Wilderness or Contemporary?!?!?!?

[disEAR]

Hi there,

DW and I are planning a trip to the world in January 2011 and we're racking our brains trying to decide between The Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary Resort. We'll be there for the Marathon Weekend and then two weeks of Disney Magic. We've read a lot of information on both resorts and know pretty much all there is to know. At this point we just need to hear personal preferences between the two and any reasons would be helpful.

Thank you!

 

[matt98378]

You really can't go wrong with either resort -- they are both great. That being said, one of the major differences is that the Contemporary is on the monorail. That's a huge plus for our family. I also enjoyed the Contemporary's food more than the WL -- there seemed to be more options. As far as scenery, I really enjoyed WL -- it seemed to be much more calm and relaxing -- lots of trees/paths. There is also a geyser there. You will have a great time either way!

Of course, you could always do a split stay too!

 

[wdwobsessed]

WL - Loved it.

CR - Not so much ... and we had the Tower MK view.

It is personal pref. though because I know a lot of people who love CR. It just was not for us.

WDWO

 

[damone]

I think it's all personal preference. They both have their plusses:

Contemporary
Larger Rooms (though since it's just 2 of you, this is a non-factor)
Walking path to Magic Kingdom
Monorail

Wilderness Lodge
Themed much better
Boat to Magic Kingdom
More interesting pools

Food I'd say is a toss-up. They both have a couple of good restaurants.
Convenience is a toss up as well. Though Contemporary is more convenient to MK, I would give Epcot convenience to WL. From the CR, you have to wait for a monorail at CR, get off at TTC, then transfer over to another monorail. From WL, you simply wait for a direct bus. Every other destination is pretty much the same for both.

The big thing is really which decor you prefer. Personally, the Contemporary does nothing for me in terns of theme and decor. The Wilderness Lodge is (along with AKL), the best themed resort on property.

 

[tami82]

I stayed at CR in the garden rooms and loved it!! staying at WL in August just to change things up a bit. If you are staying for two weeks why not do one week at each resort? If i had two weeks i would definitely do that. Maybe start off at CR this way you have the monorail to get to the parks and then the second week when you have just the boat transportation take it easy a bit.

 

[mickeynut1]

We've never stayed at the CR as the theme/decor has no appeal to us.....but we love the WL . I think the atmosphere/surroundings are better at the WL .....plus the boat ride to the MK is always nice . If it were me, I'd choose the WL .

 

[Disbound]

Both are great but if you are interested in renting any water sport type of thing, the Contemporary has that to offer. Also, monorail is a nice option but you only use it as a direct transportatin for MK and Epcot (still have to go through transportation center on the way to the parks and must switch monorails for Epcot), so if you aren't going to those parks over and over we found it didn't much matter. Fun option but not a deal breaker. Also, it really is a 5 minute or less walk to MK. The decor of the Wilderness Lodge is spectacular. Contemporary either you like that type of decor or you don't. Both are great, just a matter of taste. I liked the spending a week at each suggestion! Best of both worlds! Whatever you decide, have a great time!

 

[goofy4prez]

For me it's the WL; I love the theming and the comfy feel of the resort. When staying there it feels like you are away from it all, but in reality your not really away from it all (does that make sense LOL). Also for me the convenience of the monorail is not a big deal at all; the quick boat ride over to the MK is relaxing. While the pool is not one of the most elaborate of WDW pools it is still very nice. Also,someone mentioned water activities; the WL has access at the resort to rent boats and etc.

As for the CR; there is a huge following for this place but it just don't work for me. The building itself looks like an old hospital and the decor just don't work for me. But it is in a great location and as others have said, the rooms are larger.

 

[MaryJ]

You mentioned that you are going for Marathon weekend, so I assume you are going to participate. I have been in the 2009 & 2010 half marathons, and stayed at WL in 2009, and at BLT in 2010. I have to say that the access to the monorail was a big help in getting to Epcot for the start. It allowed us a few more minutes of sleep the morning of the race because we didn't have to worry about the roads being closed and buses/cars not being able to get through.

However, WL is my favorite resort on Disney property hands down! It's quiet, removed from the hustle and bustle of things, and not so large that you can't get around it easily. I am more relaxed at WL than anywhere else.

 

[WeRblam]

My DH and I are going to Disney for our 25th in Aug and decided to stay at the CR. We have stayed at many of the monorail resorts and found that the monorail hotels are perfect for us. Obviously, when our kids were younger, the monorail hotels were great because you did not have to fold your carriages to and from the parks. Anywho, here are some of our reasons why we prefer CR:

Monorail access - crowds at the busses can get really huge. DH hated taking the bus, he felt like herd. When he was tired, he wanted to either get in his car or hop on the monorail back to the hotel.

Proximity - we feel that the monorail hotels are central to all the parks. You can hop the monorail to Epcot, take a boat to MK (or walk from the CR) or for us, drive to any other park with free parking.

Convenience - Sleeping in a little longer, hopping back and forth from the MK, simple self parking lots. From the CR, you can walk (about 10 minute) right to the MK and avoid the monorail if preferred.

Food - we love the Ohana breakfast (short monorail ride to Poly), the California Grill, Waves (all at the Contemporary). We do like Narcooses and Citrico's when we purchase the dining plan (again short monorail ride and if you have a few drinks, your not far from your hotel room nor do you have to wait in long lines for a bus or drive your car)

Fireworks and Lagoon Parade - you can watch the fireworks or view the water parade from the CR resort OR your hotel room with piped in music.

