Contemporary Resort Report: Good Garden, Terrible Tower?
This hotel stay report covers our recent experience at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, where we check out the new health safety protocol, enhanced cleaning, dining, pools, and sunset views of Magic Kingdom as Walt Disney World continues its phased reopening. Additionally, we’ll either flip-flop on the Contemporary, or “expose” its two-faced nature, depending upon your perspective.
Our stay at Contemporary Resort was mid-week during the fall off-season, which offers insight into its operations…but not the full extent of how the hotel is handling weekend crowds. However, with significantly better pricing via the Florida resident and Annual Passholder “Rediscover the Magic” room discounts, we opted for weekdays.
For that same reason, we also booked the Garden Wing over the Main Tower. Even after discounts, the cheapest room in the A-frame was almost $150/night more expensive–or roughly $200/night more for a view of Magic Kingdom. That’s just the start of the reasons we didn’t want to stay in the Main Tower right now…
Aside from cost, our primary reason for avoiding the Contemporary’s A-frame was the elevator situation. We’ve heard countless reports from readers that this is a big issue, especially during peak hours in the morning heading to the parks or in the evening returning from them. I’ll trust these reports without experiencing these frustrations firsthand.
These problems are clearly not isolated or anecdotal, as signs have been added encouraging use of stairs if staying on a lower level. Even at other, less “vertical” Walt Disney World hotels, we’ve had sporadic elevator issues with this post-reopening. There’s little surprise that one of Walt Disney World’s oldest and tallest tower hotels would suffer from this when operating its elevators at a reduced capacity.
Beyond this, there’s not much advantage to staying in the Main Tower from an amenities or transportation perspective. Right now, it’s faster to walk between the Garden Wing and Magic Kingdom than it is to take the monorail, and there’s no reason to go to the TTC since the EPCOT monorail isn’t operating.
While the Lake View and Theme Park View rooms still hold their appeal, one of my favorite things to do is book the former and watch Electrical Water Pageant from our balcony. That’s also not happening right now.
Then there’s dining. While Walt Disney World has announced some promising changes for Chef Mickey’s, those don’t come until December. In the meantime, the food there held no appeal. Ditto the scaled-back menu at Contempo Cafe.
California Grill and the Wave of American Flavors look much better, but we’re still not dining indoors. (Unfortunately, neither have the same air-flow advantages of Chef Mickey’s or Contempo Cafe.)
On the plus side, Mobile Order Table Service to Go has since been unveiled for the Wave, making that a much more attractive option–but that restaurant is equally accessible from most Garden Wing and Main Tower rooms.
None of that is really flip-flopping, it’s all grounded in the current operational realities of the Main Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. In this sense, the hotel is sorta two-faced.
However, that’s not our only reason. Another big thing is that the Contemporary’s Main Tower has lost some of its mystique for us. Warning: flip-flopping incoming…
A little over four years ago, we revisited our (previously negative) assessment of Disney’s Contemporary Resort after staying in the A-frame building for the first time.
To boil down 1,000+ words to something succinct, the core thesis there was that the Main Tower comported with childhood fantasies of staying in the fancy hotel the monorail whizzes through. It fulfilled a lifelong dream and was high on novelty value and cool factor.
In the time since, we’ve done a couple of subsequent stays in the Contemporary’s Main Tower, and none have compared to that. Part of that is undoubtedly personal–the luster wore off. The more you do something, the less special it can become.
That’s not entirely it, though. In equally large part, Disney’s Contemporary Resort is starting to feel anything but. Its Grand Canyon Concourse looks tired, dated, and visually chaotic.
The atrium has been a hodgepodge for the last decade, but its style has continued to age and clutter has continually been added. Now, there are (understandably) a bunch of health safety signs, ground markers, and more that just make it look like a mess.
If you compare photos of the Contemporary’s atrium today versus the 1970s or 1980s, it’s a night and day difference. So much less stuff and stylistically superior. More than any other Deluxe Resort, the Contemporary needs an aesthetic overhaul.
Hopefully that happens once Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is done with its refresh and Moana enhancements next summer. It’s likely that occupancy rates will still be on the low side, making it the perfect time to take down the Contemporary.
Timing-wise, that’d be right around the start of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. While having an original “Vacation Kingdom” hotel closed on October 1, 2021 wouldn’t be smart–what better date to announce the overhaul of the resort, with a reimagining to start in early 2022 inspired by Walt Disney World’s own rich historical legacy?
