The NEW Disney's Contemporary Resort FAQ with PICTURES! (Feb 2008)

[brergnat]

I wonder if this is cost saving measure? By taking out the computers, there's no longer any free internet service. You have to either bring your own and pay the daily internet fee or go down to the business center and pay to use the computers there.

Also, I'm sure the computers used a lot of electricity. Enough to make a difference if you're talking about one in each room x EVERY room on property (if they were theoretically going to put one in every resort room on property). Plus, the maintenance costs. Plus, the costs to replace damaged units due to negligence/abuse by guests, etc.

I have stayed in hotels where computers were in the rooms previously, and lately, they have also been removed as well.

I have a feeling that *most* people who would use a computer just bring their own laptop. Those who did use the in room computer probably didn't like the lack of ability to do stuff like upload photos, do any real work (like checking email that required downloading or opening attachments/files, etc.).

I think it was a good idea in concept, but the computers were most likely removed due to guest feedback that they were not utilized and/or did not work the way WDW intended (i.e. the online "concierge" housekeeping/room service did not perform the way they anticipated).

 

[Bricket]

The computer thing seriously disappoints me. And it was one of the things that sold the hubby.
*sigh*

 

[pixie921]

The computer thing seriously disappoints me. And it was one of the things that sold the hubby.
*sigh*

I agree. My son and nephew lived on that computer during our stay last month.

 

[marsrunner]

We just came back from a stay at the Contemporary Jan. 20-27. We were on the 11th floor with a Magic Kingdom view in room 4748. Maybe just my opinion, but that's the best room in the whole tower that isn't Concierge Level!
The room was beautiful inside. Very comfortable beds, nice bathroom (though the sinks are a little strange...I had to rinse the sink with water after my daughter brushed her teeth or the spit would just stay on the edge of the sink). There was no computer which was disappointing. I had not heard they were being removed but didn't bother to ask why.
Everyone there was wonderful EXCEPT for the Contempo Cafe staff who were rude and generally unpleasant. The food was awful. None of the food we had anywhere on site was any good, including Chef Mickey's and several places in the parks, but the food at the Contempo Cafe was just abysmal. We gave up after the second night and drove off-site to Steak N Shake for dinner. Its not fine dining, but cost about half as much as anywhere on site and tasted twice as good. In fact, the only decent food we had on site were the smoked turkey legs which were delicious.
I really have to wonder why Disney even bothers with the food. They should really just outsource it to somebody else. It couldn't possibly be much worse. Everything else was so wonderful during our trip. I didn't see any of the dirtiness, overflowing ashtrays, rude Cast Members or anything of the other problems (aside from rude guests and tour groups, but that's not Disney's fault) that it just seems like Disney could do so much better. If they aren't interested in doing better they should just let someone else do it. Never happen, I know, but still.
There are a bunch of other complaints I could make about rude guests, but this isn't really the place for it. We had a wonderful time at the Contemporary and would not want to stay anywhere else on property.
And yes, we complained in person to the manager and wrote letters when we returned about the bad food at the Contemporary. Didn't ask for anything, just wanted to let them know how we felt.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We just came back from a stay at the Contemporary Jan. 20-27. We were on the 11th floor with a Magic Kingdom view in room 4748. Maybe just my opinion, but that's the best room in the whole tower that isn't Concierge Level!
The room was beautiful inside. Very comfortable beds, nice bathroom (though the sinks are a little strange...I had to rinse the sink with water after my daughter brushed her teeth or the spit would just stay on the edge of the sink). There was no computer which was disappointing. I had not heard they were being removed but didn't bother to ask why.
Everyone there was wonderful EXCEPT for the Contempo Cafe staff who were rude and generally unpleasant. The food was awful. None of the food we had anywhere on site was any good, including Chef Mickey's and several places in the parks, but the food at the Contempo Cafe was just abysmal. We gave up after the second night and drove off-site to Steak N Shake for dinner. Its not fine dining, but cost about half as much as anywhere on site and tasted twice as good. In fact, the only decent food we had on site were the smoked turkey legs which were delicious.
I really have to wonder why Disney even bothers with the food. They should really just outsource it to somebody else. It couldn't possibly be much worse. Everything else was so wonderful during our trip. I didn't see any of the dirtiness, overflowing ashtrays, rude Cast Members or anything of the other problems (aside from rude guests and tour groups, but that's not Disney's fault) that it just seems like Disney could do so much better. If they aren't interested in doing better they should just let someone else do it. Never happen, I know, but still.
There are a bunch of other complaints I could make about rude guests, but this isn't really the place for it. We had a wonderful time at the Contemporary and would not want to stay anywhere else on property.
And yes, we complained in person to the manager and wrote letters when we returned about the bad food at the Contemporary. Didn't ask for anything, just wanted to let them know how we felt.

Thanks for posting your review and it's to bad you did not like the Contempo Cafe. My family and I thought the food there was very good and we found nothing wrong with the Cast Members who work there.

 

[deej696]

Everyone there was wonderful EXCEPT for the Contempo Cafe staff who were rude and generally unpleasant.

We had lunch at Contempo on Sunday and the CM we encountered was less than friendly as well. Wasnt a big deal, but it was bad enough to notice...

