The ALL NEW Disney's Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower FAQ with PICs! (FEB 2010)

[WDWKOOK]

I have caught CR MANIA!!!!!!!!!! I booked today for May with the PIN. My husband told me last week, "Let's book a family vacation!" Then I got the PIN mailer the next day.

I've only been to WDW once and we stayed at WL for a week. I seriously considered it my 2nd home. But now we have a toddler and the monorail resorts called to me! CR BLV was the best deal with our dates and now I am so so so excited after reading about it!!!! I keep thinking of questions but this thread has answered them all. Thank you!!

DH loves WL, too, but staying in one of the monorail resorts with small children/strollers is GREAT!!! It will really spoil you! You will actually notice that the room size of the monorail resorts are bigger, too, compared to the WL. It's nice having the sofa/day bed. We will be at the CR in May, too...can hardly wait!

Happy Planning!

Yep, that walkway to the MK is a stroller-pushing parent's dream. And in the evening, if the monorail doesn't have too much of a line, you can take it back since the CR is the first stop.

The CR rooms are about 80 sq. ft bigger than the WL rooms.

I hope you both have great May trips

 

[Eliserose]

So happpy to hear this! Just booked CR tower room for September and we'll have a stroller too. It's our first time to Disney, so not going on experience.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

So happpy to hear this! Just booked CR tower room for September and we'll have a stroller too. It's our first time to Disney, so not going on experience.

I hope you have a great time.

 

[Disney grandma]

So happpy to hear this! Just booked CR tower room for September and we'll have a stroller too. It's our first time to Disney, so not going on experience.

You have picked the best resort for a first time visit!

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

I'm in my mad, obsessive planning phase and getting ready to book our first trip to CR. I'm REALLY excited, which is furthered by reading this thread! I asked on the main feed, but I figured I'd check with the CR gurus...

Would you choose a park hopper or CL? I shudder at the thought of not having a park hopper, honestly. But CL seems REALLY nice too, and I've never done that at any resort yet. But I'm really leaning toward TPV with the hoppers....

Thoughts?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I'm in my mad, obsessive planning phase and getting ready to book our first trip to CR. I'm REALLY excited, which is furthered by reading this thread! I asked on the main feed, but I figured I'd check with the CR gurus...

Would you choose a park hopper or CL? I shudder at the thought of not having a park hopper, honestly. But CL seems REALLY nice too, and I've never done that at any resort yet. But I'm really leaning toward TPV with the hoppers....

Thoughts?

Well what is more important for you. Having Park Hopper tickets or staying Club Level with everything that comes with it? So I would say go with what you think is best.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I'm in my mad, obsessive planning phase and getting ready to book our first trip to CR. I'm REALLY excited, which is furthered by reading this thread! I asked on the main feed, but I figured I'd check with the CR gurus...

Would you choose a park hopper or CL? I shudder at the thought of not having a park hopper, honestly. But CL seems REALLY nice too, and I've never done that at any resort yet. But I'm really leaning toward TPV with the hoppers....

Thoughts?

If TPV/MKV and park hopping is what you were envisioning when dreaming about your vacation, then that's what I would stick with.

I have never been to WDW without PHs. I can't even imagining restricting us every single day to only one park. However, I have been to WDW many times without staying CL and had no regrets.

Personally, we prefer the BLV. Have you priced the Atrium Club Std. (BLV) room with the PH? It would be less than the AC/MKV and you could still view the MK from the lounge. Just a thought.

I wouldn't become too obsessed with CL. Consider these CL "perks" that you're paying for:

~If you were already booking MKV/TPV then you'll already have that view from your room so the lounge's view isn't as important.

~You may or may not be greeted and escorted to CL upon arrival.

~You may get tired of a cold breakfast every morning and feel like paying OOP for one (or two) or going to a character breakfast even though there's breakfast in the lounge.

~Since ADRs can be made so easily online, it almost makes the IPO's ADR-making job obsolete.

~Snacks and drinks are nice to have in the lounge, but you have to be in the lounge when they're available or store them in your fridge. Think about what times you would be at the CR in order to partake in the lounge offerings.

Think about what you value about CL and what you value about the PHs and the cost of each and also price-out the BLV/Atrium Club, too.

Keep us posted.

 

[mhconley]

I booked our first stay at CR yesterday morning in an MKV tower room. I've wanted to stay in the CR since my first on-site stay at the Poly when I was a teenager.

I booked us using the 35% Late Summer promotion, planned to get tickets later (FL resident) and was pondering what to do about dining (thinking TIW).

Then, within 2 hours of finalizing the reservation, I get a PIN good for 40% off deluxe resorts. I get back online and find not only can I book the room for less, I can add FL resident tickets AND dining for considerably less than what I was thinking / budgeting. I need to call a CM today and either cancel the existing reservation and rebook OR get my PIN attached to this one and add the tickets and dining.

