(CLOSED) Disney's CONTEMPORARY RESORT and BAY LAKE TOWER INFORMATION THREAD

[closetmickey]

Having a convention center onsite, has anyone had to pay lately to pick up their groceries at the CR? I have read that is a possibility at "convention resorts". Thanks!

 

[closetmickey]

lol. well we wont be at AOA so that one is ruled out! I think it will be way too crowded. So we are back to the poly and CR. My oldest wants to do the tea party at GF too but no one wants to stay there. DH ruled that out which makes me happy at least one is out!

I cant get the poly out of my head and I have read good and bad about the garden wing. But then I read some people werent impressed with TPV which is the main reason for me wanting to stay there. augh

A week before our last trip, we were upgraded from the CR garden wing to the POLY due to an overbooking of rooms. We LOVED (did I say "love"??) the POLY!! Everything about it!! However, half the fun of our trips is the resort and we love to try to them all. So....we are trying the CR garden wing this August. I'm sure we will LOVE it as well! If you generally embrace each new experience, NO DOUBT you will love it! You may miss certain things about the POLY, but if you are like me, just the experience of trying another resort will be wonderful, regardless! You really can't go wrong, in my opinion. Have fun deciding!

oh....and I have three girls: 7, 11,12

 

[AirGoofy]

So, another quick question. I know the lounge is reserved for DVC members, but can someone who is staying at BLT using DVC points able to get up there? I would love to be able to have a drink and get a couple pictures from up there!

They're usually pretty strict about needing a DVC membership card IN ADDITION to showing a KTTW card that proves you're staying at a DVC resort on points. So if you're renting, you probably wouldn't be able to get up there.

The policy there has changed there a couple of times. You can always ask them at the front desk, but they may tell you no.

 

[Missyrose]

The policy there has changed there a couple of times. You can always ask them at the front desk, but they may tell you no.

Yes, but in all the changes, the only people who have been allowed up are DVC members and their parties. The requirements have changed about where you have to be staying.

By all means, ask at the front desk. But I don't want anyone to get their hopes up. At BLT a couple of weeks ago, they turned away a DVC member because they were staying at POFQ and not staying at a DVC resort on points (like the rules dictate).

 

[AirGoofy]

Hi

I'm kind of in the minority, but I've always thought the CR has AMAZING theming. To me the whole thing is iconic and the combination having the disney monorail going straight through is as much WDW as Cinderella's Castle. Also, the large scale mural in the concourse by the same person responsible for the IASW theming is wonderful and a great connection to the park. Add in a very visible Chef Mickey's in the concourse and I think any more would actually be overkill for theming. Just my two cents

As far as noise goes the only time we have noticed any noise is when our room is directly over Chef Mickey's, and even then it doesn't bother us.

I can't speak to the noise because I've never stayed at the CR. But, I absolutely love the theming of the CR, always find the 5 legged goat on that mural, and seeing the Castle everyday (multiple times). That's why we added on BLT DVC points.

 

[AirGoofy]

Yes, but in all the changes, the only people who have been allowed up are DVC members and their parties. The requirements have changed about where you have to be staying.

By all means, ask at the front desk. But I don't want anyone to get their hopes up. At BLT a couple of weeks ago, they turned away a DVC member because they were staying at POFQ and not staying at a DVC resort on points (like the rules dictate).

True. And, I agree with you - don't expect it. I don't like all Disney rules, but if you want to play in Disney's backyard, then you got to follow them. Probably like you have, I've seen people get on the elevator without even checking in at the front desk. I don't remember showing my member ID card, but like so many things there, it depends upon the CM and what type of day they are having.

I'm staying at OKW this trip (on points) and planned to go over to TOTWL one night. But, if I don't get in, we'll just head over to CR, get a drink, and watch from the Terrace over there.

 

[princessap]

A week before our last trip, we were upgraded from the CR garden wing to the POLY due to an overbooking of rooms. We LOVED (did I say "love"??) the POLY!! Everything about it!! However, half the fun of our trips is the resort and we love to try to them all. So....we are trying the CR garden wing this August. I'm sure we will LOVE it as well! If you generally embrace each new experience, NO DOUBT you will love it! You may miss certain things about the POLY, but if you are like me, just the experience of trying another resort will be wonderful, regardless! You really can't go wrong, in my opinion. Have fun deciding!

oh....and I have three girls: 7, 11,12

Isn't the poly amazing!! I would love to hear what you think about the garden wing after your trip! Do you do trip reports. My kids are younger but same age difference between them as yours so would love to know what they thought too! I am tempted by the price of the garden wing but would love TPV at the CR as that screams disney to me but today I read reviews on here of people who didn't love TPV so am torn.

 

[applefans]

Having a convention center onsite, has anyone had to pay lately to pick up their groceries at the CR? I have read that is a possibility at "convention resorts". Thanks!

I have a similar question...
If we are staying at BLT and have groceries delivered by Garden Grocer, are we charged a fee by the resort?

