Walt Disney World‘s scheduled refurbishments of rides, restaurants, or hotels may occasionally shift timeframes as the project gets underway. The work may take shorter or longer than expected in ways that can’t be anticipated before the refurbishment begins. This is the case for an ongoing hotel refurbishment project that has now been updated. Disney also recently changed a restaurant refurbishment.
Walt Disney World extended the refurbishment dates for one of its top deluxe-tier resort hotels. This change could impact guests in a few ways that we will detail below. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including Disney discounts and the Disney CEO’s update on Disney World expansions.
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Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Refurbishment
Disney’s Facilities Asset Management (FAM) teams are in the process of refurbishing Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. This is one of the original hotels from when Walt Disney World opened in 1971, and Disney has been careful over the decades to preserve the resort’s charm while continually updating it for modern guest needs.
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The Polynesian’s refurbishment is all exterior. Disney is not renovating any guest rooms. Completed projects so far from earlier this year have included overhauls of the resort’s bus stop and boat dock. Disney is also sprucing up the roofing throughout the resort.
The resort-wide refurbishment was previously announced to be completed in late 2026. As of October 2026, Disney now says the refurbishment of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will be finished in early 2027.
Disney says this about the ongoing overhaul:
“Through early 2027, some areas of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows are being refurbished. This work includes the reconfiguration of the front entrance roadway. Additionally, some views of the theme parks and other surrounding areas may be impacted. Most resort dining, pools, and amenities will remain available.
While construction activity will be noticeable during daytime hours, efforts will be made to minimize disruptions. Please allow for extra travel time when arriving at or leaving the resort.”
Guests may encounter temporarily obstructed pathways when work is especially busy.
One dining closure has lasted longer than expected as a result of the renovations. Due to the exterior refurbishment of the Grand Ceremonial House, Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace, the outdoor patio counterpart to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, has been closed since April 2026. The main indoor version of the bar remains open and unaffected by construction.
Disney originally said that Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace would reopen in June, but later changed this timeframe to late October. It’s October 21 as of this writing, and no reopening date has been announced.
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We visited the Polynesian in the middle of the day last summer, and saw firsthand how Disney’s FAM teams were working on several individual components of the refurbishment throughout the resort campus, maximizing the time of day when most guests are out in the parks. During times when more guests are at the hotel, especially at night, work stops.
A restaurant at the Polynesian’s Island Tower recently added breakfast to its mobile ordering options.
Elsewhere in Walt Disney World, a refurbishment is planned for guest rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. We got a sneak peek inside the updated rooms.
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