Disney’s Contemporary Resort Review

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Jillian

On our last vacation we booked as part of our split stay a night at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We had booked a standard room in the Atrium (the main building). Our room was 4722 located on the tenth floor with a gorgeous view of Bay Lake!

The room is 394 square feet, and we felt we had plenty of room to move around and contain all of our items. Upon entering, to the right there is a small bar with the coffee maker, cups and ice bucket. There are two closets in this area as well. The closets contain a luggage rack, ironing board, iron, safe, and two drawers and of course plenty of space to hang up your clothing.

To the left is the bathroom. This features a separate room with a toilet and hamper, as well as double sinks, and a full shower/tub. The best features in here are the awesome shower head, double sinks and clean lines. The bathroom has really great lighting too if you need to see to get ready. Included are towels that are a bit nicer and some really nice and decent sized toiletries, including lotion and body wash.

Walking further into the room to the left is a long desk with a chair and a small rolling table. There are two queen sized beds that are very comfortable. You can really tell the difference from the Moderates and Values in the beds at the Deluxe resorts. The mattresses are more comfortable, the sheets, pillows and blankets are much nicer here as well. To round out the sleeping area on the opposite wall there is a couch that folds down into a bed. It did take us some time to figure out how to turn the couch into the bed (you pull top part down towards you) but we managed! On the same wall as the couch was a large screen television.

The icing on the cake is the amazing balcony with two chairs and a small table. This view was just beautiful and I could have sat all day overlooking the pool, grounds and Bay Lake. Going back to the entrance you could look out your “front door” and get an amazing view of the Magic Kingdom!

Jillian: I was so excited to stay here! This is the one resort that I had always wanted to stay at growing up. It did not disappoint. I thought the room was spacious and clean and I love a modern look, so this was perfect for me. I also think this is a great option for someone who isn’t into Disney because this resort does feel grown up. I thought the beds and furniture were comfortable, the views were spectacular. We had a great experience with bell services so no complaints there.

The not so good: I did find check in to be slow but maybe because we were so excited to see our room. We also found that there were issues with food trays being left in the halls for hours, over 12 hours to be exact! That is pretty bad for a Deluxe resort. Next was our issue with the monorail. This did not run for more than 30 minutes after park closing and the only other option is to walk. I can handle the walk, but I can see families with little ones or those with disabilities having issues with this. Literally the only option to get to the Contemporary is the monorail or to walk. The walk is probably 12 minutes when you are going at a decent clip.

I really enjoyed using the monorail services (when they were running) and even the walk to the Magic Kingdom. I think this resort offers great dining options from quick snacks to extra fancy meals! I loved exploring the shops and amazing views from the decks. The layout of the resort can be a little tricky, just trying to figure out which floor you have to go to get on the monorail or different restaurants took a little work, but mostly we had Tara as our guide since she is most familiar with the resort.

Tara: I had not stayed at Contemporary since I was a wee lass and really have no memory of it. I was thrilled to check it off the list since had recently stayed in Bay Lake Tower it was nice to compare. I love how convenient staying in the Tower is to everything. It is such a quick trip to stores, restaurants, and the monorail. You can not beat the convenience of everything. The room was nice but not Disney enough for many people. It is not “special” but more like an upscale Hilton or Marriott. I LOVED the bathroom though and found it more than special and comfortable. One thing that was nice is at night when you walk into the bathroom it has a sensor and a dim light comes on to help you maneuver. This was a great perk since I did not want to wake up the other girls! The beds were very comfortable and the view was great. I enjoyed it and would stay again, but it is at the bottom of the three monorail resorts for me with Polynesian and Grand Floridian taking the top spots.

Jamie: Walking into the Contemporary for our stay felt so much different from the previous visits I’d made to the resort. We took the elevator up to our room and when we stepped out there was a huge glass wall… and Space Mountain. How cool, to open the door to your hotel room every morning and there is Space Mountain! It’s an experience I’m glad I was able to have. The room was very nice. I especially loved the balcony and our view of Bay Lake. My main “cons” are the ones that Jillian has already mentioned, from the food in the hallway to the lack of transportation at the end of the night. Overall I think the resort is pretty great, but it still wasn’t able to knock the Polynesian off of my top monorail resort spot!

If you haven’t yet given the Contemporary Resort a try you may want to add it to your list of resorts. You can’t beat the location, views, and dining at the Contemporary!

