Trying to decide between Contemporary and Art of Animation

[shan981]

Hi, we are planning a trip for the week after Thanksgiving 2018, Sunday-Sunday. It will be me, husband, and three sons (10yo and almost 2yo twins). We are debating between AoA and Contemporary, which I realize are probably complete opposites. We like the idea of having a family suite, but are also drawn to the convenience of being on the monorail. The Contemporary will be about $500 more for the week, but of course that's just for a standard room. (Spending $11k for a 1BR at Contemporary would more than break the budget, haha.)

I guess it's a matter of deciding what is more desirable with two toddlers: a separate room for them to nap/sleep, or the ease of getting to MK (where we will probably spend a lot of time) via the monorail. Can anyone share personal experiences with either/both options? Is there anything else I'm not thinking of?

Edit to add: We will almost certainly rent a car if we decide to stay at AoA, and may even rent one if we stay at Contemporary unless I can be convinced it's totally unnecessary. It just seems like the easier option to get anywhere besides MK and Epcot.

 

[Shellyb84]

What about Poly or GF? Does the theme of CR appeal to you? Honestly I go with whatever resort has a theme that appeals to my family regardless of location.

 

[shan981]

Actually, no, the theme of CR doesn't appeal to me at all. It just seems very convenient, and it's the only monorail resort in our budget. Poly and GF were both quite a bit more and would really be a stretch.

 

[shellyj]

I would definitely take more space over the monorail.

My family prefers the buses over driving which doesn't seem to save us any time. We usually stay at AKL, which everyone things of as SO FAR AWAY, but the buses run smoothly and even "all the way" to MK is about 20 minutes. It's actually a really nice transition between the park and being in the room. It helps, though, that all my kids enjoy the bus ride. For my autistic son, it's the best part!

 

[Shellyb84]

Actually, no, the theme of CR doesn't appeal to me at all. It just seems very convenient, and it's the only monorail resort in our budget. Poly and GF were both quite a bit more and would really be a stretch.

I see. Then I would definitely not do CR if I were you! Honestly, the buses have been fine at most resorts I've stayed at (except AKL).

What about WL? It has the boat to MK. Or a cabin at the Fort? Then you would have the boat transportation as well as separate rooms.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We have stayed at both. Honestly, we weren't "wowed" by the CR. I mean, it's a nice hotel, but we were kind of "meh" on it. It didn't scream "resort" to us. The walk to MK is fantastic, and the monorail would be nice if it was something to be counted on, but during our stay, it was down multiple times which lead to frantic rerouting to get to ADR's and such.

We had a Nemo suite at AOA and the room was great. Wonderful space for our family of 5. We liked having the room that could be closed off for DS (who was only 15 months old at the time). Our kids enjoyed the Big Blue Pool (and seriously disliked the pool at the CR). The food court at AOA was also good, with a good amount of options to choose from.

I do love staying at the Magic Kingdom resorts, but the CR wouldn't be my first choice. I would pick AOA over CR.

 

[shan981]

I see. Then I would definitely not do CR if I were you! Honestly, the buses have been fine at most resorts I've stayed at (except AKL).

What about WL? It has the boat to MK. Or a cabin at the Fort? Then you would have the boat transportation as well as separate rooms.

Originally I was considering a cabin at Fort. I can't remember now why I strayed from that idea. I'm going to re-research that option. Thank you!

 

[shan981]

We have stayed at both. Honestly, we weren't "wowed" by the CR. I mean, it's a nice hotel, but we were kind of "meh" on it. It didn't scream "resort" to us. The walk to MK is fantastic, and the monorail would be nice if it was something to be counted on, but during our stay, it was down multiple times which lead to frantic rerouting to get to ADR's and such.

We had a Nemo suite at AOA and the room was great. Wonderful space for our family of 5. We liked having the room that could be closed off for DS (who was only 15 months old at the time). Our kids enjoyed the Big Blue Pool (and seriously disliked the pool at the CR). The food court at AOA was also good, with a good amount of options to choose from.

I do love staying at the Magic Kingdom resorts, but the CR wouldn't be my first choice. I would pick AOA over CR.

