To paraphrase the corporate’s founder, Walt Disney International’s flagship lodge refurbishment won’t ever be finished so long as there are lace doilies left on the planet. After in the past 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 newest.
This has been relatively the venture, quickly getting into its fourth CEO tenure. It in truth began in a while earlier than the closure of Walt Disney International with the Good looks and the Beast front room, and persevered in a while after reopening with extra eating place reimaginings. Then with the pause of what’s now Disney Lakeshore Hotel, the corporate made up our minds it “wanted” extra Disney Holiday Membership issues to promote, resulting in the DVC overhaul of the Large Pine Key development in 2022.
Following that, the entire outlying structures within the resort have been redone in a equivalent taste via 2023. Then there used to be an roughly two-year pause for causes nonetheless unknown, earlier than Walt Disney International resumed paintings in earnest at the major development overhaul closing spring. That culminated closing Christmas, with the grand opening of the Birdcage Bar and extra.
The excellent news is that the Grand Floridian is now not a development zone. A minimum of, now not for now. There are a selection of the way the Grand Floridian now appears to be like and feels recent, and is as soon as once more worthy of being regarded as the crown jewel of WDW accommodations. See our Overview: Walt Disney International’s Flagship Lodge After all Suits Its Standing & Sky-Top Costs.
With the debut of the Birdcage Bar, only some exceptional parts of the overhaul remained, and Walt Disney International up to date the development caution for Grand Floridian. Right here’s how that regarded as of November throughout the closing week:
As a part of the continued improvements at Disney’s Grand Floridian Lodge & Spa, refurbishment paintings will proceed in make a choice spaces via mid-2026. Visitors would possibly see or listen paintings all through sunlight hours hours. Efforts might be made to attenuate disruptions, and maximum swimming pools, eating, and different facilities will stay to be had for Visitors to revel in.
As renovations proceed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Lodge & Spa, the gingerbread show might not be to be had all through the 2025 vacation season.
Speedy-forward to the primary week of February 2026, and Walt Disney International has up to date the development caution once more. Right here’s the brand new one:
Renovations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Lodge & Spa will proceed in make a choice spaces, together with the porte cochere, via early 2027. Visitors would possibly see or listen refurbishment paintings all through sunlight hours hours or wish to take exchange paths of shuttle.
The excellent news is that we don’t seem to be anticipating main visitor revel in affects on account of this venture. The foyer is materially completed, and the one explanation why we’ve added the ‘materially’ weasel phrase is as a result of, technically, Lawn View Living room hasn’t reopened and Grand Floridian Cafe is lobby-adjacent (see under for extra on each).
However for all intents and functions, the true foyer is finished. It’s not likely anything else main will occur right here excluding Grand Floridian Cafe, when you even depend that. The rooms also are totally completed, so it’s extremely not likely the ones or some other eating places might be touched. From a visitor point of view, your keep is not likely to be adversely impacted in a big approach by way of all of this.
Let’s talk about what paintings does stay exceptional on the Grand Floridian, and doable affects from now via 2027…
Porte Cochere
Whilst the bulletin signifies “make a choice spaces” (plural) might be renovated via early 2027, the porte cochere is the one one referred to as out by way of title. It’s thus beautiful secure to mention this is likely one of the better, if now not the most important, venture that’ll happen all through the added ~6 months of the overhaul.
It would simply be accident, nevertheless it certain turns out like there’s a porte cochere group and check-in table group competing with one some other to look who can spend essentially the most cash. Rebuilding porte cocheres probably prices much more, so my cash is on that group. Joking apart, it’s a fascinating window into present priorities and tool at Walt Disney International. It’s interesting what number of of initiatives of this nature had been greenlit within the closing a number of years.
We simply noticed the partial rebuilding of the porte cochere at Disney’s Seashore Membership Lodge. This venture didn’t garner a large number of protection, nevertheless it used to be beautiful bold for what used to be categorised a refurbishment. It’ll be attention-grabbing to look whether or not the Grand Floridian porte cochere is the same in scope and scale.
Frankly, essentially the most disruptive a part of the Seashore Membership porte cochere venture used to be the timing. It used to be in large part accomplished all through the summer season via early fall, and pushing arrivals farther clear of the entrance front into an exposed house all through the freshest and rainiest time used to be now not preferrred.
If Grand Floridian’s porte cochere will wish to shut all through development, my honest hope is this venture both begins instantly or that they wait till like October. With a bit of luck it doesn’t wish to shut within the first position, even though, as that would additionally affect the monorail station and there’s no indication (but?) that’s going to occur.
