DISNEY'S CONTEMPORARY RESORT Information Thread!

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Can someone guide me to where there are some pictures of the newly renovated rooms? We're planning a stay there in August and have not been there since 1996. Thanks!

You can go to allearsnet.com then click on accomodations, then scroll to Contemporary on left side to find photos-text link, click on that and it will bring up tons of pictures to look at including some of newly refurbished rooms.

 

[Mom2R&D]

I'd say the whole bus ride to MGM took a solid 20 minutes(maybe even a few more minutes). The bus ride to AK took a little longer, 25-30 minutes b/c it also stops at Blizzard Beach to let people off.

The return bus rides were slightly shorter b/c CR was the first bus stop.(except for blizzard beach pick-up on AK ride back) They seem to have the FIFO going...first in--first off BTW, the return bus rides paired with GF or Poly instead of WL...don't know why

Thanks for the information! I have also been wondering about CR bus transportation. It sounds like you're paired with one other resort most of the time but no more than that (with the exception of the BB crowd).

This will be our first time in a Deluxe (we were a Value resort kinda family until last trip when we realized there wasn't enough room at the inn) and I'm almost as excited about 1. not having to hike ten miles to the bus stop and 2. not being crammed onto buses like cattle than I am about our entire trip!

 

[MomPlanner22]

Amanda,

Is there a good spot in the room to set up a pack & play? I have looked at pictures of the renovated rooms (we are going 12/19-12/22 and I requested one so hopefully that is what we will get) and can't tell if there is an open area for that.

Also, what about bus service to Downtown Disney & MGM? Those are the two places we want to hit (besides MK of course) and the only times I anticipate needing transportation. If you don't mind sharing, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks!

Kara

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Amanda,

Is there a good spot in the room to set up a pack & play? I have looked at pictures of the renovated rooms (we are going 12/19-12/22 and I requested one so hopefully that is what we will get) and can't tell if there is an open area for that.

Also, what about bus service to Downtown Disney & MGM? Those are the two places we want to hit (besides MK of course) and the only times I anticipate needing transportation. If you don't mind sharing, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks!

Kara

Yes and no....the only real space for a pack-n-play would be in front of the adjoining door and in front of the TV. The Flat screen TV is high enough on the wall that the pack-n-play would not occlude your view but there is a wooden shelf under the TV that is pretty long. I am sure the pack-n-play would be able to slide under it but if your little one is tall, he/she might bump her head if standing up under the shelf. How many people will be in the room? If it is just the three of you then, no problem. But if you also have other children, it will most likely be somewhat in the way. Nonetheless, it would fit but you will have to manuever around it. BTW, it will definitely not fit beside the beds. Hope that helps

 

[MomPlanner22]

Amanda,

Yes, that helps a ton. Thank you! There will be 4 of us total. My daughter, 2.5, will be in the pack & play and my husband, son (4.5) and myself will be in the queen beds. We know it will be somewhat cramped but at least bigger than the All Stars room we were considering. It looked like such a fun, family oriented place but once I learned the rooms were only 260 sq. ft., plus considering transportation time, we decided to spend the extra money and go to the Contemporary. It works well since mine are little and we will be really focused on MK since our time there is so short. When they are older and we can go for a longer period we'll likely select something more economical.

How far is it from the South Garden Wing to the main tower? We have asked for a renovated room and since it seems they won't be doing rooms in the North wing, I am assuming that is where we will be. We are only getting a "standard" view (not a big deal as I don't anticipate looking out my window a lot). Also, if you go out to the pool area, can you see the fireworks or anything at night over at MK?

Thanks a lot!

