Tell Me That We Will Love the CR

[JayCT]

We (me , DW, DS8, DS6) had been booked to stay 8 nights at WL the first week of May on a AAA discount and were getting pretty excited about staying there (we started to plan all of our activities around being there). We just found out that my DW is eligible for a significant discount on a Tower Room at the CR that will save us $600 over WL. We had considered staying at CR before because of its proximity to MK and the monorail but had concerns about its pool (kind of boring looking), decor (a bit garish for our tastes) and noise (main building seems very busy). We still have our reservations for WL and need to know that we are making a good decision by switching. Please help. Thanks, Jay

 

[Kimberle]

Hi Jay!

I have stayed at both. Either one, you will love!! They are so close & have a boat that connects them making it very very easy to visit the other.

It's all a matter of "taste" regarding the theming.

If it were me, for the $600 savings AND a tower room, I'd pick CR. WL will be there for your next visit!! Be sure to make a PS for a dinner at WCC in WL!!

 

[Paul Samanant]

We have stayed at the Contemporary 4 times (once at AKL). We were in the garden room the first time. Second time we were in the tower facing the lake. 3rd and 4th times, we were in the tower facing MK (also has lake views). (As a matter of fact we are currently trying to secure tower room views for this coming Xmas, but it is sold for the time being.

We absolutely love staying in the tower with the MK view. Not only do you get spectacular views of MK with the colors of the castle changing at night, fireworks from the room. You also get views of the lake with the lit up resorts in the distance, boats, monorails running dusk and at night + sunsets over the lake. On the inside, outside of your room, you can look over the concourse - see/hear the excitement with the music from Chef Mickeys, monorail running through.

The arcade is great for the kids.

My parents have stayed at the WL, and I can tell you that the rooms are bigger at the CR (and in the tower, they do seem brighter as well).

You can walk to the magic kingdom. The monorail is convenient to MK/EPCOT (and for the return trim from MK as well). The convenience can't be beat. The California Grill is great and only an elevator ride away.

I will say that there have been reports of wear/tear at the CR. We have seen a little of this, but not enough to offset all the other pluses. I don't think that you will be disappointed - especially at the savings you are talking about. I actually am surprised because the CR is usually more expensive than the WL.

Make sure you request a MK view + it doesn't hurt to arrive early to assure that you get this request.

Paul

 

[MJames41]

On our first trip in 2000, my son was just turning 14. We stopped by to visit Wilderness Lodge to visit (before we started staying onsite). He demanded that we stay there on our next visit.

A few nights later, we were onsite, and staying at the Contemporary (not even a Tower room, but in the South Wing). His new demand was that we always stay at the Contemporary - he preferred it over the Wilderness Lodge.

If you can get the Tower for a lot less than the Wilderness Lodge, grab it while you can. Although the Tower is loud in the common areas, the rooms are very quiet (at least they were for us). The pool has a decent slide in it, and the view is amazing (even for me, and I have a fear of heights).

Of course, another option for you might be to split the stay, especially if the discount your DW can get is good for later trips. Then you have the best of both.

 

[sotoalf]

You'd be foolish to pass up such a great rate. While preferring one deluxe resort over another is a matter of taste, the size of the Contemporary's rooms, its proximity to the Magic Kingdom, awesome views, terrific restaurant selections, and the nostalgia it inspires (as one of Disney's first resorts) will offset any claims that the hotel is garish - a legitimate complaint, by the way.

You can always visit Wilderness Lodge by boat launch from the Contemporary.

 

[Jynohn]

We were faced with this same dilemma in January. We had originally booked at the WL, but we were also eligible for the SOG rate at the CR, which was a significant savings for us.

We decided to go with the CR, and I'll be honest, we didn't really care for it, but we didn't have any significant complaints other than the aforementioned wear and tear and the lack of theming. We like the theming of the WL much better, but if we were to save $600, we would probably stay at the CR over the WL again.

If you plan to spend a significant amount of time in your room, I would say go with the WL, but if you're just looking for a place to sleep, in my opinion that $600 can be much better spent on souvenirs and nice meals.

Have a great time!

 

[JayCT]

Thanks everyone. We know it is a great deal and we would be foolish to not take it. I think we just like the themes at the other resorts a little better. Unfortunately the deal was only with CR or AKL and our kids really do not care for AK that much. We will probably be spending most of our time at MK. I have always wanted to stay at CR but thought maybe when the kids are older and could be on their own a little more. I will pass this along to DW. Hopefully it will make her happier with our decision. Thanks everyone. These Boards are really great. Jay

 

[KaityBsMom]

I think you will enjoy CR. I think you are absolutely right about the decor (it was a bit much for us, too), but otherwise, we loved it when we stayed there in September. We had a Tower room for 4 nights and it was great. The whole atmosphere of the resort, with so much fun stuff going on, the monorail below you, etc. (not to mention the awesome view) was wonderful. I was concerned about noise, too, but we did not have any problems in the Tower. DD4 had a lot of fun at the pool. It is not as 'fancy' as some of the resort pools, but she was young enough that the water slide and fountains kept her pretty well entertained. Have a great trip! I am starting to work on my DH about making a May 2005 trip.

 

[PamNC]

We have stayed at both WL and Contemporary. Although WL is certainly more beautifully themed, we liked the CR better. The main reason is convenience. I know there is a boat launch from WL but we found it to be quite slow. We also liked the nostalgic feel of the Contemporary...and although the rooms are somewhat outdated they are larger than the WL.

I think you'll be quite happy. Especially since you'll be saving $600. Given that choice, I would definitely choose the CR.

PamNC

P.S. We're leaving in 3 days - staying at the Poly for the first time. We'll see how we like that resort. So far our favorite resort is the Beach Club.

 

[cinmell]

The Contemporary is my favorite resort! Before we stayed there I never had a desire to spend a vacation at the CR. One visit we really started touring the CR, hanging out at the Outer Rim, spending time at the concourse and arcade so we decided to give it a shot our next vacation. It was amazing! We've stayed at the CR several times and we've always been lucky enough to receive our request for a MK view (we've only stayed in the tower haven't tried garden wings). The views from the room are unbelievalbe, especially at night. The rooms are spacious and have always been clean. We never heard any noise from the concourse once we were in our room. It's very relaxing to sit on the balcony and watch ferries in 7 Seas Lagoon or look over and see the MK.

Our daughter enjoyed the pool, especially the shooting water around the pool and water falls in the pool. It's fun to be able to be relax in or by the pool and watch the monorail go by and see boats in the water and parasailers in the air.

We would walk to the MK in the morning which is a lot quicker than taking the monorail over. We would take the monorail back to CR in the middle of the day and walk back after fireworks and parades to avoid monorail crowds.