Finished stay at Contemporary -- the good, the bad, the upended expectations

[kymom79]

We are just back from a stay in the Contemporary garden wing, and I thought I'd share our reflections in case it might help anyone deciding --

For some time, the Contemporary has been my "bucket list" hotel because of its iconic architecture, central setting, and walking access to MK. It truly was convenient not to have to battle the crowds for transportation access after fireworks or at closing time. Also, the lighting was 10/10, 100% A+ the best we have encountered in a hotel, giving guests a full spectrum of options from single non-intrusive reading lights, to bedside lighting, to floor lamps, to overhead and upward lighting in the balcony frame. The rooms also excel in storage options, with drawers and luggage space inside both small closets, and room for suitcases under the beds since they are elevated. Our preschooler delighted in finding every bit of Incredibles theming in the room, particularly in informing us that Dash left his homework in the nightstand.

Contrary to expectations, the monorail concourse/4th floor public area didn't feel thriving and modern as we had thought it would; it actually felt chaotic, poorly designed, and a little claustrophobic, probably due to its placement partway up the building so that it feels like you're in a narrow canyon. DH took the Garden Wing design particularly poorly, thinking that the building seemed like "Soviet Gulag architecture" with the low-ceilinged concrete block buildings. He isn't complaining because he was here on business and didn't have to choose the room, but he also felt the Garden Wing was treated poorly as regards access to convention space -- despite being physically right next to the convention hall, entry is barricaded and Garden Wing people have to take a circuitous route all the way into the main building and then back out again to reach convention facilities.

There were a few other things that were just odd. Mousekeeping took great care with hard surface cleaning and adorably arranging the children's stuffed Mickey and books so it looked as if the characters were participating in the trip. Strangely, they very obviously did not see vacuuming or towel replacement as part of the service. They also had a strange habit of not wanting to clean until 3:30 or so, when the littles were resting and taking a park break. And, for a family hotel, it seems weird not to have any kind of bathtub. I love a gorgeous shower, but spraying down a squalling baby without a tub bath to relax the tiny person makes me question my devotion to baby hygiene during Disney trips. It really isn't fair to comment on the pool area since they seem to be attempting a refurbishment, but I think it is reasonable to note the the secondary pool (which was open) compares very unfavorably to the Grand Floridian's secondary pool. The children did love the splash pad area, which isn't as creative to adult eyes as the GF's, but inviting and fun from a little one's perspective.

Hope that helps anyone weighing their Disney hotel decisions!

 

[Araminta18]

Thank you! We're doing a stay at the Contemporary (also a bucket list hotel for me!) in August, as part of a leadership course I'm taking at the Disney Institute. This is super helpful!

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

Thank you! I’ve wanted to stay here, but my husband isn’t crazy about the “theme” I guess you can say. It reminds him of the city and we live in the city lol.

 

[elvispursley]

We loved the CR when we stayed here years ago and I was considering it for my mom-daughter stay this fall. But I CANNOT stand the recent Incredibles retheme. It's fine if I were staying with little ones like we did with our kids back in the day when we stayed at the CR. But the rooms look smaller on room tours that I've seen and appear cheap. These rooms used to have a beautiful mid-modern century aesthetic that I loved. The only thing about this new retheme I like is how they've done the bathrooms and done away with those stupid shallow sinks they used to have. The tower rooms look like they still have those huge bathtubs I loved and it's a shame the OP didn't have one in her room for her little one. I wish they left the option to book either an Incredibles room or a non-themed room (like you can book a "royal" room at PORS). Thank you to the OP for the review

 

[beccasmom]

I appreciate the review as we used to sometimes stay for 2-3 nights on the CR club floor as a change of pace. (In the 80’s/90’s we often stayed in a garden wing room.) Now that the rooms are re-themed, I am not even tempted to stay there and it was my favorite hotel for a number of years. The location to the MK is awesome for sure and we enjoy the restaurants. But the room theme is a non-starter IMHO. Hey, different strokes…..and for those who like it, enjoy!

