Is It Crazy To have a split to stay at the Contemporary Garden Wing & Tower

[Richi3]

we are planning our first Walt Disney World visit for September 2016, and just can't justify paying for the Contemporary Tower for the whole stay. So, i thought if we don't want to have a full split stay & have to actually move resorts is this better? With the calculations for September 2016 20% off , it would be $434 per night for the Tower & $308 for the Garden Wing per night the total wold equal $371 per night. I have also noticed staying in an outer building at the grand floridian would also be $371 per night and not switch rooms. The other options would be Poly at around $300 per night discounted in september or the beach club around $284 per night. If we stay at the poly or beach club we will visit 3 parks instead of 2 parks.

 

[AshleeH]

Not crazy, but you might be disappointed in the Garden Wing after the Tower. If you're going to go through the hassle of a split-stay (some love them - I loathe them), I would at least make it worth your while and try a new hotel that you might not otherwise get to stay in. Disney moves your luggage and you have to go through checking in, no matter what location you choose. Have fun with it.

 

[Richi3]

i would stay in the garden wing first then the tower, but i want to know is the contemporary tower at around $450 per night worth it!, how is the polynesian btw, or the grand floridian. I heard the grand floridian is stuffy and people feel uncomfortable there is that true? I thought about renting through David's for Bay Lake Tower, but that would be like the garden wing. I would be away from all the utilities & shops & restaurants. What deluxe resorts do you recommend?

Not crazy, but you might be disappointed in the Garden Wing after the Tower. If you're going to go through the hassle of a split-stay (some love them - I loathe them), I would at least make it worth your while and try a new hotel that you might not otherwise get to stay in. Disney moves your luggage and you have to go through checking in, no matter what location you choose. Have fun with it.

 

[AshleeH]

I've only stayed in the Garden Wing, but I've stayed in Bay Lake Tower and it's SO much better than the Garden Wing. The GW was very recently updated and beautiful, but didn't compare to BLT. And as far as distance, I felt like we walked more to get to our Garden Wing room (we were the last one at the end of the hall) than to get to our room in BLT. Obviously BLT is a little nicer than the Tower - it's DVC and newer, after all - but I've heard others say the same thing: Tower is better than GW. Staying in the Garden Wing first would be good so you're not potentially disappointed, but I would still want to branch out and try other hotels.

Poly is really nice - my parents stayed there when they went with us a few years ago. As far as location, it's usually mentioned as being the best because you have boat and monorail access to MK and monorail access to Epcot through the TTC. Depending where you end up, it can be a pretty long walk from the main building as well.

I've never heard of GF being stuffy - all resorts are family friendly and Disney doesn't want to alienate any families. It's the flagship hotel and very popular. I've never stayed there, but it's #1 on my list (DH and I will be taking a couples trip in two years around Christmas and that's where we will be staying because it's supposed to be amazing during the holiday season). It's a gorgeous hotel - we've been there a few times for the restaurants and I'm always in awe. People were always relaxing in the lobby and I didn't get a stuffy vibe at all. Grandeur, yes, but I was never uncomfortable.

Bay Lake Tower is great - we choose to stay there for the location and the rooms are wonderful, but comparatively (aside from the actual room layout/amenities) I've heard it's not much different from the Tower. I would actually be fine with staying in the Tower, but DH only gets one week of vacation a year and he chooses the hotel. He loves BLT, so that's our "home". If you're looking to save money, BLT is not the way to go unless you can rent points.

Personally, I would stay in the Tower and then move to an Epcot resort (or vice versa), but that's only because my husband and I loved Beach Club/Yacht Club when we took a more relaxed approach and walked around the boardwalk and stopped in to see what those hotels were like. Our kids are very pro-Magic Kingdom right now, but there will come a time when we switch to the Epcot hotels for a change of pace. Might be when it's just the two of us, but the three on the boardwalk looked like they would be so much fun to stay in!