All Star Movies Resort Review

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Jillian

I recently stayed at All Star Movies and was pleasantly surprised by my visit there. Going in I have not stayed at a value and was nervous about the size of the resort as well as the size of the rooms. I booked a preferred room and highly suggest others do the same. If you are at any of the values I would go ahead and book a preferred room. They are closest to the main building which is easy for quick for drinks or to catch a bus. We were in the Fantasia section building 8 room 8752. It was on the first floor as I requested and on the side facing away from the Fantasia pool. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect location. It was nice and quiet and not too far to walk when you are tired at the end of the day. In the room there are two double beds, a table and two chairs. A dresser, mini fridge and TV. A curtain separates the sink and closet area which has a single sink, a shelf and bar to hang clothes as well as a small wall safe. There is also a small hair dryer in the room as well. In the bathroom there is a full shower/tub and toilet.

I felt there was adequate space to spread our 3 suitcases out and the drawers were very handy for holding snacks, devices and those things we collected along the way. There were 4 outlets that were visible and easily accessible. On a nightstand between the beds was an alarm clock which happened to be an hour off when we arrived so be sure to check the local time and also make sure the alarm isn’t set to go off. The room was very clean and we had great Mousekeeping service.

My complaint is that because we swam each day I had to call each day for additional towels because the towels just weren’t dry by the time we wanted to shower in the morning. Towels at the values are only provided at the room unlike the moderates and deluxe resorts which have towels at the pool. This is a personal preference but after a call was put in it did not take long for the towels to arrive. It does take patience though if you have to call the front desk because it is actually a call center.

The main pool was large and we never felt crowded in by other people despite swimming at all times of the day. Disney only has the pools open when lifeguards are on duty. They also provide life jackets for children which is very nice!

The lobby building was great. At the check in desk there is a TV that plays cartoons so little ones can be entertained while a parent has to be at the desk. The staff was extremely helpful in linking my FastPass for me and were so friendly.

The arcade happened to be my 6 year old’s favorite thing about the resort. It was fairly large and she loved playing skee ball. Pro tip: there are massaging chairs in the arcade, for $2 you can sit back for a little while and be pampered.

Food Court was ok, I give them big ups for having a large selection of foods and many items for grab and go. It was decent food but if I am at Disney I would much rather eat at the parks than spend the time at the resort having breakfast. My complaint was with the drinks station. Many times the machines were broken or empty. It was a bit of a sticky mess all the way around it as well. But in the mornings the coffee was out in full force which helped a lot as I am sure they go through a lot of that.

There is also a decent sized shop which has many of the items you can get in the parks but also plenty of things you might need like swimsuits, sunscreen, medication, and snacks.

The bottom line: would I stay here again? YES! The price cannot be beat. Our room was in a great location and was clean and comfortable. The only downside is the location from most of the parks can take a while and the fact that the All Star Resorts share busses at times, which means a bus may come already having visited All Start Sports and Music. These rooms are budget friendly and clean I would highly recommend staying here!

Check out a video tour here:

Walt Disney World Refurbishments Spring 2015

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Jillian

Magic Kingdom
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid- Feb 2 – Mar 3, 2015

Harmony Barber Shop- Feb 16 – Mar 30, 2015

Stitch’s Great Escape!- Mar 1 – Mar 2, 2015

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin- Mar 4 – 5, 2015

Peter Pan’s Flight- Mar 5 – 6, 2015

Pirates of the Caribbean May 11 – Sep 25, 2015

Jungle Cruise- Apr 13 – May 8, 2015

It’s a small world- Apr- 14 – 17, 2015

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- Apr 27 – 30, 2015

Liberty Square Riverboat- Aug 4 – 10, 2015

Dream Along with Mickey- July 19 – Aug 22, 2015

Liberty Tree Tavern- Jul 6 – Nov 19, 2015

Cinderella’s Royal Table- Jan 5 – Mar 6, 2015

Epcot
None

Hollywood Studios
Lights, Motors, Action- Apr 20 – Apr 24, 2015

Voyage of the Little Mermaid- Sep 7 – Sep 10, 2015

Animal Kingdom
Flame Tree BBQ- Jan 5 – Apr 22, 2015

Creature Comforts- Jan 5 – June 14, 2015

Blizzard Beach
Closed for annual refurbishment Jan 4 – Mar 14, 2015

Transportation
Monorail February 9-12, 23-26 and March 2-5, 2015 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m

The Walt Disney World® Resort Monorail System will undergo refurbishment that will impact the Resort and Express monorail beams on select days in February and March. During these times, Monorails on the Resort beam will travel between Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Magic Kingdom® Park. Monorails on the Express beam will now make an additional stop at Disney’s Contemporary Resort as they travel between Magic Kingdom Park and the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Monorail service will continue to be available from all stations while this work takes place. Monorail operating hours will remain unchanged. Guests may note a difference in the way they board the Monorail and should allow for additional travel time to reach their destinations. Guests staying at impacted Resorts will receive in-room communication upon their arrival.

