Disney's CONTEMPORARY RESORT Information & Questions

[BlueFairy]

For solo travelers who stay past closing at MK - how lonely is that walk from MK to CR after park close? I've done it during the day but not late at night.

 

[jb1677]

Hello all! So excited my mom just booked our stay at BLT May 13-21st. This is our first time staying at a monorail hotel and we're so excited! I'm the planner in our group so I'm looking forward to reading though the pages of this thread. I have a few questions I'm hoping one of the experts here can help me out with. My parents are DVC members so we're staying on their points. We have a group of 7 in a two bedroom (me, DH, DS 2 and my parents) and a deluxe studio (my sister and BIL) mom has booked all in Lake view rooms and wanted the rooms to be close together. We would love to be able to see fireworks from one of our rooms if that's possible. are there any rooms/floors in particular we should request (and where should I send the request) Sorry, for all the questions, I'm not used to being so close to MK and we're all so excited to be able to walk there!
thanks in advance!!!

This thread should help you understand which rooms face which direction:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/bl...nks-last-update-of-post-1-10-21-2015.2257082/

In a nutshell for lake view with a chance of fireworks you are looking for even number room in north part of building. For studios these are rooms ending in 06, 08 and 14. For dedicated 2 bedroom it would be rooms ending in 02 or 12.

 

[trishadono]

For solo travelers who stay past closing at MK - how lonely is that walk from MK to CR after park close? I've done it during the day but not late at night.

DD21 and I walk it often. We are never alone. You will pass others along the way in both directions. (we walk fast and usually do the "passing").
Also the busses are coming and going so you feel like you not isolated.

I have not batted an eye once about walking at anytime, even at midnight!

If anxious do what I taught my kids, wait for someone you think look safe and follow them.

We enjoy that walk. Seeing BLT and Cr in the distance is a lovely view when leaving the park at night.

 

[BlueFairy]

Thanks. That helps.

 

[Cluelyss]

Just curious if anyone has ever experienced this....at CR last weekend, in the garden wing, and not a single one of our magic bands would open the external door once it was locked after 11 pm. All worked on our room no problem, but would not allow us into the building. Huge inconvenience coming back from MNSSHP with 2 tired kiddos....

 

[WDWKOOK]

Just checked into BLT and got what we requested...north tower even number room ( view of lake to the right and MK to the left; DVC calls lake view 1 BD) so can't wait for Halloween fireworks tonight! Room ready text didn't work for us and CM said they have had problems with that today. Looking forward to a magical week I all the parks !

That's great and I hope you're still having a magical stay. Those room alerts are hit or miss, mostly miss.

So we rented points at BLT two weeks ago...two lakeview studios. We mainly wanted rooms together. Thru the rental company, the renter was supposed to enter requests onto his DVC account. I basically wanted one of our lakeviews on the north side so we had a partial fireworks view and the other unit was more negotiable but I wanted it close by. I also did the fax thing through touring plans and indicated in the notes that co-located studios was the main preference. When we went to check-in we did get basically one of the rooms we wanted. I think it was 7708, but the other room was 7725, 12 doors down. Seemed like a huge gap at the time since we were used to having adjoining rooms at moderates and values in the past. BUT it worked out fine in the end. The CM at the check-in said that the over-riding factor was the the DVC member who booked our rooms also booked four others and they were trying to keep them all together since they thought it was one big party....not sure why they ignored my co-located rooms requests in order to try and group all of the member's rooms together...seemed curious to me.

Thanks for posting about your experience. Would you do anything with your request differently next time?

Hello all! So excited my mom just booked our stay at BLT May 13-21st. This is our first time staying at a monorail hotel and we're so excited! I'm the planner in our group so I'm looking forward to reading though the pages of this thread. I have a few questions I'm hoping one of the experts here can help me out with. My parents are DVC members so we're staying on their points. We have a group of 7 in a two bedroom (me, DH, DS 2 and my parents) and a deluxe studio (my sister and BIL) mom has booked all in Lake view rooms and wanted the rooms to be close together. We would love to be able to see fireworks from one of our rooms if that's possible. are there any rooms/floors in particular we should request (and where should I send the request) Sorry, for all the questions, I'm not used to being so close to MK and we're all so excited to be able to walk there!
thanks in advance!!!

Welcome to the thread, @Tinkerbell7479! I'll log your dates. You're going to love being so close to the MK and monorail.

