The ALL NEW Disney's Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower FAQ with PICs! (FEB 2010)

[crcurton]

I just changed my ressie yesterday to add my 17 yr old dd and her 17yo two friends (originally it was just me and DH for our 25th) so I opted for the BLT 1 bedroom. Do you think it is roomy enough for 5? Was it a long walk to the CR for the monorail? Were you able to go to the Top of the WOrld? Do I check in the CR or is their a seperate check in at the BLT? Anything else you think I might need to know - thanks in advance?

We had 5 in our room, two 21 yr olds slept on the pull-out and said it was comfy. It was a perfect size for us. I requested 5th floor close to the skybridge and we were very close to the CR. We were more concerned with convenience and very happy with the location. We weren't able to go to the TOTW lounge. You have to be DVCers to go. The check-in is the first floor on the CR itself. We used online check-in about 2pm but there was no waiting in any of the lines.

The walk from our 5th floor room to the monorail, gift shops, contempo cafe was probably 3 minutes with a 6 yr old too! I was sooooo happy!

 

[micandminforever]

I just changed my ressie yesterday to add my 17 yr old dd and her 17yo two friends (originally it was just me and DH for our 25th) so I opted for the BLT 1 bedroom. Do you think it is roomy enough for 5? Was it a long walk to the CR for the monorail? Were you able to go to the Top of the WOrld? Do I check in the CR or is their a seperate check in at the BLT? Anything else you think I might need to know - thanks in advance?

Two of the 17 yr olds can share the pull out sofa and the other can sleep in the pull out chair that becomes a single. The girls should be covered as far as sleeping and the pull outs are comfortable. The extra bathroom will be a blessing.

We were on the 5th floor and loved the convenience of just walking across the bridge to the forth floor of the CR, but any floor will be just a short elevator ride added to the distance. Any distance will be equal are shorter to the closest out building of the other monorail resorts.

The check-in is at the CR, but I did not find that a problem. We dropped off our luggage and after I checked-in I inform the bell service and they collected my luggage and walked me over while my husband parked the car. The bellperson told me it was easier to inform the bellperson while in the lobby than after you get to the room. If your room is ready.

Then checking out I called bell service to pick up the luggage. While I waited for the bellperson my husband got the car and waited in front of the BLT lobby and bell service carried the luggage down and help load the car.

Have a great trip.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Just back from BLT and loved it! It's my new preference. I loved being close to the fireworks and the water pageant. The view was much better than the Poly's IMO. I loved having 2 showers and a tub and a washer/dryer in the room! We had our request granted upon check-in and I was very pleased with the Contemporary's ammenities as well! I hope to stay there again next year! Any questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks for posting your review and great you enjoyed Bay Lake Tower. It's also great that you were pleased with the Contemporary's ammenities.

 

[sto6917]

My first choice would be a theme park view at CR cl. Could not get the theme park view guarantee with my pin. Only the standard room in cl.

Should I hope for the best or try the GF Royal Palm? Could not get theme park guarantee there using pin- only standard view in Royal Palm.

The theme park view really "made the trip" at CR last time.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[whitney37354]

Whitney,

I was on the north end by BVG MK view(room 4845)! Wow!! How cool! I might have talked to you and didn't know it!! I met a lot of really nice people. We were in the concierge room one day waiting for the batteries to be replaced in our door lock. Were you the family I talked to about the park to visit on which day?!!

Lord, lady! You were on the couch, with your daughter, talking to a family. I was sitting in front of the tv with my DD and the couples kids. I almost said something to you when you were talking to them about DIS, but I didn't want to interrupt your conversation! DH keeps asking, "What are your 'Disney People' saying about their trips." He'll think it's great that I actually saw you and I think DH even has a picture of you sitting on the couch talking with the other folks! I think that was on Saturday, our first day, and we had just gotten to the resort.

How great!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My first choice would be a theme park view at CR cl. Could not get the theme park view guarantee with my pin. Only the standard room in cl.

Should I hope for the best or try the GF Royal Palm? Could not get theme park guarantee there using pin- only standard view in Royal Palm.

The theme park view really "made the trip" at CR last time.

Thanks for your thoughts.

My family and I have had a lot of Club Level stays at the Contemporary and the Bay Lake View (which is their standard room up there) is an amazing view. Plus you can go into the lounge anytime you want to look at the Magic Kingdom, watch the fireworks from there and the music is piped into the balconies in the lounge. Besides that all their Club Level Cast Members are great, the lounge is amazing and their food offerings taste great.

 

[sto6917]

Thanks CR Fan for the info. How early may we check in? We will be arriving around 10 AM.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You're welcome and you can check-in as early as 7:00 AM.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Our first CR stay is getting closer!!!!

