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

[lissiesmum]

I apologize if this has been asked before (maybe even by myself! ), but, what time does the EWP go by the CR?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

According to the schedule it goes by there at 10:05 PM.

 

[maggieb9975]

OK..I giveup!! what is EWP??

Also can you guys give me any suggestions re room request...I have booked the Tower MK view for 2 nights next Oct 2010 and was wondering if I just ask for high floor will that give me a great view?

This thread is great!!!


I am so looking forward to this trip.One of my triplets just LOVES HArry Potter so we started planning a trip around going to Universal..LOL...it has now gone from 5 days at Universal to this...

2 nights at Disneys Contemporary MK tower view with 1 day at Epcot and the Halloween night MNSSHP
5 nights at Universal club level
7 day Carnival cruise suite

This DD loves her luxury...last time we went in March of this year we stayed at Pop and she said"next time we go to Disney I want a room that opens up on the inside of the hotel"

She works at McDonalds and is paying her own way! and keeps adding to vacation both in days and luxury..at this point I think I am just along for the ride

She is so cute tho'..I have ALWAYS wanted to stay at the Contemporary and she said this trip I want to make your dream come true...lets do it Mom

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

OK..I giveup!! what is EWP??

Also can you guys give me any suggestions re room request...I have booked the Tower MK view for 2 nights next Oct 2010 and was wondering if I just ask for high floor will that give me a great view?

This thread is great!!!


I am so looking forward to this trip.One of my triplets just LOVES HArry Potter so we started planning a trip around going to Universal..LOL...it has now gone from 5 days at Universal to this...

2 nights at Disneys Contemporary MK tower view with 1 day at Epcot and the Halloween night MNSSHP
5 nights at Universal club level
7 day Carnival cruise suite

This DD loves her luxury...last time we went in March of this year we stayed at Pop and she said"next time we go to Disney I want a room that opens up on the inside of the hotel"

She works at McDonalds and is paying her own way! and keeps adding to vacation both in days and luxury..at this point I think I am just along for the ride

She is so cute tho'..I have ALWAYS wanted to stay at the Contemporary and she said this trip I want to make your dream come true...lets do it Mom

EWP Is the Electrical Water Pageant, which takes place every night in front of the Magic Kingdom Resorts at specific times.

Now since you have a Tower Magic Kingdom View I would suggest requesting a room on the 11th floor since it's the highest none Club Level floor in the Tower. Also if you request an odd numbered room then you will have beds that face the Magic Kingdom, so it can be the first thing you see in the mornings when you wake up.

 

[maggieb9975]

Thankyou so much..Electric Pageant sounds cool...

I have to call re my ressie tomorrow anyway as I want to pay for the second night my DD just added..LOL...I will ask for 11th floor odd numbered room..

 

[lissiesmum]

According to the schedule it goes by there at 10:05 PM.

Thanks! I am still on the fence between Poly and CR. I love the tropical feel of the Poly, but the views from the CR are so beautiful in a different way. Plus, like you mentioned in another one of my "help me decide!" posts, the CR theme park view is substantially less than the Poly's. I priced it on the WDW website and it was over $800 less at CR for the week! I could do a lot of things with that kind of money Thanks for that tip and always being so quick to answer our questions. Speaking of another, just to clarify, the odd numbered rooms have beds facing MK? (oops, funny, as I was writing this you answered my question two posts ago!) And I was wondering from start to finish from a Tower room, to the MK entrance at a regular pace pushing a stroller, how long does it take to walk using the pathway? I had an early bfast one morning when I stayed at the WL and boated over to the CR dock and walked from there to the MK and it seemed like it took forever...I'm thinking you must shave a bit of time staying in the tower???

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thankyou so much..Electric Pageant sounds cool...

I have to call re my ressie tomorrow anyway as I want to pay for the second night my DD just added..LOL...I will ask for 11th floor odd numbered room..

You're welcome.

