Disney's CONTEMPORARY RESORT Information & Questions

[ikoikoiko]

Staying at the Contemporary for 7 nights in mid-June with two under two(And others of various age sizes and temperment) and wanted to know details on the elevator issues I have read many times on this board.
1.) Is it a delay all day, every day?
2.) How long of a delay?
3.) What is the issue? I ask that because I have stayed in older hotels with as many or more rooms with four elevators but no issues like listed. I just do not get why they could not reprogram the elevators.

 

[wdhinn89]

I just came home on Thursday and I had no problem with the elevators.

 

[johnsonet]

No problems last August, other than waiting for the elevator to reach your floor. No biggie.

 

[sjb95u]

Can you all please help me with timing for transportation from CR to AK and HS early morning? I've read that the CMs don't always know the exact times or timing of the buses. We'll be there next week, need to get to AK by rope drop on Monday, June 1st and HS by rope drop on Thursday, June 4th. We'll be staying in the tower. Advice? TIA!!!

 

[wdhinn89]

Buses are random with no rhyme or reason. AK is a long ride with stops along the way. I would leave at least 45 minutes before you want to be there. HS at least 30 minutes.

 

[johnsonet]

Can you all please help me with timing for transportation from CR to AK and HS early morning? I've read that the CMs don't always know the exact times or timing of the buses. We'll be there next week, need to get to AK by rope drop on Monday, June 1st and HS by rope drop on Thursday, June 4th. We'll be staying in the tower. Advice? TIA!!!

Last summer we took the bus to AK for rope drop (didn't quite make it, but just about). The bus stopped at the Polynesian first and at that point the driver asked if anyone was going to Blizzard Beach. Thankfully, no one was, so we went straight to AK.

If I have to be somewhere, I just try and arrive at the bus stop 45-60 min. beforehand. Assume you just missed a bus and that you'll have to wait 20 min. for the next one

Have a great trip

 

[Chereya]

I read a tip about just taking a taxi if you want to get somewhere directly. It'll cost a little bit but you won't have to spend so much of your time getting there.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I'm hoping to go back to the Contemporary next year for the first time in more than 20 years. I have a quick question: what type of music do they play in the public areas there? I vaguely remember movie songs.

The pool area music is unchanged and is still 90's tunes. I love hearing those familiar tracks and even told a Recreation Manager to make sure they don't change it LOL. (The music is piped in from his office.) As far as indoor music, I don't recall movie scores.

Yes KOOK! Those are the ones! And on the maps they look square vs rectangle (at least 5150 & 5151 do).....and with the hallway running in between the rooms, the door to the room must come in at the side of the room. And with an extra window.....hmmmm, they have to have a different layout. Just odd that there is no mention or photos of these rooms anywhere! I have searched every phrase I can think of...including just "Contemporary 6107".

I'm kinda hoping we get one of them so I can put an end to the speculation.....admit it, now you are just as curious as me

I honestly don't see a bad view at any of the garden wing garden view rooms on TP's room finder map. So I will be happy with anything. Just curious

I hope you get one of those quirky rooms and make sure you take lots of indoor photos

Hey everybody, I plan on renting one of those Pontoon boats at the Contemporary. I have no experience whatsoever in driving a boat but I think it would be cool to be captain of a small boat at Disney World. LOL. Are those Pontoon boats easy to maneuver & drive? How fast do they go? Can you drive to Seven Seas Lagoon, stop the boat at a spot where you won't interfere with other boats, to take pics of the Magic Kingdom from the water? Is it like driving a car? Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

I've never rented one, but they do look like fun. Sea Raycers are allowed out of the area in which they are rented, however, I believe that boats must remain where they're rented so you'd have to stay in Bay Lake. No photography is allowed on the Sea Raycers, but I'm sure it isn't a problem on the boats. HERE'S an article by Jack Spence about renting the boats that should be very helpful.

Hello all! Just joining this thread for the first time and I'll have to go back and start reading from the beginning!

Very excited to have just booked BLT as part of our big April 2016 trip! We'll start off at Universal for 3 nights, then move to BWV for a Sun-Fri stay, take a short detour up to Savannah for the weekend, then back to WDW for 3 nights at BLT! So much has changed since our last WDW trip over 10 years ago - pre-kids! I need to get myself back up to speed on all of the tips and tricks in my planning! Super excited to introduce my kids to WDW for the first time! They've been to Disneyland twice as it's much closer for us living on the West coast.

