Memory Lane - Old Contemporary Resort Arcade/Gameroom

[Georgi Zhukov]

Does anyone out there remember the 1980's arcade/gameroom in the Contemporary Resort? My family traveled to WDW almost every year from the late 1970's to late 1980's and we usually stayed at the CR. During the video game/arcade craze in the early-to-mid-1980's, the gameroom at the CR was a kid's Nirvana. The space was massive and was filled with what seemed like hundreds of video games, air hockey machines, etc. It had a small movie theater on the end which constantly played old Disney movies. It also had (which was so cool) its own Frontierland Shootin' Arcade-type shooting gallery. It was phenominal and always a highlight of my brother's and my trip.

If anyone remembers this gem, please let me know. Also, if anyone could dig out a photo of the old gameroom, I would love to see it as it was.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I definitely remember it from my first trip in the early 1980s. It was giant (or felt that way to a 5 year old) and it always seemed busy. I got a cariciature done on that trip and I am almost positive the artist was actually set up inside this area. Sadly, I don't have any pictures, just memories, but hopefully someone else will!

 

[BethA]

I remember the arcade and the movie theater!

 

[spiceycat]

if this site kept their older picture - they might have one.

it in the 70. 80, 90, and early 00's - it was only closed a few years ago.

now the movie theatre has been gone since around 95. we did in 92 - don't remember if it was still open in 93.

they closed the theatre to expand the snack area.
they close the arcade when they changed the 4th and 1st floors.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I remember the Food & Fun Center arcade and how big it was, however I never went there when they use to have the movie theater. Anyway here is a link to pictures of the arcade, but without the movie theater.
http://contemporaryresort.net/food_fun_center.html

 

[jackemail]

In the 70's, we always stayed at Poly, but went to the Contemporary just for the game room. Always had a caricature done, saw a movie, played some games---my daughter loved the shooting gallery! In the 70's, that place was quite the marvel!

 

[Georgi Zhukov]

I definitely remember it from my first trip in the early 1980s. It was giant (or felt that way to a 5 year old) and it always seemed busy. I got a cariciature done on that trip and I am almost positive the artist was actually set up inside this area. Sadly, I don't have any pictures, just memories, but hopefully someone else will!

Thanks for the reply Boop! I'm really straining my memory now but I think you're right about the artist being stationed in the arcade. My brother and I would almost always get one done every year we visited - of course we didn't save any!

 

[pepe of ohio]

It was one of the reasons we kept going back. We started our madness in 1977, and since you only had 2 real choices for a resort, we chose CR. That resort took our breath away, gameroom especially and the little movie theatre, had some great corn fritters there too (long gone) and the restaurants on the 4th floor were second to none...Pueblo Room in the back, Cocoino Cove, Monorail Club were some great places to hang out, quaint and serene with a view out over Bay Lake. the changes they made in years past has made us move on........we've tried a few other deluxe resorts but that holds our hearts now and has for over the past 10+ trips is WL. If they brought back the old fun Center, artist doing caricatures and the theatre, and the better of the restaurants from yester year..we'd go back but as it stands, it holds no sentimental value.....the Wave , we tried, awful.....only thing we use the CR for now is monorail access, such a shame.

 

[Georgi Zhukov]

In the 70's, we always stayed at Poly, but went to the Contemporary just for the game room. Always had a caricature done, saw a movie, played some games---my daughter loved the shooting gallery! In the 70's, that place was quite the marvel!

Thanks Jack (and to everyone else who replied above)! Good call on making the trip to the CR just for the game room. We stayed a couple of times in the Polynesian as well back in the day and my brother and I would always hop on the monorail and make the trip just for the game room.

When we stayed on premises, I can't tell you the number of times we would go find our parents and say "just $5 more" or, when we were really desparate, "just $1 more"! The shooting gallery put it over the top. It truly was a "marvel" as you say!

My parents have a ton of old pictures in their house - many of our Disney trips. Next time I'm over, I'll dig them out and to see if, by chance, they ever took a picture of my brother and me in the old game room. If I find it, I'll definitely post it. So many great memories there, which is why I'm now taking my two young boys to WDW and the CR for the third year in a row in December. Trying to build some good memories for them!

 

[Georgi Zhukov]

It was one of the reasons we kept going back. We started our madness in 1977, and since you only had 2 real choices for a resort, we chose CR. That resort took our breath away, gameroom especially and the little movie theatre, had some great corn fritters there too (long gone) and the restaurants on the 4th floor were second to none...Pueblo Room in the back, Cocoino Cove, Monorail Club were some great places to hang out, quaint and serene with a view out over Bay Lake. the changes they made in years past has made us move on........we've tried a few other deluxe resorts but that holds our hearts now and has for over the past 10+ trips is WL. If they brought back the old fun Center, artist doing caricatures and the theatre, and the better of the restaurants from yester year..we'd go back but as it stands, it holds no sentimental value.....the Wave , we tried, awful.....only thing we use the CR for now is monorail access, such a shame.