Thanks! I am still on the fence between Poly and CR. I love the tropical feel of the Poly, but the views from the CR are so beautiful in a different way. Plus, like you mentioned in another one of my "help me decide!" posts, the CR theme park view is substantially less than the Poly's. I priced it on the WDW website and it was over $800 less at CR for the week! I could do a lot of things with that kind of money Thanks for that tip and always being so quick to answer our questions. Speaking of another, just to clarify, the odd numbered rooms have beds facing MK? (oops, funny, as I was writing this you answered my question two posts ago!) And I was wondering from start to finish from a Tower room, to the MK entrance at a regular pace pushing a stroller, how long does it take to walk using the pathway? I had an early bfast one morning when I stayed at the WL and boated over to the CR dock and walked from there to the MK and it seemed like it took forever...I'm thinking you must shave a bit of time staying in the tower???

Honestly I have never timed the walk starting from the room. I usually time it when I get one the walkway which is about 10 minutes, however I guess it could mean an extra 2 - 3 minutes if you time it from your room. The reason I can not give an exact number is because you never know how long an elevator ride might take, although the ones at the Contemporary are usually always fast. The only time they might take longer or stop at other floors is during the evenings like after Wishes when everyone is leaving the California Grill.

 

[FJJM0621]

Just booked CR for August 2010!!!

So excited - Magic Kingdom view!!

I've only read up through page 40 of this thread - taking in all in info.

FYI... there is no link to this thread on the sticky at the top for all the resorts - the 2 old ones are there...maybe it should be added!!?? thanks!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Just booked CR for August 2010!!!

So excited - Magic Kingdom view!!

I've only read up through page 40 of this thread - taking in all in info.[/B]

Congragulations and have a great time.

 

[whitney37354]

CR Fan---

Is the fridge in atrium CL stocked? If so, are the items "complementary" or charged per item used? When we were on a cruise, you were charged for each drink you took from the fridge.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

CR Fan---

Is the fridge in atrium CL stocked? If so, are the items "complementary" or charged per item used? When we were on a cruise, you were charged for each drink you took from the fridge.

The fridge is empty when you check-in however you are free to take as many drinks as you want from the lounge, so there is no extra charge for doing that.

 

[f15robyn]

December will be my husband's third trip to Disney World (my seventh). He's wanted to stay at the Contemporary since he first rode the monorail through it .

So I got on the phone on the morning of July 27th when the deals came out and was excited to book a theme-park view room at a rather decent discount.

Today my travel agent (she's a Disney specialist with her Disney "Masters" ) called to tell me that she got us an upgrade to the Tower Level for less than $25 more per night.

Now I'm beside myself excited. This is a b-day trip for hubby and I'm gonna try and keep the CL part a secret until we get there. But I'm a terrible secret-keeper . So thanks for letting me spill the beans here.

Quick question. The info on the first post of this thread says the 5 standard rooms on the 14th floor can't be reserved as Magic Kingdom view vs Bay Lake view. That you get the luck of the draw.

So I had my travel agent double check that. Today, the reservation person and the concierge on the 14th floor told my travel agent that the two rooms with the king beds on the 14th floor are a different room category than the three rooms that have 2 queen beds. And that both of the rooms with king beds face the magic kingdom. So when they booked my reservation with that king bed room category, it does guarantee a magic kingdom view (where booking one of the 3 queen rooms might not).

Sound right?

Anyway, thanks for all of the great info about the Contemporary. Now the waiting.......

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

December will be my husband's third trip to Disney World (my seventh). He's wanted to stay at the Contemporary since he first rode the monorail through it .

So I got on the phone on the morning of July 27th when the deals came out and was excited to book a theme-park view room at a rather decent discount.

Today my travel agent (she's a Disney specialist with her Disney "Masters" ) called to tell me that she got us an upgrade to the Tower Level for less than $25 more per night.

Now I'm beside myself excited. This is a b-day trip for hubby and I'm gonna try and keep the CL part a secret until we get there. But I'm a terrible secret-keeper . So thanks for letting me spill the beans here.

