Get ready — something is CHANGING at an iconic Disney World hotel!

Grand Floridian Resort

The Grand Floridian is a Deluxe Resort near Magic Kingdom. It is on the Magic Kingdom Resort Monorail loop that connects it to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Magic Kingdom, and the Transportation and Ticket Center. The resort has undergone a LOT of changes in recent years with the opening of new Disney Vacation Club villas, an updated Narcoossee’s restaurant, and changes at Citricos and Victoria & Albert’s too. And now more changes are taking place.

When we stopped by the Grand Floridian recently, we saw that construction walls had officially been put up in the lobby space! 

UPDATE: We spoke to a Disney World Cast Member at the Grand Floridian who said that the construction setup is all related to painting taking place for room renovations, NOT for any work on the lobby renovation. 

Construction Walls

Several months ago, Disney announced that there would be changes coming to the lobby at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The lobby is meant to retain its classic theming with “fresh new enhancements.” We’ve seen a number of permits that we thought could be hinting at work that’ll be done to make this happen — but it seems like that work won’t be starting just yet.

Though the walls block your view from the ground, you can hop to the upper level of the resort to get a peek down at the action.

A Look at the Walls

The walls only cover one area of the resort’s lobby for now. So far, it looks like the team has been hard at work covering the floors with wooden panels.

Hard at Work!

Again, according to a Cast Member we spoke to this work is related to room renovations and NOT the lobby refurbishment. The Cast Member indicated that the lobby renovation would be happening eventually, just not now.

Another Peek

We’ll definitely be watching for updates.

The Construction

The Disney World website does warn that the hotel “is currently undergoing refurbishment. Guests will be able to see and hear construction around the resort – including the lobby – during daytime hours.” But, they note that “Most Resort hotel amenities will remain available.”

©Disney

Disney’s website also importantly advises guests to allow for extra travel time to deal with this construction. If you’re planning to stay at the Grand Floridian Resort soon or have plans to dine here (or just stop by for a visit) be sure to factor this construction into your plans.

We’ll watch for updates at the hotel and let you know what we find.

For more hotel news, click here to see the MAJOR price increases that have hit Disney World hotel restaurants recently, or click here to see what Disney World hotel offering is CHANGING. And stay tuned for more hotel updates!

Click here to learn about the 2 LEAST popular Disney World hotels (according to the experts)



Would you still stay at a resort that’s under construction, or would you prefer to pick another location? Comment your thoughts below!