Resort Thread Disney's GRAND FLORIDIAN Resort & Spa - **THE PERCH BAR OPENING NOVEMBER 10th!!!**

[mrsap]

Carpet/Elegant Herringbone Tile transition revealed!!


Thanks @2vets for sharing!

 

[mrsap]

Disney’s Grand Floridian Lobby Bar Gets Chairs and Lighting​

The new bar in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is officially opening next week, but it looks ready for a potential soft opening any day now.

The Perch Bar​

We learned that the birdcage-inspired bar will be called The Perch and is scheduled to open on Monday, November 10. Crews have been putting final details on the bar, which is surrounded by white curtains.


New golden glittering disco ball-like lights hang inside the bar. They have gold butterflies on them.


The planters around the bar were filled with fresh green foliage overnight. Crews have installed bar equipment.



Behind the shelves installed a week ago is a new stained glass panel. Cabinet doors were added to the sides.



Most crew members on site Thursday morning were on the ground but one crew member was working on the bar’s roof. There are now chairs arranged at the counters, including a short section of counter on one side.


The short section of counter has two shorter chairs but the rest of the chairs are bar stool height. They have patterned light beige backs and arms. The padded seats are brown.



The chairs sit on the bar’s herringbone tile, separating it from the lobby’s new carpet.


The interior of the structure has plain gray-brown flooring. Guests will sit outside while bartenders work inside.



A golden foot rest runs around the bar’s exterior.


The Perch is where the lobby’s real giant birdcage used to sit, across from the elevator. Check out The Perch menu.

More Grand Floridian Lobby Work​

Construction walls are down from in front of the Garden View Lounge, but still block the two doorways. There are curtains around an area in front of the tea room for a crew member to paint the Grand Floridian logo on the wall above. There was previously a seashell-like 3D element on this wall.



There will now be a flat golden GF logo with vine-like filigree. A matching design will also be added on the other side of the lobby. The Garden View Lounge will reopen next year.



Next to the tea room, the back staircase is blocked again with curtains.

 

[PolyRob]

Finally, after months of checking, I was able to consolidate 2 discounted stays at different resorts into one discounted stay at GF next week. @PolyRob, happy to capture multiple angles of that tilework for you if my flights go as planned!

Also, @mrsap - sending you a picture that I saw on FB this morning of the tile edgework/transition to carpet revealed. I like it better than I initially thought I would! (Can you tell I can’t concentrate at work this week???)

Glad you were able to finally drop that night and get what you needed!

Carpet/Elegant Herringbone Tile transition revealed!!

View attachment 1022516
Thanks @2vets for sharing!

I love your caption

 

[mrsap]

Glad you were able to finally drop that night and get what you needed!

I love your caption

That was for you!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Ahh, ok, so the top will hold a human. Mental note to self.

 

[PolyRob]

Ahh, ok, so the top will hold a human. Mental note to self.

Perch on The Perch!

 

[2vets]

Ahh, ok, so the top will hold a human. Mental note to self.

Don’t have one too many…OR ELSE!

 

[mrsap]

According to DFB:

The Perch Menu is now Live on Disney’s Website.

You can see it HERE.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I think as previously mentioned, most people will call it the birdcage bar. Living in Wisconsin, when I read "The Perch", it makes me think of a fish fry!! Mmmmm....

 

[mrsap]

Nice picture of the bar posted on FB.


Posted by Kim Jameson

 

[Cfabar1]

I really think they did an outstanding job with this renovation.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I’m almost getting test vibes… not as in cheap but as in if this works it is easily replicable to any hotel theme in any lobby. Lobby bars have been hot across the hospitality industry for awhile for a reason…

 

[Dave006]

The chairs sit on the bar’s herringbone tile, separating it from the lobby’s new carpet.

That herringbone tile is a real odd, and ugly transition for the Perch bar.

Dave

 

[ezma]

That herringbone tile is a real odd, and ugly transition for the Perch bar.

Dave

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought the same thing. The first time I saw it in the photos I thought that does not fit. Marla

 

[mrsap]

New Gingerbread Brownie and Returning ‘Let It Snow’ Mousse Bring Christmas to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort​

Holiday treats are arriving at Walt Disney World, beginning with the new Gingerbread Brownie and returning “Let It Snow” from Gasparilla Island Grill.


These are available through January 1, 2026. Gasparilla Island Grill will also offer Stollen Bites beginning on November 18.

*NEW* Gingerbread Brownie – $6.79​

Gingerbread-spiced brownie with salted caramel ganache


We didn’t think this would be good but we actually enjoyed it. The brownie is thick and moist. It has a nice subtle chocolate flavor.


The frosting reminds us of Golden Grahams cereal in the best way possible. The gingerbread flavor is not overwhelming.


It’s large and shareable. The little gingerbread house with a Mickey on it is cute and takes a great picture.