Resorts
Animal Kingdom Villas –Jambo House Lobby Floor Refinishing. Work will be done in sections so only portions will be out at a time. Jan 6 – Mar 6, 2015

Art of Animation -Finding Nemo Schoolyard Wet Play Area- May 26 – June 29

Little Mermaid Flippin Fins Pool- Mar 2 – Mar 3, 2015

Beach Club Resort- Guest Room Renovations-Guests will not be accommodated in the affected areas but it is possible that some noise could travel while work is in progress (between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily). Oct 13, 2014 – Aug 22, 2015

Yacht Club and Beach Club -Stormalong Bay Pool – Lazy River -During this time, bridges three and four will be under refurbishment and the lazy river/snorkel area will be closed. The remaining portions of the pool will remain available to Guests. Feb 2 – Mar 3, 2015

Contemporary Resort- Contemporary Feature Pool- Mar 9 – 11, 2015

Polynesian Village Resort- General Construction through March 2015
Pool construction through Spring 2015

Disney’s Swan Hotel- Guest Room Renovations- Work is scheduled to take place between 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily. No guests will be accommodated in the renovation area as to minimize impact on the guest experience. Aug. 20, 2014 – TBD

This information is provided by Disney and is subject to change at any time

Coronado Springs Resort Review

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Shannon

On our 2012 trip, my family and I stayed at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and we loved it! It’s a beautiful and quiet Moderate level resort located in the Animal Kingdom area. The themeing is subtle on the Disney with a lovely old world Mexican flair.

The resort is rather large but the bus stops are plentiful. There are three room sections within the resort: Cabanas, Ranchos, and Casitas. Each section has its own bus stop with a fourth located at El Centro (lobby). We were in Ranchos and our bus stop was just a couple minutes walk away.

Our room was quite pretty, though a little on the small side, I thought. We had two queen size beds, with a dresser housing a flat screen TV and a mini fridge. I thought the set of dark wood sliding doors that separated the sleeping area from the bathroom were a classy and chic touch. One really nice addition to the room was the ceiling fan. Not many hotels think about adding one but come on, this is Florida. The extra air circulation is wonderful.

The resort itself is a convention resort which I think lends itself to fewer families. That means it tends to be quieter overall, which I found very refreshing. That’s not to say that this resort isn’t good for families, because I think it is! There’s a wonderful pool with a slide and a sandbox for digging up artifacts. There’s a playground as well as an arcade so there are lots of things to keep kids busy.

There’s an onside quick service restaurant called The Pepper Market. I did not have the opportunity to try it but I have heard wonderful things. The gift shop was pretty much the average Disney resort gift shop.

I found that because Coronado Springs does not share buses with other resorts that getting where I need to go took an average amount of time. Obviously, we got to Animal Kingdom in no time while getting to Magic Kingdom and Epcot took around 20 minutes.

Overall, I loved this resort and I would definitely stay there again in the future!

Disney’s Treehouse Villas: A Photo Tour

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Jamie

In October 2012 I was lucky enough to snag a stay at Disney’s Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs resort! With 9 traveling guests we needed a place with lots of space to spread out, and the Treehouse Villas seemed like the perfect spot. Here’s a little more about these unique rooms at Walt Disney World! Each of Disney’s Treehouse Villas has a private driveway (I’ll get to that) and a nice big deck with table and chairs. This villa has a great view of the river, we loved waving to the ferry boats headed to Downtown Disney! Kitchen: The kitchen in the Treehouse Villas comes fully stocked with all the utensils and necessities you could need to make a full meal. There is even a dishwasher! Bedrooms: When you open the front door of the villa and go down the hallway, to the right, there are 2 bedrooms. The first bedroom has twin bunk beds and plenty of storage space: The next bedroom has a queen sized bed and still more storage space! Then there is the master bedroom with its own bathroom: And finally another bathroom: There is also a pullout couch (that slept three 3 year olds comfortably!) in the living room for added sleeping space. Overall, I was really impressed with the amount of space and storage in the Treehouse Villas. There were 9 people for my visit, and I think we could have added a few more, without feeling like we were on top of one another. We loved having the full kitchen for some meals “at home”, and the deck was a great place to kick back and relax after a full park day. The biggest con at the villas for me was not having a car. After having stayed at Fort Wilderness and being told I “had” to have a car (yet surviving just fine without one!) I dismissed this advice for the Treehouse Villas. This was a mistake! While I loved the setting of the Treehouse Villas, I will not stay there again without a car. The buses there are e just not regular enough to rely on for busy park days. In addition, you have to take two buses (one from Treehouse Villas to a Saratoga Springs bus stop, then from Saratoga Springs to my destination) and then in reverse to get back at the end of a very long day, and this was unpleasant. If you’re going to stay at the Treehouse Villas I strongly recommend you make use of that private driveway, whether you bring your own car or rent one! Have you stayed at the Treehouse Villas? What did you think?