Reviews of Contemporary Resort (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by aknlw2003 Review Date: 09/03/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
Just returned from our trip to the Contemporary and had the most fabulous view of Bay Lake. Just spectacular! At night the water parade parked and we thoroughly enjoyed it from our balcony. The rooms at the Contemporary are large, and we just love that our kids can each have a bed with the pull down sofa bed available in room. So convenient to get to MK...just a short little walk over. And it's just too cool that the monorail runs through the hotel! Makes it so easy to pop over to the Poly or the GF for dinner, regardless of the weather outside. Which during the summer should definitely be a consideration given the regular tstorms in Orlando in the evenings.
The pool is a little boring, and the pool bar could use a facelift. But the pool staff tries super hard to make it fun for the kids. The good news is that you could always find a chair by the pool because it is large in size!
Pros:
Walk to MK!Cons:
Elevator waitsReviewed by tommygunn Review Date: 12/20/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Great hotel. Love the whole look, feel and smell of the place. And what's cooler than having the monorail cruise through the lobby! I'd highly recommend a tower room. Much more expensive but the "feel" of them and the views are 100X better.
California grill is simply spectacular.
Pros:
Location, Monorail, Nostalgia, California GrillCons:
$$$$Reviewed by mkymouse4ever Review Date: 10/04/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed at CR mkv tower room, sept 18 > 30. We had requested 1 room request to be over the shops and far from chef mickey's. We checked in at 9 am > so I am sure we had a good shot at getting our request. The front desk CM said your room is ready > I asked about the request and she said yep no problem you are very far down the hall from chef mickey's. Turned out we where the closest room to the side of chef mickey's. I didn't go back down we just did our usual of putting pillows around the door at night so as not to wake up very early with the loud resturant. Just kinda odd that the cm was unaware where these rooms really are.
We are regular's at CR and again loved our stay. Room had a few issues. The floor lamp and the desk lamp did not work and a few bulb's where burned out in bathroom too. I did call maintaneous > they fixed the desk, but not the others. Mousekeeping overall was excellent. 1 day we left the room after 11am and upon return late that night our room was not done. The night cm replaced towel for us.
Elevators are a big issue on friday night they locked 3 elevators for california grille during a busy time. And I think a sign for the escalator's would be a good idea since no one seems to try them, some where totally unaware of escalator's being available.
Parking lot is a problem, due to the amount of people parking for mk, resturants, or employee's going to mk.
We did have a major issue with room service. Since there is not a review area for room service I will add this here. Our order was incorrect the 2 meals we ordered. Things where missing and oddly a cobb salad was a bunch of greens with a dressing I could not figure out. Not chopped up or green goddess dressing. They added a large piece of chocholate to a carrot cake, which is ok but sis is allergic to chocholate and we thought carrot cake would be safe.
Overall, yes we had a few issues. But, I would still stay here again. None of these issues bothered us or our trip.
The pool area is super, as is the boat rental. We love to spend time out on the lakes. Taking the monorail is always a plus. A little long going to Epcot, but a nice ride. Buses ran efficent for us. But, we also use a rental car and drive to ak and ds.
Pros:
location! MK view!Cons:
elevatorsReviewed by pstoudemire Review Date: 09/18/2014
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
The location to the MK is fantastic! It is very nice to be able to walk. With that being said, getting anywhere else was a nightmare! I stayed from Sept. 13-17 and the monorail was closed every morning until between 9:30-10:00. When I booked the resort in April I was told the monorail would be open an hour before the parks every morning. Not true! I went to talk to the manager and she could have cared less. She told me that day was maintenance, but that was not the normal. The very informative man at the buses told me another story. He said the monorail is often closed during value season until late morning. When coming home from EPCOT that evening (at 9:00) the monorail was closed again. It took us an hour and 15 minutes to get back to the resort.
While the room was nice and the beds were very comfortable, I would stay at the Polynesian next time! The frustration with the transportation did it for me with the Contemporary! I never would have spent that amount of money to have to take the buses. It was a huge disappointment after dreaming of staying here for years.
Pros:
Decor, location to MKCons:
monorail maintenance all the time, managerReviewed by WDWDad1974 Review Date: 05/13/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We stayed in the Garden Wing, which I was a bit nervous about; I mean, the Contemporary is beautiful, a great hotel that looks like a spaceport and a marvel of modern architecture--why stay in the Garden Wing? It turned out to be a great experience, and the savings were well worth it.
