The Disney World Hotel People Are AVOIDING Until March 2026 (and Why)

A lot goes into planning a trip to Disney World. First, you need to figure out your budget, followed by how long you want to stay. Then you’ll have to figure out what theme park tickets you need.

Disney’s Port Orleans — Riverside Resort

One of the most important decisions in Disney World planning, though, is choosing a hotel to stay at, and if you’re thinking about booking a stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside Resort, we’re going to tell you to rethink that…at least for a while.

Here’s why: there is a lot of construction happening right now at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside. The rooms located in the Magnolia bend section at the hotel are currently being refurbished.

Construction signs at Port Orleans — Riverside

That refurbishment, which was supposed to start in April, was initially scheduled to end in January 2026. However, the start date ended up getting pushed back to May 2025, and now the expected end date for the refurbishment is February 2026. This means that section of the hotel could be under construction until March 1st, 2026.

Construction at Port Orleans — Riverside

Disney has not revealed exactly what kind of work is being done, but it could be similar to the room refurbishments that were recently completed at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter.

However, while construction is underway, you may experience noise at the hotel (not to mention ugly construction equipment and signs) during the daytime hours. This might not be a deal-breaker for some, but if you’re the kind of person who likes that midday break — or nap — in the middle of the day back at your hotel, your break could be interrupted by construction noise. If you think it might affect you, you might want to book a different hotel or consider a stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter instead.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!