Contemporary vs BC for young kids?

[firsttimetripper]

Hi all - we will be at WDW from September 21-25 for our very first visit and we're wondering if we should book the Contemporary Garden Wing or Beach Club for our family? It would be 2 adults and 2 elementary school kids.

I looked at the Polynesian but I don't see it available with the end of summer savings offer.

The kids do love swimming, but we also want to avoid any loud noises as we're all light sleepers.

I don't think we want to do MNSSHP but we probably want to see the MK fireworks one night.

What would you guys vote for?

Thanks! Appreciate this board.

 

[Jacq7414]

I was going to say Polynesian for sure sucks that it’s not available.

How old are the kids? We brought my daughter to BC last year when she almost 6 and I thought the pool was a little much for her. I didn’t like how if she wanted to use the slide, she had to leave the main pool area and walk across the walkway - so either my husband or I had to go with her every time. The pool is just a little disjointed. I think it would be better for bigger kids. I wouldn’t be going back there until she’s older.

But I also wasn’t a huge fan of the contemporary. The theming doesn’t really speak to me.

Would you consider Wilderness Lodge?

 

[nw6675]

I was going to say Polynesian for sure sucks that it’s not available.

How old are the kids? We brought my daughter to BC last year when she almost 6 and I thought the pool was a little much for her. I didn’t like how if she wanted to use the slide, she had to leave the main pool area and walk across the walkway - so either my husband or I had to go with her every time. The pool is just a little disjointed. I think it would be better for bigger kids. I wouldn’t be going back there until she’s older.

But I also wasn’t a huge fan of the contemporary. The theming doesn’t really speak to me.

Would you consider Wilderness Lodge?

Agree with this. IMO, SAB isn't great for kids that are too old for the sandy shallow play area, but a little too young/small for the deep lazy river, going to the slide across the walkway, etc.

However, the Contemporary pool isn’t the greatest. I've never been a fan of the Garden Wing either.

If I had to pick only between those two, I think I would choose the BC. Otherwise, I think a great compromise is the WL.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Between those two I would also say BC. Your kids will love the pool, and the short walk to Epcot is a joy.

 

[Nabas]

Also agree with @Jacq7414 and @eksmama01 - the pool at the Beach Club is a lot of work for parents unless your kids can swim and are old enough to go alone.

Also agree that the pool at the Contemporary (recently renovated) is a bit generic for WDW.

As @eksmama01 suggests, the Wilderness Lodge is a compromise. Great theming and a pool that's easier to manage. Their second pool is probably the best "quiet pool" at a Disney hotel. It's a boat ride from the Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom, but you also can take the bus, which is faster.

Advantage of the Contemporary is that you can walk back to your room after the MK fireworks. So much better than having to deal with the crowds.

Did you consider the Boardwalk? It's within walking distance of both Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, and has a much more manageable pool. It also has the best water slide at any WDW hotel. Plus the Boardwalk is really hopping at night. We just stayed at the Boardwalk last week:

 

[Nabas]

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[Nabas]

 

[CynBeth]

I would stay at either CR or WL to be close to MK which would be exciting for a first visit and there is the electrical water pageant.

 

[Marthasor]

I'm a fan of MK resorts for first trips, but I would probably base this decision on your park plans. Walking back to CR after MK fireworks is SO convenient - if most of your park touring will be in MK, I would pick CR. If you will spend most of your time in EP/DHS, I would do BC.

 

[Jacq7414]

Did you consider the Boardwalk? It's within walking distance of both Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, and has a much more manageable pool. It also has the best water slide at any WDW hotel. Plus the Boardwalk is really hopping at night. We just stayed at the Boardwalk last week:

We are actually going to Boardwalk This summer because we liked the Epcot area, but my husband was a hard no on the BC pool. So I think this is a great choice too!

 

[rosiebean]

Elementary school kids could be from kindergarten to fifth grade (or sixth depending on your school), and in that time frame, there's an enormous difference between a five year old and nine year old maturity wise.

