Disney's Contemporary Resort

Disney's Contemporary Resort

Deluxe Resort Magic Kingdom Resort Area

Opened - October 1, 1971 August 4, 2009 (Bay Lake Tower) Theme - Modern (Contemporary) Areas - Contemporary Tower South Garden Rooms Bay Lake Tower (Disney Vacation Club) Rooms - 655 / Bay Lake Tower - 295 Suites - Vice Presidential Suite Presidential Suite Address - 4600 North World Drive Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 Phone - (407) 824-1000 Fax - (407) 824-3539 Green lodge - yes

The monorail runs through the interior of the Contemporary Resort.

The Fantasia Gift Shop, as seen from the monorail station.

The check-in lobby at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

Disney's Contemporary Resort (formerly the Contemporary Resort Hotel, informally referred to as The Contemporary, and originally to be called Tempo Bay Hotel) is a deluxe resort at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on October 1, 1971. The resort is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Disney's Contemporary Resort is located in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, adjacent to the Magic Kingdom and Bay Lake.

History

The Contemporary Resort was one of the two resorts located on property when Walt Disney World opened in 1971. The Contemporary Tower, the most prominent of the resort's four stand-alone buildings, was built as an A-frame with outer walls which slope inwards around an inner atrium. This design was a collaboration by Disney, the United States Steel Corporation, and Los Angeles architect Welton Becket.

To construct the building, steel frames were erected on site and modular pre-constructed rooms, designed by California architect Donald Wexler, were lifted into place by crane. Most of Disney's Polynesian Resort was also built this way.

Before the construction of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Contemporary Resort was considered Disney's flagship resort.

Renovation

Between 2005 and 2009, Disney completed an extensive renovation of all guest rooms and many public areas throughout the resort. The decor changed little through the hotel's history, but has been replaced with a more modern design and sleek furnishings.

In the lobby of the Contemporary Resort, the front desk and sitting area were updated to complement the new design of the hotel, and new lighting and modern furnishings were added. The Wave, a new table service restaurant, was constructed in the place of a former quick service restaurant and arcade.

Guest rooms of the resort received a major update with modern design. New carpeting, beds, headboards, marble bathroom tile, flat-panel televisions and more were added. As part of the major construction at the Contemporary Resort, the north wing of the hotel was demolished to make way for a separate Disney Vacation Club resort at the Contemporary complex that opened in 2009.

The Grand Canyon Concourse was updated with new tile and carpeting, along with a new arcade for resort guests. The Concourse Steakhouse was removed to make way for a new quick-service restaurant. A new gift shop was built in an open area between existing shops and opened on November 21, 2007. This is the "Fantasia Gift Shop" that was formerly located under the Monorail station, where the new arcade is currently located. Large Mickey Mouse ears flank both sides of the store.

Resort

The Contemporary Tower houses most of the resort's key facilities, including resort registration and the guest service concierge. The main hall, named the Grand Canyon Concourse, is also located in the main tower and houses restaurants and a variety of shops. Approximately 500 guest rooms line the outer walls of the Contemporary Tower.

The Walt Disney World Monorail System runs through the inside of this building and a monorail station is located here for resort guests. Adorning the concourse walls is a multi-story mosaic designed by Mary Blair. One three-story wing flanks the south side of the tower and houses an additional 250 rooms. A convention center was added to the resort and opened on November 11, 1991, with more than 90,000 square feet (8,400 m²) of convention space.

In October 2007, the resort received designation in the Florida Green Lodging Program.

Guest rooms

A standard tower guest room.

Tower rooms are located in the original A-frame building, through which the monorail runs. The south garden rooms are detached from the A-frame as a separate wing. Some parts of tower have views of the Magic Kingdom and others have a view of Bay Lake. As one of the original resorts on property, the Contemporary Resort has some of the largest guest rooms in Walt Disney World, matched only by Disney's Polynesian Resort which also opened in 1971.

Standard tower guest rooms contain two queen beds or one king bed, a day bed/couch, a sitting table, a credenza with a TV and a coffee maker, a small refrigerator, bathtub and dual sinks, and a closet. The Contemporary Resort also offers suites, as well as two levels of concierge (sometimes referred to as "club") service on the 12th and 14th floors.

Disney announced that the entire 14th floor of Disney's Contemporary Resort will be converted to a health-and-wellness theme, complete with a private yoga studio, custom-designed menus, and concierge services, to attract health-conscious travelers. Guest rooms will be outfitted with amenities such as bamboo floors, low-allergen pillows and mattresses, exercise equipment, and massage tables. The suites are expected to open by November 2011.

Dining

The Wave Restaurant

There are several restaurants in the Contemporary Resort's main building.

• The California Grill — A full-service dining restaurant located at the top (15th floor) of the Contemporary Resort's tower, formerly the Top of the World restaurant. The California Grill offers views of the Magic Kingdom, the Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, and Disney's Polynesian Resort. In addition, it offers a view of the Magic Kingdom's fireworks shows.

• The Wave — The resort's newest dining facility, located on the main lobby level. It offers casual table-service dining featuring American cuisine. It replaced the Concourse Steakhouse, which was originally located on the Grand Canyon Concourse.

