Walt Disney World has shared a preview of newly reimagined guest rooms at the Contemporary Resort that have been re-imagined based on Disney's "The Incredibles" movie.
In this post, we'll take a look at the photos released, offer our first impressions on how they compare to other refurbished rooms in Disney hotels and more.
Let's start by quickly recapping what's going on with the Disney's Contemporary Resort.
In fact, this was the first Deluxe Resort (non-DVC) to reopen at Walt Disney World last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with that resulting in many guests being moved there as their chosen hotels were closed.
When other Deluxe Resorts reopened, Walt Disney World reversed course and quietly began transferring Contemporary guests to other resorts for stays earlier this year through fall 2021.
Then came the official announcement from Walt Disney World that the A-Frame Tower of Disney's Contemporary Resort would be taking its rooms out of service in phases for room renovations.
Now, we have official details on what's being done, as well as confirmation that it's the much-talked-about Injection of "The Incredibles“.
So let's go to the Walt Disney World update?
According to Disney, ?OS Imagineering continues to build on the upbeat spirit of Disney?s Contemporary Resort, enhancing the retro-modern aesthetic that evokes the Tomorrowland ? with a dash of something awesome?.
With the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World just a few months away in October, all nine floors of guest rooms in the Contemporary's tower are being completely renovated.
Here's a first look at the new decor debuting this fall.
These rooms at Disney's Contemporary Resort will feature a highlight of the Disney Monorail and characters from Pixar's “The Incredibles,” including Jack-Jack, Frozone and Edna Mode.
New artwork in the rooms and along the hallways will incorporate the movie's characters into modern designs, putting the heroes' powers on display.
In the lobby, you'll soon see a collection of modern art pieces, as well as historic behind-the-scenes photographs of Disney's Contemporary Resort under development and under construction.
We can't help but mention that “The Wave of American Flavors” restaurant will also be closing soon to make way for a reinvented dining experience in time for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary celebration.
We still don't know if this will have anything to do with the new theme and if it will be inspired by the Incredibles or something else.
While the Wave is underrated from a culinary perspective, its design is drab and the restaurant really isn't very popular.
We are even happy to know that it will undergo a renovation!
Given that it's located in the lobby, it wouldn't be surprising to see this attraction in Walt Disney World history, a la Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Hotel.
Once the rooms in the A-Frame Tower are completed, work will begin on the rooms within the Garden Wing on the shore of Bay Lake.
Those are the only details shared so far, but Walt Disney World indicates they'll have more to share on this project in the coming months as they prepare for "The World's Most Magical Celebration" starting October 1, 2021.
Now let's offer some comments on what we think about the announcement of the new room.
Honestly, I thought it was cool, but nothing so amazing that I wanted to stay there just for that. They look like a bedroom with a contemporary Disney design, which was undoubtedly the aim.
These new rooms are light and airy and balance a range of colors without feeling too busy.
The sweeping lines and styling are clear and evoke a mid-century modern aesthetic.
Character integration is a bit more than I believe it should be. This is a deluxe Disney resort we're talking about, the details should be more subtle.
Mainly because it's quite fun and cool for Disney fans to discover bland and "hidden" references, it's much more elegant that way.
These designs are not my taste, but I like the idea of bed pillows.
If Walt Disney World is going to do away with bed runners forever (a hospitality industry trend they shouldn't have followed, in my opinion), then this should be the alternative to make rooms feel a little less sterile.
Likewise, the patterned carpeting directly under the beds is a solid improvement that makes the flooring less boring.
We hope this style makes its way to more resorts, at least those where they don't switch from carpeting to hardwood floors.
That seems to remedy that.
As with previous room redesigns, the Incredibles rooms at Disney's Contemporary Resort appear to have a number of “quality of stay” improvements.
From additional storage space for luggage to lighting and outlets, features have been improved in many ways.
For those who value function over form (or even in addition to it), these new rooms will be an unequivocal upgrade over the old ones.
Click here to see the new rooms video inspired by the Incredibles that Disney shared on TikTok.
Sounds good enough, but I can't say I thought guest rooms were previously the biggest issue at Disney's Contemporary Resort.
On the contrary, I actually quite liked the ?old? rooms. More than that, to be honest.
With that being said, I can recognize that they were dark, a little outdated and probably in need of an update.
I believe they could have been renovated with a more modern look but without the inclusion of excessive details of movie characters, but Disney usually surprises.
As summarized in the photo above, the Grand Canyon Concourse at Disney's Contemporary Resort is an absolute visual mix.
In this scene, there are 5 different styles of carpet and 4 different types of tile (that's not counting the deliberate pattern choices surrounding Chef Mickey's buffet).
This is not part of a coherent aesthetic. They are the result of Disney's Contemporary Resort having added visual clutter over several years, with more and more (PG term) added over the years without any cohesive vision.
It's been literal decades since the Contemporary has had a complete overhaul.
Instead, they just added updates on top of updates.
If you were to stand in the center of the hall above the Grand Canyon Concourse, you could expect even more disparate styles, as the various gift shops on the other side have their own styles, as does the center of the atrium.
Everything looks extravagant, dated and certainly non-contemporary.
More like a fading mall from the late 1990s.
If I was paying $ 700 per night to stay at Disney's Contemporary Resort I would be disappointed with this and would certainly expect more.
Especially when compared to the coherence of other Disney deluxe resorts like Animal Kingdom Lodge and Grand floridian!
Heck I'm disappointed about this even while visiting as I know this is meant to be an iconic and historic hotel lobby/atrium.
The only thing ?awesome? about the Grand Canyon Concourse is how far it has fallen over the years.
Ultimately, my opinion on this project is complicated.
It's good to see Disney's Contemporary Resort seeing a long-awaited love. I'm not bothered by the character integration, which I find mostly tasteful.
That said, I'm aware that these new lighter, brighter, more fun rooms will appeal to a wider range of guests, so that's certainly a big plus.
I'm also excited about the idea of historic photos in the lobby.
And just to conclude, in my opinion, if Disney's Contemporary Resort emerges from this reinvention without an organized and modernized Grand Canyon Concourse, it will be a failure – no matter how good (or bad) the guest rooms.
And what do you think of the new incredible rooms?
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