Disney’s Contemporary Resort was one of the two original resorts at Walt Disney World on opening day in 1971. We stayed in one of the South Garden Rooms, in the back of the resort. The room was spacious and well-appointed. I have now stayed in all three resorts on the monorail loop and The Contemporary is definitely my favorite resort.

For me The Contemporary wins in all categories: location, decoration, dining, amenities and service. Located on Bay Lake, just a short walk or monorail ride from The Magic Kingdom, The Contemporary is one of the best located resorts on Disney Property. The rooms for The Contemporary are located in The Tower and the South Garden Wing. Each area has its pros and cons and someday…I’ll stay in The Tower and let you know my thoughts about that. Even though our room was located in the back of the South Garden, the walk wasn’t too bad. I do want to note that there is only one elevator in the South Garden Wing and it is at the front entrance of the wing. The contemporary theming is classy and fun. There are several great dining options at The Contemporary and over the years I have enjoyed them all: The California Grill, The Wave, Chef Mickey’s and the Contempo Cafe are all located in the tower. On our stay we grabbed breakfast from Contempo Cafe and I was disappointed to find out that they don’t serve hot chocolate :-(.  In the amenities category The Contemporary has a cool pool, large marina, arcade and fitness center.

Have you stayed at The Contemporary? Leave me your thoughts about this classic Disney resort in the comments. If you’ve blogged about this resort link up your post in the linky.

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Illustrious chefs have come and gone, and today Chef Brian Piasecki is at the helm in the kitchen, continuing the Walt Disney World restaurant’s run as an award-winning dining destination.

Aluminum, glass, marble and wood combine to create a sleek modern look, and the room has a spectacular view — diners can see Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon, and get a picture-perfect view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

Countless awards, including a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon, confirm the restaurant’s enduring appeal.

California Grill classics, like the popular roast pork and polenta, have been on the menu since opening day. All meals are made from scratch in a stage kitchen divided into seven stations, including a sushi bar, a brick pizza oven, a wood-burning grill and a dessert shop.

Among staff there since the beginning is Yoshie Cabral, one of just a handful of female sushi chefs in the United States. Her creations are one of the most-requested menu items — on a good day she’ll make more than 2,000 pieces of raw fish and rice into pristine morsels for diners, and train her protégés to slice and dice.

The restaurant’s general manager, Bridget Sherren, is a graduate of the Advanced Course of the Court of Master Sommeliers and is currently preparing for the Master level.

“Wine is an essential element in the dining experience at California Grill,” explains Sherren. “And education without intimidation is one of our major goals.” She updates daily a 100-item wine list, with every wine available by the glass.

photo courtesy of Disney

I had the joy of eating at the California Grill last summer as part of my Magical Moms weekend. The California Grill is where I tried my first…and probably last Sushi. I did enjoy my Triple Cheese Flatbread and Oak Fired Fillet of Beef…I was so stuffed I couldn’t order dessert! We were also able to watch Wishes from the balcony area and it was beautiful! California Grill is a “fancy” dining experience. It is the perfect place for a date.

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One of the first things you need to know as you plan your Walt Disney World vacation is when you are going to travel. Disney bases the prices for the  resort rooms on their property around 5 seasons. Room prices can vary greatly between the seasons. These prices are the base prices that the rooms are available for. Often times, especially in the slower seasons, Disney offers codes that give discounts on the base prices. For this post I will be using the base prices as Disney published them for 2009 updated for 2014.

Disney’s 5 6 seasons are:

• Value Season-the least expensive and least crowded weeks of the year
• Fall Season-a little more expensive and a little more crowded nice temperatures
• Summer Season-a little more expensive, more crowded and hot temperatures
• Regular Season-a little more expensive and a little more crowded
• Peak Season-a little more expensive, more crowded
• Holiday Season-the most expensive and most crowded **avoid at all costs

The dates for these seasons can vary slightly by resort.

• Value Season is January 2-February 12 (except for MLK weekend), and August 3-12
• Fall Season is September 13-December 11 (except for Oct 10-12, Nov 22-28)
• Summer Season is May 30-August 2
• Regular Season-February 23-March 6, April 27-May 29
• Peak Season March 7-April 12 and December 12-18
• Holiday Season prices vary based on the popularity of the holiday. Holiday Season is January 1, January 9-11, January 17-19,  April 13-20, and the busiest time of the year December 19-31.

The Disney resorts are categorized into 4 groups the value, moderate, deluxe and Disney Vacation Club. Next week we will get into the specifics of the resort categories but to give you a hint of how the prices can vary throughout the seasons here is the high and low for each resort type.

• Value Resorts- $96-$511 (including family suites)
• Moderate Resorts- $182-$1077 (including themed rooms and suites)
• Deluxe Resorts- $378-$3182
• Disney’s Vacation Club $367-$1720 (this includes multi-bedroom villas)

So, before you start planning your Disney vacation check which season you will be visiting in so that you can be prepared for both the cost and the crowds.

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