Bay Lake Tower Review
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort ranks highly on our list of top Disney Vacation Club resort-hotels at Walt Disney World. In this review, we’ll weigh the pros & cons of this hotel, offer a photo tour of the studio and grand villa rooms, and share our experiences having stayed here a few times.
For starters, Bay Lake Tower is one of the newer Disney Vacation Club properties at Walt Disney World. While it’s now several years old, only the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are newer. For better or worse, Bay Lake Tower was the resort that kicked off a wave of DVC development in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area.
Speaking of Magic Kingdom, Bay Lake Tower is also the resort at Walt Disney World that’s closest to a theme park. You can walk out the front door of the hotel and walk into the Magic Kingdom less than 10 minutes later. For some people, no further info in this review is necessary. Being that close to the Magic Kingdom is a huge benefit…
Bay Lake Tower was controversial from the moment its construction began as many viewed it as an eyesore that distract from the Contemporary, and it remains rather divisive among Disney Vacation Club members to this day. Some believe the theme is too “sterile” or “un-Disney” and some believe the amenities (namely the pool and community hall) aren’t as impressive at Bay Lake Tower as they are at other Disney Vacation Club resorts.
With the exception of the “un-Disney” complaint, I can understand where these folks are coming from. The theme is not for everyone, and if a Disney Vacation Club stay is about enjoying the resort, Bay Lake Tower will probably be low on your list. If you enjoy what the resort has to offer but don’t spend a ton of time at it beyond dining, we think you’re much more likely to enjoy Bay Lake Tower. Plenty of people love it, too!
Let’s start this review by taking a look inside the studio villas at Bay Lake Tower…
We enjoy the design (on the interiors–I agree with those who think it’s an eyesore from the outside) of the resort. It’s a nice blend of modern and luxurious design that is akin to something you’d see at a trendier hotel in a large city, while still having flairs of Disney.
Bay Lake Tower rooms don’t have the same themed environment as, say, the Polynesian, but not everyone is looking for that sort of thing.
My personal preference is for a more heavily-themed resort when at Walt Disney World, because it’s rare to see that elsewhere, and I enjoy a more immersive experience that’s like an extension of our park visits.
However, I think the rooms at Bay Lake Tower are an excellent execution of the intended design style. Sarah, on the other hand absolutely loves Bay Lake Tower–it’s her favorite resort at Walt Disney World.
The biggest problem with the Bay Lake Tower studio villas is their size. These are the smallest studios of any Disney Vacation Club resort.
While space is utilized remarkably well and it’s an incredibly efficient layout, the size difference is still noticeable. This is particularly true when you compare them to the spacious villas of the Polynesian and Old Key West.
This definitely stands out in the kitchenette area. I don’t know why Disney Vacation Club opted for a layout that makes this basically a cramped walk-in closet (this photo definitely makes it appear more spacious than it is), but it’s a small area.
On the other hand, it’s not out in the open, so whomever is in the kitchenette is not in the way of everyone else in the room. Perhaps some guests prefer this layout?
On the plus side, the bedding is incredibly comfortable, the couch is nice, and the rooms have a lot of texture and depth.
From the headboards on the bed to the chairs, couch, curtains, etc., there’s a lot of dimensionality and character added to the room to keep it from looking bland or generic. They’re subtle touches, but are important.
The bathroom in the Bay Lake Tower studio villa is pretty basic. Nothing noteworthy here.
Now let’s jump from the smallest rooms at Bay Lake Tower to the largest, and look inside of a grand villa…
Our visit to Bay Lake Tower occurred for a New Year’s Eve party. We were there with a large group, and it was an excellent experience. I can see why people love these villas for family reunions, etc.
I’ve seen Grand Villa models before, but actually staying in one was a totally different experience. The unit was amazing.
Unfortunately, since a lot of other people were staying with us, I didn’t have much of a chance to thoroughly photograph the rooms in the unit.
The photos I did take were all with the fisheye (I was on a fisheye binge that trip!), so I apologize for that, too.
The Grand Villa was an excellent two-story room with plenty of space for our entire party.
Suffice to say, if we had a surplus of Disney Vacation Club points, we’d definitely be doing this again. Such a fun room.
The greatest benefit of Bay Lake Tower is definitely its location. Obviously, it’s located within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom.
I’d hazard a guess that most people who book Bay Lake Tower would cite that as one of their main reasons for staying there. Being within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom isn’t the only thing that’s great about the location.
