Walt Disney Global has a number of building signals for Fresh Hotel and Bay Lake Tower, together with a brand new person who extends the continued refurbishment by way of some other ~16 months to 2027. That is the 2nd year-plus extension of this thriller challenge. This covers the newest updates to the lodge, plus our remark about what we are hoping to peer occur right through this long challenge.
Over the previous couple of years, Disney’s Fresh Hotel has change into one in every of our most popular puts to stick at Walt Disney Global–we mentioned the explanations for this in Our Favourite Resort for Disney Global Journeys as Oldsters with a Infant. That covers the various promoting issues of the Fresh and BLT, with essentially the most notable being its proximity to Magic Kingdom.
Extra not too long ago, we shared our Reimagined Bay Lake Tower Evaluation: Marvelous New Rooms at WDW’s Closest Hotel to Magic Kingdom! Because the identify suggests, this covers why we love the redone rooms at BLT. The “TL;DR” of each critiques is that those accommodations characteristic an improbable location and most commonly nice facilities. Additionally they be offering nice budget-friendly rooms; a few of which can be ugly-but-large, while others of which can be small yet fashionable and make the most of house smartly.
We now keep on the Fresh rather incessantly and BLT is as soon as once more coming into our common rotation at the Disney Holiday Membership aspect (even though you’re now not a member, it’s an improbable possibility for renting DVC issues to save cash). That is regardless of critical misgivings with the lodge, which has various obtrusive weaknesses that I’d actually love to peer corrected.
That is exactly why we’re gazing the Fresh Hotel ‘thriller’ building challenge, which Walt Disney Global has simply prolonged by way of some other complete 12 months. Let’s check out the development announcements, beginning with the present ones which might be correct as of November 29, 2025, adopted by way of the outdated/authentic ones that experience since been outmoded…
Present Fresh Building Indicators
January 26, 2026 Via Early Might 2026 (NOT NEW, BUT STILL ACCURATE) – The Bay Cove Pool, the Cove Bar, the water play space and the whirlpool spa at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Fresh Hotel will briefly be closed for repairs. The Bay Lake Pool, the characteristic pool, the water play space and the whirlpool spa at Disney’s Fresh Hotel will stay open for Visitors to revel in.
September 2024 Via Overdue 2027 (NEW) – Refurbishments will happen in stages all over make a choice spaces of Disney’s Fresh Hotel, together with the atrium and Bay Lake Tower. Visitors might also see and listen to building right through their keep.
The massive trade this is that the phased refurbishments all over Disney’s Fresh Hotel had been prolonged by way of 16+ months to Overdue 2027. That is now the second one extension for that challenge, which has additionally noticed it’s scope of labor tweaked somewhat. Distinction the above up to date building caution with the unique/outdated ones underneath…
Outdated Fresh Building Indicators
September 2024 Via Summer time 2025 (ORIGINAL) – Refurbishments will happen in make a choice spaces of Disney’s Fresh Hotel—together with Bay Lake Tower and the Conference Heart. Please permit for added commute time. Visitors might also see and listen to building right through their keep.
September 2024 Via July 2026 (OLD) – Refurbishments will happen in make a choice spaces of Disney’s Fresh Hotel—together with Bay Lake Tower. Please permit for added commute time. Visitors might also see and listen to building right through their keep.
September 2024 to September 2025 (COMPLETED) – Room refurbishment paintings will happen in Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Fresh Hotel. Throughout this time, Visitors will see and listen to building paintings all over Bay Lake Tower. Please permit overtime for commute as change paths could also be applied.
The problem right here is determining what this new realize from Walt Disney Global is even referencing. Via strategy of removing, we will rule out a couple of issues. The primary is a pool challenge, since that’s indexed one at a time and results in Might 2026. Differently, this will be the possibly candidate for a resort-wide realize impacting each the lodge aspect and DVC wing.
