Linda,
Thanks for asking me your question to planDisney!
My family is staying at
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in late November for a week of holiday fun, so we too are keeping an eye out on the progress of the refurbishment at the hotel.
Disney does not provide specific completion dates for refurbishments, since such projects can sometimes end earlier than expected, or need a few more days to complete. What I can tell you is that the work going on at the ground level of the main lobby seems to be concluded. You will see as you look up that the walkways of the upper floors (starting with the 3rd floor), that overlook the lobby are still tarped off, as some ongoing work must still be underway. Otherwise, you should find the lobby experience to be essentially the same as it would be without any refurbishments underway.
Where you will notice work still going on is with the scaffolding on the outside of the main building, in the courtyard area. It seems to be coming down slowly, and in stages, but I would assume that both that scaffolding and the work on the upper floors of the main building might still be underway when you travel to the resort.
Sadly,
1900 Park Fare remains closed, and there does not seem to be a reopening date in the foreseeable future.
So that is the news you probably did not want to hear. But how about some good news?
First off, the bulk of the rooms at the resort have been refurbished. The newer, Mary Poppins-inspired decor is a major improvement. It is not just the look and feel of the room that has made these rooms even better than before, but also some of the functional improvements. There are many more available electrical and USB outlets, which in the era of rechargeable MagicBand+ bands, cell phones, iPads, and all the other devices in our lives, make it easier for a larger family to keep all their devices powered up.
Next, while the occasional view of some scaffolding or other construction materials may be less than ideal, Disney does not have any work done during the evening hours. This means that you don’t have to worry about noise or other commotion interrupting your sleep.
I can imagine that neither of these are the answers you had hoped for, but it might give you a chance to consider where you stay. For my family, we are OK with some scaffolding and will stick to our plans. But if that is going to ruin your trip, you still can consider moving to other accommodations.
BONUS TIPTake a peek at the shapes of the glass artwork on your room's main chandelier. You might find that one of them is different than the others, and it is a nod to the original Mary Poppins movie.
Please feel free to
write me back directly if you have any follow-up questions.
Have a Magical Vacation!Doug`