Disney's CONTEMPORARY RESORT Information & Questions

[Jan1114]

I reserved a Bay Lake view for the last week of March. Are certain locations, floors or rooms better than others?

 

[mwilliams311]

So excited to join the forums! We are headed to CR to celebrate my daughter's 3rd birthday April 16 to 22. Thanks in advance for all of this great information!

 

[Jan1114]

So excited to join the forums! We are headed to CR to celebrate my daughter's 3rd birthday April 16 to 22. Thanks in advance for all of this great information!

Welcome! I'm fairly new here as well. Looks like we'll be there about two weeks before you. Remind me to share my experience with you when I get back!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Back from vacation and I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukah​

​

I'm thrilled to join this thread on a bonus WDW trip at the contemporary 1/27-1/30!!!! (we are staying at the four seasons and the poly in August). My husband has a conference to go to at the contemporary and after my comments on how envious I am, he said the kids and I can tag along! He travels a lot so we can go down on miles, and his company pays for the room, so why not?!? So now I have to see if I can get some dining reservations...

Oh, and not hotel related but my youngest is getting close to needing a haircut. I'm thinking what better place for a first haircut then WDW?!?

Welcome to the BLT/CR thread! I'll add your dates to the Log. I think Harmony would be PERFECT for a first haircut!

Hi KOOK

I'm super late with this, but I hope you and your family had a lovely holiday. Were both boys home? How is the summer vacation planning going?

Just booked our first stay here! We're a group of 11 people - 4 adults and 7 kids, including a toddler with Down syndrome - and we're staying in 2 Garden Wing rooms. Nov 26 - Dec 1st of next year. Super excited to be on the monorail with all our little ones!

Wow! That's a lot of people. Have you thought about a BLT Grand Villa?! I'll add your dates to the Log-o-Rail

Hi everyone! We are boating from CR to Ft. Wilderness Campground. Does the boat go straight from CR to FW, or does it make other stops in between? Trying to determine how much time to allow. Thanks!

The Blue Flag boat will stop at WL after CR. Allow at least 20 mins. travel time once in the boat. Alternatively, you can walk to the MK bus stop and take a FW bus, but I would just take the boat, if it's running. It can get rather crowded though prior to HDDR time.

Looking for BayLakeTower veteran's sage advise on online check in. We are visiting in January and I would like to do the online check in. I see the few choices for room request and wondering what people believe are good things to choose.

We are in the standard view Category and a 2 bedroom villa. All of us are mobile people and a good view is more important than noise/distance to walk. I think we would prefer not to be on the ground floor.

Any ideas?

Welcome! The OCI options for room locations are often limited and sometimes they don't even pertain to your particular booking. I recommend calling in your requests and having them added to your reservation. It sounds like you might want a "high floor?"

The BLT Rooms and Views thread has a great map showing what choices are available within each BLT booking, in your case, two bedroom SV. To see your options go to the thread that's located HERE.

Only 10 months and three days until BLT checkin! (19 Oct is our magical day) Disney reminded me today of how LONG the wait will be by sending the Disney planning brochure with important dates to remember with the first important date of 19 Apr for dining reservations. Thinking maybe Disney is a bit early on the sending out the information but hey they must know I'm a planning type gal!

We all love planning our Disney vacations, and I think they've caught on to that

Completed our first stay at the Contemporary today. We had a standard King club level room booked & from reading here, I was looking forward to a Magic Kingdom view on the 14th floor.

There was no one outside the hotel except bell services when we arrived, so we went inside. I approached a CM in a suit near checkin. He called upstairs but finally brought us up himself. He took us to the 12th floor where we were checked in. Since this was our first CR stay, I didn't question this. After the paperwork, our room (4902) was ready so the CM walked us there. I was dismayed that we stayed on the 12th floor & were down the lakeside hall above Chef Mickey's. Neither of our bands would open the door, so she took us back to her desk. That's when she realized she had brought us to 4802 & that we were supposed to be on 14. So she escorted us up there. That's when we found out we had been upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite!! However, it was a lake view, not MK view.

I was so looking forward to a MK view that I asked if the king room was available instead. It wasn't & the CM from 14 was afraid I was going to be terribly disappointed. I apologized & assured her we were thrilled to receive such a wonderful upgrade. I just watched fireworks from the lounge twice instead of from my room.

