On October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World Resort officially opened in Orlando, Florida. The opening came 16 years after Walt Disney himself welcomed Guests to The Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland Park — in Anaheim, California. Sadly, Walt had passed away in 1966, and his brother Roy took over to make sure Walt’s dream of Disney World came to completion. On its opening day, more than 10,000 people walked through the gates of Magic Kingdom Park and enjoyed attractions like the Walt Disney World Railroad, “it’s a small world”, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.
When Walt Disney World Resort opened, it consisted of Magic Kingdom Park and three hotels — Disney’s Polynesian Village, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Two years later, the Golf Resort — now known as Shades of Green — opened. It would be another 15 years before more hotels opened to accommodate Guests visiting not only Magic Kingdom, but also EPCOT.
Walt Disney World Resort hotels range in price from Value to Moderate and then Deluxe. Deluxe hotels are known as the nicest hotels with the best amenities, and also the highest price tags. However, one of those hotels has just been voted the Ugliest Building in Florida.
Disney World is usually spot on when it comes to designing things, but what in the world were they thinking when they created the iconic (and ugly) Contemporary Resort? It looks like a futuristic Aztec pyramid, which is not something you would normally associate with Mickey Mouse.
According to the travel website, Travel Alot, Disney’s opening day hotel, the Contemporary Resort, is the ugliest building in the Sunshine State. The hotel is an A-Frame style hotel, with the outer walls sloping towards the middle. There are also two additional hotel areas outside the main building — the South Garden Wing and Bay Lake Tower. The hotel has 655 rooms, with some rooms overlooking Bay Lake and Magic Kingdom Park.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort’s design has always been divisive among fans. Some love the design, while others think that it doesn’t fit in with the other Walt Disney World hotels.
Whether you love the Contemporary, there are definitely some great perks to staying there. Not only can Guests book rooms with a view of the Magic Kingdom, but because it is a Deluxe Resort, Guests staying there get extra time in select Parks on select nights. It also has one of the most popular restaurants on property — Chef Mickey’s — as well as a top steakhouse, Steakhouse 71.
And the most notable part of the hotel? The monorail goes right through it! Because of its A-Frame, the hotel has enough space on the interior, so the monorail can go right through it. Guests shopping, dining, or staying at the hotel can head up to the main floor and take the monorail to the Ticket & Transportation Center, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and, of course, the Magic Kingdom.
