Credit: DisneySomething big is happening at Walt Disney World—and if you’ve stayed at Port Orleans lately, you’ve probably felt it before you even saw it.
There’s no way around it—if you’ve stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort recently, you’ve probably noticed something feels… different. Not broken, not messy, but very much in transition. Construction walls. Rotating building closures. Entire sections of the resort going offline and then quietly reopening weeks or months later.
And now, as of May 2026, we’ve got a much clearer picture of what’s really happening behind the scenes.
This isn’t a quick refresh or a light touch-up. What’s unfolding at Port Orleans is a full-scale transformation that stretches well into 2027—and yes, it’s going to take about 16 more months to fully play out.
A Long-Term Overhaul That’s Still Unfolding
The biggest piece of this ongoing project centers around Port Orleans Riverside, where a massive room refurbishment program kicked off back in May 2025 and is now scheduled to run all the way through August 2027.
That timeline alone tells you everything you need to know. Disney isn’t rushing this. They’re taking the resort apart piece by piece, rebuilding it building by building, and reshaping the entire guest experience along the way.
At this point, we’re past the early stages. The Magnolia Bend mansion buildings—one of the most recognizable parts of the resort—have already gone through refurbishment and are now back open to guests. But that was just phase one.
The next phase? That’s where things really start to stretch into this extended timeline.
What’s Already Changed at Port Orleans
If you stayed at Port Orleans in the past, especially pre-2024, you’d notice the changes immediately.
Over at French Quarter, the transformation has already happened. That project wrapped up in 2025 after a full “hard goods” refurbishment—meaning Disney didn’t just swap out decor. They stripped rooms down to the core and rebuilt them from the ground up.
We’re talking new flooring, updated layouts, redesigned bathrooms, modern storage, and subtle theming changes that lean more into a clean, updated look rather than heavy Disney detailing.
Guests have had mixed reactions. Some love the cleaner, more modern feel. Others miss the more themed, classic touches. But regardless of where you land, there’s no denying the scope of the work.
And that same level of overhaul is now rolling through Riverside.
The 16-Month Stretch Ahead
Here’s where things stand right now.
With Magnolia Bend complete, Disney is shifting focus to the Alligator Bayou section—16 separate lodge-style buildings that will undergo refurbishment starting in late summer 2026 and continuing for about a year.
That’s the 16-month window we’re looking at from today.
During this time, construction will move in phases, with entire buildings taken out of service while work is completed. Disney typically handles these projects during the daytime to limit disruption, but there’s no way to completely avoid the impact when entire sections of a resort are offline.
And it’s not just construction noise. Availability changes. Room categories shift. Booking options tighten. In some cases, guests may even be relocated if their reserved room type becomes unavailable during refurbishment periods.
That’s already happened once during this process—and it could happen again.
The Quiet Reduction Guests Might Not Notice
One of the more interesting changes tied to this overhaul isn’t about construction—it’s about inventory.
Before the refurbishment, Port Orleans Riverside had 512 Royal Rooms. After this update? That number is being cut in half to just 256 rooms, all consolidated into a single building.
That’s a major shift.
On paper, it simplifies the offering. But in practice, it means fewer themed room options for guests and potentially higher demand for those rooms moving forward.
It’s the kind of change Disney doesn’t necessarily headline, but it absolutely affects how guests plan their stays.
A Resort Being Rebuilt in Real Time
What makes this overhaul so fascinating—and honestly, a little frustrating for some guests—is how visible it all is.
Unlike new construction projects tucked away behind walls in the parks, this is happening right where people are staying. You’re walking past it. You’re hearing it. You’re navigating around it.
And because the work is being done in phases, there’s no single “completion moment.” Instead, the resort is slowly evolving over time, with different sections feeling brand new while others are still waiting their turn. So, if you’re visiting Disney’s Port Orleans Resort over the next year, you should expect to see construction and shouldn’t be surprised if there are certain things that become unavailable from time to time.
