GF or CR?

[DISFANSHAN]

We have travelled to Disney many times but never stayed onsite.
Our next trip will be Oct. 2005, and have decided to stay at a Disney resort for the first time. We are trying to decide btwn the Contemporary, in the lowest (cheapest) category room, or the Grand Floridian , lowest category room. I was wondering which you all prefer, and had a few questions too!!!

Which resort has a nicer pool area, do they both have slides at the pools, and what is the height requirement for the slides?

How long of a walk is it from the Contemporary to the MK?
How long of a walk from the wings at the Contemporary to the main tower?

Thanks for all your input. Now my DS5 wants to click on some smilies!!!!!!!!!!

Shannon

 

[sharonk]

I've stayed at both - the CR in 2001 and the GF in June 2004. We always get the lowest category room, so we had a std view Wing room at the CR and a std room at the GF as well (though we were upgraded to a lagoon view for free at the GF, without even asking!)

We LOVED both resorts. Personally, I preferred the GF because of the beautiful theme, peaceful setting and nice grounds.

My DH preferred the CR. He loved being able to walk to the MK. It's only about a 5 minute walk if you're in the North Wing. He also liked the parking at the CR. We could park right outside our room. (At the GF, it's a long, long walk to the parking lot, and we tend to use our car a LOT!)

My DH also preferred the selection of restaurants at the CR....he thought there were more "family-friendly" choices there. He also LOVED the game room at the CR. It is enormous, and my kids really liked that too. Also, CR has a nice outdoor playground, and I never saw one at the GF.

The walk from the wings to the tower is just a few minutes, even from the most remote rooms.

I don't think the pool slides have a height requirement...at least I never noticed one. My 5 year old is very short (about the size of a 3 year old) and no one stopped him from getting on. (They did watch carefully to make sure he could swim though, the first time he went down!)

The CR slide looks taller and longer than the GF's, but it's not as attractive/impressive. The GF slide is built into a waterfall/gaint rock formation, and the entry to the slide is dusguised among the rocks/waterfall. The CR slide is just a curvy slide, nothing too fancy, with normal stairs to the top.

I don't think you can go wrong with either of these resorts. If money is at all an issue, I'd go with the CR.

We've decided that we're going to do CR on our next trip or two (and maybe wait a few years to do GF again.)

 

[DISFANSHAN]

Thank you SharonK, your input helped a lot!!!!!

Any one have any more opinions???!!!

 

[sotoalf]

Boy, these are two very diffferent hotels. I'll second everything Sharonk wrote and ask you this: how many children are going? While the GF is usually full of kids, CR's facilities (restaurants, pools, playground, theming) is definitely the more kid-friendly of the two.

I love both for different reasons. If you're spending any time during your stay at your hotel, the GF is much prettier. The grounds are immaculate, the hotel has a real lobby as opposed to an atrium or concourse like the CR (which reminds some critics of the airport), and the restaurants are just a notch better. The MK is one monorail stop away, but you'll have to go all the way around the lagoon on the way back; take the boat launch when leaving the MK instead.

The CR's rooms are the biggest in WDW, even bigger than the GF's. However, all the GF's rooms have either a patio or balcony. If you're paying for a standard wing room at the CR, make sure to request a first floor.

Decisions, decisions! I wish I had this choice to make right now!

 

[DISFANSHAN]

Sotoalf,

Thanks for the info........very helpful. We are travelling with our 2 sons, ages 6 and 16mos. Does that make any difference in your opinion?

Thanks,
Shannon

 

[sotoalf]

Disfanshan:

If your oldest is 6 years old, he'll love both the CR and GF's pools. He also might get a REAL kick out of watching the monorail glide into the lobby at the CR; I know I did when I was six!

if you're looking to save money, plan on spending most of your time at the MK, and want to impress your children with a hotel's theme, then go for the CR. Follow your instincts.

Whichever you choose, you'll have a great time.