Kingdom Tower Pics

[JRandAJsMom]

Here are a couple of pics I took of the Kingdom Tower progress last week... Everyone on the boat probably wondered what the heck I was doing... Thought it might be of interest on here :)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk110/JRandAJsMom/100_3138-1.jpg[/IMG]
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk110/JRandAJsMom/100_3137.jpg[/IMG]

[Kynna]

:yes: You were right, I'm excited to see them! Thanks!

[AZeno]

Thanks for the great pictures, but now I'm home sick and need a Disney fix.

[sheryl0521]

Wow - they are moving along - it was only about 6 stories tall back in February when we were there.

The monorail operator did call it a future DVC property when we asked "So - do you know what is being built over there?"
The DVC Sales guy in Epcot couldn't talk about it at all when we asked.

So we will see what they have to say in a couple of weeks when we are there again!

[rotary2808]

Thanks for the pics!!!!

[PolyColleen]

Thanks for sharing! It's much taller than it was when I was there in early March. They are really working hard on building that "nothing" the DVC reps can't talk about.

Love it or hate it, it really IS going to change the landscape. When we drive down, the Contemp is the first sign of WDW we can spot off the toll road. It's never going to look the same and we'll be the old coots saying "I remember when the Contemporary was JUST the main building..."

[Tapestry]

I agree. While I'm psyched for the DVCs at the Contemporary, the resort has been a sort of fairy tale for me since we watched it being built. As a kid I always wanted to stay there. The family always drove up from Tampa so we never stayed (sigh). When I finally paid the money, hurricane something or other came through! Not to speak kindly of hurricanes, but the park view of the nightly fireworks, the closure of the park, the hurricane...it did make for a strangely awesome visit. (I grew up in FL and my folks still live there, so yes I hate hurricanes!)

I also wonder...when we look out from Tomorrowland...will we see the tower? Will the Imagineers make the hedges, etc. high enough to block it out and still retain the "magic"?

[rlcarmichael]

Thanks for sharing! It's much taller than it was when I was there in early March. They are really working hard on building that "nothing" the DVC reps can't talk about.

But at least they wink and grin now. :innocent:

[jerlev]

I took some Contemporary photos last week. They can be viewed in my photobucket account here: http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk168/jerlev/Super%20Target/?albumview=grid

[RweTHEREyet]

I took some Contemporary photos last week. They can be viewed in my photobucket account here: http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk168/jerlev/Super%20Target/?albumview=grid

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Just where is that new "island" in relation to everything else?

[rutgers1]

I just got back from Disney. The first few times I passed it, I was not impressed. Actually, I think that my impression was colored by the fact that I am still amazed that anyone would want to pay the prices to stay at the Contemporary, which looked old to me when I was a kid. Anyway, what intrigued me was when I saw it from the water. The view from that perspective led me to believe that the new building might be pretty neat when it is finished.

Are there any plans to update the outside of the Contemporary? And if not, anyone have any thoughts about what could be done to make it compare with the other top hotels in Disney? For me, the fact that the monorail runs through it is not enough of a selling point.

It is actually hard for me to complain about the Contemporary since it looks quite a bit like my college's basketball arena, lol:
http://scarletknights.com/facilities/images/rac-ext.jpg

[JimP]

I think it was the "Unofficial Guide to WDW" that quoted a guest who described the Contemporary as "sleeping in a train station". That quote sums up my feeling. We only stayed one time... top floor, overlooking the park. The view was nice... and the room was one of the largest we ever had at WDW... but we never wanted to return. Y&BC or Poly were always our favorites.

/Jim

[CRSNDSNY]

Wow. That's going to be awesome.

Anyone have any ideas when presales will begin?

[rlcarmichael]

I thought I had all the points I wanted to buy, but I think I just might have to add some KT. I think the extra 4 months home booking is going to be huge.

DVC on the monorail without the noise!

Of course, this should lessen demand in some of the others such as BWV.

[tinker_me_happy]

I need a vacation!!!!!! Too many days until I get to go home for the first time. I wonder what it will look like in August?

[jerlev]

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Just where is that new "island" in relation to everything else?

The island is near the current bus stop. As you drive in, the road widens and this new island is in the middle of the road. What was interesting was that the day before there was this huge mound of dirt surrounded by a typical refurb wall. Seems they spread the dirt, planted the palm trees and flowers, and removed the walls.

Oh, and I noticed on the walkway between the towers, there appears to be a mount that will support the center of the walkway back towards the columns using a heavy duty cable. You can see a large ring that was mounted on each side of the middle and points back in opposite directions towards the support columns. Interesting design.

--jerry

[JaneBanks]

DH, DS and I were just talking about this last night.
I mentioned how tall it is rumored to be and DH's comment is that it will ruin the view from Bay Lake.

He enjoyed our parasailing excursion there, being able to view MK from the lake. Now he feels that the view will be gone, no reason to parasail there now.

I hadn't thought of it, but he is right.
I'm still excited about it though, so is DS.

[jerlev]

He enjoyed our parasailing excursion there, being able to view MK from the lake. Now he feels that the view will be gone, no reason to parasail there now.

Probably right. I do not see how you would see the Magic Kingdom from Bay Lake. You'd have to go to the north end to see around the new tower.

How many stories they talking about? I asked someone at the CR 2 weeks ago and he said he heard 15, maybe 16.

[Leftcoaster]

Thanks for sharing! It's much taller than it was when I was there in early March. They are really working hard on building that "nothing" the DVC reps can't talk about.

Love it or hate it, it really IS going to change the landscape. When we drive down, the Contemp is the first sign of WDW we can spot off the toll road. It's never going to look the same and we'll be the old coots saying "I remember when the Contemporary was JUST the main building..."


I'll be honest and say I have never been a fan of the Contemporary. And the location next to MK does nothing for me. However, I am really interested in seeing it be completed.
I was talking to a source of mine who laughed and said "I can neither confirm nor deny that the construction is a DVC property. However, the rooms are going to be even more stunning than the other tower."
I do love the look of the redesigned rooms in the tower so, I can't wait to see these new rooms.

[JimP]

DH, DS and I were just talking about this last night.
I mentioned how tall it is rumored to be and DH's comment is that it will ruin the view from Bay Lake.

He enjoyed our parasailing excursion there, being able to view MK from the lake. Now he feels that the view will be gone, no reason to parasail there now.

I hadn't thought of it, but he is right.
I'm still excited about it though, so is DS.
Jane,

I think this is an unfounded fear.

The existing Contemporary A Frame is already 15 stories tall (Calif Grill is on the 15th floor). I do not think much will change regarding blocking the view by KT.

When my family went parasailing... we were over 400' in the air. A 15 story building would be less than half that height.

/Jim

[snooty3]

I noticed that you stayed at a Mickey Mouse Inn back in 1990, where was that?

[spiceycat]

was there last week - my camera was not....

anyway it is really coming along - I think I counted 13 floors on one side. but less on other sides.

though it was all going to 16 floors - 15th - really - the top floor was all GV so only one floor.

there wasn't a Mickey mouse inn - now there was a Disney Inn.

[magicmama]

Wow! What great pics! Thanks for sharing the pics! I think it will be very, very popular place to stay.

[JimP]

When my family went parasailing... we were over 400' in the air. A 15 story building would be less than half that height.
Correction: I went over my notes... and I believe that we were 650' in the air. Even more reason why I do not think the parasailing experience will be diminished.

/Jim