 

[SCWildcat04]

Honestly after the retheme the bathrooms look amazing and that’s about it. Probably because I’m not a huge fan of Incredibles though.

 

[sponica]

it actually felt chaotic, poorly designed, and a little claustrophobic, probably due to its placement partway up the building so that it feels like you're in a narrow canyon

When we ate at Steakhouse 71 and took the monorail too/from, this was the largest knock against the place. And we had a stroller with us. It's always been on my husband's bucket list, but even he had second thoughts after experiencing the monorail stop.

 

[kymom79]

We loved the CR when we stayed here years ago and I was considering it for my mom-daughter stay this fall. But I CANNOT stand the recent Incredibles retheme. It's fine if I were staying with little ones like we did with our kids back in the day when we stayed at the CR. But the rooms look smaller on room tours that I've seen and appear cheap. These rooms used to have a beautiful mid-modern century aesthetic that I loved. The only thing about this new retheme I like is how they've done the bathrooms and done away with those stupid shallow sinks they used to have. The tower rooms look like they still have those huge bathtubs I loved and it's a shame the OP didn't have one in her room for her little one. I wish they left the option to book either an Incredibles room or a non-themed room (like you can book a "royal" room at PORS). Thank you to the OP for the review

I think one thing that makes the rooms seem smaller is the framing of the glass door/window area. Without that drywall being built out, you'd have a few extra inches on the length of the room.

 

[JARNJ3]

I always tell people with little ones that the Contemporary is the best place to stay (provided you can afford it), as you can walk to & from the MK and avoid all the transportation if your kids are zonked out.

The rest? It’s from the 70’s - it is what they considered luxurious then. It has the biggest traditional rooms on property (along with the Poly). The pool? Meh.

The monorail coming through is a novelty. It adds 20 mins to your MK commute, but most kids consider it another “ride.”

I’ve stayed both in the Tower rooms & BLT. It would be my last choice today. Epcot resorts are where it’s at (looking at you Boardwalk & Beach Club)!

I’m glad you got to experience a resort on your bucket list! What’s next for you?

 

[kymom79]

I always tell people with little ones that the Contemporary is the best palace to stay (provided you can afford it), as you can walk to & from the MK and avoid all the transportation if your kids are zonked out.

The rest? It’s from the 70’s - it is what they considered luxurious then. It has the biggest traditional rooms on property (along with the Poly). The pool? Meh.

The monorail coming through is a novelty. It adds 20 mins to your MK commute, but most kids consider it another “ride.”

I’ve stayed both in the Tower rooms & BLT. It would be my last choice today. Epcot resorts are where it’s at (looking at you Boardwalk & Beach Club)!

I’m glad you got to experience a resort on your bucket list! What’s next for you?

Art of Animation Lion King family suites!

 

[_19disnA]

Contemporary is still the only Disney property where the monorail actually goes thru the building. Think it still gives it a futuristic look after all these years. We have stayed there many times and always enjoyed it. Theming tends to be very subjective and what one person likes someone else doesn't. If you go to MK a lot, it is a brief walk TO MK and then when everyone is tired, the monorail is a great way to RETURN as it is the next stop.

The original design was based on sliding modular rooms into the A-frame structure. You can search around online and see pictures from when it was first constructed. The idea was that future refurbishments would be easier to do and those same modules would slide out and allow for a refresh. However, the soil has apparently settled that wasn't anticipated and it is no longer possible to slide out those room modules.

Besides prices, I think it also matters which parks you will spend the most time. If you stay in the main tower, don't think the higher priced park view rooms are worth it. You mostly overlook a parking lot and can see a few of the taller structures at MK. The lake view is our preference since you can sit on your balcony and have a great view of that whole area. With small children we tend to go mostly to MK. I wouldn't stay near Epcot if planning to do most of my park days at MK. Similarly if I was mostly going to Epcot/HS, then staying at any of the monorail resorts wouldn't be my first choice either.

 

[kylenne]

Honestly after the retheme the bathrooms look amazing and that’s about it. Probably because I’m not a huge fan of Incredibles though.

