As lined currently, Refurbishment Season is in Complete Power at Walt Disney International. Wintry weather is a commonplace time for experience closures and lodge repairs tasks, and there are a number of that simply began or have been currently calendared.
With regards to the inns, the massive ones this time of yr are typically swimming pools. This is sensible, as chilly climate makes swimming pools much less fascinating in iciness. And naturally, there are rolling room refurbishments, facade tasks, and the whole lot else. See our checklist of 2026-2027 Resort Development & Refurbishments at Walt Disney International for a rundown.
Resort tasks are introduced reasonably a long way prematurely to supply enough understand in order that visitors can transfer motels or make room requests. Every of the closing two years, there were numerous those tasks scheduled in November, with simplest minor updates thereafter.
The largest exception to this is swimming pools–the ones appear to be scheduled both a complete yr prematurely or a couple of days prematurely, with little in-between. And the latter most often happens when both the elements gifts a window of alternative or there’s pressing, unplanned repairs.
Along with the unsurprising trio of pool closures that Walt Disney International simply added to the calendar, they’ve additionally added a couple of restaurant-related tasks. We lined the extra impactful of those in Two of Disney International’s Perfect Eating places Remaining for Multi-Month Adjustments in 2026, which relates to long refreshes of Yachtsman Steakhouse and Workforce’s Cup Front room at Disney’s Yacht Membership Lodge.
As of late, we now have new understand of a challenge on the Polynesian, which can have an effect on fan-favorite ‘Ohana:
Starting January 15, 2026, parts of Disney’s Polynesian Village Lodge will go through external repairs. All over this time, perspectives of the Seven Seas Lagoon from ‘Ohana is also partly or utterly obstructed. We ask for forgiveness for any inconvenience.
That bulletin isn’t fairly correct, in that the outside repairs didn’t simply get started a few days in the past. Moderately, it simply moved to this sort of place across the Nice Ceremonial Area that it has the possible to hinder ‘Ohana.
Right here’s the total bulletin for Disney’s Polynesian Village Lodge:
From Might 2025 via 2026, some spaces of the Disney’s Polynesian Village Lodge and Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows are being refurbished. This paintings comprises the reconfiguration of the entrance front roadway and bus space.
Whilst building process shall be noticeable throughout daylight hours hours, efforts shall be made to reduce disruptions. All Lodge eating, swimming pools and facilities will stay to be had. Moreover, some perspectives of the theme parks and different surrounding spaces is also impacted. Please permit for added trip time when arriving at or leaving the Lodge.
A ways and away the most important part of this challenge is the reconfiguration of the entrance front. All over a contemporary keep within the Island Tower, our room overpassed this paintings, and it used to be a large building zone. This new front to the Polynesian additionally affects the automobile parking space and bus loop, and there’s main paintings being executed to re-route and make bigger Floridian Method.
That’s no longer all, regardless that. During the last a number of months, we’ve observed every other external paintings happening. All over that very same keep on the Island Tower, we spotted roof paintings at the adjoining Aotearoa Longhouse; crews additionally utterly rebuilt the outside staircase.
I’m no longer positive whether or not they’ve moved directly to different longhouses or if it used to be merely Aotearoa that wanted further consideration. I didn’t assume to take footage, however I appear to recall different roofs having flags up suggesting they may well be subsequent up. No longer that this in reality issues to the ‘Ohana challenge; however truthfully, I’m additionally no longer positive what’s occurring across the GCH, or how lengthy it’ll closing.
As for ‘Ohana, we first won a heads up about this challenge from a reader with an Advance Eating Reservation later this month who won an e-mail with the awareness. There’s no indication as to how lengthy the paintings impacting the perspectives from ‘Ohana will closing. I’d be curious to grasp if somebody else with upcoming ADRs at ‘Ohana did or didn’t obtain the awareness.