Rating out of 7: 6

Let It Snow – $6.99​

Almond-praline mousse, confit apricot, and orange chiffon


This is a solid offering but we weren’t blown away by it. The texture is delicate with a light almond flavor. You have to dig a bit for the apricot, but it’s there. The citrus cuts nicely with the dessert.


It is not sweet at all, which we appreciated. It’s a little underwhelming, however. If you like almond and want something light, you could grab this. It’s not something we will run back for anytime soon.


Rating out of 7: 4

 

[mrsap]

Disney World Receives Regulatory Green Light for New Grand Floridian Entrance & Other Roadway Enhancements

Yesterday, Walt Disney World received a regulatory green light for a planned new entrance to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and other roadway enhancements as part of a multi-year effort to improve traffic flow around the Magic Kingdom area resorts. A permit was approved by the South Florida Water Management District, giving Walt Disney World a thumbs-up to proceed with roadway adjustments at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Here’s the latest.

Permit Approved for New Grand Floridian Resort Entrance

Walt Disney World filed plans with the state back in September, detailing changes to the main entrance of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, the Grand Floridian wedding pavilion, and other nearby roadway improvements.

If this is all feeling a bit familiar, it’s because we have covered these changes before. To be clear, the permit that was approved this week is new. That said, the changes to the Grand Floridian entrance have been known for years. Our first look at the changes came in an October 2021 article where we outlined the plans for the World Drive Phase III work.

Here’s a look at some of the permit images from 2021, showing the planned work for World Drive Phase III. Note that the distinction here is that the 2021 permit was for the work related to the World Drive project, whereas the recently filed permit is for work to connect Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to the World Drive Phase III project.

In the screenshots below, you can see the planned roundabouts near Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and the nearby Grand Floridian Cast Member parking area.

Here’s another screenshot from the 2021 permit, showing the two roundabouts planned to be built west of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Actually, there are three roundabouts in the screenshot, with the roundabout all the way at the bottom left of the image for the planned Seven Seas Drive reroute project connected to the new entrance currently under construction for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. We’re not interested in that roundabout for this article, so we’ll ignore it for now.

Instead, we’ll turn our attention to the two roundabouts near Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort (in the middle of the screenshot below). The lower (southern) roundabout will connect to the main entrance of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. The upper (northern) roundabout will connect to the Cast Member parking area and the exit to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.

With that background out of the way, let’s now turn our attention to the recently approved permit and the changes that will be made to connect Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to the World Drive Phase III work.


Here’s a permit overlay image that we put together, showing the recently filed permit over a Google Maps screenshot. We can faintly see the two roundabouts in the permit overlay screenshot, one near the entrance to the resort (middle) and one near the Cast Member parking lot (left).

In terms of significant changes, it looks like the main entrance roadway will be extended some 200 feet to connect to the World Drive roundabout. Modifications will be made to the existing Floridian Way roadway to transform it from a two-lane road to a one-lane, one-way roadway that will serve as an exit from the Cast Member parking lot area toward the World Drive roundabout.

No other significant changes are planned for the Grand Floridian Resort entrance. It looks like the existing guardhouse will remain in place, and there are no major changes planned for the resort parking lot.

The northern roundabout will have some more changes as Disney creates a new roadway to connect the current Grand Floridian exit roadway near the convention center with the new roundabout. This will require cutting into the current Cast Member parking lot slightly. It looks like permitted plans call for losing a row or two of parking during the process.

Changes are also coming to the Wedding Pavilion. A new entrance will be constructed south of the current entrance. This will allow for a more natural connection to the planned shift of World Drive North following the completion of the Phase III work. It looks like Disney will make some changes to the Wedding Pavilion parking lot in an effort to retain a similar number of spaces once the new entrance is complete.

Overall, the work outlined in this permit should create better traffic flow in the area once complete. As traffic to the northern gateway of Walt Disney World property continues to grow, the World Drive North Phase III project is much-needed.

If you’re visiting Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in the coming years, you can expect significant traffic impacts around the resort. While the permit outlines the planned final product, it doesn’t outline the anticipated traffic impacts during the work. Also absent is a timeframe for the completion of the project.

In fact, while the World Drive North Phase III project was first outlined in 2021, Disney didn’t commence work on the project until mid-2023. That means that the World Drive Phase III work that this permit is connecting too is permitted through mid-2028.

Walt Disney World has not officially announced this project on its website. That means that while the ongoing refurbishment project has been extended until mid-2026, we don’t know when roadway impacts to the entrance of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort will take place.

 

[KJUtzig]

Could the extension possibly be for the Grand Floridian Cafe? It looks like it is the only thing remaining to be redone.

 

[gottalovepluto]

A gingerbread house pastry this year is a wee bit in poor taste…

 

[mrsap]

Cross posting from the VGF Thread:

Post in thread '*The Official VILLAS AT DISNEY'S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA Group* - **THE PERCH BAR OPENING NOVEMBER 10th!!**'

Today at 12:51 PM

Curtain is now down in front of Garden View Lounge

• BigBadBobbyH

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