When it comes to dining, you have Chef Mickey’s, California Grill, The Wave, and the underrated Contempo Cafe in the Contemporary (accessible via the Sky Bridge). Only Top of the World Lounge, which is also underrated, is actually located in Bay Lake Tower.
You also have a long list of other restaurants that are only a boat or short monorail ride away.
The other big “location” perk is Top of the World Lounge. Not just for the lounge itself, but for the views that this exclusive lounge offers. We watched the Fantasy in the Sky New Year’s Eve (and NYE-Eve) fireworks two nights from up here, and we didn’t encounter a crowd either time.
Compare that to those who viewed the fireworks from the park, and were packed in like sardines. As you can see from the photo below, our view of the fireworks from up there was pretty impressive.
While this location benefit is best when there are heavy in-park crowds that you want to avoid, it also applies for the special fireworks during both Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Don’t want to pay $80+ per person to attend these parties, but still want to see the fireworks. Easy! Just watch them from the Top of the World Lounge, where you’ll have a better view of the shows than if you watched at the Transportation & Ticket Center or on the beach of the Polynesian.
Perhaps the weakest selling point of Bay Lake Tower is the pool. I might be alone in this sentiment, but I think the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower have the weakest pools of any Deluxe Resort at Walt Disney World.
In fact, I’d be inclined to put them behind most Moderate Resorts, too…and maybe even a couple of Value Resorts.
Finally, the advantage of walking distance to the Magic Kingdom cannot be overstated. While our experience is a bit of an extreme, during the incredibly busy Christmas to New Year’s Eve week, we were able to rise early to arrive at the Magic Kingdom before rope (which occurred at 7 am), walk back to our hotel once crowds got bad to take long naps, and then return at night and stay until park closing (3 am). You can do this when you stay at any resort, but transportation times make it less effective elsewhere.
While you won’t be able to leverage the location to this much of an advantage during other seasons, you will still have the “midday nap advantage” at Bay Lake Tower no matter what time of year you visit. (For this same reason, we also recommend staying at BoardWalk or Beach Club during Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival.)
These “location” reasons are the big selling points for us. During a “busy season” trip where the Magic Kingdom will consistently have longer operating hours than any other park, and we’ll want to eat outside of the parks a lot, Bay Lake Tower has no rival.
There are other amenities, including a health club, business center, babysitting, tennis courts, and other recreational facilities, which are shared with Disney’s Contemporary Resort available, but to us, location is key.
By the way, if you’re considering Bay Lake Tower and you’re not a Disney Vacation Club Member, you should be considering Disney’s Contemporary Resort, too. Check out our Contemporary Resort Review to get an idea of what it has to offer that’s different from Bay Lake Tower.
Overall, we really enjoyed Bay Lake Tower, and think it’s a great choice if you’re going to find yourself in the Magic Kingdom a lot and like the modern design. Most of you probably know whether Bay Lake Tower is or isn’t for you without even reading this review, based simply on what you think of its theming and how often you visit the Magic Kingdom on a typical trip. Hopefully this review has given you a bit more to think about with regard to when you stay at Bay Lake Tower. Planning a stay at BLT for the right time of year can really make a busy time seem relatively manageable and can make your trip go a lot better.
Not sure which Walt Disney World hotel is right for you? Check out our Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews page, which offers quick-hit capsule reviews of the strengths and weaknesses of every Walt Disney World hotel, plus links to our reviews and photo pages for every hotel we have reviewed.
For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides”are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
Your Thoughts…
I’m sure most of you have an opinion on Bay Lake Tower, regardless of whether you’ve stayed there. So…what do you think of the place? Do you view it as another example of the unnecessary proliferation of Disney Vacation Club that is harming bits of the Vacation Kingdom? Do you view it as a great addition to the Disney Vacation Club portfolio in an excellent location? Or, is your opinion somewhere in between? Share your thoughts in the comments!
With 3 teenagers in our family, the 3rd bathroom in the 2 bedroom villa is key for us.
there are 3 bathrooms in the 2 br villa? I thought that there were 2.
we are staying at BLT in October, in a 2 br villa (5 of us). 3 Bathrooms is certainly preferable.
Can anyone confirm that for me? Does a BLT 2 BR villa have 3 bathrooms?
