Overview

Bay Lake Tower (BLT) is all about location!  It is the closest resort to the Magic Kingdom, so it is a relatively short 10 minute walk to the front gates of Magic Kingdom. There is also a dedicated temperature and security checkpoint, so the lines are generally shorter. Decor is modern, which is not for everyone. Some find it too cold and plain but I personally don't mind it. BLT has a deed expiration of 2060, which should work for most in terms of the length of life left on the contract. 

Amenities

BLT does not have its own restaurants or shopping, you need to go to The Contemporary for that but, there is a covered walking bridge on the 5th floor of BLT where you can walk to the Contemporary Resort for access to shopping, restaurants and the Monorail.  There is a bar at the pool called Cove Bar and there the Top of the World Lounge which is currently closed due to the pandemic, but when it re-opens offers drinks and some limited food items. Top of the World Lounge is accessible to any DVC Member currently staying at any Disney resort hotel.

Dining at the Contemporary includes the California Grill, a signature dining restaurant which can be expensive but very good food, the Wave which is a more reasonably priced sit down dining but also good food (try the Bacon and Eggs even if it isn't on the menu, you won't regret it!), Chef Mickey's which is a character dining meal with "all you care to eat" family style dining (or buffet style when that returns) and the Contempo Cafe which is quick service dining (and also where you go to refill your resort mugs) - breakfast is a good option there.  

Shopping in my opinion is very good, the gift shops in the Contemporary often have a good selection of different items.

The BLT pool is a great place to unwind, with a zero entry and very shallow depths on one side for little ones.  It also has a slide especially for young children that my kids really liked. There is also a bigger slide for older kids and adults with mickey decor.  There is also a splash pad area for children who enjoy that over the pool. The pool is nothing special and doesn't have any unique features like Storm Along Bay at Yacht and Beach Club but there's nothing to really complain about either. You also have access to the pools at the Contemporary Resort.

There is a Community Hall which has different activities, board games, video games, DVD rentals, etc

There are also shuffle board courts and Tennis courts available.

Transportation

Currently (April 2021) the Monorail is only running to Magic Kingdom, but eventually when the Epcot Monorail re-opens, you can take the Monorail from The Contemporary to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and then hop on the Monorail to Epcot. Because you're so close to Magic Kingdom, I would usually recommend walking there, if you take the Monorail to MK you have to go around the entire resort first and stop at the TTC, Poly and Grand Floridian before you stop at Magic Kingdom. From Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary Resort is the first stop on the Resort Monorail line though.

Disney Bus service is available at the Contemporary, and you can walk out the lobby on the first floor of BLT and over to The Contemporary to board the buses. Personally with the current physical distancing situation on the buses, I would rent a car and drive myself to the other parks as the bus lines can be long with the limited capacity.

Rooms

The room decor is modern similar to the rest of the hotel. There are 4 room types, studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedrooms and 3-bedroom Grand Villas. I have never stayed in a Grand Villa, but have stayed in a studio and 1-bedroom room types. The 2-bedroom lockoff room type is just a studio and 1-bedroom and you can open the connecting door between the rooms. There are also 3 view types, standard view, lake view and theme park view. The standard view rooms tend to be on the lower levels and don't usually have a good view because they are lower or they look at the parking lot. The lake view rooms generally have a view of Bay Lake or Seven Seas Lagoon and the Theme Park view rooms generally are higher and have a view of Magic Kingdom. Quantity wise there are more Lake View rooms than the other view types. To be honest for me, the standard view rooms are just fine if you can get them though, some of them even have a partial Theme Park view, even though it is not as good because it is on a lower level.

The studio is quite small compared to other DVC studios at ~340 sq. ft. and because of the galley style kitchenette area (it only has a microwave and mini-fridge) it feels even smaller. However the room is still totally usable and if you're there for the location close to Magic Kingdom - there is nothing wrong with it. But if you plan to spend a lot of time in the room and have 4 people, you may want to consider the 1 bedroom.  

The 1 bedrooms in BLT are actually larger than average at ~800 sq. ft. and they feel huge!  The 1-bedroom has 2 full bathrooms which is really nice, and a fairly large living area. Like all 1-bedrooms it also has a full kitchen and a stackable washer/dryer. The point cost is much higher but the 1-bedroom is really worth it at BLT when you consider the studio is undersized.

Again a 2-bedroom lockoff would be the combination of a studio and a 1-bedroom. A dedicated 2-bedroom would be similar in size but has 2 full queen beds in the 2nd bedroom instead of a queen bed and a sleeper sofa.