Disney's Contemporary Resort, originally to be named Tempo Bay Hotel and previously the Contemporary Resort Hotel, is a
resort
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...
located at the
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
Resort in
Bay Lake, Florida
Bay Lake is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29 at the 2020 census. It is named after a lake that lies east of the Magic Kingdom. All four of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and one of Walt Disney W ...
. Opened on October 1, 1971, the hotel is one of two original properties located at the complex alongside
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort (formerly Disney's Polynesian Resort from 1985 to 2014) is a Disney-owned and operated resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort. It began operation on October 1, 1971 as one of Walt Disney World Resort's ...
, and is currently listed as a deluxe-priced resort. It is adjacent to the
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...
theme park, and is identified by its
A-frame
An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in an angle of 45 degrees or less, attached at the top, like an uppercase lett ...
main building.
History
The Contemporary Resort is one of two resorts located on property when Walt Disney World opened in 1971.
The Contemporary Tower, the most prominent of the resort's three stand-alone buildings, was built as an
A-frame
An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in an angle of 45 degrees or less, attached at the top, like an uppercase lett ...
with outer walls which slope inwards around an inner atrium. This design was a collaboration by Disney, the
United States Steel Corporation
United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...
, and
Xerox Tower
Innovation Square, formerly Xerox Tower, is a skyscraper in downtown Rochester, New York, standing at tall. The tower is the centerpiece of a roughly complex named ''Xerox Square''. When it was built in 1967, it was the tallest building made of ...
architect
Welton Becket
Welton David Becket (August 8, 1902 – January 16, 1969) was an American modern architect who designed many buildings in Los Angeles, California.
Biography
Becket was born in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the University of Washingt ...
. To construct the building, steel frames were erected on-site and modular pre-constructed rooms, designed by California architect
Donald Wexler
Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...
, were lifted into place by crane. Most of
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort (formerly Disney's Polynesian Resort from 1985 to 2014) is a Disney-owned and operated resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort. It began operation on October 1, 1971 as one of Walt Disney World Resort's ...
and the
Court of Flags Resort were built the same way, except rooms were stacked instead of slid in.
In 2006, Disney filed plans for a project on the site of the Contemporary Resort's North Garden Wing. Bay Lake Tower ultimately contained 281
timeshare
A timeshare (sometimes called vacation ownership) is a property with a divided form of ownership or use rights. These properties are typically resort condominium units, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each owner ...
units. In preparation for the future sale, Disney incorporated a condominium association for the property on January 9, 2007, that would manage the units.
The project was officially unveiled on September 16, 2008.
Timeshares began on September 28, 2008, to existing Disney Vacation Club members and on October 5, 2008, for new members.
In 2005, Disney began an extensive renovation of the Contemporary Resort, and it was completed in 2009. As part of the construction, the North Garden Wing of the hotel was demolished to make way for a separate Disney Vacation Club resort that opened in 2009. At the same time, the
Bay Lake Tower
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, commonly known as Bay Lake Tower, is a Disney Vacation Club resort located at the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort that opened in 2009. It is located in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, adj ...
began construction. Disney's Racquet Club was demolished by January 30, 2007, while the North Wing itself was demolished between January 31 and April 6, 2007. Construction on the new building continued through 2007, without Disney announcing what was actually being built. The Bay Lake Tower opened in 2009.
Richard Nixon's 1973 press conference
On November 17, 1973, the Contemporary was the site of what would become one of the most famous press conference statements in modern American politics, where President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
declared, "I am not a crook."
Nixon, whose job approval rating had been declining steadily for over a year due to the on-going
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
, made the statement during an appearance at the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
Managing Editors Association annual convention, at which he held a live one-hour televised press conference.
Following an earlier question on Nixon's taxes, Nixon addressed claims that he profited from his public service, stating "I've earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life I have never obstructed justice ... People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I am not a crook. I've earned everything I've got."
Less than one year later, facing almost certain
impeachment
Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements.
In ...
and removal from office, Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, 1974, which became effective the following day.