The BLT two bedroom villa has three bathrooms – one in each bedroom and one off the main area… 🙂
Hi thank you for your invormative review. I am not a member of the disney vacation club and have never been to disney. We wanted a 1 bedroom suite so we were offered to stay here for $5500 for a six night stay with 5 days of park tickets for 4 people total. It looked pretty nice but then when I saw you wrote you would NEVER pay $500 a night to stay here? That is making me rethink this whole thing now.
$5,500 for 6-nights and 5-day tickets for 4 people seems very, very expensive to me. I’d price out the hotels by themselves–you should be able to get a much better rate than that.
Oh wow! We are paying $5600 for 7 nights @ OKW and 3 day park hopper for 4 adults and 2 children….. Is that real bad?
Inda~
You should compare DVC Rental Store to your bid from, what I am assuming is, Walt Disney Co @ $5,500.00. We used DVC Rental Store in August! They are very reliable, helpful, and you can Save Big Bucks!
Here is the link to compare.
http://dvcrentalstore.com/points-calculator/
where is the best place to stay inside blt.
should we stay on the 16th floor
or a lower floor.
or near the skyway bridge.
thanks
I’m so glad to read this review. A lot of reviews mention the lack of crazy Disney themeing as a downside to staying at this the Contemp. We stayed at the Contemporary (main building) and I thought it was the most beautiful Disney resort. It was so stylish and had a lot of class. I’m happy to read a review that respects the resort for being a beautiful hotel.
Hey Tom, stumbled upon your page yesterday while preparing for our next trip to DW. I literally spent over two hours reading many of your reviews and TR’s. We are DVC members as well and own our points at BLT. We love it. We have stayed here two times and ended up in the exact same room. This has never happened to us at any other resort so we loved it when this happened for us. We also love the Top of the World Lounge. We bring our kids up there often to watch the fireworks. Also there is no better Disney memory in the world than walking down Main St. With your kids for the first time. Keep up the great work.
Crossing my fingers that we can book with BLT at the 7 month mark coming up soon! OKW is our home resort but I have been dying to stay at BLT since construction began!
Hi, this is all helpful – thank you. First trip to disney planned for Octobed (as an adult) – traveling with husband and our four (ages 9, 8 and two turning 7 while we are there). I am currently booked in bay lay 2 bedroom villa but am getting mixed reviews! What outweighs what?? Does price outweigh all, if so – I better switch. Does location to mk win? Does the contemporary design make it a negative for four little kids? I’ve heard that kids would like wilderness lodge better? I’ve heard that wilderness lodge villas are nice but long walk to main hotel and even there isn’t much there. I’ve heard that pools are better for kids at WL? For us, I think we will spend a lot of time at mk. My kids aren’t late night people in general. We like a little space in room but don’t want to go crazy paying for it if we will never be in there. They would love a fun water slide…. As you can see, I’m not sure what outweighs what!?? Any advice would be appreciated.
I suspect kids would prefer the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. I don’t think the walk from Wilderness Lodge to the Villas is long at all, but to each his own. Bay Lake Tower is certainly closer to the Magic Kingdom, so it has that advantage.
I would look at photos of the two and see which you think will work better for your family. You know your kids best!
We stayed at BLT in Oct 2012 w my 4 children and my in laws (total of 8) in a 2 bedroom w theme park view. Kids absolutely loved watching fireworks every night in their pajamas from the balcony. We also got too see the Halloween fireworks without having to go to the park. Also could watch the electric water parade on seven seas lagoon from the balcony. So far our favorite resort of the eleven ( including shades of green) that we have stayed at
I’ve just rented points from a DVC member as I was desperate to stay at Bay Lake Tower in a studio with Magic Kingdom view. Sadly I left it too late and have missed out on an MK view and have a Bay Lake view instead. I’m a teensy bit sad I won’t have my wish of watching Wishes from my own balcony or waking up in the morning to the vision of my favourite place on the planet but…I feel so lucky to be staying oh sooooooo close. I understand I won’t be able to use the TOTWL as I’m only renting and not a member. Can you suggest anywhere else around the resort that we can watch Wishes from and take some photos?
The walkway between BLT and the Contemporary has a fabulous view and you can hear the music. Because it is not as high you get the view of the fireworks above the castle as opposed to looking down from above. We liked that walkway view even better than from the top!!
Great suggestion. I’ll have to give that a try sometime!
We preferred the bay lake view when we stayed there with our 3 little ones – not as noisy at night!
