To paraphrase the corporate’s founder, Walt Disney World’s flagship resort refurbishment won’t ever be accomplished so long as there are lace doilies left on this planet. After beforehand extending the venture to mid-2026, the multi-year overhaul of the Grand Floridian that started a number of years in the past has as soon as once more been prolonged to 2027. Right here’s the most recent.
This has been fairly the venture, quickly coming into its fourth CEO tenure. It truly began shortly earlier than the closure of Walt Disney World with the Magnificence and the Beast lounge, and continued shortly after reopening with extra restaurant reimaginings. Then with the pause of what’s now Disney Lakeshore Lodge, the corporate decided it “wanted” extra Disney Trip Membership factors to promote, resulting in the DVC overhaul of the Massive Pine Key constructing in 2022.
Following that, the entire outlying buildings within the resort had been redone in the same model via 2023. Then there was an roughly two-year pause for causes nonetheless unknown, earlier than Walt Disney World resumed work in earnest on the principle constructing overhaul final spring. That culminated final Christmas, with the grand opening of the Birdcage Bar and extra.
The excellent news is that the Grand Floridian is not a development zone. At the very least, not for now. There are a selection of the way the Grand Floridian now appears and feels contemporary, and is as soon as once more worthy of being thought of the crown jewel of WDW resorts. See our Overview: Walt Disney World’s Flagship Resort Lastly Matches Its Standing & Sky-Excessive Costs.
With the debut of the Birdcage Bar, just a few excellent parts of the overhaul remained, and Walt Disney World up to date the development warning for Grand Floridian. Right here’s how that regarded as of November via the final week:
As a part of the continued enhancements at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, refurbishment work will proceed in choose areas via mid-2026. Visitors may even see or hear work throughout daytime hours. Efforts might be made to attenuate disruptions, and most swimming pools, eating, and different facilities will stay accessible for Visitors to take pleasure in.
As renovations proceed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the gingerbread show won’t be accessible in the course of the 2025 vacation season.
Quick-forward to the primary week of February 2026, and Walt Disney World has up to date the development warning once more. Right here’s the brand new one:
Renovations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will proceed in choose areas, together with the porte cochere, via early 2027. Visitors may even see or hear refurbishment work throughout daytime hours or have to take alternate paths of journey.
The excellent news is that we’re not anticipating main visitor expertise impacts on account of this venture. The foyer is materially completed, and the one motive we’ve added the ‘materially’ weasel phrase is as a result of, technically, Backyard View Lounge hasn’t reopened and Grand Floridian Cafe is lobby-adjacent (see under for extra on each).
However for all intents and functions, the precise foyer is finished. It’s unlikely something main will occur right here other than Grand Floridian Cafe, if you happen to even depend that. The rooms are additionally fully completed, so it’s extremely unlikely these or some other eating places might be touched. From a visitor perspective, your keep is unlikely to be adversely impacted in a serious approach by all of this.
Let’s talk about what work does stay excellent on the Grand Floridian, and potential impacts from now via 2027…
Porte Cochere
Whereas the bulletin signifies “choose areas” (plural) might be renovated via early 2027, the porte cochere is the one one referred to as out by identify. It’s thus fairly secure to say this is likely one of the bigger, if not the biggest, venture that’ll happen in the course of the added ~6 months of the overhaul.
It might simply be coincidence, nevertheless it positive looks like there’s a porte cochere crew and check-in desk crew competing with each other to see who can spend essentially the most cash. Rebuilding porte cocheres presumably prices much more, so my cash is on that crew. Joking apart, it’s an attention-grabbing window into present priorities and energy at Walt Disney World. It’s fascinating what number of of tasks of this nature have been greenlit within the final a number of years.
We simply noticed the partial rebuilding of the porte cochere at Disney’s Seaside Membership Resort. This venture didn’t garner a whole lot of protection, nevertheless it was fairly formidable for what was labeled a refurbishment. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see whether or not the Grand Floridian porte cochere is comparable in scope and scale.
Frankly, essentially the most disruptive a part of the Seaside Membership porte cochere venture was the timing. It was largely finished in the course of the summer time via early fall, and pushing arrivals farther away from the entrance entrance into an uncovered space in the course of the hottest and rainiest time was not ideally suited.
If Grand Floridian’s porte cochere might want to shut throughout development, my honest hope is that this venture both begins instantly or that they wait till like October. Hopefully it doesn’t want to shut within the first place, although, as that might additionally affect the monorail station and there’s no indication (but?) that’s going to occur.
