No DVC Visit to Bay Lake Tower Is Complete Without

Like many Disney Vacation Club members, I have a soft spot in my heart for the classics. In the case of Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, it technically didn’t join the program until 2009. However, the Contemporary is one of the first two hotels that Disney ever owned. 

So, I get nostalgic whenever I spend time here. I also know that no DVC visit to Bay Lake Tower is complete without doing these things…

Make A Trip to the Villain Floor 

Few DVC hotel activities can match the majesty of Top of the World Lounge – A Villains Lair. This lounge is Bay Lake Tower’s equivalent to the Contemporary’s California Grill. The difference is that you can visit the Top of the World Lounge for free, even during the fireworks presentation.

You’ll enter the lounge via a strange process, boarding an elevator on the first floor. Qualifying DVC members with hotel reservations can then ride to the hotel’s top floor. Now, you’re looking across the street at Magic Kingdom more than 100 feet in the air! It’s THE best way to watch Happily Ever After from outside the park. Well, it’s either this spot or the beach at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. 

While you’re visiting the lounge, you should shuffle through the menu. The “Wicked Wind Down” includes a cocktail and appetizer from the lounge’s Disney Villains themed menu plus a devilish dessert. This option costs $55 per person and does include free parking, which is becoming a bigger deal if you’ve been paying attention to Disney’s recent transportation changes.

Play an Outdoor Sport 

More athletically inclined DVC guests will adore Bay Lake Tower visits. You’ll gain access to all the Contemporary’s amenities, including all the outdoor sports. 

The hotel hosts a beach volleyball court. You don’t have to play, though. Disney has positioned several lounge chairs right by it, albeit at a safe enough distance that you won’t get smacked with the ball. For players, you can relive your favorite scene from the Top Gun franchise while basking in the sun.

The Contemporary also hosts a combination tennis and pickleball court if that’s your preference. Importantly, you don’t need to bring your own equipment, which would mess up your luggage. Just ask for the equipment at the Community Hall or Boat Nook Marina.

Ride a Tubular Slide 

Here, just watch this video:

That clip will sell you on Bay Lake Tower’s water slide better than I ever could. Disney designed this one as a huge circle followed by a smaller one. 

The result is that you’ll swivel while you zoom down the track. The torque elevates the entire experience. I love the Bay Cove Pool on its own, but the waterslide is my favorite part of a pool day. 

Stroll Across the Bridge

The final two suggestions go hand in hand. One leads directly to the other. Odds are good that you’ll do this one even without my suggesting it. Still, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the remarkable bridge connecting Bay Lake Tower to the Contemporary.

You may not know this, but Disney previously reclaimed some of the Contemporary’s campus to build the Bay Lake Tower. DVC always intended the new property to connect to the original. The bridge does just that by providing a walkway between buildings.

Thanks to a bit of Disney magic, you exit the fifth floor of Bay Lake Tower to cross the bridge. Once you enter the Contemporary, you’re suddenly on the fourth floor. And it’s THE best floor of the hotel. 

Before I mention all the goodies waiting on the other side at the Contemporary, I want to highlight something about the bridge. This is a sneaky-good place to watch the nightly fireworks at Magic Kingdom. 

Disney added a sitting area here for just this purpose. It’s also a great spot to sit down and watch the monorail drive through the hotel. However, you can also watch the fireworks from the bridge. Few people think about this, which makes it a nice spot, presuming you’re not afraid of heights. 

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Visit the Grand Canyon Concourse

Once you arrive on the Contemporary’s fourth floor, you’ve reached the Grand Canyon Concourse. This place provides one-stop shopping for DVC members, no matter your preference.

You’ll have your choice of Bayview Gifts, Fantasia, and Fantasia Market. Then again, you don’t need to choose. Disney has thoughtfully lined them up in a row right in front of the security entrance for the monorail station. So, you’ll walk by here many times during your vacation.

When you do, stop at Fantasia Market for all your basic needs like sundries and food to stuff in your mini-fridge. Fantasia sells some unique merchandise, including some monorail sets that have found their way into my office. Bayview Gifts is the real prize, though, as it’s like a mini-World of Disney in size and inventory depth.

Should you prefer a drink, the Outer Rim provides ample seating and a mean Piña CoLava. There’s also an HDTV here when you want to watch the big game or Bluey reruns. 

Personally, I head here when I’m hungry. The Contempo Café is my go-to breakfast option during any monorail resort visit. Even if I’m not staying at Bay Lake Tower, I’ll hop on the monorail and pick up a Mobile Order here, as the Bounty Breakfast is perfect for my wife and me. Plus, the cupcakes here are famously decadent, although Disney has dialed them down a bit lately.

Then, we have the place my wife often chooses for her birthdays: Chef Mickey’s. This character meal serves a delicious buffet with a side of pure joy. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and friends come to your table to entertain you while you eat. It’s wonderful, even by Disney vacation standards.

The Outer Rim, Contempo Café, and Chef Mickey’s also share another unforgettable amenity. When you pick any of these places, you can watch the monorail whiz by. The tracks of the station reside just a few feet above the drink station at Contempo Café. So, the view is truly inimitable. Where else are you gonna watch a monorail in operation while you eat?

Grand Canyon Concourse inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort

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