Development will as soon as once more resume at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, with work lastly shifting contained in the foyer in 2025. This submit shares the most recent information from Walt Disney World and our ideas on the influence to friends with stays right here for the remainder of this 12 months. We’ll additionally deal with the reimagining of rooms, eating places, foyer, and extra.
This venture has been a number of years within the making. It really began shortly earlier than the closure of the parks with a lounge replace, and continued shortly after reopening with extra restaurant reimaginings. Then with the pause of what’s now Disney Lakeshore Lodge, the corporate decided it “wanted” extra Disney Trip Membership factors to promote, resulting in the DVC overhaul of the Massive Pine Key constructing.
Following that, the entire outlying buildings within the lodge have been redone in an identical fashion. (See Grand New Rooms at Walt Disney World’s Flagship Resort for a glance inside.) That occurred building-by-building roughly two years in the past, and was anticipated to culminate with the principle foyer in direction of the top of the 12 months. But it surely didn’t.
The expectation on the time was that Walt Disney World was unwilling to lose the foyer of the Grand Floridian through the vacation season, which is an extremely profitable time of 12 months. Resort occupancy is excessive and there’s the well-known gingerbread home within the foyer that attracts friends and sells treats. It’s completely regular for Walt Disney World to pause lodge building tasks for October by way of December consequently, even at resorts that don’t have gingerbread homes.
Accordingly, we anticipated work to renew early final 12 months on the foyer. But it surely didn’t. Then there was the announcement that 1900 Park Fare could be reimagined previous to reopening within the spring, and we thought absolutely the Grand Floridian foyer could be redone alongside that. But it surely wasn’t. Maybe after 1900 Park Fare reopened, which would offer the chance to shut Grand Floridian Cafe on the similar time? Nope.
After months of radio silence and Walt Disney World not together with the Grand Floridian when it launched the 2025 lodge venture ‘warnings’ late final 12 months, we assumed the foyer overhaul had quietly died. But it surely didn’t!
Right here’s the most recent replace from Walt Disney World:
“Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will likely be receiving enhancements to pick out areas in phases, together with the foyer and conference middle, from April by way of November 2025. Friends may even see and listen to building throughout daytime hours, and parts of the foyer will likely be closed at occasions. All swimming pools and most resort eating and different facilities will stay accessible. Please permit additional time for journey, as path changes could also be in place.”
As of publish time, this discover (with particulars & date vary) solely seems on the Disney Trip Membership Member website. It doesn’t seem on the consumer-facing DisneyWorld.com web page for the Grand Floridian. To the perfect of my information, no discover has been despatched to journey brokers, both.
That declines to state what, precisely, the foyer and conference middle overhaul will entail, however we do have this from a pair years in the past when this was first introduced:
“2023 can even be a momentous 12 months for Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa because it celebrates its thirty fifth anniversary on July 1! The resort has been receiving some grand touches that weave acquainted storybook allure into the Victorian magnificence of this flagship resort. Visitor rooms are at the moment being up to date as we communicate with extra to return because the beloved Grand Floridian ushers in its third decade of magic. The continued renovation can even embrace an upcoming refurbishment of the foyer, which can preserve the basic theming you already know and love with some recent new enhancements.
The story doesn’t finish there, as you may dine beneath the beautiful London sky at Citricos, impressed by ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ … and perhaps bookend your night with a shimmering sip at Enchanted Rose Lounge, impressed by “Magnificence and the Beast.” And our beloved Victoria & Albert’s – the culinary crown jewel of Walt Disney World Resort and AAA 5 Diamond Award winner – reopened its doorways this 12 months to rave critiques that includes a renovated inside.”
Past this, it was rumored that Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort would obtain a considerable overhaul to the foyer with “Enchanted Gardens” because the unifying visible fashion. (This rumor was corroborated by the official Disney Recordsdata journal for DVC members, which used the very same time period.)
When it comes to timing, our expectation is that work begins on the Grand Floridian foyer reimagining no sooner than April 22, 2025. There’s at the moment the favored Easter Egg show within the foyer, and that’s one other vacation (together with the entire of spring break season) that’s a preferred time for the lodge. It’s extremely unlikely work will start earlier than Easter. It’s doable they’ll wait one other full week after that, as some college districts nonetheless have recesses the week after Easter.
As for when work will wrap up, the goal date is probably going earlier than Veterans Day. Usually, the Grand Floridian is likely one of the first resorts to open its gingerbread home, and building usually begins in late October. We’d anticipate that to stay true right here, and for partitions to return down round all the things in early November 2025.
After all, that’s assuming the venture is much sufficient alongside–however we strongly suspect that Walt Disney World would pause the venture over having work reduce right into a portion of the vacation season. That might imply leaving an excessive amount of cash on the desk. (And keep in mind, this work additionally encompasses the conference middle–there’s nothing to say the foyer work received’t be achieved on a tighter timeframe and the conference middle will likely be what drags into November 2025.)
As for the visitor influence, we’d anticipate it to be pretty vital.
Whereas there have been different foyer tasks which were comparatively minor initiatives, swapping out furnishings and furnishings in a single day with zero influence on friends (BoardWalk involves thoughts), that’s not what we’ve seen with the outlying buildings on the Grand Floridian. Furthermore, there wouldn’t be a brand new building warning–for April by way of November–if this have been a easy swapping of furnishings. Disney will be glacially gradual, nevertheless it doesn’t take them over 6 months to take away and change some sofas.
