The ALL NEW Disney's Contemporary Resort FAQ with PICTURES! (APR 2009)

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We are staying at CR the week after Thanksgiving fulfilling a childhood dream of mine.

I read either early in this thread or another one that there were some long waits for buses. Has anyone who has been there lately had any problems? We have stayed at the All-Stars and POR in the past so long waits are not uncommon for us especially at the closing of parks, but I read that people were waiting at CR like 45 minutes for a bus to come take them to DHS.

We have decided to drive this time. Would you recommend driving over to AK or DHS since we will have our own car?

Thanks for the advice!

The best thing about the Contemporary buses is that they are the 1st location where you will be picked up and dropped off at since they share with the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and sometimes the Wilderness Lodge.

As for wait times WDW claims they have this new program where they can track which bus locations have arrived at the resorts, so you won't see the same location come two times in a row. However in August 2008 while waiting for a bus to Hollywood Studios I saw back to back buses for the Animal Kingdom and the Cast Member standing there marking down what times they arrived and where they were going said that should have been a Hollywood Studoios bus. However usually the wait times for Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom are not that bad, although the buses to and from Downtown Disney seem to take forever.

So in the end each guest will always have a different experience when it comes to wait times for the buses.

 

[WDWKOOK]

We are staying at CR the week after Thanksgiving fulfilling a childhood dream of mine.

I read either early in this thread or another one that there were some long waits for buses. Has anyone who has been there lately had any problems? We have stayed at the All-Stars and POR in the past so long waits are not uncommon for us especially at the closing of parks, but I read that people were waiting at CR like 45 minutes for a bus to come take them to DHS.

We have decided to drive this time. Would you recommend driving over to AK or DHS since we will have our own car?

Thanks for the advice!

Personally, that's what we always do: Drive to DHS, water parks and AK, walkway to MK, boat to FW and Monorail to TTC-Epcot. We're impatient and not too fond of buses so this works out best for us. I'm assuming the bus situation may get worse after Aug. 4th when BLT opens. Many more guests will need bus and monorail access.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

The best thing about the Contemporary buses is that they are the 1st location where you will be picked up and dropped off at since they share with the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and sometimes the Wilderness Lodge.

As for wait times WDW claims they have this new program where they can track which bus locations have arrived at the resorts, so you won't see the same location come two times in a row. However in August 2008 while waiting for a bus to Hollywood Studios I saw back to back buses for the Animal Kingdom and the Cast Member standing there marking down what times they arrived and where they were going said that should have been a Hollywood Studoios bus. However usually the wait times for Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom are not that bad, although the buses to and from Downtown Disney seem to take forever.

So in the end each guest will always have a different experience when it comes to wait times for the buses.

We stayed at POR in March and many times we saw buses coming back to back for the same park and it never seemed to be the one we wanted to go to.

Personally, that's what we always do: Drive to DHS, water parks and AK, walkway to MK, boat to FW and Monorail to TTC-Epcot. We're impatient and not too fond of buses so this works out best for us. I'm assuming the bus situation may get worse after Aug. 4th when BLT opens. Many more guests will need bus and monorail access.

I'm thinking this is what we will do as well. It will especially be nice with a 4-year old and her stroller.

Thanks again for the advice and quick responses.

 

[disneysuncat]

Umm... Sorry, the computers are no more.

But, congrats. on adding a day. If you have to do a Value, you're definitely doing your split in the right order. And, it's a good sign that your DF is fiscally responsible.

DF? You meant my FIANCE? No no, I meant that my finances (my money!) said otherwise. Goodness, don't give me a fiance! I have enough problems as it is! Besides, my greatest love (other than my daughter) is Mickey Mouse! And I can't make a move on him without upsetting Minnie, so there you go.

Well darn it about the computers, that seemed like a fun perk! I could drag my laptop with me, but I don't NEED to, other than checking in here to report on my stay. I work all day, every day from a computer (from home, yay!) and for me to go that long without one is .....strange. But maybe it's just what I need too, a vacation from computers as well. I think my phone will access DISboards, I don't mess with that feature on it much.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks again for the advice and quick responses.

You're welcome and have a great time staying at the Contemporary.

 

[Chapter 11]

The best thing about the Contemporary buses is that they are the 1st location where you will be picked up and dropped off at since they share with the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and sometimes the Wilderness Lodge.

