Wilderness Lodge vs Contemporary

[tmaxwell]

Help me decide for 2019!!

We stayed at the WL last year and LOVED it. It was pure magic there.

For about a $600 difference, we can go to the Contemporary. Our TA says that the monorail is a bigger pain than it seems. But staying right on it plus right next to the MK with my then 9 & 7 year old sounds great.

Please give me your pros and cons on both!! Thank you!!!

 

[buzzrelly]

Help me decide for 2019!!

We stayed at the WL last year and LOVED it. It was pure magic there.

For about a $600 difference, we can go to the Contemporary. Our TA says that the monorail is a bigger pain than it seems. But staying right on it plus right next to the MK with my then 9 & 7 year old sounds great.

Please give me your pros and cons on both!! Thank you!!!

I have never stayed at the WL, but we've stayed at The CR many times and LOVE it. I don't understand why your TA would think the monorail is a pain? We love having the monorail right there and if you're staying in the tower, there's nothing like stepping out of your room and seeing the monorail run right through your hotel.

But for us, one of our favorite things about staying at The CR is having the ability to walk back and forth to the MK. We typically walk there and monorail back mid-day for a nice break and dip in the pool. Also, we walk back if we stay late at night for the fireworks so we don't have to deal with the crowds.

Another big PLUS of the monorail hotels is having quick and easy access to all the dining options at the other monorail hotels.

For $600, I would definitely upgrade to The CR.

 

[tmaxwell]

Which room do you get so you can stay in the main building with the monorail going through do you remember? That’s one of the things that makes me want to stay there - it’s a $600 difference between the two for the least expensive rooms in both resorts.

 

[buzzrelly]

We used to get TPV room…we are actually DVC members and stay at BLT now but I still miss those rooms.

I'm guessing she's quoting you a price for a Garden Wing room. I'm sorry, I don't have experience staying in those.

 

[tmaxwell]

That’s ok. Thank you for your input!! I appreciate it!

 

[DJFan88]

Which room do you get so you can stay in the main building with the monorail going through do you remember? That’s one of the things that makes me want to stay there - it’s a $600 difference between the two for the least expensive rooms in both resorts.

When you book Garden Wing, it is on the side of building , like an add on, so that's probably not what you want, though they are less expensive.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We have stayed at both and you are right, the WL is absolutely magical. We would stay there a lot more except we are a family of 5 now. The CR has the benefit of being able to walk to MK, which is nice. Even on our non park mornings, DH would walk over to MK to get Starbucks and get us breakfast. That was nice. But, overall, we were very meh about CR and wouldn't stay there again, unless there was no other choice.

 

[MomOTwins]

I think what your TA might be referring to is that the resort monorail frequently has outages, and also now has security/bag check before you can board which is kind of a pain. I've also heard the garden rooms at CR are a long walk from the monorail, and not as nice as the tower rooms. I would probably only stay at CR if I could get a decent price on a tower room.

 

[Babsy]

Help me decide for 2019!!

We stayed at the WL last year and LOVED it. It was pure magic there.

For about a $600 difference, we can go to the Contemporary. Our TA says that the monorail is a bigger pain than it seems. But staying right on it plus right next to the MK with my then 9 & 7 year old sounds great.

Please give me your pros and cons on both!! Thank you!!!

We much prefer the CR to the WL but I believe that we are in the minority here. The theming is very different and subtle and a lot of the beauty of staying in the CR can be the glorious views, which are best in the tower rooms.

We have stayed in the tower and in the garden wing at the CR as well as in different room types at the WL.

WL pros:

gorgeous theming
boat to the MK
good dining at the resort
easy access to the CR and FW
balconies on rooms

CR pros:

monorail goes through the main building
walking distance to the MK* - worth the difference in cost alone, IMO
huge, comfortable rooms
all rooms have a daybed as well as two queen beds
garden wing ground floor rooms have patios - request ground floor if you want this
great dining at the resort plus easy access to more dining at Poly, GF, WL and FW
easy to get to most other resorts directly by boat, MK bus or monorail
excellent viewing platform to watch MK fireworks

Did I mention? You can WALK to/from the MK?

WL is a very different experience. We found the rooms small and a bit dark for our taste. Also, the theming looks exactly like where we live so it felt like we were back at home, not on holiday. people who don't see this scenery every day, however, really enjoy it. For us it looks nice, but ordinary.

CR is iconic Disney. It is the stuff of dreams for many people that have been going since WDW opened to stay in this resort. It feels to me to be as much a part of Disney as Cinderella's Castle, so it is hard for me to see it as 'without a theme'. To us it is the heart of the MK theming as an extension of the original Tomorrowland. Also walking to and from the MK while bypassing everyone else in lines is simply awesome. The MK is, IMO, the hardest TP to get in and out of, so being able to walk from your hotel is a joy.The CR is typically much more $$$ to stay than the WL, so for only $600 extra, I would go for it!

 

[Anthony1971]

This depends...
If you like a well themed resort -- and likely the best done themed resort side by side and maybe a bit better than the Poly-- then WL is the better choice.
If you pay for a tower room yes you will see the monorail go through when you walk to your room-- but on the down side chef Mickeys is very load if you room is close enough you will hear it inside your room.
Transportation to MK even with the walking from CR I doubt you will save any time, unless you walk WL will 9 out of 10 times will be faster...
As far as every other park you will be about the same as WL,CR,POLY and GF share buses with the exception of the EPCOT bus here due to the monorail transfer you will make out better at WL.
I am not a huge CR fan but have stayed there and now BLT that we own DVC -prefer the Poly and WL if I want to be close to MK.. BUT it is a nice feeling to see the monorail got through the building...

