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PassPorter Blogs | Tag Archive | bay lake tower

Disney on foot!

Filed under Fresh Picked Posts, Getting in Shape for Travel by rescuesk on February 25, 2012 at 2:47 pm {6 comments}

Ready to walk?

Hey, that got your attention, didn’t it! :D For one brief moment, you thought I was going to blog about getting to Disney by foot, didn’t you!

No, don’t worry. There are lots of ways to get to Disney, but unless you live in Cinderella’s Castle, walking there isn’t a way most travel journals would recommend.

But we are going to talk about walking in Disney.

Disney is a big place. Its a large place. Actually, its a huge place! 43 square miles, to be exact! Now, don’t fret, you aren’t going to be walking all 43 miles of that. Some of it is resort area, some of it is undeveloped,  and some is downright swamp country! But since you’ve chosen a Disney vacation, walking will be a big part of your daily routine.

If you’ve been following the blog, you know how important walking before you leave is. So, you’re ready for this, right?

The amount of walking you will do each day depends on the park you choose to visit. I’m going to cover the Magic Kingdom today, and address the others in future blogs!

The Magic Kingdom is the quintessential Disney theme park. It might surprise our readers to know that this is also one of the smallest of the parks, approximately 107 acres! Your walking day begins before you get to the park. If you are arriving at the Magic Kinfdom in a car, you will be parking on the other side of the lagoon. You will take either a monorail or the ferryboat to get to the kingdom. When you park, you can proceed to one of the tram stops and take the tram to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and choose your option. There will be a short walk from your car to the tram, and from the tram to the transportation of choice. You cannot walk from the TTC to the Kingdom; there is no path, and it would be quite a hike anyway. Once you arrive at the Kingdom, there is another walk from the boat launch or the monorail station to the main entrance. If you are arriving at the Kingdom via Disney bus, the walk to the Kingdom is slightly windy and slightly uphill. It actually is a little bit further away than you would suspect. If you are staying at the Contemporary Resort or Bay Lake Towers, right next to the Magic Kingdom, you can walk to the park. This walk is a bit more than a quarter mile, but its quite pleasant, and a great way to start your day!

Once you pass through the main gates, you will need to walk up Main Street to access the attractions. The Magic Kingdom is designed around a central hub, Cinderella’s Castle, with all the lands branching out from there. “Walking” might be too broad of a term, You will more than likely meander up Main Street, taking in the ambience of this uniquely Disney area. Pace yourself…you have alot of ground to cover and you don’t want to get tired.

Once you get to the hub, you can choose your land. No matter which direction you travel in, you will be walking, but with so much to see and do, you should be pacing yourself at a nice leisurely pace. You will not have this luxury at every park, so enjoy it now! :D You’ll basically be walking in a big circle, around the back of the park and back to the front. All in all, its a nice easy walk, mostly flat and with plenty of places to rest.

When your touring day is done, walk back to the hub for a final stroll down Main Street. If you are tired, you can wait for one of the transportation vehicles to take you back down to Main Street. If you are still feeling like you can do a bit more wlaking, meander back down Main Street to the main entrance. Keep in mind that the same walk you did to get into the park now needs to be done in reverse. You will need to walk to the Disney buses, the monorail station, the ferry boat launch or the Contemporary Resort. And from there, you will still need to get back to your resort and room. Its always good to save a little energy for this return trip, especially if you are going to be carrying tired children or pushing a stroller.

So, you survived your first big walking adventure at Disney! You are back at your room and ready to take on the next park. Rehydrate at night (water or Gatorade…we’ll talk more about hydration in a future blog) and get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow we take on Epcot…get ready to hoof it here!!

 

Bay Lake Tower vs. Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas

Filed under Disney Vacation Club, Fresh Picked Posts by Cheryl Pendry on February 13, 2012 at 2:55 pm {14 comments}

I find a lot of the discussions on the PassPorter message boards fascinating, with some really interesting questions posed. One that struck me recently was from PassPorter member oceanmarina.  

She was originally looking to do a split stay between Bay Lake Tower and Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas, although she didn’t want to split a stay for seven nights. She wanted to pick one hotel, and wanted to stay in a one-bedroom villa. The question was this:

Which would you stay if you had to pick one?