2d is the year-long Bay Lake Tower refurbishment, which wrapped up very not too long ago. Or a minimum of, so we expect. The fascinating wrinkle this is that the bulletin particularly says “and Bay Lake Tower.” Our perfect bet is that it is a remnant from when there was once paintings at BLT, and it simply hasn’t been dropped.
It’s additionally imaginable that some refurbishment to the average spaces of BLT was once driven off, and it merely gave the impression completed right through our contemporary keep. Or it may well be paintings at the grounds or spaces of the Fresh that may affect Bay Lake Tower visitors, even with out being inside of that wing of the lodge.
It’s additionally extremely not going that it is a room refurbishment challenge at the lodge aspect of Disney’s Fresh Hotel. The ‘Incredibles Injection’ came about in 2020-2021 in the principle development, and the next 12 months within the Lawn Wing. The ones rooms have garnered blended critiques, nevertheless it’d be untimely for even a comfortable items refurbishment.
It may well be one thing that affects the waterfront, strolling paths, or different not unusual space facilities shared by way of BLT and the Contempo. The least fascinating or thrilling clarification is infrastructure paintings that leads to a little bit of noise or visible blight within the car parking zone, yet doesn’t quantity to a lot distinction within the visitor revel in or yield any tangible growth when it’s completed in 2027.
It’s most likely price noting that Disney’s Fresh Hotel is over 50 years outdated, and the development itself would possibly want structural paintings or “invisible” repairs. Air quotes round invisible as a result of visitors wouldn’t be capable of see the end result of that during a sooner than vs. after comparability, however the building crews for this kind of challenge would very a lot be visual for the following two years.
After all, there’s the likelihood that that is lengthy past due aesthetic paintings to the Grand Canyon Concourse. That is the A-frame atrium, that means it’s the average space that’s house to eating places, retail and different shared facilities for each Bay Lake Tower and Disney’s Fresh Hotel.
There’s a practical chance that that is the thriller challenge. Astute eyes will realize the addition of the atrium to the most recent building caution, which was once now not in earlier variations of the bulletin. Despite the fact that it’s imaginable that that is simply the kind of invisible paintings mentioned above, I’m skeptical that Walt Disney Global would adopt a 2+ 12 months building challenge that affects visitors within the atrium, yet with none tangible or visual aesthetic enhancements. That’s incredible.
You could be skeptical that Walt Disney Global would revisit the Fresh after “completing” the overhaul again in Fall 2021. However did they actually end? That challenge was once slated to be completed in time for Walt Disney Global’s fiftieth Anniversary, and ended up being a race in opposition to the clock. Our on-the-ground commentary was once that they completed beautiful abruptly with a purpose to steer clear of running at the Fresh right through the fiftieth.
This wouldn’t be the primary time Walt Disney Global has hit pause on tasks on the lodges for extended sessions of time. Maximum significantly, there’s the Grand Floridian foyer, which is now wrapping up after the remainder of the lodge was once completed. There was once a virtually 18-month hole from the of completion of the rooms to begin of labor at the foyer.
We not too long ago shared our take at the Grand Floridian’s overhaul in our Evaluation: Walt Disney Global’s Flagship Resort After all Suits Its Standing & Sky-Top Costs. The identify there roughly says all of it–that the Grand Floridian major development overhaul is a large improve that makes it really feel like a bona fide luxurious lodge. There’s much more to the tale than that, yet suffice to mention, we are hoping the Fresh will get its personal model of that challenge.
That will make sense! There’s nonetheless a little bit of labor being finished at Grand Floridian, yet as soon as the vacation season is over, it will be logical for those self same building crews to transport over to the Fresh. Walt Disney Global frequently reallocates sources from one lodge refurbishment to some other in virtually precisely this fashion.
I’m hoping that is what it’s. This weblog has been bemoaning the datedness and simply common ugliness of the Grand Canyon Concourse for years. Lengthy sooner than the Incredibles Injection even started, and we’ve persevered complaining about this because the foyer overhaul that’s been sorely wanted. If truth be told, in the event you’re a normal reader, you’ll be able to most likely skip the remainder of this put up–it’s not anything we haven’t mentioned sooner than.
