3 Disney World Hotels Will Have Completely NEW ROOMS in 2026

If you’re booking a Disney World trip this year, you might want to pay attention to which hotel you choose.

Three resorts across the property are in the middle of major room refurbishments, and that means there’s a chance you could be one of the first guests to experience their brand-new spaces. Whether you’re a value resort fan or prefer something with a little more luxury, we’ve got the scoop on which hotels are getting updated and what that means for your upcoming vacation.

Port Orleans Riverside Is Transforming Guest Rooms Across the Property

Port Orleans Riverside has always been a solid choice for guests who want that moderate resort experience without breaking the bank. Right now, Disney is working through a massive room refurbishment project that’s touching buildings across the entire resort.

The updates kicked off in May 2025 and won’t wrap up until August 2027, so this is going to be an ongoing project for a while. Because it’s such a big undertaking, they’re handling it in stages and working on just a few buildings at a time. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the refreshed rooms back in fall 2025, and honestly, the updates are really nice. You might run into some construction activity during your stay, but the resort’s amenities, like the pool and restaurants, will all be operating normally.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village Is Getting Some Love

There’s something special about staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge and waking up to wildlife roaming right outside your room. Those coveted savanna view rooms are about to get even better with the refurbishments currently underway at Kidani Village.

Construction started in October 2025 and is set to finish in May 2026. After Kidani Village is complete, the work will shift over to Jambo House for its turn. According to Disney, most of the resort’s amenities will stay open during the refurbishment period, but we’re watching for any announcements about temporary closures. Given how popular this resort is with families who want that unique animal-viewing experience, it’s great to see Disney investing in keeping the rooms up to date.

Pop Century Is Rounding Out Its Resort-Wide Makeover

Pop Century has been on a bit of a transformation journey lately. Between the updates to Everything Pop Shopping & Dining and the lobby’s complete redesign that brought in brighter colors and ditched the old shadow box displays, the resort has been getting a serious facelift. Now the guest rooms are getting their moment.

Room refurbishments at Pop Century are expected to be done by February 2026, so if you’re visiting in the early part of the year, there’s a good chance you could snag a newly updated room. Construction will be happening during daytime hours, which means you might hear some noise or see crews working around the resort. The good news is that none of the amenities will be impacted, so you can still enjoy everything Pop Century has to offer.

The Reality of Booking During Refurbishments

Let’s talk about expectations for a second. Just because you book one of these three hotels doesn’t automatically mean you’re walking into a brand-new room. Until the refurbishments are completely finished, it’s kind of a luck-of-the-draw situation.

You can absolutely request an updated room when you make your reservation or at check-in, but Disney can’t make any guarantees. It really depends on availability and which buildings have already been completed. If getting a newly refurbished room is super important to you, it might be worth calling the resort directly to ask about their progress.

And if you do stay during active construction, go in with realistic expectations. Daytime noise is pretty much inevitable, and you might see construction crews around the resort. It’s not ideal, but it’s temporary, and Disney works hard to keep disruptions to a minimum.

The flip side is that if you do score one of those fresh rooms, you’ll get to enjoy the updates before most other guests. Not a bad consolation prize if you ask us.

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!

Keep checking back with AllEars for more news about these refurbishments as they continue!

Disney World Is CHANGING How You Book Rooms at These 4 Hotels

If you had to pick one of these hotels for a 2026 stay, which one are you choosing and why? Let us know in the comments!

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