 

[ptmmg]

Oh I am so intersted in this thread. I have been debating on if I should change my ressie from 2 rooms at POP ( with 2 bathrooms ) there are 6 of us Myself, dh, dd16, ds14, dd4, ds2. I would love to be within walking distance of MK and be on the monorail. for about $600 more and 1 less bathroom is it worth it?? I called this am and there is still availability so cm told me to think about it I need help deciding!!!!!!!! dh says he doesn't care LOL. the sleeping arrangements would be myself, dh in 1 queen, 2 dd's in the other queen bed, ds 2 in pack and play, and ds 14 on pullout.
we have adrs already for chef mickys and Cali Grill so that would be easy!!!
how are the pools???
I need a nonsmoking room which wind would I get? do I want refurbished I heard the older rooms are m ore kid friendly with a seperate bath and shower is this true of the old rooms and not the new? Is one wing better than the other???
sorry for all the questions I just want this trip to be perfect !

 

[MomPlanner22]

I haven't been there yet but did do a lot of investigating. I got some great responses on this thread of descriptions of pools, etc. One thing you may want to consider is a Jr. Suite at the Contemporary. It is more money but not a whole lot more. It gives you approximately 620 square feet versus the 400+ in the regular room. I still think there is only 1 bathroom but at least you'd have more floor space. Here is the link to some pictures:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/Resorts/contemprooms-review.htm

In my opinion, time is money and if you are saving time, it is worth spending money. However, you have to do what will work for you and 6 people with 2 baths is certainly something to consider! Have fun either way!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Amanda,

Yes, that helps a ton. Thank you! There will be 4 of us total. My daughter, 2.5, will be in the pack & play and my husband, son (4.5) and myself will be in the queen beds. We know it will be somewhat cramped but at least bigger than the All Stars room we were considering. It looked like such a fun, family oriented place but once I learned the rooms were only 260 sq. ft., plus considering transportation time, we decided to spend the extra money and go to the Contemporary. It works well since mine are little and we will be really focused on MK since our time there is so short. When they are older and we can go for a longer period we'll likely select something more economical.

How far is it from the South Garden Wing to the main tower? We have asked for a renovated room and since it seems they won't be doing rooms in the North wing, I am assuming that is where we will be. We are only getting a "standard" view (not a big deal as I don't anticipate looking out my window a lot). Also, if you go out to the pool area, can you see the fireworks or anything at night over at MK?

Thanks a lot!

The walk from the south wing was just a few minutes and it is such a nice walk. It is a covered walkway with potted topiaries scattered here and there--it is an enjoyable walk--we never disliked the walk. Also, the pool is right next to the south wing so that is a plus

We never watched the fireworks from the resort so maybe someone else could take a stab at that one.

Your previous ? r/e bus service....We never went to DTD but to MGM it took a solid 20 minutes....maybe a little more. It kinda depends on how long it takes to load guests at WL as they are at the next stop before going to MGM. When we went, there were a few people in electric chairs that had to be loaded. BTW, the longest we had to wait for a bus to arrive at CR for pick-up was about 10 minutes and since CR is the first resort pick-up, you have an empty bus with your "pick of seat".

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Oh I am so intersted in this thread. I have been debating on if I should change my ressie from 2 rooms at POP ( with 2 bathrooms ) there are 6 of us Myself, dh, dd16, ds14, dd4, ds2. I would love to be within walking distance of MK and be on the monorail. for about $600 more and 1 less bathroom is it worth it?? I called this am and there is still availability so cm told me to think about it I need help deciding!!!!!!!! dh says he doesn't care LOL. the sleeping arrangements would be myself, dh in 1 queen, 2 dd's in the other queen bed, ds 2 in pack and play, and ds 14 on pullout.
we have adrs already for chef mickys and Cali Grill so that would be easy!!!
how are the pools???
I need a nonsmoking room which wind would I get? do I want refurbished I heard the older rooms are m ore kid friendly with a seperate bath and shower is this true of the old rooms and not the new? Is one wing better than the other???
sorry for all the questions I just want this trip to be perfect !

I love the CR but I can't imagine that many people packed in that one room and have it still feel like a vacation. You would barely have enough room for yourselves...where would you put your luggage?? I agree w/MomPlanner22 that a junior suite would be a better option. The place is HUGE for only a little more money and with that much space, the bathroom obstacle could be overlooked. Otherwise, I would stick to 2 rooms at a value or a moderate like CSR that has better bus transportation and food options over a value resort.