The Grand Canyon Concourse is solely embarrassing at this level. It’s simply the worst atrium a few of the flagship Deluxe Inns. There’s no excuse for Walt Disney Global now not redoing it again in 2020-2021 when occupancy was once low and so they had the chance sooner than Walt Disney Global’s fiftieth Anniversary. It have been taking a look tough for a complete decade at that time.
Not anything higher encapsulates the visible hodgepodge of the Fresh higher than the above photograph (excuse the scrims–they’re outdated footage, yet nonetheless utterly consultant of the way the Grand Canyon Concourse lately seems to be).
On this shot, there are 5 other types of carpet and four various kinds of tiles–and that’s now not counting the planned development alternatives across the buffet at Chef Mickey’s. All probably put in right through other tasks through the years.
If you happen to had been to face within the middle of the hallway above Grand Canyon Concourse, it’s good to rely much more disparate types, because the more than a few present retail outlets at the different aspect have their very own types, as does the middle of the atrium.
Upload the ones to the other types within the hallways across the visitor rooms, and you’ve got a few dozen carpet patterns. I’m a large fan of patterns and textures, yet now not like this. Then there’s the Fantasia present store, which was once simply plopped into the middle to extend earnings in keeping with sq. foot, and desires to move.
The eating places at the different aspect aren’t significantly better. Despite the fact that Contempo Cafe is one in every of our favourite fast provider eating places at Walt Disney Global, the design of the eating place is not anything particular–it seems to be drained and its handiest redeeming qualities are the monorail and Mary Blair mural overhead. It’s a an identical tale with Chef Mickey’s; this is the maximum iconic persona eating revel in at Walt Disney Global, yet one that point has handed by way of.
The Grand Canyon Concourse seems to be drained, dated, and visually chaotic. It’s an unpleasant patchwork of eras, with its taste proceeding to age and litter frequently added. Sarcastically, it’s most likely the least recent lodge at Walt Disney Global, with little or no modernity in its taste.
There’s no coherent aesthetic to the Grand Canyon Concourse. Its present “taste” is the results of Disney’s Fresh Hotel having visible litter added over the many years, with an increasing number of stuff (PG time period) collecting through the years with none overarching imaginative and prescient.
It’s if truth be told a little bit ironic that it’s known as the Grand Canyon Concourse, since the layers of litter are very just like the sedimentary rock layers within the Grand Canyon. Apart from grotesque as an alternative of awe-inspiring. Minor element.
Many Walt Disney Global lovers view the Fresh in the course of the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia. I can’t consider being a first-timer with little wisdom of or historical past with this lodge, reserving it in line with the “Fresh” title and paying over $1,000 in keeping with night time to stick within the A-frame. To mention I’d be most likely be dissatisfied could be a colossal understatement.
The excellent news is that the blueprint for an overhaul to the Grand Canyon Concourse already exists! Again forward of the fiftieth Anniversary, Walt Disney Global redid the principle foyer and check-in space and it’s stunning.
The brand new-look looby takes a undying mid-century trendy taste and combines that with a selection of trendy artwork items, Mary Blair-inspired design, and ancient, behind-the-scenes pictures of Disney’s Fresh Hotel in building and below building. It wasn’t that bold of an overhaul–it was once achieved beautiful temporarily–and but, it made an international of distinction.
The Fresh’s new foyer seems to be remarkable. It emulates Disneyland Resort with a pitch-perfect mixture of nostalgia and swish stylization. The Fresh Hotel’s foyer now has character. As a substitute of taking a look like a vaguely trendy design from the 2000s, it’s imbued with a pointy mid-century trendy taste. It’s distinctly Disney and can age a long way higher than chasing present traits.
This marriage of a undying trendy aesthetic together with distinctly Disney artwork and decor makes for a successful mixture. That is the very best rebuttal to the entire speak about how the Fresh is a conceptually-flawed lodge (a variation of the Tomorrowland drawback) that can not be “fastened.” Sure, it could possibly–and right here’s how!