Thank you! That's how I feel about CR, it looks nice but it really doesn't seem to have that Disney vibe, just seems like a regular hotel. Like I said, the monorail was really the only thing that made us consider it. We would do a Nemo suite if we choose AoA, so I'm glad to hear that it was great.

 

[kboo]

I'll be the contrarian here. (Full disclaimer, we bought at BLT) If the twins are going to be napping in the room, I would say CR hands down:

if at MK, 1 parent can take the twins back for nap, and it is a nice short walk, and the other parent can take ODS and not even need to go back to the room.
I would save my money and not bother with the rental car. When we stayed at CR/BLT, we always walked to MK.

Getting to EP if the resort monorail is down - you could walk to MK and take a boat to TTC. If the EP monorail is down, then walk to MK transportation hub and there will be alternate transportation there. Going to other resorts is easy too - walk to the MK transportation hub and take a resort bus, same for getting back. We only used to monorail for ADRs at GF and Poly.

 

[diser_fam]

My vote would be for CR. With that said, I have never stayed at AoA.

We stayed at CR for the first time this past February and the convenience to MK was so great. Having your resort within a 10 minute walk to MK would be a huge factor for me personally with 2 yr old twins. I remember walking to MK our first morning and coming to the Security/Bag check on the sidewalk from the CR. There were 2 people in front of use compared to hundreds waiting to get through the checks at the monorail/bus/ferry entrance. That was nice.

It's been awhile since my kids were 2, but not so long that I forget how nice it would be for them to have a separate room to sleep. But for me, the convenience would outweigh the extra room.

If you did choose CR, I don't think the rental car is necessary. You certainly wouldn't need it for MK or Epcot (barring any monorail issues). Perhaps not getting a rental car could make up for the $500 difference between CR and AoA.

We are going with extended family in Feb 2018 and staying at POR. I'm going to miss the convenience of CR.

 

[Marionnette]

Hi, we are planning a trip for the week after Thanksgiving 2018, Sunday-Sunday. It will be me, husband, and three sons (10yo and almost 2yo twins). We are debating between AoA and Contemporary, which I realize are probably complete opposites. We like the idea of having a family suite, but are also drawn to the convenience of being on the monorail. The Contemporary will be about $500 more for the week, but of course that's just for a standard room. (Spending $11k for a 1BR at Contemporary would more than break the budget, haha.)

I guess it's a matter of deciding what is more desirable with two toddlers: a separate room for them to nap/sleep, or the ease of getting to MK (where we will probably spend a lot of time) via the monorail. Can anyone share personal experiences with either/both options? Is there anything else I'm not thinking of?

Edit to add: We will almost certainly rent a car if we decide to stay at AoA, and may even rent one if we stay at Contemporary unless I can be convinced it's totally unnecessary. It just seems like the easier option to get anywhere besides MK and Epcot.

I would go with the best of both worlds and explore the possibility of renting a reservation at BLT from a DVC member. You could get a 1-BR villa with a full kitchen and in-room washer/dryer (a HUGE plus when you have toddlers). And you can stroll over to CR to catch the monorail easily.

Rack rate for Sunday-Sunday mid-December:

AoA Family Suite = $3233 w/tax
CR Garden Wing Std. = $3950 w/tax​

Cost for 1-BR Lake View at BLT = $3893 no tax involved

 

[DisneyMooners2010]

We have stayed at both and I much preferred CR with a stroller and toddler who napped. It was so nice to just walk back to the room from MK and be resting in your room within 10 minutes. No folding the stroller and waiting in line for transportation (you'll have that even if you drive there). Getting to a pre-park opening Crystal Palace ADR was stress-free and we loved having a character meal right at our resort. One parent could also do EMH and still be close enough to return quickly if anarchy occurred in the room I should note that our 2 year old loved the MK so we spent a bulk of our time there. I wasn't nuts about CR theme but it grew on me and honestly was just like a nice hotel. Our DD kept asking to go back there when she needed a break from overstimulation and she slept well there. Room size was pretty decent both times we stayed in Garden Wing (had a pack and play plus plenty of room with both two beds and king layouts).

We found AOA to have great theming but it was just so busy and less relaxing. The food court was very loud. For us it's more of a neat place to visit/play, not stay. One thing though- if your kids are super into one of those movies, they will love the room.

