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

[disneynanacat]

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!

Woohoo! Awesome! Obviously I like the way you think. I've got a BLT and AKL split in October !

 

[Iwanabatdisney]

We are staying at BLT, 2 bedroom villa (we are not DVC) the week of Labor Day. It is important that we have 5 separate sleeping areas due to the size and nature of our "party." It consists of me, my DH, our DS (age 28), our DD & her DH with their 3 year old son (our only grandchild) and our son-in-law's mother. We have 6 adults and one 3 year old child. When I booked the 2 BR villa, I was looking at the room(s) layout of bedroom with a king bed, the other bedroom with 2 queen beds and of course the living area with the sofa bed and the chair bed. I have seen floor plan there are another 2 BR setup with the second bedroom which has a queen size bed and a sofa bed. I really don't think this will setup work. I guess my question is, do I call now to ask Disney reservations to put the request in to make sure I have a better chance to get my request. Or do I wait until closer to the time we are scheduled to arrive? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

We've been to Disney before and stayed onsite at BC & BW, but this is our first time with this many people (and our kids were a lot younger the last time we stayed onsite with them!).

 

[Anonomom]

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?

We love the CR and CL there, so we would absolutely stay at the Atrium Club again. Next trip, though, I think we'll try out an Epcot resort so we can spend some more time at Epcot.

I have mixed feelings about the lounge staff. They were friendly, helpful and indisputably hard working. They took great care to keep the lounge neat and well-stocked, which I appreciated. They also made sure that our room issues were taken care of quickly. But they weren't terribly well-informed. Once, I asked if the Sand Bar by the pool served fries, and not one of the lounge/concierge staff had any idea (it does, btw). Another time, I asked if they had any of the cards you can fill out to compliment a CM, and the concierge had no clue what I was talking about, though she did go out of her way to get me the WDW communications email address and bring it to my room.

 

[Wendy31]

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.

(bolding mine)

This is exactly the way we feel about the Contemporary!

It just feels so Disney to me - more than any of the other deluxe resorts.

When I'm in the Contemporary, I feel like I'm standing in a piece of authentic Disney history - even though it's the "Contemporary". LOL!

Yes, it's a busy, bustling resort, but I kind of like the "busy-ness" of it.

And, while I don't decorate our home in contemporary or modern lines, I've found at hotels, I like modern & contemporary - it feels "cleaner" to me.

Our room was on the 5th floor, right above Chef Mickey's, & I think I only remembering hearing the noise from Chef Mickey's once. And I love that I can walk out of my room or go to the quick-service & see Mickey & Minnie!

Plus, the monorail runs through!

The Contemporary is just quintessentially Disney to me. There is no "theme" because the theme is pure Disney.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We are staying at BLT, 2 bedroom villa (we are not DVC) the week of Labor Day. It is important that we have 5 separate sleeping areas due to the size and nature of our "party." It consists of me, my DH, our DS (age 28), our DD & her DH with their 3 year old son (our only grandchild) and our son-in-law's mother. We have 6 adults and one 3 year old child. When I booked the 2 BR villa, I was looking at the room(s) layout of bedroom with a king bed, the other bedroom with 2 queen beds and of course the living area with the sofa bed and the chair bed. I have seen floor plan there are another 2 BR setup with the second bedroom which has a queen size bed and a sofa bed. I really don't think this will setup work. I guess my question is, do I call now to ask Disney reservations to put the request in to make sure I have a better chance to get my request. Or do I wait until closer to the time we are scheduled to arrive? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

We've been to Disney before and stayed onsite at BC & BW, but this is our first time with this many people (and our kids were a lot younger the last time we stayed onsite with them!).

When the second bedroom has two queen beds, that is a dedicated two bedroom villa. It cannot be split up into a one bedroom and studio. The two bedroom with a queen bed and double sleeper sofa in the second bedroom would be a lockoff two bedroom. It can be locked between the one bedroom portion and the studio and sold separately.

You need a dedicated two bedroom villa. If you booked this through Disney Reservation Center, call them and ask to put dedicated on your reservation. You may or may not get it. If you booked on points, your reservation should say dedicated or lockoff already. I would make the request now otherwise it might not be available when you arrive.