Our only split-stay we did two MK hotels (because family was staying in Fort Wilderness). I hated the split-stay because we had a lot of issues with our tickets when we switched hotels and it wasted half a park day getting it resolved. I don't want to go through that again, but if I did, I would choose MK/EP hotels and get the best of both. Good luck!

 

[Richi3]

Thank you, I think we we don't want do a split stay since we are only going for 5 Days/4 Nights. Is The Contemporary Tower worth it? Is it better than the other MK resorts in your opinion?

I've only stayed in the Garden Wing, but I've stayed in Bay Lake Tower and it's SO much better than the Garden Wing. The GW was very recently updated and beautiful, but didn't compare to BLT. And as far as distance, I felt like we walked more to get to our Garden Wing room (we were the last one at the end of the hall) than to get to our room in BLT. Obviously BLT is a little nicer than the Tower - it's DVC and newer, after all - but I've heard others say the same thing: Tower is better than GW. Staying in the Garden Wing first would be good so you're not potentially disappointed, but I would still want to branch out and try other hotels.

Poly is really nice - my parents stayed there when they went with us a few years ago. As far as location, it's usually mentioned as being the best because you have boat and monorail access to MK and monorail access to Epcot through the TTC. Depending where you end up, it can be a pretty long walk from the main building as well.

I've never heard of GF being stuffy - all resorts are family friendly and Disney doesn't want to alienate any families. It's the flagship hotel and very popular. I've never stayed there, but it's #1 on my list (DH and I will be taking a couples trip in two years around Christmas and that's where we will be staying because it's supposed to be amazing during the holiday season). It's a gorgeous hotel - we've been there a few times for the restaurants and I'm always in awe. People were always relaxing in the lobby and I didn't get a stuffy vibe at all. Grandeur, yes, but I was never uncomfortable.

Bay Lake Tower is great - we choose to stay there for the location and the rooms are wonderful, but comparatively (aside from the actual room layout/amenities) I've heard it's not much different from the Tower. I would actually be fine with staying in the Tower, but DH only gets one week of vacation a year and he chooses the hotel. He loves BLT, so that's our "home". If you're looking to save money, BLT is not the way to go unless you can rent points.

Personally, I would stay in the Tower and then move to an Epcot resort (or vice versa), but that's only because my husband and I loved Beach Club/Yacht Club when we took a more relaxed approach and walked around the boardwalk and stopped in to see what those hotels were like. Our kids are very pro-Magic Kingdom right now, but there will come a time when we switch to the Epcot hotels for a change of pace. Might be when it's just the two of us, but the three on the boardwalk looked like they would be so much fun to stay in!

Our only split-stay we did two MK hotels (because family was staying in Fort Wilderness). I hated the split-stay because we had a lot of issues with our tickets when we switched hotels and it wasted half a park day getting it resolved. I don't want to go through that again, but if I did, I would choose MK/EP hotels and get the best of both. Good luck!

 

[thiabelle]

My thoughts are "worth" is so personal. What is the goal of your trip? Spend every second at MK? Then CR would be amazing (either Tower or GW) because you could walk or take the monorail.
Want to hit the other parks hard? There are other resorts closer (and cheaper)
What is your money situation? (I ask rhetorically) Would you fret over the difference? Could you save some money by staying somewhere else and use for something else fun (fireworks cruise or signature dinner?)
I've stayed at all of the MK deluxes EXCEPT the CR. I check in on Thursday so I would be able to give you a better answer next week! They are all different but wonderful in their own ways. Good luck with whatever you decide and have a great trip!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thank you, I think we we don't want do a split stay since we are only going for 5 Days/4 Nights. Is The Contemporary Tower worth it? Is it better than the other MK resorts in your opinion?

