The ALL NEW Disney's Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower FAQ with PICs! (July 2011)

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks for the info on the studio kitchenette. I was going nuts last night trying to find it

You're welcome. Are you sure your avatar isn't what's making you nuts?

Happy planning!

 

[dizfan]

And I believe it's already sold out. Boo.

There are reports a few spots opened up.

If you contact event services, they should be able to tell you.

DW and I are looking forward to attending our first event. While it's pricey, we figure there won't be another WDW HM event for several years.

 

[F&WfestFoodie]

Thanks for starting a new post with more pictures! 27 Days til check-in & seeing all the pictures is getting me really excited!

YAY!

 

[neodymm]

Ok, so on our trip last December, DD6 is chatting with a CM and scoping out his lanyard. Her usual pin trades are for princesses or disney babies, but this time, she chooses a 5-legged yak / goat / unidentified animal that left us standing there going, huh? Tried to talk her out of it and she insisted that she needed that pin. I asked her if she even knew what it was, she swore she did. So, the "yak" went on her lanyard and I didn't think any more about it. Later on that trip, we were in CR to eat at CM. DD starts saying, see, there it is, that is why I got the pin. Sure enough, right there on the mural is the "yak". She's never stayed at CR, only been through there on the monorail tours or to eat at CG or CM or to shop. So...I took this as a sign.

And...now we are booked in the Tower - Bay Lake view for our F&W festival visit! I haven't stayed in CR since xmas break in 1990, even though I've been to the world many, many times since then! 21 years later...I feel like I am really going home This is DH & DD's first stay at CR and DD is so excited to be staying in the "monorail hotel"! I am so excited to have all the transportation options since we eat many of our meals at resorts. Still obsessing over our ADRs (we are DxDP fans), but have it mostly worked out.

Anyway...happy to find this thread. I spend too much time on the dining boards drooling over Disney food porn.

Thanks to DD's pin trade last year, our new Disney challenge is to find the rest of the set so our 5-legged animal (which turns out to be a goat that is Mary Blair's purposeful mistake in her mural) will not be lonely anymore.

I do have one question...should we bother requesting a certain floor, room, etc. or should we just leave it to fate? DH would like to be as high as possible, of course, so do the CR experts think it will help to post a request? TYIA...

 

[MrsBlovesDisney]

Ok, so on our trip last December, DD6 is chatting with a CM and scoping out his lanyard. Her usual pin trades are for princesses or disney babies, but this time, she chooses a 5-legged yak / goat / unidentified animal that left us standing there going, huh? Tried to talk her out of it and she insisted that she needed that pin. I asked her if she even knew what it was, she swore she did. So, the "yak" went on her lanyard and I didn't think any more about it. Later on that trip, we were in CR to eat at CM. DD starts saying, see, there it is, that is why I got the pin. Sure enough, right there on the mural is the "yak". She's never stayed at CR, only been through there on the monorail tours or to eat at CG or CM or to shop. So...I took this as a sign.

And...now we are booked in the Tower - Bay Lake view for our F&W festival visit! I haven't stayed in CR since xmas break in 1990, even though I've been to the world many, many times since then! 21 years later...I feel like I am really going home This is DH & DD's first stay at CR and DD is so excited to be staying in the "monorail hotel"! I am so excited to have all the transportation options since we eat many of our meals at resorts. Still obsessing over our ADRs (we are DxDP fans), but have it mostly worked out.

Anyway...happy to find this thread. I spend too much time on the dining boards drooling over Disney food porn.

Thanks to DD's pin trade last year, our new Disney challenge is to find the rest of the set so our 5-legged animal (which turns out to be a goat that is Mary Blair's purposeful mistake in her mural) will not be lonely anymore.

I do have one question...should we bother requesting a certain floor, room, etc. or should we just leave it to fate? DH would like to be as high as possible, of course, so do the CR experts think it will help to post a request? TYIA...

Woot woot!! Congrats!! How exciting!!! So happy to hear you're going "home"...can't wait to hear about your trip!! We LOVE the CR and the BLT.