 

[twodogs]

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

Our groceries were delivered to the bell desk of CR because BLT does not have a place to store them. Then when your room is ready, bell services delivers them to your room. They are refrigerated at bell services so they don't spoil while they wait for you to check in or if your room is not ready. You pick your delivery time in 2 hour windows with GG and they text you when they drop them at bell services. I did learn this trip that bell services won't deliver to room if you're not there (like they do with luggage from ME, for example). Our room wasn't ready when we checked in at 3 pm, so we headed to parks. That meant groceries wouldn't be delivered until we returned after Wishes. This was not optimal since we have young kids that were ready to sleep when we got in, but bell services was fairly quick.

 

[letsgoreds]

When the second bedroom has two queen beds, that is a dedicated two bedroom villa. It cannot be split up into a one bedroom and studio. The two bedroom with a queen bed and double sleeper sofa in the second bedroom would be a lockoff two bedroom. It can be locked between the one bedroom portion and the studio and sold separately.

You need a dedicated two bedroom villa. If you booked this through Disney Reservation Center, call them and ask to put dedicated on your reservation. You may or may not get it. If you booked on points, your reservation should say dedicated or lockoff already. I would make the request now otherwise it might not be available when you arrive.

Just wanted to add that if you rented points, the dedicated villa will simply state '2br villa "view"' If it is a lock-off, that wording will be included in the reservation.

 

[WDWKOOK]

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?

to the DIS and the CR/BLT thread! Would you like your dates added to the Log-orail? If you booked Garden View, I would request to face Bay Lake. Also, there aren't any balconies in the GW, so some like a ground floor because it has a patio, but the 3rd floor has more commanding views.

While you'll have one less bathroom and less square footage than the AoA FS, being able to walk to the MK, monorail to the other MK resorts and Epcot and boat to WL and FW will make up for it. You'll also have more dining choices. The daybed is big enough for your pre-teen - which one gets the second queen? Or will they switch off? I think your family will love CR!

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!

Yippee! Would you like to be added to the Log-orail, too?

We love the CR and CL there, so we would absolutely stay at the Atrium Club again. Next trip, though, I think we'll try out an Epcot resort so we can spend some more time at Epcot.

I have mixed feelings about the lounge staff. They were friendly, helpful and indisputably hard working. They took great care to keep the lounge neat and well-stocked, which I appreciated. They also made sure that our room issues were taken care of quickly. But they weren't terribly well-informed. Once, I asked if the Sand Bar by the pool served fries, and not one of the lounge/concierge staff had any idea (it does, btw). Another time, I asked if they had any of the cards you can fill out to compliment a CM, and the concierge had no clue what I was talking about, though she did go out of her way to get me the WDW communications email address and bring it to my room.

I also noticed on the Club Level thread that you mentioned that the Atrium Club did have small bottles of water available. Was it out in the open or did you have to ask?

Our groceries were delivered to the bell desk of CR because BLT does not have a place to store them. Then when your room is ready, bell services delivers them to your room. They are refrigerated at bell services so they don't spoil while they wait for you to check in or if your room is not ready. You pick your delivery time in 2 hour windows with GG and they text you when they drop them at bell services. I did learn this trip that bell services won't deliver to room if you're not there (like they do with luggage from ME, for example). Our room wasn't ready when we checked in at 3 pm, so we headed to parks. That meant groceries wouldn't be delivered until we returned after Wishes. This was not optimal since we have young kids that were ready to sleep when we got in, but bell services was fairly quick.

Great information for those wanting to know how grocery delivery works.

Just wanted to add that if you rented points, the dedicated villa will simply state '2br villa "view"' If it is a lock-off, that wording will be included in the reservation.

 

[WisconsinDad]

to the DIS and the CR/BLT thread! Would you like your dates added to the Log-orail? If you booked Garden View, I would request to face Bay Lake. Also, there aren't any balconies in the GW, so some like a ground floor because it has a patio, but the 3rd floor has more commanding views.

While you'll have one less bathroom and less square footage than the AoA FS, being able to walk to the MK, monorail to the other MK resorts and Epcot and boat to WL and FW will make up for it. You'll also have more dining choices. The daybed is big enough for your pre-teen - which one gets the second queen? Or will they switch off? I think your family will love CR!

Thanks for the response! I feel even better about my decision now (as do my kids). They remember seeing the CR each night we were in MK waiting for our bus our last trip. Feel free to add our dates to the Log-orail: Aug 18th - 24th CR Garden Wing

I only booked standard view in the Garden Wing so I'm not expecting much of a view; having a ground room floor would be nice though to get a patio (not a deal-breaker though).

