Walt Disney World: April 2025
- Bobby Spina
- Mar 31
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 16
We are now in the thick of Spring here in Orlando. The weather is warmer and the dry season is over as rain showers make a most welcome return. With that being said, I welcome you to the fourth article of my monthly 2025 series where we discuss everything important coming up in the month ahead.
Now I'll be honest, April is our most quiet month yet. In fact, April is shaping up to be such a quiet month news-wise that none of the items discussed in this article have anything to do with the theme parks. Instead, this is one of those rare occasions where some of the Walt Disney World resort hotels will be getting the spotlight!
Despite the lack of news, I think it'd be pretty unfair to leave April out of the mix. So even though this article will be significantly shorter than the previous monthly ones, the news we'll cover is still equally important. So... let's begin!
April 2025
Like I said earlier, some of the resorts that make up the vacation kingdom of the world will be getting some much-deserved limelight in this article. More specifically, we'll be focusing on two distinctly nostalgic and coastal deluxe resorts. Can you guess what they are?
Saturday, April 19th
Our news starts pretty late in the month as we begin along the shores of the EPCOT Resort Area. One of its flagship resorts is none other than The Boardwalk, which has been undergoing some extensive refurbishments in the past few years.
Allow me to elaborate. You see, back in 2022, Disney began what can only really be described as an unofficial (and unannounced) overhaul to The Boardwalk, happening in extensive phases. Aside from the usual room refurbishments, it wasn't long until we eventually saw the addition of some more large-scale changes. This included a lengthy refurbishment to the Boardwalk Ice Cream Parlor and Belle Vue Lounge and enhancements to the pool area, but this was only a start. We eventually saw the addition of Blue Ribbon Corndogs on the pier and Carousel Coffee as a wing off the main lobby. And most recently, we saw the biggest change of all with the opening of The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers - a ridiculously beautiful and overpriced restaurant that has made The Boardwalk its new home. For context, this is where the old ESPN Club used to be situated, which closed permanently back in 2022.
Despite all of the recent changes, extensive work still continues at this popular Disney resort. Currently, the Screen Door General Store - the resort's primary retail location - is partially closed as it receives a phased makeover. Right next door to that is the former Big River Grille and Brewing Works, which permanently closed last year in 2024. At the time of writing this, it is currently unknown what will be replacing the shuttered brewery.
So what's so significant about Saturday, April 19th in particular? Well, The Boardwalk will be saying farewell to yet another staple of the resort, with that being Jellyrolls.
What's Jellyrolls you ask? It's an original bar/night club that has been at The Boardwalk for almost 30 years, sporting unique drinks and lively entertainment for guests 21 and older, including a popular "dueling pianos" performance. The evening of Saturday, April 19th will mark its final farewell party, with the venue permanently closing the following day on Sunday, April 20th.
While we don't know what exactly will be replacing Jellyrolls, this marks a pivotal turning point in the overall identity of The Boardwalk. What makes Disney's Boardwalk Inn such a unique experience is that it's more than just a deluxe resort. It offers some truly incredible entertainment that you can't find anywhere else on Disney property, and Jellyrolls is undoubtedly one of those. Is it outdated? Probably. (Although I can't really say for sure because I've never been inside LOL.) But is it a unique experience? Absolutely.
Rumors indicate that another night club-style venue will be replacing it, but to what caliber we don't know. It's also widely believed that the adjacent Atlantic Dance Hall is also on the chopping block too, but that remains unconfirmed by Disney. Only time will tell.
Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that this whole left-corner of The Boardwalk has been on life support for well over a decade. I'm honestly pretty shocked that both night clubs have remained open for as long as they have, especially given their almost 30 year runtime. At least Atlantic Dance Hall is still open... for now.
Oh, and one final thing. Jellyrolls has stated that despite them losing their current home at The Boardwalk, they do have plans to relocate elsewhere in the Orlando area. Where exactly that will be, I have no idea. However, this confirmation squashes the early rumors of Jellyrolls moving to Disney Springs, which for awhile, was a pretty plausible option.
If you're a guest who's at least 21 years of age, you have just under 3 short weeks to say one final goodbye to this Boardwalk staple!
Sometime in April
If you can believe it, that was the only confirmed date we have marked on the calendar for April. Regardless, our next destination on our resort-hopping journey brings us to the shores of Magic Kingdom's Seven Seas Lagoon, which is home to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
Arguably the most lavish and most expensive resort on Disney property, the news here kind of shares the same sentiment as the multi-year refurbishment happening at The Boardwalk. Yet funny enough, the changes happening at this resort have been a little more subtle and much more drawn out, dating all the way back to 2019.
I'll briefly list some of the enhancements we've seen happening over the years before getting into what work will be underway this month. Back in 2019, The Enchanted Rose bar and lounge made its debut on the second floor of the resort's main lobby. The Beauty and the Beast-inspired area replaced the former Mizner's Lounge (which I'll be honest, was fairly outdated at the time).