So the room was great: 2 bedrooms with 2 queen beds each, a kitchenette, dining table, living room complete with a Christmas tree, an entry hall with another full bath. There was a large balcony plus 2 smaller balconies. We had sodas & bottled water in the fridge plus the larger sized & upgraded toiletries.

We did have problems with the door & our magic bands tho. Originally, only my DH's band would open the door. The club CM called tech support & maintance 2 days in a row. After the first day, they "fixed" it so mine would work. Unfortunately, my DH's no longer worked! They called maintance again after trying a new band for DH. This time the woman from maintance didn't even try to fix anything. She basically said: as long as 1 of your bands work it's not maintance's problem. We had already spoken to 4 different CMs at the desk over 2 days of a 4 day stay. Plus it was just the 2 of us anyway & we were together all the time anyway, so we gave up at that point. But I do intend to report this after we get home. I'm hoping the Contemporary sends a survey after your stay like the YC does.

The lounge was fine, but we didn't care for their offerings very much. We are not adventurous eaters & prefer the YC's appetizers. As we returned from dinner Sunday, a few other guests got on the elevator with us. Some got off on other floors, but a family of parents & 2 teenagers got off on 14 with us & walked down the opposite hallway from us. I went to the lounge about 5 minutes later to watch the Chridtmad party fireworks & this family was there with several other guests. It was drizzling & everyone was standing close together. This family was right next to me. Just before the fireworks started, the club CM approached them & quietly offered his apologies, but said there were more guests than normal there due to the weather & that the area was reserved for guests staying on this floor. The family quietly left then. I thought the CM handled it well; if I hadn't been so close, I never would have heard him.

Loved the walk to MK, especially after the Christmas party, & seeing the water parade every night from my balcony. The boat to Wilderness Lodge was a bit of an issue Saturday. There were many people waiting. One group of 9 people said they were waiting about 30 minutes. Then 2 boats came at once & there was confusion over where each was going. So that family wasn't in the right line & by that time there wasn't room for them on the WL boat. They let the boat captain know they weren't happy. I don't know what he told them but they were leaving the dock as we pulled away.

I'm glad we tried the CR, but I think we prefer the ambience & amenities at the YC.

WOW! Two of you in a two bedroom Tower Club suite?! That's amazing! Very interesting story about those sneaky cheater pants who weren't staying CL. Very understated response by the CM. It's great you tried CR, pretty much at its finest and I hope you get to book your Regatta Club stay soon.

Hello everyone. I've read mixed reviews, but could someone tell me what the noise level in CR is like? I just wonder how noisy the monorail is and how the sound between rooms is? Thank you

Welcome! The major noise at CR would be from Chef Mickey's Celebrate song, the boat horns on Bay Lake, the EWP and Wishes fireworks. The monorail just makes a whirring noise. But, the boat horns on the Bay Lake side do start by 0645 and then the EWP is at 10:10 which is very loud. The CM song goes on hourly, morning till night, but if you aren't right above it, it's not really much of an issue. They also start setting the tables before 0700 which you can hear if you're above CM. Wishes can be heard from pretty much all the rooms.

We always ask for a room without a connecting door, but even if we don't get one at CR, their rooms are the quietest Deluxe rooms, IMHO. But, to assure a quieter experience, ask for a higher floor and room without a connecting door. Oh, and housekeeping can provide a box fan

We're at CR right now. We're on the 11th floor of the tower, Bay Lake view, room 4706. We've been here for 2 days and have heard absolutely no noise when in the room other than the boat horns (and we've been here in the middle of the day). It's actually very peaceful. Of course, when you walk out of the room there's the noise of the monorail and Chef Mickey's, but can't hear it at all from the room. We also have a great view of EWP, as well as a side view of Illuminations in the distance.

This is our first time at CR and I really wasn't sure I would like it, but LOVING it so far. Happy to answer any questions!

Glad you loved CR. I hope the rest of your stay was just as good.

New member to Disboards. Booked a room at the BLT Standard View 1 bedroom from Oct 15-20th with our second half of our trip staying at a Universal Resort. So excited, have been wanting to stay at the BLT for some time now. We stayed at AOA and the Dolphin in the past. What time are the fireworks typically at? What are the chances of getting a reservation at California Grill during the fireworks? Can you see them from the restaurant?

to the DIS and the CR/BLT thread, Scott!

