walk to mk from contemporary

[kgreen]

i really like the thought of walking to mk from the CR.. anyone know how long of a walk it is?? planning a trip summer 2012! i've read so many good things here. i had posted a few days ago contemporary or the AKL. at first i thought i was sold on the AKL for a number of reasons, but the convience of being so close to mk & walking there really had me second guessing. will be traveling with husband & 8 year old son, (first trip for them) i also like that we can see the fireworks at night from the room. so many questions! also from the CR to get to the other parks is it by bus?? thanks all!

 

[Jestocost]

i really like the thought of walking to mk from the CR.. anyone know how long of a walk it is?? planning a trip summer 2012! i've read so many good things here. i had posted a few days ago contemporary or the AKL. at first i thought i was sold on the AKL for a number of reasons, but the convience of being so close to mk & walking there really had me second guessing. will be traveling with husband & 8 year old son, (first trip for them) i also like that we can see the fireworks at night from the room. so many questions! also from the CR to get to the other parks is it by bus?? thanks all!

Walk between the MK and the CR is 10-15 minutes. Transport to Epcot is by monorail with a change at the TTC. Transport to DHS and AK is by bus; usually shared service with one or more of the other monorail resorts and WL.

 

[AxlRose330]

Yeah the walk isn't too long. Probably like 10-15 minutes(as pp said). It comes in handy though when leaving the MK at closing and the bus stops and monorail loading area is packed(there is no bus from MK to the CR) and you can just walk right back to the resort. And the bus ride to AK and DTD is a little long but thats nothing to panic about though. And you usually do pick up the Poly and GF on the way(also as the pp noted).

 

[Deb & Bill]

You cross the street in front of the CR and you are at the MK.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

I was just there two weeks ago -- you will LOVEEEE the CR!!

Yep, walk is super easy, about 10-15 mins. There is nothing like walking out the door and being on your way! Absolutely no waiting whatsoever. When we would leave MK for our afternoon break, we'd walk right up the monorail ramp and hop on, the CR is the first stop after leaving the MK. There was never a wait or long line to ride the monorail during the day.

Of our two stays at CR, we've never shared a bus with WL. On the way to DHS and AK, we would stop and pick up at the Poly and then GF. The good news about sharing the buses with those resorts is that the CR is always the first stop on the way back from those parks! So, when you are at DHS until late in the night, it is great knowing that you will be the first one off as you are heading back home.

We loved our stays at CR and can't wait to return. We thought the transportation was fabulous. Some folks balk at having to switch monorails at the TTC when going to EPCOT, but for us it wasn't a big deal at all. It is so wonderful taking your resort elevator (in the cool AC) to the monorail and boarding it and being on your way.

How long is your trip? If it's a week or longer, have you considered a split stay? We've done two and LOVE them. They provide a great opportunity to try different resorts. When you can't decide between two resorts, a split stay is a good way to go.

I know you are considering AKL. I would like to try it one day. I think their pools might be more exciting and appealing to kids. Our girls LOVE to swim in pools more than anything, so we did our split stay between CR and BCV so that we'd have some time at Stormalong Bay. Our 11yo DD told me she thought the pool at CR was sort of boring. That wasn't great news to hear, but the fact of the matter is that it is DHs and my vacation, too, and we love the CR and wanted to stay there. And, in the heat of summer, we as parents wanted location, location, location to make going back and forth easier. We spent a day at Blizzard Beach during our CR stay, so lots of awesome swimming there! LOL!

Please feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about the CR or doing a split stay. I'd be happy to answer.

Good luck with your decision! Your trip is going to be absolutely magical whether you stay at CR or AKL. Really, it will.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Here is an overhead picture of the Contemporary and on it you can see exactly how the walkway to the Magic Kingdom will look like.

Besides that when going to Epcot you can take the Resort Monorail one stop to the TTC, then over there you will switch to the Epcot Monorail. So the only buses you will take are the ones which goes to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom/Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney/Typhoon Lagoon.

 

[kgreen]

I was just there two weeks ago -- you will LOVEEEE the CR!!

Yep, walk is super easy, about 10-15 mins. There is nothing like walking out the door and being on your way! Absolutely no waiting whatsoever. When we would leave MK for our afternoon break, we'd walk right up the monorail ramp and hop on, the CR is the first stop after leaving the MK. There was never a wait or long line to ride the monorail during the day.

Of our two stays at CR, we've never shared a bus with WL. On the way to DHS and AK, we would stop and pick up at the Poly and then GF. The good news about sharing the buses with those resorts is that the CR is always the first stop on the way back from those parks! So, when you are at DHS until late in the night, it is great knowing that you will be the first one off as you are heading back home.

We loved our stays at CR and can't wait to return. We thought the transportation was fabulous. Some folks balk at having to switch monorails at the TTC when going to EPCOT, but for us it wasn't a big deal at all. It is so wonderful taking your resort elevator (in the cool AC) to the monorail and boarding it and being on your way.

How long is your trip? If it's a week or longer, have you considered a split stay? We've done two and LOVE them. They provide a great opportunity to try different resorts. When you can't decide between two resorts, a split stay is a good way to go.

