Wilderness Lodge or Contemporary

[davidc1]

Which of the two deluxe hotels would you guys pick and why? I currently have a MK view booked for Contemporary but also considering Wilderness Lodge Courtyard view. What are the pros and cons of the two hotels? Any opinions are welcomed! Thanks

 

[88golf88]

We like WL but LOVE Contemporary. Being able to walk to MK and get right on the Monorail are two perks that we would choose every time. We stayed at WL for our honeymoon and it was great, so this is a vote for Contemporary and not against WL.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

The reason we picked CR for our upcoming trip in Oct was for the convenience of the monorail and walking to MK. To me, that is a huge selling point.

 

[RedfromNL]

We decided to spoil ourselves a bit and go deluxe in january. We finally decided on the WL. We simply didn't like the look and feel of the CR. No: ooh that looks pretty, or I'd like to just walk around there. Just another hotel (with big rooms sure). The lobby feels like a trainstation or looks that way on pics anyway Plus we don't really care for that 30-years ago "modern"feel.

Monorail would have been nice but hey, we can take the nice slow boat to the MK. Good way to relax a bit.

So for us it's the WL because we liked the way it looked, has nice looking rooms, some good places to eat and a possibility for a nice walk to Fort wilderness.

Before making a choice: what is most important to you?

 

[davidc1]

We decided to spoil ourselves a bit and go deluxe in january. We finally decided on the WL. We simply didn't like the look and feel of the CR. No: ooh that looks pretty, or I'd like to just walk around there. Just another hotel (with big rooms sure). The lobby feels like a trainstation or looks that way on pics anyway Plus we don't really care for that 30-years ago "modern"feel.

Monorail would have been nice but hey, we can take the nice slow boat to the MK. Good way to relax a bit.

So for us it's the WL because we liked the way it looked, has nice looking rooms, some good places to eat and a possibility for a nice walk to Fort wilderness.

Before making a choice: what is most important to you?

I think the important thing is for the resort to be close to MK and both resorts are pretty close. I guess the theme doesnt realy affect me but having it would be nice. The view is also very important as well.

 

[nklooz]

I was trying to decide the same thing. Here are some of the variables we considered.

Convenience: Walking path to MK and Monorail to MK, other deluxe resorts and TTC definitely make CR more convenient than WL.

View: TPV would be the best view to me, for sure!

Theme: WL will be more "themed" than CR.

Room: CR will have bigger rooms than WL. I've also heard the WL rooms can be dark.

Price: WL will be cheaper than CR.

Dining: I liked the idea of Chef Mickey's character dining vs. the WCC.

Child Care: I believe that WL has one of the childcare centers, CR does not.

For us, we decided the convenience, views, and character dining outweighed the more themed feel of the WL or the cheaper price.

HTH.

 

[fla4fun]

I have stayed at both. I like both. But I like them for different reasons.

I like CR if I plan to spend a lot of time at MK, or if my trip is more park intensive. It's easy to walk to MK or take the monorail to Epcot from there.

I like WL if I plan to spend more time at the resort, and less time at the parks, because the resort is so relaxing and being able to enjoy the activities at nearby Fort Wilderness is a big plus.

I like the dining options at both.

I would sit down and make a list of what you want/need out of your resort to have the best vacation experience. Once you have your list, compare it to the two resorts and one should stand out as the best choice. Each family is different, and each trip is different, so there's no "one size fits all" answer.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

CR!!

I love that you can watch fireworks without the crowd! I love that you can just walk back instead of waiting. I love the yummy room service if just feel like eating in your pajamas after a day at the park I also just like the rooms better!!

 

[Sue M]

I think the important thing is for the resort to be close to MK and both resorts are pretty close. I guess the theme doesnt realy affect me but having it would be nice. The view is also very important as well.

If having an MK view is important, then CR. And you can walk to MK from CR as mentioned.

Personally, I don't care much for CR, it's more about the theme for us, and having pretty surroundings. CR is a lot of concrete, and not too much on theming. Just looks like a hotel that could be anywhere.
But the rooms are the largest along with Poly.

 

[spiceycat]

I think the important thing is for the resort to be close to MK and both resorts are pretty close. I guess the theme doesnt realy affect me but having it would be nice. The view is also very important as well.

you can walk to the MK faster from the CR than taking the monrail to the MK. that wins for me. although I do love WL/VWL too.

you don't even need the monrail for the MK if you stay at the CR.

now you do need it for Epcot. that say be sure to check the times when the resort monrail will be closed. you want to take the monrail from Epcot then transfer to the resort monrail. there are times now when the resort monrail will be closed. that means taking a bus and that can be a long trip because you share with Polyn, and GF - getting to those resorts can be difficult. not so much the Polyn - but the GF is out of the way and it make the trip much longer.

