FROM PAST TO PRESENT AT DISNEY ’ S CONTEMPORARY RESORT
KIMBERLY MASIMORE
We ’ ve eaten breakfast at
Chef Mickey ’ s nearly every trip to Walt Disney World since my daughter was a toddler . After swinging our napkins high above our heads in celebration , we are whisked away to Magic Kingdom on the nearby Monorail . There ’ s something magical about Disney ’ s Contemporary Resort .
Although the décor has changed a lot since its opening , and the original Southwestern theming has been reduced to one legendary mural , the Contemporary is a great place to stay
ABOVE : The Contemporary lobby circa 1984 . PHOTO BY ALAN LIGHT PREVIOUS PAGE : A modern look at the lobby , now featuring Chef Mickey ’ s . PHOTO BY LAURIE SAPP
because of its presence in Disney history . Let ’ s take a look at a few highlights that make Disney ’ s Contemporary Resort a fan favorite as one of the first to open with the Walt Disney World Resort on October 1 , 1971 .
ASSEMBLING THE FUTURE The design and construction of this historic resort were a collaboration between WED Enterprises ( known today as Walt Disney Imagineering ), United States Steel Corp ., and Welton Becket , the architect for the resort and a personal friend of Walt Disney ’ s .