2025 DVC Refurbishments Continue

We knew heading into 2025 that this would be a big year for Disney Vacation Club refurbishments. As we all remember, DVC had no choice but to delay various renovations during the pandemic. So, they’ve been stacked ever since then, with Disney desperately trying to catch up. To the company’s credit, it has made excellent progress, even rebuilding an entire pool. So, as DVC’s 2025 refurbishments continue, let’s discuss the status of several projects.

A Quick Refresher 

As I do each quarter, I’ll quickly provide you with a refresher course on how DVC addresses refurbishment. As part of the contract DVC members sign, Disney promises to maintain its resorts to an optimal level. The goal remains to keep all the properties feeling fresh and unique.

To achieve this goal, Disney provides two different kinds of refurbishments. Every seven years, the company performs either a Soft Goods or Hard Goods renovation. Both of them change the look of DVC hotel rooms, one dramatically more than the other.

One Bedroom Villa at BoardWalk Villas

With Soft Goods refurbishment, Disney remodels rooms by updating parts of the décor such as the carpets, linens, and drapes. Since Disney employs home interior experts, these subtle changes can make a huge difference in how a room feels. 

Still, a Soft Goods renovation typically remains modest in scope. Conversely, a Hard Goods refurbishment will change virtually everything about a DVC room except for the dimensions. 

Cast Members strip the room to the screws and then start from scratch with a new design. As I often say, you can visit the same room before and after a Hard Goods refurbishment. This hotel room will feel totally different due to the massive changes, which include everything including the furniture. 

Theoretically, Disney performs the Soft Goods refurb seven years after a DVC property joins the program. Then, after 14 years, it does Hard Goods renovations instead. That 7/14 year pattern continues until the end of a DVC resort’s lifespan. But I say theoretical because the pandemic messed with the timeline a bit. So, let’s quickly check to see how the various refurbishment projects are going.

The Contemporary Extends Its Refurbishment

Let’s begin with Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which has completed some of its room overhauls. Here’s an example of one of the new Studios:

However, I must alert you to the fact that Disney has experienced a delay here. Initially, plans called for the Bay Lake Tower refurb to finish this fall, which should mean we’re right at the end. In June, DVC updated its plans to confirm an extension through mid-2026. So, the Bay Lake Tower refurb will continue for almost another year. 

On the bright side, Disney has already reopened the Skyway Bridge. So, the most inconvenient phase of this refurbishment has already ended. Here’s a look at some other changes in case you’re curious:

As you can tell, the One-Bedroom Villas and Studios look much better. That’s the nice aspect of refurbishment. Disney lives up to its promise by improving the rooms with each update.

Still, you will experience one disruption during an early 2026 Bay Lake visit. The Bay Lake Cove Pool and adjoining pool bar will close on January 26th and remain offline until early May. Please keep this in mind and plan to swim at the Bay Lake Pool instead. 

Grand Californian and Saratoga Springs

The two DVC resorts that are the hardest and easiest to book are currently undergoing refurbishment. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa technically just completed one, but DVC has started a new one in a different area.

The Treehouse Villas are undergoing a Hard Goods refurbishment that began in early June. That’s when Disney started prepping the land for the changes. Obviously, updating these unique suites requires a bit more effort than a standard DVC Studio or Villa. 

Disney has filed some paperwork to advance this project, yet it remains in the early stages. Unfortunately, I don’t even have any video to show you yet, but you can expect it during one of the next two season updates. 

Meanwhile, The Vilas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa finally seems to be on the cusp of its Hard Goods reboot. It’s long overdue. Disney had delayed the project for two straight years, but there are signs that it’ll finally happen later in 2025. Hopefully.

Disney started the year with a sweeping announcement about improvements to its Disneyland Resort hotels. So, we know that a second Club-Level concierge lounge will debut adjacent to the long overdue Hard Goods refurb. Disney has also promised the following for the DVC room renovations:

“The décor will complement the rooms’ existing Arts & Crafts motif, yet will add new bold colors across the carpets, upholstery, and bedding, with accents inspired by the beautiful California wildflower blooms often found in Impressionistic plein air paintings that helped define the art movement of the Arts and Crafts period and continue to inspire artists today. Most notably, each room will have new artwork that was commissioned from local plein air painters.”

DVC Fan recently captured one of these refurbished rooms. You can watch the clip here:

You can easily identify the woodsy elements. It is VERY Craftsman, as is fitting at the Grand Californian. 

Animal Kingdom Villas and Copper Creek 

Two other refurbishments will occur this year. DVC recently clarified the timeline for the upcoming overhaul of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. Work will begin at Kidani Village in October and continue through May 2026. 

Kidani Two Bedroom Villa

This is relatively recent news, but we know that work at Jambo House will begin as soon as Kidani Village is completed. So, the current timeline suggests Jambo House renovations start in the summer of 2026 and continue into early 2027.

Finally, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is ostensibly undergoing a Soft Goods refurbishment right now. Disney closed off the third floor in July, and it’s also performing some exterior work. The official website suggests that work will finish in September, but please remember these projects tend to run long. 

I said “ostensibly” because this refurb includes a bit more detail than usual. That’s because Disney has added an in-wall pull-down bed. I’ve expected that for a while because Copper Creek opened right before DVC switched to the in-wall bedding style. A YouTube channel, Disneyworld Vacationer, has captured video of two of the refurbished rooms:

In the next refurbishment update, I’ll discuss what you should expect during 2026. Depending on how the current projects go, DVC could have as many as five refurbishments ongoing as we enter the year. Still, by the end of next year, Disney will have primarily caught up after years of disrupted renovation timelines.

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