I love the Incredibles and I still don't like the retheme. I genuinely don't mean to sound snobby when I say this but it has that college dorm Ikea vibe of the recent refurbs at the All Stars. The bathrooms are an improvement but everything else feels like a downgrade and doesn't look like it fits the price point. CR has been a bucket list resort for me since I was a little kid but those rooms really don't do it for me. I worry that I'm being harsh on them and maybe it looks a lot better in person, but that's a lot of money to spend on a "maybe I'll like it". It's so weird to me because I feel the entire opposite way about the Moana rooms at the Poly--they knocked that one out of the park imo.

 

[beccasmom]

I think one thing that makes the rooms seem smaller is the framing of the glass door/window area. Without that drywall being built out, you'd have a few extra inches on the length of the room.

I agree with this too. The first time I saw a photo of it I thought, ‘what the heck happened there?!’ It does make the space appear much smaller; the rooms are actually very spacious. I guess my disappointment stems from seeing how the Poly rooms were re-themed (pretty nicely IMO) and how the renovations look at BRV (the photos look impressive and we’ll see them in person on our September visit). I really don’t understand why Disney management decided this was the way to go on one of their original flagship resorts. And it doesn’t sound like they’ve done much, if any renovations on the fourth floor, which baffles me as well. I know it is a bucket list destination for many folks and we were fortunate to spend many fantastic trips there. I hope those who like the new theming enjoy it and create their own fond memories.

 

[kiford]

We haven't stayed at CR since May 2019, and while the location was great and the dining options were really good, we had a few issues that will probably mean we would not stay there again. We were in the main building (11th floor I think), and the noise from the main area was insane. Even if you just got close to the door of the room, you could hear it. It was fine while in the main part of the room, but every time you went into the bathroom, you could hear this constant din. Maybe a consequence of being on a higher floor? It also seemed like only two elevators ever arrived in the lobby, no matter what time of day, and they were very, very slow. And if I had to hear Goofy or Mickey announce the floor one more time, I was going to rip out that speaker.

We rarely used the monorail because now, with the security setup in the hotel, it's actually far less convenient. Yes, you still have to go through security if you walk, but the lineups that the security creates in the hotel means it's slower. It actually takes longer to get to MK than walking over does. And it was much faster to walk over to the main bus area between CR and MK to get a bus to other hotels or parks. We don't have children, so we didn't need to worry about kids wanting to ride the monorail or being too tired to walk, which I totally get is a consideration for those with children, so may be an incentive to stay at CR. But for us, it wasn't.

I'm not a fan of what I've seen of the Incredibles refurb. First off, we stay at deluxe hotels because we like their immersive theming. I like the general theming that is meant to be a beach hotel, a yacht club, an Atlantic Boardwalk, a Victorian seaside resort, the Pacific Northwest, and a 1960s version of the future. I'm definitely not a fan of the insertion into refurbs of a lot of characters and movie themes. I don't mind some subtlety of inclusion like Chip and Dale in Wildnerness lodge in just a couple of places, but a totally Incredibles theme? Ugh (and I like the Incredibles). Having said that, I felt that the design of the room pre-reno was really poor. The rooms were large, but the placement of the furniture was just bizarre. One dresser beside a bed where you had to constantly move the chair to the desk (also beside the bed - what??) to access it, and the other dresser was across the room under the window. So the new design does seem much more logical and streamlined.

The pool has no shade at all, so we never used it during the day because it was way too hot and exposed. Later in the evening, it was nice, though, and you could see the fireworks from MK really well from it. That's actually one of our favourite memories from our stay there.

We had a lake view, and I will say that the views were awesome from the balcony. I was surprised that the MK view rooms were a higher price - I guess so you can see the fireworks from your balcony, but you basically overlook the parking lot, so at other times, it's not a very nice view. The lake view, especially at sunset, was particularly beautiful.