With 4 nights, a split stay would be a complete pain. Even moving from the Garden Wing to the Tower. I've stayed in all the monorail resorts, including both the Tower and Garden Wing at CR and, quite honestly, CR is my least favorite. Although I love it for WDW historical reasons, it is not a comfortable hotel. It has the feeling of an airport hangar and typically has a big convention crowd. I would, however, stay there again if the price is right as it offers some advantages - walking to MK for instance!

If I was set on staying at CR, yes, my preference would be staying in the Tower. You feel a little more part of the action, so to speak. We stayed on a high floor on the Bay Lake side last summer and had a view of both the EP fireworks and the DHS Frozen fireworks.

That being said, if I could find something cheaper at GF or Poly, I would much prefer to stay at one of those over CR. The GF rooms were just refurbished and they are really nice. We've stayed in a few categories there, including outer building-garden view and it's very nice. However, we LOVE the Poly! If you are going Sept. 2016, all of the construction should be done by then and if that's your cheapest option - BONUS!!

We also LOVE the Beach Club, however, for a first trip, I would recommend staying at a monorail resort. It is so magical to look out over the lagoon and see MK and the monorail, hear the train whistle and the boat horns, see the Electric Water pageant and the MK fireworks. It's a completely immersive Disney experience.

If I were you, I would do a little more research. Go to allears.net and look at pictures and videos of the resorts and room categories and see which one appeals to you most!

 

[TeamSy]

I tend to agree with others that on Disney property, when doing a split stay, it's nice to try the different resorts, since the theming varies so greatly. However, when going on other vacations, I've been known to split up rooms like you are suggesting (just so we can experience the nicer one for PART of the time, without having to pay for it the ENTIRE time). If this is something that you feel is worth it (like you love the Contemporary and have always wanted to experience a tower room), then I say definitely split it up!

 

[AllyinWonderland]

If I am doing a split stay, it would be to get 2 entirely different experiences, so I would not do a split stay between garden wing and tower. On this upcoming trip we are doing 4 nights at Pop and 5 at BWI because it is an affordable way for us to experience a deluxe resort.

 

[Vaughn4380]

Are you looking at a Tower room with a park view? If so, I would think it would be worth it to see the fireworks from the balcony for a night or two and save money on the rest of the nights. Otherwise I would save the money and stay in the garden wing the entire trip. The rooms should be the same.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We do not condone split stays...hate them as a waste of time and money...especially energy...that said...we really enjoy BLT....rent points from a broker, way cheaper than reserving from Disney for the garden wing or tower, just as convenient if not more with shorter walk to the MK and the sky bridge give great access to the monorail...we are not DVC member but rent points and stay in a studio for less than a moderate resort..

 

[GaryDis]

beach club around $284

For which dates are you seeing this? I just did a couple of searches on the WDW web site for Sep 2016, and the cheapest I'm seeing is $356. Or are you factoring in a package?

You didn't mention kids. With no kids, unless you're absolutely sure you'll have a MK bias, it's a no-brainer - go for the Beach Club. Walking to Epcot and DHS beats walking to the MK. The CR tower isn't worth $150 more a night; you can do dinner there for the view.

 

[Richi3]

What has a better atmosphere, Poly or Contemporary, im afraid at the poly or grand floridan we wont be part of the action because we wouldnt be in the main building (i know poly does not have the option) like we would be at the contemporary.

 

[AshleeH]

Poly definitely has the better atmosphere, but Contemporary has the walking access to MK. As a previous poster said, Contemporary is not a "comfortable" hotel. Oh, it's nice, the amenities are great, the actual beds are perfectly fine, but it has a very "cold" vibe. And that's because it is - in the very sense of the word - contemporary. It's modern - and unfortunately (to my mind), modern currently means sleek, cold colors (white, gray, steel), sharp lines and edges, and very minimal. I'm not a contemporary person with my personal views on style, but I don't mind it for the ease of getting to MK (we most commonly stay at BLT, but the general theme is the same). Out of the Disney hotels we've stayed in, Animal Kingdom has been my favorite, but it's in a terrible location to be convenient for the way my family travels, so I doubt we'll ever stay there again.

