Resort Thread Disney's CONTEMPORARY Resort

[mrsap]

Ceiling Work Begins at Disney’s Contemporary Resort​

Crews have removed a section of ceiling tiles from the atrium of Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World.



Black scrims cover the area where the tiles have been removed. This section of ceiling is in front of the Mary Blair mural and above The Fantasia Market.


Through the scrims, we can see a row of openings in the ceiling. Steel beams are exposed.


This may be part of a previously announced refurbishment project occurring in phases at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Work began in September 2024 and is scheduled through July 2026.

 

[PolyRob]

Ceiling Work Begins at Disney’s Contemporary Resort​

Crews have removed a section of ceiling tiles from the atrium of Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World.



Black scrims cover the area where the tiles have been removed. This section of ceiling is in front of the Mary Blair mural and above The Fantasia Market.


Through the scrims, we can see a row of openings in the ceiling. Steel beams are exposed.


This may be part of a previously announced refurbishment project occurring in phases at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Work began in September 2024 and is scheduled through July 2026.

I really hope floors 2 - 4 get some love over the next few months

 

[JM_97]

An uncommon view of CR and surrounding parts of WDW credit to @bioreconstruct on X.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1987336478003757202

Makes you realize how massive the MK parking lot is.

 

[cjnix29]

Garden wing or Tower? We have stayed in the tower several times, and love it. This time, I have a garden wing booked. I've always been curious, but wonder if we will hate it. I can upgrade to tower water view for about $300 more. We do use our room. And we normally like a balcony, so that is out in the GW. My husband is just crossing his fingers for a pixie dust upgrade, which is obviously unlikely.

 

[jemtx]

I wouldn’t count on an upgrade.
Both rooms have their pros and cons and people prefer one or another for various reasons. Personal preference for tower—once I went tower, I couldn’t go back.

 

[Dave006]

I can upgrade to tower water view for about $300 more. We do use our room. And we normally like a balcony, so that is out in the GW. My husband is just crossing his fingers for a pixie dust upgrade, which is obviously unlikely.

How many nights are covered by that $300? This will be key to my suggestion. However the GW is great since you don't need to queue up for the Elevators in the morning, and evening long waits in the tower.

I wouldn’t count on an upgrade.
Both rooms have their pros and cons and people prefer one or another for various reasons. Personal preference for tower—once I went tower, I couldn’t go back.

@jemtx is 100% correct don' expect an upgrade to the tower. Book what you are willing to pay for these days unless you are going for 1-2 nights, and it is a slow time period.

Dave

 

[cjnix29]

Oh I completely know I am not expecting in any way an upgrade. That's my husband's thinking! it's about an extra 100 a night, so three nights. Which is also why I considered GW because it's only 3 nights. Such first world problems.

 

[jemtx]

Oh I completely know I am not expecting in any way an upgrade. That's my husband's thinking! it's about an extra 100 a night, so three nights. Which is also why I considered GW because it's only 3 nights. Such first world problems.

Hmmm, hundred a night, I might do it.
That said, garden view is still nice.

 

[Dave006]

Which is also why I considered GW because it's only 3 nights.

Since it is such a short stay ask yourself how much time would you actually spend on a balcony in the tower?

Unless you are only going for a stay at the CR then maybe save the $300. I would find may ways to spend that $300 difference.

The GW rooms are almost exactly the same as the tower rooms with only (2) key differences. The first difference is GW rooms above the 1st floor are almost 100% large showers with tubs on the 1st floor. The second difference is the lack of a balcony on the 2nd floor or the 3rd floor. The first floor rooms do have a patio.

Dave

 

[cjnix29]

Thanks for all the advice! I upgraded. Life has been stupid lately, so, I'm going to pay for a little joy.

 

[jemtx]

Thanks for all the advice! I upgraded. Life has been stupid lately, so, I'm going to pay for a little joy.

Enjoy!

 

[JM_97]

Thanks for all the advice! I upgraded. Life has been stupid lately, so, I'm going to pay for a little joy.

Lake or Theme Park view? I prefer the Lake view since you are looking much of the parking lot in TP view (and it's quite peaceful in the morning) but lots of people swear by the TP rooms.

 

[cjnix29]

Lake or Theme Park view? I prefer the Lake view since you are looking much of the parking lot in TP view (and it's quite peaceful in the morning) but lots of people swear by the TP rooms.

Lake view, which I'm actually kind of excited about. Our other tower stays have been theme park, so this will be new.

 

[jemtx]

Lake view, which I'm actually kind of excited about. Our other tower stays have been theme park, so this will be new.

The lake view is nice. If you are up early, you’ll get a nice sunrise early in the morning.

 

[mrsap]

Contemporary Resort Refurbishment Extended, Now Ending in Late 2027

Walt Disney World has provided an updated timeframe for the ongoing refurbishment of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Keep in mind that this refurbishment is technically the refurbishment that follows the widespread room reimagining that introduced The Incredibles theming for the 600+ rooms at the hotel. Here’s the latest, including the timeline of how Walt Disney World has turned this refurbishment into a 30-month timeframe.
Ok, let’s do some math. Disney originally announced a refurbishment for Disney’s Contemporary Resort that was scheduled to take place from September 2024 through Summer 2025. That’s already a pretty lengthy refurbishment, but Disney’s Contemporary Resort is an old building with plenty of…issues.


Here’s the original notice:

September 2024 Through Summer 2025
Refurbishments will occur in select areas of Disney’s Contemporary Resort—including Bay Lake Tower and the Convention Center. Please allow for extra travel time. Guests may also see and hear construction during their stay.
Walt Disney World

Then, in June 2025, when it became obvious that the work wouldn’t be completed, Disney extended the refurbishment by a year. The end date moved from “Summer 2025” to “July 2026”. Here’s a look at the updated notice:

September 2024 Through July 2026
Refurbishments will occur in select areas of Disney’s Contemporary Resort—including Bay Lake Tower. Please allow for extra travel time. Guests may also see and hear construction during their stay.
Walt Disney World

Now, a new notice posted by Walt Disney World extends the refurbishment again. Here’s the updated notice:

September 2024 Through Late 2027

Refurbishments will occur in phases throughout select areas of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, including the atrium and Bay Lake Tower. Guests may also see and hear construction during their stay.

Walt Disney World

In total, the refurbishment has been extended by some 30 months from the original end date. The refurbishment is currently planned to take more than 3 years to complete.



Thankfully, the impact on guests so far has been minimal. Currently, there is some work taking place on the massive skylights in the roof of the resort. We’ll stop by in the coming weeks for a more complete look at the current state of work.

We imagine that refurbishment work will accelerate once the holiday season is over, but Disney has not announced anything in terms of the scope of the work or the timeline for the work beyond the notices posted in this article.

 

[Staloff]

Dare we imagine that they will declutter and reimagine the Grand Canyon Concourse? I don’t expect a return to what I remember of the 1980s, but the shopping half is a catastrophe.