This was our second stay at the Contemporary Hotel and much better the second time around. We had a view of the Magic Kingdom so were able to see the fireworks from our room--it was spectacular. Our room was very clean and near the end of the hall, away from elevators so it was quieter than most of our other Disney hotel experiences. We love the convenience of hopping on the monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom and would defintiely stay here again.

I stayed at the Contemporary Resort in January and it was amazing, fantastic and a dream vacation! However, when I first booked it; I booked the Garden wing for a reasonable amount...then I read these reviews and got nervous. I called and upgraded to Magic Kingdom view 8th floor in main building for $500 more and it was worth every penny!!! So convenient and you can see the fireworks everynight from your balcony!! It was great..kids loved the arcade and you can rent boats at the resort which is awesome!!! Highly recommend!! Best trip so far!!!

It was my first trip to Disney, and my husband's second since he was a child. We chose the Contemporary because of the convenient monorail access and balconies facing the Magic Kingdom. We booked a Club Level suite on the twelfth floor for Friday January 20-Sunday January 22.

The hotel is modern and immaculately clean (well, more on that later). As club level guests we were greeted by name at the curb and escorted to our own check-in on the 12th floor. We chose the high floor based on other reviews. The rooms are accessible via interior hallways that overlook the atrium and it can get very noisy down there in the morning. We did hear some noise but it didn't bother us. The club level also has an area with soft drinks and snacks that change throughout the day. There was beer and wine in the evenings.

The room was well appointed and nicely decorated. We had requested a king but got a room with two beds. The only other kings available were on lower floors so we kept it anyway. There was a mini-fridge, coffee maker, hairdryer, and working internet. Our balcony faced Cinderella's castle so we were able to watch the fireworks at 8pm both nights of our stay. The beds were comfortable and had a ton of pillows. Honestly, it could have been a plywood board and we wouldn't have noticed due to the sheer amount of activity we did during the day at the parks.

We had room service and ate at the Cafe, The Wave, and California Grill. The food was very good, especially in the California Grill. The prices were around NYC prices except the California Grill which was expensive. We refused to order sushi rolls on the menu at 20-30 bucks apiece since we can get good sushi in NY for about a third of the price. The menu at the grill changes so I won't bother to review our dishes. Room service arrived ahead of the projected time both times we ordered - once for lunch and once for dinner.

The monorail access is awesome. Elevator to the 4th floor and up to the platform. Couldn't be easier. We also walked back from the Magic Kingdom once and it was about 10 minutes.

I only have two complaints about our experience. We were put in a handicapped accessible room. The shower and bathroom shared a floor with no tub or even a lip to stop the water, not helped by the fact the shower curtain ended about 4 inches above the floor. The shower head is precariously perched on a metal peg and swings about of its own volition because it's meant to be handheld. The first time I turned on the shower, it swung about wildly and sprayed water under the curtain. I finally maneuvered it to get it straight and there was no ledge for toiletries. There is a fold down seat, but it takes up the entire area under the shower head preventing one from showering while standing. Of course I dropped the shampoo which rolled across the bathroom which was almost a lake at that point. The drain and pitch of the floor is inadequate. When demonstrating the shower head to my husband, it fell off the peg and slammed into the floor about an inch from my foot. Not a good setup in there.

The second issue was when we checked in. I went to use the bathroom and there was a, um, brown smear on one of the rolls of toilet paper. There were free chocolates in the room so out of a sense of morbid curiosity I sniffed it. Not chocolate. I assume a parent was changing a diaper or something and just quickly wiped their finger or something. My husband and I tried our best to be indignant but we were laughing too much. Must have been the combination of toilet humor and pure astonishment. My husband informed the concierge and they had the roll changed immediately and offered to clean the entire bathroom again.

Despite that, we would still go back. We really enjoyed our stay there.

I have been to Disneyworld in Florida over 10 times, and have stayed at the Polynesian, the Floridian, the Beach Club, and the Contemporary. The Contemporary is my new favorite place to stay. I love that it is in walking distance to the Magic Kingdom. You can walk to the Magic Kingdom in just about ten minutes or less, and it is an easy walk and is well lit. It is great to be able to bypass the Disney transportation system for the Magic Kingdom, and come and go as you please without waiting or dealing with lines. I also love that you can see just about anywhere in Disneyworld from the Contemporary. On our last stay, we could see Tomorrow Land in the Magic Kingdom from the enormous glass side of the building from the landing outside our door, and we could see the giant Epcot ball (including the night time fireworks) and as far as Disney Studios from our balcony. The concierge lounge has a beautiful view of Magic Kingdom's castle and the fireworks. The room design and decor is attractive and the rooms are large. I like having the Contempo Cafe at the hotel for a quick bite to eat or a less expensive meal. There are two pools, one quite large, and lounge chairs are set up on the beach, which can be a nice respite after the parks. Although perhaps the grounds do not have the charm of the Polynesian or the Beach Club, I love the convenience and location of this hotel. Also, kids love the fact that the Monorail runs right through the hotel. For longer stays, I recommend staying at the Contemporary for the first half of the trip, and picking an Epcot area hotel (such as the Beach Club) for the second half, as you can walk to Epcot from the Beach Club and take a water taxi from there to Hollywood Studios, which is very convenient. When we have stayed in two different resorts, Disney has moved luggage from one hotel to the next. Feel free to email any questions, I love talking about Disney.