Disney's CONTEMPORARY RESORT Information & Questions

[Mzpalmtree]

Your opinion, please.

As a family we used to go to Caribbean Beach every year, Now that I go solo I'm working my way through the resorts. The list is getting shorter of resorts still to visit. I've been looking at stays in April assuming I'll be vaccinated by then (and avoiding Easter, which fortunately is early this year). Geez oh petes is it expensive! Don' know if that's how Disney is coping with covid or if it's just that I usually travel earlier in the year.

Here's my question. Garden wing rooms at the Contemporary are appreciably less costly than main tower rooms. Will I feel as though it's "close but not a cigar" or is garden wing good enough. I'm tempted to go back to CBR but I really like the balcony in the morning and evening.

What say ye? Garden wing or suck it up and stay in the tower?

It’s hard to say what you personally will feel as I’ve heard people say tower or nothing, but we really enjoy both. For us the tower feels a bit magical, but the elevators can be busy and annoying. The garden wing rooms are quiet and not at all far from the tower—plus you can avoid the elevators altogether by using the escalator. We really do like them both.

ETA: I also like how convenient the GW rooms are to the pool.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I'm tempted to go back to CBR but I really like the balcony in the morning and evening.

Hope I don’t short circuit your question but just FYI, second & third floor Garden Wing rooms don’t have a balcony (just a sliding glass door with the railing right there). First floor rooms do have a patio. So, you’re not guaranteed an outdoor space if you stay in the Garden Wing.

 

[bcuinohio]

Your opinion, please.

As a family we used to go to Caribbean Beach every year, Now that I go solo I'm working my way through the resorts. The list is getting shorter of resorts still to visit. I've been looking at stays in April assuming I'll be vaccinated by then (and avoiding Easter, which fortunately is early this year). Geez oh petes is it expensive! Don' know if that's how Disney is coping with covid or if it's just that I usually travel earlier in the year.

Here's my question. Garden wing rooms at the Contemporary are appreciably less costly than main tower rooms. Will I feel as though it's "close but not a cigar" or is garden wing good enough. I'm tempted to go back to CBR but I really like the balcony in the morning and evening.

What say ye? Garden wing or suck it up and stay in the tower?

What about a studio at Bay Lake Tower?

 

[Sarahslay]

Ha! Too funny.

It’s weird, I never really gave the in room coffee a shot since we’d usually be CL, but it’s become my go to now. I do use bottled water like @bcuinohio says. I actually really like it.

Like your DH, I can’t wait until the park for Starbucks!

I have heard people say that the in room coffee is much better if you use bottled water.

Oh, I told him to used some bottled water and he was like “nah, that won’t help” so I gave up. Much like when I told him his bag was so hard to get on because his straps were cinched (kept popping off his MB because he has to squeeze his arm in), he kept telling me it helps with carrying weight so he wouldn’t loosen them. Cut to our last day, he finally loosened them, and I hear “wow, that’s better! Wish I had known to do that earlier” I give up with him. I’ve always loathed the kcups though, even when we ourselves had a Keurig, so I’ll just pass.

 

[aboveH20]

It’s hard to say what you personally will feel as I’ve heard people say tower or nothing, but we really enjoy both. For us the tower feels a bit magical, but the elevators can be busy and annoying. The garden wing rooms are quiet and not at all far from the tower—plus you can avoid the elevators altogether by using the escalator. We really do like them both.

ETA: I also like how convenient the GW rooms are to the pool.

Thank you. It's so hard to justify the cost of a tower room for one person. I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed both.

Hope I don’t short circuit your question but just FYI, second & third floor Garden Wing rooms don’t have a balcony (just a sliding glass door with the railing right there). First floor rooms do have a patio. So, you’re not guaranteed an outdoor space if you stay in the Garden Wing.

I did not know that. Thank you for filling in that piece of information. The sliding glass door is better than nothing. One of the things that bothers me about non-deluxe rooms is since they're "motel style" with a walkway right by the window I usually have the curtain pulled when I'm in the room. Thus the desire for a balcony.

What about a studio at Bay Lake Tower?

Hmmmm. Can I count that as staying at the Contemporary in my resort countdown? I'll have to check Robert"s Rules of Order

 

[disneyfan150]

Thank you. It's so hard to justify the cost of a tower room for one person. I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed both. I can justify most anything I want to do at WDW. That said, if this is a "one and done" for you, it might be "worth it" for the experience of staying in the tower. There is just something special about staying at one of the "originals" and walking out of my room and watching the monorail travel through the hotel. I am sure the garden wing is great, too. However, I am all about a hotel balcony.



Hmmmm. Can I count that as staying at the Contemporary in my resort countdown? I'll have to check Robert"s Rules of Order When I have checked prices, the CR Tower is less expensive that the BLT studio. But I think a studio would be great for a solo trip. I am not Robert, but I think BLT should count. BLT and CR are connected by a walkway.

 

[aboveH20]

You're right about Disney math justifying just about anything. To be socially responsible I should stay at the cheapest value resort and donate the rest, but that's too heavy of a topic to get into.

If I'm only going to stay once, as you point out, I'm leaning toward a tower room. Maybe I should wait until next year and go during the colder, cheaper months.

One time when I stayed at the Grand Californian at Disneyland the monorail went by my balcony, that was cool!

