Hi Estelle,
Welcome to planDisney! It’s great to hear that you and your family are considering a Disney Resorts Collection hotel for your January 2026 vacation to The Most Magical Place On Earth. Choosing to stay on property brings
so many benefits: proximity to the parks, immersive theming, fantastic dining, and complimentary resort transportation are just a few of the many reasons my family returns time and time again.
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is a fantastic choice, especially with a party of five. One of the biggest draws is how easy it is to access Magic Kingdom Park. In addition to having the monorail right next door, you also have the option of taking the walking path that connects the resort to the park entrance. It's typically less than a ten-minute stroll from your room to Main Street U.S.A., which makes rope-dropping or heading back for a mid-day break incredibly convenient.
You are correct that Bay Lake Tower is currently undergoing a refurbishment that is expected to continue through July 2026. While some work may be visible or even audible during your stay, Disney is well known for taking careful steps to minimize disruptions. I recently spent a week at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which is also being refreshed, and I can honestly say that the refurbishment work didn’t take away from our stay. The crews tend to get most of the work done during the day when Guests are typically off enjoying the parks or water parks, which limits how much you’ll even notice it.
If you're looking to reduce the chances of encountering any construction activity and still want to be near the monorail, you have a few great options.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and the new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows both offer monorail access, as does
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The Grand Floridian even has its own walking path to Magic Kingdom Park, though it’s about five minutes longer than the path from the Contemporary.
Lately, my family has also been enjoying the EPCOT Resort area. Resorts like
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s
Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s
Yacht Club Resort all place you within a short walk of both EPCOT’s International Gateway entrance and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you’re not up for walking, you can catch a ride on a Friendship Boat or take in the views aboard the
Disney Skyliner.
I hope this helps you as you plan your upcoming vacation, Estelle. If you’d like to dive deeper into these resorts or talk through what might work best for your crew,
feel free to send another question my way. I’d be happy to share more of what makes each of them special.
See you real soon!
Brent