 

[marsrunner]

We had lunch at Contempo on Sunday and the CM we encountered was less than friendly as well. Wasnt a big deal, but it was bad enough to notice...

The one time we were there the lady at the counter very sarcastically told us to "go pay at the register since you obviously haven't done that yet" and the cashier didn't even say one word to us. They weren't even busy, in fact we were the only people ordering food! The layout of the place is just not intuitive at all.

My burger was a tasteless lump of something that I had to bury in ketchup and mayonaise for it to taste like anything. My son had the chicken sandwich and he said it tasted like shoe leather. My wife had some kind of salad that she barely touched and my five-year old daughter wouldn't eat the pizza. We couldn't figure out why until we tried the pepperoni which oddly was incredibly spicy. Why put something like that on a child's pizza? It would have given me indigestion much less her.

Yeah, we ate there one night and Chef Mickey's the next, then gave up and ate off site.

I know food at theme parks isn't going to be great, so I don't have inflated standards. The hot dogs we had at Universal were great (even if they were $7.00 ) and the pretzel there wasn't had as a rock unlike the Disney pretzel I had, so I know its possible to have decent food at a theme park. I don't mind overpriced; I do mind inedible.

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

Thought I'd post some pictures of the Contemporary that I took this past weekend

Standard Room - Atrium Level

Bay Lake View from Room

Construction (View from Room Balcony)

Good Morning View

A Different View of Construction

View from Atrium Club

 

[mef78]

Alrighty!

We're headed to CR (NEVER thought I'd be able to stay there!) next weekend and I would love if someone could drum up a particular room block (set of numbers) we should suggest. We have a Tower Magic Kingdom view room.

I'm sure it's somewhere in this 202 pages of thread, but I have to get up for work tomorrow and just don't have time to search!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Ana~n~Joseph,
Your pictures look great so thanks for posting them.

mef78,
If you want to stay as high as possible request a room on the 11th floor, since it's the highest regular floor in the Tower you can stay on. However I say the view is the same no matter the floor you end up on.

 

[SydneyFalco]

Thanks to the answers on the pool hopping question! I figured it was something like that, but during my last stay at the Poly I swam all three nights and was never bothered by anyone.

I just wanted to ask: what are y'all doing on these room computers? (Y'all? I must be heading to Florida soon; my Canadian accent is changing!)

It's not work on the road stuff, is it? I'm just curious, as I wouldn't go near a computer on vacation myself.

Also, it might not just be cost concerns or a chance to charge, re: the computers. It might be security/legal concerns of some sort. I'm just picking that out of nowhere. I didn't know that any hotel anywhere actually offered you a computer to use.

 

[ededmd]

Alrighty!

We're headed to CR (NEVER thought I'd be able to stay there!) next weekend and I would love if someone could drum up a particular room block (set of numbers) we should suggest. We have a Tower Magic Kingdom view room.

I'm sure it's somewhere in this 202 pages of thread, but I have to get up for work tomorrow and just don't have time to search!

4x48 is the end room closest to the MK.
x is the guest floor #
for example 4848 is the MK end room on the 12th level (AC) [and farthest from CM]
presumably the 11th level is 4748, etc.
best wishes.

 

[gmi3804]

Just what does a theme park view look like from a Contemporary room? And what are the differences in the floor level with regards to the view?

 

[BenA81]

gmi, check out the contemporary resort photo thread, there are tons in there.

 

[gmi3804]

Thanks!

 

[mef78]

Thanks CR Resort Fan and ededmd! I feel fully informed!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks to the answers on the pool hopping question! I figured it was something like that, but during my last stay at the Poly I swam all three nights and was never bothered by anyone.

I just wanted to ask: what are y'all doing on these room computers? (Y'all? I must be heading to Florida soon; my Canadian accent is changing!)

It's not work on the road stuff, is it? I'm just curious, as I wouldn't go near a computer on vacation myself.

Also, it might not just be cost concerns or a chance to charge, re: the computers. It might be security/legal concerns of some sort. I'm just picking that out of nowhere. I didn't know that any hotel anywhere actually offered you a computer to use.

They recently just got rid of the in room computers. However when they had them there was free high speed internet and an Online Concierge program where you could request items from housekeeping, order room service, and request bell service. There were no work programs like on a regular computers, however if you opened an e-mail with an attachment from Microsoft Word or Excel you can see what it is.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Just what does a theme park view look like from a Contemporary room? And what are the differences in the floor level with regards to the view?

Here are pictures of my families Tower Magic Kingdom View from August 2008, which is room #4828 and it's on the 12th floor.

Anyway I always say there are no differences in what the view looks like no matter the floor your on because my family and I have had the Magic Kingdom View as low as the 6th floor and we did not see a difference when you compare it to a higher floor in the Tower. Also the 6th floor is the lowest floor you can get with the Magic Kingdom View, because there are none on the 5th floor with the reason being the Monorail station on the 4th floor. So the 5th floor only has the Bay Lake View rooms. Finally the highest regular floor you can request is the 11th floor, since the 12th and 14th floors are the Club Level floors for the Tower and are different booking categories.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks CR Resort Fan and ededmd! I feel fully informed!

You're welcome.

 

[gmi3804]

Thank you!