The controversial retheme of this simple lounge foreshadowed the slew of updates that would soon be coming to Walt Disney World's flagship resort in the coming years, which we're still in the midst of. As you'll notice while reading the remainder of this article, the underlying theme of these changes have been in an effort to not only introduce more Disney intellectual properties to the resort, but to also somewhat "modernize" aspects of this victorian-style hotel. Here's a brief list of all the notable changes following the addition of The Enchanted Rose back in 2019:
February 22nd, 2020 - Citricos closed for a lengthy refurbishment, including introducing a new theme inspired by Mary Poppins as well as a menu overhaul. The restaurant reopened after experiencing significant delays on July 15th, 2021.
July 15th, 2021 - Following the reopening of Citricos, the neighboring Victoria and Albert's (aka the crown jewel of culinary experiences at WDW), also closed for a refurbishment. Because the restaurant is owned and operated by a third party contractor, the updates did not include any Disney IP integration, but rather transformed the space and menu to be reminiscent of Queen Victoria's English gardens from the later 19th century. The highly-praised restaurant reopened on July 28th, 2022.
January 26th, 2022 - The Senses Spa closed temporarily in the Summer of 2021 to undergo some modern enhancements. Since its reopening, it has lost the Senses branding and is now just simply referred to as "The Grand Floridian Spa."
June 18th, 2022 - Narcoossee's closed for an extended refurbishment and menu changes, reopening less than a year later on April 1st, 2023.
Fall 2022 - Extensive room reimaginings began, infusing a similar Mary Poppins-inspired theme as Citricos. Majority of the rooms were complete by the Spring of 2024, donning a cooler and more floral color scheme.
April 10th, 2024 - Ever since closing for obvious reasons back in March of 2020, 1900 Park Fare made a long-overdue return over four years later. During this time, Disney updated the restaurant with a revamped menu, new characters to meet, and a new "wishing" theme.
May 20th, 2024 - M. Mouse Mercantile, the gift shop on the second floor of the main lobby, closed briefly for a makeover. Donning a new floral and minty-green color palette, the retail location reopened on July 12th, 2024.
So, after all these refurbishments, what on Earth could possibly be next for the Grand Floridian? Well, there's still one major area that still has yet to be touched (for better or worse). I'm talking about the resort's main lobby.
There's no denying that the lobby of the Grand Floridian is ridiculously iconic. The pure charm and grand splendor it possesses is so quintessentially "Disney," especially during the holiday season (IYKYK).
After being seemingly delayed for a few years at this point, Disney has officially confirmed that this controversial update will begin "this April" and will take place in phases, with work scheduled to be complete by this November. And while we don't know exactly what these enhancements will consist of, there's no denying we'll be seeing the addition of some current victorian-style elements being modernized.
Now, I'll admit, I'm skeptical. Just as everyone else has pointed out, I'm worried about the Grand Floridian staying true to its sophisticated theming. While I do believe there were plenty of outdated areas at the resort in the past (looking at you Citricos), I don't think the same can be said for the lobby. Looking at all the previous updates, Disney has given us many reasons to worry about what the future may hold for the lobby. While I'm not against incorporating more of the Mary Poppins IP into the resort (because it does fit the theme), my concern stems from the potential contemporary enhancements we may see.
It's also important to note that enhancements will be underway at the resort's convention center during this time as well.
UPDATE (4/14/2025): Work has now officially begun on the lobby renovation. Preceding this work, Disney shared a new piece of concept art with us as seen above and released the following statement:
"The surrounding lobby, staircase, and front desk will be refreshed with a mix of botanical accents and inviting colors to create an airy, garden-like atmosphere. Disney Imagineers are approaching this refurbishment with great care and focus in maintaining the heart and story of the Grand Floridian, while adding fresh new life to the lobby for guests to enjoy. "
"As shown in the new rendering, the lobby will feature beautiful new carpeting with Victorian-inspired borders and scrollwork featuring hand-drawn florals inspired by turn-of-the-century botanical studies. Updated furnishings will blend rich finishes and brass accents with cozy, welcoming fabrics–plus a few playful touches inspired by Florida’s natural beauty and Victorian decorating trends."
"The biggest change of all will be the addition of a new lobby bar. Inspired by the lobby’s iconic birdcage, the bar will pay tribute to the resort’s Victorian roots with intricate woodwork, stained glass, and brass accents. You may even spot colorful birds in the stained glass and murals throughout the atrium! Opposite the bar, guests will still find the Victorian cage-style elevator that fans know and love. "
It's also important to note that with this extensive lobby refurbishment, Disney stated that the iconic Grand Floridian Gingerbread House will not be returning for the 2025 holiday season, which is extremely disappointing. The resort will still be decorated for Christmas, but the Gingerbread House will not be returning until 2026.
I hope you enjoyed this deep-dive look into everything happening at the Walt Disney World Resort this April! Even though it may not be much, I think I can say with confidence that the following months will be much more interesting news-wise. But I'll save that for another article in the future. Thanks for reading everyone!
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