Grand Floridian Lobby Update: Walk-Up Bar Progress, Plenty of Construction (and Demolition)
We’ll start with the star of the show, a new walk-up lobby bar. Walt Disney World previously released concept art of the lobby refresh, and the new bar was an unmistakable centerpiece. The bar is inspired by the former birdcage that sat in the same spot for decades. Minus the new bar, the look and feel of the lobby appears to retain the same charm that guests love. Let’s take a look at the current state of the work.
Since we
last checked in on the project, the planter-style foundation that the birdcage previously sat on has been demolished. It looks like there is a bit of a hole here now, as crews prepare for the installation of the bar. Without knowing what was under the planter that was demolished, it also looks like some new infrastructure is in place, perhaps to support some of the features needed for a bar (like a sink). Here’s a look around the area from an elevated vantage point from the second floor of the Grand.
Heading downstairs, we can see that the check-in counter is now completely behind construction walls, and a fair bit of construction has taken place. Disney did not release any details or renderings of what the new check-in area will look like once complete, but we do know that all of the counters have been removed, and there is work taking place on both the walls and ceiling. Here’s a tour of the work.
A peek beyond the construction walls shows the removal of the check-in counters, and some materials staged as work continues around the window frames.
Elsewhere, there is ongoing work to refresh the window frames around the lobby, including in this little alcove near the front door. Speaking of the front door, both the front door and doors leading to the monorail platform were blocked from view as crews performed repairs.
On the other side of the lobby, the Tea Room remains behind walls. From what we can tell, the flooring has been ripped out, and the Tea Room is being used as either a break room or staging area for some of the other work. Pop-up tables are present, and we even spotted a TV box (not sure what for).