Suffering from its own “Tomorrowland Problem,” this would be a good chance to pivot the Contemporary in the direction of Disneyland Hotel, which is self-referential and a love letter to Walt Disney and the lands of Disneyland.
Likewise, Disney’s Contemporary Resort could be redone in a sleek, timeless, and clean mid-century modern punctuated by decor inspired by the history of Walt Disney World. Attraction posters, nods to extinct offerings, old park maps–perhaps even suites or rooms with visual motifs inspired by the themed lands of Magic Kingdom. As with Disneyland Hotel, there are now enough longtime Walt Disney World fans to make this really appealing. It’d certainly be better than redoing the resort to the Incredibles!
Calling the Main Tower “terrible” is a bit harsh and extreme, but “tired” is too charitable–especially in light of the high price points. In reality, it’s somewhere in between for us. With that said, if you’ve yet to stay in the A-frame, your first time will probably still hold that same mystique–so take our review here with a grain of salt.
On the other hand, we also now need to (once again) revisit our review of the Garden Wing. Its stock is on the rise for us after this stay…
While not the greatest or most Disneyfied hotel room ever, the big change since our last stay in the Garden Wing is that now most other Walt Disney World hotel rooms are also much lighter on Disney details and themed design.
Moreover, we have a greater appreciation for the texture and design touches, all of which give the room more depth and character–even if it’s not Disney character.
I especially love the moody lighting panel under the television.
This is–not even kidding–one of my favorite features in any hotel room at Walt Disney World. I’m a total sucker for good lighting, and absolutely love this.
I also really like the style of the bathrooms in the Contemporary’s guest rooms.
They’re a tad visually busy with the wallpaper and tile patterns, but the quality is undeniable.
It might be indistinguishable from a Hilton or Hyatt room anywhere in the country, but it’s still a nice room.
For this stay, it was really nice being on the ground level, able to leave directly from our room or simply enjoy the fresh air of the patio. Right now, I’ll take the natural serenity and peacefulness of the Garden Wing over the Main Tower–no doubt about it.
As for the enhanced cleaning and health safety changes, Mousekeeping performs a light cleaning service every other day, which includes removal of trash and used towels. They’ll also replenish amenities throughout the room and bathroom, cleaning various surfaces, etc.
The television remote comes wrapped in package to verify that it’s clean. Same goes for the refillable shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower.
The Keurig coffee maker is still present in the room, too. We had a half-dozen pods for using in it and were given more upon request.
Guest rooms have extra linens and towels, individually wrapped paper cups, double-cased pillows, and additional items that have been cleaned and wrapped in single-use packaging.
The Garden Wing also provides convenient access to the pools, beach, and running path at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Again, this was a weekday stay–we saw barely anyone using the pool.
Now that we’re out of summer vacation season, I wouldn’t expect pool crowds to be much of an issue going forward except on weekends and over holiday travel periods. See our Guide to Pools at Walt Disney World: FAQ & Info for current (post-reopening) policies and everything else you need to know about hotel pools.
Ultimately, it was nice to revisit the Garden Wing and be pleasantly surprised by that–and have our expectations exceeded as compared to previous stays. On the other hand, it’s disappointing that the Main Tower has fallen out of our favor–but at least we didn’t book it in the first place. The key takeaway to anyone planning a trip is that the Garden Wing will minimize hassles and cost, with very little downside for the “compromise” (aside from maybe the view or novelty).
In the end, perhaps this Disney’s Contemporary Resort post-reopening review amounts to flip-flopping, or perhaps it underscores how the hotel is two-faced. Or maybe a little of both. We think, it’s probably most aptly described as a further evolution of our opinions and perspective based upon changing circumstances, continued experiences, and the mystique wearing off. That’s not as succinct or as catchy of an assessment, though. As always, opinions and personal experiences are bound to vary based on a range of unique variables. In the end, it was another excellent post-reopening stay at Walt Disney World, and that’s what matters most to us!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you stayed at Disney’s Contemporary Resort since it reopened? What do you think of all the modifications? Right now, would you recommend the Garden Wing or Main Tower? Experiences with the elevators, pools, transportation, or dining? If you’ve stayed here, how would your review differ from mine? Will you be booking a resort reservation for Walt Disney World this fall or in 2021, or are these rules/restrictions/policies going to cause you to postpone? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I have a question. We had reservations for 3 rooms at the Poly next June, but Disney had to move us to the Contemporary. We have 2 17 year olds celebrating graduation, my 21 year old son, my husband and myself. After reading this post, I panicked and started looking for alternatives. With 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms a villa at Bay Lake Tower seems like a possible option that could save us neat $2000, but my 21 year old will only agree if the sleeper sofa is very comfortable and not a typical hotel pull-out. He’s a muscular 6-foot-tall guy. Anyone have recent experience with these?
