We celebrated my 30th birthday with a little getaway at both the Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House and Bay Lake Tower (we are DVC members and used our points to book our stay). Even though we live locally and visit Walt Disney World often, our trips are usually just a morning or afternoon visit. When we stay overnight for a birthday celebration or special occasion, it feels extra special for the kiddos!
This was our first stay at Bay Lake Tower and it did not disappoint! The biggest benefit to staying in a room at Bay Lake Tower? The Magic Kingdom is literally your backyard! The walk to the Magic Kingdom is just minutes (or you can take the monorail from the Contemporary next door) and it makes your trip feel extra magical being so close!
Bay Lake Tower itself is a beautiful resort. While it doesn’t have heavy theming like what you may come to expect at Walt Disney World resorts, it is ultra modern and clean feeling and we really loved that. The grounds are also expansive with lots of options for exploring and playing outdoors. You can take a boat ride on the lake, play a variety of outdoor games, swim in the pool or enjoy the splash area.
One of our favorite evening activities was the campfire! You could roast marshmallows (complimentary) or even purchase s’mores kits. This was a hit with our kiddos!
Bay Lake Tower is also the location of the Top of the World lounge! If you’re a DVC member, you can visit the lounge on the top floor of the building — which makes a fantastic Happily Ever After viewing location (with music and everything!). Our Daughter and I watched the fireworks from the Top of the World lounge one night of our trip and she was on cloud 9!
You also can easily walk over to the Contemporary from Bay Lake Tower! There is a pedestrian bridge that connects you right to all of the restaurants, shops, and monorail stop right on the 4th floor! The Magic Kingdom views from the bridge are such a treat! The Contemporary also has the Pixar Play Zone which is really convenient for a parent’s night out during your stay!
Don’t forget to stop by the Contempo Cafe for a cupcake!
Another location perk that we took advantage of was the boat from the Contemporary to the Wilderness Lodge! We used this for our transportation to Snow White’s Storybook Dining at Artist Point and my daughter really enjoyed the ride!
Our kids both also really enjoyed the Community Center at Bay Lake Tower. They colored, played with the available toys, watched a movie, did some of the complimentary arts and crafts, etc. We spent a lot of our resort time here!
Let’s take a look at our Disney Vacation Club One Bedroom Villa (Standard View) at Bay Lake Tower.
When you enter the room you will immediately see a beautifully furnished and open living space.
There is plenty of sleeping space in the living area with the pull-out sofa and the sleeper chair. Our daughter loved sleeping on the chair!
The storage ottoman had extra pillows and blankets inside.
One of our favorite things about staying in DVC villas is the full kitchen. We love to bring lots of snacks and drinks for the kids. We also will bring ice cream, breakfast items, etc!
If you’d like to order grocery delivery to your room, you can do so! Read all about Walt Disney World grocery delivery here.
The dining space was great for meals as well as coloring and play for the kids.
DVC rooms always come with a highchair in the storage closet and you could also call for another if needed.
I always love the convenience of having two bathrooms. Our youngest sleeps in the pack n play (provided in the storage closet as well if you don’t want to bring your own) in the master bedroom so it’s nice to not have to tip-toe in to shower or use the bathroom after he’s gone to bed early.
I ALWAYS do a load of laundry before we head back home. Laundry detergent will be provided in the room.
The master bedroom was large and the bed was very comfortable! We set the pack n play up right by the windows with plenty of room to spare.
The master bathroom was very big with a jetted tub and vanity in the main area and the shower and toilet in a separate water closet.
Thanks for following along on our stay at Bay Lake Tower! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below! Don’t forget you can follow us LIVE at Walt Disney World on our Instagram @brbgoingtodisney 🙂