Quick question. The info on the first post of this thread says the 5 standard rooms on the 14th floor can't be reserved as Magic Kingdom view vs Bay Lake view. That you get the luck of the draw.

So I had my travel agent double check that. Today, the reservation person and the concierge on the 14th floor told my travel agent that the two rooms with the king beds on the 14th floor are a different room category than the three rooms that have 2 queen beds. And that both of the rooms with king beds face the magic kingdom. So when they booked my reservation with that king bed room category, it does guarantee a magic kingdom view (where booking one of the 3 queen rooms might not).

Sound right?

Anyway, thanks for all of the great info about the Contemporary. Now the waiting.......

Congragulations on getting that amazing deal and yes the King rooms on the 14th floor are different booking categories then their standard rooms.

 

[WDWKOOK]

FYI... there is no link to this thread on the sticky at the top for all the resorts - the 2 old ones are there...maybe it should be added!!?? thanks![/B]

I PM'd Canadianguy (the moderator who started the thread) about 3 weeks ago about the missing CR FAQ 2009 link, but I never got a response.

It's very exciting that you have your vacation already booked a year in advance. Don't forget that if you get any pin codes or if any promotions come out in the interim, you can always apply them and modify your reservation.

 

[lissiesmum]

I was wondering what the noise level was like in the Tower rooms? I was over on the CR picture thread, and one poster said he switched from a Tower room to a Garden Wing room because of the noise. If you're on a floor close to the monorail, is it noisy when it goes by? Or maybe just the usual people being loud in the hallway noise?

Also, I was wondering when you're out on your balcony, can you hear anything from the MK, like the center court show, or any other music? Can you hear any of the horns from the ferries? I'm trying to picture the whole experience in my head...

 

[of the seas]

I didn't hear any noise, but we were on the other side of the monorail. We could not hear any noise from the pool area with the balcony doors closed. I don't think noise is a problem because the way the rooms are set up, and how they were built.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I was wondering what the noise level was like in the Tower rooms? I was over on the CR picture thread, and one poster said he switched from a Tower room to a Garden Wing room because of the noise. If you're on a floor close to the monorail, is it noisy when it goes by? Or maybe just the usual people being loud in the hallway noise?

Also, I was wondering when you're out on your balcony, can you hear anything from the MK, like the center court show, or any other music? Can you hear any of the horns from the ferries? I'm trying to picture the whole experience in my head...

A few years ago my family and I had a room on the 6th floor which was right above the Monorail station and there was no noise problems.

As for hearing things from the Magic Kingdom while on the balcony, the only thing I have heard was the noise of the steam train.

 

[lissiesmum]

I didn't hear any noise, but we were on the other side of the monorail. We could not hear any noise from the pool area with the balcony doors closed. I don't think noise is a problem because the way the rooms are set up, and how they were built.

That sounds good...we stayed at the Poly last April and I didn't get a good night's sleep for a week...the noise from the hallways was pretty bad, and our neigbors were pretty noisy! I have seen many of your pictures, thanks for posting! I'm trying to decide between Poly and CR MK view and your pics are helping me out a lot

A few years ago my family and I had a room on the 6th floor which was right above the Monorail station and there was no noise problems.

As for hearing things from the Magic Kingdom while on the balcony, the only thing I have heard was the noise of the steam train.

I would love to hear the noise from the steam train

I think what scares me a little about the Contemporary is I don't feel a "flavor" to the resort. Like the Poly, you smell that tropical smell in the lobby, people say "aloha", the sounds of the waves on the beach, the ferry horns, the torches lit at night, the hawaiian music playing everywhere, etc. When I think of these things, my heart aches for the Poly (even if I don't get much sleep there! ) But then I look at the MK view pics from the CR, and the view is spectacular and I can imagine what it must be like to sit on the balcony at night and just watch the lights change and the reflections on the water, the fireworks, etc. But what else is it about the CR that draws you back? I'd love to hear some opinions about what else you love about the CR besides the monorail and the views. I feel like if I don't make a decision soon, (or before the winter discounts some out), I might miss the opportunity to book an MK view. What experiences can you all share?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