Sorry to tell you, but the sleeper sofa is the typical sleeper sofa. My son has slept on them multiple times from the time he was four to being about 25. He prefers the sleeper chair.
Pull out sofas in general are honestly, not that great. Even the ones at Grand Floridian are ok for 1 night but that’s about it. We just stayed at Riviera last weekend and the pull down Murphy beds looked pretty good but honestly for athletic type teenagers––I would get them real beds. I have two myself and they need a bed
We stayed in a park view in the tower at the end of September. We had no issues at all with the elevators. I do agree they should reprogram them not to stop at every floor. We waited more due to that than overcrowding.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill to be able to stay there, but it is overhyped and overpriced for what you are really getting. Our biggest complaint was the huge flat sinks that didn’t drain well, and the lack of shelving/storage space in the bathroom area. Otherwise, it was a nice, large comfortable room – but outdated and not worth the price, even with the discount.
As a family with severe allergies and asthma, Tom. What would say has less cloth room decor and fabrics and rug – A Frame Tower or Garden? Hardwoods in either? I don’t think so looking at photos.
The standard rooms are more or less identical in both. This is not a topic I’ve given a ton of consideration, but off the top of my head, Yacht Club is probably the best (or among the best) for severe allergies and asthma. Hardwood floors and generally less fabrics.
We just got back staying in the Tower – our room match the exact pictures above that Tom posted. Everything match extactly – only differance the bath room we stayed at had a more of a mix of white and brown for tiles through-out. Not sure the reasoning behind our bathroom tile – wasn’t as consistently matched as shown in Tom’s. All tile and rug and no hardwood.
Most of the DVC one bedroom villas have hard floors (usually tile and wood look vinyl) in the living room, but the bedrooms all have carpet.
So are you saying that those gross dispensers in the showers are now WRAPPED IN PLASTIC? And the remote, and on and on and on? ha ha. So much for Disney’s environmentally friendly LIE about betting rid of the individual shampoo containers to help reduce plastic waste. Sounds like they’re increasing it.
PLUS labor costs. Just take the gross dispensers off the walls and give us individual shampoos again. MUCH more sanitary.
Most Deluxe Resorts still have single use products (you can see them in the bathroom photo), but yes, that is the case at Moderates & Values.
We stayed in the tower for our honeymoon in 1998 and my husband loved the monorail–and
seeing Leonard Nimoy having dinner at the California Grill!
A couple of years ago we stayed in the Garden Wing on a good discount and enjoyed it very much also.
I do totally agree with your assessment of everything Tom–time for an overhaul!
“…Leonard Nimoy having dinner at the California Grill!”
That’s awesome.
Sarah and girl friends once sat near someone from ‘NYSYNC at Jiko, and I still hear about it to this day. Your encounter is better, IMO.
Ha! My husband is a huge Star Trek fan and this was def a huge highlight of the trip. We respected his privacy –just sneaked glances…
We also passed Richard Kind in MK on one of our recent trips and that was cool but def not AS cool Outside of the late lamented Star Wars weekends we have not had that many celebrity sightings at WDW!
Sarah’s sighting is pretty cool also!!
I’ve never found the perfect place to drop my story about Paula Abdul eating at the table next to me in the Napa Rose lounge. It was surreal, but I must confess that the creamy mushroom soup was the most memorable aspect of that meal. I’m guessing celeb sightings are far more common at Napa Rose than Cali Grill, but it was a fun addition to an already excellent experience.
@Kelly D cool and also now I want to try that mushroom soup if I ever make it out to Disneyland!
I love remembering the sense of wonder I felt as a child, riding the monorail into the Grand Concourse. I could actually feel my heart rate accelerate as the monorail approached the big wall of windows and then went INSIDE A BUILDING!!! I was mesmerized by the Mary Blair mural, and delighted, in my teen years, in pointing out the 5-legged goat. I honestly enjoyed that part of the day as much as any attraction in the Magic Kingdom. That said, I’ve never been able to bring myself to pay for a stay in the Contemporary. My kids have virtually no reaction to the monorail pulling into the Contemporary. (Maybe because they were born into a more stimulating age of smart phones and streaming apps, or maybe because they were born in Manhattan and rode the subways everywhere for 10-years before moving to the ‘burbs). I’m a big fan of the Wave and California Grill, but, lately, every time I walk through the Grand Concourse, I’m reminded of an Embassy Suite atrium. The design just doesn’t feel special, and there is so much noise. One of these days, I’ll have to tack on one night in a tower room, to try to trigger a nostalgic revival of my 70’s & 80’s enthusiasm for the Grand Concourse.
