Should You Stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort?
Deciding where to stay during your Disney World vacation is somehow easy and impossibly challenging.
It’s easy because you’ll love the place no matter what.


DIsney
All of Disney’s official resorts are impeccable in quality and overflowing with amenities.
But it’s challenging because the opportunity cost is so high.


Disney
No matter which place you pick, you’ll feel FOMO about the other options.
MickeyBlog wants to help, so we’ve created this series where we evaluate all the options.


Photo: Playbuzz.com
Today, we’re starting with the first of them. Should you stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort?
About the Contemporary Resort



Disney’s Contemporary Resort
When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the Contemporary Resort was there to welcome guests for the first time.
One of the great pieces of Disney trivia is that this hotel, not the Disneyland Hotel, was the first official Disney resort.
A third party owned the Disneyland Hotel for the first 33 years of its existence.
So, in 1971, Disney made sure to build its own property.


Photo: Disney
Actually, there were two, with Disney’s Polynesian Resort being the other.
So, the Contemporary is the granddaddy of all Walt Disney World resorts.


Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Imagineers wanted to make it special, so they did the impossible.
They built a Monorail station on the fourth floor of the hotel.


Photo: AP Photo/SDS
To this day, vacationers stare in wonder and amazement as they watch Monorails drive straight through the middle of this A-frame hotel.
Throughout its existence, the Contemporary has received countless updates to reinforce its name.
To this day, it remains fully contemporary.
The Fourth Floor


Photo: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Known as the Grand Canyon Concourse, the fourth floor of the Contemporary has attained legendary status for its amenities.
While you’ll want to explore the hotel lobby during your visit, the fourth floor functions more as the hotel’s heart and soul.


Photo: Yesterland.com
You’ll find two different restaurants overlooking the Monorail station here.
At one of them, the drink refill station resides ten feet below the running Monorail line.


Photo: Disney
You may spill your Coke as you gaze in awe at the Monorail zooming right above you.
You’ll also find three different shops here, separated by approximately 50 feet.


Gold Monorail
Additionally, there’s a bar and lounge right by the escalator, which is conveniently only a few steps from the elevator.
As far as centralized amenities go, the Contemporary might be the best hub in the entire Disney inventory.
You can do everything on this floor, straight down to visiting a videogame arcade. There’s even a…
Monorail Station


Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The Grand Canyon Concourse also includes the security entrance to the Disney Monorail.
Cast members will check your bags here, and then you’ll ride the escalator up to board the Monorail.


Photo: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
So, the place where you expect to spend most of your time at the hotel is also right beside the Monorail station.
The logistics at the Contemporary rival any at Walt Disney World.


Magic Kingdom
You’ll exit your hotel room, take the elevator or escalator to the fourth floor, and be on the Monorail in a matter of minutes.
The resort Monorail system will take you to Magic Kingdom.


Monorail to EPCOT was closed!
Alternatively, you can switch at the Transportation and Ticket Center to visit EPCOT.
Thus, you can ride Disney’s most unique form of transportation directly to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.
This convenience is remarkable. Even better, it feels decidedly more Disney because you’re on a Monorail.
The Incredibles
A few years ago, Disney introduced unique hotel rooms at the Contemporary.
I should stress that only a handful of the hotel rooms feature this theme, but the ones that do are incredible.

In case you can’t guess, the theme of these rooms is The Incredibles.
Disney has stylized these rooms in the retro 1960s manner of The Incredibles 2.
You’ll find silly things like silhouettes of the Parr family on the closet walls, painted images of Jack-Jack cookie crumbles in the drawers, and several tributes to Edna Mode.
Imagineers have populated the entire room with delightful Easter eggs celebrating the superhero Parrs.
When you have the booking option, you should always default to The Incredibles rooms.
They’re just plain better and more Disney.
The Restaurants


Contempo Cafe
Without mentioning names, I talked about two of these earlier.
You’ll find the Monorail refill station at Contempo Café, which is my go-to breakfast dining option.


Photo: planDisney
I love grabbing a quick bite via Mobile Ordering before starting my park day.
Right beside it is the legendary Chef Mickey’s, one of Disney’s most popular restaurants.


Steakhouse 71
If you’re a parent with a young child, you can win the entire vacation by booking a meal here.
Next to the hotel lobby, you’ll find one of my personal favorites, Steakhouse 71.


Photo: Disney
Disney revamped this restaurant a few years ago, turning it into a more communal fine dining experience.
When you eat here, the rule is that you must always order the bread service.


Photo: Mousesteps
Trust me now, and thank me later.
Finally, we have the iconic staple of Contemporary dining.


California Grill
Since the hotel’s early days, guests have ridden a private elevator to the resort’s top floor, where they dined on Disney’s best dishes and sampled its finest wines.
But that’s not the only reason people love this place.
It also features a floor-to-ceiling window view of Magic Kingdom, especially Tomorrowland and Cinderella Castle.
You can order a meal here, walk out on the deck afterward, and watch the fireworks at roughly eye level.


Photo: Disney
Disney shoots its fireworks into the sky at about the same height where you’re standing after your meal.
This inimitable view has created a multi-generational, communal experience.


Photo: Disney
Everyone remembers the first time they watched the fireworks at California Grill.
Simply stated, you’ll eat like royalty at the Contemporary.
The Reasons You May Prefer Other Hotels


Disney’s Contemporary Resort Atrium
Obviously, the Contemporary is one of Disney’s most expensive resorts, as you’d expect for such an iconic property.
Many guests stay here simply to say that they did.



Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney knows this and prices the hotel accordingly.
Presuming you don’t mind the budgetary constraints, there are a couple of other factors working against this hotel.


Disney’s Contemporary Resort Room
The first is that it’s somewhat spread out.
While most of the rooms at the Contemporary reside in the main building, some are in the adjoining ones.


Disney’s Contemporary Resort Lobby
These rooms lack the logistics you’ll find in the main building, yet the prices are fairly similar to the more centrally located rooms.
I’d also argue that among the three monorail resorts, the Contemporary is the least distinctive in theme.


Disney’s Contemporary Resort Steel Mickey
“Modern” is a relatively lazy theme, at least by Disney’s standards.
So, some people consider the Contemporary to be the least Disney of the deluxe-tier resorts.


Deluxe Studio at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort’s Island Tower
I don’t perceive any of these negatives as significant, and I stay at this hotel frequently.
Still, there do seem to be more passionate fans of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and especially Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.


Island Tower
You cannot go wrong with any of the three, though.
I presume you have more questions, so I’d strongly encourage you to contact a MickeyTravels agent to learn more about Walt Disney World vacations.
These experts are the best in the world, yet they offer their services free of charge.
Making sure you have the most magical vacation possible is their only goal.
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