14 Important Construction CHANGES From Disney World

There’s a lot going on in Disney World these days, and that includes some pretty major construction projects!

Disney World is set to open new attractions, rides, and restaurants this year, which means that we’re monitoring multiple construction zones in the parks and resorts. So what’s going on with those projects? We’ve got an update!

Magic Kingdom

Let’s start things out with TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom! We know that this ride will be opening on April 4th and that Cast Member previews will begin on February 6th — so they only have a few weeks for it to be ready. And as the countdown begins, we spotted that the restroom sign was up on the building!

Also in Magic Kingdom, the glass-blowing demonstration area in Crystal Arts has been covered with a curtain for a few days now.

If you’re hoping to catch a demonstration during your visit, you might have to wait a little while.

EPCOT

In EPCOT, there are some big things happening! First of all, construction is moving along slowly in the area near Guest Relations. It looks like a walking path will eventually reopen here — that could be a shortcut to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!

Cool Wash has been gutted for some time now, but it looks like they’re continuing to refurbish the snack stand near Test Track. We’re interested to see what it will look like when they’re done.

This week, progress has pushed forward on CommuniCore Hall, where a new festival area will be located. This space is getting more structural elements each week, and a few days ago we spotted construction crews walking around on the roof. How exciting!

Next door is Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana. This walkthrough attraction is opening before the end of the year, and currently, they’re working on finishing the paved walkway, adding more trees, and introducing more theming elements.

Finally, the Disney Vacation Club kiosk in World Discovery is currently under construction. The area surrounding it is blocked by a large wall.

Head to the American Adventure for the time being.

If you’re hoping to get more information about DVC, you can check out the kiosks elsewhere in the parks.

Hollywood Studios

Moving on to Hollywood Studios, we spotted some updates with the character paintings on the side of the Roundup Rodeo BBQ building. They look to be more complete now, with great detail to make them look like they were drawn by a child with a crayon.

We’re definitely pumped about the opening of this restaurant in the spring!

Animal Kingdom

At Animal Kingdom, the Tree of Life is currently getting a little bit of a refresh, so much of the Discovery Island Trails are currently blocked by walls.

Keep this in mind if you were hoping to use those trails to get a closer look at this magnificent tree.

Disney Springs

In Disney Springs, we’ve been watching the progress of Summer House on the Lake, which is a new restaurant being built on the West Side.

It looks like things are still in the early stages of construction.

Disney Resorts

Finally, let’s head to the Disney World hotels for more updates! The BoardWalk Inn lobby makeover started this week and part of the lobby is currently blocked off with walls. There’s still a check-in counter available at this time.

Also at the BoardWalk, work continues on The Cake Bake Shop. The former home of the ESPN Club has been substantially demolished to retheme it for the new restaurant.

Disney is making relatively fast progress at the Polynesian Village Resort, where a new DVC building is coming in the future. More materials have arrived on the construction site.

And room refurbishments continue at the Grand Floridian, where some of the buildings are covered in scaffolding and blocked by walls. You may hear noise here during the daytime hours.