“I love remembering the sense of wonder I felt as a child, riding the monorail into the Grand Concourse. I could actually feel my heart rate accelerate as the monorail approached the big wall of windows and then went INSIDE A BUILDING!!! I was mesmerized by the Mary Blair mural, and delighted, in my teen years, in pointing out the 5-legged goat. I honestly enjoyed that part of the day as much as any attraction in the Magic Kingdom.”
Same, all around.
I still think there’s something special about the core idea…it just needs all of the junk stripped away and a more imaginative sense of design to reinvigorate the space.
We stayed at the Contemporary for our first trip in 1973 and thereafter for at least the next twenty years, in both Garden View and Tower rooms. There is something to be said, good and not so good, for each. I enjoyed the tower a tad more because of access to the monorail and all the amenities it offered.
In 1973, the Grand Concourse restaurant was great (the roast duckling with black cherry sauce was the best I ever had). That area is now Chef Mickey’s. In 1988, while staying at the Grand Floridian on The Grand Plan, (which included dining everywhere in WDW, even Victoria and Albert’s), we had dinner at the Contemporary’s Top of the World restaurant, where we saw Gena Rowlands perform, along with a showcase of talent.
The game room p, my kid’s favorite, was an arcade on steroids, and open 24/7. Even I enjoyed it. The Wave currently occupies that area. There was also a playground section between both wings. The Contemporary was the only hotel we could get a room reservation at the time (called every day at 5:00 PM to catch a cancellation). The Poly was always booked and The Golf Hotel didn’t sound appealing for children.
In 1973, the package for five nights, six days for three adults was $249 each adult and $49 per child. This included admission to MK, ticket books for rides, lunch and dinner, and a choice of The Luau or Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue. It’s really sad to see how much it cost families today.
The memories of our stays at the Contemporary are firmly etched in my mind, and I guess part of the reason I keep returning to WDW. Enjoyed this post Tom and agree with you about preferring the wing section today.
@Barbara, thanks for sharing this story! So fun to hear a firsthand account of what it was like back in the day!
What an excellent stroll down memory lane–thanks for sharing! I love hearing stories like this of the original ‘Vacation Kingdom’ even if it’s also sad to hear how much has been lost and cut.
Ugh, you camera wonks and your “lighting” fixations…
We stayed 2 nights at The Contemporary last month(Labor Day). This was our first time staying at The Contemporary. We originally booked both nights in the Garden Wing with the passholder discount. We ended up doing the first night Garden Wing, and upgraded to the main tower theme park view for an additional $55 for the 2nd night. It was well worth the upgrade to us. That view of MK from the room was amazing, especially at night! Comparing the 2 rooms, the rooms themselves were basically identical. The Garden Wing’s elevator was small(we were on the 2nd floor), we could not fit our family of 5 plus the stroller in it. No big deal because the stairs are right there, but slightly inconvenient.
It was nice to be so close to the pool, and to our car, location-wise.
We did not have an issue with waiting for an elevator in the main tower. It was easier having food options closer in the main tower as well, especially with kids.
All in all, we enjoyed our stay, liked the main tower better, but would not pay the premium to stay in the main tower again unless we were able to get an upgrade like we did.
Staying OKW next month, looking forward to it!
Be aware that most of the buildings at OKW do not have elevators. So if you are on the second or third floor, you may be hauling your stroller up and down the stairs.
Absolutely agree on the aesthetic overhaul. The Grand Canyon Concourse’s design has strayed so far from the original concept and feel that it’s embarrassing. How have we treated this gem of a space so horribly? I admit it’s a tricky space, but its very design promoted the enjoyment of a grand structure and an achievement in architecture while also suggesting something magnificent to behold…like the Grand Canyon. It’s due for a remodeling to bring back this splendor, even if it’s a subtle nod to the retro decor. It’s ok for families and kids to experience something other than in-your-face ears all of the time. I say bring back the globe lighting and cellophane trees. Bring back the recognition of nature within the “Contemporary” interior design. When does this hotel get treated with the reverence it should, and get placed on the National Register of Historic Places?
