Just returned from the Contemporary and Dolphin

[DisneyVa.]

Arrived Friday night (8/23) from a two week stay in Disney World. We stayed the first week at the Contemporary with a Disney Club rate and the second week at the Dolphin with a teacher's rate. We enjoyed both resorts but really prefered the Dolphin. The CR was very noisey. We heard people in the halls until 1 a.m. and could hear kids in the pool until 12 a.m. when it closed. Starting about 6:30 in the morning you could hear people up and down the hallway. Also You could hear every word spoken from the family next door. So..... if anyone is a light sleeper like me it may be a problem sleeping. The Dolphin on the other hand was very quiet. We never heard a single sound the entire week! The resort was beautiful and very clean. I kept reading post here about trays in the halls but never saw one the whole week! The beds though were in pretty bad shape. My teenager actually slept in the floor for 6 of the nights! Attendance is definitely down. This is our 9th trip down during the last part of August and we saw a huge difference in the number of people. We went with two other families and had a wonderful time. I would be glad to answer any questions you have. Just need a little time to rest up!

 

[jwfla422]

You know it's really funny that you mention how noisey CR was. We just got back from a stay at WL (after 5 straight stays at the S/D)...I must say first WL is beautiful and I would certainly stay again, but boy was it noisey some nights til yes 12:00 (would request room down the end of the hall next time).

I remember that from years ago when we stayed at there and at BC for our honeymoon, we were in a nice room but it was over the quiet pool, yeah right that pool was anything but quiet! At the POLY once we could hear the kids screaming & running around the room at 6:30 am next door every morning. I do try to request a room with no connecting door, helps a bit but you'll still hear the banging of drawers, closets, etc.

We were at the CR on Monday night for dinner at CR and I must admit that place is crazy and I found it difficult to navigate with dd's stroller. The elevators took forever. We had to go up and down and up...I thought it was just me thinking that place was crazy and noisey.

And as far as S/D are concerned keep in mind there are more corporate people staying there than than the other hotels so it is quieter because of that (which I really like) because I'm also a light sleeper (I hate that!)...can't wait for our Dolphin return in December. Glad you had a good stay there!

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I take my earplugs everywhere we go , it does the trick!
And I NEVER request poolview. Where was your room at CR?
Glad you had fun anyway!

 

[DisneyVa.]

Dear jwfla422, What a small world. We have reservations for after Christmas at the Dolphin 12/27 - 1/4. When will you be there?

 

[jwfla422]

Oh you're going to be there for New Year's...I'm jealous, we're actually going in the beginning of December (during the quieter time), Dec. 5-8th. ENJOY!!!

 

[DisneyVa.]

Dear BibbidiBobbidiBoo,
We did not request pool view. Actually we arrived late the first day because we went to NASA first. When we checked in around 7:00 p.m. that was the room we were given. It was 5218 on the second floor of the South Garden Wing. We had reservations for a standard view only for $139 a night. The first night it rained so I guess that cleared out the pool area. The staff at CR was so friendly though. Everyone from housekeeping, front desk staff, to groundskeepers always greeted us and said "good morning". Oh well even after 10 trips to the world you continue to learn new things. This trip's tip: Never take a pool view! My kids want to try Animal Kingdom Lodge next year (We always try to stay at different resorts). Any tips on room locations there?

 

[dreamflight99]

We were thinking of trying the CR next year (again). It's been years since we stayed there...and would like the tower, but have heard great things about the garden rooms. How did you snag the great rate?

Also, I've noticed the Dolphin is Much Quieter than all the resorts we've tried. I never hear the shower noise I do while in a Disney resort...so the bathrooms are very well-insulated. Also, I'm SUCH a light sleeper...on our second eve here, while at the Portofino Bay hotel, (At the Peabody CL we requested a fan, and they brought up a nice oscillating one) we bought a box fan for $10 from Walmart. We brought it everywhere...Vero Beach, the Disney Magic Cruise (lifesaver), and WDW Dolphin. I turn it on for a "white noise" effect...and sleep like a baby (oblivious to ANY exterior noises). I place it on the floor, with the fan directed "away" from us. We simply leave it behind when we go. The Dolphin and other Disney resorts will bring a fan (upon request...sometimes insistence) to your room/suite for your convenience. We prefer the box fan as it is louder than the oscillating fans the resorts usually provide. Give it a try...it's magical. I also LOVE the premium feather pillows at the Dolphin much better than all the other resorts/locales we have visited this summer. I have at least 12 upon our king-sized bed...and love them all around us when we rest! Like being on clouds...LOL....

 

[CuteKatCar]

I can remember noise at EVERY hotel we ever stayed at in WDW. At DXL, it was the baby who cried every night, during the night - that was torture. At CR, it was kids running down the halls.

