deluxe resort
Disney's Contemporary Resort
The short answer
The Contemporary has the monorail running through the building and a ten-minute walk to Magic Kingdom, which together make it the most convenient resort at Walt Disney World. Rooms start around $626 in the Garden Wing; a theme park view in the main tower reaches $1,495 at Christmas.
Melissa’s resort tour
Filmed on site. The rooms, the pools, and the walk to transport.
How you get to the parks
- Monorailto Magic Kingdom
- Busto every park, from every resort
- Wheelchair or ECVhow each bus, monorail, Skyliner and boat boards
Routes as Disney publishes them, read Sep 2026.
How long it really takes to get to each park
We haven’t timed this resort yet. A door-to-gate time goes here once we have walked the route with a stopwatch at least five times — a single reading hides the variation that actually makes people miss a breakfast reservation. How we measure.
What it costs
$149cheapest$558median$816dearest
Rack rate for a standard room in the cheapest 2026 season, tax included, from Disney’s published rate calendar. Read Sep 6, 2026.
Who it’s right for
Magic Kingdom-focused trips where the walk and the monorail are used daily, and anyone who wants California Grill or Chef Mickey's without a transfer. Also parties of five, since the rooms take a fifth person without a suite.
Who it’s wrong for
Anyone wanting Disney theming. The Contemporary is a 1971 modernist A-frame and it is deliberately not whimsical — next to Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge it reads as a very good business hotel with a monorail through it. It is also the wrong resort for EPCOT-heavy trips, where the Beach Club's five-minute walk beats anything here.
Is it worth the money?
The Main Tower is worth it for a Magic Kingdom trip and the Garden Wing generally is not. Walking to Magic Kingdom in ten minutes and stepping onto a monorail inside your own hotel is the most convenient arrangement on property, and it is what the Tower premium buys. The Garden Wing gets you the address, the restaurants and the pools without the thing that makes the resort worth the money.
Where to eat here
Every restaurant here with its own page on this site, with the typical spend a head from that page.
- California Grill · Signature dining, about $99
- Chef Mickey's · Character dining, about $69
- Steakhouse 71 · Table service, about $65
- Steakhouse 71 Lounge · Lounge, about $25
- Contempo Cafe · Counter service, about $18
What the rooms are actually like
About 394 square feet sleeping five, which is generous, and the rooms were refurbished to a restrained Incredibles-influenced scheme.
The Garden Wing and the Main Tower are different hotels at the same address: the Tower has the monorail, the views and the noise; the Garden Wing is a two-storey building at ground level with a longer walk and no view, at $626 against the Tower's much higher rates.
Sleeps up to 5, not counting infants — the table below says which room that takes.
Every room type, and who fits in it
Disney returns one room list for the whole property, covering the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower. It does not say which rooms belong to which, so neither do we. Straight from Disney’s own booking data, checked 2026-09-19. Occupancy excludes infants — Disney counts a baby in a cot separately, which is why a room that “sleeps 5” here can appear as 6 on their site.
| Room | Sleeps (excl. infants) | Adults | Beds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resort View - King - Club Level Views of Magic Kingdom Park or Bay Lake | 2 | 2 | 1 King Bed |
| Garden Wing - King Adjacent to Main Tower, Views of Pool or Parking Area | 3 | 3 | 1 King Bed + 1 Day Bed |
| Garden Wing - Deluxe Room Adjacent to Main Tower, Views of Gardens, Pools, Marina or Bay Lake Garden Wing - Deluxe Room is larger than Garden Wing - Resort View Room | 3 | 3 | 1 King Bed + 1 Day Bed |
| Deluxe Studio - Theme Park View Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 4 | 4 | 1 Queen Bed + 1 Double-Size Pull Down Bed |
| Deluxe Studio - Preferred View Views of Bay Lake | 4 | 4 | 1 Queen Bed + 1 Double-Size Pull Down Bed |
| Deluxe Studio - Resort View Views of Parking Area or Obstructed View | 4 | 4 | 1 Queen Bed + 1 Double-Size Pull Down Bed |
| 1 Bedroom Villa - Resort View Views of Parking Area or Obstructed View | 5 | 5 | 1 King Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 1 Bedroom Villa - Theme Park View Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 5 | 5 | 1 King Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 1 Bedroom Villa - Preferred View Views of Bay Lake | 5 | 5 | 1 King Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| Resort View - Club Level Views of Bay Lake | 5 | 5 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Day Bed or 1 King Bed + 1 Day Bed |
| Theme Park View - Atrium Club Level Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 5 | 5 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Day Bed or 1 King Bed + 1 Day Bed |
| Main Tower - Theme Park View Views of Magic Kingdom Park and Parking Area | 5 | 5 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Day Bed or 1 King Bed + 1 Day Bed |