We stayed at the Contemporary in 2000 and it was EXTREMELY disappointing. The wallpaper was peeling, the light in the bathroom wasn’t working. It took 3 days for them to fix the light and there was no offer of moving us to another room and there was no way to lodge a complaint. We had our 3 kids and we vowed never to go back there again.
I still remember staying at the Contemporary for 1 night on our first trip in ’74. TV remote control on the table /wall between the beds. Mind. blown. Kids today don’t understand what it was like to walk 10 miles uphill through freezing snow or sweltering deserts to change the TV back then.
As to Fantasia, we’ve gotten many a souvenir there over the years. The remodel idea is nice, but the chances of WDW giving up on an opportunity to get easy money from those who are waiting for their dining reservations, or who are on their way out from dining, I’d say the chances are slim and none, and Slim just left town. Any redesign, remodel/rebuild would have to account for that, because I don’t see WDW giving up any merchandise space on that floor. The big Christmas tree is a great idea, though the view of it would be blocked due to the mural/elevator banks. Two would indeed be better than one.
You have me beat–I remember the days of 4-button television “clickers” but not actual wall controls. That actually sounds pretty fancy!
Disney has actually toned down its ‘pack every square foot with merchandise’ approach that peaked in the mid-aughts around the time the Fantasia shop was installed. Since, they’ve done a lot of redesigns with more open floor plans and less clutter.
As for the Christmas tree, here’s what I’m thinking: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/12/vintage-walt-disney-world-the-trees-of-christmas-past/
Oh. Wow.
The one thing we’ve never done over the decades has been to hit WDW during Christmas. I like the Poinsettia tree, the tinsel monstrosity, not so much. I’d have sworn that was straight out of the ’70s, and that like leisure suits, should stay there. 😉
Thanks for the pics!
Wow! That sure is one elongated toilet bowl in the picture of the Garden Wing room’s bathroom! Just kidding. Your pictures are great, as always, it’s just that something seemed off about the foreground sink in this picture, and then I noticed the toilet.
Haha, just some bad ultra wide angle lens distortion!
We stayed in the Main Tower in August. It was my husband’s 50th, & given the current climate, it was the best option available to make his birthday special. I did pay Mandarin Oriental prices for a Marriott room. I expected that going in BUT it stung a little more this time. Special things are so limited now. The elevator situation was a complete nightmare. People still don’t understand how to get in line. We typically waited 30 min to get an elevator. As the food options were exactly how you described, we took the monorail to the Polynesian. We got a table in Tambu lounge after a 30 min wait. We could have waited for a space at one of the cramped couches as they were serving those as well. It was a complete head scratching moment. They had 5 tables more than 6 feet apart in Tambu lounge, yet people were cheek to jowl in the waiting area. I ordered the ribs, which were just OK. My husband got a mobil order from O’hana’s which they walked over. The service from O’hana’s was fantastic. They had one guy in Tambu lounge serving all the tables AND the cheek to jowl area. He did the best he could. We got ready to leave at 8:30 & discovered they quit running the monorail at 8pm. We had to take the bus back to the Contemporary. We had a reservation at Epcot the next day, solely because we were staying at the Contemporary, only to discover it wasn’t running. Bus again. Over all, it was an absolute disappointment. As you said, my husband had a childhood fascination with the hotel, so I booked it. Never again.
How did you get a mobile order from Ohana’s in August? They’ve not opened back up since March??
We just got home last night from a wonderful 5 days at Disneyworld.
We’re loyal Polynesian and Grand Floridian fans but decided to stay at Riviera since everything is different now and it did not disappoint. We were all highly impressed with our 2 bedroom villa. Grounds were gorgeous and we had zero problems with elevators
We just got back staying our second week at the Contemporary in the Tower but on the 5th floor – the first floor having hotel rooms. I had mentioned in another post about tthe current issue using elevators. Not much of an issue being on just the 5th floor. Only allowing 4 individual people or one family in the elevator did cause use wait time. We continually had to wait for a free elevator especially to go down. We did not a number of times, filled elevators stoping people moaning when it stops and continuing on. Must be a pain being on the upper floors having to stop each floor and others not getting on and continuing down. There must be a way to reprogram the elevators to go directly to your selected floor without stoping – they should look into if the current situation continues.
