We enjoyed our semi-recent stay at the Contemporary garden wing. The CM's we met during our stay made a real effort to be exceptionally welcoming.
I agree the Garden wing is a longer walk, and that is why we didn't stay there previously, but our room had a nice view of the water, and we really appreciated that. It was fun to see all the boats going by our room.
Additionally, we liked that the parking was right outside our building. We had no trouble finding a shady parking spot, which is somewhat rare at WDW.
The Contemporary dates back to the early days of WDW. Whenever they renovate, they have to work with what they have. They also have to balance nostalgia with updating the hotel to current tastes, and also minimizing guest impact.
The fourth floor is perhaps a bit chaotic, but it has been modified a number of times over the years. It was laid out in the 1970's. I don't think the original designers could have predicted how busy it would be today.
The hotel room closets are a bit odd (location/size), but that is how they have always been.
The newer hotels were built according to modern tastes and preferences, plus all the knowledge WDW has acquired over the past 50 years. The people who designed AKL, knew that having an elaborate pool would be popular.
IMO, the charm of CR is understanding that it is a 50 year-old building.
I do not think the hotel is worth the current asking price, but it appears people are booking it.