Good morning and welcome to the newly reopened Disney’s Contemporary Resort lobby at Walt Disney World! In addition to the Incredibles-themed guest room updates taking place at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the lobby has received an updated look as well as some absolutely wonderful Mary Blair touches and historical photos. Let’s take a look at the changes!
Located within walking distance of Magic Kingdom and on the peaceful shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon, Disney’s Contemporary Resort is a resort hotel that was just one of two Disney Resort hotels when the Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971. The iconic a-frame building allows for expansive views on the fourth floor as well as enough space for the monorail to pass through. In addition to the main tower, there are other structures such as the garden wing and Bay Lake Tower that complete the complex.
Here’s how Disney billed the lobby refurbishment project:
While many of the Guest services in the lobby area will remain open – including the elevators, escalators, restrooms and pathways to the Convention Center and bus transportation – the front desk will temporarily relocate to the second floor of the resort.
Once complete in late September, Contemporary’s lobby will feature an enhanced check-in experience offering an open, free-flowing layout with enhanced seating locations. In the lobby, guests will see a collection of modern art pieces as well as historical, behind-the-scenes photographs of Disney’s Contemporary Resort in development and under construction.
First, here’s a look back at the front desk area and surrounding lobby as it sat before the refurbishment.
During the refurbishment, which kicked off in mid-July, the front desk area was moved from the first floor to the second floor of the resort.
As part of the reimagining, most of the first floor lobby was put behind construction walls as work took place. As you can see in the photos below, the layout of the lobby hasn’t changed much, but the aesthetics certainly have. Here’s a look around!
The first thing guests will notice is a brand new wrap for the feature column in the lobby. This structural column previously featured blue tiles, but now features a mural complete with critters from the Grand Canyon concourse – including the iconic five-legged goat!
The next feature mural can be found in one of the multiple lobby seating areas. As you can see below, the new mural features the monorail that runs through Disney’s Contemporary Resort as well as a representation of the resort itself.
Here’s a wide shot of the mural.
Next, we noticed that Disney has cut back significantly on the amount of front desk space. With more and more guests checking in through the My Disney Experience app, it makes sense that less front desk space is needed.
Here’s a closer look at the artwork behind the lobby desks.
With less front desk space, two seating areas can be found between the front desks and the first-floor dining location – Steakhouse 71.
While many longtime Disney fans were worried when rumors began swirling about an Incredibles-themed update to the resort, it looks like Disney is intent on paying homage to the roots of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Disney even included a photo of Mary Blair in the new Contemporary Resort lobby!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!