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

[Craig-TMIP]

Once you make the changes in the Cabana section will I need to change the link on the 1st page or will it adjust itself once it's fixed?

No need to do anything. I just changed the prices and nothing else!
thanks!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

No need to do anything. I just changed the prices and nothing else!
thanks!

You're welcome.

 

[Craig-TMIP]

I dont recall ever seeing a small kiddie pool. the quiet pool is only 4 feet deep +/-.

WDWkook, I think I like where the cabanas are. I'm a little upset because we always sit at the quiet pool and used the tables in the corner, specifically the sw corner. That we could have the shade of the umbrella and use the lounge chairs too (as long as the pool isnt busy)
Dina and I prefer the quiet pool over the main pool, especially now that they have games and activities in the afternoon at the main pool.
We dont have kids, so for us hanging out at the pool is just soaking up the sun and having a couple drinks from the sand bar.

We are excited to try the cabanas.

 

[MrsBlovesDisney]

But, if everyone else prefers the Poly, or the Beach Club, well...then more room at the CR for us.

Amen to that!!:

 

[Disneymama5816]

Here's the most recent photos link: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2140296&page=41

A PP mentioned recently that the pool area will be completed in June.

Thanks so much for the update!!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Question for everyone recently back....

Does anyone remember what was on the kids menu at the Contempo Cafe for breakfast???

Also, has anyone ever used room service with their DDP?? I might have a couple of extra credits and this seems as good as use as any for them!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Does anyone remember what was on the kids menu at the Contempo Cafe for breakfast???

For some reason the kids items were not listed on the paper menus which you can ask for at the cash, so you need to read what they can get on the self serve ordering kiosks.

 

[mom2aredhead]

Question for everyone recently back....

Does anyone remember what was on the kids menu at the Contempo Cafe for breakfast???

Also, has anyone ever used room service with their DDP?? I might have a couple of extra credits and this seems as good as use as any for them!

IIRC (we were just there last week) the kids breakfast choices were a kids breakfast platter or scrambled eggs. We did not order the breakfast platter, so I cannot say for sure what it included.
What we ended up doing for breakfast (since my son hates eggs) was ordering 2 adult platters - 1 waffle, and one other one - and grabbing a bagel, muffin, or some fruit using snack credits and shared between the 3 of us. You can also get oatmeal with a snack credit.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

And what about the Sand Bar (the menu on wdwinfo is 3 years old) Is it still similar?? Can I use the DDP out there?

I am REALLY struggling about what to do with these last 2 meal credits!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

And what about the Sand Bar (the menu on wdwinfo is 3 years old) Is it still similar?? Can I use the DDP out there?

I am REALLY struggling about what to do with these last 2 meal credits!

I believe the Sand Bar menu has not changed and their menu was similar to the old Food & Fun Center, so it's nothing like the Contempo Cafe menu. Also according to the 2009 Dining Plan the Sand Bar is listed in the Snack Locations area.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-dining-plan.htm

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I believe the Sand Bar menu has not changed and their menu was similar to the old Food & Fun Center, so it's nothing like the Contempo Cafe menu. Also according to the 2009 Dining Plan the Sand Bar is listed in the Snack Locations area.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-dining-plan.htm

snack, but not CS- bummer!!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

snack, but not CS- bummer!!!

Well they also list the Contempo Cafe in the Snack Locations area so maybe you can try to use a counter service credit there, because they do serve counter service food. So it's werid the Contempo Cafe would be listed in both sections, but the Sand Bar is not.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Thanks CR Fan.

We are doing DxDDP this trip and I have one day where I am just not sure if our ADR's will fall into place. I have a GFC breakfast ADR and LTT lunch ADR, but me might need that day to just chill by the pool and recharge If I cancel those ADR's I have 2 credits to use somewhere at the CR and I am just not sure what to pick...

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You're welcome Cinderumbrella and no matter what happens with your credits have a great time.