Even though that wouldn’t essentially be conclusive of challenge dates, it might give us a window into Walt Disney International’s considering with this challenge. It is also utterly meaningless–they may’ve despatched a blast to everybody with ‘Ohana ADRs within the subsequent 60+10 days, although the challenge is simplest more likely to closing a few weeks. We in reality don’t have any clue.
The inevitable query with a challenge like that is whether or not you must steer clear of ‘Ohana because of the development. That more or less is dependent.
In our recently-updated checklist of the Perfect Eating places with Magic Kingdom Fireworks Perspectives, we wrote the next of ‘Ohana:
Something that’s continuously overpassed about ‘Ohana is that it’s the objectively-best eating place at Walt Disney International for Magic Kingdom fireworks viewing. It’s lovely just about a dead-on view, which means the display is just about targeted. The huge bursts from the fireworks outdoor Magic Kingdom do seem a little to the left of Cinderella Fort, however simplest somewhat.
The truth–no less than what we’ve skilled–isn’t fairly as just right. Since that is essentially the most family-friendly eating place in this checklist, call for for window tables this is the easiest. This implies requests for window seats are much less more likely to be fulfilled, which means you must arrive previous if you need a assured window desk. It additionally signifies that if you happen to do success out and get a window desk, don’t be stunned if you happen to achieve new “relations” participants as soon as the fireworks get started.
For my part, I don’t view ‘Ohana as nice fireworks view eating place, although it’s on paper. We don’t dine there for the perspectives; on the contrary, we prefer completing prior to Luckily Ever After begins in order that we will watch from in other places on the lodge.
For the closing ~5 years, this weblog’s place has been that ‘Ohana is puffed up. With that mentioned, there are causes to dine at ‘Ohana, whether or not you’re a first-timer or longtime fan. And if any of the ones follow to you, my view is that the view doesn’t in reality subject.
Principally, that if it made sense so that you can consume at ‘Ohana prior to this obstruction information…it nonetheless does. This doesn’t transfer the needle come what may, apart from possibly in borderline circumstances the place the view used to be a large a part of the enchantment and you could possibly’ve made a desk request.
As all the time, we now have two suggestions for somebody in need of an ‘Ohana choice: Sebastian’s Bistro and Wailulu Bar & Grill.
The latter is positioned within the within sight Island Tower and has a greater view of the fireworks and extra somewhat priced delicacies. With regards to eating places we revisit, Wailulu Bar & Grill within the Island Tower is our present favourite at Walt Disney International. I’d counsel Wailulu over ‘Ohana even within the absence of this information.
Sebastian’s Bistro isn’t a fireworks view eating place within the conventional sense of the time period, however we now have observed the EPCOT pyro from right here prior to. We like Sebastian’s Bistro as a culinary counterpart to ‘Ohana, and our most up-to-date evaluation just about tells the tale: Sebastian’s Bistro is Higher, Less expensive & More straightforward Than ‘Ohana!
Either one of those eating places make our checklist of the 26 Perfect Eating places at Walt Disney International for 2026. ‘Ohana does no longer. Make your ADRs accordingly…or no longer! A large number of enthusiasts love ‘Ohana, and can argue that it’s nice presently and no longer simply resting on its laurels. We plan on revisiting ‘Ohana someday in 2026 for a contemporary evaluation.
Making plans a Walt Disney International commute? Know about inns on our Walt Disney International Resorts Opinions web page. For the place to consume, learn our Walt Disney International Eating place Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to shop for, learn our Guidelines for Saving Cash on Walt Disney International Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel have a look at artful pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney International Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to begin is our Walt Disney International Shuttle Making plans Information for the whole lot you want to grasp!
Your Ideas
Do you e-book ‘Ohana for its fireworks or Magic Kingdom view? Or do you compromise that obstructions at ‘Ohana don’t in reality transfer the needle on whether or not to consume there? Any questions we will assist you to resolution? Listening to comments about your reviews is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas underneath within the feedback!
