Contemporary vs Bay Lake Tower

Disney's Contemporary Resort seen from outside — Disney's Contemporary Resort

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort seen from outside — Disney's Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary

The short answer

These two share a lot: the same plot of land, the same path to Magic Kingdom, the same monorail station and the same restaurants, and both score a full 10 for Magic Kingdom. The difference is about $200 a night, and what it buys is a bigger, newer room and better scores for kids: Bay Lake Tower scores 9 for under-fours and 8 for ages 7 to 13, against the Contemporary's 6 and 7. If you need the space or have kids in that range, it's an easy premium to justify. If you're two adults who'll be in the parks all day, you're paying about $1,400 over a week for a room you'll mostly sleep in.

Choose Contemporary for anyone who wants the walk to Magic Kingdom at the lowest price it's sold for.

Choose Bay Lake Tower for anyone with kids roughly four to thirteen who wants the space. A family of five needs a one-bedroom villa here, since the studios sleep four.

Contemporary is about $207 a night cheaper on average, about $1,449 over a seven-night stay.

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Side by side

Category	Contemporary	Bay Lake Tower
Nightly rate, on average	$663	$870
Pools	7 / 10	7 / 10	7.0
Splash pads and slides	6 / 10	6 / 10	7.7
Things to do on site	7.5 / 10	7.5 / 10	7.0
Suits toddlers	6 / 10	9 / 10	7.4
Suits ages 7 to 13	7 / 10	8 / 10	5.9
Suits adults	5 / 10	6 / 10	5.4
Table-service restaurants	3	3
Bars and lounges	4	4
Getting to Magic Kingdom	10 / 10	10 / 10
Overall average	6.9 / 10	7.6 / 10

Averaged across the scored categories, Bay Lake Tower wins by 0.7 points, 7.6 against 6.9 out of ten. That is a summary and not the answer: a single line you care about can outweigh it. Green marks the better of the two on that line. Counts of restaurants, bars and beds are quantities, not scores. The average across all 32 resorts is pools 7.0, splash pads 7.7, things to do 7.0.

The case for each

Disney's Contemporary Resort

Deluxe · on average $663 a night · sleeps 5 · walk or monorail to Magic Kingdom

GoodAbout $200 a night cheaper for the same walk, the same monorail and the same restaurants, and the monorail runs right through the building.

Less goodNear the bottom of all 32 for under-fours, and the rooms are the plainest of the three monorail resorts.

Pick this one if: anyone who wants the walk to Magic Kingdom at the lowest price it's sold for.

Dining on siteCalifornia Grill, Steakhouse 71 and Chef Mickey's, shared with Bay Lake Tower: three sit-down restaurants and one signature.

What there is to do on siteThe Game Station arcade, a marina, tennis, a fitness center and the Electrical Water Pageant.

Disney's Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary

Deluxe villa · on average $870 a night · sleeps 4 · walk or monorail to Magic Kingdom

GoodBigger, newer rooms, its own pool, and better scores than the Contemporary for kids and adults. Same walk to Magic Kingdom.

Less goodAbout $200 a night more for a location you can get next door for less, and as a DVC building, cash availability is unpredictable.

Pick this one if: anyone with kids roughly four to thirteen who wants the space. A family of five needs a one-bedroom villa here, since the studios sleep four.

Dining on siteShares the Contemporary's restaurants (California Grill, Steakhouse 71 and Chef Mickey's), plus the Top of the World Lounge for DVC members.

What there is to do on siteIts own pool, the Contemporary's marina and arcade, tennis, a fitness center and a community hall.

Bay Lake Tower is a DVC building, so availability moves with points instead of cash rates, and the cash price swings more than at most resorts. Treat the gap as typical, not fixed.

Your family will rank these differently

Ages, budget, room size and which parks you are doing all change the order. Resortings scores all 32 resorts against what your family actually needs, and tells you when not to spend the money.

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Common questions

What is the difference between the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower?

They sit on the same site and share the walk to Magic Kingdom, the monorail station and the restaurants. Bay Lake Tower is the newer DVC building, with bigger rooms and better scores for kids. The Contemporary is about $200 a night cheaper.

Can you walk to Magic Kingdom from Bay Lake Tower?

Yes, on the same path the Contemporary uses, about 12 minutes on foot. Both score a full 10 out of 10 for Magic Kingdom, tied for the highest on property.

Is Bay Lake Tower worth the extra?

With kids roughly four to thirteen, probably. It scores 9 for under-fours and 8 for ages 7 to 13, against the Contemporary's 6 and 7. A family of five is the exception: Bay Lake Tower's studios sleep four, plus a baby under 3, so five of you need a one-bedroom villa, while a standard Contemporary room takes five. For two adults, it's hard to justify at about $200 a night more.

Do they share the pool and restaurants?

The restaurants, yes, including California Grill and Chef Mickey's. Bay Lake Tower has its own pool as well as access to the Contemporary's, which is part of what the extra money buys.