Poor Showing at Contemporary

The best things to do at the resort include the activities and dining. At the Contemporary, you will find the most extensive list of activities, at least compared to the other hotels. The dining options are also abundant. The main restaurants are Concourse Steakhouse, Chef Mickey's (regarded as the best character buffet on property), California Grill (regarded as one of the best restaurants in Orlando), and the Food and Fun Center, a full-service food court.

Because of its close proximity to Magic Kingdom, you have your best chance of obtaining a Magic Kingdom-view room. While it is possible to get that view at the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian, it is much harder to obtain at these resorts. What a Magic Kingdom view allows is the ability not only to view Cinderella's Castle, but also the nightly fireworks from the comfort of your own room or balcony. However, there is no way to reserve this type of view. If this is a must, when making reservations, ask the operator which type of room at the Contemporary will give the best view of the Magic Kingdom, reserve it, and have the operator note on your reservation that you want a Magic Kingdom view.

Quick Tips:

Before booking a stay at the Contemporary, be sure to find pictures of the resort online and make sure the design and theme of the Contemporary is something your family would like, because chances are that kids will not find this hotel very enchanting (and neither will adults).

Best Way To Get Around:

At Disney car rental is not needed because every hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to everywhere in Disney, and the Contemporary itself also offers monorail service to Magic Kingdom and Epcot and has water taxi service to Magic Kingdom.

The Contemporary Resort is one of the original hotels, but you would think, because it is a Disney resort, that it would not show its age. However, the Contemporary is a sore disappointment in this category. When you walk into a Disney hotel, you feel transported into a different world. However, upon walking into the Contemporary, you feel as though you are transported to the ugly Marriot down the road.

The theme is a futuristic one, and maybe it was futuristic in the ‘70s, but it’s time to change that look. It gets even worse. A great feature of the Contemporary is the tower. With 15 floors, it is one of the tallest Disney resorts and a big reason why people stay there. However, to our surprise, the tower does not hold the standard rooms. Instead, standard-room guests (this includes water-view-room guests as well) have to go "out back" to the garden wing buildings. They are two-level, poorly maintained buildings that are as charming as a kick in the head. When you walk into the hallway, the aromatic stench of cigarettes fills your nostrils as you walk down the dungeon-like hallway. And then you open the door to your room.

I can't complain about the room size; it’s about the same size as regular Disney rooms. However, the room is uglier than the hotel lobby. The mixing and matching of colors looks like a nightmare. For those of you who get a standard-view room, you can be pleasantly enchanted by the monstrous parking lot that adorns your view. Anyone who is over 6'3", like me, should also watch their heads, because the ceilings are not tall-people friendly. If you want to avoid the garden wings and stay in the tower, you need to book a tower room. However, the price for a tower room starts at $345 a night. For that price, I would go over to the Grand Floridian and get a standard room there, which is $349 a night.

I will say that the resort does feature extensive amenities. The resort has the most extensive water-sports marina in Disney. It’s possible to go jet skiing, as well as, parasailing, at the Contemporary (but keep in mind that these activities do come at a price: parasailing $75 for one person and $115 for two to ride together; for jet skiing, it’s $140 for an hour for up to five guests. Reservations must be made for both). The resort also has a full marina complete with speedboats, canopy boats, and pontoon boats. The resorts also features the most tennis courts, six, which you are free to use, but you must bring your own equipment. The resort also has the standard features of the other deluxe resorts. However, the amenities do not make up for the room. This is the only time my family and I were ever disappointed in Disney, and we will never return to stay at the Contemporary.

Chef Mickey's is a character buffet that serves both breakfast and dinner. The restaurant, which is one of the bright spots of the Contemporary, features the classic Disney characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Chip and Dale. The buffet is widely regarded as the best overall character buffet, and it probably is. The character breakfasts in Disney usually will serve very similar items, including eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and the famous Mickey Waffles, but each restaurant will serve something unique.

Dinner is different. There will be some similarities to other buffets, but they will usually offer their own unique food. Chef Mickey's is no exception. The food here is more down-to-earth and kid-friendly than some of the other buffets. Usually two kinds of pasta dishes are served, with two kinds of meats (usually prime rib and ham) and potatoes. There will also be a couple of other dishes that vary, along with a full salad bar and usually two soups. The kid's buffet is also pleasing to the appetite: macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, mini hot dogs, and chicken fingers (they are the ones served in the parks and probably the best value considering you pay almost $7 for three in the parks). There is also a dessert buffet that features several cakes, puddings, cookies, sugar free desserts, and a make-your-own sundae station.

Do not let the price scare you away (children: $9 breakfast/$11 dinner; adults: $17 breakfast/ $26 dinner), as the character buffets are probably the best value at Disney. Not only do you get to dine with and get pictures and autographs from the characters, but you also get an excellent all-you-can-eat buffet (the buffets at Disney probably have the best food and the nicest atmosphere of any buffet in Orlando, and probably Florida). When you consider what you would pay per person at a regular sit-down restaurant in Disney ($15 to $30 for adults and $10 to $20 for children), the buffet really makes sense, and trust me, it will be much more memorable than going to the food court or a regular restaurant in Disney or elsewhere.

As far as Chef Mickey's goes, it is the best character buffet in Disney and the most kid-friendly, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Call 407/WDW-DINE for priority seating (this is not a reservation; it simply reserves your place in line). At Chef Mickey's, priority seating is an absolute must, although it is not required. Call as soon as possible to make arrangements and do not be surprised if the only thing available is at 8or 9pm, because the restaurant is extremely popular.