Usually, when it comes to picking resorts at Walt Disney World, I find it relatively easy, as I have my firm favorites – Beach Club Villas come on down! – but this was one was tougher. They’re both Disney Vacation Club resorts, and after the Beach Club Villas, they’re probably our other favorite two DVC resorts. So which one would I pick, if I had to pick one? Hmmm…

The pros of staying at Bay Lake Tower

The first is the amazing location, just a few minutes’ walk from the Magic Kingdom, while on the way back, it’s only one stop on the monorail.

One-bedroom villas here are larger than the equivalent rooms in Jambo House of Animal Kingdom Lodge, so if you’ve got a number of people as part of your vacation, that could be an important call.

It’s got a more “exclusive” feel to it, as technically only Bay Lake Tower keyholders can get into the complex. Of course, it’s never that simple, and we’ve seen plenty of people come through both the walkway from the fourth floor of the main Contemporary building, or the main doors, without showing any room keys.

The Top of the World lounge at Bay Lake Tower

You get access to the Top of the World lounge, with the wonderful views it offers towards the Magic Kingdom. It’s the perfect place to watch Wishes from, if you’re not lucky enough to snag a theme park view room.

You’re just a short walk away from some wonderful dining options, such as the California Grill, and the famous antics of Chef Mickey’s.

The cons of staying at Bay Lake Tower

A studio at Bay Lake Tower - sterile or homely?

Some people may feel that the rooms here are rather sterile. Personally, I quite like the feel of them, but they’re certainly not as “homely” as some of the other Disney Vacation Club resorts.

Because all the parking’s out front, that can mean a long walk over to your car, depending where your room is in the tower.

As Bay Lake Tower is part of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which is classed as a Deluxe resort by Disney, it’s going to cost more money to stay there. If you want to stay on your Disney Vacation Club points, then it will also cost more, although you can get a standard view one bedroom villa for less than the price of a one-bedroom concierge villa at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Having said that, of course, all you’re getting is the one bedroom villa at Bay Lake Tower, without the concierge benefits.

The pros of staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas

You just cannot beat the theme of this beautiful resort. The second you walk in, you’re transported away to the African savannah. Step outside, and you can meet some of the animal residents outside. The chances are you’ll nearly always find something to admire, although of course they are able to wander off, whenever they feel like it!

The beautiful theming of one of the rooms at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas

The theming extends into the Disney Vacation Club rooms, and we just love all the African touches, the beautiful dark wood, and the wallpaper, with various famous African locations. Get yourself a savannah view room, and you can look at a picture postcard view that changes all the time, as animals come, and go.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to three superb restaurants, all offering something very different, from the amazing variety of choices on the Boma buffet to the signature dining of Jiko, and the unusual choices of Sanaa.

If you stay at Kidani Village, it offers parking, for those with cars, almost right underneath your room, if it’s available of course. That’s a definite bonus, and something that Bay Lake Tower can’t offer.

As mentioned earlier, another bonus is that staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas is a cheaper option than Bay Lake Tower, both in terms of cash, and points. If you’re on a tight budget, this could be a deciding factor.

The cons of staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas

Because of its ambience, Animal Kingdom Lodge is naturally located away the rest of Walt Disney World property. That means that it can take some time to get to the theme parks, with the exception of Animal Kingdom, which is only a five minute drive by car, or a short journey by bus.

The size of Kidani Village can make it unappealing to some

We personally find that Kidani Village is too sprawling. If you’re located at the end of one of the wings, it’s a very long walk back to the reception to dine, shop, or enjoy the fitness centre, pool, or water play area.

So what’s the overall verdict?

Personally, I find it hard to pick between the two, as they both have so many pros, with very few cons to either.

Because of that, given the choice, I’d always go for a split stay, incorporating both. While at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas, I’d enjoy Animal Kingdom, and the wonders of that sumptuous Boma dinner buffet, before moving to Bay Lake Tower, to enjoy time at the Magic Kingdom, and some fine dining at the California Grill. Let’s face it, if you can’t pick, then why not do both?

However, if I really, really had to choose… well, my heart lies in Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. To me, they’re better value for money, have a wonderful laid back ambience, and you can’t beat having animals outside on the savannah.

Patience is a Virtue (Unless You’re Planning a Disney Vacation!)

Filed under Grown-Up Disney by aliceinwdw on January 25, 2012 at 6:45 pm {no comments}

Let me start by clarifying: I don’t mean that patience is needed to do the (fun!) stuff; i.e. the planning, etc., I mean that you, well, I, will need patience for the waiting to plan!

You Totally Do This, Don’t You?

