Walt Disney Global has introduced the ultimate date for the fan-favorite Grand Floridian Cafe, which can quickly go through a 3-month eating place reimagining as a part of an overhaul to the flagship hotel now scheduled to conclude in 2027. Listed here are dates, main points & brunch adjustments all over the refurbishment.
The Grand Floridian Lodge reimagining has been a long undertaking, coming into its fourth CEO tenure with Josh D’Amaro now on the helm (Iger, Chapek, Iger, D’Amaro). It all started sooner than the COVID closure of Walt Disney Global with the Attractiveness and the Beast front room, adopted via Citricos round reopening, after which room reimaginings and main refurbishments to the outer constructions.
The undertaking culminated ultimate Christmas, with the debut of the hot foyer, opening of the Birdcage Bar. With the reimagined Lawn View Living room in the end reopened this spring after a 6-year closure, just one eating place remained: Grand Floridian Cafe. And now, that too will quickly be reimagined. There are a selection of the way the Grand Floridian now appears to be like and feels contemporary, and is as soon as once more worthy of being regarded as the crown jewel of WDW accommodations. See our Overview: Walt Disney Global’s Flagship Resort In spite of everything Suits Its Standing & Sky-Prime Costs.
As of June 2026, right here’s the development caution bulletin for the Grand Floridian by way of Walt Disney Global:
Renovations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Lodge & Spa will proceed in make a choice spaces, together with the coated front, via early 2027.
As a part of this paintings, from mid-July via October 2026, Grand Floridian Cafe will briefly shut for a refresh. All over this time, brunch will proceed to be presented however will briefly transfer to Cítricos. All different eating places at Disney’s Grand Floridian Lodge & Spa will stay to be had for Visitors to revel in. Visitors might see or listen refurbishment paintings all over daylight hours and might want to take exchange paths of shuttle.
We’ve affirmation of the Grand Floridian Cafe’s ultimate date, in conjunction with main points for brunch at Citricos…
Grand Floridian Cafe Ultimate Date
Grand Floridian Cafe now has a showed ultimate date, courtesy of the Walt Disney Global eating reservation device and eating place hours. This unearths that the mid-tier desk provider eating place’s ultimate day serving dinner can be July 19, 2026. Grand Floridian Cafe can be closed as of July 20, 2026.
Right here’s the calendar for Grand Floridian Cafe from now via July 19, 2026:
- Brunch – 7:30 AM to two:00 PM
- Dinner – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Right here’s the calendar for Grand Floridian Cafe from July 20, 2026 via a minimum of August 8, 2026:
- Brunch – 7:30 AM to two:00 PM
- No Dinner
As famous above, the refurbishment runs via October 2026, so there’s no reason why to be expecting hours to seem for dinner anytime quickly. The explanation brunch hours are nonetheless indexed, however no longer dinner, is as a result of best brunch is transferring to Citricos. Talking of which…
Citricos Brunch
As famous within the building bulletin, brunch “at” Grand Floridian Cafe can be relocated upstairs to Citricos. It’s secure to be expecting that shift to start out on July 20, 2026 given the top of dinner provider on that very same date.
Brunch is continuous however dinner isn’t as a result of there aren’t any different same old desk provider choices for breakfast or lunch on the Grand Floridian, while there are a lot of dinners. The one different selection within the morning hours is 1900 Park Fare, and that’s a personality meal.
The entire Signature Eating places are open best for dinner and, probably, are seen as enough choices. Now not best that, however with the ones areas all in use for dinner, there’s no open venue for relocating Grand Floridian Cafe’s menu within the night hours.
It was once a identical tale a couple of years in the past when the Wave was once reimagined into Steakhouse 71. All over that point, Walt Disney Global relocated that breakfast and brunch menu upstairs to California Grill. We did that breakfast a couple of occasions, profiting from the chance for a $30 to $45 meal (for 2) in one among our favourite settings in all of Walt Disney Global.
The shift from Grand Floridian Cafe to Citricos isn’t just about as excessive. You’re simply transferring up one flooring right into a more recent eating room with slightly-elevated perspectives. The Mary Poppins-inspired eating room is sweet, however it’s no longer like going from the windowless basement to the rooftop, as was once the case with the Wave’s brunch at California Grill.
Nonetheless, I’ll be doing the brunch at Citricos for the sake of Very Essential Analysis, and can file again with a evaluation of the revel in. On the identical time, my wager is that it’ll comport with expectancies, which is the present menu in a brand new environment.
It’ll virtually definitely be the similar meals, served barely upper up. Brunch at Grand Floridian Cafe is excellent, so I like to recommend it on that foundation, however it’s no longer a ‘drop the whole thing and ebook this ADR’ must-do as was once the case with the Wave to California Grill.
I’d like to be improper and for this to be a Signature-caliber brunch, as we’ve misplaced such a lot of of the ones through the years. I’m in truth a bit of shocked that neither Citricos nor Narcoossee’s do brunch. Even with desk provider eating place call for at the decline, Grand Floridian Cafe is incessantly slammed within the mornings. I may just see the next finish brunch doing unusually smartly, particularly given the loss of pageant.
When Will Grand Floridian Cafe Reopen?
The massive query is when will Grand Floridian Cafe reopen? This undertaking moves me as one being accomplished on a relatively tight timeline, particularly given all the paintings that must be accomplished to refresh the inner. That would take a complete 3 months, if no longer longer.