Gingerbread Space
Again when the foyer reimagining and the Birdcage Bar have been introduced, Walt Disney International additionally published that there could be No Gingerbread Space at Grand Floridian for Christmas closing yr. Disney in most cases begins development this life-sized fit to be eaten advent in mid-October, so it made sense that it wouldn’t seem.
Alternatively, it’s been our suspicion from the start that the Gingerbread Space would by no means go back to the foyer. As mentioned in that submit, it’s now not an enormous hit with everybody. No longer simplest that, however the foyer is already busy because of the Birdcage Bar; bringing again the Gingerbread Space would make it really feel extremely cramped, crowded, and chaotic.
Our hope is that the Gingerbread Space returns to the Grand Floridian Conference Middle at Christmas 2026, nevertheless it wouldn’t marvel us if that does occur. What’ll be attention-grabbing to look is whether or not this development extension is used as justification for now not bringing it again. Truthfully, we’re additionally effective with one of the most extra far-flung accommodations getting love.
Lawn View Living room
The Lawn View Living room has been closed since March 2020, and is after all reopening 6 years after remaining, with new touches from Alice in Wonderland and a refreshed inside.
Walt Disney International has now introduced that the Lawn View Living room will reopen on March 19, 2026. Advance Eating Reservations will open on February 19, 2026. That is certain to be well-liked, so get your ADRs ASAP when you’re .
Should you ignored it, Walt Disney International not too long ago posted the overall menu, and the Tea Revel in will price $79 consistent with grownup or $49 consistent with kid. That’s dear, nevertheless it’s in truth rather much less dear than we predicted. Lower than Cake Bake Store!
It’s additionally value noting that paintings on Lawn View Living room is materially completed and has been since overdue closing yr, so not one of the ongoing development pertains to that. The extend in reopening seems to be associated with staffing and coaching of Solid Participants, now not the distance itself.
Grand Floridian Cafe
Even supposing the porte cochere is referenced immediately within the new development bulletin, it’s worded in this type of approach that it’s one instance of ongoing development (“make a choice spaces, together with…” as adverse a observation particular to the porte cochere). We absolutely be expecting that the opposite major make a choice house, that Walt Disney International simply isn’t able to announce for no matter explanation why, is Grand Floridian Cafe.
That is not anything new. As we’ve been pronouncing for some time, one closing piece of the puzzle after the Lawn View Living room reopens is Grand Floridian Cafe. It actually stands out within the redone resort, taking a look like a vestige from a unique technology (the Nineties, now not the Victorian technology).
With Lawn View Living room reopening, I wonder whether the lodge will after all take Grand Floridian Cafe offline for an inside refresh. Truthfully, I additionally wouldn’t thoughts a menu replace–as long as my loved Buttermilk-Fried Hen remains. (On the very least, deliver again the Lobster Thermidor Burger.)
Realistically, essentially the most logical time to near Grand Floridian Cafe for refurbishment is after the Spring Smash rush. We have been in the past skeptical that this timeline could be believable whilst nonetheless completing the overhaul by way of mid-2026. The extension via early 2027 makes that a lot more life like.
This is able to simply be completed by way of reimagining Grand Floridian Cafe between mid-April and mid-October. We believe that to be concerning the optimum window for dropping this fan-favorite mid-tier desk provider eating place. Right here’s hoping Walt Disney International is of the same opinion!
In the end, we’re cautiously constructive about the rest of the Grand Floridian reimagining, as a complete. Walt Disney International’s flagship resort has been modernized well, with a excellent steadiness of magnificence, sophistication, allure, and whimsy. It after all feels worthy of its standing–and price ticket.
The venture’s extension via early 2027 is a little disappointing from the point of view of additional dragging out a venture that has already been happening for an extended, very long time. However we additionally be expecting this to most commonly revolve across the porte cochere, with the foyer now not being impacted, except you depend Grand Floridian Cafe (probably) remaining and being closed off.
The secret is that, except there’s an sudden announcement from out of left box, we don’t be expecting the continued overhaul on the Grand Floridian to affect the visitor revel in (excluding when arriving by way of automotive and primary unloading baggage) at any level between now and 2027. We’d now not hesitate to stick at Walt Disney International’s flagship lodge; on the contrary, we as soon as once more extremely counsel it!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas at the overhaul to Walt Disney International’s flagship lodge as soon as once more being prolonged, this time to early 2027? What do you are expecting to be added to the scope of labor all through that additional ~6 months? Have you ever stayed on the Grand Floridian for the reason that foyer overhaul? Do you settle or disagree with our overview? Different ideas or issues? Any questions we will be able to can help you solution? Listening to your comments–even whilst you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas under within the feedback!