| Garden Wing - 1 Bedroom Suite Access Adjacent to Main Tower, Views of Gardens and Bay Lake | 5 | 5 | 1 King Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa + 1 Twin-Size Sleeper Chair |
| Garden Wing - Water View Adjacent to Main Tower, Views of Pools, Marina or Bay Lake | 5 | 5 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Day Bed or 2 Queen Bed |
| Garden Wing - Resort View Adjacent to Main Tower, Views of Parking Area or Obstructed Views | 5 | 5 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Day Bed |
| Main Tower - Water View Views of Bay Lake | 5 | 5 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Day Bed or 1 King Bed + 1 Day Bed |
| Theme Park View - 1 Bedroom Suite - Club Level Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 6 | 6 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa |
| Water View - 1 Bedroom Suite - Club Level Views of Bay Lake | 6 | 6 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa |
| Garden Wing - 1 Bedroom - Hospitality Suite Access Adjacent to Main Tower, Views of Parking Area or Obstructed Views | 7 | 7 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Day Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa or 1 King Bed + 1 Day Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa |
| Theme Park View - Presidential Suite - Club Level Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 8 | 8 | 1 King Bed + 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa |
| Water View - 2 Bedroom Suite - Club Level Views of Bay Lake | 8 | 8 | 1 King Bed + 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa or 4 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa |
| 2 Bedroom Villa - Theme Park View Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 9 | 9 | 1 King Bed + 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 2 Bedroom Villa - Resort View Views of Parking Area or Obstructed View | 9 | 9 | 1 King Bed + 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 2 Bedroom Villa - Preferred View Views of Bay Lake | 9 | 9 | 1 King Bed + 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| Theme Park View - 2 Bedroom Suite - Club Level Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 10 | 10 | 4 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa |
| 3 Bedroom Grand Villa - Theme Park View Views of Magic Kingdom Park | 12 | 12 | 1 King Bed + 4 Queen Bed + 1 Double-Size Pull Down Bed |
| 3 Bedroom Grand Villa - Preferred View Views of Bay Lake | 12 | 12 | 1 King Bed + 4 Queen Bed + 1 Double-Size Pull Down Bed |
Which room should you request?
The monorail runs through the atrium of the Main Tower, which is a spectacle and also a sound. Theme park view rooms see Magic Kingdom and the fireworks; Bay Lake view rooms are quieter and cheaper. The Garden Wing is separate, low and quiet, and a genuine walk from the lobby.
What are the pools like?
- Feature Pool — has a slide
- Bay Lake Pool — quiet pool
Disney’s own recreation page names one pool and does not give a total, so we cannot say whether this list is complete. Named by Disney: Bay Lake Pool. Disney’s pool page, read 2026-09-19.
What has changed recently?
Rooms were refurbished in the early 2020s to the current scheme, and Steakhouse 71 replaced The Wave in 2021. Bay Lake Tower next door is a separate Disney Vacation Club property with its own rates.
Working from here
excellent
A proper desk, reliable wifi, and the Contemporary's convention space means several quiet places to work. The fourth-floor concourse is better than most hotel lobbies for a morning of email.
Common questions
- Can you walk from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom?
- Yes, in about ten minutes along a dedicated path. Combined with the monorail running through the building, that makes it the most convenient resort at Walt Disney World for Magic Kingdom, and the walk is often faster than waiting for the monorail.
- Garden Wing or Main Tower at the Contemporary?
- The Main Tower, if the budget allows. The Garden Wing is a separate two-storey building with no view, no monorail access from your floor and a longer walk — it gets you the address and the restaurants but not the reason to be here. It starts around $626 against considerably more for the Tower.
- How much is the Contemporary per night?
- From about $626 for a Garden Wing resort view in the cheapest 2026 season to $1,495 for a Main Tower theme park view over Christmas, rack rate including 12.5% tax. Bay Lake Tower next door is priced separately.
- Is California Grill worth it?
- It is one of the better restaurants on property and the fifteenth-floor view over Magic Kingdom is special, particularly if you time a reservation so the fireworks fall mid-meal — the music is piped into the dining room. Book it at sixty days; it goes quickly.
What it looks like
Illustration, not a photograph of this resort — a real one is on our shot list.
Sources
- MouseSavers — Contemporary 2026 rates — reported by · checked
- Our own footage — Contemporary Resort, a 2026 overview (rooms, pools, monorail access) — Melissa was there · checked
- MouseSavers — 2026 Walt Disney World room rates and season dates — reported by · checked
- Walt Disney World — Disney's Contemporary Resort: room types and rates (official booking data: 27 room types, sleeping 2–12 excluding infants) — Disney official · checked