Walt Disney World is always changing, growing, or under construction.
However, many theme park projects were put on hold or canceled altogether when the global health crisis hit. Earlier, EPCOT’s proposed Spaceship Earth refurbishment and Mary Poppin’s attraction were postponed indefinitely. Then, Primeval Whirl, Stitches Great Escape, and Rivers of Light were permanently closed. Despite budget cuts and supply shortages, Disney has still managed to pull off a few new projects over the summer.
Gideon’s Bakehouse
You know we’re excited about this one! Gideon’s Bakehouse is an incredible bakery local to Orlando and it’s coming soon to Disney Springs! At Gideon’s, esteemed bakers create fascinating cake flavors and enormous cookies packed with goodies. A cookie from Gideon’s will ruin every other cookie for you forever. Seriously…they’re HALF POUND cookies and SO good.
Gideon’s was announced back in June and construction has moved along quickly. We’re hoping to have an opening date soon!
Take a peek at what you have to look forward to when Gideon’s Bakehouse opens!
Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew
Giant cookies and now donuts?? A trip to Disney Springs just got a lot sweeter! Everglazed Donuts and Cold Brew is a new restaurant concept offering, you guessed it, donuts and coffee. Springs has a ton of restaurants open for lunch and dinner and now shoppers will have a solid option for breakfast!
The new restaurant will be tucked between Splitsville Luxury Lanes and the back of the AMC Movie Theatre. This was another unexpected June announcement. Construction has been hard to see and an opening date has not been announced yet.
Get some of the details on Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew here!
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Refurbishments
While Disney is select delaying in-park projects, they are pushing forward with others. For example, just yesterday, Disney World announced that they were delaying the reopening of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort until 2021 for refurbishments.
What kind of refurbishments, you ask? The Moana kind! Rooms at the Polynesian Resort are getting a Moana-inspired makeover. The rooms will be inspired by a Pacific Ocean color palette and details, patterns, and textures from Moana. (Disney, please tell us we’ll see a few Maui tattoos embedded in the carpet!)
The refurb will also impact the Great Ceremonial House (A.K.A. the main lobby). We’ll have to wait and see if Moana, Te Fiti, or Maui will make an appearance here too!
Read more about the resort’s makeover here!
Disney’s Beach Club Marketplace Refurbishment
Beach Club Marketplace at Disney’s Beach Club Resort also closed for refurbishment. No, not closed indefinitely like the aforementioned attractions! This is a scheduled refurb. If you happen to stay at the resort, you can pick up snacks at the Solarium located just across from the Marketplace. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is also open so you can hop on over next door if you’re feeling snacky!
No reopening date has been announced for the quick-service location, but we’ll keep an eye out for more updates!
Check out the resort’s food and beverage options now that Beach Club Marketplace is temporarily closed!
Disney has seen quite a few setbacks since the theme parks closed in March. Despite this, they still churned out some new projects and are continuing with refurbishments. We’ll continue to watch for more Disney World updates, construction, and projects in the future. There’s no telling what the rest of 2020 has in store for us!
Check out the construction progress for TRON Lightcycle Run in the Magic Kingdom!
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What do you think of the new Disney World projects? Let us know in the comments!
I thought it was Primeval Whirl that closed permanently, not Triceratops Spin. Did that one close too?
Kim, you’re correct! We’re fixing that up.
Those half pound cookies with everything jammed into them are making me drool.