We recently reported that guests using the walkways at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort were forced through an active construction zone. Now, Disney has announced that the path between the resort and the Magic Kingdom will be closing on February 13 due to ongoing refurbishments.
A reopening date has not been announced, though Disney said the path will be accessible in late spring. The walkway originally opened in 2020.
Boat and monorail transportation will remain available to guests traveling to Magic Kingdom. The path to the boat launch was the one that took us through the construction site earlier this month.
Reportedly, when now-former CEO Bob Chapek took over the Parks & Resorts division in 2015, he felt that the Grand Floridian was not up to standards. The comparisons to a Four Seasons didn’t befit the current state of Walt Disney World, and so it was no longer suitable as the flagship resort. But rather than shift focus to another resort hotel, the company decided to make changes. It began with the Enchanted Rose Lounge, which replaced Mizner’s Lounge. It was given a “Beauty and the Beast” theme. Cítricos followed with a new “Mary Poppins”-inspired design. When the Grand Floridian Spa reopened in January, it was revealed that it, too, had been remodeled. All the rooms of the resort are still being updated, and some “Mary Poppins” theming has been added throughout guest buildings.
Disney has also confirmed that the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will be refurbished next year amidst the resort’s 35th anniversary.
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Can we walk to the poly?? Then walk from there? Walking is the only way to safely and quickly get back to the grand flo after closing of MK. How can they close an entire walkway?
The walkway to the magic kingdom is one of the reasons we really enjoy staying at the GF.
We enjoy the walk back in the evenings after a busy day in the parks, rather than being crammed into a boat or busy monorail.
Surely they could put a temporary path from the convention centre and join it up to the walkway. You would walk past the bus stop to the convention centre, then cross over the service road to the path. The path from the polly to the Grand they manage to put up a temporary walkway.