Help all CR experts! Going in July...

[jasmine206]

I just found out that we will be taking a spur of the moment trip in July and are staying at CR, North Garden Wing (otherwise known as SoG!). We are DVC members and have never stayed at CR - can anyone fill me in on the highlights at CR? We are travelling with DDs 4 and 6, as well as DM 75 (don't tell her I told you!). We have a lakeview, requested 3rd floor. ANy other room requests I should make? What about the walk to MK - is it really doable from where we will be? Or is the monorail more convenient? We've also never gone in summer - I am really anxious about my lack of time to adequately plan! Any help would be GREATLY appreciated - TIA!

 

[CRCrazy]

Hi there -

I think you'll love the CR North Wing. Yes you definitely can walk from North Wing to MK in about five minutes. Taking the monorail there will actually take longer, since you have to stop at all the other stops before reaching the MK (about 15-20 minutes). It is fun though. On the way home from MK, we usually take the monorail - line is seldom crowded for resort monorail and the CR is the first stop, and we are TIRED.

I recommend you ask for the wing of the building closest to the main tower, especially as your mom will be with you, as it can be a long walk to the end of the other wings. The main building is only a few steps from the side door, you go right in on the Ground Floor (Food and Fun Center). They have a small food court - good fries - and a refillable mug program, and a large arcade. Up on the fourth floor are all the shops as well as the steakhouse and Chef Mickey's.

Definitely take a ride on the elevator up to the fifteen floor for the observation decks, one is on the right side of the California Grill, and the other on the left is through the restaurant itself. Great for fireworks watching, and to see the Castle's Kiss Goodnight! Great fun even just to see Space Mountain and the Castle in all their glory.

The Electric Water Pageant passes by the Contemporary lagoon every night at about 9:45 - they pipe music in to go with it. My five year old loved this!

Hope you have a great stay!

 

[jasmine206]

CRCrazy - Thank you so much!! I'm going to call tomarrow and request the main building just for the reason you stated - my mom gets pretty tired with all the walking there. It's great to know that we can walk to MK - that just seems like such a blessing! Now I'm really getting excited - thanks again! Oh and I hope tp maybe have a drink with my DH and catch the fireworks at the Calif Grill if I can get the kids to sleep and Mom can watch!

Anyone else have any tips for the CR?

 

[dg39]

CR is our favorite resort. We'll be there in July also. We can't wait. There's always action in the Contemporary. Chef Mickeys is great for either breakfast or dinner. The game room is a must for all, the largest on property. The shops have just about everything and you can't beat a monorail resort. The rooms are extra large and airy. The pool is so-so, but with the july heat it does the trick. It has a small beach, you can also rent boats from the marina and there's a playground for the kids. Around 10pm or so you can watch the electrical water parade from the beach and you can view the fireworks from the top floor. When are you going, we'll be there from 7-7 thru 7-18. Have loads of fun.

 

[jasmine206]

Hey dg39 - we'll be there 7/9-7/15 - maybe we'll see you there! As far as the electrical pageant, does that run every night at the same time? If we have a lakeview roon, will we be able to see it fron our room? Also, do the garden wing rooms have balconies? Thanks again for all the info!

 

[dg39]

Hi, The electrical water parade runs every night at the same time. If you get a room facing the bay you can see it. You can even see it at the beach. I don't think that garden rooms have a balcony, but I'm pretty sure the 1st floor rooms have patios. I love the CR and I'm sure every room is great. Have fun, and maybe we'll see each other there. I'll be the one doing laundry,lol.

 

[FINFAN]

We had rm# 7183 N.Wing last July...it was 1st floor facing parking lot, BUT also facing The Castle! And fireworks ! And view of the monorail! It was just perfect. The light parade was each night immediately following the MK fireworks...about 10:05 p.m. We did Chef Mickeys one night, 8:15 ps ressies, finished dinner(delicious!)walked outside to view the fireworks and then walked over to the dock to see the light parade!!!!Our room was half way down the length of the N.wing building so I would ask if possible to not be farther down than the "80's"....my kids loved feeding the ducks off the patio of the first floor, small table and 2 chairs were there. I don't remember balconies on the other floors in the wings....only the tower rooms but I may be wrong. It is a short walk to the food and fun center from the exit door(the door closest to the tower building) of the North Wing building. You will walk about 60 feet under a canopied walk-way, and there is a a side entrance to the building on your right hand side. Not a glamorous entrance but the closest one. Otherwise you can go to the main entrance of the tower buliding pool side and enter there and turn to your right and cross the lobby area and then several steps down to the food center. I absolutely loved the CR...and we can't rave enough about the monorail access. We also stayed at ASMU the same visit and truly enjoyed the animated character feel there, but the room size at CR! ooooh! You will have a most memorable trip! The bathroom is huge, marble sinks and floors, seperate tiolet room...(with full counter space and outlet and mirror) shower curtains are kind of a frosted clear with iridescent tiny circles covering it, we thought the circles formed millions of hidden Mickeys! Have a Great trip!

