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Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort: Traveler Reviews

4600 North World Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, FL 32830
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Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
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Ranked #27 of 330 hotels in Orlando
Most recent review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 19, 2013
NicoleMoore Lake Ann, Michigan
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Rating summary
  • Location
    5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    4 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    4.5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Lake Ann, Michigan
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
7 hotel reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
“Disney never fails to impress”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 19, 2013

This was our second stay at the Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort. We have also previously stayed at the Contemporary Hotel, which is located directly next door (and is connected via sky bridge). We especially love the location, as we are able to walk to the Magic Kingdom and hop on the Monorail to Epcot.
Disney never fails to impress us with their high level of customer service and this trip was no exception. Our suite overlooked the Magic Kingdom and we were able to enjoy the fireworks each night, as well as the beautiful icicle lights on Cinderella's castle as they changed colors. Our youngest son lost two teeth and the concierge was able to help us coordinate a fun gift from the 'tooth fairy' that was delivered to our room while we were out in the parks.
It is also very convenient to have a washer/dryer and full kitchen at our disposal. Because I was able to do laundry daily, we were able to head home with suitcases full of clean clothes, taking the stress out of the end of our vacation. It was also a great perk (pun intended) to brew a pot of coffee each morning and sit on our balcony listening to the sounds of the MK. We did not want our vacation to end.
We would not think of staying anywhere else when visiting WDW. The location, the customer service, the layout and amenities of the suites make this resort a perfect fit for our family. Thank you Bay Lake Tower and WDW for another perfect family vacation. We will most certainly be back!!

Room Tip: Ask for an seventh or eighth floor room if you have requested a theme park view. It is a perfect hei...
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  • Stayed December 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask NicoleMoore about Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
New York City, New York
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Best DVC Hotel (so far)”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 17, 2013

I’ve been to Bay Lake Tower twice already, and just booked another stay for October 2013.

LOCATION – 5 minute walk to Magic Kingdom in the early morning is wonderful and refreshing. 5 minute walk FROM Magic Kingdom at the end of a night with a tired child (and just as tired parents) is essential and cannot be beat. Think of it like this – other guests are still standing in line and hoping to get onto the next bus, and praying to have a seat on said bus, while you are already in your room, getting ready for bed.

ROOMS – I love chic, modern style accommodations of the Bay Lake Tower. You are still fully immersed in Disney magic, but now it’s combined with a feeling of luxury you get at top-of-the-line hotels. Everything is comfortable, well thought-out, properly maintained. Breakfast in the room saves you a ton of money in Disney. Kitchens at Bay Lake Tower are a pleasure to cook at (as much as any vacation-time cooking can be a pleasure LOL). Washer and drier is great, and saves me from bringing my entire closet for a week’s vacation. Balcony (in my lakeview room) offer an amazing sight. I really enjoyed having my morning coffee on the balcony and watching the sunrise over the Bay Lake.

JACUZZY - ok, so here is a little tip for the first time Disney visitors: I don’t care what physical shape you are in, I don’t care how much time you spend in the gym, at the end of the day you will be tired…really, really tired. I used some of that empty space in my suitcase to bring Epsom salts, and made it a part of my ritual to soak in a Jacuzzi tub (in the master bathroom!!!) every night for 20 minutes.

POOL – I wish I could say we spent a lot of time lounging by the pool, but honestly we were in the park most of the time. The 1 or 2 times that we went to the pool, it was not crowded at all, the water was just the right temperature, and the kids had a separate safe water area to splash around in which gave me an opportunity to relax for a few minutes. Slide is great, and my husband and I both went on it several times “for our daughter…”

OUTDOOR HOT TUB – Great jets, perfect temperature, excellent to massage & regenerate sore muscles. The one cool thing is that at night you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant straight from the hot tub. It’s not a perfect/clear view, but it’s a very cook feeling to be soaking in the tub while watching the pageant and listening to the music.

TOP OF THE WORLD LOUNGE – I like getting a drink & a late-night snack at the lounge after the kids went to bed. It has a terrace with a very convenient view of the fireworks, though I honestly prefer to see them from the park when they are right on top of me.

CONNECTION TO CONTEMPORARY/ALL OTHER MONORAIL RESORTS – this is so important for my family! One minute we are living in our own little world at the tower, next we need something from a shop of want to go to a restaurant, or check out the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian, or whatever…. It is all right there, all easily accessible.

IMO, Bay Lake Tower is the best DVC on property (so far). Don’t take me wrong, I love walking around the Boardwalk or Downtown Disney are. But the resorts located there are just not up to snuff in comparison to Bay Lake. The décor of the Boardwalk-area resort rooms seems dated, the rooms have this “old person’s home” smell and feeling. Pool at the Beach Club is fabulous, but that’s doesn’t make me want to stay there as I am not spending $$$$$ on park tickets to spend a lot of time by the pool. Location to the parks is NOT convenient: yes, we can walk to EPCOT from BC, but it’s the back entrance of EPCOT!!! It takes almost 10 minutes to walk from the back to the front, and each morning you end up being well behind the crowds that got to the front entrance at rope drop. You have to take a water taxi or the bus to all other parks/resorts. I’m not trying to be negative about other resorts, they are just better for a different type of Disney vacationer (someone who is less focused on the parks, and is more focused on the relaxation aspect).