 

[mom2aredhead]

Hi everybody – we’re back!
And here’s the no-pictures-added trip report I promised when I returned…

We were there Wed-Wed. Booked a standard room, garden wing, garden view - I would have reserved the standard view to keep the price down even more, but it was not available using the 4/3 promotion when I booked. We took the first flight out in the morning (surprising my 5 yo son when we woke him up to go to the airport) and we were at the resort by about 10:30 am or so. I figured we'd swing by the front desk, grab our park passes, and head off to a park, getting into the room later. Much to my surprise, our room was ready.

Even more to my surprise, I had the following conversation:

CM: "Oh, I see a magical upgrade already in the system for you"
Me: "Oh, wonderful, thank you so much"
CM: "You'll be staying in the tower with a view of Magic Kingdom"
Me: Gulp...(heart racing, thinking how much I love WDW magic)
CM: "I assume you'd like to be as close to the Magic Kingdom as possible?"
Me: Wait - what did she just say?? Oh - "Yes, please…"

And we ended up in 4477, 8th floor, 2nd room from the end, looking out over Magic Kingdom.

So, for all of you numbers people, I paid $375/night for 4 nights, ($1500 + tax) got the other 3 nights free, and stayed in a room that for all intents and purposes should have really cost me over $3400.00 for the time period I stayed there. Now that's what I call Magic!

The room was great – view was awesome and we saw Wishes a few nights from the balcony – I think the rest of the nights we saw it from Main Street USA. There was not even the slightest whisper from the monorail as it comes in and out – it still amazes me how quiet that thing is. Mousekeeping was OK. It seemed like almost every day we were missing something minor…a bath mat, shampoo, tissues, but nothing more than a minor annoyance. The room was clean, bed-bug free, and in the tower facing the Magic Kingdom, so it was all good!

Overall, our stay was FABULOUS! We got to use the pool A LOT…can you say “record breaking heat?” Not complaining at all though…the weather here at home was rainy for days on end so I was thrilled to see the sunshine. “Official” word on the pool construction is that it will be completed “by the end of the summer” (dutifully vague), and that they are adding a water maze and splash area with water cannons, and sprinklers. By the time we left, the pipes appeared to be in for a good portion of it, and they were quietly toiling over there every day. During our stay, it was not the least bit disturbing…no loud noises or disruptions. And I liked being able to sign for my sons swim vest at the beginning of our stay then hang on to it for the week rather than cross my fingers that they had his size when we got there like I had to do at AKL. His arm swimmies are the only thing I forgot to pack, (bad mommy!) but with the vest, it was a non-issue. There was a bit of excitement one afternoon when an intoxicated guest decided it would be fun to push a lifeguard into the pool, but other than that, it was nice and relaxing. Both hot tubs were working, and we all enjoyed the slide a lot.

They had a campfire and movies on the beach 4 of the 7 nights we were there, but we didn’t get to any of them since we took advantage of the cooler night temperatures to go back to the parks. But for anyone interested, campfire was at 8:00pm, movie at 9:00pm, and the movies during our stay were Bolt, Nemo, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, High School Musical 3. And I’m sorry, but I do not remember which nights they were. There was a very comprehensive activities sheet in the room when we arrived…which I thought I brought home for this very reason, but apparently not.

My husband and son spent a little time in the arcade, using up the arcade card that came with the package and then some. It was nice to send them down there while I was getting myself ready.

We had several breakfasts at the Contempo Cafe, and lunch once. I thought the food was very good. I mentioned our typical breakfast in my last post, so I won’t repeat except to say that French Toast was an option for both kids and adults, which I forgot until just now. For lunch we tried the blackened Mahi sandwich and the Honey Lime chicken sandwich, both of which were very good…and of course the chips were awesome! I noticed that the cashiers were very helpful and patient with people newly acquainted with DDP, which was a complete change from the people that were at the grab and go during our last trip.

