One of the more subtly breathtaking views in American hospitality may be found if you stand at the proper angle on the fourth floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, on the Grand Concourse, facing the bay windows that overlook Magic Kingdom. Perhaps ten minutes’ walk away are the spires of Cinderella Castle, which is close enough to seem almost personal.
Whatever light the Florida sky chooses to provide that afternoon is reflected by Bay Lake beneath the windows. And somewhere above your head, the Resort Monorail glides through the structure, slows, stops at the platform constructed right into the center of the tower, and then glides back out the other side with a gentle hum and a rush of displaced air. This is what it has been doing since October 1, 1971. It doesn’t get old anymore.
| Disney’s Contemporary Resort — Key Facts | |
| Official Name | Disney’s Contemporary Resort — originally planned as the Tempo Bay Hotel; previously known as the Contemporary Resort Hotel |
|---|---|
| Opening Date | October 1, 1971 — one of two original Walt Disney World resort hotels, opening alongside Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort |
| Location | 4600 North World Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 — situated in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, Bay Lake, Florida |
| Phone | (407) 824-1000 |
| Hotel Category | Deluxe Resort — Walt Disney World’s highest tier of on-property accommodation |
| Architecture & Distinctive Features | |
| Building Style | Iconic A-frame Contemporary Tower plus adjacent Garden Wing — one of the most recognized hotel silhouettes in the United States |
| Number of Rooms | 655 rooms across both the tower and Garden Wing |
| The Monorail | The Walt Disney World Resort Monorail passes directly through the tower’s Grand Concourse — a feature unique to this property among all Disney resorts worldwide |
| Mary Blair Mural | A 90-foot-tall mural by Disney Legend Mary Blair — creator of the visual style of “it’s a small world” — depicts the Grand Canyon and American Southwest on the Grand Concourse |
| Access & Amenities | |
| Magic Kingdom Access | Walking distance to Magic Kingdom main gate — no bus or boat required, a significant advantage over most Walt Disney World resort hotels |
| Dining | Multiple award-winning restaurants including California Grill atop the tower — known for views over Magic Kingdom and fireworks sightlines |
| Recreation | Multiple pools, white-sand beach on Bay Lake, watercraft rentals, and direct access to the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground by boat |
One of those establishments that has real historical significance without relying too much on it is Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Along with the Polynesian Village Resort, it was one of just two original resort hotels at the property when it opened on October 1, 1971, the same day as Walt Disney World. With dozens of hotels across thousands of acres,
Walt Disney World has expanded over the past 50 years to an almost unfathomable size. From its location on Bay Lake’s northwest coast, The Contemporary has witnessed it all and has managed to stay at the top of the resort hierarchy as a deluxe hotel without having to change every few years to be relevant. That has an almost obstinate quality, in the best sense of the word.
The first item that needs to be attended to is the building itself. The A-frame tower is instantly identifiable and has been from the day it opened. It was initially intended under the moniker Tempo Bay Hotel before the property adopted its ultimate identity. It is unlike any other large hotel in the United States.
During construction, the prefabricated room modules were built off-site and slotted into the building’s steel frame. This method was truly innovative in 1971 and resulted in a silhouette that still seems futuristic over fifty years later. It’s probable that the building’s ongoing visual authority stems in part from the fact that nothing quite like it has been constructed since; it stands alone in its category with no clear replicas or successors.
The Mary Blair mural is located inside the tower and spans the entire height of the Grand Concourse. Blair brought the same visual language to the “it’s a small world” attraction, which is ninety feet tall and depicts the Grand Canyon and the American Southwest in a geometric, almost naive style that is instantly recognizable even to those who are unable to identify the artist.
Standing beneath the painting, which was restored and recreated in 2017, is one of those occasions when the extent of Disney’s investment in its own mythology truly becomes apparent. It’s not subtle. It’s not attempting to be. It seems as though the entire structure was intended to elicit this precise response: a brief moment of stunned silence, followed by the revelation that you’re enjoying it more than you anticipated.
Anyone considering a trip to Walt Disney World should not undervalue the practical benefits of staying here. After spending a morning navigating the resort’s transit system from a hotel several miles away, the ten-minute walk to Magic Kingdom’s main entrance seems insignificant.
The Contemporary is directly connected to the Magic Kingdom and, with a transfer at the Transportation and Ticket Center, to EPCOT via the monorail loop. The rhythm of a day at the parks is completely altered by these connections, which are not only practical but also make it genuinely simple to return to the hotel for a lunch or siesta without wasting half the afternoon on transportation.
Situated on the fourteenth floor of the tower, California Grill, the resort’s namesake restaurant, has long been regarded as one of the best places to eat on Walt Disney World property. It’s hard to put into words the quality of the views above Magic Kingdom during fireworks; the castle is illuminated from a distance, the sky is bursting with color, and the sound arrives half a second after the light. To be honest, it’s a rather theatrical way to have dinner. It’s also very amazing.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which has been there for more than 50 years, is in a category that most hotels never get to: the kind of place where the building itself is part of the reason people book it and where the experience inside consistently justifies that decision so that customers return.
