Disney's Contemporary Resort - Stay Just a Monorail Ride Away from Mickey!
Written: Nov 03 '08 (Updated Nov 03 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Location, several table service restaurants, recently renovated rooms.
Cons: Unexciting pool area, expensive, garden wing rooms distant from monorail.
The Bottom Line: We liked it okay, but you might not, so read before booking!
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| chelledun's Full Review: Disneys Contemporary Std |
Although it isn't as glamorous or well-themed as some of the Walt Disney World Resort's newer Deluxe resorts, the Contemporary Resort has always held a certain allure for me, due largely to its history. This A-frame hotel was one of Walt Disney World's first two on-site resorts and has been hosting guests since 1971. Also, the monorail runs right through the middle of the building. Who doesn't love the monorail?
Know Before You Go
The Contemporary is connected to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot via monorail and offers bus transportation to the remaining Disney theme parks as well as to Downtown Disney. This type of park proximity doesn't come cheap. Expect to pay, at minimum, $200 to $300 per night to stay in the hotel's Garden Wing and around $400 for a guaranteed room in the main building ("the Tower"). The Contemporary is currently adding on a huge tower for Disney's Vacation Club which will greatly expand room capacity, but it's tough to say what, if any, impact this will have on prices. Depending on your ticket needs, it may make most sense to buy a package that includes room, admission, and meals. For folks like us that go for just three or four days at a time, though, it almost always works out cheaper to purchase each component separately.
Complimentary transportation to and from the Contemporary is available via Disney's Magical Express Service. We rented a car instead, and enjoyed free parking at the hotel and theme parks. Of course, guests at all of Disney's onsite hotels are entitled to admission during Disney's "Extra Magic Hours", which extend a given theme park's day by either one hour in the morning or three hours in the evening.
Check-in time at the Contemporary is officially 3:00 p.m. We arrived at the hotel around 9:00 a.m. to check our luggage, which was promptly delivered when we received our room number at 2:00 p.m.
Rooms
We were very excited to see our room at the Contemporary, since both the Tower and Garden Wing were very recently renovated. It's easy to tell, too - the redesigned rooms far surpass any others on Disney property in terms of modern amenities. Clearly a lighting designer was utilized, because the rooms practically glow with well-placed lamps. Our huge standard room had two queen beds with soft down bedding and geometric throw pillows, a couch and footrest, and a huge flat screen television. Best of all, the Contemporary's rooms come complete with a "virtual concierge" in the form of a brand-new computer. I was shocked to find the station offered free internet access, since Disney's laptop internet access costs $10.00 per day across the board. With the ability to check email, search for theme park information, and access our theme park photos, I never even needed to connect my laptop.
Our bathroom was nice enough to complement the room, with marble tile and interesting square sinks. I had read complaints about theses shallow sinks before visiting the hotel, and will admit they are a little more beautiful than functional since they take up nearly all the available counter space. By the end of my stay I was storing items in one sink and using the other for water. Toiletries at the Contemporary are of the excellent ~H20+ variety and the towels were nice and fluffy. Our room and bathroom were clean overall, which was a welcome change from the slightly dirty room we stayed in at Disney's Pop Century Resort.
The only downside? Some Garden Wing rooms, ours included, are very far from the main Tower building. Our fifteen minute walk to board the monorail or get a soda made the stay just a little less convenient. On the bright side, our proximity to the pool was excellent.
Food
The Contemporary boasts several dining options. I have been lucky enough to dine at the hotel's Signature restaurant, the California Grill. This place is seriously good, and seriously pricey. It also has serious views of the Magic Kingdom, so hold out for a window table if possible. I particularly recommend the goat cheese ravioli and the molten chocolate cake but it would be hard to go wrong when dining here.
Surprisingly, the Contemporary's most popular restaurant is not the upscale California Grill, but the noisy, crowded, character dining experience Chef Mickey's. Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and company frequent this establishment at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My family dined at this restaurant a dozen times back in the day when it was located at Disney's Marketplace, but I haven't enjoyed its current napkin-twirling buffet format. Quite frankly, I'm not sure if I want to, but if you do be sure to plan several months ahead since this experience is nearly always booked.