 

[disdaddy]

I stayed in the north garden wing at CR with my DS' in both 2000 (4 yrs and 2 yrs) and in 2001 (5 yrs and 3 yrs). We have spent time at both the Poly and GF, but the CR is their favorite. Benefits of CR: (1) Chef Mickey's - we had dinner here on each trip and its the kids favorite place to eat (Mickey, Donald, Chip and Dale, napkin waving); (2) Electrical Parade - we liked to watch it from the end of the CR dock (lots of fun); (3) Food and Fun Center in main building (on the north wing side of the tower)- great place for inexpensive and quick breakfasts prior to hitting the parks (as well as for mug refills); (4) night view of MK from viewing platform outside of California Grill (one of the best restaurants in WDW in my opinion); (5) really BIG rooms; and (6) easy monorail access. Although you can walk from the north garden wing to MK, we generally took the monorail because the kids loved to ride in it and I figured I would rather save the kids energy for walking around the park. Also, I agree with the earlier post that it is worth asking for a room as close to the tower as possible because there some rooms in the north wing that are a LONG walk to the tower.

 

[jasmine206]

Thanks FINFAN and disdaddy - I'm glad to hear about the different room locations. Now I think I will request a first floor... I'm also glad to hear about the room size - we've stayed at SOG, FW Cabin, and our home resort of OKW in a 1 and 2 BDR - so as you can see, size is important to us! We've got our Chef Mickey's and California Grill PS, so I think we're all set there.

Any other thoughts? Love the info!

And dg39 - may see you doing laundry!

 

[sogger]

we were at CR mid may compliments of SOG. we were in rm 7206. very close to the towers and pools. by the way the pool is open 24 hrs a day. the entrance to the fun center is right on the corner and made for a quick walk from our room. refillable mugs are a must. the breakfast is for 4 was $16-18 a day. not bad for disney. the walk to MK was 10 min. we usually used the resort monorail due to the fact there was never a line. remember to ask to sit up front. we ended up riding there numerous times. food from the fun center can be brought up to the rooms if you want. refrigerators were $10 a day. small but did the trick beer and water bottles. oh yeah beer is sold in the towers for about $9 a six pack. steep but great to relax with a nite. frozen drinks on the 4th floor outer rim bar much better than at the pool bar. hmmm i see a trend in this letter. and the water mice boats were great.$20 for 30 min..good fun for all

 

[sogger]

one more quick tip. if you encounter a big line at the elevator while going up to the 15th floor for the fireworks try this. jump on the first elevator heading down. then stay on it when it heads back up. the line gets pretty big. when the fireworks end now is the time to sample the frozen drinks on the 15th floor. if you get to the 15th floor and the observertory is too crowded head all the way to the north end and go down a couple of flights and you will be alone. have fun...

 

[ldeveaux]

We are staying at the CR also as a guest of the SOG and will be in the North WIng from 23 June 30 June. We were told that for us to be able to benifit from the SOG prices, we can only book for the North Wing. If this has changed please post the information.

Disney veteran since 76
Wife is veteran since 71

 

[MineeBaby]

My fiance and I are going to the CR north garden wing as SoG guests next 26 May 03-06 June 03 for our honeymoon!! It is going to be his first time going, and my 12th! This is my first time staying at the CR though, and I am trying to figure out which rooms are the most "romantic"--we dont mind any walks to the main bldg or anything like that...sunsets and quiet and any amount of privacy are key! Any thoughts on what sort of room I should request? Also..when do you request--should I request through SoG or through the CR? Thanks so much!!

 

[jasmine206]

MineeBaby and Ideveaux - for the SoG reservation, you can only stay in the North Garden Wing. One all those rooms are booked, they can book you into another resort by "overflow", but not until all the CR wing rooms are gone. I have made my room requests through SoG, they did not tell me that I should do it through the CR. But now I am wondering....

Sogger - I want to thank you for your extremely informative posts - information that I hope to take advantage of frequently. With it being so hot and all, I think the frozen drinks are almost a necessity, right? Already requested my refrigerator!

Great tip about the elevator! Thanks again!

 

[jasmine206]

MineeBaby and Ideveaux - for the SoG reservation, you can only stay in the North Garden Wing. One all those rooms are booked, they can book you into another resort by "overflow", but not until all the CR wing rooms are gone. I have made my room requests through SoG, they did not tell me that I should do it through the CR. But now I am wondering....

Sogger - I want to thank you for your extremely informative posts - information that I hope to take advantage of frequently. With it being so hot and all, I think the frozen drinks are almost a necessity, right? Already requested my refrigerator!

Great tip about the elevator! Thanks again!

 

[jasmine206]

MineeBaby and Ideveaux - for the SoG reservation, you can only stay in the North Garden Wing. One all those rooms are booked, they can book you into another resort by "overflow", but not until all the CR wing rooms are gone. I have made my room requests through SoG, they did not tell me that I should do it through the CR. But now I am wondering....

Sogger - I want to thank you for your extremely informative posts - information that I hope to take advantage of frequently. With it being so hot and all, I think the frozen drinks are almost a necessity, right? Already requested my refrigerator!

Great tip about the elevator! Thanks again!

 

[jasmine206]

MineeBaby and Ideveaux - for the SoG reservation, you can only stay in the North Garden Wing. One all those rooms are booked, they can book you into another resort by "overflow", but not until all the CR wing rooms are gone. I have made my room requests through SoG, they did not tell me that I should do it through the CR. But now I am wondering....

Sogger - I want to thank you for your extremely informative posts - information that I hope to take advantage of frequently. With it being so hot and all, I think the frozen drinks are almost a necessity, right? Already requested my refrigerator!

Great tip about the elevator! Thanks again!