Usually Wishes is at 10, but in the off season, it's at 8 or 9. The Disney website has a calendar with the times. During Wishes, CA Grill dims the lights, and plays the audio. You can also go outside to watch them. It's a front row view! There is an observation deck on both sides of CA Grill. You can also eat earlier and return later for Wishes. Just show your same-day receipt at the check-in, and they will let you up. You don't have to have a reservation to eat at CA Grill. You can ask at check-in to be seated in the bar area. You can have a drink and/or order food and if there's room, you don't need an ADR.

If you decide not to eat at CA Grill, there is a 4th floor observation deck where you can also watch the 12-minute show.

We just got home from the BEST vacation and I wanted to thank everyone on this thread for their assistance as we booked a room at the Contemporary.

The Garden Wing Deluxe room was an odd room but worked perfectly for 4 adults! We had our friends pull out the sofa bed and it warranted enough space and privacy for a great trip. The second shower was tiny but allowed us to have couple 1 and couple 2 shower/dress without taking up too much time.

The Contemporary was a great hotel. May stay here again in the future but just seemed really busy and crowded.

Glad the Deluxe room worked out. It does often seem busy in the Tower with what seems to be many "visitors."

Staying on 14th floor eith bay lake view or MK view. How does one do to get the MK view I know it is a gamble but I just don't want to spend the money for views of the Baylake view. I did put it in when I made the ress# MK view. Any thing else I can do ? tIA

The two (non-HA) King rooms on the 14th floor both have MKVs. If you need two queens, there is one MKV you can request (non-HA).

I reserved a Bay Lake view for the last week of March. Are certain locations, floors or rooms better than others?

to the DIS and the thread!

We prefer the Bay Lake View Tower rooms that are away from Chef Mickeys. Some prefer a high floor, but we think mid-level offers a great BLV.

So excited to join the forums! We are headed to CR to celebrate my daughter's 3rd birthday April 16 to 22. Thanks in advance for all of this great information!

to the DIS and the CR/BLT thread!

What a wonderful birthday your DD is going to have. I'll add your dates to the Log and let us know if you have any questions.

Welcome! I'm fairly new here as well. Looks like we'll be there about two weeks before you. Remind me to share my experience with you when I get back!

I hope you have fun planning your trip and let us know if we can help.

 

[focusondisney]

Back from vacation and I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukah
​

WOW! Two of you in a two bedroom Tower Club suite?! That's amazing! Very interesting story about those sneaky cheater pants who weren't staying CL. Very understated response by the CM. It's great you tried CR, pretty much at its finest and I hope you get to book your Regatta Club stay soon.

Thanks! We actually did a split stay &
Did move to the YC for a few nights after the CR. Amazingly, really, really amazingly, we were upgraded AGAIN at the YC!! Another 2 bedroom suite, The Captain's Deck, which is the largest suite at the YC. We have no idea why we were sprinkled with so much Pixie Dust this trip. We have been going at least once a year for over 20 years & have been staying club level for about 12 years. Only upgraded once before in all that time. I booked these reservations on the bounceback offer back in January. When the CM asked what we were celebrating, I said my DH's 60th. She was very enthusiastic & said she was noting that, coz "you never know what magic of pixie dust might happen". Something along those lines. So I don't know if she was somehow a part of it or what, but it was shocking & very appreciated!

A few pictures of the CR suite:








Dining & kitchen area, entry hall with 2 closets, living room with about a 55-60 inch tv, dining & living room from 1 of the bedroom doors, large balcony with table & chairs plus recliner, full sized Chtistmas tree in living room. All amazing!!!

 

[mwilliams311]

Welcome! I'm fairly new here as well. Looks like we'll be there about two weeks before you. Remind me to share my experience with you when I get back!

Thanks so much! I will definitely look forward to hearing about your trip!!

 

[mickeynut1]

Only 10 months and three days until BLT checkin! (19 Oct is our magical day) Disney reminded me today of how LONG the wait will be by sending the Disney planning brochure with important dates to remember with the first important date of 19 Apr for dining reservations. Thinking maybe Disney is a bit early on the sending out the information but hey they must know I'm a planning type gal!

