My family of 5 just returned from a 3 night stay at the CR, June 9 - 12. This used to be one of our favorite resorts but we were disappointed by this stay.
We arrived very early on the 9th because we had just gotten off the Disney Wonder at 8:00 am. I wasn't expecting our room to be ready but we checked in anyway and asked if there were any rooms available. We were told our room was being cleaned but that it would be ready in a few hours. I asked about moving to another room, one that was available, but was told that since we were travelling with other families,our ressie was marked "DO NOT MOVE." I explained that we had been on a cruise with these other families, but we did not need to be together in the hotel and that I would gladly move if I could get into a room right away. They advised me to just wait for the room I was assigned to and said it would be ready in a few hours.
So, we went to the MK for a few hours and returned to the hotel around 1:00. Still, the room was not ready. I asked again to be moved to a room that was available now and they said to check back in 30 mins. This cycle continued all afternoon until 4:15. Finally, at 4:15, a Cast Member agreed to switch me to another room that was available right then.
I was happy to have a room because my kids were exhausted and were sick of hanging out in the hotel lobby after 3+ hours, but the room was awful. The location was awful....very back of the North Wing, 3rd floor, poor interior view, broken sliding door, etc. I might have been OK with this room if they had offered it to me at 10:00 am, but after wasting the whole afternoon waiting for a room, it was a real let-down.
Then, a few minutes later, I talked to my sister who had checked into the hotel around 10:30 that morning. She said her room was not ready at 10:30, but the Cast Member offered her the option of moving to one of several rooms that was ready immediately. Of course, my sister took one of the rooms that was available.
I was really upset and called the hotel manager on duty. I told him I wanted to know why my sister was immediately given the option of moving to another room that was ready right then when I was continually pushed aside, causing me to waste a whole afternoon in the hotel lobby. The manager apologized and agreed that wasn't right and moved us to a better room immediately -- a first floor room near the front of the hotel with a nice lake view.
When I went to the desk to get the new keys, the Cast Member made a snide comment -- something like "well this is the room you would have had anyway if you would have just waited."
By this time, it was almost 6:00, so we went to Epcot for the evening. When we returned to the hotel, the manager had sent us cookies and milk. It was a nice gesture and was appreciated.
I'd like to say that things got better from there, but they really didn't. The bedding seemed worn out. The bedspreads had holes. The bathroom wallpaper was peeling off. Housekeeping was almost non-existent. Our room wasn't made up until after 4:00 each day, and even then, it was sloppily done. The staff at the Food and Fun Center restuarant was unfriendly. Almost all of our encounters with staff were lukewarm to negative....not what I expect when I spend $300+ per night for a hotel room.
There were two bright spots though. The lifeguards at the pool were great. Two of the guys even got in the water and played games with the kids. Also, my son left behind one of the "prizes" he had won in the arcade, and when he returned to retrieve it, it was gone. One of the staff members offered to give him a replacement, and that totally made my son's day.
So, overall, it was not a great experience. I don't think we'll be staying at the Contemporary again anytime soon.
Any questions?
Sharon
We arrived very early on the 9th because we had just gotten off the Disney Wonder at 8:00 am. I wasn't expecting our room to be ready but we checked in anyway and asked if there were any rooms available. We were told our room was being cleaned but that it would be ready in a few hours. I asked about moving to another room, one that was available, but was told that since we were travelling with other families,our ressie was marked "DO NOT MOVE." I explained that we had been on a cruise with these other families, but we did not need to be together in the hotel and that I would gladly move if I could get into a room right away. They advised me to just wait for the room I was assigned to and said it would be ready in a few hours.
So, we went to the MK for a few hours and returned to the hotel around 1:00. Still, the room was not ready. I asked again to be moved to a room that was available now and they said to check back in 30 mins. This cycle continued all afternoon until 4:15. Finally, at 4:15, a Cast Member agreed to switch me to another room that was available right then.
I was happy to have a room because my kids were exhausted and were sick of hanging out in the hotel lobby after 3+ hours, but the room was awful. The location was awful....very back of the North Wing, 3rd floor, poor interior view, broken sliding door, etc. I might have been OK with this room if they had offered it to me at 10:00 am, but after wasting the whole afternoon waiting for a room, it was a real let-down.
Then, a few minutes later, I talked to my sister who had checked into the hotel around 10:30 that morning. She said her room was not ready at 10:30, but the Cast Member offered her the option of moving to one of several rooms that was ready immediately. Of course, my sister took one of the rooms that was available.
I was really upset and called the hotel manager on duty. I told him I wanted to know why my sister was immediately given the option of moving to another room that was ready right then when I was continually pushed aside, causing me to waste a whole afternoon in the hotel lobby. The manager apologized and agreed that wasn't right and moved us to a better room immediately -- a first floor room near the front of the hotel with a nice lake view.
When I went to the desk to get the new keys, the Cast Member made a snide comment -- something like "well this is the room you would have had anyway if you would have just waited."
By this time, it was almost 6:00, so we went to Epcot for the evening. When we returned to the hotel, the manager had sent us cookies and milk. It was a nice gesture and was appreciated.
I'd like to say that things got better from there, but they really didn't. The bedding seemed worn out. The bedspreads had holes. The bathroom wallpaper was peeling off. Housekeeping was almost non-existent. Our room wasn't made up until after 4:00 each day, and even then, it was sloppily done. The staff at the Food and Fun Center restuarant was unfriendly. Almost all of our encounters with staff were lukewarm to negative....not what I expect when I spend $300+ per night for a hotel room.
There were two bright spots though. The lifeguards at the pool were great. Two of the guys even got in the water and played games with the kids. Also, my son left behind one of the "prizes" he had won in the arcade, and when he returned to retrieve it, it was gone. One of the staff members offered to give him a replacement, and that totally made my son's day.
So, overall, it was not a great experience. I don't think we'll be staying at the Contemporary again anytime soon.
Any questions?
Sharon
) It was a shabby and rundown as you describe your wing room to be. What a disappointment. The worst of it though, was this "fabulous" room cost us $1200+/night. 
We couldn't move down to tower club as the whole place was booked for the holiday. I still have MAJOR regrets about that trip.
I really hope my group gets a renovated room in September. I'm kind of a 
I can't handle things like dirty sheets and bugs and such... The whole food center thing doesn't bother me though. There are plenty of nice places to eat, and if we have to eat at the food center, we'll just eat and not worry too mch about ambience.
Appreciate reading all reviews for making plans and keeping up with how things at different resorts have been going. 
I thought our North Wing room we stayed in last month was in good shape - certainly no major issues. I love the look of the updated rooms though. I always called when we left the room in the morning to request that it be cleaned by a certain time (like 2 pm - we have a napping toddler) and it was always ready. That is the ONLY time I've ever had my room cleaned before 5 pm (sometimes not even cleaned at all) at any WDW resort I've stayed in (AKL and POFQ). Maybe that is what you have to do 
