WL or CR?

[sweetheart2576]

I currently have a room booked at wilderness lodge for 7 nights in august at 143.19 a night(also cbr for another 7 nts). This is the resort i have alwalys wanted to say at. My husband on the other hand wants to stay at contemporary because of the monorail and i see people are getting that resort for a little more than what i am paying for wl. It seems to me that there is more to do at wl and the pool looks really neat. We have 2 children 4 and 7(will be t urning 5 and 8 while we are down there). What resort do you recommend wl or cr? Why? I've thought of swithching my ressie from cbr to cr but dont really think that is in our budget, and i dont really want to switch resorts 3 times, because i have considered that also. Any help is appreciated. TYA
Also since our kids birthday is while we are down there(1 turns 8 at CBR and the other 5 at WL) i've heard that if you tell them they MAY do something for them. If this is the case do you tell them at checkin or the day of their bday. I know there is no guarantee but it would be nice to have something special done if possible. TYA again.

 

[sweetheart2576]

bumping it up

 

[DisneyKidds]

When it comes to WL vs CR it is all a matter of taste, IMO.

We love the WL. DW is not even the outdoorsy type who generally enjoys a northwest, outdoor, lodge theme. However, the WL is so relaxing and comfortable. There are so many places to just sit and relax and enjoy yourself. The pools are very nice and the kiddie pool is the best we have seen so far. It is very large and our 3 yo DD could spend the whole day there making friends and watching the guyser. There are also a lot of activities at the WL for the kids. Games, crafts, duck races, and more. Transportation to the MK via boat is pretty convenient, and the boat ride is neat.

We stayed at the CR last October. The location is great, with the best benefit (IMO) being that you can walk to the MK. We walked more often than we took the monorail. We found the monorail aspect to be a bit over rated. We also found the decor at the CR to be a bit cold - and perhaps that is the idea, but it is not our style. Also, there are not many comfortable corners or places to just sit and relax and enjoy the resort. We may have missed it, but there just didn't seem to be as much to do at the CR. The CR is also a bit older and it showed in the room. We were in one of the Garden Wings. I would imagine that it is a Garden Wing, and not the Tower, that you could get for what you are paying for the WL. If we ever stayed at the CR again I'd spring for the Tower as it would be unique. To us, there was nothing noteworthy about the Garden Wing. Other than the funky decor, it could have been a room anywhere. I know there are a lot of CR fans and I'm sure you'll hear from them. However, it is just not for us.

BTW, be careful. After we stayed at the WL we loved it so much that we now own DVC .

As for the birthdays, have them note it in your hotel reservations. In addition, when you make PS for meals have them note it. When you get a table for your meals let them know again. When we were at the Crystal Palace on my b'day I got a cupcake with a candle and a card signed by Pooh and friends. Other restaurants may give you a little cake. Who knows what else places do, but I'm sure they will do a little something to make it special.

Good luck deciding, and have a great time.

 

[eeyore0062]

It is a matter of taste! I prefer the Contemporary. The rooms are much more roomy, especially for a family of 4. The kids will LOVE the arcade----biggest on property. The rooms are bright and whimsical, and you just can't beat the ease of access to the parks. It is great to walk out of your door and be at the MK in 5 minutes.

We have also stayed at the WL, and it is beautiful... the pool and lobby are gorgeous. We were disappointed with the size of the rooms, and the transportation, however.

Perhaps you could split between the Contemporary and the WL, so everyone can have their wished fulfilled?

 

[ganj]

Here is another vote for the WL. I love the lodge and the whole feeling that is there.

The contemporary has a great location but I don't like the decor of the rooms at all.

Here are some pictures, see which one appeals to you more

www.ourlaughingplace.com - click on the resort tab on top
www.wdwig.com

 

[fortwilderness]

I have stayed at both the WL and the CR and I prefered the WL hands down. The CR is very nice hotel with large rooms. I stayed in the Tower with a Magic Kingdom view so obviously the view was outstanding but still not enough to make me really ever want to stay there again. The CR just seems "blah" to me. Just not interesting at all in my opinion.

On the other hand I fell in love with the WL. I had a courtyard view that was outstanding. I loved the Wilderness themeing throughout the whole hotel. Another thing to consider is that the WL is just down the path from Fort Wilderness and all of the fun activities over there. The rooms and bathrooms are considerably smaller than the CR though so you may want to take that into consideration though. Also if your kids don't like to share a bed you would need to get a bunk bed room at the WL while at the CR there is a day bed (in addition to the 2 queens) in all of the regular rooms.

Okay here is my recommendation If the rate at the CR that you see other people getting - that is close to what you are paying at the WL - is for a Tower Room, then I would just go ahead and stay at the CR. The Tower Rooms are generally quite expensive and so if you are getting a really good deal then I would just try the CR once and make the hubby promise that you get to stay at the WL the next trip. But if that rate is for a wing/garden room then I would stick with the WL. Let us know what you decide

 

[MELSMICE]

Just returned from the CR about 5 days ago. It was very nice, just a "contemporary" theme, not like the other resorts, however, the rooms were very large. We were a little nervous before going because we usually stay in a Cabin at FW. No problem staying in these rooms with 3 kids.

Never stayed at the WL, but I love the theme. Have seen the rooms, considerably smaller than the CR. However, I think each room has a balcony. Only tower rooms & first floor wings have balconies or patios. It is deceiving to see pictures & even deceiving when you look at the wings of the CR. It looks like they have balconies - NOT!! Big disappointment.

The pool is nice - nothing special. Gets busy, it seems like there are many pool hopper from the MK. Pool at WL looks nicer. Our kids are old enough to go to the Food & Fun Center alone, so that was a plus at CR. Very, very convenient to MK & also to take the Monorail to Epcot. We had a car & even took the Monorail or walked to the MK. That was a great perk!!!

The best thing to do is try them both & decide for yourself. Everyone has their own opinions. Good luck!!

 

[hellokitty]

check out this link for more info on WL
it is absolutly beautiful and the bus system worked well for us.
we have stayed at both and I would choose wl again for it's
relaxing beauty.
http://www.3-2.com/FWL/

 

[eeyore0062]

We stayed on the 3rd floor of the CR South Wing, overlooking Bay Lake. It was a lovely view, but we really didn't miss the balcony. We just opened the sliding glass doors, and sat there and watched the Electrical Light Pageant. We LOVE the Contemporary, wings and all. We aren't much on the WL...but to each his own!