Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge - Visiting with 4 & 6 Yr Olds

[pincky2]

Trying to decide between the Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge for an early December trip. My kids will be 4 and 6 and we have never been to Disney with them, so I imagine we will spend most of the time in the Magic Kingdom. Is the monorail a significant advantage? Should I consider the Polynesian? Thanks!

 

[sissa216]

The monorail is great, but the boat from Wilderness Lodge can be just as efficient. Taking the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, it will be the 4th stop from the Contemporary.

To me, one of the biggest advantages of the Contemporary is the walkway to the Magic Kingdom- which can be even shorter! You can quickly walk to the Magic Kingdom in the morning when you have energy, and at night, you're the first stop back on the Monorail to quickly return to your room.

Theming wise, both are great, and come down to personal preference. The Wilderness Lodge is BEAUTIFUL during the holidays, and edges out the Contemporary just a bit there. Although the giant Mickey wreath on the side of the Contemporary facing the Magic Kingdom is nice to come 'home' to at night.

I'll be there early December too- my favorite time to visit!

 

[s&k'smom]

I agree with sissa216 being able to walk from the MK to the Contemp with kids is a huge advantage. However agreeing again the Wilderness Lodge theming wise just edges out CR. You can't go wrong with either. Have a wonderful time, seeing MK through your young ones eyes will be so amazing.

 

[slappy magoo]

Is cost and/or time a factor? Which is my vague way of asking - would staying at WL afford you the chance for a longer trip because the rooms are less expensive?

I also think you can't go wrong with either. It's very convenient to be able to walk to MK, and be the first monorail back when the kids need some down time. It's also neat to be able to monorail to Epcot, which you can still technically do if you're at WL but it's shorter and easier to do it from Contemporary.

One big advantage to CR, IMO, is the food court. It's bigger, easier to navigate, more seating. Seating at Roaring Forks seems almost like an afterthought.

 

[HollyAD]

I love both but WL is my favorite of the two! I love the theme and I think the price is a little better. The CR gets a lot more outside foot traffic thanks to Chef Mickey's and the monorail so WL seems quiet. I like the boats just as much as the monorail and they are also fast when you need to hurry up and exit the park with the little ones.

 

[bgraham34]

WL is my favorite resort. I prefer the pool there as well. You definitely get the feeling you are staying somewhere other than Florida. But Contemporary is so Disney and one of the most recognizable resorts Disney has.

 

[Skibum1970]

I've stayed at both and feel that WL is probably more enjoyable for kids by a slim margin. There are some different things to do and kids seem to really enjoy the resort (based on observations). The Contemporary also has some great things for kids to do but seemed to not have quite as much. Of course, this is probably just not seeing everything.

Also, WL is considerably less expensive than Contemporary and that is a huge plus in its favor.

 

[Tinkerbell397]

It is true that the WL will save you some money....that money could go toward staying longer or even for those extra things that a 4 and 6 year old want. But....my favorite is the CR. We stay there often and the first time was when my son was 3 and my daughter was 5. They absolutely loved it. There is nothing more magical than coming home on the monorail and being right in your hotel. If you stay in the tower, you open the door of your hotel room in the morning and you can see and hear the monorail whizz by. You can also see and hear the excitement of Chef Mickey's. We stayed at the WL in September and loved it. We took an AM boat to the CR for breakfast and a young couple with 2 small girls followed us. I watched them as the CR came into view and they were mesmerized. They walked from the boat ramp to the CR with us and the girls were so excited....it was like they thought that this hotel was the MK. Once inside, they rushed to the elevators to the monorail station. They were so excited being in the CR. You cannot go wrong with either hotel....it will probably come down to $$ and the difference in the package. Have a Magical Trip!

 

[sissa216]

I agree, it is a very difficult decision to make- and I often agonize over my choices. But I tell myself that in the end, once I'm there, I will have a wonderful time, and forget worrying about whether it was the best choice!

 

[MaxsDad]

I do not know your kids specifically, obviously, but in general I would think a 4 and 6 year old would "get" the WL much better than the the Contemporary. I think this would play a role in making it a more enjoyable resort for the kids. Transportation is still unique with the boats. Proximity is still good. You could still ride the mono's for fun or to Epcot if you have some time to get there.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Our kids were ages 2 and 4 when we stayed at WL and the Contemporary (two different trips). Now, I am a bit biased because I love the Contemporary and wasn't blown away by the theme at WL, but I'd go with the Contemporary. The convenience of being on the monorail and being able to walk to MK was a huge advantage for us. The room at the Contemporary was also significantly/noticeably bigger (makes a huge difference if you've got a lot of stuff for your kids), which made our room time so much more comfortable. Now, we had exceptionally bad bus service when we stayed at WL (boats weren't always running), so that also colors my opinion...and I know most people have no issues, but it will probably keep me from returning to WL for quite some time.