Gingerbread Home
Again when the foyer reimagining and the Birdcage Bar had been introduced, Walt Disney World additionally revealed that there could be No Gingerbread Home at Grand Floridian for Christmas final yr. Disney often begins constructing this life-sized edible creation in mid-October, so it made sense that it wouldn’t seem.
Nevertheless, it’s been our suspicion from the start that the Gingerbread Home would by no means return to the foyer. As mentioned in that put up, it’s not an enormous hit with everybody. Not solely that, however the foyer is already busy because of the Birdcage Bar; bringing again the Gingerbread Home would make it really feel extremely cramped, crowded, and chaotic.
Our hope is that the Gingerbread Home returns to the Grand Floridian Conference Heart at Christmas 2026, nevertheless it wouldn’t shock us if that does occur. What’ll be attention-grabbing to see is whether or not this development extension is used as justification for not bringing it again. Actually, we’re additionally high quality with among the extra far-flung resorts getting love.
Backyard View Lounge
The Backyard View Lounge has been closed since March 2020, and is lastly reopening 6 years after closing, with new touches from Alice in Wonderland and a refreshed inside.
Walt Disney World has now introduced that the Backyard View Lounge will reopen on March 19, 2026. Advance Eating Reservations will open on February 19, 2026. That is positive to be well-liked, so get your ADRs ASAP if you happen to’re .
In case you missed it, Walt Disney World not too long ago posted the total menu, and the Tea Expertise will price $79 per grownup or $49 per youngster. That’s expensive, nevertheless it’s truly barely much less costly than we predicted. Lower than Cake Bake Store!
It’s additionally price noting that work on Backyard View Lounge is materially completed and has been since late final yr, so not one of the ongoing development pertains to that. The delay in reopening seems to be associated to staffing and coaching of Forged Members, not the house itself.
Grand Floridian Cafe
Though the porte cochere is referenced straight within the new development bulletin, it’s worded in such a approach that it’s one instance of ongoing development (“choose areas, together with…” as opposed a press release particular to the porte cochere). We totally count on that the opposite foremost choose space, that Walt Disney World simply isn’t able to announce for no matter motive, is Grand Floridian Cafe.
That is nothing new. As we’ve been saying for some time, one remaining piece of the puzzle after the Backyard View Lounge reopens is Grand Floridian Cafe. It actually stands out within the redone resort, trying like a vestige from a distinct period (the Nineties, not the Victorian period).
With Backyard View Lounge reopening, I’m wondering if the resort will lastly take Grand Floridian Cafe offline for an inside refresh. Actually, I additionally wouldn’t thoughts a menu replace–as long as my beloved Buttermilk-Fried Rooster stays. (On the very least, convey again the Lobster Thermidor Burger.)
Realistically, essentially the most logical time to shut Grand Floridian Cafe for refurbishment is after the Spring Break rush. We had been beforehand skeptical that this timeline could be believable whereas nonetheless ending the overhaul by mid-2026. The extension via early 2027 makes that rather more reasonable.
This might simply be achieved by reimagining Grand Floridian Cafe between mid-April and mid-October. We take into account that to be concerning the optimum window for shedding this fan-favorite mid-tier desk service restaurant. Right here’s hoping Walt Disney World agrees!
Finally, we’re cautiously optimistic concerning the the rest of the Grand Floridian reimagining, as an entire. Walt Disney World’s flagship resort has been modernized properly, with a great steadiness of class, sophistication, allure, and whimsy. It lastly feels worthy of its standing–and price ticket.
The venture’s extension via early 2027 is a bit disappointing from the attitude of additional dragging out a venture that has already been occurring for a protracted, very long time. However we additionally count on this to principally revolve across the porte cochere, with the foyer not being impacted, until you depend Grand Floridian Cafe (presumably) closing and being closed off.
The underside line is that, until there’s an sudden announcement from out of left subject, we don’t count on the continued overhaul on the Grand Floridian to affect the visitor expertise (besides when arriving by automotive and first unloading baggage) at any level between now and 2027. We might not hesitate to remain at Walt Disney World’s flagship resort; on the contrary, we as soon as once more extremely advocate it!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about lodges on our Walt Disney World Inns Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part it is advisable know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the overhaul to Walt Disney World’s flagship resort as soon as once more being prolonged, this time to early 2027? What do you count on to be added to the scope of labor throughout that additional ~6 months? Have you ever stayed on the Grand Floridian because the foyer overhaul? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