I'd take a look at how much time you think you will spend at each park. If you will spend a decent amount of time at MK, it might be worth sacrificing the extra space.

 

[mindeola]

Definitely look into renting DVC points for a 1 bedroom. Maybe that will make it in budget.

The AoA suites are really great for families. Your kids would love the theming and its so nice having the space and two bedrooms. Of course, the convenience of the Contemporary. Sigh. Tough choice!

 

[kboo]

We have stayed in the Garden Wing and at BLT. Both felt like such a respite from the noise and people, and the rooms are nice and big. Renting a 1BR at BLT is another great alternative, and you'll have a full kitchen and washer dryer in your unit. The main caveat is that for that time, you'll need to plan close to 11 months in advance, and you won't be able to cancel last minute.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

I would go Contemporary without a doubt. One of the hardest things for us at Disney is waiting with sleepy kids at a bus stop to go "home" and then having to fold the stroller. I wish we could have gotten on the fast monorail to get back quickly.

 

[vallygirl0221]

I would definitely take more space over the monorail.

My family prefers the buses over driving which doesn't seem to save us any time. We usually stay at AKL, which everyone things of as SO FAR AWAY, but the buses run smoothly and even "all the way" to MK is about 20 minutes. It's actually a really nice transition between the park and being in the room. It helps, though, that all my kids enjoy the bus ride. For my autistic son, it's the best part!

We are staying at the Poly for the first time in December and AOA for the first time in February, however our "home resort" is usually Pop and I have never had any issues with the buses like the PP said even the furthest park from Pop is about 20 minutes max and most are much closer. Also my nephews are obsessed with the bus and love that they get to ride without seat belts looking out the windows.

I have never driven at WDW but I personally see no added value to using them to get to the parks, from either resort the CR is literally walking distance to MK and with AOA (which I have been researching for the upcoming trip) the parking lots are kind of a hike.Also with driving you then have to get everyone loaded drive to the parks, wait in line with everyone who is onsite and off, park again and then more than likely take a tram or other form of vehicle to the gates. With the buses you walk to the main building, wait in line (rarely very long and it is shocking how entertained kids are just by playing with the ropes in the queue area) get on the bus, and it drops you right at the park door, on the way back the process is reversed.

 

[Elmo888]

AOA with separate rooms. Separate rooms, separate rooms, separate rooms. We stayed at WL when our youngest was 2, and she would not sleep unless everone did. She didn't want to miss anything (she's 12 now and still feels the same!).

When we returned the next year, we stayed in a family suite at ASMusic. I was so much more relaxed, less stressed and enjoyed myself much more. The WL is beautiful, but nothing is a substitute for separate rooms!

And for your touring plan, while I wouldn't omit the nap/mid day break, some days went well if we just stayed at the park through the afternoon and headed back to the resort at 4 pm or 5 pm. It depends on the kid. So, the Contemporary might not be that necessary. And my DD rarely fell asleep in a stroller, so taking DD out of the stroller wasn't a problem. Again, depends on the kid.

AOA is fun and festive, and once we are in the room, we relax easily! LOVED Finding Nemo rooms. Colors are just more relaxing than Lion King rooms.

 

[shan981]

Thank you everyone! Lots of good points to think about. I had never thought about one of the adults returning to the room with the twins while the other stayed at the park with ODS, but that sounds like a great idea since he'll obviously be able to do a lot more than the littles will.

I know nothing about renting points, I'm going to do some research on that today. Is there a 'renting points for dummies' type post somewhere?

 

[bebec22]

Kids in stroller = Contemporary, hands down. I'm not wowed by the themeing at the Contemporary either but nothing beats the convenience of this resort. During my last trip we watched the fireworks from the flagpole at MK and walked right out when they were over and were back in our room within 10 minutes. The rooms are fairly large plus you have the extra sleeping surface with the daybed.

 

[AllieBoo]

We stayed at the Contemporary in June and absolutely loved it! While there's not any Disney theming per se, the rooms are really nice and big. We loved being able to walk to the Mk. We also liked being right on the lake and being able to watch the fireworks and Electrical water pageant.

In my opinion, you just can't beat the location, especially if you are planning to spend most of your time at MK. To me, busing or driving to MK is more painful than at any other parks.