It's all good.

Martin

 

[WDWKOOK]

I booked our first stay at CR yesterday morning in an MKV tower room. I've wanted to stay in the CR since my first on-site stay at the Poly when I was a teenager.

I booked us using the 35% Late Summer promotion, planned to get tickets later (FL resident) and was pondering what to do about dining (thinking TIW).

Then, within 2 hours of finalizing the reservation, I get a PIN good for 40% off deluxe resorts. I get back online and find not only can I book the room for less, I can add FL resident tickets AND dining for considerably less than what I was thinking / budgeting. I need to call a CM today and either cancel the existing reservation and rebook OR get my PIN attached to this one and add the tickets and dining.

It's all good.

Martin

If you originally had a room-only booking, then you will be changing to a package if you're adding tix and/or dining. They will give you a new reservation number.

Isn't it great to save even more money? Congratulations! BTW, you can only get TIW if you purchase an AP.

 

[mhconley]

Isn't it great to save even more money? Congratulations! BTW, you can only get TIW if you purchase an AP.

Saving money is great!

I understand TIW is available to any FL resident - you just have to pay $100 instead of the $75 AP rate.

Martin

 

[WDWKOOK]

Saving money is great!

I understand TIW is available to any FL resident - you just have to pay $100 instead of the $75 AP rate.

Martin

Martin,

You're absolutely correct. TIW is only available to FL residents who aren't AP holders for $100, as you already mentioned and for any AP holder for $75.

Have fun planning!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I booked our first stay at CR yesterday morning in an MKV tower room. I've wanted to stay in the CR since my first on-site stay at the Poly when I was a teenager.

I booked us using the 35% Late Summer promotion, planned to get tickets later (FL resident) and was pondering what to do about dining (thinking TIW).

Then, within 2 hours of finalizing the reservation, I get a PIN good for 40% off deluxe resorts. I get back online and find not only can I book the room for less, I can add FL resident tickets AND dining for considerably less than what I was thinking / budgeting. I need to call a CM today and either cancel the existing reservation and rebook OR get my PIN attached to this one and add the tickets and dining.

It's all good.

Martin

I hope you have a great time.

 

[jreeves628]

Will be travelling to the world in November with my 3 year old twins and just booked a a 1-bedroom villa @ BLT. Do the balcony doors lock? And if they do, are the locks high enough to be out of reach to toddlers?

 

[Eliserose]

I'm in my mad, obsessive planning phase and getting ready to book our first trip to CR. I'm REALLY excited, which is furthered by reading this thread! I asked on the main feed, but I figured I'd check with the CR gurus...

Would you choose a park hopper or CL? I shudder at the thought of not having a park hopper, honestly. But CL seems REALLY nice too, and I've never done that at any resort yet. But I'm really leaning toward TPV with the hoppers....

Thoughts?

It's our first trip, so I'm not talking from experience, but we added the park hoppers due to the close proximity to MK. I figured if we wanted to take a walk over at night (after doing another park that day), we would be able to.

 

[Elise79]

Hello

Well we decided to extend our September trip and as we are out of DVC points we have booked Atrium Club MKV for 4 nights! So excited as we really enjoyed the Tower club in November

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Hello

Well we decided to extend our September trip and as we are out of DVC points we have booked Atrium Club MKV for 4 nights! So excited as we really enjoyed the Tower club in November

Very nice and I hope you enjoy staying up there.

 

[Pjimmeyer]

If TPV/MKV and park hopping is what you were envisioning when dreaming about your vacation, then that's what I would stick with.

I have never been to WDW without PHs. I can't even imagining restricting us every single day to only one park. However, I have been to WDW many times without staying CL and had no regrets.

Personally, we prefer the BLV. Have you priced the Atrium Club Std. (BLV) room with the PH? It would be less than the AC/MKV and you could still view the MK from the lounge. Just a thought.

I wouldn't become too obsessed with CL. Consider these CL "perks" that you're paying for:

~If you were already booking MKV/TPV then you'll already have that view from your room so the lounge's view isn't as important.

~You may or may not be greeted and escorted to CL upon arrival.

~You may get tired of a cold breakfast every morning and feel like paying OOP for one (or two) or going to a character breakfast even though there's breakfast in the lounge.

~Since ADRs can be made so easily online, it almost makes the IPO's ADR-making job obsolete.

~Snacks and drinks are nice to have in the lounge, but you have to be in the lounge when they're available or store them in your fridge. Think about what times you would be at the CR in order to partake in the lounge offerings.

Think about what you value about CL and what you value about the PHs and the cost of each and also price-out the BLV/Atrium Club, too.

