What A View! Balcony at Disney's Bay Lake Tower

How's this for a view from your room? Disney's Bay Lake Tower, right next to the Contemporary Resort, is so close to the Magic Kingdom that we could watch the fireworks from our balcony. We could even hear the crowds oo'ing and ah'ing when the show was over.

The smallest room type, the studio, was perfect for our family of four with two small children. We shared a Queen bed while the kids bunked in the pull-out sleeper sofa. A small kitchenette had a mini-fridge for milk, water and snacks, and having a microwave came in handy.

Crossing to the Contemporary Resort via the skybridge was a novelty as well as a convenience, and we had a wide selection of restaurants over there, from the casual and quick Contempo Cafe to the fabulous rooftop California Grill, where they squeezed us in at the sushi bar with no reservations. We even got up early to dine with Mickey Mouse, Goofy and the gang at Chef Mickey's.

The location of Bay Lake Tower and the Contemporary Resort really can't be beat - they're the only resorts that are connected to the Magic Kingdom with a walkway. It's about a ten minute walk. Avoiding the monorail and buses is a big benefit on crowded nights when the entire park empties out after the fireworks are over - we loved taking the short walk back to our room.

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^{Image copyright Charlyn Keating Chisholm, licensed to About.com.}