Seems as tho any floor you're on in the Tower has a fabulous view! It doesn't hurt to "request....highest floor possible"....but I don't think you'll be disappointed whatever floor you get!! Enjoy...and have fun pin trading!!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Ok, so on our trip last December, DD6 is chatting with a CM and scoping out his lanyard. Her usual pin trades are for princesses or disney babies, but this time, she chooses a 5-legged yak / goat / unidentified animal that left us standing there going, huh? Tried to talk her out of it and she insisted that she needed that pin. I asked her if she even knew what it was, she swore she did. So, the "yak" went on her lanyard and I didn't think any more about it. Later on that trip, we were in CR to eat at CM. DD starts saying, see, there it is, that is why I got the pin. Sure enough, right there on the mural is the "yak". She's never stayed at CR, only been through there on the monorail tours or to eat at CG or CM or to shop. So...I took this as a sign.

And...now we are booked in the Tower - Bay Lake view for our F&W festival visit! I haven't stayed in CR since xmas break in 1990, even though I've been to the world many, many times since then! 21 years later...I feel like I am really going home This is DH & DD's first stay at CR and DD is so excited to be staying in the "monorail hotel"! I am so excited to have all the transportation options since we eat many of our meals at resorts. Still obsessing over our ADRs (we are DxDP fans), but have it mostly worked out.

Anyway...happy to find this thread. I spend too much time on the dining boards drooling over Disney food porn.

Thanks to DD's pin trade last year, our new Disney challenge is to find the rest of the set so our 5-legged animal (which turns out to be a goat that is Mary Blair's purposeful mistake in her mural) will not be lonely anymore.

I do have one question...should we bother requesting a certain floor, room, etc. or should we just leave it to fate? DH would like to be as high as possible, of course, so do the CR experts think it will help to post a request? TYIA...

What a great story! It was a sign. I love hearing about what inspires us to stay where we do at WDW. I have some pretty silly stories of booking inspirations myself and I look back on them fondly. I think it's partly a very emotional decision choosing a resort, don't you?

CRRF4L is our resident expert on pin trading, so I'll leave that up to him when he returns soon from WDW. I just traded for the very first time on the last night of our 12-night stay at the WL last month, so I'm not sure exactly where at WDW to find your other pins. I would suggest looking though the CR's pin trading book, which I'll assume is at the concierge desk near check-in, but that's just an assumption.

If you think the "Celebration Song" from CM might bother you, you could request a room far from CM. Also, if you'd like your bed to face (as you sit in it) toward the castle/MK, request an odd-numbered room. A higher floor will put you further away (vertically speaking) from the parking lot.

I know you're going to love the CR and please file a TR with us!

 

[sjs314]

Hey KOOK -

I am losing my mind here since we changed or trip dates and I have to make our ADRs on Tuesday , but I was wondering did you post the pics yet of the buffet at The Wave???

I tried to glance through the last few pages of this thread but did not see anything, I thought you said you were going to post them on this thread but then again my mind is so frazzled I could be totally off

TIA

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hey KOOK -

I am losing my mind here since we changed or trip dates and I have to make our ADRs on Tuesday , but I was wondering did you post the pics yet of the buffet at The Wave???

I tried to glance through the last few pages of this thread but did not see anything, I thought you said you were going to post them on this thread but then again my mind is so frazzled I could be totally off

TIA

Sheila, you're not losing your mind! I did say I was going to post them here, but haven't yet

I am on my way out right now, but I promise I will post all of my Wave breakfast buffet photos and a mini review, later this afternoon when I get back home. I'll PM you when they're up

 

[neodymm]

What a great story! It was a sign. I love hearing about what inspires us to stay where we do at WDW. I have some pretty silly stories of booking inspirations myself and I look back on them fondly. I think it's partly a very emotional decision choosing a resort, don't you?

CRRF4L is our resident expert on pin trading, so I'll leave that up to him when he returns soon from WDW. I just traded for the very first time on the last night of our 12-night stay at the WL last month, so I'm not sure exactly where at WDW to find your other pins. I would suggest looking though the CR's pin trading book, which I'll assume is at the concierge desk near check-in, but that's just an assumption.

If you think the "Celebration Song" from CM might bother you, you could request a room far from CM. Also, if you'd like your bed to face (as you sit in it) toward the castle/MK, request an odd-numbered room. A higher floor will put you further away (vertically speaking) from the parking lot.

I know you're going to love the CR and please file a TR with us!

I am sooo excited to be going back to CR.

Can't wait to hear from CRRF4L for pin trading tips and pointers. We need to pre-buy some traders since DD is really getting into it now, but I am leary of the eBay retailers selling scrappers. Need a reliable source to pre-buy traders, if there is such a thing. This became a very expensive hobby on our last trip and now we have a bunch of pins that none of us wants to part with! LOL

In reference to the odd-numbered room...since we are bay lake view, not MK side, will it matter? Doubt we will be in the room enough for the celebration song to bother us. And, unless it's really loud, we are all pretty sound sleepers.