I'm sure the time will go fast .

Completed our first stay at the Contemporary today. We had a standard King club level room booked & from reading here, I was looking forward to a Magic Kingdom view on the 14th floor.

There was no one outside the hotel except bell services when we arrived, so we went inside. I approached a CM in a suit near checkin. He called upstairs but finally brought us up himself. He took us to the 12th floor where we were checked in. Since this was our first CR stay, I didn't question this. After the paperwork, our room (4902) was ready so the CM walked us there. I was dismayed that we stayed on the 12th floor & were down the lakeside hall above Chef Mickey's. Neither of our bands would open the door, so she took us back to her desk. That's when she realized she had brought us to 4802 & that we were supposed to be on 14. So she escorted us up there. That's when we found out we had been upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite!! However, it was a lake view, not MK view.

I was so looking forward to a MK view that I asked if the king room was available instead. It wasn't & the CM from 14 was afraid I was going to be terribly disappointed. I apologized & assured her we were thrilled to receive such a wonderful upgrade. I just watched fireworks from the lounge twice instead of from my room.

So the room was great: 2 bedrooms with 2 queen beds each, a kitchenette, dining table, living room complete with a Christmas tree, an entry hall with another full bath. There was a large balcony plus 2 smaller balconies. We had sodas & bottled water in the fridge plus the larger sized & upgraded toiletries.

We did have problems with the door & our magic bands tho. Originally, only my DH's band would open the door. The club CM called tech support & maintance 2 days in a row. After the first day, they "fixed" it so mine would work. Unfortunately, my DH's no longer worked! They called maintance again after trying a new band for DH. This time the woman from maintance didn't even try to fix anything. She basically said: as long as 1 of your bands work it's not maintance's problem. We had already spoken to 4 different CMs at the desk over 2 days of a 4 day stay. Plus it was just the 2 of us anyway & we were together all the time anyway, so we gave up at that point. But I do intend to report this after we get home. I'm hoping the Contemporary sends a survey after your stay like the YC does.

The lounge was fine, but we didn't care for their offerings very much. We are not adventurous eaters & prefer the YC's appetizers. As we returned from dinner Sunday, a few other guests got on the elevator with us. Some got off on other floors, but a family of parents & 2 teenagers got off on 14 with us & walked down the opposite hallway from us. I went to the lounge about 5 minutes later to watch the Chridtmad party fireworks & this family was there with several other guests. It was drizzling & everyone was standing close together. This family was right next to me. Just before the fireworks started, the club CM approached them & quietly offered his apologies, but said there were more guests than normal there due to the weather & that the area was reserved for guests staying on this floor. The family quietly left then. I thought the CM handled it well; if I hadn't been so close, I never would have heard him.

Loved the walk to MK, especially after the Christmas party, & seeing the water parade every night from my balcony. The boat to Wilderness Lodge was a bit of an issue Saturday. There were many people waiting. One group of 9 people said they were waiting about 30 minutes. Then 2 boats came at once & there was confusion over where each was going. So that family wasn't in the right line & by that time there wasn't room for them on the WL boat. They let the boat captain know they weren't happy. I don't know what he told them but they were leaving the dock as we pulled away.

I'm glad we tried the CR, but I think we prefer the ambience & amenities at the YC.

Thanks for your review. I'm sorry you didn't get the MK view king room you wanted, but hope you had a nice stay in the suite .

We're at CR right now. We're on the 11th floor of the tower, Bay Lake view, room 4706. We've been here for 2 days and have heard absolutely no noise when in the room other than the boat horns (and we've been here in the middle of the day). It's actually very peaceful. Of course, when you walk out of the room there's the noise of the monorail and Chef Mickey's, but can't hear it at all from the room. We also have a great view of EWP, as well as a side view of Illuminations in the distance.

This is our first time at CR and I really wasn't sure I would like it, but LOVING it so far. Happy to answer any questions!

Sounds like a great trip, glad to hear you love the CR!

New member to Disboards. Booked a room at the BLT Standard View 1 bedroom from Oct 15-20th with our second half of our trip staying at a Universal Resort. So excited, have been wanting to stay at the BLT for some time now. We stayed at AOA and the Dolphin in the past. What time are the fireworks typically at? What are the chances of getting a reservation at California Grill during the fireworks? Can you see them from the restaurant?