I can’t say sufficient advantageous issues about what Disney did right here. I really like the foyer up to I dislike the Grand Canyon Concourse, and the previous is proof-positive that trendy Disney may just redo the latter and hit it out of the park.
They had been status at the precipice of greatness with the lodge overhaul again in 2021, and I actually assume what averted the Grand Canyon Concourse from being a part of that was once a loss of time. Or most likely in-fighting about whether or not it must be some other Incredibles-injection or Disneyland Resort-inspired?
I do in finding it very fascinating that the a lot more contemporary Bay Lake Tower room refurbishment (above) pulls from the playbook of the foyer overhaul versus extending the Incredibles Injection. Our sturdy suspicion is that, even if they had been finished round the similar time, the foyer idea got here later.
Walt Disney Global first constructed check rooms for the Incredibles overhaul again in Summer time 2019, sooner than that challenge was once behind schedule a few occasions. It’s totally imaginable that the verdict to do the Incredibles rooms at the lodge aspect was once made by way of one regime, and a next one opted for the Mary Blair taste within the foyer.
This is able to give an explanation for why a an identical taste was once utilized in BLT, and in addition why the atrium wasn’t redone again in 2021. The foyer redo was once an incredibly rapid challenge, however the Grand Canyon Concourse couldn’t had been overhauled within the span of a pair months. So as an alternative, most likely the challenge was once driven off till after the Polynesian and Grand Floridian.
To be transparent, that is all theorizing on my section. But it surely’s the kind of factor that passes the odor check simply in figuring out how Walt Disney Global plans those tasks, the in-fighting that may happen, and many others. Perhaps it’s simply wishful considering, even though!
In the long run, my trustworthy hope is that the foyer was once merely an ordeal run for grandiose plans for the Grand Canyon Concourse and that is what’s deliberate for building lasting via Overdue 2027. It’s just about that, grounds enhancements or front infrastructure paintings. Whilst the latter most likely must occur, so too does a Grand Canyon Concourse overhaul.
We must know extra main points rather quickly. It’s not unusual for Walt Disney Global to do scheduling like this on the finish of the 12 months, and we’ve already noticed primary additions to the 2026-2027 Hotel Refurbishments & Resort Building Calendar at Walt Disney Global. The aim of doing the scheduling now’s giving visitors a heads up sooner than reserving journeys subsequent 12 months.
This if truth be told comprises some other thriller challenge, over at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Either one of those tasks have super upside and are coming as sources may just conceivably shift from different within sight lodge tasks which might be wrapping up. The massive distinction is that there’s problem possibility with BoardWalk, which already has an excellent foyer. Against this, I don’t actually see Walt Disney Global “messing up” anything else on the Fresh. Apart from the development blight, this challenge is all upside.
Disney’s Fresh Hotel already has distinctive structure and the monorail gliding in the course of the atrium–if it changed into a love letter to the Holiday Kingdom of the Global with a undying mid-century trendy aesthetic, it will be a Walt Disney Global fan-favorite–simply as is the case with Disneyland Resort in California!
Making plans a Walt Disney Global travel? Know about lodges on our Walt Disney Global Motels Opinions web page. For the place to consume, learn our Walt Disney Global Eating place Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to shop for, learn our Pointers for Saving Cash on Walt Disney Global Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular have a look at artful pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney Global Trip Guides will lend a hand. For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to begin is our Walt Disney Global Shuttle Making plans Information for the whole lot you wish to have to understand!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you recall to mind the development alert via Overdue 2027 at Disney’s Fresh Hotel? Any guesses as to what this thriller challenge may well be? Hopeful that the Grand Canyon Concourse will obtain an overhaul similar to the foyer? Do you assume the lodge is dated and drained, or nonetheless has a modern setting? Do you compromise or disagree with our review? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we will let you solution? Listening to your comments–even whilst you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas underneath within the feedback!