 

[twodogs]

I have ordered from GG the last two trips to BLT and never been charged by the resort. Just stayed their 2 weeks ago and did GG.

 

[closetmickey]

I have ordered from GG the last two trips to BLT and never been charged by the resort. Just stayed their 2 weeks ago and did GG.

Did you pick up your groceries/ were they delivered from the same place as they would have been for the CR? Thanks!

 

[MDennis28]

Howdy! My DH and I are staying at BLT for the first time Dec 5-15, 2013. We are excited to stay at our home resort as we celebrate 35 years of marriage! We have a 1 bedroom MKV. WooHoo!!

 

[wdhinn89]

I thought you were only charged if you had items shipped by mail. ex. water.
Not if food was delivered by local stores, We were not charged last time we were there when we got a delivery by Garden Grocer

 

[jlcd]

I have a similar question...
If we are staying at BLT and have groceries delivered by Garden Grocer, are we charged a fee by the resort?

We were there last month and used Wegoshop. No charge.

 

[tinkgurl]

Only 4 days until we arrive!

 

[WDWKOOK]

We just got back from a four-night stay on the 12th floor. In case anyone is interested, the evening lounge offerings have changed (from a comment from a CM, it seems that it happened recently so I figured I'd post an update here). Here's what we saw:

Every night:
Assorted cheese/crackers/veggies & dip
Rolls
Hummus
PB&J

Sunday:
Crabmeat BLT spoons -- a little dab of crab salad with some bacon, served on a chinese-style spoon
Prosciutto flatbread
Spinach & cheese-filled phyllo triangles

Monday:
Salmon spread in the chinese-style spoons
Duck quesadillas
Panko-crusted scallops (these were really good)

Tuesday:

Deconstructed carpaccio (a bite-sized bit of beef (cooked) with red onions and "microcelery.")
Pulled Pork sandwiches
Rock Shrimp with hummus and lavash crackers

Our room was a little disappointing at first -- the safe was open but locked, so it couldn't be used (though it was fixed the same day we reported it). At first blush, the room didn't seem dirty, but it wasn't exactly sparkly, kwim? Then I went into the bathroom and saw some lovely brown smears on the floor around the toilet . Luckily I had some disinfecting wipes with me. I also mentioned it to the concierge in the morning and our room got a deep clean that day -- what a difference! The room just looked and felt so much nicer than it had. I'm glad I said something instead of fuming silently.

Thank you for posting the Atrium Club offerings for the nights you were there. I'm glad you said something about the room condition. So often, management probably isn't aware when guests are 'silently fuming' and the resort would probably like a chance to make a bad situation better. While there is no excuse for your room not being 100% ready for the next guest, at least they fixed the problems you pointed out to them.

So where do you see yourself staying next trip? Would you book the Atrium Club again? How was the lounge and lounge staff?

I am contemplating a CR stay next time but just read the reviews on tripadvisor and it gets a lot of bad reviews. The complaints were it is noisy, no theming, expensive.

I know you contemporary lovers were the people to ask....should I be worried about this?

Well, I'm an admitted TA lurker. But, what I always try to do is also read reviews for resorts I know that I love and would go back to. By reading these reviews, too I can get a better perspective on what I value Vs. what others value.

A complaint about cost is not really subjective since the guest knew the cost when they booked. Value, however, is subjective so perhaps the reviewer didn't feel they got a good value for what they paid.

A complaint about theming may seem subjective, but if we're talking Hidden Mickeys and Disney icons, well, the CR has it! IMHO, Poly is a tropical theme which to me, doesn't scream DISNEY! That's neither good nor bad, but I don't see it as oozing Disney theming. I think the Values (though I've never stayed in one) ooze Disney theming and as you work your way up the Disney Resort food chain, the Disney theming becomes more subtle and less in your face.

As others have posted, the monorail flowing right through the resort, the 4th floor concourse with Mary Blair's artistry, Discovery Island, the walkway right to the MK, Chef Mickey's, Fantasia, the Mickey Ear-shaped pool and sculpture near the marina... this is iconic Disney theming.

Yes, the Celebration Song at CM can be loud and noisy, so you can ask to have a room away from CM. We always do and we run the fan at night and we've never been bothered at all by it - and I'm really sensitive to noise.

Hi

I'm kind of in the minority, but I've always thought the CR has AMAZING theming. To me the whole thing is iconic and the combination having the disney monorail going straight through is as much WDW as Cinderella's Castle. Also, the large scale mural in the concourse by the same person responsible for the IASW theming is wonderful and a great connection to the park. Add in a very visible Chef Mickey's in the concourse and I think any more would actually be overkill for theming. Just my two cents

As far as noise goes the only time we have noticed any noise is when our room is directly over Chef Mickey's, and even then it doesn't bother us.

I think that was worth more than .02 cents

Can anyone give me an idea of what a room might cost in jan 2014 for (7) nights? I realize that different rooms have different rates, just checking for a general idea... Thx!
PS. Is poly cheaper?

