Disney Vacation Club has launched its timeline for room refurbishments, resort reimaginings, and different development initiatives at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and past in 2023 & 2024. This useful resource offers the scheduled dates and particulars for work on the Deluxe Villas, and what to anticipate from every overhaul.
Typically, resort refurbishment schedules are launched on the annual Condominium Association Meeting. During this, Disney Vacation Club executives current their plans for updating villa interiors over the subsequent 2 years. There’s normally a timeline shared as a part of the presentation that signifies every resort scheduled for updates, and the size of the challenge.
The previous few years have thrown a monkey wrench in these plans, with a number of resort refurbishments being delayed as a result of closure and its aftermath. Perhaps because of that, a timeline was not offered throughout final yr’s annual assembly. Fortunately, a brand new timeline was unveiled for 2023-2024 on the Disney Vacation Club Condominium Association Meeting held in mid-December 2022. Here’s what we realized from that…
First, a number of Disney Vacation Club resorts will obtain a smaller scale refreshes subsequent yr. If you’re aware of our Walt Disney World Hotel Construction Tracker, you’ve most likely seen this known as a mushy items refurbishment. This usually means updating furnishings, together with however not restricted to wall coverings, flooring, linens, decor, and a few furnishings.
In current years, the definition of a ‘soft goods’ refurbishment has “evolved” and I imply that in a great way! (All too usually, utilizing air quotes round evolve in relation to Disney means a downgrade. Not on this case.) Both the Grand Floridian and Polynesian Villas obtained mushy items refurbishments within the final year-plus that included set up of the brand new Inova pull-down couch mattress and sofa combo. This function first debuted at Disney’s Riviera Resort, and was subsequently added to Saratoga Springs Resort throughout its full refurbishment.
It’s unclear whether or not resorts receiving mushy items refurbishments in 2023 and 2024 will proceed to have the Inova pull-down beds added, however we definitely hope so. This is a colossal improve over the pull-out couches, and has been an enormous hit with Disney Vacation Club members. It has been one in every of a number of practical enhancements which have actually improved the ‘quality of life’ of DVC rooms–whereas Imagineering has additionally achieved a strong job weaving themed design into the upgraded models.
There are additionally a handful of Disney Vacation Club resorts slated to obtain full refurbishments within the subsequent two years. Typically, this can be a full gutting of the room, and leads to a completely new villa inside. The footprint of the room normally stays the identical, and its general sq. footage measurement all the time does. Changes usually embody new furnishings, cupboards, counter tops, home equipment, flooring, tiling, fixtures, and extra. Some gadgets may be reused from the prior rooms, particularly little particulars that members get pleasure from, however these are normally thought-about “new rooms” whereas mushy items refurbishments end in “reimagined rooms.”
Disney Vacation Club makes an attempt to schedule resorts to obtain a mushy items refresh each 7 years and a full refurbishment each 14 years. In the previous few years (since round 2018, so even earlier than the closure), that they had began to fall behind this schedule. That drawback solely received worse within the final couple of years, but it surely seems DVC is lastly turning the nook…perhaps/hopefully.
If you’re not a Disney Vacation Club member, this submit nonetheless might need relevance to you! For one factor, all of those lodging are bookable straight from Walt Disney World or Disneyland by way of the “Deluxe Villa” tier, which is handled identical to a standard lodge. For one other factor, you need to use our Tips for Renting Disney Vacation Club Points to step into the footwear of a DVC member–and lower your expenses within the course of. (We strongly advocate the second route, as Deluxe Villas are normally considerably overpriced, whereas renting DVC factors provides great financial savings–they’re mainly like polar opposites.)
We do common resort stays at each Walt Disney World and Disneyland, normally emphasizing properties the place there are new issues, adjustments, or ongoing development to see how that harms, improves, or in any other case impacts the visitor expertise. If you’ve but to guide lodging on your trip in 2023 or 2024 and wish to be notified about all the newest resort adjustments, enroll right here for our FREE Disney e-newsletter right here.
When reserving a Walt Disney World or Disneyland trip, we extremely advocate making an allowance for recently-completed and ongoing development initiatives on the numerous resorts, as these completely can impression the standard of your journey. Booking a lodge with a closed pool or development noise and cranes proper exterior your window is clearly going to be a worse expertise than a resort that simply completed its large refurbishment and nonetheless has that recent feeling and ‘new hotel’ odor.
Suffice to say, a lot is occurring on the Disney Vacation Club development entrance on each coasts. Let’s check out all the present and upcoming initiatives which have the potential to impression company…
Now Through 2024: Polynesian Village Resort Villas – Work is at present underway at Walt Disney World to construct a new DVC tower at Polynesian Village Resort, changing Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, between the present Polynesian longhouses and Wedding Pavilion, close to the Grand Floridian.