We've booked a 1BR Lake view, high floor request. We were going to go with Standard view but I got "upsold" on the lake view by the DVC owner we are renting points from, lol!

Now I just have to plan and wait patiently...

Congratulations and welcome to the thread! Sounds like a fun trip and you've got plenty of planning time.

Hello all! My DS is graduating from High School next week I converted my children as Disney fans from a very young age...so all four of us are heading to Disneyworld and staying at the CR for the first time August 4-11th. I'm hoping my favorite place on earth will dull the pain I'm feeling with him getting ready to leave the nest.

Congratulations to your DS and I'm sure CR will be a great DIStraction. I'll add your dates to the Log-orail

Same here, our one and only DS just graduated and we are heading to the CR in a couple of weeks. We are hoping that he will continue to take family vacations with us to WDW.

Congratulations to your DS as well! I will be in the same boat/Sea Raycer next year with DD graduating. I wonder if she'll choose CR, too

Staying at the Contemporary for 7 nights in mid-June with two under two(And others of various age sizes and temperment) and wanted to know details on the elevator issues I have read many times on this board.
1.) Is it a delay all day, every day?
2.) How long of a delay?
3.) What is the issue? I ask that because I have stayed in older hotels with as many or more rooms with four elevators but no issues like listed. I just do not get why they could not reprogram the elevators.

to the DIS and the CR/BLT thread!

The issue in the Tower is that there are 15 floors in the Tower and only about 5 elevators, one of which only goes to/from CA Grill on the 15th floor. At peak times such as mid-late morning and early-late evening and/or when the resort is full, the wait can be very long and the elevators very crowded. When we were there, at peak times, it took at least 10 minutes to get to our room on the 11th floor.

We last stayed there during spring break, Easter week, so it was very crowded, and other than early morning when I'd go down to the gym, the elevators were packed and the wait long. It was really frustrating and, unfortunately, you can't access any of the floors with rooms by stairs. The stairwell doors are locked from the outside so you can only use them essentially to go down, unless you prop it open and hope no one closes it. This adds to the amount of people wanting to use the elevators.

Another stay, we were on the CL floor (12th) and during that week, there were a couple of elevators that wouldn't work with our KTTW Card so we would have to wait for another elevator. We were told it was a known problem and they were working on it, but it wasn't fixed during our stay, but I'm sure it must be now.

Can you all please help me with timing for transportation from CR to AK and HS early morning? I've read that the CMs don't always know the exact times or timing of the buses. We'll be there next week, need to get to AK by rope drop on Monday, June 1st and HS by rope drop on Thursday, June 4th. We'll be staying in the tower. Advice? TIA!!!

I saw a permit for an electronic sign that was to be installed at the CR bus stop. I don't know if they've done it already, but it should be installed eventually. It shows the bus wait times (using the bus' GPS).

In April, the bus was not stopping at Poly nor GF, but it would go to WL. It would then go from there to a water park. It was a long wait for the AK and DHS bus (2-3 DtD buses would come for each AK/DHS bus) and then the ride seemed so long, maybe almost 45 minutes. For RD, they probably dispatch more buses, (we were traveling mid-morning), so I would be at the bus stop at least one hour prior.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Last summer we took the bus to AK for rope drop (didn't quite make it, but just about). The bus stopped at the Polynesian first and at that point the driver asked if anyone was going to Blizzard Beach. Thankfully, no one was, so we went straight to AK.

If I have to be somewhere, I just try and arrive at the bus stop 45-60 min. beforehand. Assume you just missed a bus and that you'll have to wait 20 min. for the next one

No one ever got off at the water park on our buses, but I guess our bus driver thought someone might get on from there. And, for whatever reason, at least when we were there at spring break, the DHS and AK buses took about 30 mins.+ to arrive at CR, which meant a big busload of anxious folks were waiting by the time it arrived. I'm sure this had something to do with it being Easter week and extra crowded. Your time est. is a good one and is usually our experience, too, but during holidays, a little extra time might be needed…and patience (of which I have little).

 

[johnsonet]

No one ever got off at the water park on our buses, but I guess our bus driver thought someone might get on from there.

Yes, at the time I assumed it was only because it was so early in the morning that our driver could simply ask those of us getting on at the CR and Poly. BB would not have been open quite yet, and he was obviously counting on no one being ready to leave BB. But I did wonder about ppl who maybe planned to park there and use bus transportation to a resort

 

[CJLove79]

The pool area music is unchanged and is still 90's tunes. I love hearing those familiar tracks and even told a Recreation Manager to make sure they don't change it LOL. (The music is piped in from his office.) As far as indoor music, I don't recall movie scores.



