There is no beating the location. Period. We traveled with a 2 year old and being right on the monorail was key for us when we needed to take the afternoon break. Our room was in the garden building and was really well appointed. One of the nicest rooms I have stayed in. Nice pool - our 11 year old went down the water slide at least 50 times. Comparing the price to the Grand Floridian and Polynesian - Contemporary is the way to go.

We originally booked a garden wing room and upon check in were thrilled to be upgraded to a Magic Kingdom view room in the tower. There were 6 of us all together with as much luggage as you can imagine, not to mention a double stroller we had to fit into the room, and had plenty of space for everyone to be quite comfortable. We thought about putting the stroller on the balcony, but were afraid of bird droppings. The only thing we would have changed was the bathroom. The sinks did not drain and left standing unsanitary water in the basin, but they were contemporary. We ended up using one of the sinks for extra storage space, with 6 of us we had MANY tioletries. The mousekeeping was great, we tipped everyday and wrote a note asking for extra sets of towels ( only 3 sets for 6 guests) There were towels galore when we got back, not to mention extra toiletries and 6 mickey toothbrushes with toothpaste. Our kids( 2 and 4) were thrilled.
The pool was closed while we were there, so no experience with that, although they did welcome us to use the Poly's pool, but we never made it over there, too many other things to do!!
The balcony was great, so comfy to sit in PJs and watch the fireworks at night, then crawl right into bed and get to do it all again. Disney truely is a magical place. The kids loved feeding all the seagulls in the morning right off the balcony. We had to tear them away to go see MIckey!!! We could have never left the resort and been just as happy I swear. The convenience of the monorail, walking out the door and having breakfast at Chef MIckeys. running down to get mug refills at the Quick service restaurant, shopping while the kids and husband are in bed at the greatest shops, is just a few of then many reasons we will always love the Contemporary Resort. We feel any visitor could stay without hesitation.

The contemporary is the least themed of the Disney resorts. It is very much like a typical business hotel in appearance, decor, and conference facilities, but it has some exceptional strengths that make it a great choice, even for young families. We requested a quiet room near the water and were given a room with a pool view in the South Garden Wing. People sometimes complain about the walk to the main tower, but we thought it was no big deal, literally about 3 minutes walking past the pool outdoors. We had a second story room surrounded by other rooms on all sides. We stayed 7 nights and very rarely heard any noise at all from any other room. Very quiet in our opinion.

We could step outside our door at 10:00 and watch the "Wishes" firework show at the Magic Kingdom (seen perfectly clearly) and the electric light parade on Bay Lake, which our young daughters absolutely loved.

Rooms were completely remodeled in 2007 and in great shape. The beds are Sealy pillow tops and are extremely comfortable with Wamsutta linens and pillows everywhere. Many reviews talk about the in room free computer (no longer the case). The lighting also gets rave reviews (a lot of indirect lighting, so if you're a fan, you'll love it.) You have to hit several switches to fully light the room though.

The bathrooms are very nice with a couple of exceptions. The large flat sinks are very contemporary, but leave you with no real usable counter space, something that becomes a bit of pain as the days wear on. The pocket doors are space savers, but are fairly heavy. And, if one person gets up and uses the restroom, there is no way to turn the lights on without it shining into the room through the glass in the pocket door.

The pool is very nice. 2 hot tubs, three distinct areas in a large main pool, and a very fun 17 foot tall water slide comparable to a short version of a water park slide. The recreation staff and the lifeguards are very nice. Well, everyone there was very nice and helpful. We visited several other Disney resorts (Port Orleans, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, Grand Floridian.) Only the Grand Floridian came close in hospitality. We were originally skeptical about the age and lack of theming at the contemporary, but the renovations and the excellent staff made believers out of us.

Transportation:
Magic Kingdom- 10 minutes by monorail, or by foot.
Epcot- about 20-25 minutes by monorail with one transfer, but no big deal
Hollywood Studios- About 30 minutes by bus, stopping first at the Polynesian
Animal Kingdom- About 35 minutes by bus stopping first at the Polynesian and Blizzard Beach.
Downtown Disney- 35-45 minutes stopping first at Polynesian and sometimes at Typhoon Lagoon depending on time of day.
Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness easily reached in 10-20 minutes by boat.
Polynesian, Grand Floridian easily reached in 5-8 minutes by monorail with no transfers.

Food court is ok, not great. We only ate there a couple of times though since we were busy at other places.

If you are going to Disney World and want to be enveloped in everything Disney and stay at one of Walt's original hotels then the Contemporary is for you. If you are going to Orlando and can't stand Disney--then the Ritz Carlton is for you. This original, architectural icon, is a fantastic location for couples, families and anyone who wants to say on property with space to spare. The rooms are huge with a great comtemporary (W) makeover and spacious bathrooms. The lakeside, Magic Kingdom-adjacent location is probably the best in the park and the monorail-thru the lobby is one of a kind. The service is good, not great, and a recent lobby cafe makeover is truly ugly and has all the charm of a prison cafe. However, the new ground level organic eatery is a nice addition. So, if the Magic Kingdon is your favorite park, you enjoy lake activities and want space with great decor in rooms, this location is a fantastic choice. Who shouldn't stay here--anyone who hates anything from the 70s, can't stand caverous lobbies, and somewhat inpersonal service and dining options.