We had dinner one night at The Wave, and we were all very happy with our meal there too. My husband had a crab cake for an appetizer, which he said was one of the best he’s had, and I had the soup of the day - Artichoke hazelnut. It sounded like such a strange combination that I had to try it, and it was pretty good. It came with a toasted brie sandwich. When I had peeked at the menu earlier in the week, I had fully intended to try the cinnamon rubbed pork, but changed my mind last minute and got the marinated flank steak instead. Glad I did - it really was delicious. Very tender, good flavor, and I really liked the shredded sweet potatoes with it. My husband had the beef tenderloin, which he also liked, and my son had plain pasta. I tried “decadent flavors” for dessert, and liked all 3, my husband like 2 of the 3 “no sugar added” things he tried but I do not remember which was the loser.

The concierge desk was VERY helpful also. We bailed on our Brown Derby reservation (we called to let them know) so that left us with 2 TS credits to be squeezed into our final 2 days. He was able to get us into Boma for dinner, which ended up being our favorite dinner of the trip, and the character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe, and both at normal times that worked well with our schedule. I was so grateful he was able to help us work that out. Honestly, all of the staff we encountered was great - I have not a single complaint about anyone there.

Bus service was spotty enough that we ended up using our rental car more often than I thought we would to get anywhere outside of the monorail loop. But in fairness, patience is not one of my husband’s better qualities (mine either when it’s 95 degrees+) and being from NY, I think we’re just used to moving at a faster pace. So what we would consider “slow” likely isn’t slow to the rest of the world. I think my biggest issue was having to stop at the Poly (and once or twice, a water park too) before we got to where we needed to go. We’ve stayed at AKL several times, and although it’s further out, once you’re on the bus, it’s mostly direct service. But again, we have patience issues in our house, so your mileage may vary

We ended up going to the DVC Sales center during the week. We have been considering purchasing DVC, so we finally made time to go over there, meet with a guide, see the model rooms, and maybe get closer to a decision. The BLT studios are probably the worst example of space planning I’ve ever seen. There is no sink in the bathroom, so you need to go use one of the 2 sinks in the kitchen area next door to wash your hands. Not kidding. The one bedrooms are very nice, but with the point charts being what they are, I do not see us staying in one of those very often. The AKV rooms were actually much nicer, but the maintenance fees there are about double. The BLT fees are expected to stay the lowest of all the DVC properties because it is not spread out, there are very little “grounds” to maintain (relatively speaking, compared to SSR or AKV), and all of the shops, restaurants, etc. are located in the Contemporary. Now here’s the part that you won’t like to hear. The guide said, several times, that although they are considering BLT to be an extension of the Contemporary since so many of the amenities for BLT will be at CR, the CR guests will not be able to utilize the BLT pool or facilities, and the KTTW cards for CR will not be able to open the access to the bridge to BLT. The phrase he used more than once was “you can use theirs but they can’t use yours”. End result for us is that we’re taking a look at the resale market. We go 2x/year in a deluxe, so for the amount of points we’d need to continue to do that, we need to find a resale contract somewhere that’s a little more affordable than buying direct from DVC, then hope the availability is there when we want to go.

If anyone has any questions, fire away! But my disclaimer - I’ve been sitting here ignoring my family for a little too long, so I probably won’t be back to respond until later this evening or tomorrow. Sorry this ended up so long, but I hope it was helpful, or at the very least mildly informative and entertaining.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks, mom2aredhead! Love those CR/TRs and yours is very informative and entertaining (I won't ask for my money back).

So, now that you've been upgraded, would you pay to stay in the tower? And, would you stay at the CR on your next visit?

You think your family has patience issues. Some reasons we love the CR: We're able to walk to the MK instead of having to wait for the monorail like you have to at the Poly and GF. The pool has a larger seating area than the Poly and GF so we never have to wait for a chair. The gym is only an elevator ride away to the 2nd floor... Yep, we're all definitely Fast Pass people.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

mom2aredhead,
Thanks for posting that wonderfull and very detailed trip report and congragulations on the upgrade.

I am also wondering did you ask the DVC guide why Contemporary guests can not use the Bay Lake Tower ammenties like the pool, since they can use the Contemporary pool and etc? While I have come to realize that the one thing I don't like is how they advertise Bay Lake Tower as sharing ammenties with the Contemporary, but the favour won't be returned for Contemporary guests who might have wanted to swim at Bay Lake Tower. Best example is how Wilderness Lodge guests also have access to the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge DVC pool section.