It comes down to what's important to you. For my family, it's being able to walk back to the hotel at the end of the night (we've had some bad experiences with Disney transportation and getting stuck waiting for a monorail/bus for hours). We spend a lot of time at MK. For others, it's the theme. For many, it's the price.

 

[jessicaanne86]

I would stay in the garden wing first and then the tower. I actually like the garden wing. It definitely has a bit of a 1970s vibe with the resort layoutbut it is pretty and worth checking out. The rooms have been updated on the inside and are about the same as the tower rooms. They are also quieter. The monorail can feel a bit busy at night, it can be nice to relax in the garden area in the evening. I think it is worth trying at least once!

 

[Aurora0427]

i would stay in the garden wing first then the tower, but i want to know is the contemporary tower at around $450 per night worth it!, how is the polynesian btw, or the grand floridian. I heard the grand floridian is stuffy and people feel uncomfortable there is that true? I thought about renting through David's for Bay Lake Tower, but that would be like the garden wing. I would be away from all the utilities & shops & restaurants. What deluxe resorts do you recommend?

The reason we have never stayed CR tower is because it's usually the same price as a garden view room at the Grand Floridian, and we much prefer everything about the GF over CR. if we stay at the CR, we stay garden wing and save $$$$.

 

[Aurora0427]

i would stay in the garden wing first then the tower, but i want to know is the contemporary tower at around $450 per night worth it!, how is the polynesian btw, or the grand floridian. I heard the grand floridian is stuffy and people feel uncomfortable there is that true? I thought about renting through David's for Bay Lake Tower, but that would be like the garden wing. I would be away from all the utilities & shops & restaurants. What deluxe resorts do you recommend?

The grand Floridian is NOT stuffy. It drives me crazy when I read that. It's awesome, family friendly, and tons of fun.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

What has a better atmosphere, Poly or Contemporary, im afraid at the poly or grand floridan we wont be part of the action because we wouldnt be in the main building (i know poly does not have the option) like we would be at the contemporary.

Polynesian definitely has a better atmosphere. The theming is amazing. There isn't a lot going on in the Great Ceremonial House (yes boutiques and restaurants, but not activities per se), so you aren't really missing out on any action when staying in a longhouse (which as you pointed out is your only option). Honestly, I don't feel this way at the Grand Floridian either. Most of the rooms are in outer buildings and the only time there is any "action", so to speak, is when the band is playing. But again, most people are staying in the outer buildings, so you really do feel part of the action when staying in the outer buildings of GF and Poly.

CR just has a different feel when staying in the garden wing. The garden wing has more of an annex feel and the walk to the tower feels much longer to me than from any outer building at GF or Poly.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. If cost is the biggest factor in making your decision, I would totally go for whatever is cheapest! After all, you are staying on the monorail at an MK resort - can't go wrong with that!

Also, I've stayed at GF 4 times and it never felt stuffy to me, in terms of the clientele. It is in the Victorian style, so very flowery and bright.

 

[Crispity]

LOVE Grand Floridian and would definitely stay there the whole time over a split stay at the CR. We stayed there in February with our 2 year old DD and didn't find it a bit stuffy, and we liked it so much that we are going back in October (bounce back deal).

FWIW, I wouldn't count on getting any sort of discount at the CR. Whenever I have looked at bounce back, PIN offers, and general public discounts, CR availability has been extremely limited (usually only club level rooms discounted), even when plenty of rooms are available at rack rate. i have found that the GF is much more likely to offer discounts, and may very well end up being significantly cheaper than CR.

 

[Richi3]

Is Bay Lake Tower equivalent to The a Contemporary Tower, I could get a theme park view at bat lake tower for 4 nights through David's for the price of 4 nights at the Garden Wing Standard View at the contemporary through Disney! What's the catch with David! I was amazed and shocked to see how low his prices are for deluxe villas & studios!