*The Official VILLAS AT DISNEY'S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA Owners & Lovers Group* - LOBBY REFURB BEGAN 4/14!

[PolyRob]

some are wondering if they'll do it once in the name of renovations and have it never return... who knows...

I'm more curious about what they do with the sides (not pictured) and the tea room.

I'd also love to see BBB space utilized, the awkward chair/photo space better used, and if the kids club space is vacant find a way to put it to use...

BBB sitting empty is a shame.

I never liked the loss of shopping when Enchanted Rose consumed Commander Porter's. M. Mouse Mercantile is already refurbished so IDK what the Cinderella Photo spot could become?

GF Cafe also needs a full refurbishment. It's looking very tired! It would have probably made sense to do it before 1900 Park Fare reopened to utilize that space in the interim, but Disney didn't consult me. LOL

I don't believe Sandy Cove has been touched yet either? It doesn't look bad, but if the floor is getting ripped up I imagine changes there as well.

 

[mrsap]

AND SO IT BEGINS!


Posted by Blog Mickey.

Good morning all! GF Lobby Refurb 2025 is Officially underway!

 

[mrsap]

Disney's Grand Floridian Lobby Walls Go Up as Major Refurbishment Project Starts​

Work is officially underway in the lobby at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa as part of the multi-phase refurbishment project announced earlier this year.

Construction walls are now installed in the main lobby, with the area surrounding the resort’s iconic birdcage fully walled off.







This marks the beginning of an extensive renovation to refresh the Grand Floridian’s lobby. The project runs through November 2025 and includes updates to finishes, furnishings, and the addition of a new Victorian-inspired lobby bar.

Despite the construction, several seasonal offerings remain in place. The Grand Cottage treat shop is still available, offering house-made sweets and packaged goodies. The annual Easter Egg display is also still available, showcasing hand-decorated chocolate eggs crafted by Disney pastry chefs.





Guests should expect changes to traffic flow in the lobby area, and some noise during daytime hours, but most resort amenities—including dining and pools—remain available.




Wanted to add this picture posted by Blog Mickey showing the walking space behind the walls.

 

[PolyRob]

AND SO IT BEGINS!

View attachment 957090
Posted by Blog Mickey.

Good morning all! GF Lobby Refurb 2025 is Officially underway!

I guess the bar is first up!

 

[boba_balla]

Thanks for sharing the pics. So glad the Easter Eggs will still be on display as we'll be going there on Thursday, and it'll be our first time at WDW and first DVC trip.

 

[stal]

Staying at a resort studio for the first time soon. Any rooms y’all like to request and why?

 

[bookbabe626]

Can anyone confirm the type of coffee makers in the Big Pine Key rooms? Are they still the flat pod machines like in the values and moderates?

 

[Chuck96]

Dang, they are moving!

 

[sndral]

Can anyone confirm the type of coffee makers in the Big Pine Key rooms? Are they still the flat pod machines like in the values and moderates?

When we stayed in a villa in BPK soon after they opened they had Keurig coffee makers.

 

[bookbabe626]

When we stayed in a villa in BPK soon after they opened they had Keurig coffee makers.

Weird. All reports as recent as a couple of months ago and the videos I have found online all show the flat pod machines. I wonder when the change was made.

 

[sndral]

Weird. All reports as recent as a couple of months ago and the videos I have found online all show the flat pod machines. I wonder when the change was made.

When we stayed in a 1 br. in the original villas building last Dec. we had the flat pod machine - but in addition to leaving coffee pods, housekeeping left us k cups which I laughed about since we didn’t have a Keurig & couldn’t use the k cups .

 

[mrsap]

New Paint and Signage on Grand Floridian Lobby Construction Walls​

As the construction work in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort begins to take shape, the construction walls have received a fresh coat of paint and new signage.

Plain construction walls were added to the left half of the resort lobby just last week. Since our previous construction update, the walls have now been painted and new signage has been installed.



The originally-plain walls have been painted and covered in wallpaper to better match the aesthetic of the resort. The walls are now tan with a light floral pattern. The divide between each wall panel and the top edges of the walls have also been covered by white boards.



In addition to the paint color, new signage has been installed on roughly every third wall panel. The new signs are a light mint green color with a gold border and the circular Grand Floridian Resort logo. Like many Disney construction walls, these signs have quotes from animated Disney films.




Gold signs on posts have been added by the far corners of the walls near the remaining guest walkway. The signs point guests to the locations still accessible on the other side of the walls. For guests heading to the resort’s main entrance, the sign points to the bus stop, front desk, and elevators.


Looking down from the second floor of the lobby, no major progress has been made on the transformation so far. The plywood placed on sections of the floor was already present last week.



The only major difference inside the walls since our last update is the addition of many more construction tools and parts. Boxes, ladders, and what appears to be a wheeled dumpster have all been added to the space.

 

[mrsap]

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Birdcage Dismantled During Lobby Remodel​

On Wednesday morning, they were taking down the famous birdcage. The roof was already gone. Small pieces of blue painter’s tape were around the top of the birdcage.



Crew members were working on removing elements from the base. Plywood and white supports were revealed.



There were crew members inside and outside of the cage.



The decorative exterior paneling of the birdcage’s base was gone from three out of four sides. Some paneling was also removed from inside the cage.



The birdcage once held a tree and real birds but they have been absent from the resort for years.

 

[mrsap]

A short video was posted on FB last night. Looks like the bird cage is completely gone now.

 

[mrsap]

Birdcage Fully Removed From Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Lobby​

The giant birdcage from the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort has been fully removed.



The birdcage used to sit on a dais across from the cage-inspired elevator tower. On Thursday, crews began dismantling the birdcage, and as of Friday morning, it’s completely gone. White sheets lay across its former location.



