We saw Fantasmic together as a group - but I don't know if that was a "surprise" or preplanned. My advice is not to go in "WDW Planning Mode" on this ABD. Let it happen. You can't see everything but you'll have time to see a lot.
You won’t feel out of place at Carthay Circle wearing theme park clothes, but I understand why you’d want to dress up a little bit. I don’t know what ABD has planned for you, but we went right from the dinner to the World of Color show — so more theme park time. At least wear comfortable shoes!
I’ve taken 5 of these tours (crazy, I know), and I’ve only gotten what I would describe as a “garden view,” which looks out to the Monorail, and a room that overlooks the main driveway. I liked the Monorail view because it was so peaceful. The driveway room was horrendous in the morning. We woke up every day to cabbies talking loudly/arguing. When the BSM stayed at the DLH last year, we were in the Frontierland tower with a pool view. Very nice!
When we took the tour in 2016, our rooms were on the 2nd or 3rd floor right off the lobby looking over the pool. At the Loews we could see the Hollywood sign from our rooms.
We've been on several BSM's and the rooms at the GC have always been run of the mill views. Think monorail or courtyard.
When I went in 2009 and 2015, the room I had at Loews looked out onto Hollywood Blvd with view of pool.
