One of Walt Disney World’s most popular resort hotels is about to undergo a phased refurbishment, which will feature major updates for some of the most popular areas of the hotel. We now know the official dates for when the refurbishment will start.
Keep reading for all the updates on when the refurbishment will start and what to expect. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including another look at the new Avengers ride and new foods you can find outside the theme parks.
READ MORE – It’s Never Good to Hear These Disney Cast Member Codes They Use to Communicate Right in Front of You
Art of Animation Refurbishment Dates Revealed
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is scheduled to undergo a “hard goods refurbishment,” which means that Disney is planning on a more detailed update than a general refresh. During this refurbishment, the themes will stay the same, so that means that the Family Suites will continue to be themed to The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo. The standard hotel rooms will remain themed to The Little Mermaid.
Disney World Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Park Changes, Secrets Revealed
Get alerts on closures, park changes, exclusive discounts, and free printables. Trusted by 100,000+ Disney fans & planners.
Earlier this year, Mickey Visit attended an executive media panel, and we heard from leadership at Walt Disney Imagineering and Facility Asset Management (FAM) about how Disney prioritizes hotel refreshes and what the teams are developing next. They shared the news about the Art of Animation refurbishment with us then. During the presentation Disney shared that in the last five years alone, they have refreshed 10 lobbies and 18,000 hotel rooms, roughly 62% of all rooms on property.
They shared how they handle refurbishments in phases and make a strong effort to only have construction and any noise happen during the day when guests are less likely to be at the resorts. They recently completed a massive refurbishment of the Pop Century Resort where they refreshed the guest rooms, lobby, and common spaces. That all happened while the resort remained open to resort guests.
Work on Art of Animation is scheduled to begin in mid-June 2027 and last through October 2028. Disney is planning on working on one themed section at a time so that the entire resort can remain open. Guests staying at the resort during this time may see or hear maintenance work during the daytime hours, and alternative paths of travel may be used while work is taking place in individual sections.
During this presentation earlier this year, Disney shared concept art for an updated Little Mermaid room. The concept artwork included just as much detail in the rooms as they have today, which is a strong sign they don’t plan to remove the whimsy from the rooms. They have not yet released that concept artwork, but it looks very close, and perhaps even more detailed than the current versions of the rooms.
READ MORE – Why Disney Housekeeping Will Enter Your Room Daily Even If You Have the Do Not Disturb Sign On
Critiques from guests of recent room refreshes, especially the princess rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans- Riverside Resort, focused primarily on how these refreshes often reduce whimsy. So it’s great to know they are trying to preserve this level of detail.
Above is a look at what the Art of Animation lobby looks like today. We wonder if they will make any notable changes there.
Even beyond the refresh of details, Disney is planning ways to improve amenities in guest rooms. They just introduced complimentary bed bumpers for young kids and Disney is adding stepstools to all hotel room refreshes in the future. They are also making changes to be mindful of the modern traveler like introducing USB sockets into wall outlets.
We will be watching these changes at the Art of Animation closely. We actually have a hotel stay here booked for before the refurbishment so will be ready with a full report on the current state of the resort soon.
Don’t Miss the Latest Disney News
Don’t miss the latest Disneyland and Disney World news from Mickey Visit. Join the FREE Mickey Visit newsletter that over 100k readers receive every single week. Mickey Visit is here to help you save money and experience more during your Disney and Universal vacation. See the Mickey Visit guide to Disneyland and the Mickey Visit guide to Disney World for tips.