The Wave, the Contemporary's newest table service experience, is a casual, mid-priced eatery with a focus on sustainable and organic foods. We glanced at the restaurant's menu and found it much healthier than practically any other menu at a Disney restaurant. Early reviews for The Wave are generally positive. I figure the place has to be better than its predecessor, the ghastly Concourse Steakhouse.
Finally, those searching for counter service at the Contemporary have only limited options. The Contemporary's Food and Fun Center is under renovation, leaving the very temporary-feeling Tempo Grab ‘n' Go. This little walk through area serves a limited selection of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. We had breakfast pastries here a couple of times. I also saw pre-packaged salads and cake slices as well as fresh-cooked flatbreads. Both Tempo and the hotel's pool bar honor the pay-one-price mug that is available for around $13.00.
Recreational Areas
The Contemporary offers many of Disney's traditional recreation activities as well as some bonus opportunities thanks to the hotel's Bay Lake location. Guests can rent boats of various sizes or just chill out on the beach. Guests may not swim in the lake. For those who do want to swim, the Contemporary has one small round pool and one large irregularly shaped pool. The larger pool boasts a water slide and some fountains that kids seem to really enjoy. On the whole, the pool facilities at the Contemporary are below average. The colors are faded and the space is not that large. Perhaps it doesn't need to be, though, with this hotel's clientele. We walked by about a dozen times and never saw it crowded.
Contemporary guests can also shop in one of the hotel's stores, the newest and nicest being the ear-shaped Fantasia gift shop. There is also a store specializing in apparel and one that sells mainly food, liquor, and sundries.
Finally, it's worth taking twenty minutes to stroll around the resort's grounds and check out the hidden surprises throughout. The Mary Blair mosaic inside the Tower is certainly worth seeing. We also saw small butterfly "incubator", a chrome Mickey ear statue, and several unique topiaries during our tour. Guests can also stroll right to the gates of the Magic Kingdom with just a fifteen minute walk!
A Contemporary Comparison
So it's time for the million dollar question - should you stay at the Contemporary? The answer is "it depends". The monorail is certainly convenient and packs a "magic" factor that buses don't. We also loved the sleek, modern rooms and free internet. However, the Contemporary doesn't come cheap, the garden wing rooms are a bit of a hike, and the pool area badly needs some updating.
If you are traveling with kids and have a rental car, you are probably just as well staying at one of the cheaper moderate resorts, which offer more relaxing theming and consistently clean rooms. If you have the bucks to spring for the monorail line, you may be better off paying about 1/3 more to stay at my one personal favorite - the lush, elegant Polynesian Resort, or Disney's flagship hotel, the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. I'd recommend the Contemporary as a good compromise for those who, like us, would like to spend a few nights in a prime location near the Magic Kingdom but simply don't have the extra bucks for the two fancier monorail hotels. We would have no problem staying at this hotel again, since we travel without children and value a nice room over a fancy pool area.
Overall . . .
Mr_chelledun and I would like to give Disney's Contemporary Resort 3.5 stars. Since that isn't an option, we're rounding up to four since this is certainly an above-average hotel. This hotel doesn't pack quite the Disney punch of some of the other deluxes, but the convenience and location is simply unbeatable. In other words, it's hard to complain too much when you're sleeping right next door to Mickey for the duration of your Disney vacation.
*Deciding where to stay? Check out my other Disney hotel reviews!
Port Orleans French Quarter - February 2008 (4 Stars)
Polynesian - October 2006 (5 Stars)
Caribbean Beach - October 2005 (5 Stars)
Grand Floridian - February 2005 (4 Stars)
Beach Club Resort - July 2004 (5 Stars)
Coronado Springs - May 2003 (2 Stars)
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Animal Kingdom - One Day Touring Plan
Disney-MGM Studios
Blizzard Beach
Pleasure Island
Downtown Disney Marketplace
Recommended:
Yes
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