Disney World Question

[underwaterrhymes]

I've stayed there a few times. IMO, there are better resorts. Not worth that price.

[TrudyCampbell]

Oct 2, 2013 16:01:14 GMT -5 pagas said:

I have stayed at the Poly and Grand Floridian. Neither hotel was good, more like a Holiday Inn. But the monorail access is just too convenient to not stay there.

I agree with this. The monorail access is amazing. I stayed at the polynesian and thought it was okay at best, but the monorail is worth it if you can afford it. 

[underwaterrhymes]

I would instead recommend looking at one of the Boardwalk resorts. They're walkable to Epcot and you can board the monorail there or take the ferry.

[auntie]

I like the Contemporary. A lot. It has a lot going for it, less theming seems to translate into fewer families. It was WDW's first hotel and enjoys a prime location for getting to the MK and TTC and the view of the fireworks from a balcony room is truly magical. My favorite restaurant is located here, with Artist Point being a close second. I wouldn't say it's run down, but it does have a certain amount of MCM vibe which makes it less of a cookie cutter experience.

I also like the Boardwalk area. The pool at B&Y is the best on site and the convenience of walking to Epcot and Disney Studios is awesome. It's not really monorail friendly- you have to schlep in the back door, and wander up front past Spaceship Earth to get a monorail.

[muppetinma]

It just depends on your vacation style. The Contemporary boasts some of the biggest rooms on property. Monorail access is awesome...especially if you've got nappers. It's also nice to be able to watch the MK fireworks from outside of the park. Is it worth double the price? Maybe? If you have to struggle to pay for it, not really. If you have the cash, probably.

[cleo29]

If you stay at one of the Epcot resorts, I would NOT choose the Boardwalk. We stayed there last time and it is getting tired. Beach Club and Yacht Club have gone through refurbishments. We have always enjoyed staying there.

I am anxious to try out the new Villas at the Grand Floridian, they look pretty amazing.

[cleo29]

Oh and you can walk from the Contemporary to MK gates in about five minutes.

[cleo29]

Oct 2, 2013 16:51:55 GMT -5 auntie said:

I like the Contemporary. A lot. It has a lot going for it, less theming seems to translate into fewer families. It was WDW's first hotel and enjoys a prime location for getting to the MK and TTC and the view of the fireworks from a balcony room is truly magical. My favorite restaurant is located here, with Artist Point being a close second. I wouldn't say it's run down, but it does have a certain amount of MCM vibe which makes it less of a cookie cutter experience.

I also like the Boardwalk area. The pool at B&Y is the best on site and the convenience of walking to Epcot and Disney Studios is awesome. It's not really monorail friendly- you have to schlep in the back door, and wander up front past Spaceship Earth to get a monorail.

California Grill is currently closed for renovations.

[Deleted]

Soooo I'm sitting at the pool at Bay Lake Towers right now. It's the DVC attached to The Contemporary. It's pretty fricken sweet. We rented points & paid 900 for 5 nights in a Studio. Huge advantage is location & monorail. Also a the pool herd is fun & the lobby smells awesome. PM me if you want more info, or I might be a huge attention whore & link to my trip report when it's all done.

[cleo29]

Oct 2, 2013 17:04:25 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Soooo I'm sitting at the pool at Bay Lake Towers right now. It's the DVC attached to The Contemporary. It's pretty fricken sweet. We rented points & paid 900 for 5 nights in a Studio. Huge advantage is location & monorail. Also a the pool herd is fun & the lobby smells awesome. PM me if you want more info, or I might be a huge attention whore & link to my trip report when it's all done.

We are staying there in Feb, I can't wait. It took me two trips (four years) to get a reservation there. yay!

[auntie]

Oct 2, 2013 16:59:28 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

California Grill is currently closed for renovations.

NOOOOO!

Seriously. NO. I am glad I have not committed to visiting my parents in FL in January. I mean, what's the point?