Keep us posted.

I have to agree. With our first stay at CL this past December I was worried it would spoil us to the point we would never want come back unless it was CL. While it was nice, there was really nothing offered by CL that was a "must have" for us. We are very likely going to stick with normal tower rooms at the CR when we return. CL stuff was nice to have but for us not really worth the difference in price.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I have to agree. With our first stay at CL this past December I was worried it would spoil us to the point we would never want come back unless it was CL. While it was nice, there was really nothing offered by CL that was a "must have" for us. We are very likely going to stick with normal tower rooms at the CR when we return. CL stuff was nice to have but for us not really worth the difference in price.

I had the same feeling about the Atrium Club when we stayed 8 nights in August. When we arrived, I thought, "I am combining our favorite hotel WITH CL, it can't get any better than that!" However, I was not pleased with the way the IPO CMs seemed to be also trying to work in the lounge. They need a dedicated lounge staff and a dedicated IPO staff manning the desk. We also had many elevator problems, with some of them not wanting to go to CL and you'd have to get out and wait for another elevator (this has probably been repaired by now). Seating is also limited at peak times, such as breakfast and tables were frequently not bussed by guests or lounge staff. They should have an area with a trash can and a place to put glasses and plates so as to encourage guests to bus their table, like other CLs. Sometimes at the Regatta Club, the staff would come around and remove your plate from your table for you, so it was always very neat there. In general, I just found it to be a chaotic and rather uninviting atmosphere at the AC, unlike the WL and YC lounges. Just my own personal experience though.

There are some resorts that the cost difference between our preferred view and CL is negligible and some, such as the CR, are not.

For example, we always book Tower/BLV. The cost increase (with our 40% off) for CL is about $81/night. However, at the AKL we prefer the Savannah View. The cost to upgrade to CL there is only $24/night. The WL Courtyard View upgraded to CL is about $72/day more. DH has never stayed CL before, so that's the primary reason we've booked the OFC and because we were upgraded to it in December and I thought they have an excellent lounge.

I felt the Old Faithful Club did a much better job than the Atrium Club at keeping everything neat and tidy, replenishing the food and drinks and they had a dedicated lounge staff who were always present and working only in the lounge. I preferred the expansive lounge seating area. It doesn't have the gorgeous MKV, but I think most who book the AC book the MKV anyway so they can see that from their room. I do love the view, however, of the WL lobby from the 7th floor and the view of BL and the courtyard from the lounge windows.

Everyone values different things on their vacation, so it's nice there's something for everyone at WDW

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I had the same feeling about the Atrium Club when we stayed 8 nights in August. When we arrived, I thought, "I am combining our favorite hotel WITH CL, it can't get any better than that!" However, I was not pleased with the way the IPO CMs seemed to be also trying to work in the lounge. They need a dedicated lounge staff and a dedicated IPO staff manning the desk. We also had many elevator problems, with some of them not wanting to go to CL and you'd have to get out and wait for another elevator (this has probably been repaired by now). Seating is also limited at peak times, such as breakfast and tables were frequently not bussed by guests or lounge staff. They should have an area with a trash can and a place to put glasses and plates so as to encourage guests to bus their table, like other CLs. Sometimes at the Regatta Club, the staff would come around and remove your plate from your table for you, so it was always very neat there. In general, I just found it to be a chaotic and rather uninviting atmosphere at the AC, unlike the WL and YC lounges. Just my own personal experience though.

I will agree with you it would be nice if they had a dedicated lounge staff because over the past few years we have seen a lot of turn over of Cast Members working up there. Now there are still some Cast Members that are regulars who still work there or on the 14th floor, however the others who use to be regulars now choose to work in the lobby. So that's a major difference we noticed at the Boardwalk Inn since the Cast Members working in their lounge are always the same. I also agree that the lounge on the Atrium Club floor can be very crowded at certin times and last August there was one time we waited for a table to open up, although all the other times we didn't need to and I would call that good luck based on all the other times we stayed up there. The Atrium Club does have an area for guests to place their dirty dishes on a tray and it's located in that corner where by the TV and those little green seats are, so there is no excuse for others not to see it. Finally they also have a trash can at the entrance where their fridge happens to be located, so there is no way that others can not see it when walking in.

 

[Leafsgirl36]

The Atrium Club does have an area for guests to place their dirty dishes on a tray and it's located in that corner where by the TV and those little green seats are, so there is no excuse for others not to see it. Finally they also have a trash can at the entrance where their fridge happens to be located, so there is no way that others can not see it when walking in.

When we were there in February there wasn't always a tray to place our dishes on. We had to ask the staff what to do with them and they told us to leave our dishes on the table and they would get them.