Walt Disney Global has introduced a thriller refurbishment beginning this month and proceeding during 2026 on the BoardWalk. Right here’s the newest at the building caution, plus what we predict the mission to surround.
For starters, that is fascinating as a result of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn not too long ago “completed” (air quotes) a big, multi-year refurbishment mission. Again in 2022, Walt Disney Global introduced they’d be reimagining parts of the cherished turn-of-the-century prom and within the Deluxe Hotel, with a captivating new foyer design, delectable new eating choices, and different ‘mild and ethereal’ touches.
The most important adjustments that in fact materialized had been new visitor rooms on each the lodge aspect of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and the DVC Villas, Carousel Espresso (foyer espresso bar), Cake Bake Store via Gwendolyn Rogers (substitute for ESPN Membership), BoardWalk Ice Cream (substitute for Abundant Hills), BoardWalk Deli (substitute for BoardWalk Bakery), and the brand new Blue Ribbon Corn Canine kiosk. All of that was once finished a 12 months or extra in the past, with Cake Bake Store being the remaining to debut.
Speedy-forward round 13 months, and Walt Disney Global has introduced some other year-long mission for the BoardWalk. Right here’s the development bulletin that looks at the reputable website online:
Starting past due November 2025 and proceeding during 2026, refurbishment paintings will happen in make a choice spaces of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Whilst Visitors would possibly see or pay attention paintings right through daylight hours hours, maximum Hotel facilities—together with eating, sport, and products places—will stay to be had.
The Disney Skyliner will likely be closed for regimen refurbishment January 25–31, 2026, and January 24–30, 2027. Throughout those instances, complimentary bus transportation will likely be to be had.
From January 11, 2027, via April 2027, the Luna Park Pool, the Luna Park Loopy Play Space and Jumping Horse Libations at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas will likely be closed for regimen repairs. Visitors would possibly see and listen to paintings happening right through daylight hours hours. Alternatively, the Villas Pool and the Inn Pool will stay open for Visitors to experience.
Best the primary paragraph is pertinent to this submit. The Skyliner and Luna Park Pool closures had been formerly introduced.
Essentially the most notable main points are that it’ll happen during 2026, versus having a specified finish month. That means it’s anticipated to remaining the period of 2026, or no less than, lots of the 12 months. It’s additionally happening in make a choice spaces, plural, of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Taking those two items of information in combination suggests it’s a slightly main mission.
There are a variety of probabilities as to what this may well be. The primary is the least thrilling–that it’s simply facade paintings. This has been going down over at Yacht and Seashore Membership, and it’s totally conceivable Walt Disney Global will use the similar sources to switch and refresh the exteriors of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn whilst the development crews are already at Crescent Lake.
Significantly, the refurbishment announcements for Yacht and Seashore Membership point out that the ones hotels are “present process regimen external repairs” and that the “paintings would possibly have an effect on perspectives from quite a lot of places during the lodge, and from time to time, trade paths of commute is also in position.”
BoardWalk no longer having those main points does no longer definitively rule out external paintings, simply makes it much less most probably. Walt Disney Global is understood to submit obscure announcements now and again. It simply turns out like they might’ve copied and pasted over the Yacht & Seashore Membership announcements had been this necessarily an ‘extension’ of that paintings.
Some other chance is that Walt Disney Global is completing what it began with the 2022 reimagining. It was once by no means transparent to us whether or not the BoardWalk foyer was once in fact finished, or if Disney made up our minds to do a mild refresh and transfer on.
Excluding the check-in desks being changed via kiosks, no longer an entire lot modified. You won’t even understand the foyer gained a refresh, and we’d prevent smartly wanting calling it a redesign. It would appear abnormal to revisit this ~2 years after it was once formerly “finished,” however that’s exactly what came about with the Grand Floridian.
In reality, this complete announcement reminds us so much of that foyer overhaul, from the lengthy pause proper right down to the obscure bulletin that ended up entering clearer focal point per week or so later when Walt Disney Global issued a press free up and thought artwork for the Birdcage Bar. I don’t suppose BoardWalk gets some other foyer bar, however stranger issues have came about!
Then there are all the vacancies out alongside the true BoardWalk. Walt Disney Global formerly teased one thing new for the primary of those, however that was once smartly over a 12 months in the past and it appeared extra like one thing to placate enthusiasts than it did that they’d a real plan.
