Pop/YC vs CR

[PlutoIsHerFav]

We are looking to book 8 nights in early August for free dining. Family of four, kids will be 7 and 3. If we don't stay deluxe, we'll upgrade to the DDP. We currently have on hold a split stay between Pop (5 nts) and Yacht (3 nights). We have stayed at both. We LOVE Stormalong Bay (& the options for food around the Boardwalk). When we're spending from sun up to sun down at the parks, we don't think a deluxe is worth it. Our thought is to go park heavy while at Pop and then spend most of the time at Stormalong Bay. However, overall, we want a more relaxed trip this time - not feeling so rushed to get everything done, taking time for naps, pool time, etc.

However, we're not wondering if we should consider the Contemporary for the full 8 nights. We have never stayed there. It'll cost us about a thousand more overall. However, the Contemporary offers us walking to MK and the monorail. With two young kids, a double stroller and the heat this could be priceless. However, having never stayed at this resort, we don't know if it really is that much more convenient. Plus, we wouldn't have to move midway through our stay.

I'd love thoughts - is staying the full 8 nts at Contemporary worth both the money and giving up Stormalong Bay for location/transportation? I looked at a split stay between YC and CR but it adds another $400, so now we're at $1400 over our POP/YC split stay.

 

[hakepb]

Less stroller folding is a glorious thing as a parent.
Selling the Contemporary’s pool may be a harder thing.

What about a middle ground of 3 pop and 5 YC to gain easy DHS and EPCOT days and mostly do MK and AK while at POP?

 

[Haley R]

I can't help with this too much because we don't have kids, but I wouldn't spend the $1000 extra to stay at the CR. I will say that we just did a Pop/BC stay in October and it was great! It was nice to start with Pop and do parks and then switch to BC and have some relaxing days while having easy access to Epcot and HS.

 

[FSU Girl]

I love the Contemporary and would definitely vote to stay there the whole trip! It is such a nice hotel, I find it beyond cool to watch the monorail go through the inside of the hotel. Walking to Magic Kingdom is a huge plus and saves so much time. It's also always fun to try out new resorts.

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

Thank you all for the responses! We are so torn!

How bad are the crowds for the monorail? Do we have to fold up the stroller and be jammed in there just as bad as on the buses?

I love the Contemporary and would definitely vote to stay there the whole trip! It is such a nice hotel, I find it beyond cool to watch the monorail go through the inside of the hotel. Walking to Magic Kingdom is a huge plus and saves so much time. It's also always fun to try out new resorts.

How disappointed in the pool will we be? While we aren't pool/sun worshipers, our kids love pool time! Are the rooms bigger/nicer? We stayed club at YC and found the room to be tiny. The refurbished room at Pop, while small, was at least really functional.

 

[FSU Girl]

Thank you all for the responses! We are so torn!

How bad are the crowds for the monorail? Do we have to fold up the stroller and be jammed in there just as bad as on the buses?


How disappointed in the pool will we be? While we aren't pool/sun worshipers, our kids love pool time! Are the rooms bigger/nicer? We stayed club at YC and found the room to be tiny. The refurbished room at Pop, while small, was at least really functional.

The rooms are large at the Contemporary. I think the pools are nice, not a lot of themeing, but also not crazy crowded. For the monorail you wouldn't have to fold your stroller, you'd just roll it on and stand with it, so much easier than the buses. For crowds it depends on when you go, if you time it badly or what not. I've never waited long, even on NYE. And when walking to Magic Kingdom the security check point is almost always empty unless going first thing in the morning. I've only had to wait behind one family never more than that, but we don't typically rope drop.

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

Less stroller folding is a glorious thing as a parent.
Selling the Contemporary’s pool may be a harder thing.

What about a middle ground of 3 pop and 5 YC to gain easy DHS and EPCOT days and mostly do MK and AK while at POP?

I'll need to look at the pricing difference for this option! At some point it gets too close $ wise to staying full time at a deluxe and not worth the move! I'm willing to look at all options though!

