Disney's CONTEMPORARY RESORT Information & Questions

[DisneyDmbNut]

What larger size?

First CL stay we had at GF, we got larger bottles of the green sea marine shampoo.. The next year, they went to the small size.
poly CL had the small grapefruit bottles when we were there in July..

 

[tspnmb]

I have a little bit of an odd question regarding what side of the room the beds are on in the garden wing.
We have stayed in the tower and know the orientation of the rooms on both sides by the "odd and even" room number, but I am not sure about the garden wing.
We will be staying in the garden wing standard view next month and I am trying to figure out if I should request a odd number room like we would in the tower.

This has nothing to do with the view.. it has to do with which side of the room the beds are on when you walk into the room.
Does anyone that has stayed in the garden wing know if they had a odd or even room number and which side of the room the beds were on.

We are basically looking for the rooms "odd or even" that have the beds and bathroom on the left side when you walk into the room like the odd number rooms in the tower.
It is an OCD/Anxiety issue for a family member..

Thanks!!

 

[Cluelyss]

What larger size?

First CL stay we had at GF, we got larger bottles of the green sea marine shampoo.. The next year, they went to the small size.
poly CL had the small grapefruit bottles when we were there in July..

We had the larger sea marine bottles this go around. I've only ever had the mini grapefruit ones before (at CR as well as Poly and YC). This was the first time I'd seen the "bigger" travel size bottles.

 

[sophie832]

Starting to get super-excited about our BLT trip coming up Oct 23-26! We have a 1-bedroom lake view, and this is our first stay at CR or BLT. We're doing a split stay, with the second half of our trip at BCV.

Our plane arrives at almost 5pm, so I am figuring we won't be settled in until 7:30 or so (to be on the safe side...we are using ME). We have a 2-year old, and I am sure we will all be hungry. I was just thinking QS (so I don't have any ADRs), but after reading about the recent changes to Contempo Cafe, I'm not so sure. Opinions on where to grab dinner when we'll be tired/hungry/cranky?

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

We had the larger sea marine bottles this go around. I've only ever had the mini grapefruit ones before (at CR as well as Poly and YC). This was the first time I'd seen the "bigger" travel size bottles.

Were you in a Suite?
We got them at the YC in the VP Suite. My Mousekeeper brought me some at BC last stay..it was awesome!

 

[Cluelyss]

Were you in a Suite?
We got them at the YC in the VP Suite. My Mousekeeper brought me some at BC last stay..it was awesome!

Nope, SV GW room.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Nope, SV GW room.

Oh! That gives me hope!

But, I do have a stash that I take to hotels when I am not in Disney.. We are going to Alabama next month and I have packed my Sea Marine bottles

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thank you for the prompt reply. We are driving. I will be doing my own grocery shopping. Do you have a recommendation on a close and easy to get to (not always the same thing) grocery store?

You're welcome. I don't have a recommendation off-site and it would depend from where you're coming. The absolute closest location on-property, but not at a resort, is the HESS (converted to Speedway) across from the TTC.

Does anyone know if the Mini Market sells tea bags, it looks like it does, but not 100% sure...
Many thanks
Kev

They do have them at Fantasia:

Do we know if there will be trick-or-treating at the resort this year? I saw that they did it last year.

I'm betting they will. I think it's an annual event.

We had no monorail problems at all during our BLT stay during the Fourth of July. I wonder if your stay was even more peak than our time? Or if they had some monorails out of service when you were there, and they had all the cars running when we were there because of the holiday? Does not sound fun at all.

I'm glad Cali Grill worked well for you this trip! We liked our meal there during our trip as well, just still not as much as the other sigs we went to that trip (YS, Narcoos, Citricos). The Tuna Four Ways was definitely the best (and biggest!) appetizer of the trip for me.