I hope you get one of those quirky rooms and make sure you take lots of indoor photos



I've never rented one, but they do look like fun. Sea Raycers are allowed out of the area in which they are rented, however, I believe that boats must remain where they're rented so you'd have to stay in Bay Lake. No photography is allowed on the Sea Raycers, but I'm sure it isn't a problem on the boats. HERE'S an article by Jack Spence about renting the boats that should be very helpful.




Congratulations and welcome to the thread! Sounds like a fun trip and you've got plenty of planning time.



Congratulations to your DS and I'm sure CR will be a great DIStraction. I'll add your dates to the Log-orail


Congratulations to your DS as well! I will be in the same boat/Sea Raycer next year with DD graduating. I wonder if she'll choose CR, too


to the DIS and the CR/BLT thread!

The issue in the Tower is that there are 15 floors in the Tower and only about 5 elevators, one of which only goes to/from CA Grill on the 15th floor. At peak times such as mid-late morning and early-late evening and/or when the resort is full, the wait can be very long and the elevators very crowded. When we were there, at peak times, it took at least 10 minutes to get to our room on the 11th floor.

We last stayed there during spring break, Easter week, so it was very crowded, and other than early morning when I'd go down to the gym, the elevators were packed and the wait long. It was really frustrating and, unfortunately, you can't access any of the floors with rooms by stairs. The stairwell doors are locked from the outside so you can only use them essentially to go down, unless you prop it open and hope no one closes it. This adds to the amount of people wanting to use the elevators.

Another stay, we were on the CL floor (12th) and during that week, there were a couple of elevators that wouldn't work with our KTTW Card so we would have to wait for another elevator. We were told it was a known problem and they were working on it, but it wasn't fixed during our stay, but I'm sure it must be now.



I saw a permit for an electronic sign that was to be installed at the CR bus stop. I don't know if they've done it already, but it should be installed eventually. It shows the bus wait times (using the bus' GPS).

In April, the bus was not stopping at Poly nor GF, but it would go to WL. It would then go from there to a water park. It was a long wait for the AK and DHS bus (2-3 DtD buses would come for each AK/DHS bus) and then the ride seemed so long, maybe almost 45 minutes. For RD, they probably dispatch more buses, (we were traveling mid-morning), so I would be at the bus stop at least one hour prior.

Thanks KOOK, appreciate the review!!!! But it looks like you was wrong about not being able to take it to 7 Seas Lagoon because he was able to do it with no problem. LOL. He just mentioned to keep track of the time because it took him close to an hour for him to go through Fort Wild, Magic Kingdom and back. Anyway, thanks again for your help as always.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks KOOK, appreciate the review!!!! But it looks like you was wrong about not being able to take it to 7 Seas Lagoon because he was able to do it with no problem. LOL. He just mentioned to keep track of the time because it took him close to an hour for him to go through Fort Wild, Magic Kingdom and back. Anyway, thanks again for your help as always.

You're welcome. I think Jack's review is a little old because the pontoon rental is now $45/30 mins., not the $39.43 he quoted, which dates back to at least 2010. Clearly, Jack went over to 7SL back when he wrote the review, but themouseforless.com is where I saw this so I really don't know:

• SunTracker pontoon - $45 per 1/2 hour (up to 8 people)
  Drivers must be at least 18 years of age; these boats are restricted to the waterway from which they are rented.

 

[sjb95u]

Thank you all for your replies, it makes planning (to wait) much easier! If I'm not expecting to be at the park for an hour then I'll be pleasantly surprised if it's ever any quicker than that! Here's to CR and WDW in 4 days!

 

[CMNJ]

No one ever got off at the water park on our buses, but I guess our bus driver thought someone might get on from there. And, for whatever reason, at least when we were there at spring break, the DHS and AK buses took about 30 mins.+ to arrive at CR, which meant a big busload of anxious folks were waiting by the time it arrived. I'm sure this had something to do with it being Easter week and extra crowded. Your time est. is a good one and is usually our experience, too, but during holidays, a little extra time might be needed…and patience (of which I have little).