Welcome to the Dis and to the CR thread

We just got home from the BEST vacation and I wanted to thank everyone on this thread for their assistance as we booked a room at the Contemporary.

The Garden Wing Deluxe room was an odd room but worked perfectly for 4 adults! We had our friends pull out the sofa bed and it warranted enough space and privacy for a great trip. The second shower was tiny but allowed us to have couple 1 and couple 2 shower/dress without taking up too much time.

The Contemporary was a great hotel. May stay here again in the future but just seemed really busy and crowded.

Glad you had a great trip!

Thanks @WDWKOOK I was looking forward to your thoughts! Our options with the military discount were 1) Bay Lake View regular room or 2) TPV Atrium Club Level. I might call back and check on options, but I think for now we are sticking with the TPV CL. It really is a great deal! It will fulfill hubby's wish list. And really that is what matters for this trip! Now if I can just get him to be veteran of the day at MK!

I think sticking with TPV CL is a great idea .

So excited to join the forums! We are headed to CR to celebrate my daughter's 3rd birthday April 16 to 22. Thanks in advance for all of this great information!

Welcome to the Dis and the CR thread

Welcome! I'm fairly new here as well. Looks like we'll be there about two weeks before you. Remind me to share my experience with you when I get back!

Welcome to the Dis and the CR thread

Back from vacation and I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukah​

​

I'm super late with this, but I hope you and your family had a lovely holiday. Were both boys home? How is the summer vacation planning going?

Thanks, KOOK.....I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday as well .

Yes, both boys were/are home . I do have a trip booked for August, but things have been so busy here lately that that's as far as it's gone. Do you have any trips booked?

Thanks! We actually did a split stay &
Did move to the YC for a few nights after the CR. Amazingly, really, really amazingly, we were upgraded AGAIN at the YC!! Another 2 bedroom suite, The Captain's Deck, which is the largest suite at the YC. We have no idea why we were sprinkled with so much Pixie Dust this trip. We have been going at least once a year for over 20 years & have been staying club level for about 12 years. Only upgraded once before in all that time. I booked these reservations on the bounceback offer back in January. When the CM asked what we were celebrating, I said my DH's 60th. She was very enthusiastic & said she was noting that, coz "you never know what magic of pixie dust might happen". Something along those lines. So I don't know if she was somehow a part of it or what, but it was shocking & very appreciated!

A few pictures of the CR suite:
View attachment 141536

View attachment 141535
View attachment 141531 View attachment 141532 View attachment 141533

View attachment 141530


Dining & kitchen area, entry hall with 2 closets, living room with about a 55-60 inch tv, dining & living room from 1 of the bedroom doors, large balcony with table & chairs plus recliner, full sized Chtistmas tree in living room. All amazing!!!

Congrats on the upgrade! Glad you had a great trip. Nice pics, thanks for sharing .

 

[rymahoney]

We are staying in garden wing standard view. We would love to be close to main building and on ground floor. Would we have better luck just putting close as possible to the monorail and not put the ground floor request? The idea of a patio was great for naps but I would much rather not be in the rooms farthest away from main building. I don't really have a reason to put other than two very young kids which everyone has at Disney.

 

[tiger4me2]

The two (non-HA) King rooms on the 14th floor both have MKVs. If you need two queens, there is one MKV you can request

Kook we decided to change our dates under the military rate over to the BWI but going down last part of Nov to 2st of Decmber club level at a cheaper rate not the CR but at least I know what views I will get can always call again and see if a better room at the CR open up. Thanks

 

[dansdad]

We are staying in garden wing standard view. We would love to be close to main building and on ground floor. Would we have better luck just putting close as possible to the monorail and not put the ground floor request? The idea of a patio was great for naps but I would much rather not be in the rooms farthest away from main building. I don't really have a reason to put other than two very young kids which everyone has at Disney.

I would word your requests "close to monorail" and "ground floor". This way the room assigners know that your priority is close to the monorail but would also like a ground floor too. But they will always try the request listed first as the priority.

 

[mwilliams311]

Well I was a day too early in joining this thread, because we just changed resorts! Our awesome TA was able to get us into the Grand Floridian for our dates with the same level of tickets & dining with a theme park view for less money! We'll have to try the Contemporary on our next trip!