Jogging Trails - I like an early morning run and the CR has a beautiful scenic jogging trail. It is 1.5 miles (so back and forth it is a 3 mile run, just perfect to start my day). I enjoy watching the morning crew get ready for the day as I run past the entrance of the MK and the lake. Not sure what the WL has for running trails so I cannot comment on that.

We have stayed in the Garden Rooms as well as the Tower. I prefer the tower, felt more Disney magic to step out of my hotel room and overlook the activity going on below me. I am a light sleeper and NEVER heard a thing except for the waterparade music.

As another poster said, why not split your stay? This way you can experience the magic of both. Good luck and let us know what you decide. Lisa

 

[GinCar]

I'll weigh in with one more opinion. We have stayed at both.
While we LOVED the Wilderness Lodge, it looks like home to us. (We live in the mountains.) If that is the type of vacation you like- go for WL.
(I just booked for my friends that live in Texas the WL. After asking what they "expect" on vacation, that was the best fit.)

Now the Contemporary is my family's FAVORITE because we actually feel like we are on vacation. We love the monorail, walking to MK, and yes, we like the "hotel" feel and the larger rooms. We feel connected to the original Walt Disney idea of a hotel at the Contemporary.

So, you will NOT be disappointed in either choice. I would just think of what you envision while on vacation and go from there.

We will be trying the Poly for the first time this year, so I may change my mind about our favorite.

 

[DisneyMom4964]

Ahh....all I have to say.....tough descision. I have stayed at Wilderness Lodge 3x and Contemporary 1. Absolutley amazing hotels. You cannot go wrong with both. Really,, you got a tough decision to make! I loved both of them the same. There are nothing negative about either. Wilderness Lodge has an breathtakingly beatuiful lobby and atmosphere. The Contemporary has the wonderful advantage of the moniral. The pools are great at both places. Good Luck with your decision..........message me for any questions. I will be willing to help.

 

[PoohsFan1]

I agree with the other posters and say it is personal preference. We loved the WL (stayed there twice), it has the outdoorsy feeling that my family just loves. However, we are staying at CR for the first time in September (in a Tower MK view) and we can't be more excited about it. We are always at the CR either eating, shopping, renting Pontoon boats, or just hanging out, and DH and both of my DDs have been wanting to stay there for a while now. Of course, the feel is going to be a lot more different at the CR because it is more of a contemporary look to it (hence the name) rather than the outdoorsy/woodsy feel that the WL have. Good luck deciding....you really can't go wrong with either of them

 

[GatorLady]

we're racking our brains trying to decide between The Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary Resort.

As you can see by my signature I couldn't decide either, so we are doing both!

If you are looking to feel like you've escaped all the crowds etc., I would favor the WL. Staying at the Contemporary seems more hussle and bussle to me. We chose to do two nights at the WL (room only) just to enjoy the resort and then when we are ready to hit the parks, we will move over to the Contemporary.

Have a great trip!

 

[disEAR]

Thank you SO much for all your input! It's definitely a big help to get everyone else's preferences.

Both Resorts sound amazing. I know I'm starting to lean more towards Wilderness (I love the calm quiet separation from the craziness) and DW is leaning more towards Contemporary.(She loves everything modern and is a hustle and bustle type of gal).

Maybe a split stay isn't such a bad idea. Has anyone else done a split stay before? Does it work well??

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I have stayed at both resorts which are great in their own way, however I would go with the Contemporary and this is why. Their guest rooms are a lot bigger, the walkway to the Magic Kingdom, Resort Monorail access, all their Cast Members I have seen are very friendly, it's got a great atmosphere, great stores and amazing dining locations.

 

[damone]

OP, is this helps you out at all, Wilderness Lodge has the highest guest return rate of any Disney Resort. That says a lot for it.

 

[hdietsche1]

My fav is the CR resort. I love all the activities that are going on at the resort. They even do outdoor stuff with the kids. The pool and the slide are a blast. The tower is awesome and thats a understatement. The view of baylake from the balcony is wonderfull. But if you have the time i would also recomend a spilt stay. We have done that before and was fun. But the CR will always be my fav for life.

 

[carolinamama]

We really liked both. We LOVE the theming at WL - gosh, even the smell of the resort sticks with you in a good way! When my parents go, that's the only place they'll stay now.

All said, though, my family prefers the CR and keep a soft spot for WL. My DH had no love for the boat to the MK from WL and would much rather be on the monorail. Just last night he said it's hard to beat being able to walk back and forth between CR and MK. I didn't think we'd ever do it, but we certainly did! One look at that line for the resort monorail, and off we went on foot!

We also like our space. The rooms at CR are larger than WL. We stayed on the Bay Lake side on the 10th floor, and the view was just wonderful. One night, DD slept, DS and DH went to the pool, and I sat on the balcony watching the fireworks off at Sea World, the nighttime parade on Bay Lake/Seven Seas Lagoon and the movie Bedtime Stories that was playing on the CR beach below. Bliss.....

A lot of it just comes down to personal preference, but I don't think you'll go wrong with either!

 

[KatMark]

Although the CR is our least favorite of the two deluxes we have stayed at, we would pick it over the WL. Although we've never stayed at the WL, we don't care for it. The theme does nothing for us. On our three visits (when it first opened to walk around, once to have a look at the rooms and the third time to eat), we've run into extremely rude CM's, the food was awful (the WCC was one of hte worse meals we've ever had at Disney, Roaring Forks did not offer a lot and it was not very good). We also thought the pool looked very small compared to some of the other resort pools. I would pick the CR.