So, I can honestly say that I love starting to thinking about our next trip practically as soon as I set foot in the door after returning home from our latest vacation! Ok, so I may not exactly be knocking the luggage out of DH’s hands while tearing down the hallway to go and grab my Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) points chart — because I already have them memorized. *eyeroll* Ok, not really! — but, I have more than likely already had a conversation, or four, with him about where we should stay next time. Huh. Yeah, I guess it’s not really screaming “World’s Most Patient Person” is it? But I can’t help it! I want to go back before I’ve even left (that makes sense)!

Where else can we stay?

Ok, so being that we are also DVC members, we have been pretty spoiled by our ability to stay at quite a few of the resorts at Walt Disney World (“WDW”), including:

Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa:

Saratoga Springs Villas * photo taken by GTCindy

Animal Kingdom Lodge (“AKL”), both Jambo House (main building) and Kidani Village (DVC villas):

AKL - Kidani Village - Savannah * photo taken by chezp

Bay Lake Tower (“BLT”) at Disney’s Contemporary Resort:

Bay Lake Tower - Bay Lake * photo taken by chezp

And even BoardWalk Villas:

BoardWalk Villas - BoardWalk/Crescent Lake * photo taken by mestitch

Like I said, totally spoiled! I know this, but we’ve been able to do so much with our membership, like stay at all of these resorts, because we’ve learned a few tricks! For example, with these couple of stays under our belts (or is that all those zebra domes?), we have realized that we can make the most of our trips if we do split-stays; i.e. if we change rooms/resorts at some point during our trip. (Although, on one occasion, we did this four times in two weeks! *Please do not attempt this on your next vacation; it is not recommended!* :-P ) However, as crazy as that trip was, it did, to say the least, allow us to experience a lot more “resort” than if we had chosen to do a more “traditional” reservation.

There’s only one hitch to this brilliant (if I say so myself!) idea: When staying on DVC points, I cannot book at another resort, except my home resort, until seven months out from my anticipated arrival date. Whhhhy? (Well, I know why, but I’m going for dramatic effect here!)

So, not only do I have to try and decide where we’re going to (hopefully) stay next time, but I have to wait to see if any of my choices are even viable options! This is where my issue (and subsequent topic for this week) lies, I need patience! Unfortunately, I don’t really have much of it. LOL! I mean, I know I’m a grown-up (well, by “definition,” as we’ve previously discussed! ;-) ) and, as such, I’m supposed to know that “good things come to those that wait,” right? Well, do the “preachers” of this zen-like thinking ever go to Disney World? I’m thinking no, because, there are just too many of us over on the PassPorter message boards who have either have a vacation ticker, some sort of countdown, create posts for their double, and then single, digit dances and/or actually have all of the above! So, I know your out there and that’s why I had to discuss the waiting; I knew you’d understand!

However, and I don’t mean to only direct my conversation to the DVC members, but, there is super, ginormous news that will make it seem like whatever-such-holiday-you-celebrate-that-requires-torturous-waiting-for-presents to any do-it-yourself planners out there: We can finally book our own vacations online! *Cue the chorus of angels singing!* OMGosh I’m so excited about this news (thanks for the reminder, Cheryl!) and yet so bummed, all at the same time, because I can’t “do” anything with it beyond August at this point (which is 7 months out from now).

Oh the humanity! (Yeah and if you think I’m bad now, you should see me when it’s time to book my dining reservations online! Ha ha ha, oh but you will!)

Anyway, the news of the online reservation system made me think about my planning that’s on hold, which then made me think about the prior resorts we’ve stayed at, and thus the sharing of my rambling thoughts — since that’s all I can do for the time being! Well, that and wonder: What’s worse? The waiting to book or the waiting for the actual trip?! I can’t really say for sure; however, being that I’m currently at the waiting-to-book stage, I’m totally voting for that! :-)

So, I guess I should get going; that DVC website isn’t going to “test” itself! And, while I’m at it — *channels my inner rock star* — I am going to attempt to try and find myself “a little patience…yeeeeah…just a little patience…ooooooo oooo yeeeah…” (Just be thankful you can’t actually hear me!)

So, until next time!

2013 points charts for the Disney Vacation Club resorts

Filed under Disney Vacation Club, Fresh Picked Posts by Cheryl Pendry on January 20, 2012 at 3:45 pm {one comment}

Changes ahoy for Bay Lake Tower in 2013

Some of the latest discussion about the Disney Vacation Club or DVC for short has been about the latest points charts for 2013.