As for wait times WDW claims they have this new program where they can track which bus locations have arrived at the resorts, so you won't see the same location come two times in a row. However in August 2008 while waiting for a bus to Hollywood Studios I saw back to back buses for the Animal Kingdom and the Cast Member standing there marking down what times they arrived and where they were going said that should have been a Hollywood Studoios bus. However usually the wait times for Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom are not that bad, although the buses to and from Downtown Disney seem to take forever.

So in the end each guest will always have a different experience when it comes to wait times for the buses.

I think they must be tinkering with the system constantly. We were there last week, and the only time we took a bus was to DHS. We waited about 10 minutes, I would guess, for one to arrive. During that time we saw busses for AK and DTD. As for our bus, it stopped only at the Poly (not at the GF nor at WL), before heading straight to DHS. Interestingly, we also saw two busses that stopped at the bus stop to discharge passengers, but then headed out without picking up. I asked the CM who was standing there about that, and she said that they sometimes do that, when the busses are needed elsewhere. So, as was said previously -- it's a crap shoot.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I think they must be tinkering with the system constantly. We were there last week, and the only time we took a bus was to DHS. We waited about 10 minutes, I would guess, for one to arrive. During that time we saw busses for AK and DTD. As for our bus, it stopped only at the Poly (not at the GF nor at WL), before heading straight to DHS. Interestingly, we also saw two busses that stopped at the bus stop to discharge passengers, but then headed out without picking up. I asked the CM who was standing there about that, and she said that they sometimes do that, when the busses are needed elsewhere. So, as was said previously -- it's a crap shoot.

I should have added in my experience in the mornings only they will either share bus service with the Polynesian or Wilderness Lodge, which has happened. However everytime we have taken a bus back in the afternoon or evening from Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney, the route was Contemporary/Polynesian/Grand Floridian.

 

[disneysuncat]

I cannot quit tinkering with our reservation. Now we are 9 nights at Contemporary (yay, two more than before!) with my free dining code, 12/4-12/13, then we're going to do just two nights over at ASMusic to finish up our park tickets. Needless to say, my family is delighted that I now have the vast majority of our trip at Contemporary. (and so am I! )

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I cannot quit tinkering with our reservation. Now we are 9 nights at Contemporary (yay, two more than before!) with my free dining code, 12/4-12/13, then we're going to do just two nights over at ASMusic to finish up our park tickets. Needless to say, my family is delighted that I now have the vast majority of our trip at Contemporary. (and so am I! )

The more days there the better, so congragulations on adding the two extra days.

 

[sheltonsluvdisney]

We returned a few days ago from a great week at the World and our first stay at the Contemporary. Prior to our trip, I had been reading a lot of bad reviews on the Contemporary, and I really wrestled with my decision on where to stay. The 4/3 deal allowed us the opportunity to try a deluxe Disney resort and I wanted to make sure that we made a good decision. Thanks to the information on these boards and the encouraging replies to my post regarding my concerns, we went ahead and decided to give the Contemporary a try. I am so glad that we did! We had a wonderful stay and would definitely go back again. We were booked in a garden wing deluxe room, we did not get an upgrade to the tower as others have recently posted, but were very pleased with the room and location. Our only request was for adjoining rooms with my parents, and we were hoping for rooms on the ground floor, we received both. We arrived at the hotel around 1:30 and my parents’ room was ready, with ours to be ready around 3:00. We kind of knew what to expect in the deluxe room from seeing the pictures here on the board, but we were still surprised at how much bigger it was than the standard room. The extra large bathroom with two showers was wonderful and we did not have any trouble with the sinks. The big sitting area was great with a pullout sofa bed that my son and his cousin comfortably made use of a few nights. The king size bed was very comfortable with lots of pillows. We had plenty of storage space; 4 drawers in the TV armoire, closets and drawers in entryway closets and cabinet space under counter nook in entryway for suitcases. We did not know that we received turn-down service with the deluxe room, so that was an extra nice touch for us, and made our stay even more special.

Some of the complaints that I had read about the Contemporary were: unfriendly staff, poor mousekeeping, ducks and droppings in the pools, no theme in the rooms, feeling isolated in the garden wing and slow transportation. We did not experience any of these issues. Every CM that we encountered was friendly and helpful, some more than others, but no one was ever rude to us. The mousekeepers did a great job; we had plenty of toiletries and towels everyday and a few towel animals. The mousekeepers were always friendly and I saw them around the halls at all times of the day, even late at night. We saw ducks around everywhere, but never in the pool, and the pool was always clean. (We loved the waterslide and beach area) I will agree that the décor in the rooms could be found at any hotel, but it was very upscale and relaxing. Exactly what you need when you come back to get refreshed. As far as a theme, you have the monorail going by your door, Chef Mickey’s and wonderful shops, a five minute walk to MK, and you pass through the Magic Kingdom entrance gates to get to the hotel. We felt no lack of Disney. Our location in the garden wing was great and did not feel isolated at all. We were a short stroll away from the tower and the lake, and the pool was right outside of our door. In fact the only complaint that we might have was that the construction fences were blocking our view of the pool area. We were hoping that the construction would be done by the time of our stay, but knew from posts here that it was not, so we were not disappointed. We only had small waits for the monorail, it was crowded at times, but not too bad. The walk to MK was easy and quick and very convenient. We rented a car, so we did not need the buses this trip.

