Credit: DisneyAs part of a months-long construction project, Walt Disney World Resort has revoked and reimagined some privileges for guests staying at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has been one of the most luxurious Disney Resorts in Central Florida since it opened in 1988. After over three decades, Walt Disney World Resort announced plans to overhaul the Victorian-themed hotel lobby in early 2025. Construction began in April, and crews immediately started demolishing some of the original fixtures, including the ornate metal birdcage.
The updated lobby will feature modern, Victorian-style furnishings, custom carpeting, and a brand-new lobby bar — the first of its kind at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The bar will be shaped like a giant birdcage, inspired by the original fixture that Disney demolished earlier this year. It will feature brass finishes and ornate stained glass.
Luckily for nostalgic Disney Parks fans, some things are staying the same. The layout of the grand, atrium-style lobby will largely remain unchanged, as will the original Victorian cage-style elevator. When construction is finished, the grand piano will also return to the lobby.
Unsurprisingly, the lobby construction has significantly changed the experience for guests staying at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. For months, the original check-in area was behind construction walls, leaving guests to rely on temporary check-in areas or Disney cast members with tablets.
However, that has finally changed. According to a report from WDWNT, new check-in desks have finally debuted at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Individual wooden desks have replaced the long counter, making the check-in experience more private for individual families. Each brown check-in desk features a leafy “GF” emblem.
In place of part of the long counter, a children’s lounge area has debuted. It features new blue-and-gold carpet, colorful floral ottomans, and other furnishings, hinting at what the rest of the lobby might look like when completed.
Behind the construction walls, crews have almost completed the birdcage lobby bar structure and torn out much of the original carpet. The Victorian cage-style elevator is closed to guests as the area around it is curtained off.
The new lobby at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is expected to debut by the end of the year. However, due to the construction, the annual life-size gingerbread house display is canceled for 2025.
Have you ever visited the life-size gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa? Share your memories with Inside the Magic in the comments!