 

[Jan1114]

This is my first time posting...I am so excited! I booked the CR BLV for 3/28-4/2. I'm not telling my son (6 yo) until the day we leave

So it turns out that I wasn't paying attention to dates and the above date starts the day after Easter. I was looking for a bit more low key so I got the dates changed to 4/4-4/9 with the MKV. It was $600 less than the BLV from the week prior. I'm so excited. Anyway...I know I should request an odd number room...anything else? Typically when can I make that request?

 

[mickeynut1]

Well I was a day too early in joining this thread, because we just changed resorts! Our awesome TA was able to get us into the Grand Floridian for our dates with the same level of tickets & dining with a theme park view for less money! We'll have to try the Contemporary on our next trip!

I'm sorry you're not able to try the CR, but congrats on getting a great deal at the GF! Hope you have a great trip .

So it turns out that I wasn't paying attention to dates and the above date starts the day after Easter. I was looking for a bit more low key so I got the dates changed to 4/4-4/9 with the MKV. It was $600 less than the BLV from the week prior. I'm so excited. Anyway...I know I should request an odd number room...anything else? Typically when can I make that request?

Congrats on being able to change dates and get a MKV for less money than the BLV . You can make requests at any time, just call the reservation number and tell the CM you would like to add a request to your reservation .

 

[albertamom]

We are staying on a cash reservation at BLT in February. We will not be leaving for the airport until 2:00 pm. Is it possible to request a late check-out? If not, I know that we can store our luggage with bell services. Is there a handy washroom available to freshen up in and possibly change into our airplane clothes after a morning in MK?

 

[monty]

We are staying at BLT and will need to check in and collect our bands when we arrive as we are coming from overseas. Do we go to the front desk at contemporary or BLT?

 

[roxymama]

@WDWKOOK or anyone else who knows the answer:

If I resreved a 2 bedroom villa at BLT will there be a chance they put us in a 1BR/Studio lock-off? I did not realize this was possible. We have 5 people and were really hoping for 3 "real" beds to use. Do you think if I call in that I can request a designated 2 bedroom?
I am also wanted bed-rails for our kids bed and hoping it would be queen size and not a pull out.

 

[skuttle]

Hi everyone! We are thinking about staying at the CR TPV in October 2016. We've never stayed at CR before because it just doesn't appeal to me. However, it's been DH's boyhood dream to stay there. LOL! We are thinking about doing a quick long weekend trip for MNSSHP in early October. Figured this might be a good time to stay at CR and get it out of DH's system. Do the CR TPV rooms tend to sell out quickly?

 

[maryandtyson]

Happy New Year! We will be there in 6 more days!!

 

[Eastern]

Hi everyone! We are thinking about staying at the CR TPV in October 2016. We've never stayed at CR before because it just doesn't appeal to me. However, it's been DH's boyhood dream to stay there. LOL! We are thinking about doing a quick long weekend trip for MNSSHP in early October. Figured this might be a good time to stay at CR and get it out of DH's system. Do the CR TPV rooms tend to sell out quickly?

In my experience, (I have looked for CR rooms off and on over the past couple of years) GW sells out quickest, probably due to price. Then standard rooms at all levels, then CL rooms. In other words, the cheaper rooms sell out before the more expensive ones. That being said, CR is very popular at all levels. I would book your preferred room now and continue to look for discounts if you are set on a certain room type.

 

[Cluelyss]

Hi everyone! We are thinking about staying at the CR TPV in October 2016. We've never stayed at CR before because it just doesn't appeal to me. However, it's been DH's boyhood dream to stay there. LOL! We are thinking about doing a quick long weekend trip for MNSSHP in early October. Figured this might be a good time to stay at CR and get it out of DH's system. Do the CR TPV rooms tend to sell out quickly?

Great choice! The ability to walk to and from MK on party night is priceless! We stayed at CR during our MNSSHP trip in 2014 and will be back there for our MNSSHP trip in 2016!!

The theming is not my favorite, either, but I think you will find the rooms quite spacious and the location ideal. And what the CR lacks in decor, it more than makes up for in "vibe" - you almost feel like you are staying in the Magic Kingdom!!