Walt Disney World has a 54-year history of hospitality management, and the resort’s teams work hard to steward that legacy into the next generation by maintaining and reimagining its nearly two dozen hotels. In the last five years alone, Disney World has refreshed 10 lobbies and 18,000 hotel rooms, roughly 62% of all rooms on property. This cadence will continue as Disney maps out its next projects.
Disney World announced refreshed accommodations and new experiences coming to two favorite hotels. These arrive in addition to the ongoing work already happening at multiple hotels. We have details on what Disney revealed, and just as importantly, what it didn’t. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a new rule at Disney Springs and expanded availability of a viral ice cream treat at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
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Hotel Refreshes at Walt Disney World
Mickey Visit attended an executive media panel last week at Walt Disney World, where we heard from leadership at Walt Disney Imagineering and Facility Asset Management (FAM) about why Disney prioritizes hotel refreshes and what the teams are developing next.
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On a functional level, hotel rooms’ amenities need to meet the needs of the modern traveler. Introducing USB sockets into wall outlets, in addition to the traditional three-prong sockets, is an example of this.
Beyond functionality, Disney wants to keep its hotels special for the guests who have been visiting for many years. A recent refurbishment of Disney’s Pop Century Resort refreshed the hotel’s guest rooms, lobby, and common spaces. This all happened while keeping Pop Century open to guests.
In pursuing these changes, Disney is mindful of what guests expect from their hotel stay. Disney plans ahead so that when a hotel receives sweeping changes, each project happens in phases rather than the entire hotel campus being a construction site.
Management also takes advantage of the times of day when guests are out in the parks and away from hotel properties to schedule the most invasive parts of a refurbishment.
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Beyond construction projects, Disney is considering ways to improve amenities in guest rooms. Complimentary bed bumpers are now available for young kids, and Disney will add stepstools to all hotel room refreshes in the future.
As Disney moves forward with new hotel projects, we can expect these same principles to apply.
Refurbishment Coming to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will begin a refurbishment in 2027. This hotel is relatively new compared to other Disney World accommodations, having opened in 2012.
When Disney executives first mentioned this project during the panel I attended, I expected they might announce they were converting one of the sections to Zootopia, given the franchise’s huge popularity. While they didn’t mention any changes for the animated films represented at the hotel, what they shared left me optimistic about the future of this unique resort.
Family suites, categorized by Disney in the “moderate” hotel tier, will continue to be themed to The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo. Standard hotel rooms, categorized in the “value” hotel tier, will remain themed to The Little Mermaid.
During the presentation, Disney shared concept art for an updated Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation. The colorful artwork had just as much detail as the rooms have today, which is a good sign they are not going to remove the whimsy in favor of a more homogenized “modern” design.
Here are what the rooms and suites look like today, with some of their creative flourishes:
Here is what the Art of Animation lobby looks like today:
Like all of Disney World’s recent hotel refurbishments, Art of Animation will stay open during its refurbishment as work happens in phases.
New Tenants Coming to Disney’s BoardWalk
A handful of storefronts have been sitting empty at Disney’s BoardWalk for various lengths of time.
The former homes of Big River Grille & Brewing Works, Jellyrolls, and Promenade Fine Art Gallery are all vacant, leaving a hefty availability of real estate at Walt Disney World’s waterfront shopping and dining spot.
Following database entries of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and visible interior construction work, Disney confirmed during the panel that it has plans for the BoardWalk’s vacancies. The company isn’t ready to announce specifics yet, but promised new information is coming soon.
Ongoing Work at More Disney World Hotels
The announcements of future enhancements at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk arrive as construction teams prepare for and continue projects at other Disney World hotels.
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort guest rooms will be refurbished in phases starting any day now and continuing through late 2027.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will complete its refurbishment in early 2027, capping off six years of work that has included a new lobby bar called The Perch and the reimagining of The Garden View Lounge – Tea Experience.
Disney Lakeshore Lodge will open in summer 2027 as Disney World’s newest hotel property, themed to nature and located adjacent to Bay Lake near Magic Kingdom.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort will continue its exterior refurbishment, pictured above in April 2026, through late 2027.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort will finish its multi-year refurbishment in late 2027, which so far has included new Incredibles guest rooms and refreshed pools.
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