Thus far, land has been cleared and the foundations are beginning to be poured for this new tower adjoining to the present Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The proposed Disney Vacation Club tower addition that’s being constructed at Polynesian Village Resort is at present slated to open in late 2024 at Walt Disney World.
If you’re staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (lodge facet) anytime within the subsequent 2 years, this development may impression you. As such, we advocate requesting a room that’s not within the Aotearoa, Fiji, or Tuvalu longhouses. Those buildings are adjoining to the development web site, and the one ones that needs to be impacted in any materials approach.
However, the Polynesian Villas are all on the opposite facet of the resort, so the impression to anybody staying within the current Disney Vacation Club lodging on the Poly shouldn’t be impacted. (A bit ironic that these least impacted by DVC development are DVC company!) The DVC tower development will likely be seen from different areas within the resort as soon as it goes vertical, however the impression ought to in any other case be minor.
Prior to this tower, work wrapped up on the Great Ceremonial House, porte-cochère, new monorail station, and gardens. Room refurbishments had been additionally a part of the Poly’s overhaul and people at the moment are completed. See our Review, Photos & Video: New Moana Rooms at Polynesian Village Resort for a tour and ideas on the adjustments from our most up-to-date lodge keep. If you’re trying on the DVC rooms, see our Review, Photos & Video: New Rooms at Polynesian Villas.
Now by way of 2023: Villas at Disneyland Hotel – Another tower that’s at present underneath development–however a lot additional alongside–is the Villas at Disneyland Hotel. This new 280,000 sq. foot tower is positioned straight subsequent door to Frontierland Tower, behind the function pool and subsequent to Goofy’s Kitchen.
The new 12-story Disneyland Hotel DVC tower will (supposedly) mirror the present 1955 design of the opposite Disneyland Hotel towers. Those are styled after Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland. The new DLH tower won’t substitute any of the present towers or guest-facing amenities. It will function 350 rooms, with 253 being deluxe studios, 20 two-bedroom villas, 19 one-bedroom villas, and two Grand Villas. It’ll additionally provide 38 two-person studios which are just like these launched at Disney’s Riviera Resort.
Despite being very far alongside, Disney has introduced little or no concerning the challenge. There had been a few press releases again in late 2019 and early 2020 revealing the proposed (on the time) DVC challenge. Most particulars have come from public overview in entrance of the Anaheim City Council, throughout which Disney submitted a 198-page data packet concerning the Disneyland Hotel DVC tower. More lately, Disney Vacation Club had a sales space on the D23 Expo in Fall 2022, however not a lot of substance was proven there. They revealed the resort’s brand however had no new info.
As for when the Villas at Disneyland Hotel will open, that’s anybody’s guess. When initially introduced, the timeline merely referred to as for a 2023 opening. To our information, Disney has not publicly modified that or formally pushed the challenge again into 2024. However, that was earlier than the year-long closure and sluggish reopening of the parks, however it seems that had a negligible impression on plans. Given all of that, our guess is that the Villas at Disneyland Hotel gained’t open till Late 2023 on the earliest, with Spring 2024 additionally being a chance.
Late 2022 by way of Spring 2023: Boulder Ridge Villas – Finally. The authentic Wilderness Lodge DVC room renovations had been initially slated for 2020, however delayed as a result of closure after which to prioritize initiatives on the Polynesian and Grand Floridian. Earlier this yr, DVC management emphasised that this challenge was time slated to happen, and permits had been filed over the summer season.
Since then, work has began in earnest and the primary spherical of rooms needs to be wrapping up and reopening very quickly. If the sneak peek pictures of the brand new rooms at Boulder Ridge are any indication, it’s going to have a giant edge over Copper Creek. The overhauled rooms will likely be redone equally to Polynesian and Grand Floridian villas in structure, however clearly not model.
We are big followers of Wilderness Lodge and themed design, and as such, are sometimes skeptical about adjustments to this property. However, we’re excited for these new rooms. They needs to be large upgrades in each type and performance. While an finish date for this challenge has not been introduced (to our information), we count on this to complete by early Spring 2023.
2023 (TBD Date Range): BoardWalk Villas – Walt Disney World introduced earlier this yr that Disney’s BoardWalk Inn will likely be reimagined over the subsequent few years. No timeline has been given for when the work will begin or finish on every part of the challenge, however some adjustments have already been made.
Walt Disney World is including and altering components of the beloved turn-of-the-century promenade and contained in the Deluxe Resort, together with a brand new foyer design, close by espresso bar, delectable eating choices, refreshed visitor rooms, and extra. The greatest change is that the new Cake Bake restaurant will substitute ESPN Club, and can open in 2023.
