Something Wicked is Happening at the Top of the World Lounge
Welcome, DVC Owners, to the Top of the World – Villain’s Lair! That’s right, this owners’ exclusive space with panoramic views of Walt Disney World has reopened, yet something has changed; it’s not the lounge we once knew.
The story behind the redesign is that villains moved in while the lounge was closed and made it their new lair. Now villains aren’t known for hiring interior decorators to do complete overhauls of their spaces, so the redesign still has components of the previous lounge. For instance, the monorail mural behind the bar is still there.
Some of the ways the villains have made it their own are their portraits hanging on the wall, capes have been pinned up, there are accessories seen throughout the lounge, and they left behind some wickedly delicious recipes.
One of the areas that I felt the old lounge had room for growth was its food options. While the lounge had previously offered a full bar, the food offerings were limited.
Now that the villains have left some recipes behind, I’m pleased to see more options.
The current menu offers eight small plates to choose from, including one sinfully sweet treat called the Seven-Lair Cake.
During our visit, we tried the Unfortunate Souls shrimp and the Cosmic (Plant) Power flatbread.
While I’m not usually a plant-based diner, the flatbread was delicious; I wanted to reach for another piece without having even finished the first one.
For potions, we sampled one alcoholic concoction and two mocktails. The Other Side is a mix of Vodka, creme de violet liqueur, blueberry simple syrup, orange blossom honey, and fresh lemon. It was a very smooth drink and one that I would order again.
The Queen’s Garden was a mix of Seedlip garden, peach, lime juice, mint, and sparkling water. It was light and refreshing.
The Lion’s Uncle was orange sherbet, Sprite, and grenadine. This was a fun option! The scoop of orange sherbet started by floating at the top of the glass, and as it melted, it would stir into the rest of the beverage. This was my personal favorite drink of the night.
Other ways that the lounge has been transformed are the music and the Cast Members. The playlist that the villain’s left behind is upbeat villains’ fun, where I couldn’t help but tap along to the beats.
As for Cast Members, ours was fantastic! Each Cast Member embraces the villains theme by wearing horns, a fascinator, or a top hat and is happy to chat about what makes their favorite villain so infamous.
Let’s talk about accessing the lounge. The lounge is open nightly from 6:00pm-midnight, and complimentary self-parking is available for eligible members beginning at 5:00pm (subject to availability). When arriving at Bay Lake Tower, head to the North Elevators, and there is a podium to check in.
The DVC Owner must be present and show their digital DVC Membership card to the Cast Member. The owner and the guests that they’re with can access the lounge, yet there must be at least one DVC owner present. If the lounge is not at capacity, the Cast Member will send your group up the elevators to the lounge.
As the lounge only recently reopened on July 11th, it is currently a popular destination for DVC owners and reaches capacity limits quickly. If the lounge is at capacity when you arrive, the Cast Member will take down a phone number and text you when space opens up. Once you receive the text, your table is held for 20 minutes, wherein you’ll have to return to the podium and then be sent up to the lounge.
In addition to the indoor lounge, there is an outdoor viewing area that has spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks! This outdoor space has comfortable seating spaces to unwind after a busy day at the parks, yet by far the most popular place in this outdoor space is standing at the building’s edge facing Magic Kingdom and watching as the fireworks cascade overtop of the most magical place on earth. The soundtrack for the fireworks is played on the outdoor speakers so that owners can hear the music to match the show.
Check out the guides throughout the outdoor space that highlight the iconic landmarks throughout WDW that can be seen from the Top of the World Lounge’s outdoor viewing area.
An added bonus is that if you had visited the lounge earlier that evening, you’d be able to use the outdoor viewing area to watch the fireworks later that night. So, if you visited the lounge and then left, as long as you’ve held onto your receipt, you can go back upstairs to the outdoor area for the fireworks (even if there isn’t seating space available in the lounge).
I’m thrilled that the lounge has reopened, and I’m hopeful that with its redesign, it will continue to be a popular space for DVC Owners to call their own. The lounge has spectacular views, and for me, it’s a great place to see the magic of Disney is all around! So, if you’re a DVC owner visiting WDW, I’d recommend putting the Top of the World Lounge – Villain’s Lair on your list of must-try new and improved experiences.
~Kelly