Two questions:

1. Does CR have the motion-sensing thermostats? I do NOT want to wake up hot at night - I do that anyway! We're staying in the tower, if that matters.



Thanks!

Boy, I hate to be the dissenter here, but we had PLENTY of problems with the thermostat in our tower room Over the course of our 10 night stay, we had to call maintenance twice (Day 2 and Day 6 or 7) to come override the sensor. Unfortunately we were not in the room either time they came to see what buttons they pressed so we could do it ourselves.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

My first choice would be a theme park view at CR cl. Could not get the theme park view guarantee with my pin. Only the standard room in cl.

Should I hope for the best or try the GF Royal Palm? Could not get theme park guarantee there using pin- only standard view in Royal Palm.

The theme park view really "made the trip" at CR last time.

Thanks for your thoughts.

If you insist on CL (and who could blame you! ) then go with CR standard view CL and watch the fireworks from the lounge. You can NOT see the fireworks from the lounge in RPC. (In fact, we had a TPV room in RPC last year but were at the far end of the hall and could only see about half of the MK fireworks anyway)

 

[f15robyn]

Boy, I hate to be the dissenter here, but we had PLENTY of problems with the thermostat in our tower room Over the course of our 10 night stay, we had to call maintenance twice (Day 2 and Day 6 or 7) to come override the sensor. Unfortunately we were not in the room either time they came to see what buttons they pressed so we could do it ourselves.

I wonder if it's (sadly) a room by room thing. We were just there June 30 to July 5. No matter what temp we set the thermostat at, it would stay there (plus or minus mousekeeping/turn down changing it when they came in to service the room). That includes setting it as low as 68 one day (when you're used to Vermont - not that hot and very little humidity - Florida in July was dreadful ).

But I had heard about the concern and paid attention. Each morning, it was exactly where I had left it the night before. And each time we left, if the room hadn't been entered by mousekeeping, it was right where we left it (mousekeeping sometimes left it too, sometimes they put it up to 74).

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I wonder if it's (sadly) a room by room thing. We were just there June 30 to July 5. No matter what temp we set the thermostat at, it would stay there (plus or minus mousekeeping/turn down changing it when they came in to service the room). That includes setting it as low as 68 one day (when you're used to Vermont - not that hot and very little humidity - Florida in July was dreadful ).

But I had heard about the concern and paid attention. Each morning, it was exactly where I had left it the night before. And each time we left, if the room hadn't been entered by mousekeeping, it was right where we left it (mousekeeping sometimes left it too, sometimes they put it up to 74).

We had mousekeeping turn it to 74 one day and I was MAD!!!! We were keeping it at 68 and it was hot when we got back to the room. It takes a L-O-N-G time for it to get back down that low again too.

It does seem like the override would work for about 5-6 days at a time, so I wonder if your room was on an override from the previous guests?

 

[dvczerfs]

We had mousekeeping turn it to 74 one day and I was MAD!!!! We were keeping it at 68 and it was hot when we got back to the room. It takes a L-O-N-G time for it to get back down that low again too.

It does seem like the override would work for about 5-6 days at a time, so I wonder if your room was on an override from the previous guests?

i deign hvac systems and i was there in may of 09 and i dont recall what type of t-stats they had or what type of units they had in the rooms.(i tend not to pay attention to that stuff while on vacation ) but chances are, each room dont have there own compressor. the room units are fed by a cooling tower (like you find in large office bldgs) and in most cases, the climate control is computer controlled. (min. max. temps and runs times etc...) most cases there is a bulb burried in the wall that controlls the temp and the t-stat controll is limited. today in most public buildings there are sensors in the wall they controll the temp etc... via computer. t-stats can be tampered with ( hot wash cloth wrapped around the t-stat, putting a lamp near the t-stat, ice packs tend to keep the heat running forever and driving up operation costs. alot of times they leave the t-stat to give the person a sence of controll but it dont do a thing. ill check, i just made my resis for june 2011!!! 8 nights, mk view!!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

i deign hvac systems and i was there in may of 09 and i dont recall what type of t-stats they had or what type of units they had in the rooms.(i tend not to pay attention to that stuff while on vacation ) but chances are, each room dont have there own compressor. the room units are fed by a cooling tower (like you find in large office bldgs) and in most cases, the climate control is computer controlled. (min. max. temps and runs times etc...) most cases there is a bulb burried in the wall that controlls the temp and the t-stat controll is limited. today in most public buildings there are sensors in the wall they controll the temp etc... via computer. t-stats can be tampered with ( hot wash cloth wrapped around the t-stat, putting a lamp near the t-stat, ice packs tend to keep the heat running forever and driving up operation costs. alot of times they leave the t-stat to give the person a sence of controll but it dont do a thing. ill check, i just made my resis for june 2011!!! 8 nights, mk view!!!