We just got back sat and we did not go to AK but the bus service to DHS was dreadful the morning we tried to make rope drop-got to bus stop at 8:15 and bus didn't show until 8:40-8:45-doesn't sound that bad but I got the distinct impression from others at the stop and the CM that it had already been awhile since the previous DHS had come. CM actually radioed to request an additional bus as we had more than a bus load waiting before the bus even showed up. In the time we waited we saw 2 downtown disney buses, one AK, and 2 epcot/ttc transfer buses (monorail was operating on a reduced schedule that am)-needless to say we did NOT make rope drop that day-it was 9:10 by the time we got to DHS
This was not a SWW day either so not sure why bus service was so bad (maybe because they pulled buses to account for monorail reduced schedule?)

 

[johnsonet]

We just got back sat and we did not go to AK but the bus service to DHS was dreadful the morning we tried to make rope drop-got to bus stop at 8:15 and bus didn't show until 8:40-8:45-doesn't sound that bad but I got the distinct impression from others at the stop and the CM that it had already been awhile since the previous DHS had come. CM actually radioed to request an additional bus as we had more than a bus load waiting before the bus even showed up. In the time we waited we saw 2 downtown disney buses, one AK, and 2 epcot/ttc transfer buses (monorail was operating on a reduced schedule that am)-needless to say we did NOT make rope drop that day-it was 9:10 by the time we got to DHS
This was not a SWW day either so not sure why bus service was so bad (maybe because they pulled buses to account for monorail reduced schedule?)

This sort of thing happens all the time, in my experience. And I guess it's why Disney recommends that guests allow 90 min. to get to your destination.
Of course watching the other buses come and go always happens when we're in a big hurry to get to another park!

 

[CMNJ]

This sort of thing happens all the time, in my experience. And I guess it's why Disney recommends that guests allow 90 min. to get to your destination.
Of course watching the other buses come and go always happens when we're in a big hurry to get to another park!

I've definitely had it happen during the day (afternoon/early evening when it seems buses run less often but never for rope drop-they always seemed pretty well timed then) that's what surprised me and like I said the CM was on the radio pleading for a second bus to be sent as people were getting restless and since deluxe hotels have no bus lines it became clear that people who arrived much later were planning on pushing their way onto the bus before people who had been waiting much longer. I know it happens (this was just the first time I had seen it at rope drop) I was just responding that our (limited) experience with bus service (as we mainly went to Epcot and MK) from CR/BLT was not very good as a previous poster had asked how the bus service was. If I planned to spend a lot of time at DHS/Epcot vs MK/Epcot I would suggest an Epcot resort vs CR/BLT

 

[ikoikoiko]

The "bum rush" to a bus is one of the less pleasant aspects of a Disney trip. I have seen it a few times. At one trip after a torrent of rain started coming down at Hollywood Studios the bus for the resort next to ours had a huge line and a large group came from the side and probably took more places on the bus than the folks who were waiting. I do not know what happens to some folks to make them behave so.

As for waiting for the buses, it is what it is. Disney is moving more folks on buses in a day than many large cities and it is hard to get it perfect. Make sure your smartphone has some good games, have a drink in hand, and enjoy some conversation with your family.

 

[CJLove79]

You're welcome. I think Jack's review is a little old because the pontoon rental is now $45/30 mins., not the $39.43 he quoted, which dates back to at least 2010. Clearly, Jack went over to 7SL back when he wrote the review, but themouseforless.com is where I saw this so I really don't know:

• SunTracker pontoon - $45 per 1/2 hour (up to 8 people)
  Drivers must be at least 18 years of age; these boats are restricted to the waterway from which they are rented.

What about Sea Racers? Can you go to Seven Seas Lagoon on that? I figure that its really small and shouldn't get in the way of the ferries like a pontoon boat. But then of course, my way of thinking maybe totally different than Disney's way of thinking. LOL.

 

[albertamom]

We are planning our first WDW visit next February, and have booked a 1-bedroom Lake View villa at BLT for Feb. 13-20! We have been to DLR many times, but before my kids (DS 17 and DD 15) head off to University and begin their own lives, I really, really want to get them to WDW! I'm super excited, and have been gathering so much excellent information on the boards!

One of my biggest "fears" about WDW is the transportation issue (non-existent at DLR). Reading above about the bus problems, would we be better off taking a taxi to DHS and AK for pre-opening breakfast ADRs?

 

[dprincessmom]

SO VERY EXCITED - Just scored a Summer Rate on the CR Theme Park view so changed reservation from WL to here! So much to research, figure if we are going to do deluxe, let's do deluxe! Can't believe the special rate that wasn't there earlier was there today!!! Add to that the FP+ ease this morning and it has been one magical day. Now if July 27th would just get here!