Official “Derek was actually right about Bay Lake Tower” Apology Thread

Great summary! The conceete theme is a perfect description. Anyone who’s been to Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, or the Poly prior to the tower would wonder why Disney would choose a concrete theme for a resort.

Let be known, as I defend BLT's honor, that this is done in fun and not with any angst towards you (or Derek, who has been a great help to us ;) )

BLT gets a lot of hate. I don't think the majority of commentators online are singing it's praises, but rather, taking shots at it. Not sure Derek needs an "apology" here... my guess is a large portion of the community tends to agree with him! I think an accurate description of BLT is that it is slightly underrated within the community. We own there, and it's our favorite resort!

First, almost all of the gripes you shared are subjective & anecdotal. I think there are legitimate, objective critiques of BLT, but as always much of the DVC debates are going to end up with what you personally like or dislike.(Let's be real, that makes the debating fun haha). Things like theming(your first 3 points), enjoyment of the courtyard/pool, etc all come down to one's personal preferences/opinions. My take on the theming- I actually like the sleek/simple approach, and unlike the many resorts which are going bland-marriott room style, BLT has perhaps the best in-your-face-Disney-joy artwork on property.

Second, the strengths of the resort are often just disregarded, en route to bashing things like theming, studio room size compared to others, etc. I've heard many a podcaster say "yeah you love the location, but that's it". Well, the location is a MASSIVE part of this equation! If you have any kids, it is an absolute game changer. The pool at BLT is smaller, but almost always is quiet and not alot of people there, plus you get the Contemporary pools & splash pad which are great and a minutes walk outside. Additionally, the quick walk to the contemporary gets you some of the best gift shops on property, and some great dining options.

All that to say- we do indeed love the BLT, there are many of us, and it doesn't deserve the hate.

Very happy that this place has fans that will be flocking to it. Again, I think it’s a good resort. I’d even say a very good resort. I’ll come back and repost in a few days after I’ve had more time to ponder. There’s just so much room for opportunity, and I’ve seen other flagship deluxe resorts get so much love and thought that I feel like is missing from this.

Those elevators are still the nail in the coffin to me. Most inconvenient elevators for the most convenient location.

To note: this is also coming from the perspective of someone who booked the Contemporary “Incredibles” themed rooms in the past. I wasn’t blown away by those either.

You have never been to Pixar Place in DLR. Those elevators are the very definition of bad. The last time we visited they had CMs directing guests and even taking groups of guests to the staff elevators. Perhaps that is fixed now, but it was very very bad.

We have never had an issue with the elevators at BLT, knock wood,

What I live aniut this community is that there are DVC’s for everyone out there! I LOVE that people love BLT! Its mot MY cup of tea and where i choose to use MY precious DVC points but for those that do ~ awesome! Trying them out and falling in love w a new resort or even breaking up w one to see other reaorts is what beibg a member is all about and people sharing their own thoughts and feedback is qgain what makes this community so amazing :)

Agreed! I did not like BLT when we first went in. We had bought sight unseen, just going on location. Very underwhelming. Not much of a lobby. Themeing was nonexistent. We were used to the Boardwalk and OKW. What a difference.

All that went a way when we entered the room. We had a 2 bedroom since we had our 2 grandkids and their parents in tow. 3 BATHROOMS! What a good send. The layout was fantastic. In fact we took some elements of the kitchen when we remodeled our house.

Not a huge fan of the refurb, however. They took away some seating and the Murphy beds are very poor couches, and I am being generous. Hard surface floors was a big win, however.

So out of all our home resorts we like AK (Jambo), GCV, and BWV the best. Then BLT and VDH brining up the rear.