[amyohara]

The Contemporary is incredibly convenient. Monorail access and the walkway to the Magic Kingdom make the resort worth every penny. What the resort lacks in theming (vs WL or AKL) was redeemed by the monorail going through the building. It was just so cool to see.

I was in the tower on the 7th floor and had no sound issues whatsoever. I loved the large bathroom and didn't notice the lack of a fan. Unlike Matt, I didn't notice convention type people wandering around when we were there. But by Sunday 12/12, a lot of poorly behaved families were checking in, and the 1st and 4th floors were more crowded and kids were playing on the elevators and escalators. What were those parents thinking?

In general, I found bus service frustratingly slow and crowded. We waited for an hour to get from the TTC to MGM one day. That made park hopping tiring and time consuming.

Queue confusion: After waiting in a long line at the bakery on Main Street at MK, there was another long line to pay for the snacks. My daughter was a trooper for the first wait, but the second one caught us both off guard. Similarly, the line for Peter Pan looked fairly manageable (and the sign said standby 15 minutes, no fastpass because it was MVMCP), but I didn’t realize there was another serpentine loop of the line hidden to the right. The wait was actually 35-40 minutes.

Downtown Disney is really spread out. Beware if you park by the movie theater, getting to Earl of Sandwich is a hike on a hot day. (But it’s worth it, very good sandwiches!)

I did not like getting bumped or rammed by people in ECVs. This was especially bad after parades, when hordes of people were moving in the same direction. Most ECV users were going with the flow, but on several occasions, I saw people using them as battering rams and forging a new path through the throngs.

Kidcot stations were a mixed bag. Some were great (person at Norway was outstanding), others were not (person at China was rude). We got all the stamps and my DD loves her passport and remembers all the countries that way.

Parents of 4 year olds: penny pressing is a huge hit. They can do it themselves and can carry them in their pockets.

Animal Kingdom is hard to get through. Festival of the Lion King and the Safari ride (both excellent attractions) take a lot of time. We chose to catch the parade (great) before closing instead of rushing to the Dinosaur area. The layout of that park is awful. I hope they develop new paths to/from the exit before opening Everest.

MVMCP was a lot of fun. We got on a lot of rides and loved the parade and fireworks. We didn’t catch the shows, photo or cookies though. We did get to ride Buzz again and again. The characters dancing by Ariel’s Grotto coaxed my daughter out onto the dance floor where she loosened up and danced for more than 30 minutes. The mice were the best characters we met throughout, they gave a lot of individual attention to kids.

High marks to the cast members who showed great flexibility with my PS (had one for 2pm in Cinderella’s Castle, was able to bump it up to 12:30pm; had one for 5:30pm at Boma but my inlaws couldn’t get on the bus from AK in time, was able to hold it til 6pm when they showed up). Even higher marks to Disney Central for recommending that I make PS for most meals.

Thanks to everyone who answered my questions. It was a great trip. I have also posted a food report on the dining thread.

[mickaholic4077]

It sounds like you had a great time!!

[geeman]

Interesting observations!
Thanks for sharing them.

You are correct about the hike to Earl of Sandwich if you park in the wrong lot. ON a hot day, it does take a lot out of you.

BTW- Elderly men like the pressed pennies too. Ask Amneris' dad. :-)
(He's got one for every single park and attraction he likes!).

My favorite thing about CR was being able to walk to MK in less than 6 minutes. I loved doing that.

And I learned the hard way - PS's are a GOOD thing to have. Trying to make them can be hard sometimes, though!

[tinkerbell]

I am glad you had praise for the Contemporary, I really want to stay there .. the bus service problem, well I think for some odd reason ..that is normal at the deluxe resorts because the busses do seem to come less often in our experience.

[jk8]

Thanks for sharing your tips. Were you the one who was deciding if your 4yr old would like the penny press or pin collecting? I'm glad the penny pressing worked out.

[amyohara]

Originally Posted by jk8

Thanks for sharing your tips. Were you the one who was deciding if your 4yr old would like the penny press or pin collecting? I'm glad the penny pressing worked out.

Yes, that was me. I went with about 6 pins in case she was into it. She never went near the pin stands, even the giant one on the Cont. 4th floor. But I did put a tinkerbell one on her coat the day we left, which she didn't discover until our plane landed in Baltimore. She was thrilled and now it's one of her favorite things. The epcot passport was also a big hit.

[BuzzLightyear]

Yes great observations.
We loved our stay when we were in the garden wing, right near the pool and the lake. I highly recommend this resort if you plan on spending lots of time at MK.
I would actually rather stay in the wing room where we were rather than the tower.

[Dopey]

Amy---glad you had a good trip. I am off to find your dining thread now.

[disneyguy]

Glad it all worked out so well.