Thanks Pepe! I know what you're talking about. Took the family for our first WDW trip in 2008 and stayed at the CR. Thanks to CR Resort Fan 4 Life's OUTSTANDING Contemporary Resort thread, I was able to catch up as much as I could on the many changes since my previous visit to the CR (could be as much as 20 years earlier). I saw the CR still had a game room so I half expected the old one when I first checked in - I ran down to find it by myself when I first got there and was disappointed in what I found. The new game room is tiny in comparison to the old. We still had a blast and I still love the CR - I have so many fond memories there that it will always be my first choice when going back (part of it is probably b/c my brother is no longer with us).

While insticitively I feel it was a mistake to scrap such a phenominal game room, it may have been what was required due to the changing times. My brother and I would go down there (after we came back from the parks) for hours on end without our parents - and we were young. Today, few parents would let their (younger) kids out of their sights like that - I wouldn't let my boys go down unattended. Funny how things change - I seem to recall my brother and I taking the mini-speed boats onto Bay Lake by ourselves when we were pretty young. That certainly is no longer allowed - parents must accompany younger children.

Anyway, the game room will always stand out in my memory bank as one of those lost jewels.

 

[Missus Toad]

Funny this subject should come up-- just yesterday as I was digging through old boxes at my folks' place, I found my caricature from the old F&FC! It was easily my favorite resort place on property back in the day. Between the enormous arcade and the movie theater, I was in looooooove! I remember as we got older, my parents would let my sister and I ride the monorail over from the Poly with enough money for a ticket to the movie and some games. We were no more than 10 and 9, and we felt so cool doing that. Good good times I'll never forget.

 

[Missus Toad]

It was one of the reasons we kept going back. We started our madness in 1977, and since you only had 2 real choices for a resort, we chose CR. That resort took our breath away, gameroom especially and the little movie theatre, had some great corn fritters there too (long gone) and the restaurants on the 4th floor were second to none...Pueblo Room in the back, Cocoino Cove, Monorail Club were some great places to hang out, quaint and serene with a view out over Bay Lake. the changes they made in years past has made us move on........we've tried a few other deluxe resorts but that holds our hearts now and has for over the past 10+ trips is WL. If they brought back the old fun Center, artist doing caricatures and the theatre, and the better of the restaurants from yester year..we'd go back but as it stands, it holds no sentimental value.....the Wave , we tried, awful.....only thing we use the CR for now is monorail access, such a shame.

Awww, memories! We stayed at the CR our first two trips to the world, starting in '76 (I was just a little girl). All these places are burned into my brain forever, along with the Top of the World restaurant and their Broadway at the Top show. I used to sing Coconino Cove to the tune of "Coconut Grove" "I'll take my problems down to Coconino Cove..." There's nothing like what the CR was back then. Utter coolness.

 

[eelore]

I miss the old arcade room at the Contemporary!! I grew up visiting that place and eating the best hotdogs and fries there! My sister and I went back until they closed it to continue our air hocky battles! I was sad the day it closed and havent ate at the resaurant that is there now. Its The Wave and looks really good though. There are just so many childhood memories there. My Dad worked at Disney World from the time it openned until we moved out of state in 1982. That was the place we always met him when he got off of work whenever we went to the park. Thanks for posting the link for pics!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks for posting the link for pics!

You're welcome.

 

[Sammie]

Yes I remember it and the theater, it was the best ever. But sadly it is no more.

 

[simmons_m]

Great pics, last time we were there I tried to explain to the kids that the arcade used to be downstairs. They looked at me like I had 6 heads.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

I have fond memories of the arcade as well. I stayed at The Contemporary in 1974 with my mom and grandparents. I remember having my caricature done, and yes, the artist was in the game room (so weird to see the artists in the resort lobbies now). I only remember playing skee ball and air hockey, tho, and don't recall the shootin' gallery. I was 7 :0)

Oh, and this is not arcade related, but my fondest memory of my stay at The Contemporary was getting a pair of earrings (for pierced ears!) shaped like the resort logo. Oh, how I wish I could find them now. Haven't seen anything like them in all my trips...

 

[tinkerbelle8878]

My family stayed at the Contemporary for most of my childhood on WDW trips. I remember the 'giant game room' and snacks but can't remember any kind of movie theater.

I remember from the lobby going to the gameroom there was a mural on the wall with all the Disney characters..or just a few rare ones like Daisy. This sticks out in my mind for some reason.

I also remember, barely, there being a horseracing game too. I remember the caricuturist but anything else of the old stuff I have no idea. I started going when I was really young, like 3 so some details are fuzzy.

My more recent memories of it are like the pictures on that site. Playing games for tickets to get prizes.

I just remember when I read that the game room would be no more and Fantasia gifts on the grand concourse would be gone, that it was very sad. Seeing what now exists on the grand concourse was worse. What a waste.

 

[anjalee6]

When we were little my dad took us to Disney every summer and although we didn't stay on property at the time, he always took us to the monorail hotels so they we could explore. The CR game room was our favorite. I would play skee ball for hours against my dad while my brother played Pac Man and some Stars Wars game. I just remember that we always begged my dad to go there and just hang out.

 

[harley6464]

just got back from 6 days at cr and am 31 years old now and at check in i was looking at the wave and just remembering all the great times me and my brother had there back in the 80s when it was the arcade mom would check in and go up to room while dad took us to the arcade