[underwaterrhymes]

Oct 2, 2013 18:11:51 GMT -5 @starflower22 said:

Thanks everyone! I have some more hotel research to do now with all the suggestions

If you really want an awesome hotel and cost isn't an issue, I HIGHLY recommend the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Transportation is a bit more complicated because it's not near the other parks, but it's pretty amazing for adults and kids both.

[underwaterrhymes]

Oct 2, 2013 18:15:54 GMT -5 @starflower22 said:

Oct 2, 2013 16:01:14 GMT -5 pagas said:

I have stayed at the Poly and Grand Floridian. Neither hotel was good, more like a Holiday Inn. But the monorail access is just too convenient to not stay there.

Thats what I'm afraid of. It will ruin my trip to spend $2000 on a Holiday Inn with a monorail. We dont have kids so theres no urgency in travelling for naps or breaks or whatever. Although we are doing the Food and Wine festival, so it would be nice to have a monorail DD lol.

Okay. Don't listen to the people who support the Contemporary. Without kids and with F&W in mind, you NEED to stay on the Boardwalk. Yacht Club or Beach Club. I promise.

[cleo29]

Oct 2, 2013 18:17:22 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Oct 2, 2013 18:15:54 GMT -5 @starflower22 said:

Thats what I'm afraid of. It will ruin my trip to spend $2000 on a Holiday Inn with a monorail. We dont have kids so theres no urgency in travelling for naps or breaks or whatever. Although we are doing the Food and Wine festival, so it would be nice to have a monorail DD lol.

Okay. Don't listen to the people who support the Contemporary. Without kids and with F&W in mind, you NEED to stay on the Boardwalk. Yacht Club or Beach Club. I promise.

I agree with this, though I am excited about staying at Bay Lake Tower this upcoming trip. Also, Animal Kingdom Lodge is really nice, we stayed at Jambo House. The buses will run you directly to whichever local you want to go and run about every  10-15 minutes. When you go to MK, they drop you right off at the main gate, so you bypass the monorail, but you can still take that to Epcot and bus back to the Lodge from there.

[cleo29]

Oct 2, 2013 17:15:06 GMT -5 auntie said:

Oct 2, 2013 16:59:28 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

California Grill is currently closed for renovations.

NOOOOO!

Seriously. NO. I am glad I have not committed to visiting my parents in FL in January. I mean, what's the point?

I am nearly positive. I mean, I know it is being renovated, but I think it is still closed because i looked into reservations for our February trip.

[underwaterrhymes]

Another thing worth mentioning, as someone else pointed out - the monorail is up by Spaceship Earth. F&W is at the back of the park where you come in by the Boardwalk resorts.

You're not going to want to walk to the front of the park after F&W. You are going to want to go to Jellyrolls.

[stephm0188]

California Grill reopened a few weeks ago.

If you're staying during Food and Wine, I'd consider looking into the Swan or Dolphin. They're right outside the World Showcase gate in the Boardwalk area. The location was great. They're Starwood properties, but you get EMH perks.

[ellenbrody]

Oct 2, 2013 18:24:10 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

Oct 2, 2013 17:15:06 GMT -5 auntie said:

NOOOOO!

Seriously. NO. I am glad I have not committed to visiting my parents in FL in January. I mean, what's the point?

I am nearly positive. I mean, I know it is being renovated, but I think it is still closed because i looked into reservations for our February trip.

I'm going in November and I was able to make reservations at California Grill. I think it just recently reopened and has a new menu.

[TrudyCampbell]

Does anyone have a Disney credit card or something where you accumulate points?

Just pre-planning the Disney trip we're taking in 5 years, lol.

[stephm0188]

Oct 2, 2013 18:38:57 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Does anyone have a Disney credit card or something where you accumulate points?

Just pre-planning the Disney trip we're taking in 5 years, lol.

We do. We have it because Disney Visa holders get special offers before the general public, and you get 0%  for 6 months when you book a package. There are some other perks, like discounts.