The iconic birdcage was purely decorative for the past several years, but it was once functional, being home to real birds and a tree.



There are also white sheets over the long planter on one side of the dais that are stuffed into the planter on the other side. One of the short columns on the front of the dais has a sheet pinned to its front. Scrim also covers something, possibly a toolbox, behind one of the planters.


The four tall white columns behind the dais have wood frames around them. The frames attach to the construction walls behind.



The floor behind the planters is covered in protective SkudoBoard. More boards are stacked up against the construction walls, ready to cover the carpet in front of the dais.


A cart in a corner of the construction site is also covered by a white sheet. There were no crew members on site Friday morning.

 

[mrsap]

Grand Floridian Lobby Reimagining: Birdcage Removed, Front Desk Operations Relocated, Tea Room Behind Walls, and More

As we began walking around the construction walls, we noticed that an area of the lobby was roped off and that the Front Desk operations had been relocated into the sitting area. The move comes ahead of the arrival of construction walls for work on the check-in area. In speaking with Cast Members, more construction walls should surround the front desk very shortly.

The Front Desk operations have been moved into the seating area, with a more casual check-in process now in place. A Cast Member will welcome you to the hotel, and if your interaction requires the use of a computer, you’ll be welcomed into the sitting area. Some Cast Members are using desks, while others are using iPads to assist guests.

Cast Members that we spoke with were not sure how long this setup would be in place, but it is safe to say that we’re looking at weeks or months. It all depends on how much of a priority the work at the actual Front Desk is to the construction team.

It would stand to reason that the construction of the birdcage bar would take the longest, but we’re not privy to the exact construction schedule.

Finally, the Garden View Tea Room is also behind construction walls. It will be receiving some work during the lobby reimagining, and more details are expected at a later date. So far, it doesn’t look like anyone has swung a hammer in the Tea Room with the exception of the crews installing the construction walls. We should see some movement in the coming weeks in this space.

 

[mrsap]

Some updated pictures:

Check-in Moves, Garden Tea Room Closes During Ongoing Grand Floridian Lobby Remodel​

More construction walls are up in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, forcing check-in to move.



Crews removed the lobby’s iconic birdcage earlier this month — the first step in a major remodel of the space that will include the construction of a birdcage-inspired bar.


In addition to the construction walls around the birdcage’s pedestal, there are now construction walls to either side of the front doors. The walls on the left in the photo above block the former check-in area.



Two desks with chairs have been set up in the seating area to act as check-in for now. The space is blocked by red ropes, but Cast Members with tablets will help guests check in. If they need to use the computer, they’ll go to one of the desks.



Two podiums with computers are also set up outside the blocked-off space.



The old check-in was one long counter. Like other remodeled Disney resort lobbies, the counter might be turned into several smaller desks.



Behind the walls, we saw crew members working already. A ladder was set up against one window. Some blue painter’s tape covers wall elements.



Two crew members were peeling striped wallpaper away.



The walls on the other side of the front doors block a small seating area.



At the back of the lobby, opposite the check-in desks, construction walls also now block the Garden View Tea Room. Disney announced the tea room’s refurbishment but shared no details.


Behind the walls, we didn’t see any major construction work on the space yet.



A couple of white poles with painter’s tape were on the ground. Other items appear to be Cast Members’ personal belongings and trash bags.


Meanwhile, the bathrooms on the second floor next to Victoria & Albert’s and Cítricos are closed. Guests are directed to the restrooms on the first floor near 1900 Park Fare instead.

 

[mrsap]

Wallpaper Removed From Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Lobby During Remodel​

Crews have removed the wallpaper from the Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort check-in area as part of a remodel of the lobby space.



In late April, construction walls went up around the check-in area, next to the lobby’s front doors. Check-in has temporarily moved into the central seating area.


Behind the walls, crews have removed most of the wallpaper from behind the check-in counters. The old wallpaper was striped pale pink and beige. Light sconces remain on the walls.



The top halves of the walls are still white but will probably be repainted. All of the artwork was removed for construction. The check-in counter isn’t visible, but it may also be demolished to make way for smaller desks, in line with other Disney resort lobby remodels.



The seating area on the other side of the front doors was also closed off for construction.



Crews also removed the wallpaper behind these walls.



The lobby’s iconic birdcage was removed last month. Now the dais and planters have been partially removed from the area. The platform the birdcage sat on is still in place, but the short columns from the front of the dais are gone.


The planters that stuck out from the sides of the dais were also removed. The white orbs from atop the decorative columns are sitting nearby.



Moulding was also torn away from the side of the dais.



At the back of the lobby, the Garden View Tea Room, which has been closed since 2020, is also being refurbished.



Decorative trellises were removed from the front of the tea room. Most of the furniture is gone from the space. Crews had large panels in the room, possibly for floor protection.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I have some transportation questions.

When stay at the VGF, is this correct.....

To get to AK and HS - bus only.

To get to MK - boat or monorail. Both go directly to the park. (Or you can walk.)

To get to Epcot - Resort monorail...first stop MK, then Poly, the TTC. Switch monorail. TTC to Epcot. (Or is it better to do Resort monorail to MK. Get off and then get on express monorail to Epcot?)

 

[AstroBlasters]

I have some transportation questions.

When stay at the VGF, is this correct.....

To get to AK and HS - bus only.

To get to MK - boat or monorail. Both go directly to the park. (Or you can walk.)

To get to Epcot - Resort monorail...first stop MK, then Poly, the TTC. Switch monorail. TTC to Epcot. (Or is it better to do Resort monorail to MK. Get off and then get on express monorail to Epcot?)

You can also walk to the TCC from VGF… but the monorail station is REALLY close to the VGF building… it’s super easy.

The villas building has its own drive in area and worked really well for Uber pickups.