That sounds good...we stayed at the Poly last April and I didn't get a good night's sleep for a week...the noise from the hallways was pretty bad, and our neigbors were pretty noisy! I have seen many of your pictures, thanks for posting! I'm trying to decide between Poly and CR MK view and your pics are helping me out a lot



I would love to hear the noise from the steam train

I think what scares me a little about the Contemporary is I don't feel a "flavor" to the resort. Like the Poly, you smell that tropical smell in the lobby, people say "aloha", the sounds of the waves on the beach, the ferry horns, the torches lit at night, the hawaiian music playing everywhere, etc. When I think of these things, my heart aches for the Poly (even if I don't get much sleep there! ) But then I look at the MK view pics from the CR, and the view is spectacular and I can imagine what it must be like to sit on the balcony at night and just watch the lights change and the reflections on the water, the fireworks, etc. But what else is it about the CR that draws you back? I'd love to hear some opinions about what else you love about the CR besides the monorail and the views. I feel like if I don't make a decision soon, (or before the winter discounts some out), I might miss the opportunity to book an MK view. What experiences can you all share?

Well what keeps my family and I returning is their overall location to the Magic Kingdom, since it's right next door and they are the only resort with a walkway that goes there. Besides that we like having our room in the Tower with all the stores and restaurants being right there, which is something you won't get at the Polynesian. We also like how the 4th floor is always buzzing with a lot of atmosphere from everyone who is at the stores and restaurants.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Ditto to the reasons above.

We have also stayed multiple times at both the Poly and the CR, and we prefer the CR. I have experienced the same dilemma as you: I love the tropical setting and the feeling/smells it exudes; the leis; the alohas and mahalos; Kona, etc... In fact, 2 years ago we were booked at the Poly and after a couple of days of being in a mostly filthy room, that was a garden view, but had a view from the balcony of the smoker's bench below and a part of the parking lot, my family asked if we could please switch to the CR. I went to the front desk of the CR, explained the situation, and they checked us in immediately. My family and I were thrilled to be back at the CR (and, it was even marginally cheaper.)


In our personal experience, the Poly has had inconsistent housekeeping. One visit it was good, and the next visit it was absolutely unacceptable. The reviews online of housekeeping are frequently very mixed; some say it was fine, others report that they were disappointed. In our many stays, we have yet to experience such poor housekeeping at the CR. Some housekeepers, especially sometimes on the weekends, aren't as diligent as the weekday housekeepers, but they are still, IMHO, more consistent overall than the Poly.

While the grounds of the Poly are indeed beautiful, we personally dislike having to walk back and forth past the guests who sit out on their patios, and beyond, smoking. At the CR, the only spot where this can happen is in the Garden Wing, and even there I have never seen it as bad as at the Poly. It's just an atmosphere killer for us.

It seems that everytime we stay at the Poly it pours, which means getting at least your shoes soaked, if not your raincoat, etc... just to get to the GCH/CC.

The abundance of crazy cart drivers at the Poly detracts from the tropical setting.

Personally, I love having the Olympiad gym right in the CR's Tower. At the Poly, if you want to use the gym, you have to walk over to the GF.

The CR/BLT is the first stop going and coming for the buses.

Not that it matters to us, but there aren't any whirlpools at the Poly.

The Volcano Pool always seems packed. I never feel that it's as crowded at the CR. I think there is more seating and deck space at the CR.

We do love the walkway to the TTC at the Poly, however, we really love the walkway to the MK from the CR.

The exterior monorail platform always seems more crowded at the Poly than the interior platform at the CR.

Overall, we just feel more relaxed at the CR. Whether on the Concourse, the pool area, our room/balcony, the (virtually empty) walkway, the (usually empty) gym, we personally prefer the CR.

But remember, you're only a monorail ride away from the Poly - you can still "visit" the Poly and stay at the CR.