Hints of Fantasia

As part of its renovation in the 1990s, Disney's Contemporary Resort shifted thematically from a look reminiscent of the American Southwest to a style inspired by modern art. At the time, there was also a desire to bring more of a "Disney" feel to the resort, so designers turned to the studio's most artistic endeavor, Fantasia. Elements from Fantasia were introduced throughout the property, many of which (such as the Sorcerer Mickey topiary above) are still around today.

The influence began as soon as guests entered the resort, where they were greeted by this bronze statue of Mickey Mouse shaking hands with Conductor Leopold Stokowski. Inspired by the scene at the conclusion of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence in the film, the statue stood inside the lobby of the Contemporary Resort for more than a decade. When the resort was next renovated in 2005, the statue moved for a time to the exhibit gallery at The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney's Hollywood Studios (where the photo below was taken).

Disney's Contemporary Resort has always been a convention hotel for Walt Disney World. The original meeting and event facilities on the second floor still bear names from the resort's earlier era: Ballroom of the Americas, Grand Republic Ballroom, Atlantic and Pacific. The convention center expansion of 1991, however, brought a new series of room names: Fantasia, Nutcracker and Pastoral.

Fantasia and Disney's Contemporary Resort continue to fit well with one another, and the influence of the film has extended even to recent projects like the Fantasia Shop on the Grand Canyon Concourse.

Built into the previously unused space between the existing series of stores (one of which was converted into a new arcade), the Fantasia Shop incorporates fun details which pay homage to Disney's classic film, from the whimsical sorcerer's hat portals to marching brooms and dancing thistles.