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Subscribe NowLast updated: August 23, 2024
A unique, 15-story resort in the shape of a letter C, Bay Lake has excellent views of the Magic Kingdom on one side, and Bay Lake on the other. Its rooms are some of the quietest on property.
Cost Range
$672 - $5,681
Lodging Area
Magic Kingdom
Category
Deluxe Villa
Transportation
Bus, Monorail, Walk
Room: A-
Pool: B-
Lighting: C
Pillows: B
Large rooms with views of Bay Lake
The quietest rooms in Walt Disney World
Easy walk to Magic Kingdom
Convenient parking
Best louge at Walt Disney World (Top of the World Lounge)
Recreation options on Bay Lake
Studios sleep no more than 2 people comfortably
Hallway decor can feel institutional
Bus transportation to Studios, Animal Kingdom, water parks, and Disney Springs can be shared with other monorail resorts
Rooms are well-appointed. Brightly colored accessories, paintings, and accent walls complement an otherwise neutral color scheme. The rooms we've stayed in tested as the quietest on Disney property.
The two-bedroom villas are our pick for the best room type at Bay Lake. These sleep 9 and include a full kitchen and a third bathroom. One of the baths is attached to a second bedroom.
Studios sleep up to four people and include one queen-size bed and one double sleeper sofa. The part of the studio with the bed, sofa, and TV measures about 170 square feet and feels small with just two people; four would be an adventure.
Studios come with a private balcony that affords views of Bay Lake, the Contemporary Resort, or Magic Kingdom.
We’ve mapped and taken photographs of the views from every single room on Walt Disney World property! Our Room Finder helps you find the perfect room for you and then request that room from Disney.
Bay Lake Tower has no on-site dining of its own - it shares all the restaurants (some of them very good) with Disney's Contemporary Resort. Room service is available.
California Grill In spite of the noise, California Grill is one of Walt Disney World’s top dining experiences. Disney has’t said what it’ll entail. It’s our guess that given the high ratings and high prices, Disney may not change much here.
Steakhouse 71 Steakhouse 71 is located on the first floor of Disney's Contemporary Resort. It is a casual steakhouse serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with decorative reminders of 1971, the year the hotel opened. The lounge keeps the large, rectangular bar from the previous tenant and serves a few food options as well.
Contempo Café Faster service and less expensive than The Wave, and the food is fresh and tasty. There are some grab-and-go items and cashiers waiting to take orders for meals, which are brought directly to your table. Noise from the nearby Chef Mickeys can drown out all but the most enthusiastic conversationalist.
The Sand Bar The Sand Bar at the Contemporary Resort is one of the strangest pool bars at Walt Disney World. For one thing, it is not all that close to the pool. Second, it’s indoors... well, sort of. Essentially, Sand Bar consists of a few stools and a wall of glass behind the stools, and that’s pretty much it. What it represents is a way to get out of the Florida afternoon sun while enjoying a drink. That drink will be one of the few selections available from the standard Disney menu. A few food items are available from a walk-up window on the backside of the bar along with a few tables. It’s hard to recommend the Sand Bar to anyone not staying at the Contemporary since there are many more interesting options along the monorail loop.
California Grill Lounge You generally can order food from the full restaurant menu.
Cove Bar Much like the Top of the World lounge, the Cove Bar at the pool of Bay Lake Tower is technically for hotel guests only. The bartenders won’t demand proof before ordering, but there is a gate around the exterior of the pool area that requires a room key to open. If you find yourself inside the fence and in need of a drink, the Cove Bar is there for you. Unfortunately, the bar’s location is about the only thing to say about it as it is a wholly unexciting structure that looks more like a takeout window than a bar. The menu is equally unexciting with bits and pieces of the standard bar menu. A handful of food items are found here such as a Caesar salad, club sandwich, and an Asian chicken salad. The only saving grace for the Cove Bar is that there are a few beach and waterfront spots scattered around its building. Few things are more peaceful than a lounge chair, and adult beverage, and Bay Lake. Even with the nearby views, there is little reason to visit the Cove Bar unless you are already spending time at the Bay Lake Tower pool.
Top of the World Lounge Access is limited to Disney Vacation Club members. Present your DVC member card or Magic Band in the hotel lobby to take the elevator up. During holiday fireworks, access may be limited to DVC members staying onsite or only members staying at Bay Lake Tower. Top of the World is a beautiful lounge that is overwhelmed with families during the Magic Kingdom fireworks, but very pleasant any other time. Take in the John Hench concept art in the alcove just inside the doors (you may find TouringPlans people taking business meetings here - it is one of our favorite places onsite). Or sit at the bar and check out the beautiful rendering of a monorail behind it (yellow, of course). The Lounge is a great amenity for DVC members and their guests.
