Walt Disney World Resort has 25 resorts.  Guests face a big decision on deciding which resort to select for their vacation.  Disney offers deluxe villas for large families looking for space on their Walt Disney World Vacation. 

Bay Lake Tower is a great resort for those looking for quick park access, spacious villas, Magic Kingdom views, and dining options.

Resort

Bay Lake Tower is part of Disney’s Contemporary Resort.  It is part of Disney Vacation Club but any guest can stay in the villas.  Bay Lake Tower offers deluxe studios, one bedroom, two bedroom, and three-bedroom grand villas.  One-bedroom villas and larger all offer a full kitchen and laundry.  

Studios sleep four guests, one-bedroom villas sleep 5, two bedrooms sleep 9-, and three-bedroom villas sleep 12.  Villas are a great way for large families to stay together in one room.  

Location

One of the biggest perks of Bay Lake Tower is location.  It is a 10-minute walk to Magic Kingdom.  It is a closer walk to Magic Kingdom than even Contemporary Resort.  Guests can also take the monorail to Epcot and Magic Kingdom.  Bus transportation is available to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.  

Villa Rooms

We have had the opportunity to stay in a deluxe studio and two-bedroom villa.  While the deluxe studio is somewhat small, the two-bedroom villa is spacious. Bay Lake Tower and Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village are the only villas that offer 3 bathrooms in the 2-bedroom villas. 

The two-bedroom villa sleeps 9.  The two-bedroom villa has 3 complete bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room, and laundry.  It sleeps 9 guests with two queen beds, one king bed, a sleeper sofa, and a sleeper chair.  

The villa also had two balconies.  Two-bedroom villas offer standard, lake, and theme park view.  We booked a theme park view which was beautiful.  We were able to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from our balcony.  

The villas have not been refurbished to the new Incredibles themed rooms like the Contemporary Resort.  I hope in the near feature they will also convert these rooms.  

Dining

Contemporary Resort offers quick service, table service, and signature dining.  Contempo Cafe offers quick service options for guests.  Chef Mickey’s offers a character dining experience. 

Steakhouse 71 is a new restaurant that is one of my favorite options at Walt Disney World.  It replaced The Wave.  The food was reasonably priced and excellent.  California Grill is Contemporary Resort’s signature restaurant that offers spectacular firework views.  

Photo: Diskingdom.com

Recreation

Bay Lake Tower, like many Disney Vacation Club resorts, offers a community hall.  The community hall is a great space for kids to hang out.  They have arts, crafts, board games, video games, and offer outdoor activities.  

They offer activities daily such as Mickey Tie Dye, painting, etc.  Bay Lake Tower also has its own pool with water slide and kids splash area.  Guests can also use the pool at Contemporary Resort.  

Review

Disney’s Bay Lake Tower is a great resort for families looking for large spaces, a full kitchen, and quick park access.  Contemporary Resort is the closest resort to Magic Kingdom. 

Bay Lake Tower is great for families with small children looking for an easy option for mid-day breaks.  The rooms at Bay Lake Tower I feel could use an update to the amazing Incredibles Rooms at Contemporary Resort but the location and view cannot be beat.  

Do you want more help planning your next Disney vacation? As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, my goal is to help you plan the Magic your way. I also create customized itineraries, book advanced dining, monitor for discounts for your vacation, and much much more!  Also, did I mention that my services are FREE!!!! Contact me at  SLoehrlein@MickeyTravels.com or follow me on Facebook @MickeyTravelsShannonLoehrlein