DVC Refurbishment Schedule for Spring 2024

We recently learned when the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows will open in December. However, that’s far from the only construction taking place at Disney Vacation Club properties. 

In fact, one of the strengths of the DVC program is that it’s constantly striving to improve its offerings. Such changes are literally written in the contracts for DVC members, with resorts guaranteed to undergo refurbishment every few years. So, here’s the DVC refurbishment schedule for Spring 2024. 

Here Are the Basics of Refurbishments 

As a reminder, DVC takes care of its members by ensuring the freshness of its properties. Every participating DVC resort will undergo refurbishment once every seven years. By the end of 14 years, the room will look entirely different.

The explanation for the change involves the two types of refurbishments. One is called a “soft goods” refurb, while the other is a “hard goods” refurb. 

Historically, a soft goods refurb represented a series of small changes to items like linens, furniture upholstery, curtains/drapes, wall coverings, light fixtures, and art. Lately, Disney has evolved the concept more to make fairly significant updates to the overall room aesthetic. In short, soft goods refurbs are better than they used to be. 

Photo Courtesy of WDWNT

Conversely, a hard goods refurb means that Disney strips the room to the screws. That’s a modest exaggeration, yet it paints a picture regarding the totality of such a refurbishment project. Disney will change all facets of the room to make it feel like an entirely different place. 

Finally, as a reminder, the pandemic messed with the timeline on several refurbishments. A few fell behind schedule, with Disney still playing a bit of catch-up due to circumstances entirely beyond its control. That statement should no longer apply by the end of 2025, and some would argue it’s already untrue. Disney’s done a fine job in taking care of its members in the aftermath of an unprecedented event.

Here Are the 2024 Refurbishments 

Three DVC properties are currently undergoing refurbishment this year. The first of them is Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, which we previously discussed last time.

Previously, I mentioned that the Vero Beach Feature Pool had closed for refurbishment. I also noted that the Tiger Lily Wet Play Area and Port Holes Miniature Golf had closed as well. Disney needed to shut down the entire area to complete the work. Now, I’m happy to report that everything is up and running again.

One of the unheralded but vital parts of the refurbishment is that, when possible, Disney replaced pullout sofas with in-wall pulldown Murphy beds when possible. Otherwise, the changes here are relatively modest ones like new carpet, curtains, and bedding elements. 

At Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, I had expected the 2023-2024 refurbishment to be complete by now and said as much last time. Less than two weeks after I did, DVC alerted members with upcoming hotel stays that their rooms might not be ready. Whoops.

DVC is reassigning guests to other rooms. So, it’s no big deal, but we’ll apparently be talking about this refurb for at least one more update. The last update I had was that everything should have finished by the end of April. I couldn’t confirm that, though. At a minimum, we’re very close to the end. 

The changes are modest, with Disney moving away from overt theming to subtle wall pictures of Top Hat Mickey Mouse and Goofy and Max sitting by the hotel pool. Disney somewhat transitioned these rooms to be a bit more bland, something DVC Fan noticed immediately. 

Here Are the Late 2024/2025 Refurbishments

At Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, the hard goods refurbishment has begun. A couple of YouTube influencers have posted videos of the Two-Bedroom Villas. Here’s one:

I’ve got hyper-familiarity with the Studios here and had planned to stay in one last week. Alas, I’m unfamiliar with the Two-Bedrooms to the point where you’ll probably recognize what’s different more quickly than I would. 

I love the vibrant artwork on display, though. Also, those comfort chairs are a brilliant idea. We should know plenty more about this refurbishment in another update or two.

Toward the end of the year, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is scheduled to begin its hard goods refurbishment. This process usually takes a year or so, which means it may not finish until early 2026. A lot depends on when Disney starts the refurb. The latest update suggests it’ll begin in September. 

In 2025, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas will perform a hard goods refresh at Kidani AND Jambo House. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will also receive a full refurbishment. Meanwhile, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will start a soft goods refurb. 

There’s one other refurbishment to remember. The Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will perform a hard goods refurb as well. It’s not the entire resort, just those specific standalone suites. The rest of the hotel will undergo a soft goods refurb the following year. So, that’s everything for now.