Maybe also the weather worked both ways. Just like you couldn't get to Tokyo Dining, maybe they had no shows for their ADRs, which helped make them more accommodating

We tried Narcoossees and Citricos (reviews are in the GF thread) and were disappointed. YS is still a favorite! But, Dale renewed our lost faith in CG, but there's no guarantee we'd get him as a server again

As far as the monorail, we took it daily for 10 days from all the monorail resorts and except for a couple of off-peak rides, around lunch time, it was always super crowded and there seemed to be fewer running. It used to be that the end of August wasn't a peak time, but boy, it seems it's always peak time nowadays. When DD starts college, I'm eager to try WDW at a truly off-peak time again, if that exists anymore

Question to everyone: What has been the most "off-peak" time you've ever visited and what year? I recall in '98 going at the beginning of May and I think it was a ghost town. It was also uncrowded in early December and early January back in the early 00's, but I know that's not true anymore. We then started going at the end of August and after FD started, it started getting crowded. We've found holidays to be very crowded in the parks, but the resorts aren't always very crowded and the weather is just gorgeous at Christmas and spring break..but those prices and additional overcharges

I have a little bit of an odd question regarding what side of the room the beds are on in the garden wing.
We have stayed in the tower and know the orientation of the rooms on both sides by the "odd and even" room number, but I am not sure about the garden wing.
We will be staying in the garden wing standard view next month and I am trying to figure out if I should request a odd number room like we would in the tower.

This has nothing to do with the view.. it has to do with which side of the room the beds are on when you walk into the room.
Does anyone that has stayed in the garden wing know if they had a odd or even room number and which side of the room the beds were on.

We are basically looking for the rooms "odd or even" that have the beds and bathroom on the left side when you walk into the room like the odd number rooms in the tower.
It is an OCD/Anxiety issue for a family member..

Thanks!!

Great question to which I have no answer, but someone surely does. Here are the GW SV rooms you're talking about:

Starting to get super-excited about our BLT trip coming up Oct 23-26! We have a 1-bedroom lake view, and this is our first stay at CR or BLT. We're doing a split stay, with the second half of our trip at BCV.

Our plane arrives at almost 5pm, so I am figuring we won't be settled in until 7:30 or so (to be on the safe side...we are using ME). We have a 2-year old, and I am sure we will all be hungry. I was just thinking QS (so I don't have any ADRs), but after reading about the recent changes to Contempo Cafe, I'm not so sure. Opinions on where to grab dinner when we'll be tired/hungry/cranky?

I'd stop in at The Wave. You probably wouldn't even need an ADR and it will be pretty quiet and relaxing. There's a lot of stimuli on the 4th floor and standing in a QS line after a long trip with an infant can be grueling. I would just drop in at The Wave right after you check-in and ask if you can be seated after you drop your things off in your room and freshen up a bit. If they think you'll have to wait a long time, then there's always room service or the option of one adult going to CC and taking the food "to-go" back to your room. Or one of you could go up to the 4th floor while one of you is checking-in and see what the line is like before you commit.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

WDWKOOK

You are a legend!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Its really appreciated.

 

[WDWKOOK]

WDWKOOK

You are a legend!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Its really appreciated.

You're very welcome. I don't know whether the "tea" is considered very good by British standards, but it should be potable. There are also tea packets in every room and at Contempo Cafe for your refillable mug:

 

[kmorlock]

Does anyone know if the Mini Market sells tea bags, it looks like it does, but not 100% sure...
Many thanks
Kev

In addition to what KOOK said, the Twinings shop at Epcot World Showcase has a large variety also.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

You're very welcome. I don't know whether the "tea" is considered very good by British standards, but it should be potable. There are also tea packets in every room and at Contempo Cafe for your refillable mug:View attachment 123461

Its twinning's which as far as us Brits are concerned its quality tea!
Again many thanks!

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

In addition to what KOOK said, the Twinings shop at Epcot World Showcase has a large variety also.

That's a brilliant idea!
Thank you!

 

[mickeynut1]

Starting to get super-excited about our BLT trip coming up Oct 23-26! We have a 1-bedroom lake view, and this is our first stay at CR or BLT. We're doing a split stay, with the second half of our trip at BCV.

Enjoy the anticipation, it won't be long before you're checking in .

Question to everyone: What has been the most "off-peak" time you've ever visited and what year? I recall in '98 going at the beginning of May and I think it was a ghost town. It was also uncrowded in early December and early January back in the early 00's, but I know that's not true anymore. We then started going at the end of August and after FD started, it started getting crowded. We've found holidays to be very crowded in the parks, but the resorts aren't always very crowded and the weather is just gorgeous at Christmas and spring break..but those prices and additional overcharges

I can't pinpoint a specific date, but I do know that things have gotten a lot busier over the years since we started going in 2001. There used to be "slow" times of the year which we took advantage of (i.e., FD in Aug/Sept, early Dec, etc.), but sadly, those times are no longer slow .

WDWKOOK

You are a legend!

