If you’re looking to stay as close as possible to Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Contemporary Resort is just a froggy hop, skip and a jump away. As one of the deluxe Disney Resort hotels along the resort monorail line, the Contemporary’s prime location is a major advantage for guests who prioritize convenience above all. Because it's so close to Magic Kingdom, you may even get the bonus perk of watching the fireworks from your hotel room!
Beyond its optimal location, Disney's Contemporary Resort has newly revamped "Incredibles" themed rooms, frogtastic dining options, fun recreational activities and convenient amenities. Disney hosted our most recent stay at Disney's Contemporary Resort for the #AlltheDisneyThrills media event, so we could experience this amazing resort first-hand. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know before your next stay!
Overview of Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Initially considered to be named the Tempo Bay Hotel, the Contemporary is one of the two original Walt Disney World Resort hotels (the other being Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort) that opened in 1971. Taking after its name, the Contemporary’s sleek, ultramodern design allows the monorail to pass straight through the main A-frame building known as the Tower. We imagine it was toadally impressive back in the day, and it still continues to amaze guests — especially the tadpoles — today!
The front desk, concierge and bell services are located on the first floor of the main building, along with a couple of dining locations. Using the Direct-to-Room service via mobile check-in through the My Disney Experience app is highly encouraged. That way, you do not have to stop at the front desk! Instead, you’ll receive a notification with your room number when your room is ready. Check-in starts at 3 p.m. for Contemporary Resort guests and 4 p.m. for guests of Bay Lake Tower. Checkout for both is 11 a.m. You can use Express Resort Checkout (also available through the app) to check out online and skip the front desk.
The majority of restaurants, gift shops and access to the monorail can all be found on the fourth floor, also known as the Grand Canyon Concourse. Overall, the hotel has a mid-century modern design with a bright and sleek color scheme. Complimentary to the new updates, the 90-foot-tall, colorful mural by Mary Blair (a Disney artist who worked on designing “it’s a small world”) stands out in the Grand Canyon Concourse.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort Rooms
With a total of 655 guest rooms, Disney’s Contemporary Resort hosts the majority of guests in the Tower (the main A-frame building). One side of the Tower has views of Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon, while the other side looks out to Bay Lake. Aside from the Tower rooms, the smaller, three-floor Garden Wing sits behind the Tower and swimming pools. The Garden Wing’s room views include landscaping, the marina, Bay Lake or the parking lot.
When selecting a room, you’ll have to choose one of the following based on your desired view:
- Main Tower - Theme Park View (as low as $847 per night): faces Magic Kingdom and the parking lot
- Main Tower - Water View (as low as $758 per night): faces Bay Lake
- Garden Wing - Water View (as low as $565 per night): faces the pools, marina, or Bay Lake
- Garden Wing - Resort View (as low as $545 per night): faces the parking lot or has obstructed views
The standard rooms are very spacious — at about 420 square feet! Each room is furnished with two queen beds, a day bed, floating nightstands, an armoire and a flatscreen TV. Other room amenities include a hair dryer, Wi-Fi, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, in-room safe and a mini refrigerator. We especially love the tile flooring and modern design features in the room.
You'll enter the bathroom through a sliding door. While the toilet area can be split by another sliding door, we wish the double sinks were also separate from the shower area to double up on getting ready. But the bathroom itself is very nice and spacious! We appreciate the double sinks, full-size bathtub, dual rain shower heads and the monorail etching on the mirror.
Transportation at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
As we mentioned before, the Contemporary Resort is so close to Magic Kingdom that it’s quite literally steps away. You can walk directly to the park entrance if you want to get some extra hops in. The monorail is another quick and easy option! Just be aware that it makes a few quick stops at the Transportation & Ticket Center, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa if you’re traveling to Magic Kingdom. Because of the frequent stops, it’s toadally possible that it may be faster to walk depending on your speed hopping abilities! We like to walk to Magic Kingdom in the morning, but after a long day, taking the monorail is a must-do since the Contemporary is the first stop and everyone is tired!
If traveling to EPCOT, you can take the resort monorail line to the Transportation and Ticket Center and transfer to the EPCOT monorail line. Bus transportation is also available for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs. There is also water taxi access to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. These water taxis run about every 15- 30 minutes.