First of all, you cannot beat the Contemporary for location. We walked to the MK several times, despite having cranky kids (and one in a stroller), because it was just so close. The walk isn't "magical," per se, but you get to walk under the Monorail and get a good look at Space Mountain on the way. Of course the Monorail is extra cool--my kids liked it as much as any other ride. Quick trip to Epcot, and even a quick trip via bus to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom (they told us to plan 40 minutes, but it was probably more like 15). From what I could tell, everything stopped at the Contemporary first on the way home, although on the way in you go through the Polynesian and Grand Floridian first. But that's actually a bonus--first off at the end of a long day, first on ahead of the other riders at the start of the day. For my money, staying at a Monorail resort is well worth it.
And the contemporary is cool--I think the coolest resort aesthetically. It does not get enough love as a Disney resort, in my mind, but that's mainly because the others are so lavishly themed, and the charm of the Contemporary is so subtle. Yes, it is somewhat dated in terms of the conception of what is "contemporary." But it does not feel stuck in 1971 in any way, just always someone's idea of futuristic. The concourse with the Monorail coming through makes the whole thing feel like it is perfectly conceived and planned. And as an adult, I think that many of the other resorts leave one feeling a bit silly. This is a hotel you're proud to come home to.
The Garden Wing is off to the side and the worst thing that can be said is that it is a bit of a hike to and from transportation, restaurants, etc. It is on the opposite side of the resort as the MK walkway, those hallways start to seem pretty long, and the elevators are not incredibly conveniently placed. To get to the restaurants or the Monorail you walk across the property, then take an elevator or escalator to the 4th and 5th floors. This could be a bit of a pain--it was especially so when I wanted to go get coffee from the Contempo Cafe in the morning and bring it back to the room. If you think this is a problem, however, I would be sure to check out cross-resort walks at other resorts--I remember staying at Port Orleans once, and the walk was probably comparable. And when I was waiting for the elevator, I figured that anyone in the tower would also have to wait for the same elevator--they just would not have to walk that far to get to it! On the whole, however, I found it that the walk was not that bad--and that's dragging two elementary-aged kids and a pre-schooler.
So about the Garden Wing itself: I worried that we would feel like we were in the low class wing, but we never felt like we were going cheap. In sum, you get all the benefits of the Contemporary's location and amenities, for a little cheaper, and as a bonus you're close to the pool. One major benefit that I was not expecting--and that even the bellhop did not know about--is that we could see the fireworks from our beds. Not the full show, mind you, but the "top part" of the fireworks, just enough to thrill my kids as they were going to bed, and enough to make the room feel extra cool. You should note two things: 1.) this only will work in Garden View rooms, and probably not all (my sense is that the closer you are to the lagoon, the better your view would be--and you probably have to be on the third floor, which is what we wanted anyway); and 2.) to see fireworks in the Tower requires a Magic Kingdom View room, which I think may be as much as $200 more--compare prices for yourself. While I'm on the topic of fireworks: there is an observation deck on the 4th floor from which you can watch the MK fireworks (with the Monorail coming in just above your head), and I was told (on the last night, when it was too late for me to check out) that you can see the fireworks and get the music from the show at the California Grille restaurant.
The Garden Wing is just outside of the pool/beach area, and the pool is really nice. They have a water slide and a little splash area. You can't swim at the beach, but my kids really liked playing in the sand after their swim. The lifeguards are fantastic. Also, they have lots of activities around the pool area, including a nightly movie. I believe that the pools at some of the resorts are more elaborate--the Beach Club areas, especially. But from what I can tell from the pics of the Art of Animation, etc., resorts, the pools are not better, just more themed.
The decor is really cool. One of the things that led us to choose the Contemporary is that it is not drenched in Disney decor, so my wife and I felt like we were staying in a place that was partly for us. If you want to feel like you're in a really nice, well-designed, modern hotel, this is a great place. It was not standard hotel decor by any means--it feels like an upscale boutique hotel in New York or LA; the rooms are sleek and modern, with some cool lighting features. The bathroom is encased in marble, which felt really luxurious. I know some people want to be totally enmeshed in Disney, and if you want mouse ear lamps and Lion King bedspreads, you should go someplace else--although my kids loved the deconstructed hidden Mickeys in the hallway artwork and carpet. This was their first trip; maybe if they had been in one of the over-the-top themed resorts before, they would have missed the characters. As it was, however, they loved it too; when we wanted extra Disney magic, we turned on the TV and played Donald Duck cartoons.
Before I booked, I wanted a good, thorough review that took account of the Garden Wing, and I couldn't find it. Hopefully this suffices for the next guy. Take the walking and the theming into account, compare with the other resorts, but I do not think you'll be disappointed.
