Walt Disney World has introduced a thriller refurbishment beginning this month and persevering with all through 2026 on the BoardWalk. Right here’s the newest on the development warning, plus what we anticipate the undertaking to embody.

For starters, that is fascinating as a result of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn not too long ago “completed” (air quotes) a serious, multi-year refurbishment undertaking. Again in 2022, Walt Disney World introduced they’d be reimagining parts of the beloved turn-of-the-century promenade and contained in the Deluxe Resort, with a captivating new foyer design, delectable new eating choices, and different ‘mild and ethereal’ touches.

The largest adjustments that truly materialized have been new visitor rooms on each the lodge facet of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and the DVC Villas, Carousel Espresso (foyer espresso bar), Cake Bake Store by Gwendolyn Rogers (alternative for ESPN Membership), BoardWalk Ice Cream (alternative for Ample Hills), BoardWalk Deli (alternative for BoardWalk Bakery), and the brand new Blue Ribbon Corn Canine kiosk. All of that was accomplished a 12 months or extra in the past, with Cake Bake Store being the final to debut.

Quick-forward round 13 months, and Walt Disney World has introduced one other year-long undertaking for the BoardWalk. Right here’s the development bulletin that seems on the official web site:

Starting late November 2025 and persevering with all through 2026, refurbishment work will happen in choose areas of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Whereas Friends might even see or hear work throughout daytime hours, most Resort facilities—together with eating, recreation, and merchandise areas—will stay accessible.

The Disney Skyliner shall be closed for routine refurbishment January 25–31, 2026, and January 24–30, 2027. Throughout these occasions, complimentary bus transportation shall be accessible.

From January 11, 2027, via April 2027, the Luna Park Pool, the Luna Park Loopy Play Space and Leaping Horse Libations at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas shall be closed for routine upkeep. Friends might even see and listen to work happening throughout daytime hours. Nevertheless, the Villas Pool and the Inn Pool will stay open for Friends to get pleasure from.

Solely the primary paragraph is pertinent to this submit. The Skyliner and Luna Park Pool closures have been beforehand introduced.

Essentially the most notable particulars are that it’ll happen all through 2026, versus having a specified finish month. That means it’s anticipated to final the length of 2026, or a minimum of, a lot of the 12 months. It’s additionally happening in choose areas, plural, of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Taking these two items of information collectively suggests it’s a reasonably main undertaking.

There are a variety of potentialities as to what this may very well be. The primary is the least thrilling–that it’s simply facade work. This has been occurring over at Yacht and Seaside Membership, and it’s solely potential Walt Disney World will use the identical sources to exchange and refresh the exteriors of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn whereas the development crews are already at Crescent Lake.

Notably, the refurbishment bulletins for Yacht and Seaside Membership point out that these resorts are “present process routine exterior upkeep” and that the “work might affect views from numerous areas all through the resort, and at occasions, alternate paths of journey could also be in place.”

BoardWalk not having these particulars doesn’t definitively rule out exterior work, simply makes it much less possible. Walt Disney World is thought to submit obscure bulletins once in a while. It simply looks as if they might’ve copied and pasted over the Yacht & Seaside Membership bulletins have been this basically an ‘extension’ of that work.

One other risk is that Walt Disney World is ending what it began with the 2022 reimagining. It was by no means clear to us whether or not the BoardWalk foyer was really accomplished, or if Disney determined to do a lightweight refresh and transfer on.

Other than the check-in desks being changed by kiosks, not an entire lot modified. You might not even discover the foyer acquired a refresh, and we’d cease effectively wanting calling it a redesign. It may appear odd to revisit this ~2 years after it was beforehand “accomplished,” however that’s exactly what occurred with the Grand Floridian.

The truth is, this entire announcement reminds us so much of that foyer overhaul, from the lengthy pause proper all the way down to the obscure bulletin that ended up coming into clearer focus every week or so later when Walt Disney World issued a press launch and idea artwork for the Birdcage Bar. I don’t suppose BoardWalk will get one other foyer bar, however stranger issues have occurred!

Then there are the entire vacancies out alongside the precise BoardWalk. Walt Disney World beforehand teased one thing new for the primary of those, however that was effectively over a 12 months in the past and it appeared extra like one thing to placate followers than it did that that they had an precise plan.

In case you missed it, Huge River Grille & Brewing Works completely closed in early final 12 months. And it was simple to overlook, because the time from when the information broke to when the restaurant closed was actually just a few days. It was abrupt, and even the staff who labored there didn’t know till the final minute.

A bit over one 12 months later, Jellyrolls Dueling Piano Bar closed in April 2025 after almost 30 years on the BoardWalk. In line with Jellyrolls administration, the choice was made to maneuver to a brand new location in Orlando. This didn’t come as an enormous shock, as Jellyrolls had been struggling for some time and Walt Disney World lease is dear.

Yet one more closure not too long ago hit this identical facet of the BoardWalk, because the Promenade Nice Artwork Gallery closed completely final month. No phrase but on a alternative for that, both. But it surely’s very telling that Walt Disney World has had 3 companies go bust at BoardWalk within the final 2 years, and several other extra earlier than that.