Disney Resort Review|The Contemporary Resort

In September I had the pleasure of living the dream for a few days at the Contemporary Resort. The Contemporary Resort is one of the three resorts located next to the Magic Kingdom and is on the Monorail Resort loop. There are actually four deluxe resorts located near the Magic Kingdom but Fort Wilderness Lodge is not on the resort Monorail loop and is tucked away to where you can't see the Kingdom as you can from the other three resorts.

The View

These resorts may seem random in their placement, but in actuality, they each represent a specific part of the Magic Kingdom. The Grand Floridian represents Main Street U.S.A with its Victorian charm and decor, and from the resort guests have a view of the roofs of Main Street U.S.A. From the Polynesian guests can sit on the beach and see Adventureland. And our view from the Contemporary was a perfect shot of Space Mountain. We had hoped to have a room on the Castle side of the resort but were extremely pleased with the view we saw as we walked to our room each time, and our view of Bay Lake made me feel like I was sleeping among the clouds. No matter where you stay at the Contemporary Resort you will have an amazing view!

Club Level

We got an amazing deal on our room and were able to stay Club Level. I had stayed Club Level once at Grand Floridian for two days, and my friend who I traveled with had experienced it at Old Key West. I loved the Grand Floridian club level but there was something about I enjoyed more at the Contemporary. I'm not sure if it was the view or the food but it made me feel like a 21st Century Princess.

The benefits of club level are:

1. Concierge

-Once you reach the club level floor (at the Contemporary it's the 12th floor) there's a desk where cast members are there to assist you with any questions or problems you may have. They were extremely helpful and sweet, fixing a problem we had with our magic bands, and making sure we had water to keep us hydrated on those hot days. Cast members are some of the most patient people you will find, and we were blessed with some great ones on our trip.

2. Club Level Lounge, with food and drinks, offered all day

-We loved the chips they had as a snack from lunch to dinner. I had breakfast there every morning and refreshed with snacks throughout the day. It was a great way to cool off and relax during those heat intense days.

3. Comfortable Room

-there were chocolates in our room when we arrived that were the perfect midnight snack when we arrived. One of the pieces even had a painting of the Contemporary Resort.

4. Turn Down Service

- every evening we'd come back to our beds turned down with chocolates on our pillows, and after a long hot day, it was a sweet touch.

The Room

The club level room at Grand Floridian was nowhere near as spacious as this room in the Contemporary. It was perfect and definitely big enough for our party of two. The beds were firm but not too firm, the pillows were heavenly, and made for very pleasant dreams after a long day of walking and exploring. The couch was nice to have, though I didn't really use it other than to lay out my clothes for the next day. There was also a little kitchen bar area by the door that had a Keurig, mini fridge and ice bucket. I really prefer the rooms that have the Keurigs rather than the other coffee makers Disney used to have, though I ended up not using it like I thought I would.

The contemporary design of the room flowed into the bathroom. The toilet had its own separate closet across from the sink which was nice. The sinks were the biggest downside of the bathroom. As you can see from the picture, the sinks took up the entire bathroom counter. I'm really not sure why they would've chosen this type of sink, because it left only a small middle space for two of us. Now, for guys, this wouldn't be bad, and thankfully it was just us two girls, but still with our makeup and other toiletries we had no room to spare. Speaking of toiletries, they provide much more for those staying in deluxe club level than I've ever seen. All in all the room and bathroom were great, I just didn't care for the sinks.

Inside the Resort

I had never wanted to stay at the Contemporary before because I didn't think it would feel like staying at Disney, I didn't think I would like all the modern touches because it's not my style. Now that I've stayed there I wish I could stay there every time. The lobby has such a clean welcoming atmosphere, and so luxurious.

Go up the escalators and you'll find conference rooms and the like, and a second group of escalators leads you to the resort dining area and four gift shops. There's not a shortage of dining at the resort. The Contempo Cafe, offers a variety of quick service and snack options, along with some amazing, themed cupcakes, such as the Monorail Cupcake. You can also make reservations for Chef Mickey's, which offers a buffet style character breakfast, brunch and dinner. If you're on the Disney Dining Plan or Deluxe Dining Plan it requires one table service.

The Grand Canyon

I love Disney artist and the magic they've created throughout the parks and in the movies. One of my favorite Disney artists is Mary Blair. Blair is responsible for the art in many of the early Disney movies, but specifically the dolls and art for Small World. She also created the beautiful mural representing the Grand Canyon as the focal point of the Contemporary Resort. I felt so blessed to have the opportunity to wake up, leave my room and see this beautiful sight, I knew it was a once in a lifetime experience. What I didn't know about this mural, before my stay there, is it goes around three sides, I can't even imagine the creativity and effort it took to create this beautiful piece of art. As the main focal point in the cavernous room it makes one feel quite small and in awe, as you would surely feel in the real Grand Canyon.

Every inch of this resort is classic, contemporary, Disney. This is also just an overview of what I experienced staying there, you can visit this resort during your trip to eat, shop, and enjoy the views. Resort hoping can be it's own Disney vacation with everything they have to offer now, and it's especially nice for the locals and regular visitors.