Contemporary or Beach Club About This Page:

[The Klems]

My wife and I are planning a 10 year anniversary trip with no kids. I need some input to help decide between the Contemporary or Beach Club from those who have been there. What are pluses and minuses for each?

Anyone spend time at both and can offer to compare?

We are fans of MK and Epcot.

Our trip is more than a year out.

Thanks in advance to everyone

[spiceypj]

very different resorts - which do you consider the most romantic?

my choices would be very different - AKL, AKV, VWL, WL, Polyn, POR - but that is me not you.

how much time in each park? if your trip is going to be mostly Epcot with only a day or two at MK - then BC - if opposite then CR.

probably a little more towards BC - love Cape May Cafe and upset that they are doing away with Concourse Steakhouse and putting up an Asian restuarant 'the Wave' at the CR. - but you may love Asian food.

[jimmymac]

I'd vote for BC but I love all the Epcot resorts. Being able to walk into Epcot and MGM can't be beat

[Joy J]

My vote would go to the Beach Club. We absolutely adored our stay at the villas there. Stormalong Bay (their sandy-bottomed pool complex) is hard to beat and being only a short walk away from both the World Showcase and all the evening fun at the Boardwalk can provide many romantic moments.

Joy

[Colexis Mom]

Another vote for the BC. Great atmosphere and great location

[Meeko]

I would choose Beach Club for the convenience of walking to Epcot and taking the boat to the Studios. I love the ambience there too! I might be a little biased, my parents home DVC resort is BC. We actually had a villa where we could see the higher Illuminations fireworks.

As far as the Contemporary, you can't beat taking the monorail to MK or Epcot. And I love the California Grill, make sure to get a reservation during the fireworks. And if you're willing to spring for a tower room with castle view - that cannot be beat!

[piratefreak]

Wow that is a very hard choice. We are huge fans of both and have always had such a great time at both that we now split many of our trips between the two. I would have to say BC would be better for a possible romanyic get away though as it has little areas you can sneak in some peace and quiet and very beautiful settings...CR seems to be a little more activity at all times so that might intrude upon couple time. The beach at night with the lights from BW is gorgeous and you could take a nice stroll around the walkway...perfect!

[LuvMinnie]

Great choices...love them both. BC very romantic, sitting by the bay at night, walking to Epcot for Illuminations, boat ride to MGM. Also, you have the boardwalk right there (ESPN-great wings) The Contemporary is right in the middle of the Magic! Monorail to MK (or walk) & Epcot, beautiful resort & the tower rooms facing the Castle are breathtaking. Rooms recently remodled too!. What a nice problem to have...you also could split your stay & have the best of both worlds. That's what I would do & Disney makes the move very easy for you. Let us know what you decide.

[Tim Sullivan]

I'm planning the same trip (10 year anniversary) for my wife and I this October. We always go Value resorts, but I figure since it is just us, we might splurge on a Moderate, or probably a deluxe. While looking, I suggested the contemporary to my wife....I got an "ewww...really?" from her...even when trying to sell a MK-view room...on the monorail, etc. So that took it off the competition.

I'm actually leaning towards us going to Wilderness Lodge...I know it's not on your list, but you've got a direct boat to the MK from the marina, great walking/hiking trails, carriage rides....lots of romance opportunity there for sure. then again, it's almost a hundred dollars a night cheaper than Beach Club, so for me I still have that "cheap" vein running thru my body and would rather save the money. If I had to choose between the Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge.....I'd probably choose Beach Club

Good luck with your planning!

Tim

[The Klems]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. Without the kids, we would probably spend more time at Epcot touring world showcase. Take our time visiting attractions that are of little interest to our kids. I would guess that most of the time would be spent in the parks and downtown.

We stayed at Pop Century during our last visit, and will take the kids to POR on our next trip. My wife loved everything about Pop and is concerned that the Contemporary will not feel the same - kind of sanitized from Disney. I had a friend who stayed at Beach Club and loved it. I trust his opinion [thanks ClaySmith] and have started approaching my wife with the idea.

So I thought I would pose the question to others and see what you all have experienced. I appreciate all your responses and insights. This trip will be our "honeymoon" so I want to make sure everything is perfect.

Thanks

[Suzie&Jay]

Ooooooooooh, an adult trip How exciting! We love love love the Beach Club The walk to Epcot is so relaxing and beautiful. Especially at night after WS closes, the romantic lights and the World Showcase music they play along the path are wonderful. We love being able to walk or boat to Epcot and MGM, and we even walk through Epcot to use the monorail to get to MK. Any way to avoid the busses is a plus. Either way, enjoy your anniversary. Don't forget to arrange for special flowers or a gift basket!

[graygables]

Another vote for Beach Club based purely on the Contemporary's horrible bathroom sinks! I think the BC just has a more romantic feel to it, plus you can't beat Stormalong Bay and the easy access to Epcot, MGM, and the Boardwalk.

[Joy J]

We stayed at Pop Century during our last visit, and will take the kids to POR on our next trip. My wife loved everything about Pop and is concerned that the Contemporary will not feel the same - kind of sanitized from Disney.

This is actually my only complaint about the Contemporary - its lack of what I consider traditional Disney theming. It's very futuristic but that's about the extent of it as far as theming goes.

Joy

[Courtney892]

I have never stayed at either, but have visited/eaten at both. Love character breakfasts and then hopping the monorail into Disney, but if I were going to do a character breakfast for an anniversary, it would not be the very loud Chef Mickey's one (we did CRT).

I don't think of romance when I think of the Contempory because of the theming, but hubby would love to stay there. I think if we were to take into account each of our ideas of romance, we'd go with the BC. If we wanted to do something totally different, we'd go to the CR. I do think it depends on the preferences you have, and since you said you were going to spend a lot of time at Epcot I think the BC jmay be a great fit.

[MickeyMAC]

Have you thought about spliting your stay? A few nights at BC--do Epcot and MGM and then Contemporary MK view and do MK.