Disney World Resort Refurbishment Schedule (2024)
At any given time, multiple resorts, hotels, and villas are under some sort of refurbishment at Walt Disney World. Refurbishments can range from major construction to minor items like a brief pool closure.
This article will examine the scheduled resort refurbishments for the Walt Disney World Resorts. If you plan an upcoming stay, you might want to consider some of these refurbishments.
For instance, do you want to stay at a hotel where loud construction begins at 9:00 a.m.? If you enjoy sleeping late, the answer is probably no. However, a little noise might not be a big deal if you plan to arrive at the parks early every morning.
Another consideration is if you’ll spend a good deal of time at the pool. When one pool closes for refurbishment, the other pools at the resort get crowded. Generally, Disney completes most pool refurbishments in the cooler months. But if you have a small child and see that an aquatic play area will be closed during your trip, you might consider another resort.
Of course, not all of these refurbishments are dealbreakers. You’ll need to weigh the importance of each item for yourself. Overall, I would ask myself if the resort is still worth the expense with the refurbishment that’s taking place. If not, this might be an excellent time to consider an alternative.
Disney World Resort Hotel Refurbishment
This list contains resort refurbishments announced for 2024 and beyond at Walt Disney World. We update this article to include new announcements and things that we see and hear during our resort visits.
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Disney recently announced new details about the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness are the newest Disney Vacation Club Resort. They have a projected opening date of July 1, 2024. More renderings are available in the article listed below.
Related: Disney Fort Wilderness DVC News (New Cabins)
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Refurbishment Dates: April 2024–TBD
Per Disney: Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will be refurbished beginning in April 2024. The cabins will be refurbished four at a time, with the remaining cabins available to Members and Guests. Members and Guests will not be placed in cabins that are actively being refurbished. During this time, Guests staying in cabins adjacent to those being refurbished will see and hear refurbishment work during daytime hours.
Related: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Review
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s Contemporary Resort Review
Bay Lake Tower
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Bay Laker Tower Review
Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Refurbishment Dates: January 2024 through Fall 2024
Per Disney’s website: Now through Fall 2024, work will take place to paint the exterior of buildings throughout Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort & Bungalows, with Guest room balconies also being affected. Guests may see and hear painting work during daytime hours, typically from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
We stopped by Disney’s Polynesian recently and noticed this work had begun in mid-January.
Refurbishment Dates: Ongoing
A new Disney Vacation Club Resort is being built between Disney’s Polynesian Village and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Therefore, significant construction is going on near both resorts.
Per Disney’s website: As we prepare for the proposed expansion at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you will see and hear construction at certain times of the day. To minimize disruptions during your stay, activities that may create noise will not start earlier than 9:00 a.m.
The former walkway along Seven Seas Lagoon is also closed due to this construction. During this time, guests will have to take a construction path between the Grand Floridian and Polynesian. (The construction path is closed as of this update.)
We’ve also started a timeline of construction updates for the new DVC Tower at the Polynesian. We update it with new photos from time to time to show the progress of the new build.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Refurbishment Dates: Ongoing
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is undergoing an entire resort refurbishment.
- The resort’s outer buildings are complete.
- Work is currently being completed on the exterior of the resort’s main building. However, as of March 2024 that work appears to be almost complete.
Per Disney’s website, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is currently undergoing refurbishment. Guests will be able to see and hear construction around the resort – including the lobby – during daytime hours. Most resort hotel amenities will remain available. Please allow for extra travel time.
We have an entire timeline dedicated to the construction progress if you want to know more.
Related: Grand Floridian Refurbishment and Renovation
Disney’s Beach Club and Beach Club Villas
Refurbishment Dates: January 2025 through May 2025
Per Disney: In an effort to continually enhance the Guest experience, we refresh our offerings from time to time. From January 2025 through June 2025, Stormalong Bay and Shipwreck Pool at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts will be closed for routine maintenance. Guests may see or hear construction work during daytime hours. (This was originally scheduled to end in May of 2025.)
During this time, Guests are welcome to swim at the Tidal, Admiral, and Dunes Cove leisure pools. This information can be found on the Refurbishments page of the Disney Travel Agents website. As a reminder, you can always reference this page for an up-to-date list of current and upcoming refurbishments.