To every their very own, but when we have been planning a keep on the Grand Floridian from late April by way of early November 2025, we’d swap resorts. The foyer is just too necessary of a characteristic and the resort is just too costly to accept it being a building zone. After all, you shouldn’t substitute our judgment to your personal. If you happen to’re staying on the Grand Floridian for its visitor rooms, swimming pools, or proximity to the parks–and rarely step foot within the foyer–clearly this recommendation could not apply to you.
Regardless, it’s extremely irritating that Walt Disney World waited till late March 2025 to concern a warning for a venture that’ll begin one month later. It’s not the development about which we’re upset–that has to occur someday–it’s the dearth of discover and disrespect for friends.
This isn’t some pressing upkeep that’s being scheduled last-minute. We’ve seen that occur with just a few current pool tasks, and are fully understanding of these as a result of it’s not possible to plan for issues that come up out of nowhere. (Nicely, maybe higher preventative upkeep, however you get the concept.)
Against this, this can be a foyer reimagining that’s elective in nature. It completely wants to occur, however the timing actually isn’t catching Disney abruptly. They’ve undoubtedly been planning this for months, and have recognized precisely when it will occur for some time. So why not proactively present advance discover? It’s irritating, to say the least.
Even when you’re unbothered by the foyer venture, friends ought to nonetheless demand higher give the nightly value of the Grand Floridian and Walt Disney World’s personal requirements. (One in all our favourite resorts on this planet, Park Hyatt Tokyo, is within the midst of an identical venture. That lodge closed completely for the refurbishment, and made the announcement one full 12 months upfront so potential friends might plan accordingly. Hyatt is a greater hotelier than Disney, however these are comparably priced resorts.)
As famous above, Walt Disney World already introduced that the foyer “will preserve the basic theming you already know and love with some recent new enhancements.” What which means is unclear; it leaves loads of latitude for a spread of adjustments. Our expectation is that the scope and scale is on par with the opposite buildings, making a constant visible fashion with these.
What’s additionally unknown is what occurs with Grand Floridian Cafe and Grand Floridian Tea Room, the latter of which has nonetheless not reopened. Our expectation is that each obtain reimagined interiors, with the previous closing over the summer time to accommodate that overdue replace and the latter not reopening till the foyer venture is finished. (So maybe the Grand Floridian Tea Room will lastly return this vacation season? One other Festivus miracle!)
That’s simply our hypothesis, however it will make sense. October by way of December is the busiest stretch of the 12 months for Walt Disney World eating places, in order that they’d seemingly need Grand Floridian Cafe to reopen by then. As for Grand Floridian Tea Room, there’s been fan hypothesis that it has been not directly “changed” by the Cake Bake Store. I don’t purchase that. Walt Disney World loves upmarket choices, and Grand Floridian Tea Room squarely matches the invoice. There’s no purpose why the resort can’t maintain each.
In the end, I’m happy to see that the foyer reimagining of the Grand Floridian is lastly shifting ahead. I want the announcement have been made a lot earlier, and hope it’s not too late for impacted friends who don’t need to cope with this to relocate. However as for the substance of the information, I’m joyful to see this wasn’t quietly cancelled.
That’s most likely going to get me excoriated amongst Walt Disney World purists. As a realist, I believe the ‘Enchanted Gardens’ fashion of the outlying buildings is just about the best-case state of affairs when accounting for tastes of recent friends and the value level of the Grand Floridian.
Whereas WDW diehards may love the present foyer and total aesthetic, I’d hazard a guess that the lodge doesn’t comport with the expectations of the first-timers or informal friends who really ebook it. As I’ve mentioned earlier than, it doesn’t strike me as “pure” Victorian themed design, however fairly, the early Nineties interpretation of Victorian.
With that mentioned, my hope is that Imagineering can marry the visible fashion of the brand new rooms with the opulence and grandiosity of the principle foyer. It shouldn’t grow to be an Ethan Allen showroom, however with the next ceiling. Modernized doesn’t have to imply uninteresting and devoid of character. There’s a option to have the perfect of each worlds, a foyer that’s each well-themed and opulent. It’s a troublesome steadiness to strike, however hopefully it may be achieved, if that’s what Walt Disney World opts to do.
With all of that mentioned, one factor is for certain: we should shield the masterpiece monkey and bunny work in any respect prices.
I’m not one for petitions, but when somebody have been to begin one to get these puppies added to some historic register of culturally vital artistic endeavors, I’d signal it. Maybe the Grand Floridian ought to even be added to the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations as dwelling to those priceless treasures. They’re arguably why it’s known as the Grand, and is the flagship resort at Walt Disney World.
Whatever the rabbit and monkey work, we’re cautiously optimistic concerning the finish outcome. The Grand Floridian is arguably essentially the most well-rounded Seven Seas Lagoon Resort, with fewer drawbacks than the Polynesian or Modern (talking of which, redo the Grand Canyon Concourse subsequent, Imagineers!). As long as frequent areas and remaining eating places are modernized in a respectful fashion according to the outlying buildings, the Grand Floridian will emerge from this as a greater choice than earlier than, and a resort actually deserving of the flagship distinction.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the Grand Floridian’s foyer overhaul lastly occurring in 2025? Excited for the continued reimagining of Walt Disney World’s flagship resort, or anxious it’ll lose its character and richly-themed areas within the course of? Have you ever stayed on the Grand Floridian because the new rooms debuted? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!