Our other big concerns were the predicted crowd levels and of course the flu. We were surprised and super happy that the crowds were not bad at all. I think that they were better than during our trip last Sept and I would rate them at a 6 or 7 and not the 8’s and 9’s that were predicted. I planned out the trip with Ridemax and TGM plans, but we never really needed them. We knew from past experience and from the tour guides to get to the parks early and use fastpasses. This is what we did and we were able to ride everything we wanted to and to see all the shows that we had planned on. Last year at WDW my brother’s family and my son caught the nasty stomach bug going around, but everyone stayed pretty healthy this year. My mom and I came back with colds/sinus problems, but no fever, and definitely not the flu. Overall we had an excellent trip and can’t wait to go back again!

Here is a link to some photos of our stay:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=7u17f6yt.9yr5ezhx&x=0&y=g7gfg9&localeid=en_US

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thank you for sharing your CR TR. It was interesting to read a review of the Deluxe room, I don't remember seeing one before.

If you tried CC, what is your impression of it?

 

[sheltonsluvdisney]

Thank you for sharing your CR TR. It was interesting to read a review of the Deluxe room, I don't remember seeing one before.

If you tried CC, what is your impression of it?

You're welcome. Before planning this trip and spending time on the boards, I did not even know that there were deluxe rooms, so it's nice to be able to give my thanks and add my experience.

We did try CC and thought that is was just okay. The ordering process was kind of fun and the food came out quickly. I had a flatbread pepperoni pizza, my DH and parents had turkey sandwiches, and my son had the chicken nuggets. All were good, but nothing special. The muffins and cupcakes were pretty tasty though. I always love desserts. We also split a hamburger and fries one afternoon and thought the burger was a little better than at some of the places in the parks.

 

[kmdintx]

Is there a jogging trail somewhere around the CR? If so, does anybody know how many miles?

I'm not sure when I'll have time to run, but I'd like to take in some of the scenery and burn off a few DDP dinners at the same time.


Thanks,
Kim

 

[WDWKOOK]

Is there a jogging trail somewhere around the CR? If so, does anybody know how many miles?

I'm not sure when I'll have time to run, but I'd like to take in some of the scenery and burn off a few DDP dinners at the same time.


Thanks,
Kim

Kim,

The jogging path begins on the brick pathway to the MK and continues past until the path ends, apx. 1.5 miles. However, you do have to stop to cross the street in between the CR and the MK walkway where there can by a lot of employee traffic in the AM. DH reports that the concrete path that goes around 7 Seas Lagoon (behind the buses) and ends where the EBP canal is is roped off (closed) before the park opens when he jogs. So he instead jogs from the garden wing parking lot to the employee parking lot and back around until he's done (about 30 mins./3 miles).

I prefer to go down to Olympiads gym on the 3rd floor when they open (0600) and use the treadmills and weights.

Happy jogging!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We returned a few days ago from a great week at the World and our first stay at the Contemporary. Prior to our trip, I had been reading a lot of bad reviews on the Contemporary, and I really wrestled with my decision on where to stay. The 4/3 deal allowed us the opportunity to try a deluxe Disney resort and I wanted to make sure that we made a good decision. Thanks to the information on these boards and the encouraging replies to my post regarding my concerns, we went ahead and decided to give the Contemporary a try. I am so glad that we did! We had a wonderful stay and would definitely go back again. We were booked in a garden wing deluxe room, we did not get an upgrade to the tower as others have recently posted, but were very pleased with the room and location. Our only request was for adjoining rooms with my parents, and we were hoping for rooms on the ground floor, we received both. We arrived at the hotel around 1:30 and my parents’ room was ready, with ours to be ready around 3:00. We kind of knew what to expect in the deluxe room from seeing the pictures here on the board, but we were still surprised at how much bigger it was than the standard room. The extra large bathroom with two showers was wonderful and we did not have any trouble with the sinks. The big sitting area was great with a pullout sofa bed that my son and his cousin comfortably made use of a few nights. The king size bed was very comfortable with lots of pillows. We had plenty of storage space; 4 drawers in the TV armoire, closets and drawers in entryway closets and cabinet space under counter nook in entryway for suitcases. We did not know that we received turn-down service with the deluxe room, so that was an extra nice touch for us, and made our stay even more special.