Congrats Disney on a job well done here!

Room Tip: Don't waste money on the Magic Kingdom view, get a Lakeview room and watch fireworks from the te...
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  • Stayed May 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask oyalkut about Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
London, United Kingdom
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Best DVC Resort for location and travel options!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 16, 2013

Cannot fault this resort for location (five minute walk to Magic Kingdom!) and the free travel to the parks -offered at every Disney hotel - is especially great, as you are not restricted just to overcrowded (and late!) buses, as you have the monorail from the Contemporary Resort which takes you to Magic Kingdom (+ Magic Kingdom resorts) and Epcot vis the TTC. Rooms are lovely, all DVC suites, we booked a studio Lake View, and we ended up with an AMAZING view of Magic Kingdom AND Bay Lake! Bonus! The rooms are clean and spacious, with the kitchenette seperate from the main room and bathroom. As for food/restaurant choices, there are none inside of BLT but we didn't mind as there is endless choice five minutes away inside Magic Kingdom and of course, Contemporary. Worth all the vacation points you spend on it!

  • Stayed March 2012, traveled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask BelBel448 about Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Arlington Heights
Top Contributor
67 reviews 67 reviews
16 hotel reviews
Reviews in 29 cities Reviews in 29 cities
26 helpful votes 26 helpful votes
“One of my Favorite Disney Properties”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 15, 2013

This was a Disney trip with grandparents, parents, and grandchildren over the Disney Marathon Weekend. Bay Lake Towerat the Contemporary Hotel suited our needs perfectly. The 2 bedroom villa is very spacious, family friendly, and the kitchen and laundry room have everything you can possibly need. The tower is calm and quiet unlike some of the other properties, and the Contemporary Hotel is so close for dining, shopping needs, and the monorail. Bay Lake Tower has a family friendly pool with water slides for bigones and little ones, as well as a fun shower splash area. I was truly impressed with the cast members who provided activities all day in the pool area, and built a bonfire for toasting marshmallows in the evening. Parking is very close to the building. The staff in the Tower are friendly and very accommodating. You can get rooms with a view of the Magic Kingdom, but if you choose not to pay extra for that, there are Bay Lake views where you can see the fireworks at EPCOT. I would happily return to this magical Disney property. The extra bonus is that you can walk to and from the Magic Kingdom.

  • Stayed January 2013, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 9 more reviews by LuciArlingtonHeights for Orlando
Ask LuciArlingtonHeights about Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Chicago, Illinois
Top Contributor
74 reviews 74 reviews
44 hotel reviews
Reviews in 37 cities Reviews in 37 cities
72 helpful votes 72 helpful votes
“Great location, nice rooms, boring theming and some bumps in service”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed January 14, 2013

We stayed here from 12/28-1/2 precisely because I wanted to be able to walk back from the Magic Kingdom after New Year's Eve, without having to deal with Disney transportation.

The rooms are nice. We had a one bedroom lake view room. It was great having a separate living room, kitchen, bedroom. I loved the washer and dryer in the unit and the two bathrooms.

Our room was in good condition except one lamp did not work, and we were missing a blanket for the sleeper chair in the living room. That was the first problem. We called and requested a blanket. It did not arrive. After about 45 minutes, we called again. We were told that no one had noted the request but that they would bring us a blanket. After about 20 more minutes of no blanket, I walked down to the front desk and asked for a blanket. Finally, one of the front desk clerks brought the blanket about 15 minutes later. I'm not sure why getting a blanket requires such begging, but it was disappointing.

The location is great. It's easy enough to walk over to the Contemporary for restaurants and shops and then to walk to the Magic Kingdom.

The pool area is okay but not spectacular. It was not crowded when we were there.

The one thing we did not like much was that the rooms were not themed at all. To me, the hotel could have been any large, modern hotel in any big city.

I am glad we stayed here once. I am not sure if we will stay again.

  • Stayed December 2012, traveled with family
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 12 more reviews by ProfandMom for Orlando
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
 
 
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Additional Information about Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Also Known As:
Bay Lake Tower At Disney`s Contemporary Hotel Orlando
Bay Lake Tower At Disney`s Contemporary Hotel
Address: 4600 North World Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, FL 32830
Region: United States > Florida > Central Florida > Orlando
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Fitness Center Free High-Speed Internet Free Parking Kids Activities Kitchenette Restaurant Room Service Shuttle Bus service Suites Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#23 Family Hotels in Orlando
Price Range: $$$$
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort—balances a modern and luxurious experience with warm and innovative features and delivers some of the most dramatic views available anywhere at Walt Disney World Resort. ... more   less 
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