One year, at the GF, it was the day we were transferring to CR, I couldn't believe all the talking and noise. We happened to leave with the people at the same time - there were four kids. I don't know if they had a suite (we were in Conch Key), or if they were visiting from another room, I was just glad we were leaving!!

However, we've also had stays at the CR and GF where there wasn't any noise. (
And my trips to the CR were in the North Garden Wings). I guess it all depends.

Now, I'm always telling my girls not to be too loud.

Anna

 

[DisneyVa.]

Dear Dreamflight99,
You sound just like me with the fans running. We run them in our bedrooms at home yearround. I think that was another reason I liked the Dolphin air con. system so well. You could not only set it to run the fan continuously, you also had a choice of speeds! Needless to say we ran ours on high the whole time. We did not like the CR 's air system at all! You could not set it on fan only adjust the temperature up or down. So it would not run for 10 minutes and then you would hear this hugh blast of air come out for about 60 sec. and then off again. Perhaps if we could have run the fan on the unit it would not have been as noisey. This was the situation in the south GW I don't know if the tower has the same set up.

 

[DisneyVa.]

Dear Dreamflight99,
We first had a rate at the CR for $181 with AP rate. Then about a month later Disney Club had a better rate of $139 a night so we switched over our reservations without any problems. I think it was back in in February.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by DisneyVa.
Dear BibbidiBobbidiBoo,
My kids want to try Animal Kingdom Lodge next year (We always try to stay at different resorts). Any tips on room locations there?

Hi DisneyVa.

If a savanna view is in the budget the go for it. I would book a savanna view and request a view of the "Arusha Savanna". We stayed at the AKL twice in 2001 both times in pool view rooms right now you are not liking pool view rooms but I have to say that with the sliding glass doors to the balcony closed we could not hear anything from the pool area. So if savanna view is out of your budget I would give pool view another try at the AKL. Just keep the balcony doors closed when you are trying to slept.

 

[dreamflight99]

We have giant Hunter fans throughout the house at home (all ceiling fans), and also MUST turn on the oscillating/floor fans for the soothing "white" noise effect!! I also enjoy the flow of air...the feeling of the circulation. Nothing is worse than a "stagnant & stuffy" room!! We keep our room VERY COLD (on high), and also use the fans to circulate the air if we turn off the a/c for a while. I have read the recent posts about the "central a/c controls" in the Disney resorts. I detest the motion detectors...and the attempts at whelching a few measely dollars out of guests for the sake of conserving energy. This is FLORIDA...where humidity and swamps prevail! For Goodness sake, let the A/C RUN! The most anyone can truly use is a couple of bucks per day. A/C is one of the most "underrated" luxuries of a resort. Some folks do not even have central a/c in their homes, and enjoy the constant, refreshing coolness of the resort room while enjoying their vacation. This is part of the PRICE we pay to rent the room! Energy conservation is like calorie-counting...it's something we do every other day of the year, when we are NOT on VACATION!! I must find out about the A/C system in the CR Towers prior to any plans. Thanks for the info about your rate. I'm sure they'll have something again...as they seem to each year. If so...this is the place to find it!! TTFN...thanks again for a nice post and your fan-obsession confession! It's nice to know we are not alone..LOL~!

 

[freediverdude]

Just to let you guys know who were talking about the rates for Contemporary, my rate last weekend under the CVK code was 138 including tax, and my rate this coming labor day weekend under the newer CQU code is 154 including tax, both for standard view. I believe those are both Florida resident codes though.

 

[dreamflight99]

Freediverdude...are those rates for the Tower?

 

[redbirdgrad]

My 2 cents:

I was at the CR Aug 11-16 then switched over to the WL. A couple of things - I got upgraded when checking in to the tower ( 10th floor ), it was quiet for us, occasional hallway noise of people ( can't avoid that ) but we couldn't hear the monorail at all. We stayed in the North Wing - bay view last year, the tower is better for location but the Wing room isn't gonna kill you, it just the tower is a little more convenient. We moved to WL and it was alot noisier there - could here the pool noise till way late and a lot more hallway noise - it's just the breaks I guess.

 

[Blondie]

Energy conservation is like calorie-counting...it's something we do every other day of the year, when we are NOT on VACATION!!

Truer words have never been spoken!

 

[freediverdude]

Nope not the tower unfortunately. Those are the rates for a garden wing room, standard view. I would like to try the tower, but it's usually about a hundred bucks a night more (so going toward double the price), and for a hundred bucks I can almost stay another night in the wing and have a longer vacation at the same resort. Some day I may break down and pay it for a couple nights just to see if it's THAT much better, but I doubt it. The tower is sold out of florida resident rooms this coming weekend anyway they just told me on the phone, so I couldn't get it even if I wanted to, but I did give in and upgrade to a pool/marina view wing room for only 15 more a night, which seemed like a better deal than usual on those rooms.