The giant birdcage from the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort has been fully removed.
Grand Floridian Birdcage Gone
The birdcage used to sit on a dais across from the cage-inspired elevator tower. On Thursday, crews began dismantling the birdcage, and as of Friday morning, it’s completely gone. White sheets lay across its former location.
The iconic birdcage was purely decorative for the past several years, but it was once functional, being home to real birds and a tree.
There are also white sheets over the long planter on one side of the dais that are stuffed into the planter on the other side. One of the short columns on the front of the dais has a sheet pinned to its front. Scrim also covers something, possibly a toolbox, behind one of the planters.
The four tall white columns behind the dais have wood frames around them. The frames attach to the construction walls behind.
The floor behind the planters is covered in protective SkudoBoard. More boards are stacked up against the construction walls, ready to cover the carpet in front of the dais.
A cart in a corner of the construction site is also covered by a white sheet. There were no crew members on site Friday morning.
For comparison, below is what the birdcage looked like earlier this month, right after construction walls went up.
The removal of the birdcage is part of an overall remodel of the Grand Floridian lobby that has been in the works since at least 2022. It follows several remodel and refurbishment projects at Grand Floridian, including updates to Victoria & Albert’s, Cítricos, Narcoossee’s, and 1900 Park Fare; replacing Mizner’s Lounge with Enchanted Rose Lounge; and refurbishing guest rooms.
The refreshed lobby will pay homage to the birdcage with a new birdcage-inspired lobby bar. Colorful birds will also be included in stained glass and murals. Concept art shows new floral carpeting and updated furnishings.
Disney Parks Blog stated, “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. ”
Construction will last until at least November 2025, and the resort’s annual gingerbread house will not return for the 2025 holiday season.
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