BLT checkin?

[PhilharMagician]

Top of the World Lounge is a dead zone until just before the firworks start and it can get a little busy, but not really crowded. At least I have never seen it truely packed except one night this past October and the Democratic party had a conferance at the CR and somehow they had a private group of (a lot) them escorted to the lounge. I saw them packing into the elevators and turned around.

Now we have gone up there many times around 5 - 6 PM and had a couple drinks and some food and it has always been no more than one table other than ours. I am really surprised they keep it open with nobody there. I see it opening up to other guests at some point unless BLT guests use it for more than a fireworks viewing point. BTW I really do not enjoy watching the fireworks from there since it so far to the right of it's intended viewing location.

 

[Murphketeer]

Top of the World Lounge is a dead zone until just before the firworks start and it can get a little busy, but not really crowded. At least I have never seen it truely packed except one night this past October and the Democratic party had a conferance at the CR and somehow they had a private group of (a lot) them escorted to the lounge. I saw them packing into the elevators and turned around.

Now we have gone up there many times around 5 - 6 PM and had a couple drinks and some food and it has always been no more than one table other than ours. I am really surprised they keep it open with nobody there. I see it opening up to other guests at some point unless BLT guests use it for more than a fireworks viewing point. BTW I really do not enjoy watching the fireworks from there since it so far to the right of it's intended viewing location.

We stayed a few nights during a trip last year at BLT as DVC members. We didn't have a problem gaining access and it wasn't really crowded in the lounge. We were there during an off peak season. I know the restaurant on top of the Contemporary gets hard to reserve at times. Adding the BLT lounge was intended to give a "perk" to DVC members but also intended to not add additional load on the Contemporary.

Since BLT members are paying for the operation of this lounge in their annual dues, they should have the option to open it and/or keep it closed. I think during many of the off peak seasons it would be great to open it to more BLT guests.

 

[PhilharMagician]

We stayed a few nights during a trip last year at BLT as DVC members. We didn't have a problem gaining access and it wasn't really crowded in the lounge. We were there during an off peak season. I know the restaurant on top of the Contemporary gets hard to reserve at times. Adding the BLT lounge was intended to give a "perk" to DVC members but also intended to not add additional load on the Contemporary.

Since BLT members are paying for the operation of this lounge in their annual dues, they should have the option to open it and/or keep it closed. I think during many of the off peak seasons it would be great to open it to more BLT guests.

Are you sure that BLT owners actually pay for the Lounge? I really find that hard to believe. There may be a small percentage of dues going to it, but I really doubt it. That just does not make sense to me. Since I am not a BLT owner I do know what is in their contracts. I looked at the budget breakdown for BLT and it does not specifically say anything about TotW, but it could easily be buried in the maintenance catagory or something else. I would believe that the TotW lounge business is technically owned by a WDC division that leases the space from the BLT holding company. It is treated like a business and I imagine that they watch profit and loss. This is not a AP, AAA
or corporate lounge that is completely subsidized. You have pay for what you want.

I hope I am wrong, but I do feel this will change in the future to allow more people up there. Maybe we will see 1/2 the capacity given out as reservations?

 

[Murphketeer]

Are you sure that BLT owners actually pay for the Lounge? I really find that hard to believe. There may be a small percentage of dues going to it, but I really doubt it. That just does not make sense to me. Since I am not a BLT owner I do know what is in their contracts. I looked at the budget breakdown for BLT and it does not specifically say anything about TotW, but it could easily be buried in the maintenance catagory or something else. I would believe that the TotW lounge business is technically owned by a WDC division that leases the space from the BLT holding company. It is treated like a business and I imagine that they watch profit and loss. This is not a AP, AAA
or corporate lounge that is completely subsidized. You have pay for what you want.

I hope I am wrong, but I do feel this will change in the future to allow more people up there. Maybe we will see 1/2 the capacity given out as reservations?

Maybe you are correct, it really is hard to tell what goes into the various expense accounts. To be certain someone needs to go to the next owners meeting and ask.

Do they keep they keep the book the same way for all the other non DVC locations? Separate the restaurants as a businesses?