Renovations Announced for Disney’s Grand Floridian Lobby; No Gingerbread House This Year

A new lobby bar is among the changes coming to the resort.

The lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World is getting a big renovation that will add many new elements - though it will also mean there won’t be a gingerbread house at that location this year.

What’s Happening:

  • Disney Parks Blog has revealed the renovations will begin to take shape soon, and will include the opening of a new Grand Floridian Lobby Bar. The lobby bar will take inspiration from the birdcage already in the lobby, paying tribute to the resort’s Victorian roots with intricate woodwork, stained glass, and brass accents. Colorful birds will be a part of the imagery in the stained glass and murals throughout the atrium.
  • In addition, the surrounding lobby, staircase and front desk will be refreshed “with a mix of botanical accents and inviting colors to create an airy, garden-like atmosphere."
  • As shown in the new rendering above, the lobby will also feature new carpeting with Victorian-inspired borders and scrollwork featuring hand-drawn florals inspired by turn-of-the-century botanical studies.
  • Updated furnishings “will blend rich finishes and brass accents with cozy, welcoming fabrics–plus a few playful touches inspired by Florida’s natural beauty and Victorian decorating trends."  
  • However, one result of the renovations occurring is that, as first reported by Drew Smith and confirmed to Laughing Place, there will be no Gingerbread House in the Grand Floridian lobby this holiday season. In recent years, the Gingerbread House has been massive in size, as you can see in our photos of 2024’s house.
  • You can see what the Grand Floridian lobby looks like in its current form in the photos below.

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Eric Goldman
Growing up in Los Angeles, Eric grew up adoring movies and theme parks, carrying that love with him into a career covering a wide gamut of entertainment and pop culture that also includes TV, toys and comics. As a lifelong fan of both Disneyland and horror, the Haunted Mansion is his dream home.
Jeremiah Good
Our main correspondent for Walt Disney World and the Orlando area and a heck of a paleontologist if he does say so himself.