Disney World is constantly getting updated and refreshed.
Cinderella Castle
You’ll often spot construction when you visit the parks on rides, attractions, hotels, and more undergo regular refurbishments to stay up-to-date. Soon, you’ll be noticing a bit more construction at two of Disney’s Resort hotels!
Beginning June 28th, both Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Disney’s Old Key West Resort will see some updates. Both of these changes will come in phases and primarily affect the main areas of the resort (not the guest rooms).
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
For Saratoga Springs, there will be 3 phases. In phase 1, you’ll notice that the connecting hallway to the main lobby will be closed. This begins on June 28th and guests will still have access to the restrooms and The Artist’s Palette.
Phase 2 begins on July 12th and lasts through September. During this time, the porte-cochere will be closed, with a temporary walkway added to the front desk for those dropped off by Magical Express. Guests driving personal vehicles will have curbside check-in at the Disney Vacation Club Preview Center.
The Artist’s Palette at Saratoga Springs
During phase 3 of the refurbishment at Saratoga Springs, the hallway that was previously closed will reopen and the lobby will close instead. The front desk and concierge will move to the hallway temporarily. This phase begins in early August.
You’ll see some changes around here!
The Disney World website now reflects this refurbishment and notes that the updates are expected to last through late October 2021.
©Disney
Over at Old Key West Resort, the refurbishment will happen in 2 phases, beginning June 28th. During the first phase, guests will check-in as normal in the lobby, but the den area will be closed. Once the den area reopens, check-in will move there while the lobby is closed for updates.
Old Key West den/lounge area
The Disney World website has been updated to reflect this and now notes that the refurbishment is expected to last through late September 2021.
©Disney
These two resorts are the latest in a long line of hotel construction projects. Right now, Disney’s Contemporary Resort is undergoing a massive room refurbishment that has left the resort looking rather unusual — and made it a lot louder in the process!
That’s a LOT of scrims.
Also, there are some major updates happening at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort! The monorail station is being rebuilt from the ground up and the standard rooms are all being updated to match a new Moana theme. This resort is scheduled to reopen sometime in July.Â
Construction is continuing at the Poly!
And on top of that, we’re also getting some room updates coming to the Grand Floridian Resort. It’s a popular time to see Resort construction, so make sure to keep following along with DFB for the latest info!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
After the refurbishments are complete, both Saratoga Springs and Old Key West will feature an open, free-flowing layout with a variety of smaller counters to help guests have a better check-in experience. Stay tuned to DFB as we continue to cover these updates — we’ll be visiting these resorts to check out all the details!
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Have you ever stayed at either of these resorts?
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When these hotels originally opened the were the cutting edge in modern architectural theming. Let’s all hope the refirb does the establishment justice and once again raise the bar by thinking out of the box.
GF Villas could use paint, furniture, and carpet updates. The hard surfaces like tile etc. are still good but the soft surfaces are suffering. For a grand price the rooms should still be grand. (Personal thoughts.) PS. Halls and lobby look great. I am talking about the two bed villas we have stayed in as well as one stay in a studio.