If you happen to neglected it, Giant River Grille & Brewing Works completely closed in early remaining 12 months. And it was once simple to omit, because the time from when the scoop broke to when the eating place closed was once actually just a few days. It was once abrupt, or even the workers who labored there didn’t know till the remaining minute.
A little bit over three hundred and sixty five days later, Jellyrolls Dueling Piano Bar closed in April 2025 after just about 30 years at the BoardWalk. In step with Jellyrolls control, the verdict was once made to transport to a brand new location in Orlando. This didn’t come as an enormous wonder, as Jellyrolls were suffering for some time and Walt Disney Global hire is costly.
But some other closure not too long ago hit this similar aspect of the BoardWalk, because the Prom Fantastic Artwork Gallery closed completely remaining month. No phrase but on a substitute for that, both. However it’s very telling that Walt Disney Global has had 3 companies pass bust at BoardWalk within the remaining 2 years, and several other extra sooner than that.
Each Giant River and Jellyrolls had been Walt Disney Global establishments of types, opening in 1996 along side the remainder of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Those vacancies are reasonably regarding for the ‘well being’ of that finish of the prom, the place Atlantic Dance Corridor is just about the lone survivor, and turns out to itself be placing on via just a thread.
To keep away from BoardWalk having lifeless mall vibes, Walt Disney Global truly wishes fill the void and reinvigorate the prom. This space was once as soon as situated as a secondary ‘vacation spot’ leisure district to Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) however has been allowed to languish through the years.
In the long run, our hope is this thriller mission comes to filling one of the crucial aforementioned vacancies. If this is the case, the obscure bulletin would make sense; Walt Disney Global is probably not in a position to announce the mission (particularly if it comes to a 3rd celebration) however they want to alert paying visitors to the possible disturbance.
However, I doubt they’re revisiting the foyer. It appears to be like implausible as-is, each from a thematic and freshness point of view. That is one case the place it sort of feels like a mild contact with the refurbishment there was once useful, as Walt Disney Global (neatly) took a don’t repair what isn’t damaged point of view. A minimum of, that also is my hope.
That is in fact one situation the place probably the most thrilling chance moves me as probably the most believable–new eating place(s) and/or retail. This bulletin is being posted no longer simply the similar month–however the similar week–that paintings is slated to start out.
That generally handiest occurs with pressing unscheduled repairs, and it’s exhausting to believe that there are previously-unknown, pressing maintenance which can be going to take a 12 months or extra. Somewhat, this turns out like Disney in the end simply struck a care for a 3rd celebration for one of the crucial vacancies, and so they need to get shifting on filling it ASAP. However as soon as once more, that is my hope.
Walt Disney Global truly must fill a couple of of the ones vacancies, and has wanted to take action for some time. So this being the thriller mission could be an late win. The losses of ESPN Membership and Abundant Hills Creamery at the different finish of the prom had been large blows, however no less than that aspect has been reinvigorated.
This culminated with the outlet of the Cake Bake Store Eating place via Gwendolyn Rogers, which was once arguable amongst diehard Walt Disney Global enthusiasts for its pricing, however has been an enormous hit with common visitors. That aspect of the BoardWalk feels alive once more.
Stroll a bit farther, and the other finish is lifeless. It’s time to start out the turnaround of Disney’s BoardWalk, respiring new existence into the prom with brand-new eating ideas and extra. Even with minimum parking, the BoardWalk is inside of strolling or boat distance of each EPCOT’s Global Gateway and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn may be hooked up to 1000’s of lodge rooms by the use of the Skyliner gondolas, and there are some other few thousand rooms which can be walkable within the Crescent Lake Hotel Space–a lot of which space high-spending conference visitors. The district may definitely suspect a brand new tenant or two, they simply want to be ideas that visitors in fact need.
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Your Ideas
Hope this building mission is to fill one of the crucial vacancies alongside the BoardWalk, or for one thing else? What’s maximum wanted within the Crescent Lake Hotel Space? Suppose one thing extra grownup would assist revive the BoardWalk, or will have to Disney focal point extra on family-friendly choices for BoardWalk? Any questions we will be able to let you solution? Listening to your comments—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas underneath within the feedback!