 

[Miffy]

Here's the thing--you can walk to MK from CR. I'd say that's worth at least $100/night, if not $125!

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

Okay, we bit the bullet and booked a 5/3 split with Contemporary and YC!!

 

[Babsy]

Okay, we bit the bullet and booked a 5/3 split with Contemporary and YC!!

Wow!!!! You are going to LOVE THIS TRIP!!!!

A YC/CR split stay in August will be heavenly!!!! You have the best of the best resorts and can enjoy the benefits of staying in both of the very best locations in the 'world'. Enjoy!

Congratulations!

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

Wow!!!! You are going to LOVE THIS TRIP!!!!

A YC/CR split stay in August will be heavenly!!!! You have the best of the best resorts and can enjoy the benefits of staying in both of the very best locations in the 'world'. Enjoy!

Congratulations!

Thank you!!! I am so excited! We are really hoping for a more relaxed trip! With two small kids, I think it's worth the cost for locations plus our favorite Stormalong Bay! We prefer DDP so the free dining really helped us this vacation!

Now to try and start figuring out dining and which days to do what parks!!

 

[hoffj070]

Enjoy!! It sounds amazing.

 

[kandb]

We have stayed at all the deluxes but never the CR. I just find it so cold and un-inviting. I can't explain it, we go there for dinner a lot but would never want to stay there.

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

We have stayed at all the deluxes but never the CR. I just find it so cold and un-inviting. I can't explain it, we go there for dinner a lot but would never want to stay there.

This was our hangup with booking it for the full 8 nights. We've been there for Chef Mickey. The monorail going through it was cool, but the overall atmosphere didn't do anything for us. That plus not having a great pool, I couldn't convince myself it was worth it. However, we decided the convenience of location with two small kids is totally worth it and the split allows us our fun pool time! Our last trip was at Pop in the summer and we had a great time, but the bus system with a double stroller and needing naps left something to be desired!

 

[kandb]

This was our hangup with booking it for the full 8 nights. We've been there for Chef Mickey. The monorail going through it was cool, but the overall atmosphere didn't do anything for us. That plus not having a great pool, I couldn't convince myself it was worth it. However, we decided the convenience of location with two small kids is totally worth it and the split allows us our fun pool time! Our last trip was at Pop in the summer and we had a great time, but the bus system with a double stroller and needing naps left something to be desired!

I understand but the hotel itself doesn't feel Disney at all to us. We have never stayed there so who knows maybe if we did we wouldn't feel this way. It does have some good restaurants (the Wave, California Grill) and monorail access and great walking distance to MK, so I get it. Have Fun!

 

[Babsy]

I understand but the hotel itself doesn't feel Disney at all to us. We have never stayed there so who knows maybe if we did we wouldn't feel this way. It does have some good restaurants (the Wave, California Grill) and monorail access and great walking distance to MK, so I get it. Have Fun!

Until we stayed there, I didn't 'get it'. However, the walk to and form the MK, the Magic Kingdom area view from our TPV balcony in the tower and our huge beautiful room helped me understand the appeal VERY QUICKLY! With a stroller in particular, CR is awesome.

We had a split stay with the YC too, on our eye opening visit with our CR tower room. I was disappointed to leave the CR, so I booked another stay there three months later!! I just really wanted to go back. CR is magical for us!

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

Until we stayed there, I didn't 'get it'. However, the walk to and form the MK, the Magic Kingdom area view from our TPV balcony in the tower and our huge beautiful room helped me understand the appeal VERY QUICKLY! With a stroller in particular, CR is awesome.

We had a split stay with the YC too, on our eye opening visit with our CR tower room. I was disappointed to leave the CR, so I booked another stay there three months later!! I just really wanted to go back. CR is magical for us!

I’m happy to read this! Im hoping we’ll find it just as magical beyond just the convenience of its location! I never stayed there as a kid, but I do remember walking through it and thinking how cool it was with the monorail! So, there definitely a nostalgia factor!