When it comes to ALL of the hotels at the Walt Disney World resort, the ones in the Magic Kingdom area (especially those on the monorail loop) are among the most famous and most beloved!
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Families have been staying at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge for decades, and they’ve come to know and love them as-is.
But, in case you missed it, Disney World is turning the BIG 5-0 this year! The Contemporary and Polynesian are also going to celebrate their 50th anniversaries, and the Grand Floridian isn’t too far behind — it’ll be turning 33 this year. In anticipation of this major milestone and because Disney World NEVER stops evolving, these deluxe resorts are getting some HUGE MAKEOVERS!
Polynesian lobby
How are they changing? And how will these changes impact your travels to Disney World now and in the coming years? Let’s break down what’s going on at these three Magic Kingdom-area resorts!
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Contemporary Resort opened alongside Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom on October 1st, 1971!
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
If you’ve walked through the Contemporary lately (or dined at Chef Mickey’s), you’ll notice that the rooms are lined with construction tarps.
Construction Scrims
That’s because the main guest rooms are getting makeovers! Construction started in April and is planned to wrap up in September, right before Disney World’s anniversary!
Hello, scrims!
But the guest rooms aren’t the only thing at the Contemporary that will be changing. The Wave…of American Flavors will also be closed starting July 15th for “the summer” for an extended refurbishment!
The Wave
Right now, you can grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner at The Wave, and we’re not sure what changes are coming here, but you know we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled! Details on the changes coming to The Contemporary rooms have not been shared at this time. We will share more as more information is released.
Read all about The Contemporary refurbishment here.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort also opened on October 1st, 1971, and before the closure in 2020, it was the home to some of the most BELOVED spots at Disney World, including Trader Sam’s and ‘Ohana.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Well, those restaurants have yet to reopen…in fact, the Polynesian is still closed! (Though the Disney Vacation Club rooms and some restaurants are available.) Why? Because this resort is undergoing a MASSIVE refurbishment, with a retheme to Moana in the guest rooms!
©Disney
And we’ve already seen a sneak peek of these new rooms, which is a good thing because reservations are AVAILABLE for the resort’s reopening beginning in mid-July!
Hei Hei! ©Disney
There are other touches of Moana already at the Polynesian, including new Cast Member costumes.
Excuse us while we sing “How Far I’ll Go” at the top of our lungs
There are other HUGE changes, including the removal of the roof’s iconic beams, as well as changes to the hotel’s entryway and a redesigned monorail station.
©Disney
SO MUCH is happening at the Poly, and once it fully reopens this summer, we can’t WAIT to see all the touches of Moana and more!
Read MORE about the Polynesian refurbishment here!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has seen some welcome changes in the last year, including the addition of a walkway to the Magic Kingdom!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
And now, some BIG changes are coming to the rooms at the Grand Floridian. The Grand Floridian will be expanding the number of Disney Vacation Club rooms available, converting one building of traditional hotel rooms into DVC Villas.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
Building 9, a.k.a. Big Pine Key, will turn into 200 Resort Studios, with an expected opening date next summer.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
Disney World is constantly changing, even beyond the monorail loop and Magic Kingdom area, and the changes are only happening in bigger ways with more frequency as the resort nears its 50th anniversary! As construction starts, continues, and finishes, we’ll definitely keep you updated so you know how to plan your trip!
Everything CONFIRMED to Open in Disney World in 2021
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I hope they upgrade the contenporary’s pool at some point, it could really use some TLC.
You may want to change the picture of Bay Lake Tower to the Contemporary so that people aren’t confused tht have never been.
Thanks, Darlene. The writer switched it out.
I’m sorry. The Poly “update” is awful—for fifty years, this hotel has been both iconic and beloved. Why do we need a recent and, by comparison, not particularly “classic” movie overlay!!! It is just one more example of the lazy and unimaginative attitude of Disney. It WILL come back to bite them. I know many long-time fans and frequent visitors who are both dismayed and disappointed by the current, seemingly rudderless, direction the parks and resorts are taking. We discuss often why on Earth we would return to what has become a glaring lack of imagination, innovation, and inspiration.