Some of the outer LV villas on the north side have a partial MKV off to the left. I think someone posted the BLT Room View/Number thread link for you

Just curious if anyone has ever experienced this....at CR last weekend, in the garden wing, and not a single one of our magic bands would open the external door once it was locked after 11 pm. All worked on our room no problem, but would not allow us into the building. Huge inconvenience coming back from MNSSHP with 2 tired kiddos....

Each MB or KTTW card holder's account has to be enabled for "common door access". If they aren't, everything besides your room door, like exterior building doors, gym doors, pool gates, etc...won't work. Someone didn't get the common door access permission into your account correctly. This has happened to us at WL.

 

[PPFDDisneyLover]

Thinking of changing my ressie for next year to CR, if I were to stay in a garden room, to access the main tower, do I have to go outside or is the resort all connected with interior hallways?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thinking of changing my ressie for next year to CR, if I were to stay in a garden room, to access the main tower, do I have to go outside or is the resort all connected with interior hallways?

You have to go outside, with a covered walkway to the main building.

 

[HatboxHaint]

That's great and I hope you're still having a magical stay. Those room alerts are hit or miss, mostly miss.



Thanks for posting about your experience. Would you do anything with your request differently next time?



Welcome to the thread, @Tinkerbell7479! I'll log your dates. You're going to love being so close to the MK and monorail.

Some of the outer LV villas on the north side have a partial MKV off to the left. I think someone posted the BLT Room View/Number thread link for you



Each MB or KTTW card holder's account has to be enabled for "common door access". If they aren't, everything besides your room door, like exterior building doors, gym doors, pool gates, etc...won't work. Someone didn't get the common door access permission into your account correctly. This has happened to us at WL.

Hey Kook! We might shell out more money for the 1-bedroom and Studio since they connect. I guess renting, that might be cheaper than 2-bedroom? I think we would have more success in getting them co-located... But with frontdesk CM's comment, which didn't really make sense to me..."basically same DVC owner so we put them close together but you are still 12-doors down." I guess anything is possible in the wacky world or room assignment.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hey Kook! We might shell out more money for the 1-bedroom and Studio since they connect. I guess renting, that might be cheaper than 2-bedroom? I think we would have more success in getting them co-located... But with frontdesk CM's comment, which didn't really make sense to me..."basically same DVC owner so we put them close together but you are still 12-doors down." I guess anything is possible in the wacky world or room assignment.

A lockoff two bedroom would probably be fewer points than a separate studio and one bedroom. Plus, even if they were next to each other, they might not connect to each other. So if you want them to connect, but still have access to the hallway from the studio portion, book a lockoff two bedroom villa. When you book them separately, they are putting you in them close to each other (you were 12 doors down). Unless it is a very quiet time for DVC and those times are few now.

 

[HatboxHaint]

Yep...your right, thanks!

 

[michashell]

We will have a car while we are staying at the CR. I was trying to map out nearby grocery/drug stores, urgent cares (yes, I"m neurotic), etc. Google Maps has me making a right out of the Contemporary parking lot, traveling behind MK and then to World Drive. Even using Wilderness Lodge as a test, it still has me going this round about way. Can you really not make a LEFT onto World Drive exiting the CR? TIA!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We will have a car while we are staying at the CR. I was trying to map out nearby grocery/drug stores, urgent cares (yes, I"m neurotic), etc. Google Maps has me making a right out of the Contemporary parking lot, traveling behind MK and then to World Drive. Even using Wilderness Lodge as a test, it still has me going this round about way. Can you really not make a LEFT onto World Drive exiting the CR? TIA!!

Yes, you can turn left out of the CR. But you have to then turn right at the light by WL towards the Polynesian and then left by the end of the Polynesian near Shades of Green. Then you merge into the lane heading towards I4 past the MK toll gate. Or you go straight through the light at the WL and then merge into one lane and turn at the light that is just past the MK toll gate toward Fort Wilderness and the two PO resorts and Golden Oak. Google Maps was probably just giving you the most direct route. My son lives in Windemere and the route you were given by Google Maps is probably the way way he gets to work each morning.

 

[michashell]

Yes, you can turn left out of the CR. But you have to then turn right at the light by WL towards the Polynesian and then left by the end of the Polynesian near Shades of Green. Then you merge into the lane heading towards I4 past the MK toll gate. Or you go straight through the light at the WL and then merge into one lane and turn at the light that is just past the MK toll gate toward Fort Wilderness and the two PO resorts and Golden Oak. Google Maps was probably just giving you the most direct route. My son lives in Windemere and the route you were given by Google Maps is probably the way way he gets to work each morning.

Thank you so much for explaining!!!