 

[drwadadli]

We have stayed at the CR and totally loved it. We stayed in the main tower; one floor up and across from the monorail. We never heard the monorail going through the tower unless our door was open. It was very nice when it came to taking a mid-day break; you could walk back to the room from MK. Even a mid-day break from Epcot wasn't that far away; monorail to TTC and then resort monorail to CR. It was also nice that when we wanted to go to Epcot we were one stop away on the monorail.

With all that being said, I DON'T think the monorail is a pain so I am not sure why the TA said that.

We are also greatly enjoy The Wave and had just about every breakfast there. Our room was a "Lake View" room and it was great and we could even watch the movies that they show on the grass from our room. We absolutely plan to stay here again!!!!

I think @Babsy did an excellent job comparing the pros of both resorts for you. For us, we love to go to Artist Point for dinner and that is not a problem from the CR because it is only a boat ride away.

 

[diser_fam]

Thought I would jump in on this thread since we are having the same debate for 2019. We are the opposite though, we have stayed at CR before, but not WL.

We previously stayed in the Garden Wing and will be doing so again in October of this year. The walk from the garden room to the main buliding/monorail/restaurants is minimal....5 minutes tops, if that. Hard to beat the ability to walk to and from MK. That was the major selling point for us.

And I couldn't agree more with this:

CR is iconic Disney. It is the stuff of dreams for many people that have been going since WDW opened to stay in this resort. It feels to me to be as much a part of Disney as Cinderella's Castle, so it is hard for me to see it as 'without a theme'. To us it is the heart of the MK theming as an extension of the original Tomorrowland. Also walking to and from the MK while bypassing everyone else in lines is simply awesome. The MK is, IMO, the hardest TP to get in and out of, so being able to walk from your hotel is a joy.

However, we have visited WL and the whole family loves the theming and just the overall feel of the resort. Plus, it would be nice to try another resort.

You will have to let us know which resort you decide on.

 

[beccasmom]

The CR garden wing rooms are very nice, but a shade less convenient to the tower amenities. Also quieter from our experience. The rooms are quite spacious and comfortable and very close, if not identical, to the standard tower rooms in size. The tower rooms are great, but I wouldn’t hesitate to book a garden wing room because it’s a great resort that I think you’ll enjoy....the convenience of walking to the MK is priceless in my book. We enjoy the WL also. You can’t go wrong either way. I don’t consider the monorail a pain....kids especially really love it.

 

[tmaxwell]

Thank you all for your input!

We are going to go with the Contemporary.

 

[Disneypapa]

Just my opinion, I love the WL. Great atmosphere and just more relaxed feeling.
However, the convenience of the location and monorail are the big selling points for a stay at CR, especially if you are going to spend a lot of time at the MK.

If the $600 differential is a room in the garden wing area, I would opt to stay at a WL.

 

[Lisann]

Our TA says that the monorail is a bigger pain than it seems

Uh...no.

 

[Cajun23]

We are going through the very same debate this year. I haven't stayed at either but this is what i have read

PROS for CR:
New room than WL
100 sq feet larger room than WL
walking distance to MK
monorail ride to Epcot.
Boat to MK, WL or FW.
Can watch fireworks from your resort.
Restaurants are the better of the 2 options.
Sleeps 5

Cons for CR:
Louder of the 2 resorts
higher cost
Theme is not as appealing to some.
Bathroom counter top is limited.
Limited drawer space for clothes.

Pros for WL
Quieter of the 2 resorts.
Theme is more appealing to some.
Cost is lower than CR.
Geyser Point is supposed to be pretty good.
Larger bathroom counter top.
Boat ride to MK, CR, or FW.
Has more drawer space for clothes.

Cons for WL
not walking distance to MK
Have to go to CR to go to Epcot if you want to use monorail.
Some say restaurants are less appealing than CR. (Whispering Canyon(some either love or hate), AP (Some say it is hit or miss))
Room is 100 sq feet smaller.
I believe it may be harder to get a view of the fireworks unless you are in a room where the trees do not block the view.
sleeps 4 compared to 5 at CR.

Again i have visited both resorts and eaten at most of the restaurants located here but haven't stayed at either. I am about to flip a coin on our end to decide between the 2.

 

[Tigger's ally]

We have stayed in both. Only way I would stay in CR instead of WL would be if it were TPV. Contemporary, while it is iconic Disney just is way to sterile for our tastes. We like the theming way more at WL and also the laid back feel. CR just feels too hustle bustle eeeee if you get what I mean. And, for us, we absolutely love Territory Lounge and think it is the hidden gem of lounges at WDW.

 

[Babsy]

Thank you all for your input!

We are going to go with the Contemporary.

Great choice! Have fun during your stay at the CR!!!!

It is just wonderful not having to line up and wait for any transportation from or to the MK! At the end of the night especially, when everyone is in long lines at the monorail, boats and buses, you will be at your resort in 10 minutes or less - quicker than most people will be getting aboard their transport to head back to their resort!!

Your kids will love watching the monorail glide through 'their' hotel! (My 5 and 7 year old granddaughters LOVE staying here.)

Enjoy!