Nonetheless, mid-October nonetheless moves me as a most probably goal date. Columbus Day weekend is the kickoff of Fall Spoil, and generally the beginning of a 3-month stretch that’s profitable for accommodations and eating places at Walt Disney Global. Good judgment and right kind undertaking control would dictate ranging from that focus on and dealing backwards to decide the ultimate date. Summer time isn’t as busy, so there’s truly no distinction between ultimate on June 20 vs. July 20, 2026.
Having Grand Floridian Cafe reopen via October 9, 2026 would be the purpose if in any respect conceivable. If that isn’t achievable, we’ll query why the eating place didn’t simply shut previous. Having it open for as a lot of October as conceivable makes a lot more sense than holding it open for many of July.
There are nonetheless no promises. With the tendency of tasks to be not on time and reputedly tight timeline, I wouldn’t financial institution at the eating place reopening till the weekend sooner than Veterans Day, round more or less November 6, 2026. That’s when Birdcage Bar cushy opened ultimate 12 months, for reference.
The hot button is that you simply must plan for Grand Floridian Cafe to reopen via November 6, 2026 with the rest sooner than that handled as a nice marvel. Despite the fact that the logical goal is Fall Spoil, it is a lovely bold overhaul and we’ve observed the ones be not on time even with out as tight of turnaround occasions.
Grand Floridian Cafe Closure Remark
It’s nice to peer Walt Disney Global in the end announce a refresh to the Grand Floridian Cafe. This isn’t unexpected; the only ultimate piece of the puzzle after the Lawn View Living room reopened is Grand Floridian Cafe.
I do know Grand Floridian Cafe has a legion of dependable enthusiasts, a few of whom are going to hate to listen to this, however it’s time. It’s past time. The eating place truly stands out within the redone lodge, searching like a vestige from a special technology.
Grand Floridian Cafe feels dated. And no longer in the way in which a Victorian design is inherently dated-looking. It’s as though some decorations appear to be they had been pulled from the way pages of a 1993 factor of Nation Dwelling Mag. It does no longer ring a bell in me of the informal desk provider eating place at Walt Disney Global’s flagship hotel; it’s a fancier, less-cluttered and extra Victorian Cracker Barrel.
There’s so much happening in the case of floral patterns, textures, wallpaper, and furniture this is much less harking back to a Victorian meets fashionable Floridian design and extra like a old fashioned however prosperous farmhouse accomplished up in a Victorian taste.
Admittedly, there’s additionally a definite attraction to Grand Floridian Cafe. It’s imbued with a definite ‘Florida’ high quality to the gap that’s tricky for me to articulate. Perhaps the rustic taste, herbal gentle, and Victorian prospers give it the standard of a family-run mattress & breakfast?
In equity, Grand Floridian Cafe may be comfortable and comforting, particularly at the uncommon quiet mornings or overdue nights. It’s like coming house once more, so it’s simple to peer why such a lot of longtime WDW enthusiasts adore it and feature sentimentality for it. On the identical time, my review of this area after I first reviewed it just about 15 years in the past was once that it was once badly dated. It has no longer elderly like superb wine since. I’m very able for a metamorphosis, even supposing I now have a cushy spot for the (once more, badly dated) area.
Be expecting new carpet, curtains, tables and chairs, decorations and detail-work. My best possible wager is that we’re searching at an overhaul on par with Lawn View Living room in terms of the new-look Grand Floridian Cafe.
The one wildcard is whether or not Disney tries to weave in some IP. If this is the case, I’d nonetheless be expecting that to be at the refined aspect. Whilst I’m superb with a tasteful replace and no characters, I additionally wouldn’t whinge if Grand Floridian Cafe were given a gentle Aristocats integration. A host of pussycat fixtures and stained glass sounds groovy to me, and it’s such an underrated film without a illustration at Walt Disney Global.
Truthfully, I additionally wouldn’t thoughts a menu replace–as long as my loved Buttermilk-Fried Rooster remains. On the very least, deliver again the Lobster Thermidor Burger.
In the long run, we’re cautiously constructive about the rest of the hotel reimagining, and particularly Grand Floridian Cafe. Walt Disney Global’s flagship lodge has been modernized effectively, with a excellent stability of class, sophistication, attraction, and whimsy. It in the end feels worthy of its standing and price.
The undertaking’s extension via early 2027 is a bit of disappointing from the standpoint of additional dragging out a undertaking that has already been happening for an extended, very long time. However I visited the Grand Floridian over the weekend en path to the Polynesian, and there was once no noticeable paintings at the hotel aspect. Simply the coming space. Dropping Grand Floridian Cafe for a couple of months will undoubtedly put pressure at the different eating places, however brunch at Citricos must maintain the worst of 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 day by day visitor revel in at any level after arrival between now and 2027. We might no longer hesitate to stick at Walt Disney Global’s flagship hotel; on the contrary, we as soon as once more extremely suggest it!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be reserving an ADR at Grand Floridian Cafe sooner than it closes on July 20, 2026? Taking a look ahead to its go back with a contemporary appearance in October 2026? Are you dissatisfied that the acquainted, fan-favorite is getting redone after such a lot of many years? Or do you trust us that it’s (past) time for an replace? HDo you compromise or disagree with our review? Different ideas or issues? Any questions we will be able to 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 percentage your ideas underneath within the feedback!
