Disney Vacation Club recently updated owners on the status of villa refurbishments for 6 resorts including Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, Disney's Old Key West Resort and The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel.
During the December 2024 Board of Directors and member meetings, DVC executives provided updates regarding room refurbishment plans over the next 2 years. Following is a rundown of the information known about each project.
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
The Bay Lake Tower refurbishment began in September 2024 and is expected to run through September 2025. The project will be completed in 4 phases. The first block of rooms is located in the south tower on the building's upper floors. Those rooms are nearing completion and are expected to be open to guests before the end of 2024.
Workers deliver a new Murphy Bed at Bay Lake Tower
The next phase of the project will require temporary closure of the Skybridge connecting Bay Lake Tower to the Contemporary Tower. During this period, guests must take the elevator to the ground floor and use the outdoor walkways to reach the Contemporary. Disney did not offer specifics on the length of the closure. Assuming the Skybridge is being blocked-off to facilitate refurbishment work in that section of the resort, it could be closed for as long as 3 months.
The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel
The Grand Californian refurbishment is the next project set to begin. It is slated for the first half of 2025. With only 48 villas in the building, it should be a relatively short project. However, no completion estimates are available at this time.
This is the first hard goods refurbishment for the 15-year old DVC location. Expect the pull-down Murphy sofa beds to be added to most rooms.
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins
DVC confirmed that the project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025. Previous information pointed toward a May start date. This is a soft goods refurbishment, which features changes to wall coverings, floor coverings, upholstry and decor. The design will reportedly feature a new color palette with more Disney characters and theming in the room.
There is conflicting information about the length of the project. Prior information suggested it would take 5 months to complete, however during the board meeting, DVC executives claimed it could last up to a year.
According to DVC, a decision has not been made as to whether the pull-down sofa beds will be added to Copper Creek. The villas are converted hotel rooms with space and design limitations that are not necessarily present at other DVC resorts.
Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort
No specifics were offered regarding the refurbishment of the Treehouse Villas. The timing of this project likely places its start in summer 2025.
Work began earlier this year to replace the wooden outdoor decks attached to the treehouses.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village
The hard goods refurbishment of Kidani Village is set to begin in October 2025. This is the first wholesale update to the property, and could include changes to kitchen cabinets and appliances, furniture and bathroom fixtures.
The pull down sofa beds will be included in the updates. It is also expected that the twin sleeper chair will be replaced with a pull-down twin bed. Similar modifications have already been confirmed for Bay Lake Tower.
The Kidani refurbishment is expected to last about 9 months, which would suggest a completion date in July 2026. The project will also include updates to the main lobby and Community Hall.
Disney's Animal Kingdom - Jambo House
After the Kidani refurbishment is complete, work will immediately move to Jambo House. Assuming no delays or schedule alterations, this would have the Jambo House project beginning in July or August 2026. Expect similar updates to the rooms, though again their status as former hotel rooms may present some obstacles. The Value Villas at Jambo are among the smallest Deluxe Studios in the DVC program.
No completion timeline was offered for Jambo House.
Disney's Old Key West Resort
Refurbishment of Old Key West is planned for sometime in 2026. No details were released regarding this project.
It is expected to be a soft goods refurbishment, as Old Key West received a more substantial update back in 2018-2019. The pull-down Murphy Beds may be added to some rooms. However, many of the villas feature windows on two walls of the living room, reducing the options for placing a large wall-mounted bed.
Reminder that these dates are all estimates and are subject to change.
Three resort refurbishment projects were completed in 2024. Disney's BoardWalk Villas, Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort and Disney's Vero Beach Resort all received significant updates to room decor and furnishings. Disney Vacation Club operates on a schedule whereby villas receive a lighter "soft goods" update when they reach 7 years and a more signficant "hard goods" refurbishment at approximately 14 years. The pattern continues to alternate every 7 years. Refurbishments are funded by the capital reserves component of members' annual dues.
Visit the DVCNews Refurbishment Tracker for an overview of dates and project types at each DVC resort.
