I agree with BambiTamby, once you get inside the resort and actually stay there, there is something special about it- Disney magic really resides here. The room furniture itself I don't think looks dated, it's pretty modern futuristic. Some of the elements in the main concourse give clues to it's 70s beginnings though, like the curved overhead lampposts outside the shops. But the checkin area is very modern. The health club even has motion-activated lighting, where as you enter each section of the locker room, the lights automatically come on in that area. I don't think many things about this resort seem outdated or shabby looking- they've done a very good job of keeping things updated and looking fresh. There are some structural elements that say "70s", that would be very difficult for them to change, but they've done a good job of trying to keep the room decor and restaurant decor from becoming dated. And there's just so many little touches that just seem to make the Contemporary the quintessential Disney resort- the characters talking to you in the elevators, the Mickey sculpture that changes colors, the statue that greets you as you enter the checkin area, the tables of napkin-wavers at Chef Mickeys for everyone on every floor to see and hear, and of course the monorail whizzing by inside the building. And there IS a theme to this resort- and no, it's not Polynesian-themed, or beach resort themed, or lodge themed, or even Victorian themed. It's DISNEY themed.