Bay Lake is definitely our #1 for young children. I agree with whoever said how amazing it is to walk 10 minutes back when you’re seeing everyone line up! Mornings and evenings were in the park, afternoons were for naps or at the amazing pool! Our kids loved the 2 water slides. The small one was perfect for my 4 year old! They have excellent lifeguards on duty and complimentary life jackets and a “pool party” every day for young kids! It was perfect for our family. Kitchen was huge, we used the washer/dryer and the baby slept in the extra bathroom. The room included a pack n play and a high chair. The resort staff even brought up a box fan to us one evening for white noise. Our last evening we watched the fireworks from the lounge with the music piped in. It was a perfect ending.
We preferred the bay lake view when we stayed there with our 3 little ones – not as noisy at night!
Bay Lake is definitely our #1 for young children. I agree with whoever said how amazing it is to walk 10 minutes back when you’re seeing everyone line up! Mornings and evenings were in the park, afternoons were for naps or at the amazing pool! Our kids loved the 2 water slides. The small one was perfect for my 4 year old! They have excellent lifeguards on duty and complimentary life jackets and a “pool party” every day for young kids! It was perfect for our family. Kitchen was huge, we used the washer/dryer and the baby slept in the extra bathroom in the pack n play to have a quiet, dark space. The room included a pack n play and a high chair. The resort staff even brought up a box fan to us one evening for white noise. Our last evening we watched the fireworks from the lounge with the music piped in. It was a perfect ending.
We purchased there in 2010 when the grand-children started coming. First trip August 2011, with 5 childre, 5 and under, (and the parents) was priceless. We are all now counting the days until our August trip this year. You can’t beat the location!!
This might sound a little silly, but the photo looking down on the living-room with the curtains open actually made me feel a little bit of acrophobia (which I normally don’t have). Kudos on making the fisheye effect seem so realistic!
Haha, thanks…I think?
When you watched the fireworks at Top of the World Lounge, did they pipe the music up there? Or can you hear it from the park? I think they do that at some of the other Magic Kingdom-area resorts. Just curious.
Yes, there’s music inside and on the outside deck. The lights inside also dim during fireworks. After having seen everything outside of New Year’s Eve up there, I’ll never watch Magic Kingdom fireworks anywhere else.
I do enjoy it more earlier in the evening, though. When the sun is just setting and the sippy-cup mafia has yet to take roost. Many an evening, while staying at Bay Lake Tower, it was just me and the bartenders up there.
I’m a little surprised that Top of the World lounge isn’t open to the public or at least guests of the Contemporary. I’ve been up there many late afternoons for photography, and there is rarely anyone else (besides Cast Members) there.
The name Disney is frequently used as an adjective, as in the sentence “The Disney style of animation differed significantly from the style of the Warner Bros. Studio” or the sentence “Disney theme parks are often more intricately detailed than those of Universal.”
Fair enough. I still think thee’s a distinction. In your examples, I think there is something you can readily identify as being modified. In the first case, you can point to Snow White and a myriad of other movies without actual reference to the movies in the sentence. In the second case, you can point to Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, etc.
When I refer to an “un-Disney hotel” on Disney property, to what am I referring…and what the heck do I even mean?
If someone refers to something as “un-Disney” they have created a compound adjective to describe something that does not have the characteristics typically associated with Disney. An “un-Disney” hotel would, therefore, be a hotel that does not have the characteristics typically associated with Disney generally or with a Disney hotel specifically. Things described as “Disney” do carry with them a certain set of connotations that are easily identifiable to most people: often some combination of wholesomeness, fantasy, animation, detailed theming, futurism, cleanliness, confidence, anthropomorphism, nostalgia, whimsy, order and organization, perfectionism, family, Americana, a whole canon of film characters and associations, etc. To claim otherwise is to fly in the face of the very important cache that the word “Disney” has in American popular culture. Yes, I damn well do know what is meant when someone uses the word “Disney” as an adjective, and I damn well know what they mean when they say something is “un-Disney.” And so do you.
Bay Lake is our home resort and we of course, love it. I agree that location is it’s biggest selling feature, especially with families like ours that has four young kiddos. It also offers space for larger families which not all DVC resorts have. And the kitchen is very spacious with the built-in pantry. We love that for storing all our food so it doesn’t have to sit on the counter like at other resorts. It also offers fabulous views, even of the lake (if you don’t want to splurge for the castle view). We will be staying at BLT in May and will be trying the 2-bedroom villa for the first time so I am looking forward to seeing what that is like!