Layout
Main building
Rooms and facilities
The Contemporary Tower houses most of the resort's key facilities, including resort registration and the guest service concierge. The main hall, named the Grand Canyon Concourse, is located in the main tower and houses restaurants and shops. 383 guest rooms line the outer walls of the Contemporary Tower. The
Walt Disney World Monorail System
The Walt Disney World Monorail System is a public transit monorail system in operation at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. The Walt Disney World Resort currently operates twelve Mark VI monorail trains on three ...
runs through the inside of this building and a monorail station is located here for resort guests. Adorning the concourse walls is a multi-story mosaic designed by
Mary Blair
Mary Blair (born Mary Browne Robinson; October 21, 1911 – July 26, 1978) was an American people, American artist, animator, and designer. She was prominent in producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for s ...
. One three-story wing flanks the south side of the tower and houses an additional 250 rooms. A convention center was added to the resort and opened on November 11, 1991, with more than of convention space. In October 2007, the resort received designation as part of the
Florida Green Lodging Program
Green lodges are lodges, hotels, motels, inns and resorts which meet the standards for environmental responsibility. In the United States, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pen ...
.
In June 2021, Disney Parks Blog announced the rooms had undergone a redesign blending
monorail
A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam.
Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...
motifs with
Incredibles
''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah V ...
characters.
Dining
There are several restaurants in the Contemporary Resort's main building. The California Grill is a full-service dining restaurant located at the top (15th floor) of the Contemporary Resort's tower, formerly the Top of the World restaurant. A second full-service restaurant, Steakhouse 71, is located on the first floor of the main tower in a space formerly occupied by The Wave ... of American Flavors and, before that, the Fiesta Fun Center arcade. Its theming and name are both inspired by the resort's opening year, 1971. Two restaurants, a character buffet (Chef Mickey's) and a quick-service facility (Contempo Café), are located on the Grand Canyon Concourse in the main tower's atrium, with coffee bars and lounges located throughout the resort complex.
Bay Lake Tower
![BayLakeTower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/BayLakeTower.JPG)
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, part of the
Disney Vacation Club
The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is a vacation timeshare program owned and operated by Disney Vacation Development, Inc., a subsidiary of Disney Signature Experiences, a division of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a segment of The Walt Disn ...
, is a 15-story addition that officially opened on August 4, 2009. It is located on the former location of the demolished North Garden Wing rooms. The tower shares design features with the original resort. The front desk, concierge, valet, bell services and transportation are shared services provided through the main resort. Bay Lake Tower has a concierge desk and an online check-in desk of their own for guests who wish to check into Bay Lake Tower directly. Its fifth floor is connected by a skyway from the main tower's fourth floor.
The units were among the most expensive offered by Disney Vacation Club at initial offering, presumably because of their proximity to the Magic Kingdom.
Some of the resort's features include full-length windows with views into the Magic Kingdom or onto Bay Lake. Some bathrooms on the Magic Kingdom side include movable partitions to permit watching the park's fireworks displays from the bathtub.
Incidents
*On November 12, 1992, an off-duty Cast Member fell off the ledge outside the Top of The World restaurant on the 15th floor of the Contemporary. The cast member had been sitting on the ledge when a swarm of
wasp
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
s appeared; while trying to swat the wasps away, the cast member lost his balance and fell to his death eleven stories below.
*On March 22, 2016, a person died at Disney's Contemporary Resort. According to multiple sources, the person jumped to their death inside the central A-frame tower.
*On May 28, 2018, an intoxicated man was arrested at Disney's Contemporary Resort after he falsely told other guests an active shooter was in the resort. Panic soon followed and the resort was placed on lockdown until police could arrive. The reports were traced back to the man, who was found hiding in bushes outside of the resort. When questioned, the man claimed that his motive was to get reactions from people for a class and his YouTube channel.
References
External links
*
{{Richard Nixon
Contemporary Resort
Disney's Contemporary Resort, originally to be named Tempo Bay Hotel and previously the Contemporary Resort Hotel, is a resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. Opened on October 1, 1971, the hotel is one of two o ...
Buildings and structures completed in 1971
Convention centers in Florida
Hotels established in 1971
Modernist architecture in Florida
A-frame houses and buildings
Welton Becket buildings
Disney Vacation Club
Hotel buildings completed in 2009
Hotels established in 2009
1971 establishments in Florida