One more question...read somewhere that the Wave has a great breakfast buffet? Was looking for a final option for breakfast before we leave. We usually like to finish the trip with CM for a final good-bye, but haven't been able to get an ADR for that day.

Never done a TR before, though I do usually take pics of our food. Funny how normal this has become. Maybe I'll do a TR this time...or something live from my iPad. Last year we were the family asking for tables near a plug, not near a window. There's one great table in CRT that has both!

 

[sjs314]

Sheila, you're not losing your mind! I did say I was going to post them here, but haven't yet

I am on my way out right now, but I promise I will post all of my Wave breakfast buffet photos and a mini review, later this afternoon when I get back home. I'll PM you when they're up

No problem KOOK, I will keep an eye on the boards today, all I know for sure about my park days is I want to hit the F&G on our last couple of days since I did so love photos at it 3 years ago.

Food pics are for DH(of course)
Thanks again

 

[neodymm]

Great...sounds like Sheila and I were on the same wavelength this morning. Looking forward to seeing the pics of the Wave breakfast buffet.

 

[AuroraBeauty]

Just finalized the dates for our 2011 trip to Disney World! According to my hubby we'll be 'slummin' at the Contemporary.

We're GF'er normally but I thought we should branch out and see what life is like on the other side of the lagoon.

Thank you for all the photos and details. We'll be there early November for 10 days, planning a MVMCP night even though we don't celebrate Christmas and taking advantage of the last few days of F&W.

Even though I'm late in the planning I've been able to get many of our fave ADRs, so that is terrific.

My only concern is the weather. I went in November a few years ago and it was lovely, but it was only a 4 day trip. For 10 days it's always a lot of clothing and packing, but if the weather is all over the place it makes it a bit more challenging. One great part - won't likely be sweating like a weightlifter.

Look forward to all the terrific info!

 

[mhconley]

Does anyone know if Giordano's delivers to the Contemporary and, if so, which location and what is their phone number? I thought Giordano's would be a good choice for our last night while packing.

Thanks,

Martin

 

[WDWKOOK]

We were really surprised how much we loved The Wave's breakfast buffet back in July. We had eaten dinner at The Wave on two previous CR visits, and we were not impressed with the service nor our meal. But, everything was just perfect at breakfast. The service was excellent and very friendly and the selection and quality was wonderful. I would not hesitate to go back and I highly recommend it.

Adults: $18.49

Children: $10.49

Non-specialty drinks are included.


Here is a link to a review from March with more photos and a recipe for the sweet potato pancakes:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/03/new-breakfast-buffet-at-the-wave-of-american-flavors/

And, another review link with more photos from January. The buffet has been made permanent (as of now).

http://land.allears.net/blogs/debwills/2011/01/the_contemporarys_wave_tests_a.html

 

[neodymm]

Thanks, KOOK, for the great pics of the Wave breakfast...nice variety and most everything we prefer, so I'll go ahead and make an ADR now.

 

[WDWKOOK]

We always enjoy eating at CA Grill and our visit in July was no exception. We have found the service to sometimes be inconsistent, but both the service and food quality was excellent. The views are always consistently breathtaking. Don't forget to ask at check-in for a window seat!

(My DD took the two exterior photos from the observation deck.)

 

[WDWKOOK]

Last month, they were painting the exterior of the GW (and the WL, too):

 

[WDWKOOK]

This bracelet was the only resort branded item in all of the CR

 

[sjs314]

KOOK - thanks so much for posting the buffet pics, I do so hope they continue it as I think there is enough food there for DH

Sad to hear there is no resort specific merchandise other than the bracelets

As you may have noticed by my new ticker when we postponed our trip to March, we decided to stay at CR. When we originally booked or should I say rebooked when we had to postpone our trip in 2010, we had booked our stay at CR. DH has always wanted to stay there so it was easy to get him to give up WL but who knows what might happen before March

 

[Missyrose]

For KOOK or any of the other CR lovers, would you rather eat breakfast at the Wave or dinner?

Right now we're scheduled to have breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe and dinner at the Wave, but the photos of the buffet have me thinking about swapping.

Thanks!

For those of you playing along at home, I've switched my reservation again...this time from Poly to CR. But this time, we're sticking. CR is my dream resort!