Hated the bathroom layout. The shallow sinks were idiotic, and I'm glad they've replaced them, but I really hated that the door to the bathroom was a slider and the door for the toilet inside the room was a not-very-well-closing pocket door. Not exactly soundproofed or designed to give you a feeling of privacy. I refused to be in the bathroom at the sink if DH was using the toilet and vice versa. Not exactly a useful design IMO. I don't think that the basic design has been changed, so I'm still not a fan of the bathroom refurb. I much prefer the design of the Yacht & Beach Club, Grand Floridian, Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodge, where there are sinks (sometimes with a sliding door to block the light) outside a room that has the bathtub and toilet with a normal and more soundproofed door. To be honest, the bathroom layout is probably the most significant factor in my desire not to stay there again.

However, we might consider Bay Lake Tower sometime in the future. I like the room layouts there (we have friends who often stay there, so we've seen various configurations), the somewhat Art Deco design, and the pool area is much better IMO. That would give us a better pool experience, a design and layout I prefer, easy access to the dining and lounge options and retain the great location.

 

[SkyGuy]

We haven't stayed at CR since May 2019, and while the location was great and the dining options were really good, we had a few issues that will probably mean we would not stay there again. We were in the main building (11th floor I think), and the noise from the main area was insane. Even if you just got close to the door of the room, you could hear it. It was fine while in the main part of the room, but every time you went into the bathroom, you could hear this constant din. Maybe a consequence of being on a higher floor? It also seemed like only two elevators ever arrived in the lobby, no matter what time of day, and they were very, very slow. And if I had to hear Goofy or Mickey announce the floor one more time, I was going to rip out that speaker.

We rarely used the monorail because now, with the security setup in the hotel, it's actually far less convenient. Yes, you still have to go through security if you walk, but the lineups that the security creates in the hotel means it's slower. It actually takes longer to get to MK than walking over does. And it was much faster to walk over to the main bus area between CR and MK to get a bus to other hotels or parks. We don't have children, so we didn't need to worry about kids wanting to ride the monorail or being too tired to walk, which I totally get is a consideration for those with children, so may be an incentive to stay at CR. But for us, it wasn't.

I'm not a fan of what I've seen of the Incredibles refurb. First off, we stay at deluxe hotels because we like their immersive theming. I like the general theming that is meant to be a beach hotel, a yacht club, an Atlantic Boardwalk, a Victorian seaside resort, the Pacific Northwest, and a 1960s version of the future. I'm definitely not a fan of the insertion into refurbs of a lot of characters and movie themes. I don't mind some subtlety of inclusion like Chip and Dale in Wildnerness lodge in just a couple of places, but a totally Incredibles theme? Ugh (and I like the Incredibles). Having said that, I felt that the design of the room pre-reno was really poor. The rooms were large, but the placement of the furniture was just bizarre. One dresser beside a bed where you had to constantly move the chair to the desk (also beside the bed - what??) to access it, and the other dresser was across the room under the window. So the new design does seem much more logical and streamlined.

The pool has no shade at all, so we never used it during the day because it was way too hot and exposed. Later in the evening, it was nice, though, and you could see the fireworks from MK really well from it. That's actually one of our favourite memories from our stay there.

We had a lake view, and I will say that the views were awesome from the balcony. I was surprised that the MK view rooms were a higher price - I guess so you can see the fireworks from your balcony, but you basically overlook the parking lot, so at other times, it's not a very nice view. The lake view, especially at sunset, was particularly beautiful.

Hated the bathroom layout. The shallow sinks were idiotic, and I'm glad they've replaced them, but I really hated that the door to the bathroom was a slider and the door for the toilet inside the room was a not-very-well-closing pocket door. Not exactly soundproofed or designed to give you a feeling of privacy. I refused to be in the bathroom at the sink if DH was using the toilet and vice versa. Not exactly a useful design IMO. I don't think that the basic design has been changed, so I'm still not a fan of the bathroom refurb. I much prefer the design of the Yacht & Beach Club, Grand Floridian, Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodge, where there are sinks (sometimes with a sliding door to block the light) outside a room that has the bathtub and toilet with a normal and more soundproofed door. To be honest, the bathroom layout is probably the most significant factor in my desire not to stay there again.