 

[Gryhndmom]

We will have a car while we are staying at the CR. I was trying to map out nearby grocery/drug stores, urgent cares (yes, I"m neurotic), etc. Google Maps has me making a right out of the Contemporary parking lot, traveling behind MK and then to World Drive. Even using Wilderness Lodge as a test, it still has me going this round about way. Can you really not make a LEFT onto World Drive exiting the CR? TIA!!

We are at BLT now. There is a publix "behind " WDW. We have done the right turn lane out of CR/BLT even though there is a marked through arrow indicating don't turn right. A CM told us a few years ago that the arrow was there to keep guests From taking a right turn out of resort since it is Disney back roads and employee parking etc. We went to the publix Sunday after checking in and took the back roads. There are no signs saying "guests" can't drive there and have not been stopped.

 

[michashell]

We are at BLT now. There is a publix "behind " WDW. We have done the right turn lane out of CR/BLT even though there is a marked through arrow indicating don't turn right. A CM told us a few years ago that the arrow was there to keep guests From taking a right turn out of resort since it is Disney back roads and employee parking etc. We went to the publix Sunday after checking in and took the back roads. There are no signs saying "guests" can't drive there and have not been stopped.

Thank you! That is where I planned on going to pick up a few groceries. I'm glad that you clarified the signage.

 

[momof2halls]

We will have a car while we are staying at the CR. I was trying to map out nearby grocery/drug stores, urgent cares (yes, I"m neurotic), etc. Google Maps has me making a right out of the Contemporary parking lot, traveling behind MK and then to World Drive. Even using Wilderness Lodge as a test, it still has me going this round about way. Can you really not make a LEFT onto World Drive exiting the CR? TIA!!

We did this everyday during our May trip this year. It seemed "wrong" but no one ever stopped us. It was very stange yet interesting being able to drive around the Magic Kingdom and see the back entrances for CM's and Emergency personnel. It was a quick drive and the road was not busy at all.

 

[skateshome]

Concerning the PUblix. When you came back to the BLT where do you take a left to get back into the parking lot. The light has a no left turn sign so I would go up and make a uturn everytime. Seemed weird.

 

[Beehivemama]

Hello! Fairly new here and hoping for some advice! I have us booked to stay at the CR in the Garden Wing in early February, as the prices were really great. My husband is really wanting to stay on the monorail and is loving the fact that we will be walking distance to the MK. We originally were going to stay at AOA in a Nemo suite, and I am kind of sad that we changed our reservation to the CR. Our kids are 12, 9 and 4, so we are a family of 5 and probably would have done well in AOA suite. Is the CR worth staying at, though, since the price is only about $500 more from our original total at AOA? I, too, love the idea of staying on the monorail and I think our kids will really love that too, but am not loving the theming at the CR as much as AOA. Did we make the right choice? I've read so many mixed reviews about the Garden Wing; people either love it or hate it. Help! I'm really thinking about switching us back to AOA, but if the CR is really worth it, then maybe we should give it a try and stay in a deluxe resort. Thank you so much!!

 

[michashell]

Hello! Fairly new here and hoping for some advice! I have us booked to stay at the CR in the Garden Wing in early February, as the prices were really great. My husband is really wanting to stay on the monorail and is loving the fact that we will be walking distance to the MK. We originally were going to stay at AOA in a Nemo suite, and I am kind of sad that we changed our reservation to the CR. Our kids are 12, 9 and 4, so we are a family of 5 and probably would have done well in AOA suite. Is the CR worth staying at, though, since the price is only about $500 more from our original total at AOA? I, too, love the idea of staying on the monorail and I think our kids will really love that too, but am not loving the theming at the CR as much as AOA. Did we make the right choice? I've read so many mixed reviews about the Garden Wing; people either love it or hate it. Help! I'm really thinking about switching us back to AOA, but if the CR is really worth it, then maybe we should give it a try and stay in a deluxe resort. Thank you so much!!

I've stayed at AOA and loved it. However, I truly missed having table service restaurants. The quick service restaurant, while having good food and great variety, got extremely hectic. You can't beat staying on the monorail line for easy access to MK and Epcot. I totally get your hesitation. I'm not jazzed about the CR theming either. This will be our first stay at CR Tower. The garden looks lovely. If you plan on doing laundry, it's also right in that building whereas with AOA you need to go to the pool area. There's marshmallow roasting on the beach, and you can rent boats. You can also take a boat over to the Wilderness Lodge. I'm not sure if I'm being helpful, but everyone should stay in a deluxe once!