My kids' first trip to WDW was at YC when they were 7 and 9. They were very good swimmers and they found SAB
to be the best part of their trip. As the lone parent with them on that particular trip, I did not find the logistics of SAB to be overwhelming for us. We did pool visits during midday hours when SAB was busy-ish but not too full (early October trip for reference). Between the moderate crowd at the pool and my kids' maturity level, I did not have a problem with them leaving the pool deck to access the line for the SAB slide. Likewise, I was fine when they went in SAB's lazy river or ventured to other areas. I had to move my seat a few times to keep an eye on them, but I never felt unsafe. Again, SAB was a huge highlight of their first trip to WDW.

I can also say without a doubt (when pools/slides were as interesting to my kids -- or more so -- than park rides) that the Contemporary pool would have been a huge disappointment to them.

But my kids were mid to older elementary aged, were comfy wandering around on their own, and so SAB was great.. for us. I also know that every family (and child!) is different. You know your kids' abilities and comfort zones (and your family comfort zones) better than we do.

Aside from that, our room that first trip at YC was as quiet as my room on a later trip to CR was. I don't think the noise level at either resort should make/break your decision to stay there.

 

[glocon]

I actually love the GW at CR.
Peaceful yet close to MK.
Are you doing one day at each park, or multiple days at MK?
SAB was a fun pool, and BC/YC is nice for EP and HS access, but I’d stay at CR for a first visit.
It’s so quintessential Disney!

 

[Timandalicia]

Hi all - we will be at WDW from September 21-25 for our very first visit and we're wondering if we should book the Contemporary Garden Wing or Beach Club for our family? It would be 2 adults and 2 elementary school kids.

I looked at the Polynesian but I don't see it available with the end of summer savings offer.

The kids do love swimming, but we also want to avoid any loud noises as we're all light sleepers.

I don't think we want to do MNSSHP but we probably want to see the MK fireworks one night.

What would you guys vote for?

Thanks! Appreciate this board.

If you are spending most of your time at Magic Kingdom, I would say Contemporary for convenience. I’d say Beach Club if your days are evenly split, both for convenience and the pool.

 

[Husker Mike]

Echoing the recommendations for the Contemporary if the Magic Kingdom is going to be a primary focus of your trip. Not having to wait for a bus or ferry is vastly underrated.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Echoing the recommendations for the Contemporary if the Magic Kingdom is going to be a primary focus of your trip. Not having to wait for a bus or ferry is vastly underrated.

This is my thought as well!

 

[Karalee402]

We absolutely loved the Contemporary, especially when our kids were younger. The ease of access to MK was awesome, as well as having Chef Mickey's right in the resort. We stayed in the Garden Wing, as well, and didn't really mind not being in the main building. It was much quieter and saved us a good chunk of money, which is always nice!

 

[sponica]

Neither, but I don't like the contemporary (people rave about the proximity to MK, but honestly the walk was a lot longer than I was expecting the one time I did it) and stormalong bay looks too crazy for younger elementary school kids. Now if we're talking older elementary school, that might be a good plan.

Wilderness Lodge would be next on my list, but that one sells out fast so there's probably not a lot there.

If there's anything at Riviera, I liked that resort, the busses were decent to MK and AK, and I don't ever remember waiting too long for one, unless I just missed one.

 

[RoseGold]

Disney hotels are old, and are often loud and overrun with kids, for obvious reasons. Both of these hotels are old and loud: https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/sound-ratings

If sound is a dealbreaker, I'd do Swan/Dolphin, or the newer Disney builds, Coronado or Riviera. CB gets high ratings in this, even though it's moderate. Great location on the Skyliner.

 

[Jacq7414]

Disney hotels are old, and are often loud and overrun with kids, for obvious reasons. Both of these hotels are old and loud: https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/sound-ratings

According to that list beach club got a B. That’s not a terrible score.

 

[TJA]

When my kids were elementary school aged, they liked both BC and CR! CR was fun because of Chef Mickey's and watching the monorail pass through while we eat. Also, we loved the convenience of walking back and forth to MK. However, BC was the favorite but I understand all kids/families are different. My kids loved the sandy pool area and when we switched to other portions of the pool, we all went together as a family. We spent many hours of many days at that pool. It was fun grabbing ice cream at Beaches & Cream too. We also enjoyed the character breakfast at Cape May in the mornings. It was all-around a great place for our family. Also, walking to both Epcot and HS was a huge plus for us.

Enjoy!