Amenities, Recreation & Shopping at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
At this time, the biggest perks of staying on-site include the ability to book advance dining reservations for your length of stay (up to 10 days) 60 days in advance of check-in and easy access to Disney World's complimentary transportation options. Additional benefits to staying on-site include Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours, and Lightning Lane.
Early Theme Park Entry
Guests staying at the Contemporary Resort can enter one of the Walt Disney World theme parks up to 30 minutes earlier than non-resort guests. Best of all, early entry still applies to the days you're checking in or out of the resort. We think this perk is toadally awesome!
Extended Evening Hours
Speaking of Disney Resort perks we think are toadally awesome, Contemporary Resort guests can also take advantage of Extended Evening Hours.
This perk is exclusive to guests of Disney Deluxe Resorts and Villas. On select nights, guests can enjoy the Walt Disney World theme parks with limited wait times and some toadally rad photo ops in front of a shimmering Cinderella Castle!
Best of all, you may even be able to snag a Virtual Queue if you could not do so earlier in the day! This includes both TRON Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. Just open your My Disney Experience app and join the queue at 6 p.m.
Lightning Lane
If you want to maximize your time spent in the Disney parks, then you may want to invest in Lighting Lane. There are two options: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lighting Lane Single Pass.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass replaced the old FastPass system, so expect some similarities. Disney Resort guests can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass up to 7 days in advance of their stay. Upon purchasing, you'll make three attraction selections, including your arrival window. Once inside the park and you used your first reservation, you can make a new one. Price varies based on demand and time of visit.
With Lightning Lane Single Pass, you get to pay to experience popular attractions that aren't included in the Multi Pass option. For example, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom and Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. You can make two selections per day.
Other Resort Perks You'll Love
If these perks mentioned above weren't awesome already, a stay here brings you closer to the iconic Electrical Water Pageant. Every night starting at 8:25 p.m., this whimsical water pagent sails by the shoreline of the resort. It's fun for the whole froggy family!
The Contemporary Resort also offers the following amenities:
- ATMs and banking services (may exchange foreign currencies at the Front Desk or Lobby Concierge)
- Bell services
- Business center
- Laundry and dry cleaning services
- Mail services
- Arcade (The Game Station)
- Fitness center
- Self-parking
Guests have a lot of recreational activities to choose from! Soak up the sun at one of the two swimming pools. Splash around and slide down a 17-foot-tall waterslide at the main Feature Pool, or relax at the quiet Bay Lake Pool.
Did we mention that the Feature Pool is also heated? Nothing but comfort at this resort!
A jogging path loops around the neighboring Bay Lake Tower and the South Garden for a nearly one-mile workout. Reserve a guided fishing excursion or rent out a boat to cruise around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. Play beach volleyball, or head over to the Bay Lake Tower for basketball and tennis courts. At night, come together around the campfire and roast s’mores, or watch a Disney movie under the stars.
If you frogot to pick up a pair of Mickey ears at the parks, don’t fret! There are several gift shops for any last-minute needs. Head to the Grand Canyon Concourse for Bayview Gifts, Fantasia and Fantasia Market.
Dining at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney's Contemporary offers a wide variety of dining options, ranging from pool bars to signature dining.
California Grill
Take a private elevator ride from the second floor to the Contemporary’s award-winning rooftop restaurant that boasts panoramic views of Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom. Its outdoor area provides one of the best places to watch the Happily Ever After nighttime spectacular.
Pro tip: if your dinner reservation is before the fireworks show, save your receipt. You're allowed to return to watch from the outdoor terrace of the restaurant. As for its signature dining, California Grill is open for dinner only at $89 per person. Experience the flavors of Californian cuisine in this 3-course dining adventure which includes seasonal menu items such as Sonoma Goat Cheese Raviolo and Oak-fired Filet of Beef. Since they offer 300 different wines, there's something for every tastebud!
Chef Mickey’s
Chef Mickey’s offers both a buffet breakfast and dinner character dining experience with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy. The Frog Family loves getting our fill of Mickey waffles all while getting a hug from Mickey and his friends! You may even be able to savor a specially-flavored pancake depending on the season!