Up till the newest Condo Association Meeting, it was unclear whether or not the DVC villas would even be included within the room refresh. Thankfully, they’re–and as a full refurbishment in 2023. This may be very a lot wanted, because the BoardWalk Villas had been the final rooms to be redone earlier than the present era of overhauls. It exhibits. The outdated rooms (pictured above) are the worst of each worlds: devoid of theme and character, in addition to revolutionary and space-saving options. They have large ‘nondescript chained-brand hotel from the early aughts’ vibes consequently.
2023 (TBD Date Range): Beach Club Villas – Also added to the timeline on the Condo Association Meeting was the DVC resort throughout Crescent Lake from the BoardWalk Villas. The Beach Club Villas had been final redone extra lately than BoardWalk Villas, however endure from a number of the identical issues in being bland and boring.
Getting the Inova pull-down beds can be a giant win right here, as would restoring some components of themed design. We don’t dislike the Beach Club Villas as strongly as their BoardWalk counterparts, however time has handed each by. Here’s hoping this mushy items refurbishment delivers outcomes on par with the Poly’s current redo.
2023 (TBD Date Range): Hilton Head & Vero Beach – At some level in 2023, each Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort will obtain mushy items refurbishments. No different particulars or idea artwork had been supplied on the Condo Association Meeting.
I’ve mixed these not as a result of they’re sister properties (they’re actually separated by states), however as a result of they’re past my space of experience. Our final keep at both of those was 2018, whereas we’ve stayed at each different property on this record within the final 2 years, and visited all of them inside the final 3 months.
2024 (TBD Date Range): Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary Resort – Per the Condo Association Meeting in December 2022, Bay Lake Tower is slated to obtain a full refurbishment in 2024. No different particulars or idea artwork had been supplied, but it surely was the final resort on the timeline.
Bay Lake Tower is at present overdue for a refurbishment, and our earlier expectation is that this is able to begin as soon as the Boulder Ridge Villas challenge is completed in Spring 2023. This was largely our assumption as a result of the BLT rooms have been worse for put on for at the least 5 years now, so this has been desperately wanted for some time.
The rooms at Bay Lake Tower had been poorly constructed within the first place and constructed simply earlier than the present ‘wave’ of revolutionary lodging that marry space-saving types with well-themed ones. The studios are additionally small by Disney Vacation Club requirements, particularly when contrasted with the Polynesian.
Consequently, BLT may benefit tremendously from getting the Riviera therapy. We actually sit up for returning to Bay Lake tower as soon as that occurs…however gained’t till it does! Surprised and disenchanted that this wasn’t bumped up into 2023.
??? (Not On Official Schedule): Villas at Grand Californian – I’m truthfully shocked that the Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa weren’t on the official timeline. For one factor, the rooms are trying actually drained and Disneyland wrapped up an exceptionally well-received renovation to the lodge facet about 4 years in the past. Take design components of that and the brand new Inova pull-down beds and this is able to be an enormous win.
For one other factor, this challenge was talked about on the final Condo Association assembly through the Q&A. At that point, there was a major enhance in dues (7%, I believe?) and DVC management indicated that an upcoming 2024 refurbishment was the primary cause why. Here’s hoping this isn’t delayed, and its omission was merely an oversight. We love the Grand Californian and can keep within the outdated rooms if it means not paying the lodge’s pricing, however they’re positively exhibiting their age–identical to Boulder Ridge was.
??? (Not On Official Schedule): Animal Kingdom Villas – Similar story right here as with Grand Californian. Animal Kingdom Lodge accomplished an superior room reimagining a number of years in the past that completely threaded the needle on type and performance. I do know on the time, the DVC rooms weren’t fairly able to obtain an replace. Some would argue that they’re now. I’m not a kind of individuals, but when these are achieved with the identical steadiness because the Jambo House lodge rooms, I’m high-quality with it.
For complete planning recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide or our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for the whole lot you have to know! If you’re contemplating becoming a member of DVC, first you should definitely learn our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. If you continue to can’t resolve whether or not membership is best for you, “try before you buy” and lease factors from DVC Rental Store. If you’re satisfied a membership is for you, try the discounted choices at DVC Resale Market.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the 2023-2024 room refurbishment timeline for Disney Vacation Club resorts? Have any current observations or experiences with lodge development at Walt Disney World or Disneyland to share? Where are you planning to remain in 2023 or 2024? Any resorts you’re deliberately avoiding? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments of those resort refurbishment or reimagining initiatives? Any questions we can assist you reply? Hearing suggestions about your experiences is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!