The Lesser Known Perks of Bay Lake Tower

My husband and I are proud owners at Bay Lake Tower, but we admittedly purchased a contract there without having stayed at the resort.  We had only visited for Top of the World Lounge.  However, we were familiar with the major pros of the resort; we knew that we would love the ability to walk to the Magic Kingdom, monorail access, the shared amenities of the Contemporary Resort, and the reasonable dues and points charts.  In addition, the contract was longer than our BoardWalk contract, and the villas were appealing to us from what we had seen through vlogs, especially the Theme Park View villas and the extra bathrooms in the one and two bedroom villas.  We ended up loving our stays and are so glad that we have Bay Lake Tower as one of our home resorts.  As we are getting to know our second home resort a little better, it occurred to me that there are more benefits to Bay Lake Tower than we initially realized.

Easy Resort Hopping

Bay Lake Tower is located in an ideal spot for resort hopping.  The most obvious way to resort hop is to take the monorail to the Polynesian or Grand Floridian, but with Bay Lake Tower being so close to the Magic Kingdom, we can actually take advantage of the bus hub there to reach other Disney resorts.  This is especially helpful for resort dining reservations.  Buses tend to run an hour before park opening until an hour after park closing, so as long as you resort hop between those hours, transportation is quite convenient.  Normally, you can also hop on the water taxi to visit Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground though that has yet to return since Walt Disney World’s reopening.

Peaceful Lakefront

I know there are plenty of people who feel that Bay Lake Tower is a sterile, office-looking building, but should you walk to the back of the property towards Bay Lake, you will find a very scenic and peaceful lakefront.  It still won’t beat my favorite, Crescent Lake, but I have to say that this is a wonderful quiet spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the crowds, especially during the day when most guests are in the parks.

Quick Access to the Elevators

Some resorts like Kidani Village and the BoardWalk seem to have endless hallways, but that is not the case with Bay Lake Tower.  With two sets of elevators, one at the north side of the building and one at the south side, your room never feels very far away.  That is great news when you have had a long day at the parks or when you’re looking to quickly pick up your mobile order from Contempo Cafe.

The Studio Kitchenette

Yes, the studios at Bay Lake Tower are among the smallest of the DVC studios, but the unusual layout is quite to our liking.  One part that we really like is the layout of the kitchenette.  Rather than being part of the hallway as it is in most studios, the Bay Lake Tower kitchenettes are tucked away in their own alcove.  It almost feels like having a separate kitchen.  With this layout, there are more cabinets for storage and extra counter space compared to other studios.

Additional Recreational Activities

Besides the usual pool activities that are offered at Disney resorts, Bay Lake Tower also offers boat rentals and fishing excursions.  You can take these boats for a leisurely ride along Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon.  There were also a few specialty cruises you can take from Bay Lake, such as the Seven Seas Tasting Cruise for DVC owners who are eligible for membership extras or the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage, which was more geared towards families with kids.  While the boat rentals and fishing excursions have resumed, we will have to see if the Seven Seas Tasting Cruise and Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage return.    

The Electrical Water Pageant 

While Bay Lake Tower is known for its great views of the fireworks in Magic Kingdom, you can also view the Electrical Water Pageant as it makes its way across the Seven Seas Lagoon.  This pageant features floats with lights that parade along to a medley of songs.  It’s not nearly as elaborate as any fireworks show at Walt Disney World, but the Electrical Water Pageant is a fun piece of nostalgia; I still remember seeing it as a child, and it really hasn’t changed much over the years, except for the new addition in celebration of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. Nevertheless, I still found myself running to the balcony to watch it pass by our studio when I heard the music outside.

For those of you who are Bay Lake Tower owners or who have stayed there, what are some of your favorite lesser known perks?