Credit: DisneyThe EPCOT resort area is one of the most coveted addresses on Walt Disney World property. Guests who book into the Swan, the Dolphin, the Swan Reserve, the Yacht Club, or the Beach Club are paying for more than a room. They are paying for proximity. EPCOT’s International Gateway entrance is a short walk away. Hollywood Studios is reachable by boat. The Boardwalk sits right in the middle of it all, connecting the resorts with restaurants, bars, and an atmosphere that feels distinct from the rest of the property. On a normal evening, the whole corridor hums along in that particular way that makes Walt Disney World feel like a self-contained world.
Thursday, June 25 was not a normal evening in the EPCOT resort area.
A fire broke out in the kitchen of Bourbon Steak, the upscale steakhouse inside the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort. Smoke pushed through the ventilation system and out to the building’s exterior, which sent plumes visible from across the property. Images and videos circulated quickly on social media, and the scale of the smoke in those photos alarmed a lot of people who were not there to see what was actually happening inside.
The fire was contained. No one was hurt. But the story did not end there.
What Happened on June 25
Out of caution, resort management evacuated the lobby and several guest room floors while the situation was assessed. Once the all-clear was given, guests were permitted to return to their rooms. No injuries were reported.
Bourbon Steak was closed immediately following the incident and remained closed until further notice while a kitchen assessment was conducted.
The Hotel’s Letter to Guests, in Full
A Reddit post on June 26 added a layer to the story that press statements typically do not. A guest who was staying at the Dolphin the day after the fire shared an official letter that had been distributed to guests, signed by Area General Manager Sean Verney. The post was straightforward: “Currently staying at the Dolphin the day after the fire.”
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Valued Guest: I wanted to inform you of a recent occurrence at our hotel. Earlier this evening, a fire occurred in the kitchen of our Bourbon Steak restaurant. As a result, the ventilation system moved the smoke out to the exterior of the Dolphin Hotel, as it is designed to do, which made the smoke visible from outside. In the interest of guest and cast member safety, we opted to evacuate the lobby and many of our guest room floors. Once we were assured of no safety threats, we allowed everyone to return to their guestrooms. Please be assured we were operating out of an abundance of caution, as our utmost priority is your safety and well-being. We apologize for any disruption this may have caused. The situation has been contained and there is no safety concern at this time; however, the restaurant will remain closed until further notice. We do hope you enjoy the rest of your stay and continue to experience all the magic here at Walt Disney World Resort. Thank you again for your understanding. Sincerely, Sean Verney, Area General Manager.”
Currently staying at the Dolphin the day after the fire
byu/Intelligent_Gur_9126 inDisneyWorld
The letter confirms what the initial statement communicated, but in the voice of the property itself rather than a PR intermediary. The decision to deliver it directly to guest rooms reflects how seriously the resort took the disruption, even with a fire that was limited in scope.
About the Dolphin and Why It Matters
The Walt Disney World Dolphin is not a Disney-owned hotel, which surprises guests every time. Designed by architect Michael Graves and opened in 1990 alongside its sister property the Swan, the Dolphin is operated by Marriott under a long-standing agreement with Disney. The building is hard to miss: turquoise facade, enormous sculpted fish along the roofline, a coral and banana color palette that somehow works within the larger resort context.
Despite the Marriott ownership, guests at the Swan and Dolphin enjoy a meaningful list of Walt Disney World perks. Early theme park entry, access to the Disney Skyliner gondola system, and proximity to two parks via walkable paths and boat service make the Dolphin a genuinely competitive option against Disney’s own hotels, often at a lower nightly rate depending on the time of year.
About Bourbon Steak
Bourbon Steak is a Michael Mina concept, which is the first thing worth knowing about it. Mina is a James Beard Award-winning chef with a portfolio of restaurants across the country, and the Orlando outpost mirrors the ambition of his other locations. The menu is anchored around prime and Wagyu beef with a whiskey and cocktail program that earns the bourbon in the name.
For Disney dining regulars, Bourbon Steak has long held a specific place in the pecking order. It sits at the high end of the price range and delivers accordingly, making it a go-to for anniversary dinners, birthday splurges, and anyone who wants a serious steakhouse experience within easy reach of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The restaurant draws from a loyal base of annual passholders, convention guests who fill the Dolphin’s extensive meeting spaces, and visitors who specifically plan a night away from the theme park dining circuit.
A kitchen fire puts all of that on hold.
What This Means for Your Disney Vacation
If you have a reservation at Bourbon Steak in the near future, call the Swan and Dolphin directly before assuming your booking is intact. The restaurant remains closed while the kitchen assessment is completed, and no reopening timeline has been announced. The hotel itself is fully operational, and the rest of the Swan and Dolphin campus continues to offer dining options for guests on property.
For anyone already booked into the Dolphin during this period, the stay itself is unaffected beyond the Bourbon Steak closure. The resort is open, the Skyliner is running, and access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios remains the same. Losing one restaurant is a real inconvenience for guests who planned around it, but the broader vacation experience at the property is intact.
If you were staying at the Dolphin during the fire on June 25 or received the letter from management during your stay, share what that experience was like in the comments. And if you have a Bourbon Steak reservation coming up and have already heard from the resort about its status, that information would be genuinely useful for other guests who are still trying to figure out their plans.