We LOVED the pool at CR. It is huge and the waterslide is a lot of fun. It has a "pool shelf" all the way around so little kids can sit on the side of the pool and still be sitting in an inch or so of water as well as lots of step areas where kids can sit and play. It also has a fun waterplay area for little ones that has gentle water jets that squirt up. It is great b/c it is right next to the main pool so you can watch all the kids at the same time. They also have a pool area bar that sells beverages and food. There is also a "quiet pool" that is also quite large and a nice beach area and lakefront where the kids can build sandcastles and hunt for little clam shells. It doesn't have "themeing" but really.....themeing is for adults...it is lost on little kids. They just want a pool to swim and water to splash in. Sorry I am going on and on...we really LOVED the pool ....if you couldn't tell that by my constant blabbering.

I have never seen the older rooms so I can't compare. Non-smoking rooms are not a problem--easy to come by. I would choose the south wing because of its proximity to the pool.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[ptmmg]

I know it wil be tight but we are use to that on vacation. LOL we have been on a couple of cruises the last one was before we had ds#4. There were 5 of us in 1 cabin . it was tight but nobody complained. So I thinking the if we could handle a cruise cabin we can handle this hopefully!~

I did check out the suites after it was mentioned online it almost doubled the cost of our trip. It was a deluxe 1 bedroom suite. I did not see an option for a jr suite online maybe they are unavailable for our dates.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I know it wil be tight but we are use to that on vacation. LOL we have been on a couple of cruises the last one was before we had ds#4. There were 5 of us in 1 cabin . it was tight but nobody complained. So I thinking the if we could handle a cruise cabin we can handle this hopefully!~

I did check out the suites after it was mentioned online it almost doubled the cost of our trip. It was a deluxe 1 bedroom suite. I did not see an option for a jr suite online maybe they are unavailable for our dates.

Sounds like you are a real close family...which is what you will need to be in one room I would not rely on the online info. I would suggest calling the reservation center and tt someone to see if a junior suite is available. The junior suites are in the wings and MUCH cheaper than the one bedroom deluxe suites from what I have read on allearsnet.com Good luck!! The CR is fabulous so I know your family will have a great time no matter what

 

[MomPlanner22]

ptmmg,

The difference between the regular room at Contemporary and the Junior suite was not much when I checked it. I am still considering an upgrade for no other reason than some buffer room between the 2.5 and 4.5 year old. The one thing is that they only have 1 king bed (plus 2 fold out day beds and maybe another single daybed too) and there is no door between the king bed and other area. It is essentially a 600+ square foot studio type thing. There is a huge table though which may work well for you for eating or snacking in. I had to call a CM to get a price though as I also couldn't find it online.

 

[ptmmg]

I called today to get some info on the suites. I was told a Jr suite only held 3 people so we couldn't fit in that, The next level suite the hospitality suite was booked for our time slot as was the next level above that. anything above that would double our cost of our entire trip. so I may try to call at 45 days out to see if there are cancelations. I am not going to worry about it as I said we survived without any complaints on a cruise ship cabin which was very small I am sure we will survive this!

 

[willidc]

Just an FYI here. What is shown on this board as a Junior Suite disagrees with the front desk layout at CR of a Junior Suite.

We were at WDW April 27-May 2 staying at AKL. We have a Junior Suite booked for October when we go for F&W Festival. Since we went to CG for dinner, we stopped by the front desk at CR. We asked to see a layout and were actually directed to a Junior Suite that had been renovated, but not yet occupied. So, we got to see it first hand .

It did not look like the pictures on this thread identifying a Junior Suite. Indeed, the Junior Suite we saw was considerably larger than a Standard garden wing room, but was still ONE room with the bed in the "L" area. Very nice with windows on both sides of the room and about double the size of a Standard. The Junior Suites are on the bends of the wings (three in South and six in North) and do indeed sleep only three. The bed area is not closed off and there was not a sleeper sofa in there. We were also told that the Junior Suites were now going to be called the Deluxe Garden Wing Rooms as opposed to Standard Garden Wing rooms. And that does seem to be reflected on the Disney site when you go to book a room at CR.