Best place to stay if you have kids 5 and under. No question about it…
Of course its the only disney property we’ve ever stayed at so take that advice with a grain of salt.
This made me chuckle! The thing is…I think you’re absolutely right!
Of course, I don’t have kids, so you might also want to take my advice with a grain of salt!
There are many days I wonder how much bribing it would take to let Walt Disney World take out a mortgage so I could buy one of those Villas as an every day residence!
Well…I don’t think WDW is who you’d need to talk to about taking out a mortgage! Good luck with that, though! 😉
My daughter and I stayed in a BLT Studio for a few days in November. Loved it! Being able to walk into the Magic Kingdom was fantastic! I liked the interior design and thought that the use of warm earth tones and some whimsical artwork saved it from feeling “sterile”. The only thing I didn’t like was the crazy slippery bathroom floor. Who in heck picked out that tile?
Contempo cafe was good, had one of my fave meals of the trip there -chicken, spinach and artichoke flatbread. Also good for a cupcake break!
It was our first stay in a monorail resort (well, I stayed at the Poly on my first trip when I was 7, in 1974-does that count?) and we enjoyed using that for transportation.
Haha, I never noticed the slippery tile. That flatbread is one of Sarah’s favorites on property!
Nice review! I have yet to stay at a Disney property hotel and I may get the chance this year with my family. I remember when I was 7 traveling on the monorail and passing the Poly and the Contemporary and thinking ‘wow…I’d like to stay at one of those hotels one day…
I would love to stay there, but it books up so fast that it’s hard to rent DVC points and booking direct is over $500 a night. Bummer = (
Yeah, I’d NEVER pay $500/night to stay at BLT. It’s nice, but not THAT nice.
It’s $1,072 per night, plus hotel taxes of 12%, for our stay in mid-October at BLT. That’s a 2 BR “villa”, with a full kitchen and 2 BAs.
But we can walk to MK and to the monorail…
BLT is our home resort and we’re making our second trip there in just a couple of days. The decor happens to match my design style, but it’s not going to be for everyone. The proximity to the Magic Kingdom and the dining options available at the MK resorts, however, is the thing that people will universally appreciate. I love leaving the parks at the end of the day and watching people lining up to go on the monorails and ferries as I stroll over and am back in my room in a matter of 10 minutes.
One side note about the regular Wishes show — the Top of the World Lounge provides a unique view of the fireworks, but it is not a view that everyone will love. When you’re on Main Street or even across the way at the Poly, it looks like they are going off right on top of the castle, but from the TOWL vantage point and angle, you can see that the fireworks are going off well behind the castle. Still cool, but definitely different. Would have loved to be up there to see the NYE fireworks where they were going off all over the lagoon, though — I bet that would be something to see from up there!
Very true about regular Wishes! If you’ve ever been to California Grill during Wishes, imagine that view…but a little MORE off-center.
The view works great for a show with perimeter bursts, but it’s not as good for normal shows.
It’s perfect! One of the great things about DVC is how each resort bring something different to the table. We’ve stayed at almost every DVC resort so far, and Bay Lake Tower tops our list as our favorite (at WDW, I should say. Aulani still ranks #1 above all for us!). Our children are young, and the Magic Kingdom is a part of every single Disney day, even if it’s just a few hours after dinner, we are always there. The proximity to the Magic Kingdom simply cannot be beat. I’m not really a very modern girl in my decor taste, but it is wonderfully appointed, and even if it the “least Disney” of the resorts, there are more than enough touches to make it decidedly Disney! We are happy to call BLT our home, and can’t wait to get back in 3 weeks!
Great point for people with kids. Magic Kingdom is also our most visited park, if only because it’s usually open the latest, and we always end the night at whatever park is opened latest. For us, the convenience of the walk is great.
For others who might visit Epcot and DHS more, a Crescent Lake resort might be a better choice.
For animal fans, AKV might be better…
There is no one size fits all resort, but each one offers something different that may appeal more or less to you!
Bay Lake is definitely on my must do DVC resorts, I can not wait to stay there. I love the trendy Disney theming and its proximity to the park. We were trying to decide between Bay Lake and Wilderness Lodge for our Christmas vacation this year. We are going at the start of December so it won’t be crazy busy. We thought we’d decided on Wilderness after seeing your Christmas shots but reading this has made me stop and think yet again! Choosing which resort is like being a kid in a candy store lol!
Christmas? Wilderness Lodge. Without a doubt.