Welcome, lolobug!

The best thing to do would be to go to the second page of this thread and click-on the 2013 ROOM RATES hyperlink. Then choose your room category and add 5% for good measure. That should get you close to the 2014 rack rate. Also, if you want to compare room rates, great site is the one I have hyperlinked; it will also show you Poly rates. The WDW booking site will also show you all the rates, but only through 12/31/13, I believe.

So yes, still undecided.

I can't speak to the noise because I've never stayed at the CR. But, I absolutely love the theming of the CR, always find the 5 legged goat on that mural, and seeing the Castle everyday (multiple times). That's why we added on BLT DVC points.

Howdy! My DH and I are staying at BLT for the first time Dec 5-15, 2013. We are excited to stay at our home resort as we celebrate 35 years of marriage! We have a 1 bedroom MKV. WooHoo!!

Welcome! Would you like your dates in our log-orail? You will LOVE BLT - so much room and oh, that whirlpool tub and those views

Congratulations on 35 years! Will you celebrate at CA Grill? Make sure to have your anniversary noted in your reservation.

Only 4 days until we arrive!

Have a great vacation!

 

[princessap]

Well, I'm an admitted TA lurker. But, what I always try to do is also read reviews for resorts I know that I love and would go back to. By reading these reviews, too I can get a better perspective on what I value Vs. what others value.

A complaint about cost is not really subjective since the guest knew the cost when they booked. Value, however, is subjective so perhaps the reviewer didn't feel they got a good value for what they paid.

A complaint about theming may seem subjective, but if we're talking Hidden Mickeys and Disney icons, well, the CR has it! IMHO, Poly is a tropical theme which to me, doesn't scream DISNEY! That's neither good nor bad, but I don't see it as oozing Disney theming. I think the Values (though I've never stayed in one) ooze Disney theming and as you work your way up the Disney Resort food chain, the Disney theming becomes more subtle and less in your face.

As others have posted, the monorail flowing right through the resort, the 4th floor concourse with Mary Blair's artistry, Discovery Island, the walkway right to the MK, Chef Mickey's, Fantasia, the Mickey Ear-shaped pool and sculpture near the marina... this is iconic Disney theming.

Yes, the Celebration Song at CM can be loud and noisy, so you can ask to have a room away from CM. We always do and we run the fan at night and we've never been bothered at all by it - and I'm really

Thanks. I read the reviews on the poly because I know we loved it and they were all positive and agreed with what we found important. I agree cost isn't a consideration in the reviews as the person knew what they were paying before they got there!

My concerns for the CR with kids was that someone had mentioned it was noisy and I know that would bother my inlaws who are coming with us. My other concern was someone said it is a far hike from garden wing to the tower and inconvenient for refilling mugs etc. My last concern is someone said on here actually that it is inconvenient with strollers to get in and out of elevators over to the monorail stop.

I guess I should have gone into more detail when I posted. Hope that helps and maybe people could shed some light on my concerns.

For us Poly was very disney in seeing the castle all the time, but I hear what you are saying about the tropical theme being not so disney. If there wasnt five of us I would be tempted to try a LM room as my dd loves Ariel !

 

[AirGoofy]

Howdy! My DH and I are staying at BLT for the first time Dec 5-15, 2013. We are excited to stay at our home resort as we celebrate 35 years of marriage! We have a 1 bedroom MKV. WooHoo!!

Congraulations on the 35 year anniversary and the stay at BLT.

 

[WisconsinDad]

Hey there, long time lurker, first time poster.

Recently booked trip for family (DW, DS, DD, and me) at CR Garden Wing Aug 18th-24th 2013. Booked with AoA family suite for a long but recently switch to CR. With Aug discounts, the price was not that much different.

This is our second trip (first was CSR in 2011) and we wanted a larger room with at least three beds.

Good choice? Space and convenience are both important (CSR was nice but seemed small). Is the daybed large enough for a pre-teen?

 

[disneynanacat]

I've never understood why some say CR lacks theming as if that's a bad thing. Theming to me is the same as a person putting on a costume to try to be something it's not. Don't get me wrong. I like theming the way it transports to to another place the way AKL does so well. But CR doesn't need theming. It is pure Disney. Not themed Disney. Disney.

My first trip to Disney I was just a kid. 1973. There was only MK, CR and maybe the Poly. We stayed in a garden wing room. It was all so amazing of course and that CR building with the monorail running thru it. Omg. Nowhere else in the world like it as far as i was concerned. I still at 55 years old cant think of MK without pairing it with CR. CR is as much Disney as MK to me.

 

[CupcakeKelly]

Hi all! Added one more night to our trip (thanks to not having enough points to book flights on our planned departure date) and booked a BLT theme park view room! We are staying BLT 11/30 and then moving over to AKV 12/1/-12/6. My castle obsessed DD3 is going to lose her little mind!