Pros:
Location, Location, Location--even for the Garden WingCons:
moving through the resortReviewed by Ladies4Disney Review Date: 04/17/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We had a bad dining experience the last time we ate at this restaurant. This time was much better. The rennovations are a big improvement. Our food was very good (ordered the chicken). Dessert was creme brulee, and it was excellent. The restaurant is very noisy, and unfortunately, we were also seated in a high traffic area, but we still enjoyed our meal and would return.
Pros:
Rennovations, Good FoodCons:
NoisyReviewed by trapolito Review Date: 03/23/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We just got back from our visit to Disney world and our stay at the Contemporary and we LOVED it!! so impressed with this resort. I had a few doubts about it from reading some negative reviews but I have to say I am totally impressed with it. We had a Deluxe room in the garden view wing, I could not afford to stay in the Tower due to the rates during spring break but I wanted to try this resort and I opted for the Garden Wing, orig wanted just a standard room but they were all booked so I took the deluxe room. I requested a lower level room and close to the tower with a pool view and I was granted all of my request. The room was actually to big for the 3 of us but my kids loved it and we didn't want to leave the room. The bathroom was huge and the beds were very comfortable. Mousekeeping was awesome!! the room was very sound proof, never heard anything next to us or above us and the traffic outside our room was also quiet. We have stayed at the value resorts, Wilderness and the Yacht CLub and I have to say this was my favorite resort/room. The walk over to Magic Kingdom was a breeze and then we took the monorail back at night.
Kids loved the pool and the pool party/games/and of course the prizes. We also enjoyed the movie on the beach and night and was able to have a perfect view of the fire works without the massive park crowds. and the electric water parade each night was a great treat.
Love this location and would stay again if given the chance.
Pros:
Walking distance to Magic Kingdom, room sizeCons:
nothingReviewed by cchurch74 Review Date: 02/12/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Hubby and I stayed at the Contemporary for the first time from 2/3 - 2/10/14. We loved it! The staff were all friendly and helpful and mousekeeping was great. We had stayed at POR and the Poly before but this is our new favorite. Its true that it doesn't have the theming that the other resorts do, but it makes up for that in other ways.
First, location, location, location! Being able to go downstairs and take the monorail was awesome, even with the closures for monorail rehab. And the walk to the Magic Kingdom was a great alternative. Second, it was very convenient being able to just go downstairs and get what we wanted (refilling our mugs, shopping, monorail, etc) instead of walking 5-10 minutes to a main building. Don't get me wrong, we love POR and the Poly and we don't mind walking....but it was nice and convenient.
The rooms are large and we had plenty of room for the 2 of us. And the view - INCREDIBLE! We had a theme park view room in the main tower and I highly recommend it! To me, it was worth every penny being able to wake up and go to sleep with the view of Cinderella Castle and Space Mountain. We even got take out from Contempo Cafe a few nights and ate on the balcony (with the help of the small table near the desk) while watching the fireworks. Talk about magical! One tip about the theme park view....try to request a higher floor.
We were very happy with our stay at the Contemporary and would definitely stay here again!
Pros:
Location, Convenience, Theme Park ViewCons:
—Reviewed by dandnmom Review Date: 12/26/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Just returned from "bucket list" visit - Christmas at Disney and staying in the Contemporary- yeah! Lovely stay.....
Resort is just beautiful at night - decorations tastefully done, lots to see and do, rooms very quiet. Everything was very tasteful, clean, excellent service by staff. Since I took my kids, I do wish they had done the "Disney animal towel characters" but the kids survived just fine - loved the resort and want to go back now; resort was "kid friendly" enough (have stayed at all Disney price points). I've read complaints about the bathroom sinks and doors not locking, etc- get over it folks.... it's a great resort and wouldn't hesitate to return.
Pros:
location, staff,Cons:
bit of a "conference hotel" feelingReviewed by arparkes78 Review Date: 12/23/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We booked the Contemporary for our latest visit to WDW DEC 15-21st What a great place to stay for getting around to the parks. Our room was ready when we got there and the bell hop sevice was fantastic.
While the Christmas decorating is not what it is at some of the other resorts on Disney it was still done very well.
I was expecting it to be noisey with the monorail running through but we were on the 9th floor with a lake view and we never heard it once.
The only downside was mouse keeping. We had 4 people in our room and every day I had to ask for towels or washcloths because only 2 or 3 were left each day. We also had some ants in our bathroom but this was quickly resolved by calling the front desk.