Private Dining at Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower
Private Dining at Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower
Refillable Mugs Allows guest self-service soft drink refills from quick-service locations in hotels (NOT in theme parks) for $21.99 for the length of stay.
Amenities
SWIPE TO EXPLORE
Bay Cove Pool features a zero-entry poolside for small kids, and a zippy 148-foot water slide for more adventurous swimmers.
WDW Resort Pool FAQFree Disney Movies Under the Stars are shown most evenings, weather-permitting, near the Sky Way Bridge between Bay Lake Tower and the Contemporary Resort.
A small business center offers computer and internet access, including printers, on the Contemporary's first floor.
One loop around Bay Lake Tower and the South Garden Wing of the Contemporary Resort is just under 1 mile.
Guests may use the Olympiad Massage & Fitness Center, where you will find cardio machines (treadmills, regular and recumbent bicycles, and ellipticals), free weights, and weight machines. It's open 24 hours a day and is located on floor 3 of the Contemporary's Main Tower.
Pontoon boats that seat up to 10 adults can be rented at the marina. Check with the marina for cost and operating hours.
Disney resort guests get into each theme park 30 minutes earlier than off-site guests, every day.
Disney's Deluxe and DVC resort guests get two extra hours in select theme parks on certain days of the week. The schedule changes, so check with the front desk.
Board the Walt Disney World Monorail on Floor 4 of the Contemporary Resort's Main Tower for convenient access to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and the Grand Floridian and Polynesian hotels.
Performed at nightfall on Bay Lake, this show is a stunning electric-light show aboard small barges and set to nifty electronic music.
Practical Matters
Check-in is 4:00pm
Check-out is 11:00am
All Disney resorts participate in Disney’s Online Check-In program. If you’ve checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.
These rubber and plastic wrist bands can function as your room key, park admission, charge card, and more! MagicBands cost money, but if you'd like a free option you can use the official Disney World app on your phone or request an RFID-embedded card at the front desk.
Park tickets are best purchased online in advance either directly through Disney or via our Least Expensive Ticket Calculator. However, if you arrive without park tickets, head to the concierge desk in the hotel lobby.
Dining reservation are best made online in advance or on your phone or tablet during your visit. You can also use our Disney World Reservation Finder.
Washers and dryers are availabile in laundry facilities at each Disney World hotel. Cost is $3 per wash, and another $3 per dry cycle. A small selection of soap, fabric softener, and dryer sheets are also sold, for around $1 each. Only credit/debit cards can be used for payment. For more information, see our Disney World Laundry Facilities page.
If you lose something in a theme park or during your stay at a Disney-operated hotel, visit Disney's Lost and Found website or call (407) 824-4245.
Disney hotels have gifts shops near their lobbies with a decent collection of Disney-branded souvenirs. You will also find basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like. Resort hotels with Deluxe Villa rooms offer an assortment of groceries, as well.
Disney recommends a third party company, Kid's Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney World Child Care page for more information.
Transportation
Bay Lake Tower is in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area. All modern GPS apps and Google Maps will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward Magic Kingdom once you're on property.
Destination | Bus | Monorail | Car | Walk |
---|---|---|---|---|
Magic Kingdom | – | 17 min | – | 10 min |
EPCOT | – | 23 min | 21 min | – |
Hollywood Studios | 28 min | – | 23 min | – |
Animal Kingdom | 29 min | – | 20 min | – |
Disney Springs | 28 min | – | 16 min | – |
Disney provides free bus service from Bay Lake Tower to all destinations except the Magic Kingdom. Buses run about every 20 minutes. Disney's bus transportation system is the fastest option to get to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios. For all other destinations, it's faster to drive your car if you have one.
If you have your own car, it's faster to drive yourself to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, and Disney Springs. Disney's transportation system is faster to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The Magic Kingdom is accessible via walking path.
The Magic Kingdom is accessible via the Contemporary's monorail station; walking is faster. For EPCOT, take the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and transfer to the EPCOT monorail.
The easiest way to get to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian is by taking the resort monorail at the Contemporary Resort. For all other hotels, it's faster to drive or use Uber/Lyft/taxis than to rely on Disney's bus service. If you must use Disney's bus service and the Magic Kingdom is open, it's probably fastest to walk to the Magic Kingdom bus station and take the bus going to the resort you're headed.
if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.
Driving to the Resort
Getting to the Parks
and Disney Springs
Getting to Another Hotel
from Bay Lake Tower
Getting to Universal Orlando
Bay Lake Tower is in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area. All modern GPS apps and Google Maps will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward Magic Kingdom once you're on property.
if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.
Disney Dish with Jim Hill Podcast
Learn more about the latest doings at Disney with TouringPlan's Len Testa & Jim Hill of JimHillMedia.com
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