Some of the complaints that I had read about the Contemporary were: unfriendly staff, poor mousekeeping, ducks and droppings in the pools, no theme in the rooms, feeling isolated in the garden wing and slow transportation. We did not experience any of these issues. Every CM that we encountered was friendly and helpful, some more than others, but no one was ever rude to us. The mousekeepers did a great job; we had plenty of toiletries and towels everyday and a few towel animals. The mousekeepers were always friendly and I saw them around the halls at all times of the day, even late at night. We saw ducks around everywhere, but never in the pool, and the pool was always clean. (We loved the waterslide and beach area) I will agree that the décor in the rooms could be found at any hotel, but it was very upscale and relaxing. Exactly what you need when you come back to get refreshed. As far as a theme, you have the monorail going by your door, Chef Mickey’s and wonderful shops, a five minute walk to MK, and you pass through the Magic Kingdom entrance gates to get to the hotel. We felt no lack of Disney. Our location in the garden wing was great and did not feel isolated at all. We were a short stroll away from the tower and the lake, and the pool was right outside of our door. In fact the only complaint that we might have was that the construction fences were blocking our view of the pool area. We were hoping that the construction would be done by the time of our stay, but knew from posts here that it was not, so we were not disappointed. We only had small waits for the monorail, it was crowded at times, but not too bad. The walk to MK was easy and quick and very convenient. We rented a car, so we did not need the buses this trip.

Our other big concerns were the predicted crowd levels and of course the flu. We were surprised and super happy that the crowds were not bad at all. I think that they were better than during our trip last Sept and I would rate them at a 6 or 7 and not the 8’s and 9’s that were predicted. I planned out the trip with Ridemax and TGM plans, but we never really needed them. We knew from past experience and from the tour guides to get to the parks early and use fastpasses. This is what we did and we were able to ride everything we wanted to and to see all the shows that we had planned on. Last year at WDW my brother’s family and my son caught the nasty stomach bug going around, but everyone stayed pretty healthy this year. My mom and I came back with colds/sinus problems, but no fever, and definitely not the flu. Overall we had an excellent trip and can’t wait to go back again!

Here is a link to some photos of our stay:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=7u17f6yt.9yr5ezhx&x=0&y=g7gfg9&localeid=en_US

Thanks for posting your trip report and for posting that link to all your photos, they look amazing.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Kim,
I also agree about going to the gym and it's actually located on the 3rd floor, not on the 2nd floor.

 

[WDWKOOK]

DF? You meant my FIANCE? No no, I meant that my finances (my money!) said otherwise. Goodness, don't give me a fiance! I have enough problems as it is! Besides, my greatest love (other than my daughter) is Mickey Mouse! And I can't make a move on him without upsetting Minnie, so there you go.

Well darn it about the computers, that seemed like a fun perk! I could drag my laptop with me, but I don't NEED to, other than checking in here to report on my stay. I work all day, every day from a computer (from home, yay!) and for me to go that long without one is .....strange. But maybe it's just what I need too, a vacation from computers as well. I think my phone will access DISboards, I don't mess with that feature on it much.

Upon re-checking your posting, it does say "finance" NOT "fiance!" I really hope my taking one letter away didn't cause any problems on the homefront.

You don't NEED a laptop with you? How would we all survive without them? We might miss something.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Kim,
I also agree about going to the gym and it's actually located on the 3rd floor, not on the 2nd floor.

Thanks - I had mixed it up with the laundry which is on the 2nd floor.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks - I had mixed it up with the laundry which is on the 2nd floor.

Don't worry about that, it was an honest mistake.

 

[angboys3]

Okay, does anyone have any last minute tips. I have read quite a bit of the other thread several months ago, but now I have forgotten it. Eek! I can't afford the time to wade through it again right now.

I know you can request microwaves but how about refrigerators? I don't think we would ever use microwave but refrig would be nice.

Any particular garden room locations we should request?

Should we check in on line or not? I have seen that some people do it, and some just wait till they get to the hotel.

I have I mentioned how excited I am? Our first stay at Contemporary, always a childhood dream of mine!