Warning: Travelers Urged Not To Visit Disney World During Several Dates

Planning a Disney World trip takes a lot of coordination—park reservations, dining bookings, choosing your resort, and keeping up with crowd calendars. But even if you’ve done everything right, there’s one thing that can still wreck your trip: picking the wrong hotel dates.

Every year, Disney schedules refurbishments across its resort properties. Sometimes they’re small and barely noticeable. Other times, they can take out entire pools, transportation options, or large sections of a resort for months at a time.

And in 2026, there are several dates you might want to steer clear of unless you’re okay with construction noise, closed amenities, and a much less magical experience overall.

Let’s break down the big ones.

The Skyliner Shutdown (January 25–31, 2026)

One of the most beloved and efficient ways to travel between EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and select resorts is the Disney Skyliner. But if you’re planning to stay at Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, or Riviera Resort in late January, heads up: the entire Skyliner system will be shut down for a scheduled refurbishment from January 25 through January 31.

Yes, Disney will offer buses instead. But let’s be honest—buses don’t exactly have the same charm or speed. If you booked a Skyliner resort specifically for that gondola convenience, this week is not the one.

Major Pool Closures at Value & DVC Resorts (January through May)

If your resort plans include pool days (especially if you’re bringing kids), this next one’s a big deal.

• All-Star Sports Resort: From January through late April, the main pool—Surfboard Bay—plus the kiddie pool will be closed. That leaves you with smaller, less exciting options that won’t give you the full All-Star experience.

• Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary: Between January 26 and early May, the Bay Cove Pool, spa, and splash area will be unavailable. Guests can still access the main pool at the Contemporary, but for those booking at Bay Lake Tower for the deluxe amenities, this is a noticeable downgrade.

Pop Century Room Refurbishments (Now Through Mid-February)

Pop Century is undergoing room refurbishments through mid-February 2026. While Disney tends to work on one building at a time and tries to keep noise levels manageable, there’s always a chance you’ll end up next to (or inside) a construction zone. Some guests may luck out and land a freshly updated room—but that’s a gamble.

If you have young kids who nap during the day or you’re just not interested in hearing drilling sounds during your downtime, you might want to look elsewhere for those first few weeks of the year.

Polynesian Village Resort Construction (All Year Long)

This one’s the biggie. If you’ve always dreamed of staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort—especially for the serene beach vibes and fireworks views—you may want to wait until 2027. Construction is expected to continue throughout all of 2026 as Disney works on a massive update, including new DVC villas and upgrades across the property.

That means parts of the resort may be blocked off, and peaceful relaxation spots could be surrounded by cranes and construction walls. Not exactly the tropical escape people picture when they book the Poly.

Port Orleans Riverside Refurbishments (Through February)

Rooms in the Magnolia Bend section of Port Orleans Riverside will be under refurbishment through the end of February. While the resort will still operate, there’s a good chance you’ll be placed in the Alligator Bayou section instead—especially if you booked late or requested a standard room.

If you had your heart set on those stately Southern-style mansions, you’ll want to delay your trip or request a different resort altogether. And of course, daytime noise is always a possibility with any refurbishment, and we’d expect that to be the case, even at one of Disney’s most relaxing resorts.

So What Should You Do?

If you’ve already booked your 2026 trip during one of these windows—don’t panic. Disney typically does a decent job of trying to minimize the impact of refurbishments. But if you’re still in the planning stage, use this as your opportunity to pivot.

Look into alternate resorts, shift your travel dates, or—if you really want to stick with a specific hotel—at least go in knowing what to expect. Because there’s nothing worse than arriving on property and discovering your favorite feature is off-limits.

Disney doesn’t always make these construction projects obvious on their booking site, so it’s up to you to dig a little deeper before locking in your trip. And now you know what to look out for. If there are any other closures for 2026, we’ll be sure to update you. For now, though, these are the major ones for the Disney Resorts around the area.

Stay tuned for more Disney planning tips—because knowing what not to do can be just as important as knowing what to book.