for us!

 

[Chris Ehlers]

Does anyone know when the Refurbishments mentioned in 2022 will start in 2024?

 

[hilltopper152]

Does anyone know when the Refurbishments mentioned in 2022 will start in 2024?

Bay Lake Tower's inventory disruption has shifted significantly. I now have a very high confidence that the disruption starting late April 2024 is in service of a refurb.

See above from another thread.... I was interested myself.

"Bay Lake Tower's inventory disruption has shifted significantly. I now have a very high confidence that the disruption starting late April 2024 is in service of a refurb"

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dvc-refurbishment-tracker.3922158/post-65008812

 

[Bibbidi Bobbidi]

Group poll: "Would you rather... stay in studio theme park view or 1 bedroom standard view for 5-6 nights?"

Situation includes 2 flexible parents, a 4 year old and a 1 year old. Girls

Struggling to validate point cost still and value.... the question was posed before but someone please just tell me the correct answer!!!

We're just 2 adults and we choose the 1 bedroom every. single. time.
We get the theme park view also, just sayin.

 

[hilltopper152]

We're just 2 adults and we choose the 1 bedroom every. single. time.
We get the theme park view also, just sayin.

Well maybe if we didn't have those kids we could afford the room and view lol but I love those kids so worth it! Seems this group is just a little bias towards one bedrooms!

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Well maybe if we didn't have those kids we could afford the room and view lol but I love those kids so worth it! Seems this group is just a little bias towards one bedrooms!

Well, the 1BRs are one of the best things about BLT.

 

[DDuckSouthBend]

We have only stayed in a Studio twice in our 10+ trips to BLT (Our Home Resort), and we find them to be too small. Even thought there are only the two of us, we find that we enjoy the extra space and the full kitchen. It allows us to spend time in the room comfortably, particularly if there is inclement weather, kicking back and watching a movie from the Community Hall.

 

[bigAWL]

Are there any pool cabanas to rent next to the BLT pool? Or is it just the four over behind the Contemporary?

 

[NeutralNovice]

From my understanding, dues increases may coincide with upcoming renovations... BLT has a pretty low increase for 2024--which has me a bit worried they will not be doing renovations in 2024.

I hope I'm wrong!

 

[holden]

Are there any pool cabanas to rent next to the BLT pool? Or is it just the four over behind the Contemporary?

There are no cabanas at BLT. Cabanas are available at CR, GF, YC and BC.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Group poll: "Would you rather... stay in studio theme park view or 1 bedroom standard view for 5-6 nights?"

Situation includes 2 flexible parents, a 4 year old and a 1 year old. Girls

Struggling to validate point cost still and value.... the question was posed before but someone please just tell me the correct answer!!!

With 2 adults and 2 small children - the 1BR. No question.

With your family, I would definitely do the 1 bedroom.
However, for DH and myself, we do the Studio with Theme park view, for 2-3 nights, like around 4th of July or NYE. Then we go elsewhere. We don’t have a lot of BLT points.

 

[CarolynFH]

From my understanding, dues increases may coincide with upcoming renovations... BLT has a pretty low increase for 2024--which has me a bit worried they will not be doing renovations in 2024.

I hope I'm wrong!

You can’t judge the probability of a refurb based on the size of a dues increase. Dues depend on many factors related to operating the resort - salaries, utilities, insurance, etc.

Renovations are paid for from the Capital Reserves part of the budget. It’s a savings account, so it should not change significantly based on whether a refurb is being done next year or not, unless the expected cost of renovations changes significantly. IOW, renovations are not paid for from a single year’s dues.

You can compare the various line items in the 2023 and 2024 BLT budgets on the member website to see where the changes are.

 

[NeutralNovice]

You can’t judge the probability of a refurb based on the size of a dues increase. Dues depend on many factors related to operating the resort - salaries, utilities, insurance, etc.

Renovations are paid for from the Capital Reserves part of the budget. It’s a savings account, so it should not change significantly based on whether a refurb is being done next year or not, unless the expected cost of renovations changes significantly. IOW, renovations are not paid for from a single year’s dues.

You can compare the various line items in the 2023 and 2024 BLT budgets on the member website to see where the changes are.

AH thank you for the explanation!

 

[MyDogTink]

AH thank you for the explanation!

Based on this article, BLT’s 2024 dues could be less because of the refurbishment—- less costs for housekeeping for rooms being taken out of inventory.

https://www.dvcnews.com/dvc-program...isney-vacation-club-2024-annual-dues-released

 

[gregoryccc]

Hi BLT experts - we are staying there for the first time. Are you able to use the stairs and avoid the elevators to go up to and down from the rooms in BLT? Thanks!

 

[Aussie RJ]

Who thinks we will get ‘incredible’ DVC rooms for the refurb? …see what I did there

 

[kmc8826]

Hi BLT experts - we are staying there for the first time. Are you able to use the stairs and avoid the elevators to go up to and down from the rooms in BLT? Thanks!

Yes! There is the functional large central staircase in the middle of the building and at end of the building there is a smaller staircase that has windows all the way up.