As far as points go, there are better reward cards. The reward dollars arent worth it for us to use it as our primary card.

[LynnWriter]

I stayed at the Contemporary this summer. Terrible service and problems every night of the trip. We go to WDW at least once a year and we will never stay there again.

[cleo29]

Oct 2, 2013 18:38:57 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Does anyone have a Disney credit card or something where you accumulate points?

Just pre-planning the Disney trip we're taking in 5 years, lol.

We do.  Last time we were able to buy our park tickets with our reward dollars. What I have been doing for this trip is setting aside $25 a week in a jar. If you started this now, you would be in good shape.   Seriously though, it will be our money for the dining plan and spending money.

[hymen]

Oct 2, 2013 16:04:19 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I would instead recommend looking at one of the Boardwalk resorts. They're walkable to Epcot and you can board the monorail there or take the ferry.

Ditto this. Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Clubs are all in that specific area and I really like their access to the parks. They are also walkable to Hollywood a Studios.


My SIL stayed at Contemporary for one night and wasn't impressed. 

[TrudyCampbell]

Oct 2, 2013 19:11:37 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

Oct 2, 2013 18:38:57 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Does anyone have a Disney credit card or something where you accumulate points?

Just pre-planning the Disney trip we're taking in 5 years, lol.

We do.  Last time we were able to buy our park tickets with our reward dollars. What I have been doing for this trip is setting aside $25 a week in a jar. If you started this now, you would be in good shape.   Seriously though, it will be our money for the dining plan and spending money.

Great idea! Considering I just spent over $30 on takeout tonight this shouldn't be impossible for us. 

[hymen]

Oct 2, 2013 18:44:28 GMT -5 @starflower22 said:

Were going in Nov, we'll be there just as F&W is ending. Omggg lol, weve got a garden room. Thank you so much for that, Motel 6 is all I need to hear. I think I'll be passing on The Contemporary. If I could afford the new Bay Tower I'd stay there! Last time I checked it was like $800/night

We will have a car, were driving down from N FL.

Bay Lake Tower is only available for DVC members, I believe. You could check out David's DVC Rentals website to rent DVC points for cheap, but I doubt BLT will have anything available this close to your trip.

[hymen]

Oct 2, 2013 18:24:10 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

Oct 2, 2013 17:15:06 GMT -5 auntie said:

NOOOOO!

Seriously. NO. I am glad I have not committed to visiting my parents in FL in January. I mean, what's the point?

I am nearly positive. I mean, I know it is being renovated, but I think it is still closed because i looked into reservations for our February trip.

It is still closed. :-(

[cleo29]

Oct 2, 2013 19:16:28 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Oct 2, 2013 19:11:37 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

We do.  Last time we were able to buy our park tickets with our reward dollars. What I have been doing for this trip is setting aside $25 a week in a jar. If you started this now, you would be in good shape.   Seriously though, it will be our money for the dining plan and spending money.

Great idea! Considering I just spent over $30 on takeout tonight this shouldn't be impossible for us. 

It has been awesome. I keep a tally going inside (this is partly because I would sometimes forget if I had put the cash in that week and I just like to see how much money we have saved up). If you belong to TD bank, they have a special savings account that you can set up for things like trips, a big purchase, that does not gain interest but also does not require a minimum amount and I think you can set it up to automatically move that amount into the account.

For now, the jar is working for us. We also toss in loose change.

[stephm0188]

We buy Disney gifts cards at Target and save them for dining. We pay with our Redcard and save 5%. It really adds up!

[coribelle26]

I swear they just did a press opening of the California Grill. I'm going for my mom's birthday at the end of this month and she has been obsessively checking all the blogs, and one of them was about the restaurant reopening. I'm not sure if they're open to the general public yet but they have to be close.

[coribelle26]

Okay here's one. According to the Disney Food Blog they reopened on September 9th.

www.disneyfoodblog.com/2013/08/19/news-california-grill-opens-september-9th-reservations-available-monday-august-26/