Disney’s hotels are going through some major transformations.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
If you’re ever expecting Disney news to ever slow, you’re making a losing bet. Over the past year-plus, Disney has quietly (and not so quietly) announced some MASSIVE changes coming to its hotels around the world. New hotels are being built, classic resorts are being reimagined, and perks are shifting in ways that will affect your next stay. Let’s break it all down.
Walt Disney World
Over in Disney World, hotel construction and refurbishment are basically in full swing. Tons of resorts have undergone updates, from Value Resorts like Pop Century and the All-Star Resorts, to Moderates like Port Orleans — Riverside, and even Deluxe Resorts including Animal Kingdom Lodge, BoardWalk, Contemporary, Beach Club, and Polynesian Village Resort & Villas.
Island Tower construction in 2024
Well, the future holds more of the same. We’re talking simple room updates, pool closures at Caribbean Beach Resort, Old Key West Resort, Contemporary, All-Star Movies, and Fort Wilderness, exterior work on multiple hotels, and extended phased refurbishments stretching into 2027.
Meadow Swimmin’ Pool
Disney’s Grand Floridian recently revamped its lobby with some new designs and a brand-new birdcage bar called The Perch, but The Garden View Lounge — Tea Experience also reopened on March 19th, 2026, with a new menu! (The charming tea spot had been closed since the Resort’s 2020 closure in response to the global pandemic.)
©Disney
On top of that, Disney is actively building a brand-new Deluxe DVC hotel called Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, with a projected opening around 2027.
©bioreconstruct
Hotel perks have also been adjusted, such as the return of the complimentary water park admission (to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon) for Disney hotel guests in 2026 for check-in day only, from May 26th through September 8th, 2026.
Typhoon Lagoon
And that’s just some of the major announcements made so far. Expect more major hotel announcements to be made nearly every month moving forward.
Disneyland
Out west at the Disneyland Resort, hotel changes are less about new construction and more about adjusting the guest experience. Notably, one of the biggest changes happened at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Grand Californian Hotel
The renowned Napa Rose restaurant underwent a complete transformation with decor updates, outdoor seating enhancements, and a new menu! The restaurant officially reopened on February 6th, 2026, with a seasonal prix fixe menu (with the option to add custom wine pairings to a multi-course meal), a new and enhanced children’s menu for kids 9 and younger, a Chef’s Counter experience, and a private dining room.
Napa Rose
Additionally, this is the first year where Disneyland Resort hotel guests WON’T get Early Park Entry, but will instead receive one Lightning Lane Pass each for eligible Multi Pass attractions. The pass is limited to one use per person and is only allocated once, so don’t expect to get a new pass each day.
Pixar Place Hotel
Disneyland Paris
Across the Atlantic, Disneyland Paris is deep into a long-term hotel transformation plan. The biggest confirmed change is the Disney Sequoia Lodge refurbishment that will include updated rooms, revamped dining spaces, and a more modern nature-inspired aesthetic. The hotel will remain open during this work.
©Disney
We’ll keep you posted when more details about the new hotel are revealed.
Shanghai Disney Resort
And then there’s Shanghai Disney Resort, which is actively constructing its third themed hotel along Wishing Star Lake, with the structure already completed and interior work underway.
Shanghai Disneyland Hotel ©Shanghai Disney Resort
While the paint has yet to dry, Disney has officially announced plans for a fourth themed hotel located near the park entrance and integrated with an expanded Disneytown district. A major investment, these hotels will dramatically change Shanghai Disney when they open within the next several years.
©Shanghai Disney Resort
Disney is redefining what “staying on property” means around the world, and there is no way the hotel updates are stopping anytime soon. We’ll be covering every major and minor development that comes out, so be sure to keep it posted right here at DFB to stay in the know!
Disney Is Opening BRAND NEW Hotels. Here’s the Full List.
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I think Walt Disney would be so disappointed to see his vision of themed hotels be abandoned. The Hawaiian Tower at the Polynesian is an eyesore when you look at the surrounding low houses and bungalows. It is much too boxy and too modern to fit into the existing architecture. The inside is nice but it does not send a tropical vibe like the Poly. It seems Disney is more interested in putting up modern looking ,unthemed hotels and rooms . Walt was about details and immersive experiences . New Disney is about plain and simple . The modern mid century Saarinian tulip table and modern chairs in the coffee shop at the Boardwalk Inn is an example of lack of fluency in keeping within a time period . Unfortunately, the Lakeside lodge is another eyesore. Again a boxy modern high rise looking hotel that is blonked down in the middle of log cabin buildings. It’s an end of era of imageenering , fluency and attention to details.