However, we might consider Bay Lake Tower sometime in the future. I like the room layouts there (we have friends who often stay there, so we've seen various configurations), the somewhat Art Deco design, and the pool area is much better IMO. That would give us a better pool experience, a design and layout I prefer, easy access to the dining and lounge options and retain the great location.

I agree 100% about the noise. We stayed CL in the main building 4-5 years ago, and we could hear plates and silverware clinking and people talking from Chef Mickey’s inside the room with the door closed. It was crazy. We enjoyed CL and the CL CMs - especially that we had access to beverages 24/7, the fireworks view from our room, and we loved walking to MK, but I haven’t booked CR since that trip. I am an Incredibles fan, especially the mid-century modern aesthetic from both movies, so I think I would enjoy the theming, but I also loved the original CR - stayed there several times in the 70s with my parents, but I’m still not tempted due to my memories of the noise.

 

[JodyK]

I don't mind the room retheme, it isn't my favorite but not the worse, but I agree the common spaces really need an update. The 4th floor and pools are a bit of a mess. I think the monorail entry could be improved by replacing the escalator with a version similar to the people mover (but updated) so strollers, wheelchairs, etc wouldn't have to wait for the elevator, which is really confusing with it opening on both sides and just causes traffic. I think if they moved around some of the shopping on the 4th floor so it didn't feel so cramped, that would be an improvement. The ceilings in there are huge but in the shopping area they just feel low and it makes it just not as grand and you don't really get a good viewing on the Mary Blair artwork since it is hard to see from a distance.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

We are just back from a stay in the Contemporary garden wing, and I thought I'd share our reflections in case it might help anyone deciding --

For some time, the Contemporary has been my "bucket list" hotel because of its iconic architecture, central setting, and walking access to MK. It truly was convenient not to have to battle the crowds for transportation access after fireworks or at closing time. Also, the lighting was 10/10, 100% A+ the best we have encountered in a hotel, giving guests a full spectrum of options from single non-intrusive reading lights, to bedside lighting, to floor lamps, to overhead and upward lighting in the balcony frame. The rooms also excel in storage options, with drawers and luggage space inside both small closets, and room for suitcases under the beds since they are elevated. Our preschooler delighted in finding every bit of Incredibles theming in the room, particularly in informing us that Dash left his homework in the nightstand.

Contrary to expectations, the monorail concourse/4th floor public area didn't feel thriving and modern as we had thought it would; it actually felt chaotic, poorly designed, and a little claustrophobic, probably due to its placement partway up the building so that it feels like you're in a narrow canyon. DH took the Garden Wing design particularly poorly, thinking that the building seemed like "Soviet Gulag architecture" with the low-ceilinged concrete block buildings. He isn't complaining because he was here on business and didn't have to choose the room, but he also felt the Garden Wing was treated poorly as regards access to convention space -- despite being physically right next to the convention hall, entry is barricaded and Garden Wing people have to take a circuitous route all the way into the main building and then back out again to reach convention facilities.

There were a few other things that were just odd. Mousekeeping took great care with hard surface cleaning and adorably arranging the children's stuffed Mickey and books so it looked as if the characters were participating in the trip. Strangely, they very obviously did not see vacuuming or towel replacement as part of the service. They also had a strange habit of not wanting to clean until 3:30 or so, when the littles were resting and taking a park break. And, for a family hotel, it seems weird not to have any kind of bathtub. I love a gorgeous shower, but spraying down a squalling baby without a tub bath to relax the tiny person makes me question my devotion to baby hygiene during Disney trips. It really isn't fair to comment on the pool area since they seem to be attempting a refurbishment, but I think it is reasonable to note the the secondary pool (which was open) compares very unfavorably to the Grand Floridian's secondary pool. The children did love the splash pad area, which isn't as creative to adult eyes as the GF's, but inviting and fun from a little one's perspective.

Hope that helps anyone weighing their Disney hotel decisions!