• Chef Mickey's — A buffet located on the Grand Canyon Concourse that features appearances from Disney characters. Chef Mickey's is open for breakfast and dinner, and offers views of the monorail entering the resort. Children's items include Goofy's pizza, "Mickeyroni" and cheese, and other novelties. An adult buffet includes pot roast, steak, potatoes, and more. Breakfast items include eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, Mickey shaped waffles, and more. A dessert bar is available to all.

• Contempo Cafe — A quick-service eatery serving lighter fare and snacks, located on the Grand Canyon Concourse, in the location formerly occupied by the Concourse Steakhouse. Contempo Cafe is often open late into the evening. This is the permanent replacement for the Food & Fun Center, previously located on the main lobby level, which has since been converted to The Wave restaurant.

• The Sand Bar — Located alongside the main pool, The Sand Bar offers a variety of food from burgers to ice cream sandwiches. A cocktail bar serves alcoholic beverages.

Gallery

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  Among the stylized denizens of the mosaic (designed by Disney artist Mary Blair) is a five-legged goat, located on the monorail side of the mosaic and best viewed from the 7th and 8th floors.

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  The Resort Monorail, located on the right stops here. The Express Monorail passes through on the left without stopping.

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  The landscaping leading to the main entrance is arranged to look like a Mickey Mouse wristwatch. This view can only be seen from the resort monorail, or from rooms on the west-facing side of the building. (The trees have now been removed.)

Bay Lake Tower

Main article: Bay Lake Tower

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort is a 15-story major addition that officially opened on August 4, 2009. Bay Lake Tower's 5th floor is connected by a skyway from the main tower's 4th floor. Although construction had been underway for a considerable time, the fact that the addition would be part of the Disney Vacation Club was not officially announced until September 16, 2008. Sales of ownership interests (timeshares) at the resort started September 28, 2008 to existing Disney Vacation Club members and on October 5, 2008 for new members. The resort has not yet sold out, and is still being actively marketed by Disney Vacation Development. Contracts are also available via the secondary resale market. Ownership interests at Bay Lake Tower expire January 31, 2060.

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort is the second Disney Vacation Club offering in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, following The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge which opened in 2000.

The tower contains 295 Disney Vacation Club units consisting of 148 dedicated two-bedroom units, 133 lock-off two-bedroom units (which can be booked together as a two-bedroom unit, or booked separately as either a deluxe studio unit or a one-bedroom unit), and 14 three-bedroom Grand Villa units. There are no dedicated studios or dedicated one-bedroom units in Bay Lake Tower. Each villa is assigned to one of three booking categories: Magic Kingdom View, Bay Lake View, or Standard View; with the relative cost or number of required Disney Vacation Club points assigned accordingly. Although the Magic Kingdom can be seen from some standard and Bay Lake view rooms, the premium views of the park are assigned the Magic Kingdom view category. Standard view rooms tend to be lower-level rooms that overlook either the parking lot or a service area. The remainder of the tower is assigned the Bay Lake View category, with views primarily of either Bay Lake or the pool.

Non-members of the Disney Vacation Club may also stay in Bay Lake Tower villas on cash reservations made through the Walt Disney World central reservation office or web site, or via a travel agent.

The tower shares many design features with the original Contemporary Resort, tying it into the overall theme and feel of the resort, yet has a unique rounded-horseshoe shape that sets it apart. It features its own pool, water feature play area, pool bar, and bocce court in the courtyard at the center of the horseshoe. Guests staying in Bay Lake Tower are welcome to use the Contemporary Resort’s other pools and recreational facilities, but only those with a room in Bay Lake Tower may use its features. Access to the Bay Lake Tower pool area is key card controlled. The tower also has a Community Hall featuring games and family activities, and its own guest laundry room. Front desk, concierge, valet, bell services and transportation are shared services provided through the main resort. Bay Lake Tower does not have its own separate check-in area. It is connected to the main Contemporary Resort complex via a sky bridge on the 5th floor. This affords guests in Bay Lake Tower villas the opportunity to use the resort's restaurants, amenities, and transportation.

The Top of the World Lounge, named in homage to the original name of the California Grill Restaurant which sits atop the Contemporary Resort's main tower, is on the 15th floor of Bay Lake Tower. The Top of the World Lounge offers drinks and a small food selection, and provides an excellent vantage point for Magic Kingdom fireworks. The lounge is reserved exclusively for use by Disney Vacation Club members currently staying in a Bay Lake Tower villa through their membership. A Disney Vacation Club membership card and current room key indicating a Bay Lake Tower room number must be shown in the lobby for access to the Top of the World Lounge’s elevator.

Bay Lake Tower was built in the former location of the north garden wing rooms.

External links

• Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Complete Contemporary Resort Photo Gallery and Architectural Critique
• AllEarsNet's photos of the Contemporary Resort (includes photos of the newly refurbished rooms)
• U.S. Steel Movie clip of the Contemporary Resort Construction, compliments of BigFloridaCountry.com
• Contemporary references by BigFloridaCountry.com
• Bay Lake Tower images by BigFloridaCountry.com
• Construction video of Contemporary
• Construction video of Bay Lake tower