One of the first two resorts to open on Walt Disney World property back in 1971, the Disney Contemporary Resort was named so for its contemporary design – an A frame built with outer walls which slope inwards around an inner atrium. The rooms are similarly modern, with muted colors and dark woods, a suede headboard running the length of the room, a clear glass desk with computers, a light green day bed/couch, LCD television sets, and Kohler flat sinks. Undergoing a refurbishment to this present day look in 2005, the Contemporary Resort is always trying to stay on top of the latest trends, and Disney guests can now see just a few more of their recently unveiled improvements.

One of the most modern changes guests will find is the new Contempo Café in the Grand Canyon Concourse at the resort. This newly opened eatery has taken the fourth floor space originally occupied by the Concourse Steakhouse and is a high-tech venture into dining. Designed for guests who want to grab a quick snack rather than a full sit-down meal, Contempo Café features some particularly neat technology when it comes to ordering. Instead of ordering from a server, guests will order their food from a self-service touch screen.

Guests will start by perusing the menu on electronic boards; they’ll be able to read descriptions and look at color photos of dishes on these boards. When they’re done, they’ll place their orders at touch screens and head to a cashier to pay for their food. When their meal is ready, a pager will blink, signifying that the food is available for pickup at the counter.

For those who think this new technology might make dining harder, Disney has anticipated every request diners might possibly make. For example, a salad can be ordered with the options of having the dressing mixed in, on the side, or not at all. Prices on the screen change according to your choices, and a running total is displayed at all times so guests can see how much they’ll spend. The Contempo Café is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and features thin-crust pizzas, hearty deli sandwiches, and house-made soups, among other options.

In addition to the new Contempo Café, Disney’s current revitalization of the Contemporary Resort includes the new Wave Restaurant on the first floor, which opened this past summer, and the construction of a new game arcade on the fourth floor concourse. Also, the area that was once the Outer Rim Lounge is being converted into additional seating for Chef Mickey’s, while the new Outer Rim Lounge is being constructed at a different location in the resort.

And for those who are wondering what that construction is next to the Contemporary Resort, that would be the Bay Lake Tower, a Disney Vacation Club property that is set to open in fall 2009. The 15-story building will mimic the Contemporary Resort in design and feature a rooftop lounge and fireworks viewing area for seeing the show at Magic Kingdom. Bay Lake Tower will also be connected to the Contemporary Resort via a pedestrian bridge.

Be sure to stop by Disney’s Contemporary Resort sometime soon to enjoy all the latest improvements and changes. At Walt Disney World, fun new additions are being made all the time, which is why you can never go too long without visiting, or you’ll miss out! So score your discount Disney tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com, and see what’s new at your favorite parks and resorts.

One of the best things about the holiday season is all of the delicious treats. From candy canes to gingerbread houses, there are plenty of seasonal snacks to satisfy your sweet tooth. And at Walt Disney World resorts, you’ll naturally find all kinds of incredible holiday desserts, such as carousels and trains. Wait – you say carousels and trains aren’t edible? Well, stop by some of Disney’s resorts to see some fantastic holiday displays made out of gingerbread, candy, and other sugary goodness. These giant masterpieces of pastry are 100% edible. And though you might cause a scene if you start gnawing on one of them, they’re definitely a sweet sight to see.

One must-stop this holiday season is Disney’s Beach Club Resort, which features a giant gingerbread carousel in the hotel lobby every holiday season. Every visible part of this display is edible, from the gingerbread floor and canopy and sugar poinsettias to the chocolate and fondant horses and star anise and cinnamon accents. The carousel even features white chocolate figures of Mickey Mouse and his friends.

It took a team of pastry chefs ten hours to assemble the carousel, which required 96 pounds of flour, 36 pounds of honey, 50 pounds of dark chocolate, and 100 pounds of icing. The carousel is also made up of 2008 pieces of gingerbread, one for every year. And since this is the ninth year that Beach Club has put up its holiday carousel, there are nine hidden Mickeys in the display. Each year, an additional one is added. See if you can spot them all!

Equally impressive as the carousel is the life-sized gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. This huge piece of sugary real estate draws visitors every year as soon as it opens during November. The holiday centerpiece of the lobby along with a large Christmas tree, the gingerbread house requires even more ingredients than the carousel: 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 800 pounds of flour, 700 pounds of chocolate, and a whopping 1,050 pounds of honey. This is the tenth year that the Grand Floridian has put up this special display, which fills the resort’s lobby with the scent of gingerbread.

What’s most incredible about the almost entirely edible gingerbread house is that it’s actually a gingerbread shop! Guests can actually go inside the house and purchase gingerbread and chocolate cookies, lollipops, gingerbread ornaments, chocolate Disney characters, and more. The Grand Floridian gingerbread house is open from 10 am to 10 pm.

Though it’s worth making a special trip to see the displays at the Grand Floridian and Beach Club resorts, each of the other Disney resorts is also featuring a special holiday display. At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, guests can see a gingerbread holiday village on the fourth floor. At Disney’s Polynesian Resort, the Ceremonial House features an exotic gingerbread village with volcanoes and edible palm trees. At Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, a 15-by-20-foot chocolate and gingerbread boardwalk display greets visitors with a five-foot-tall Ferris wheel and carousel. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boma-Flavors of Africa is featuring an entirely edible miniature African village. And at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, a miniature gingerbread train races around a sugar mountain village in the lobby.

If you’re hankering for something sweet on the eyes this holiday, be sure to stop at Disney Resorts to take in the phenomenal holiday displays and maybe even buy a gingerbread house of your own. Each resort features its own unique holiday decorations and is a great attraction to visit after a day at the Disney theme parks.