Disney's Contemporary Resort

We stayed at the Contemporary Resort on November 22 - 24, 2002. It was the first time we stayed at the Contemporary together. Our room was almost smack dab in the the middle of the resort in the tower, facing the Magic Kingdom. We watched the fireworks from the balcony and woke up early each day to get to the Magic Kingdom when it opened. On Sunday morning, hot air balloons took off nearby, and floated over the Magic Kingdom. It was a pretty neat sight.

Glenn's family stayed at the Contemporary in 1979, and we stayed on the 8th floor in the tower, facing the Magic Kingdom. This was probably Glenn's favorite vacation while a child. Although, I must point out, that every vacation was wonderful as a kid, but this one edges out the rest simply because of our stay at the Contemporary.

Here are some stats of the resort:

• Opening date: October 1, 1971 (construction started 12/69)
• Address: 4600 N World Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-8413
• Phone: 407-824-1000
• 55 acres
• Rooms: 1,008 Rooms/Suites
  • Tower - 15 stories (rooms start on the 6th floor): Room #s 4101-4916
  • South Wing - 3 stories: Room #s 5103-6330
  • North Wing - 3 stories: Room #s 7101-8330
• Building Statistics: Height = 184 feet; Width = 220 feet (at base); Length = 468 feet
• Dining:
  • California Grill
  • Chef Mickey's
  • Concourse Steakhouse
  • Food and Fun Center
• Shopping:
  • Fantasia
  • Concourse Sundries & Spirits
  • Bay View Gifts (BVG)
• Video Arcade: Food an Fun Center (formerly Fiesta Fun Center)
• Two pools on the Bay Lake side of the resort
• Grand Canyon Concourse Mural was designed by Disney Imagineer Mary Blair
• Convention Center: Opened 10/91; 90,000 square feet meeting space
• Monorail facts:
  • The only connection between the monorail system and the building is a strut at each support connecting the platform to the A-frame. This way, the hotel is free from the vibration of the trains that are passing through the building.
  • At the two ends of the building, the monorail passes through an air curtain separating the exterior from the interior temperature.
• Method of Construction:
  • The method employed in the construction of the Contemporary Resort, called "unitized modular construction," consisted of the formation of a superstructure of thirteen steel-trussed A-frames, which resembled a "honeycomb" in its skeletal stage. The individual rooms were then fitted into the "honeycomb."
  • The rooms were manufactured in a special plant near the site on Walt Disney World property. They were built by U.S. Steel on an assembly line, much like automobiles, at the rate of approximately 15 units per day.
  • As the lightweight rooms passed through the construction plant, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing facilities were added.
  • The nine-ton rooms were then trucked to the site, lifted into place by crane, and fitted into the steel frame of the main structure.
  • The structure was then covered by a specially designed, sun-resistant glass called "Solar Bronze."
  • Approximately 1,500 "unitized" rooms were built. They measure nine feet high, fifteen feet wide, and 32 feet 7 inches long.
  • Approximately 540,000 tons of steel were used in the construction of the Contemporary Resort.
    

Photos:

	The Contemporary from the walkway to the MK		Tammy in our room with the MK in the mirror
	An image of the Magic Kingdom at night from our room		Hot air balloons flying over the Magic Kingdom
	The Contemporary Resort		The Welch's on their trip in 1979
	MáMá and Mom near the pier		Tammy, Glenn and Tiffany near the pool area
	Glenn and Tiffany playing air hockey in the Fiesta Fun Center		Another shot of Glenn beating Tiffany at air hockey
	Tammy, MáMá, Glenn, Mom and Tiffany at the Mickey sculpture