I think what is shown on this thread as a Junior Suite is probably a One-bedroom Garden Wing Suite which is considerably more expensive than a Junior Suite and sleeps more people.

Good luck sorting this out!

 

[MomPlanner22]

Thanks for this info. I was told the two couches that are shown in the pictures fold out so you could sleep 6 plus 1 child under 3 in a pack & play. I would have been most unhappy if I checked in with 6 and that wasn't the case!

 

[Gabe's Mom]

I am reading on another thread that the North wing is no longer available, may be turned into DVC. Anyone been to CR recently to tell me if this is true? I had my heart set on the North Wing.....

 

[willidc]

We were at WDW 4/27 thru 5/2 and stopped by the front desk at CR for reliable info since we have a Junior Suite reserved for October of this year.

We used to stay at CR more than anywhere else on our trips, but have not stayed since they went to the primary color decor. We went through two decors of the hotel since it opened and they were fine, but this last one really didn't suit our tastes.

But after seeing the new decor, I booked a room as fast as I could for our October trip. The renovated rooms look just great! As you can understand, we wanted to be sure we would get one of the new rooms, or we didn't want to stay.

The Front Desk at CR told us point blank that North 'hadn't been touched'. South was completely renovated and the tower had a 'couple more floors' that would be done soon with renovations. We could not get a definite answer out of the CM at the front desk regarding North because I don't think the CM knew exactly what is going to happen.

We explained that we didn't want a Junior Suite in North for October if North wasn't done. We were told that the North wing would be 'done' one way or another by October---and one way might be completely renovated. Another CM said something about the three story wing becoming a five story building but didn't know when. Draw your own conclusions.

But we were told that there was practically no chance at all that we would be assigned to an old decor Junior Suite in North since 'there won't be any'.

I'm inclined to keep this reservation no matter what just to see what we end up with in October. At this point they only have the three South Jr. Suites renovated and the six Jr. Suites in North that 'haven't been touched' (as it has always been).

The next question would be "If they have booked all 9 Jr. Suites and only have three available for occupancy in October, where are the other six Jr. Suite reservations going to go?" It had better be 'up'!

If anyone else has additional info let me know. This is a F&W festival and retirement vacation and we do want it to be special!

 

[lark]

I am reading on another thread that the North wing is no longer available, may be turned into DVC. Anyone been to CR recently to tell me if this is true? I had my heart set on the North Wing.....

I think it's pretty clear that the current intention is to demolish the north wing and turn it into a DVC. That information is just coming from way too many sources for it not to be true. Now, they could of course change their minds, but right now that seems to be the plan.

I'd be pretty surprised, though, if they stopped booking rooms there. It's a pretty valuable piece of real estate. Until the break ground, I imagine you can stay there if you want, but they certainly won't be renovating the rooms.

 

[Gabe's Mom]

Thanks for the info guys. My trip is is October too. I really don't care about the renovation, just wanted the wing closest to the MK. I think I'll just sit tight for now and see what happens. As the trip gets close if the North Wing isn't available I may consider the tower.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Gabe's Mom---I wouldn't sweat it. If you have requested North Wing and paid for it and they start demolishing it before your trip, I am sure you will get a FREE upgrade. That seems to be the Disney way. I would not rebook at a higher rate for the tower b/c you might get it for free. If they don't demolish the North wing before your trip then you are golden anyway--b/c most people are asking for the refurbished rooms in the South wing. Have a great trip

Also--the South wing is GREAT! We stayed there May 1 - May 6 and loved it. It is right next to the pool and there is a covered walkway to the tower. We walked back from MK a couple of times and it was such a nice walk. It didn't matter that it took an extra 4 or 5 minutes to walk to our room in the South wing b/c the walk was so pleasurable