Amenities at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

By Dave Shute

For the first page of this review of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, click here.

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S CONTEMPORARY RESORT

Disney’s Contemporary Resort is one of eight Disney-owned deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World.

In their recommended order for first time family visitors, they are

1. Polynesian
2. Wilderness Lodge
3. Animal Kingdom Lodge
4. Contemporary
5. Grand Floridian
6. Beach Club
7. Yacht Club
8. BoardWalk Inn

(Many of these also offer Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) studios and villas, all for rent to the general public–see this for more on the Disney Vacation Club resorts. The DVC offering here is Bay Lake Tower.)

At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, check in and some dining is on the first floor, more dining and shops are on the fourth floor, and there’s one more restaurant on the top floor. Bus and boat transport is on the first floor, and the monorail stop is reached from the fourth floor.

You enter the Contemporary Resort into its first floor lobby, unless you are coming by monorail.

On the left you’ll find the check-in and concierge area. At Disney World, “concierge” means help with tickets, dining reservations and such.

On the right there’s a small coffee bar…

…and a somewhat abstract kids area.

Also on the first floor is one of the three table service restaurants at the Contemporary, The Wave of American Flavors (more on it is later in this review).

Outside towards the parking lots and to the right you’ll find the bus stop, with service to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Downtown Disney and the water parks.

Here you’ll find an electronic board indicating the arrival time of the next buses.

Also here is the walkway to the Magic Kingdom, which is 5-10 minutes away depending on your pace. The ability to walk to the park is probably the best single feature of the Contemporary.

Behind the tower you’ll find the boat dock, with service to the other Bay Lake resorts, Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge.

Also here are the pools, covered in more detail later in this review.

Back in the main Tower, on the 4th floor–accessible via elevator, or often more quickly on escalators–you’ll find most of the rest of the offerings at the Contemporary, including counter service dining, the buffet Chef Mickey’s, a family favorite (more on dining at the Contemporary is later in this review), and lots of shops.

The fourth floor adds much needed drama, color and vibrancy to the otherwise somewhat sterile environment.

At the north end of the fourth floor you’ll find a connector to nearby Disney Vacation Club Bay Lake Tower…

…and a patio from which you can watch Wishes.

Back inside, up a dedicated elevator or escalator you’ll find the Contemporary’s monorail stop.

The resort monorail serves the Magic Kingdom and the other two monorail resorts, the Grand Floridian and Polynesian, and also the Ticket and Transportation Center where you change monorails for Epcot.

DINING AT DISNEY’S CONTEMPORARY RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S CONTEMPORARY RESORT

• Overview and summary of Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• A photo-tour of a standard Tower room at the Contemporary Resort
• Details on the South Garden Wing of the Contemporary Resort
• The amenities at the Contemporary Resort
• Dining at the Contemporary Resort
• The pools at the Contemporary Resort, and
• More on theming and accommodations at the Contemporary Resort

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 160+ stays in them

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

RELATED STUFF

• d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World
• q. Reviews