I agree .

 

[Eastern]

Question to everyone: What has been the most "off-peak" time you've ever visited and what year?

In the late 90s early 2000s we used to go during Jersey week (November) and that wasn't too bad. Last several years we have gone during Christmas/NYE (of course terribly crowded) but the week after NYE is pretty off-peak. Which day NYE falls on, and the first day of the marathon will impact the crowd levels. This past January we arrived the Sunday after NYE (January 4th) and everyone had checked out that morning. It was very uncrowded until Wednesday. Then people started arriving and it was getting busier by Friday/Saturday. Still, it is not near the crowd levels you will see during holidays and summers.

This year we are going the week of Jan 11 and I am guessing that it will get more crowded as we approach the holiday weekend, when we will be leaving. I was trying to avoid the holiday people staying until Jan 2 then the marathon events people arriving on the 6th. It really is quite challenging avoiding crowds.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Hi Kook,

I just changed resorts for my April trip. No longer staying at BLT. We'll be at BWV boardwalk view. Yay! Very happy to try BWV especially since our friends are getting married at the gazebo! I'll be back at BLT in June

 

[sophie832]

Question to everyone: What has been the most "off-peak" time you've ever visited and what year? I recall in '98 going at the beginning of May and I think it was a ghost town. It was also uncrowded in early December and early January back in the early 00's, but I know that's not true anymore. We then started going at the end of August and after FD started, it started getting crowded. We've found holidays to be very crowded in the parks, but the resorts aren't always very crowded and the weather is just gorgeous at Christmas and spring break..but those prices and additional overcharges



I'd stop in at The Wave. You probably wouldn't even need an ADR and it will be pretty quiet and relaxing. There's a lot of stimuli on the 4th floor and standing in a QS line after a long trip with an infant can be grueling. I would just drop in at The Wave right after you check-in and ask if you can be seated after you drop your things off in your room and freshen up a bit. If they think you'll have to wait a long time, then there's always room service or the option of one adult going to CC and taking the food "to-go" back to your room. Or one of you could go up to the 4th floor while one of you is checking-in and see what the line is like before you commit.

We visited once at the end of January, and it was pretty quiet. We had just done a trip in December when it was freezing cold and a little more crowded, so it was a relief to have slightly warmer weather and less crowds.

I was thinking about The Wave...years ago I had read some bad reviews, but lately I am reading a lot of good ones. We've eaten at a ton of WDW restaurants, but never that one, so it sounds like a good choice. Thanks!

 

[Gryhndmom]

Question to everyone: What has been the most "off-peak" time you've ever visited and what year? I recall in '98 going at the beginning of May and I think it was a ghost town. It was also uncrowded in early December and early January back in the early 00's, but I know that's not true anymore. We then started going at the end of August and after FD started, it started getting crowded. We've found holidays to be very crowded in the parks, but the resorts aren't always very crowded and the weather is just gorgeous at Christmas and spring break..but those prices and additional overcharges.

DH and I tend to go during wine and food in Oct and back in late 90's it wasn't 't crowded at all and now.... Well it can seem like spring break at times! Friends have visited the first couple weeks of December after the Thanksgiving crowds and said it doesn't seem crowded and wait times are minimal if any waiting at all in ride lines.

 

[psac]

DH and I tend to go during wine and food in Oct and back in late 90's it wasn't 't crowded at all and now.... Well it can seem like spring break at times! Friends have visited the first couple weeks of December after the Thanksgiving crowds and said it doesn't seem crowded and wait times are minimal if any waiting at all in ride lines.

I think the Food and Wine Festival was added to entice people to come during a fairly slow time. It took a while, but it definitely worked!! Now it's really difficult to book during that time.

We went the second week of December last year, and I think it's just never "empty" anymore, but that was the best for crowds that we've seen so far. We're going the same time again this year. The downside is that it can be really cold some days!!

 

[HadesTX]

We will be staying at the CR from 12/14-12/18.

My DH has no idea we are staying here. If I can keep the secret (BIG "if"... so far I've kept the secret about 3 weeks!), he will find out when we board the DME. We had originally booked a standard room at the WL, but I upgraded to a Tower Theme Park View room as an anniversary surprise. Wish I could have done CL, also... but I'm pretty excited to just have the TPV.

This is gonna be an excellent trip, just the two of us. Our first Christmas trip AND our first time at the CR.