 

[mom2aredhead]

Thanks, mom2aredhead! Love those CR/TRs and yours is very informative and entertaining (I won't ask for my money back).

So, now that you've been upgraded, would you pay to stay in the tower? And, would you stay at the CR on your next visit?

You think your family has patience issues. Some reasons we love the CR: We're able to walk to the MK instead of having to wait for the monorail like you have to at the Poly and GF. The pool has a larger seating area than the Poly and GF so we never have to wait for a chair. The gym is only an elevator ride away to the 2nd floor... Yep, we're all definitely Fast Pass people.

Our last trip (late Sep 08) we were upgraded too, from a Garden wing to a Bay Lake View down on the Chef Mickey's end. I think after staying in the tower twice, I would have to say yes, I would definitely pay to stay in the tower. But the view on the Bay Lake side is also really pretty, especially early in the morning. So I don't think I'd pay extra for the MK view, but if they wanted to give it to me for free again, I certainly wouldn't turn it down. I think anything in that building would be great, and if we end up not doing DVC by then, we will probably be there for our next trip (maybe in December). Right now my son is 5, and if nothing else, the proximity to MK is a HUGE deciding factor since we spend most of our time there. We walked over there quite a bit - even if only for Spectro or Wishes. We had hoppers and hit all of the parks, but found ourselves at MK just about every night.

And yes, we're definitely a Fast Pass family too!

 

[mom2aredhead]

mom2aredhead,
Thanks for posting that wonderfull and very detailed trip report and congragulations on the upgrade.

I am also wondering did you ask the DVC guide why Contemporary guests can not use the Bay Lake Tower ammenties like the pool, since they can use the Contemporary pool and etc? While I have come to realize that the one thing I don't like is how they advertise Bay Lake Tower as sharing ammenties with the Contemporary, but the favour won't be returned for Contemporary guests who might have wanted to swim at Bay Lake Tower. Best example is how Wilderness Lodge guests also have access to the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge DVC pool section.

What he said is that although the BLT building looks fairly mammoth in size, it's deceiving because of the curved shape and it only has about 350 rooms (granted some are suites that hold several people) so there there would just not be enough space to accommodate the guests from the 1000+ rooms at the CR at the BLT pool. According to him, the pool is kind of in the interior of the horseshoe shape, so its on the smaller side. Again, these are his words, and I don't have anything that will confirm or deny what he said. All of the information he gave to us about the resort has "artist proposal" exterior pictures, so you really can't tell.
He also said that the improvements to the CR pool (adding the splash area, cabanas, etc) were planned to make the CR pool as attractive offering the same amenities as the BLT pool so that there would really be no reason for CR guests to feel like they needed to go over to BLT. Again, whether this is his opinion, part of his sales pitch, or an actual fact is anyone's guess.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

What he said is that although the BLT building looks fairly mammoth in size, it's deceiving because of the curved shape and it only has about 350 rooms (granted some are suites that hold several people) so there there would just not be enough space to accommodate the guests from the 1000+ rooms at the CR at the BLT pool. According to him, the pool is kind of in the interior of the horseshoe shape, so its on the smaller side. Again, these are his words, and I don't have anything that will confirm or deny what he said. All of the information he gave to us about the resort has "artist proposal" exterior pictures, so you really can't tell.
He also said that the improvements to the CR pool (adding the splash area, cabanas, etc) were planned to make the CR pool as attractive offering the same amenities as the BLT pool so that there would really be no reason for CR guests to feel like they needed to go over to BLT. Again, whether this is his opinion, part of his sales pitch, or an actual fact is anyone's guess.

Well assuming what he said is true it does make more sense and I never heard it said like before, so thanks for posting that information. Although if he said the Contemporary will have the same ammenties as the Bay Lake Tower pool, why would Bay Lake Tower guests want to use the Contemporary pool? While the Contemporary does have more rooms in the Tower and Garden Wing didn't they consider those guests when it comes to space at the Contemporary pool or are they assuming most Bay Lake Tower guests won't swim over there?