 

[Flynnismine]

We leave Friday morning for Disney, and our fav resort, so I'm in full on packing mode this week. Could someone please tell me if CR has switched over to the full size mounted bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the bathrooms? I'll need to bring extra if they only provide the small travel sized bottles because DD has hair to her waist and mine is super thick so we use a substantial amount of shampoo/conditioner each day : ) Thanks so much in advance.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We leave Friday morning for Disney, and our fav resort, so I'm in full on packing mode this week. Could someone please tell me if CR has switched over to the full size mounted bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the bathrooms? I'll need to bring extra if they only provide the small travel sized bottles because DD has hair to her waist and mine is super thick so we use a substantial amount of shampoo/conditioner each day : ) Thanks so much in advance.

It’s still the small individual bottles at CR.

You can always call housekeeping (or use the text feature in the app) and they’ll bring you extras. I have found when I call to ask for extra coffee, shampoo, etc, they bring a truck load.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Flynnismine]

It’s still the small individual bottles at CR.

You can always call housekeeping (or use the text feature in the app) and they’ll bring you extras. I have found when I call to ask for extra coffee, shampoo, etc, they bring a truck load.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks so very much for the info and suggestion.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The Official Name of BLT is Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

 

[mcurrence]

Excited to be staying on1/3...does anyone know what the pool hours will be?
TIA! No matter what the weather is, my two girls are always excited about Disney pools

 

[collegeprogram01]

We are staying in a 2 bedroom villas this up coming April. We normally have stayed at poly the past 3 years and want to try something different. Did we make the right decision booking here?! I am still unsure about it, but the rest of the family want to try it there.

thanks!!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We are staying in a 2 bedroom villas this up coming April. We normally have stayed at poly the past 3 years and want to try something different. Did we make the right decision booking here?! I am still unsure about it, but the rest of the family want to try it there.

thanks!!

I’m a Poly lover to the core. All around it’s our family’s top resort choice. CR is a favorite too, just further down the list.

We were moved to a BLT 2BR back in July due to Poly’s closure. We had never stayed at BLT before and at that time didn’t have much villa experience, but were in hog heaven at BLT. Loved the room layout and BLT overall. Like really loved it. Had me actually looking into purchasing, at the time.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Excited to be staying on1/3...does anyone know what the pool hours will be?
TIA! No matter what the weather is, my two girls are always excited about Disney pools

Hey there @mcurrence. Since Labor Day, feature pool hours across property have been 10am-10pm. I keep assuming a seasonal hours change is imminent, possibly after the new year. But with things these days, who knows!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[bcuinohio]

We are staying in a 2 bedroom villas this up coming April. We normally have stayed at poly the past 3 years and want to try something different. Did we make the right decision booking here?! I am still unsure about it, but the rest of the family want to try it there.

thanks!!

I think the Poly has the best studios on property. They are larger and more comfortable than most. VGF studios are similar but I like the Poly theming more. BLT villas are incredible. We stayed in a 1BR villa in August. The extra space makes a huge difference. The extra bathroom makes it even better. Having a washer/dryer in the room puts it over the top. Being able to walk to MK and having monorail access makes BLT an awesome choice.

 

[mcurrence]

Hey there @mcurrence. Since Labor Day, feature pool hours across property have been 10am-10pm. I keep assuming a seasonal hours change is imminent, possibly after the new year. But with things these days, who knows!

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks ! Missing your after hours thread ! hopefully one day again soon!

 

[tbee407]

Your opinion, please.

As a family we used to go to Caribbean Beach every year, Now that I go solo I'm working my way through the resorts. The list is getting shorter of resorts still to visit. I've been looking at stays in April assuming I'll be vaccinated by then (and avoiding Easter, which fortunately is early this year). Geez oh petes is it expensive! Don' know if that's how Disney is coping with covid or if it's just that I usually travel earlier in the year.

Here's my question. Garden wing rooms at the Contemporary are appreciably less costly than main tower rooms. Will I feel as though it's "close but not a cigar" or is garden wing good enough. I'm tempted to go back to CBR but I really like the balcony in the morning and evening.

What say ye? Garden wing or suck it up and stay in the tower?

I have stayed in several of the other deluxe resorts over the years. I have enjoyed them all. My next visit will be in a CR tower room with a park view. I have dreamed of watching the fireworks from my balcony. Its gonna happen. Of course, they have to restart the fireworks so I am not considering a booking yet. Staying in a garden wing, while nice, would not do it for me.

 

[DemonLlama]

we used the big room rate discount to move from Pop to Contemporary Garden Wing Dec. 14-18 and loved our room that overlooked Bay Lake. We had several gorgeous sunrises we watched from our patio. No one was staying in either room on either side of us. We had included that we would be arriving before 7:30 that morning and on the way to the resort we received the text that we could go straight to our room. We were able to drop off our luggage and walk to the MK in time for rope drop. Perfect!

A few photos from our stay

 

[Br'er Rabbit is the Best]

So I’ve taken 5 Disney trips over the last handful of years and stayed in all the all stars as well as pop century. I’m looking to stay at the contemporary on my next trip. At the values I’ve always stayed on the top floor and never had any issues with noise and sleeping. I was wondering what the noise levels are at the contemporary for both the garden wing and main tower. With the interior hallways are things noisy and do you hear people walking above you?