When my wife and I decided to buy into the Disney Vacation Club, the only real reason was because we fell in love with Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and knew we would want to best deal for deluxe accommodations at Walt Disney World. However, over our term of membership we have tried to also take advantage of some of the special events and opportunities available to DVC members.
When Painting with a View was announced, my only hope was that it would be successful enough to last until my next trip. Lucky for me – it did!
Painting with a View is a special class/activity only available to DVC members. If you have ever seen something like Painting with a Twist, Pinot’s Palette, Monet and Merlot or the like then the concept here will be familiar. You have an instructor taking you step by step through recreating a painting, while enjoying some refreshments.
First the basics, for $50 a person you get a 2 hour painting session led by an artist, a glass of wine, and complimentary snacks and soft drinks.
While painting a Disney-themed scene with snacks and a glass of wine sounds like a nice way to spend an afternoon (especially a rainy one like this), the thing that really makes this one special is the location – the Top of the World Lounge.
Located on the highest floor of Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary, Top of the World Lounge is a small indoor bar and seating area surrounded by a large balcony. From the balcony you have beautiful views of Bay Lake, the Seven Seas Lagoon, the Magic Kingdom, and surrounding areas. Typically, the lounge is open to DVC members at night to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and events like this are some of the new ways it is being utilized during the day.
As for the class itself, it was a lot of fun. Our painting was a sunset silhouette from Moana (the instructor told us at the end that there is a different painting for the two days of the week and they rotate about once a month). A big part of this is how you decide to combine the colors for the backdrop, and a fun part of any of these classes is seeing all of the interpretations.
One of ways they help you to get a more complete looking final product is with stencils. On our painting, there was a stencil for Moana and her boat, and another for the stingray. However, the stencils themselves don’t allow for a lot of the small details to come through, so you still need to go back and fine tune it.
Overall, we both really enjoyed the class – the instructor was great, the Cast Members from the Contemporary who helped with refreshments and keeping things run smoothly were both wonderful, and it was a lot of fun. And on top of all of that, a multi-hour activity that allows you to take home a one of a kind souvenir is, to me, a great value at $50.
If you are a DVC member (or are traveling with one) definitely check out this Painting with a View activity and others like it. It was one of my favorite new experiences and I hope to do it again soon.
Have you participated in Painting with a View before? What did you think about the experience? Share in a comment below or on Facebook or Twitter.
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