Steakhouse 71
Located next to the front desk, Steakhouse 71 takes pride in its casual elegance and new American cuisine that sources local and regional organic ingredients. This table-service restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there is a separate lounge area where guests of legal age can enjoy wines and craft beers. Currently, there is also a mobile ordering option that allows you to pick up food to go.
Contempo Cafe
As the hotel’s main quick-service restaurant, Contempo Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, including handy grab-and-go options. To start off your day, you’ve got the choice of typical breakfast foods, such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and Mickey waffles, as well as a breakfast tofu bowl and steel-cut oatmeal for plant-based options. Lunch and dinner have similar menus (though dinner has a few additional meal choices) that consist of specialty salads, sandwiches and flatbreads. While you eat, it’s fun to watch the monorail trains pass by overhead!
Since the Contempo Cafe is open until 11 p.m., it makes for the perfect late-night snack!
Outer Rim Lounge
Sip on a refreshing adult beverage while admiring scenic views of Bay Lake at Outer Rim. The lounge is next to Chef Mickey’s and Contempo Cafe and has a full bar menu. Come for the drinks ... stay for the large cushioned chairs and overhead TVs.
If you're looking for a refreshing mocktail, try the Agave Garden! It's made with lime juice, cucumber, Lyre's Agave Reserva Spirit, and a blend of papaya and passionfruit green tea.
The Sand Bar
Swimming can work up an appetite, so this poolside bar provides frog-favorite grub such as cheeseburgers, hot dogs and quesadillas. Tadpoles can chill out with smoothie selections, while momma and poppa frogs can unwind with a cocktail, wine or beer.
Contemporary Grounds
If you just want a quick cup of gourmet Joe and a pastry, stop by this coffee bar in the main lobby before a fun-filled day at the parks. They open early at 6 a.m.
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Bay Lake Tower is a standalone Disney Vacation Club Resort that shares the same theming as the Contemporary Resort. Because of its close proximity, Bay Lake Tower guests can take full advantage of the Contemporary’s dining options and easy monorail access. In fact, the Sky Way Bridge connects the fifth-floor south elevator lobby of Bay Lake Tower to the fourth-floor concourse of the Contemporary.
The 295-room Bay Lake Tower offers multi-bedroom Disney Deluxe Villas that feature full-sized kitchens, living and dining areas, private bedrooms and a washer and dryer set — perfect for families or extended stays. For shorter vacations or smaller parties, the Deluxe Studio option includes a kitchenette and a sleeper sofa.
Bay Lake Tower has its own feature pool called the Bay Cove Pool. Your tiny tadpoles will love the pool's 148-foot-long waterslide! This resort also has a poolside bar and a rooftop lounge called the Cove Bar. This bar is exclusive to Disney Vacation Club members staying at the hotel.
What to Consider Before Staying at Disney's Contemporary Resort
The Contemporary's location is a major draw for most guests, especially if you're planning multiple days at Magic Kingdom. It may be a great option if you have young tadpoles who still use a stroller or get tired easily. You don't have to fold the stroller while you're on the monorail, or you can opt to use the walkway between Magic Kingdom and the resort. If the tadpoles get tired at the park during the day, you can easily hop back to the resort for a power nap without losing much time.
On the flip side, you do pay the price for convenience. The Contemporary Resort is a Disney Deluxe resort, and rates are certainly more expensive than if you were to stay at a Disney Moderate or Value resort. (If you book through us, we can save you some green!) Also, if you're really into Disney theming, you may want to consider another hotel. While it has a futuristic design with some touches from "The Incredibles," the Contemporary's overall theming is more subtle, which can be seen most clearly by its simple feature pool (you can see our very favorite Disney World Resort hotel pools here). If you would rather take in a piece of Disney World history during your stay, then the Contemporary fits the bill!
The character dining experience at Chef Mickey's and spectacular views of Magic Kingdom's fireworks are also major reasons why we love the Contemporary. If these are must-dos for you, then this resort might be the perfect place for your next Disney stay!
Have you ever stayed at Disney's Contemporary Resort? If so, share what your experience was like with us! If not, what are you most looking forward to — the location, views, restaurants or all of the above?
Related: How to Pick the Best Disney Deluxe Resort for Your Family
Hoppy planning!