I know you are considering AKL. I would like to try it one day. I think their pools might be more exciting and appealing to kids. Our girls LOVE to swim in pools more than anything, so we did our split stay between CR and BCV so that we'd have some time at Stormalong Bay. Our 11yo DD told me she thought the pool at CR was sort of boring. That wasn't great news to hear, but the fact of the matter is that it is DHs and my vacation, too, and we love the CR and wanted to stay there. And, in the heat of summer, we as parents wanted location, location, location to make going back and forth easier. We spent a day at Blizzard Beach during our CR stay, so lots of awesome swimming there! LOL!

Please feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about the CR or doing a split stay. I'd be happy to answer.

Good luck with your decision! Your trip is going to be absolutely magical whether you stay at CR or AKL. Really, it will.

Lot's of great information!! THANK YOU!! We are thinking of going in june or july.. was it really hot in june? I went at least 10 years ago in august & all i remember is how much fun i had, not if it was too hot. just asking because i know extreme heat can make for cranky husbands & kids! lol that's also a plus for the CR, breaks during the day are easy being so close to the resort.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

We are thinking of going in june or july.. was it really hot in june? I went at least 10 years ago in august & all i remember is how much fun i had, not if it was too hot. just asking because i know extreme heat can make for cranky husbands & kids! lol that's also a plus for the CR, breaks during the day are easy being so close to the resort.

Yes, it was really hot and humid. We got an early start every day -- we arrived at the park about 45+ mins before opening, so we were there for rope drop each time. IT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD for the success of our day and our park touring plan. We tried to be out of the park by 1pm each day but a few times we ran later than that and it SOOO HOT. We swam and took naps and returned in the evening to use the FPs we collected through the morning. The evenings were still hot much but much more tolerable when the sun was down. We thought the MK was the best park in which to keep cool because there is so much in and out of AC attractions. We felt the hottest at DHS and in the WS of EPCOT. Those were pretty brutal.

Despite the heat, we still had a magical time! Truly magical! Even so, if I could pick another time to go, I would do so and avoid the summer. We've gone in early Nov a few times and that is perfect in my opinion, weather and crowd wise. But, DH refuses to take our DDs out of school for trips now that they are older, so we didn't have much choice with our timing and June it was. Many families only have the choice of a summer trip.....

As I mentioned before, we did the water parks during our trip and those were great days. I think your family would really like Blizzard Beach and could have a very fun, cool day there.

When you make the final decision on your trip and have it booked, I highly recommend joining Tour Guide Mike and participate in their Forums. The info there combined with info here on the DIS, you will be fine and have a wonderful trip!

 

[3PrinceMom]

It is ...THAT HOT! It's not dry heat. It's the humidity. I choose August now, because I have a child in HS. I'd gladly take my little ones out of school any day. August is better than June....I don't like them bugs!!! I'd prefer to go in October......but I guess that means no sick kids at all, for the year. Right! Like that might happen!

 

[kgreen]

maybe august, september or october would be better. my husband suggested october, i just didn't know how the weather would be in florida then. i don't mind cool, are the pools & water parks still open in october??

 

[Jacksnsteve19]

The end of January in 2004 was nice, low 70's I think - we are from Buffalo and we saw folks in their jackets. gloves and hats staring at us while we were in the pools splashing around (when we returned home, we had 5 feet of snow!).
We have gone in May (for Mother's Day in 2002) and it was crazy HOT!
Our last visit in 2009 was end of Sept/Beg of Oct and was in the low 90's with the addition of those little Love Bugs! Let me just tell you, they are far from LOVELY!
This year we are going the end of October/beginning of Nov and hoping for a little bit cooler weather.

With that being said, every trip was wonderful, we just moved a bit slower on those hot days and took an afternoon break back at the hotel in the pool - it was definately needed with little kids!

Enjoy your visit, whatever you decide!

 

[Deb & Bill]

maybe august, september or october would be better. my husband suggested october, i just didn't know how the weather would be in florida then. i don't mind cool, are the pools & water parks still open in october??

We went mid-October a few years ago and it was hot. We went to MNSSHP and it was almost too hot for our costumes.

We've gone to the water parks in Dec and Jan. It was in the 80's when we went in January. Of course, it might also be in the 30's or 40's in January.

 

[cyb]

Since everyone is talking about temps I'll add my 2 cents it's wicked hot from May thru the end of Oct. there are no lovebugs in June as someone said, only in May and September.

 

[troynkasey]

From what I understand, August is hotter than July. We almost always go in June and it's hot and humid. We traditionally go the second or third week in June. This year we went the first week and it wasn't bad. High of 91 on a couple days, but breezy. We enjoyed it compared to the 95-99 we're used to.

We did the walk from the Contemporary and it's maybe 15 minutes from inside the hotel in the lobby. It's very relaxing. I'll never forget the look on my wife's face when the monorail went over her head. She ducked like it was going to hit her.

 

[taraharden]

It is hotter in August/September. We live in South Alabama, with a similar climate, and we choose to not go in the summer months. We went in late October last year, and it was do-able. There were actually a couple of mornings that when we walked outside we almost went back in for a light jacket, but didn't. We were glad we didn't, because in about an hour it had warmed up. We were pretty much able to wear "summer clothes" the whole trip too.
I actually called about the water parks... The water is heated to 82 degrees all year, so it should be comfortable in October. We are going back same time this year and are planning to go to the water parks this time.