Obviously, you are MUCH more of an expert than I But I can say that each time we made the call to maintenance, the room was a lot cooler than it was before (and the vent near the ceiling would actually blow out cold air, instead of just air- and yes, we did have it set for auto and not fan). If we would up the temp from say 68, to 70, then the A/C unit would actually switch off, as it should if the room sensor is detecting the correct temperature.

Last year we stayed in the wing and didn't have this issue at all in our 9 night stay. But if my blonde memory is correct, I brought the instructions on how to override an A/C unit (learned from the Pop thread) and did that immediately upon check in.

 

[dvczerfs]

Obviously, you are MUCH more of an expert than I But I can say that each time we made the call to maintenance, the room was a lot cooler than it was before (and the vent near the ceiling would actually blow out cold air, instead of just air- and yes, we did have it set for auto and not fan). If we would up the temp from say 68, to 70, then the A/C unit would actually switch off, as it should if the room sensor is detecting the correct temperature.

Last year we stayed in the wing and didn't have this issue at all in our 9 night stay. But if my blonde memory is correct, I brought the instructions on how to override an A/C unit (learned from the Pop thread) and did that immediately upon check in.

instructions to override an a/c unit?? can you link that thread, id love to see it. like i said, there not all the same,no two are alike, but the t-stat run time, room temp, outside air temp maybe controlled by a central controll system.turning down the t-stat will may only allow the "cold air" to blow for a set time than it will just recirculate base on the outdoor air temp. there are a million dif. perams. or they just had a bad sensor or circ. board in your unit.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

instructions to override an a/c unit?? can you link that thread, id love to see it. like i said, there not all the same,no two are alike, but the t-stat run time, room temp, outside air temp maybe controlled by a central controll system.turning down the t-stat will may only allow the "cold air" to blow for a set time than it will just recirculate base on the outdoor air temp. there are a million dif. perams. or they just had a bad sensor or circ. board in your unit.

sadly, if I remembered where it was, I would have brought the instructions with me! Check page one of the Pop Century FAQ- many moons ago it was on that (but even then, it didn't work for all the thermostats at that hotel) We were just lucky that the same sequence listed worked for our wing thermostat last year. (the only way to know if it worked was if the temp display briefly flashed Orr).

You could be right about a bad circuit in the board for my room. As I said, I was not in the room either time they came to fix it (these calls were made in the AM before we headed out to the park for the day). But since it happened twice in the same trip, it led me to assume that it was a sensor override that cancelled out after X number of days.

 

[starsgleam]

I've never had to use this (have not had any trouble with AC in CR) so I have no idea if it works, but here is what was posted earlier this year:

<<

-Push "Power" button and down arrow at the same time
-LCD screen should now read "BP" (you are now in bypass mode)
-Use up/down arrows to set room to desired temperature

(FYI - this must be done ever 48 hours or so, as the system will default to automatic sensor mode)

>>

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I've never had to use this (have not had any trouble with AC in CR) so I have no idea if it works, but here is what was posted earlier this year:

<<

-Push "Power" button and down arrow at the same time
-LCD screen should now read "BP" (you are now in bypass mode)
-Use up/down arrows to set room to desired temperature

(FYI - this must be done ever 48 hours or so, as the system will default to automatic sensor mode)

>>

That's what I was talking about!!! The display says BP, not Orr (I knew it was something!!)

This definitely wouldn't have worked in our room cuz I know I tried this combination before giving up and calling maintenance.

Thank you!!!!!

 

[dvczerfs]

That's what I was talking about!!! The display says BP, not Orr (I knew it was something!!)

This definitely wouldn't have worked in our room cuz I know I tried this combination before giving up and calling maintenance.

Thank you!!!!!

my guess would be resorts with the "units under the windows" in the room, are heat pumps and self contained and run off the room t-stat. your able to bypass settings because its not tied to any other sysytem. large buildings like the contemp., bay lake etc... hvac run off a cooling tower. ( one huge unit that provides to each air handler in each room.) if not, you would see hundereds of little outdoor units around the resort building or units on the outside wall of each room.

 

[disneyfreak42]

Holy Cow Whitney!

I wish you had said something!!! Yep! that was me and my daughter waiting for maintenence to change the batteries in the door!! Small world isn't it!!! Wasn't the 12th floor the greatest??!! I'm soooo hooked! Boy I bet the picture looks like night, or should I say afternoon of the living dead!!! Heat index way up there that day! All I can say is that usually we can go all day and night but the heat did us in that day. Would love to see the picture, I think!!! Good to know a fellow Diser was close by!!! How was your trip? Hope ya'll had a great time!