 

[bowbat]

Which of the two deluxe hotels would you guys pick and why? I currently have a MK view booked for Contemporary but also considering Wilderness Lodge Courtyard view. What are the pros and cons of the two hotels? Any opinions are welcomed! Thanks

I would stick with the MK view Contemporary room.

First, the convenience is fantastic. Second, the rooms are spacious, bright & modern. Third, there are great restaurants & shops right in the hotel. And finally, being able to watch the fireworks from the comfort of your own room is pure heaven.

WL is a great resort -- beautiful, amazingly themed, lots to do & see -- but we found the rooms to be small, dated & dark. And our "courtyard view" was visible only when standing, as we were on the top floor & had a solid-wall balcony. Not really relaxing to have to stand up to enjoy a view. When we did stand, the view was pleasant -- the quiet pool ahead and the lake to our left -- but nothing compared to TPV.

 

[Scarlett81]

If TPV is important to you, then you should stick with CR. I think TPV is nice to do one time at least. Its special.
For us if I had to choose between either hotel I'd pick WL. That hotel is just spectacular. Being in the nyc area, I can see a modern/chic style hotel anytime. The CR doesn't do anything for me style wise. But the amenities and convenience can't be beat.
I'm staying at the Poly next bc my sisters in law want that special TPV. But for me and hubby, WL will be next.
WL can be a great value also. You get deluxe accom, but usually pay less than the other MK area hotels. The feel of that hotel is so neat. Architecturally its amazing. My hubby is not a big Disney guy...by hour 3 of MK, he's done. But he would happily stay at WL.
I don't think either way you can really go wrong. If this is a first time on property, or first time deluxe then I'd say CR, for the old school Dis feel and TPV. If you've already experienced that though, and want something with a real theme or a better deal go WL.

 

[CynBeth]

Thanks for asking the question and for the answers! We are trying to decide between the 2 for a possible Dec 2013 visit. We just stayed at POFQ this past Nov and want to do a deluxe next time.

 

[mickeynut1]

For us, it would be the WL hands down. We've never stayed at the CR as we don't care for the theme/decor and that's an important factor to us when choosing a resort. The WL isn't on the monorail and you can't walk to MK, but we love the boat and that has always been very quick and convenient whenever we've stayed there. If we want to be on the monorail, we would choose the Poly or GF over the CR.

 

[RedfromNL]

If having an MK view is important, then CR. And you can walk to MK from CR as mentioned.

Personally, I don't care much for CR, it's more about the theme for us, and having pretty surroundings. CR is a lot of concrete, and not too much on theming. Just looks like a hotel that could be anywhere.
But the rooms are the largest along with Poly.

Those are some of the main reasons we decided against the CR and ultimately in favor of the WL. I liked the POFQ theming as well. And we can always take the boat to the CR and op on teh monorail to epcot from there

 

[Herbie]

We have stayed at both, and i would pick the CR every time. The WL is a beautiful place, but i was very disappointed in the room.

 

[Alabama Minnie]

I have now stayed at both and if room size doesn't matter I would recommend WL at Xmas-time. It really is lovely then.
The rooms at CR and POLY are huge in comparison. Also, I am glad we got the woods-view at WL because the balcony seemed more private. The CY balconies were open to view from the pool and walkways.
I still prefer the POLY though but would do WL anytime over AKL.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The Contemporary because their Standard Rooms are the biggest among the Deluxe Resorts, walkway to the Magic Kingdom, Resort Monorail access and if you stay in the Tower all those rooms come with a guaranteed balcony.

 

[toodycat]

I've never stayed at CL because it just doesn't feel "Disney" enough to me. It is sleek and modern and looks more like a W hotel to me. Although having the monorail right there is great, it makes me feel like I'm in a hotel at an airport. However, you can't beat the proximity to MK or the views.

WL is charming in its own way. Rooms are definitely smaller, but the lobby is way more Disneyfied and the pool and surrounding landscape are absolutely storybook perfect.

I'm not a fan of the restaurants at WL. If on-site dining is important to you, I would pick CR. Chef Mickey's is great for kids and grown-up and kids and nothing beats a meal during firework time at the California Grill.

 

[Lynn57]

I've stayed at both (admittedly DVC rooms only) and I would pick WL over CR in a heartbeat! WL is so relaxing to return to after a long day in the parks. I found it like a little oasis from the hustle and bustle and all the stimulation, which I really enjoyed. The theming at CR just wasn't for me, even though the location and walk to MK was amazing. If you want to break it down into specifics, here you go:

Location- CR
Transportation- CR
Gift Shop- CR
Theming- WL
Dining- WL
Room- WL (Didn't like the theming of the BLT room, which I know are different than the CR rooms)
Pool- WL
Lobby- WL

Of course, wherever you stay will be better than staying at home since you are in WDW!!!