Other:
- All standard guest rooms and villas at Disney’s Beach Club Resort have been refurbished.
- The Dunes Cove Pool work is complete and has reopened.
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas lobby and the lobby of Disney’s Beach Club have been renovated. We have a separate article that details Disney’s Beach Club Refurbishment.
Related: Disney’s Beach Club Resort Review
Disney’s Yacht Club
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s Yacht Club Review
Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas
Refurbishment Dates: 2021–TBD
Per Disney: “Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas are being refurbished, with new offerings, plus updates coming to our guest rooms, lobby, and more. Please note that while most hotel amenities will remain available, you may be able to see and hear construction during daytime hours. Additionally, please allow for additional travel time.“
Other:
- Big River Grille and Brewing Works permanently closed in early 2024.
- ESPN Sports Bar and Grill permanently closed a few years ago.
- A new restaurant, The Cake Bake Shop, is supposed to open in 2024. However, construction has been prolonged.
- A new corn dog stand is supposed to open in 2024.
Related: Construction Progress at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
Disney’s Riviera Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s Riviera Resort Review
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Refurbishment Dates: (Not Listed)
While not listed on Disney’s refurbishment schedule, Caribbean Beach Resort is receiving room renovations. Our most recent walk-through in December showed that most of the Aruba section had been completed. It appears that the majority of the resort’s villages have been refurbished. However, we believe rooms in Martinique and Barbados are still awaiting updates.
We have a preview of the new rooms in the Trinidad section of the resort. However, note that this room design is specific to that area.
Refurbishment Dates: January 2024–April 2024
- Fuentes del Morro Pool at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Per Disney: “From January 2024 through April 2024, the Fuentes del Morro Pool at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort will be closed for routine maintenance. Guests may see or hear construction work during daytime hours. During this time, Guests are welcome to swim in any of the five leisure pools at this Disney Resort hotel.“
Related: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Review
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time. But on a recent walk-through, we noticed some rooms in the preferred section of the resort were out of commission. Since then, we stayed in a refreshed room at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. No significant changes were made other than a standard refresh with fresh paint.
Related: Disney’s Pop Century Resort Review
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Review
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani Village
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Kidani Village Review
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Refurbishment Dates: January 2025–April 2025
- Fantasia Pool at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Per Disney:
From January 2025 through April 2025, Fantasia Pool at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort will be closed for routine maintenance. Guests may see or hear construction work during daytime hours. During this time, Guests are welcome to swim in the Duck Pond Pool at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort.
*This refurbishment was originally scheduled for 2024 and has been postponed until 2025.
Related: Disney’s All-Star Movies Review
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s All-Star Music Resort Review
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s All-Star Sports Review
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Port Orleans Riverside Review
Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter
Refurbishment Dates: January 2024 through April 2024
- Doubloon Lagoon at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Per Disney: From January 2024 through April 2024, the Doubloon Lagoon pool at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter will be closed for routine maintenance. Guests may see or hear construction work during daytime hours. During this time, Guests are welcome to swim in the Ol’ Man Island pool at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Related: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Review
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Nothing is scheduled at this time.
Disney Resorts Refurbishments Conclusion
Disney’s refurbishment schedule is often extensive and continually ongoing. With this many resort hotels, constant refurbishment is inevitable.
If you’re planning on visiting any of these resorts, it’s best to check the refurbishment dates to see if your desired resort will be having a facelift of some sort during your stay. Although many amenities will remain available at most resorts, guests can almost always expect construction noise during the day.
For more information about planning a Walt Disney World vacation, you might enjoy these articles:
- Best Off-Site Disney World Hotels
- Benefits of Staying at a Disney World Resort
- Best Deluxe Resorts at Disney World
- Best Breakfasts at Disney World
For more Disney World updates, you might like the following:
- Best Character Dining at Disney World
- Disney World Character Meets
- Best Restaurants at Disney Springs
Or browse our entire list of Disney World Hotel Reviews.
In the Comments
Hopefully, you found this resort refurbishment schedule helpful for planning your next vacation. What are your thoughts on staying at a resort with active construction or remodeling work? Is it an issue, or does it depend on what work is being completed?