I enjoyed the Contemporary first time staying in the main tower and always wanted since our honeymoon when we stayed in the garden wing. Had to get a picture of the five legged goat. Our room was facing the pool and to the far right so it took some time to find the goat, being on the opposite, monorail side of the mural and having to go up to 6th floor. We had to make it a mission one night to finaly find it.
I agree, the Main Tower lobby has lost some of it’s magic or sexiness. It hasn’t held up and it needs to get it’s sexy back.
Tom – Last week they were painting the exterior of the Garden Wing – going form a soft white to more sandy baige color. Are they done? When we were there we assume the wings must have been empty. Hate to be in those rooms with them outside. They had lifts around the building and up and early painting firt thing – i recall at least 2 of the days first thing in the morning.
Thanks for sharing your experience–good to hear from someone who did a recent stay in the Main Tower, too.
I’m not sure about the status of the repainting of the Garden Wing. If that’s all it was, they could’ve conceivably been done in a few days. No refurbishment bulletin ever went out about that, so it must’ve been pretty quick.
We rented DVC points and stayed at BLT back in August for 3 days and loved it. However the food choices were disappointing at the food court over on the Contemporary side. And I did notice it was much more crowded over at The Contemporary parking lot than over at BLT. But we walked over to Contemporary quite a bit. I still love the feel in the lobby and have never stayed there so I can’t say much on that but love the atmosphere. And with it being back in August when crowds were lower than they are now BLT was a ghost town. I still love the Contemporary resort though but not during stupid covid.
It’s really too bad Top of the World isn’t open! We like Bay Lake Tower, but not having that right now is a big blow.
I absolutely adore the Contemporary, but I can’t deny any of the problems going on in the main tower either. I stayed on the 14th floor on my honeymoon back in 2003 and that trip was everything I could have wanted from a stay at Walt Disney World. Things sure have changed, both at the Contemporary and WDW in general since then! I understand the need to move away from the 70s “pseudo-southwest” decor and the 90s shopping mall look but the clutter in the North half of the Grand Canyon Concourse has been disappointing at best and absolutely maddening at worst for quite some time. That god-awful “store” has GOT to go! I love the idea of a classy but self-referential “classic Disney World” theme!
Grand Canyon Concourse has a wonderful kinetic energy and sense of life…but it’s just hideous.
The Fantasia gift shop is the most obvious offender–why on earth that’s still around is beyond me. I’m still holding out hope that someday that’ll be removed and an icon Christmas tree will grace that atrium again for the holidays!
We were put in the Contemporary Garden Wing back the beginning of August because our original resort (All-Stars) was not opened. We had a family suite at the All-stars, so moving us to the Contemporary took away our kitchenette. Plus I had to sleep on the fold out. Not very comfortable. We were on the first floor and so able to avoid elevators. I have to say, though, the food choices were not inviting, forcing us to drive out in the evenings to buy dinner and then pick up a quick breakfast meal to have the next morning. Would take the dining options at the All-stars, including POP, over the Contemporary any day. That said, food is not the reason we made the trip. We had a great trip visiting the parks. So glad we decided to go and not cancel!
That sounds both like a nice upgrade and an unsuitable one–hopefully at least the easier access to Magic Kingdom made up for it a little!
We stayed at Contemporary the first week of September. The Garden rooms were nicely appointed and even staying on the second floor, we moved from first floor because my wife and I booked a king and they gave us a two queens, the elevator did not create a problem at all. The walk to the busses or to Magic Kingdom were not bad, even with a mask on.
Our trip was enjoyable the entire week.
We had a stay on DVC points a few years ago in what they then called the South Wing Bldg while they were tearing down the North Wing Bldg to build Bay Lake Tower. They were in the process of renovating the rooms in one of the wings of the building during our stay, but we heard no noise at all. We thought the room was really large and so was the bathroom. especially compared to some of the DVC bathrooms with their “can you find your way out of this space” doors. No balcony, other than a Juliet style balcony where you slid open the slider door and stood right there to catch a breeze. It was nice to be able to take the stairs up or down one flight, walk over to the nearby pool or the Food & Fun Center (where the Wave is now located). We never had to wait for an elevator unless we were tired and returning to our room and then there was often no wait at all.
I think that might have been more than a few years ago. 😉 (Hey, I know–time flies!)
The spacious rooms at the Contemporary are quite a sharp contrast as compared to the tiny ones at BLT. In some ways they’re efficient, but still too small.
Beat me to it Tom.