To the bolded point:
Housekeeping in most hotels are usually busy from 11am until about 3pm, cleaning rooms that have been vacated. Rooms that are getting a refresh are either done while the housekeeping is on the floor, or are left until after the turnover rooms are done, depending on the policy of the hotel. Also, the refresh rooms are not as a priority as getting the turnover rooms completed, because they want the rooms ready for new guests.

 

[Frozen2014]

It's always good to hear others opinions. We splurged stayed at Contemporary last August with our kids and loved it (main tower, lake view room) . The convenience with the monorail and being walking distance from MK was the best. Everyone is different, and I never saw the previous decor (well, except when I was 6 years old and my parents took me), but I really liked the Incredibles theme. I don't love the characters but thought the theming was cute and not over the top. The bathroom was perfect. I would have liked a few more options at Contempo Cafe for a quick breakfast but it was fine. Our kids enjoyed the pool and waterslide (not big but our teens still managed to have fun on it). The resort was still under covid protocols so housekeeping was only every other day. Our view of the lake was very pretty, and we had the electrical water pageant at night. (Became a joke after a couple times). Loved Contemporary.

I would say our one comment is it would have been nice if there was a staircase going down from the floors as an alternative to the elevators. I know there is the one on the end, but we tried it one time to return to our floor and it was locked.

 

[focusondisney]

Hated the bathroom layout. The shallow sinks were idiotic, and I'm glad they've replaced them, but I really hated that the door to the bathroom was a slider and the door for the toilet inside the room was a not-very-well-closing pocket door. Not exactly soundproofed or designed to give you a feeling of privacy. I refused to be in the bathroom at the sink if DH was using the toilet and vice versa. Not exactly a useful design IMO. I don't think that the basic design has been changed, so I'm still not a fan of the bathroom refurb. I much prefer the design of the Yacht & Beach Club, Grand Floridian, Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodge, where there are sinks (sometimes with a sliding door to block the light) outside a room that has the bathtub and toilet with a normal and more soundproofed door. To be honest, the bathroom layout is probably the most significant factor in my desire not to stay there again.

I don’t know what’s happening at the other resorts with their refurbishments, but YC also has a pocket door between the sink area & the tub/toilet. The regular door was replaced with the pocket door in their remodel in 2017. There is also a sliding barn door between the sinks & bedroom. So many people complained about how tight the toilet area was with a regular door so the pocket door is much better. I’d be surprised if they don’t go with it in the other resorts too.

 

[focusondisney]

Always interesting to read other’s thoughts on different resorts. YC has been our home away from home since the late 90s. We were never tempted to stay at CR until a few years ago. We’ve now stayed Tower Club level twice, garden wing once before remodel & in a remodeled garden wing room last month. I didn’t think the remodel was that bad at all. We thought the Incredibles touches were cute & not at all over the top, with some of them being being hidden in the drawer & closet. Once we got our bearings, we didn't mind the walk to the garden wing, it’s much shorter walk than getting to some PO rooms we’ve been in. The benefit of garden wing being we didn’t have to use the tower elevators, which are slow & often crowded.

That cold concrete look was big in the early 70s. Several colleges in our area used that look as did a few apartment complexes. I never cared for it, but at least the Contemporary doesn’t look as cheaply built as other building of that style I’ve seen. I do think the 4th floor has always been crowded & chaotic. At least it has been every time we’ve been there over 30 years of trips. I’m not quite sure why they need 3 separate gift shops.

We typically walk to MK & often monorail back. It once took about 40 minutes to ride the monorail to MK because of several stops along the way for “traffic in front of us”. That was so annoying we rarely do it anymore. We actually like security at the hotel instead of the park, it’s so quick & convenient. We don’t travel with children so don’t have to worry about strollers but I understand how annoying the single elevator access must be.

We like the Mickey waffles for breakfast @ Contemp Cafe & like mobile ordering a lot. We would appreciate few more dinner options there tho. But the best thing about staying at CR could very well be lunch at Steakhouse 71.