Regarding the second queen, we'll probably switch off but my DD8 likes sleeping with DW so I'll probably get the second queen all to myself most nights. DD12 is just at the age where he wants a bed to himself now.

 

[Anonomom]

Kook,

The water wasn't out. People were asking for it. They had a dispenser of filtered water sitting in the lounge.

 

[DisGin]

This may seem like an odd question but for those of you that have stayed in a BLT 1 br, are the closets big enough to unfold a pack n play? When we stayed at WLV this year, the baby was able to sleep in the closet with the door open and it made the whole family happier (better sleep = more fun). It was a nice surprise and I'm hoping for the same this feb.

 

[Deb & Bill]

This may seem like an odd question but for those of you that have stayed in a BLT 1 br, are the closets big enough to unfold a pack n play? When we stayed at WLV this year, the baby was able to sleep in the closet with the door open and it made the whole family happier (better sleep = more fun). It was a nice surprise and I'm hoping for the same this feb.

The one bedroom villa we were in had a very small closet in the master bedroom. And the safe was pedestal mounted in the center of the floor. Not nearly enough room for anything. Our laundry room was bigger, but no vents in the room. I thought our VWL one bedroom villa was larger than the BLT one (except for the extra bathroom at the entrance to the villa).

 

[lolobug]

Can someone PLEASE tell me which rooms have the best views of the fireworks? My husband told me he wants to stay where he did when he was a kid but he doesn't know which room it was. ALSO, can I get this room if I go with a DVC rental? Thank you!

 

[CoolPool]

Can someone PLEASE tell me which rooms have the best views of the fireworks? My husband told me he wants to stay where he did when he was a kid but he doesn't know which room it was. ALSO, can I get this room if I go with a DVC rental? Thank you!

Theme park view room is a bookable category. Request a high floor..

 

[lolobug]

Theme park view room is a bookable category. Request a high floor..

I can request a high floor if I buy points? I've never done this, thanks for your help!

 

[EagleScout]

I just answered your question on other thread - yes, the theme park view rooms in blt will give a fireworks view, and yes, they are dvc, but no, this is not where your husband stayed as a child. BLT is only a few years old - it is an annex to the "main" contemporary tower, which is much older and has arguably the "best" views, particularly if a high floor. Alternatively, he stayed at Polynesian, but he probably would have specifically mentioned floral/tropical theming - or not, funny what we remember from our childhood. To be clear, blt is a wonderful hotel, and is connected to contemporary so you can access their amenities pretty easily, but just want to ensure there are not unmet expectations.

 

[lolobug]

I just answered your question on other thread - yes, the theme park view rooms in blt will give a fireworks view, and yes, they are dvc, but no, this is not where your husband stayed as a child. BLT is only a few years old - it is an annex to the "main" contemporary tower, which is much older and has arguably the "best" views, particularly if a high floor. Alternatively, he stayed at Polynesian, but he probably would have specifically mentioned floral/tropical theming - or not, funny what we remember from our childhood. To be clear, blt is a wonderful hotel, and is connected to contemporary so you can access their amenities pretty easily, but just want to ensure there are not unmet expectations.

Thank you

 

[twodogs]

This may seem like an odd question but for those of you that have stayed in a BLT 1 br, are the closets big enough to unfold a pack n play? When we stayed at WLV this year, the baby was able to sleep in the closet with the door open and it made the whole family happier (better sleep = more fun). It was a nice surprise and I'm hoping for the same this feb.

It will not fit in the closet. The laundry room MIGHT fit it with the door open, but only in rooms on the inner curve (odd numbered rooms) as even rooms have a tiny laundry closet. It might fit in the alcove right when you walk in the room, by the first bathroom.

 

[NJRRK]

Can someone PLEASE tell me which rooms have the best views of the fireworks? My husband told me he wants to stay where he did when he was a kid but he doesn't know which room it was. ALSO, can I get this room if I go with a DVC rental? Thank you!

He probably stayed in the tower of the CR, theme park view. This us a bookable room also, but not a dvc resort, I don't think you can book that on points (but I've been wrong before on things like that).

 

[ThisIsJason]

Does anyone know if the boats between MK and the resorts stop running during the Electric Water Pageant (not sure if name is right)?

Also just a general question. If you have bought Disney Gift Cards can you apply them when you check in and place them on your room key/MagicBand to pay for tips and whatnot?