What do these mean if you’re not a Disney Vacation Club member? Essentially, they outline how much members will have to “pay” for their stays in 2013, so they’re really important in helping to plan future vacations.

The points charts have just been issued for the 11 Disney Vacation Club resorts, located in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Vero Beach, Hilton Head, and ‘Oahu. Because your home Disney Vacation Club resort can be booked (the resort you purchased your points in) up to 11 months in advance, they needed to be out by February. Usually they come out a bit earlier than that – in 2010, they were actually issued just before Thanksgiving – but this year the DVC were making one or two changes.

No-one quite knew what those changes were until the charts were published, and or course people were keen to find out, as these charts can influence how much of a vacation you’ll be able to have. In the end, I thought they were less radical than perhaps I’d been anticipating. I was expecting almost a wholesale change, along the lines of what we saw in 2010, and 2011, when the number of points for Sunday through Thursday night stays increased substantially, while at the same time, the points needed for Friday and Saturday night stays decreased.

So what’s changing for 2013? Bay Lake Tower for one…

This time though, the changes centred on just two resorts, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

The Disney Vacation Club explained the changes to Bay Lake Tower as being down to a re-classification of about 10 rooms, which they took out of the theme park view category, instead putting them in the standard view category. This resulted in various changes across the board, although interestingly not to the three-bedroom grand villas, so if you were after one of those, they’re still going to cost you the same points as they would’ve done in 2012.

There aren’t any major changes to any of the other accommodations at Bay Lake Tower. Many of the alterations are literally just a couple of points a week. The more significant changes see 13 points being added to a two-bedroom villa during the Magic Season, covering mid February to the end of April, with the exception of the period around Easter, mid June to mid August, and Thanksgiving.

Inside a studio at Bay Lake Tower

There’s a five point change for anyone wanting a studio with a lake or theme park view for a week in Choice Season (early October to mid December with the exception of the Thanksgiving weekend) or a theme park view in a one-bedroom villa for a week in Dream Season, covering early February, early May to mid June, and late August. There’s also the same weekly increase of five points for a theme park view in Dream Studio in a one-bedroom villa.

For two-bedroom villas, theme park views all go up by seven points for a week’s stay in Adventure Season (January, September, and early December), Choice or Dream Seasons. It’s not a huge increase, but it could be enough to make a day’s difference to some people’s vacation.

Treehouse Villas to cost more…

With Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, it’s a lot more clear cut. The most obvious change, when you look at the 2013 points charts, is that the three-bedroom Treehouse Villas are now in their own category, rather than as previously, when they were lumped in with the two-bedroom villas. While that may be disappointing for anyone wanted to book a Treehouse Villa, I’ve got to say, I can understand it. There did always seem to be a discrepancy there, that you could pay the same for a two- and three-bedroom villa that just didn’t exist at any resort. Obviously, the Disney Vacation Club have recognised that, and rectified it.

So what difference is it going to make? If you wanted a week in a Treehouse Villa in the Adventure Season (January, September or early December), it’s going to cost you 281, 35 points more than in 2012. By the time you get up to Premier Season (essentially Easter and Christmas), a week is going to set you back 477 points, 60 points more than in 2012.

Generally, that’s the only change in the Premier Season, and anyone travelling in the Magic Season (mid February to the end of April, except Easter, mid June to mid August, and Thanksgiving) won’t see much change either, unless they’re after a three-bedroom grand villa. The change isn’t massive though, literally just an additional point on Sunday to Thursday nights.

Elswhere at Saratoga Springs

It’s when you look at the other times of year to visit that there are changes across the board to all types of accommodation. For anyone who wants to travel in the Adventure Season, the number of points needed have universally gone down across the board, making it even more of a value for money time of the year to travel.

Saratoga Springs, nestled across the lake from Downtown Disney

It’s a more mixed story for the Choice Season (early October to just before Christmas, with the exception of the Thanksgiving weekend), with stays in one-bedroom villas costing nine points more for a whole week, while a week’s stay in a two-bedroom villa goes down by the same amount. Equally, it’s two points more for a week in a studio, and two less for a week in a three-bedroom grand villa.

So, in as much of a nutshell as is possible with these things, that gives you an idea of what you can expect from the changes to the 2013 points charts. It’ll be interesting to see what 2014 brings, but that’s starting to look a little too far ahead … even for a planner like me!