Our September Editor’s Note

Disney’s Contemporary Resort—specifically its iconic A-frame tower—was the first hotel to really capture my imagination. And even though I was 10 and had little to no understanding of architecture or design, I could tell the Contemporary was meant to feel like the gateway to a kaleidoscopic future that stood in contrast to the era’s harvest golds and avocado greens.

While we were planning our stay, one of my aunts had shared some of their Disney travel brochures from a past trip when her kids were about my age. On the cover of one was an image of the monorail gliding through the hotel and toward the theme park, which served as a blank screen for me to project the make-believe vacation of my dreams. The hotel, which opened in 1971, was a way station of possibility.

Years later, I cannot recall a single ride or souvenir from that trip. But I can distinctly remember the thrill of waiting with my mom and dad in the Grand Canyon Concourse atrium and being awed by the massive Mary Blair mural, then feeling my heart leap when the whoosh of the monorail brushed the peach fuzz on my arms.

Here’s hoping the accommodations editor Megan Fernandez selected for our package of getaways (Destination Hotels) give you a similar tingle. Before she came to us and emerged as the staff’s travel savant, Megan globetrotted for her job at Ambassadair Travel Club (part of ATA Airlines). If there’s a better concierge, I haven’t met her.