DVC Summer 2026 Refurbishment Update

The summer has arrived, and Disney has committed to improving several beloved Disney Vacation Club properties. Here’s your DVC 2026 refurbishment update.

How Does Refurbishment Work?

Your Disney Vacation Club contract includes precise wording that doubles as a promise. Disney will never let your resort become anything less than the highest quality. You hold Disney to certain standards, and the company has committed to upholding those expectations. 

Since the DVC program will last into the 2070s at a minimum, refurbishments are necessary. Otherwise, the hotels built during the 20th century won’t match the standards of the newer facilities. None of us is really worried about this scenario, as we all know that Disney wouldn’t allow its resorts to degrade anyway. Still, it’s nice to have the promise in writing.

Every seven years, DVC will update a resort to maintain its standards. During that seventh year, Disney will perform a Soft Goods refurbishment. Cast members will go in every room and replace the bedding, the drapes, and the carpet with new materials. These changes, while more modest in scope, alter the entire vibe of the room. 

Disney typically updates the color scheme and chooses newer, more modern styles. As we all know, a lot can change in just seven years. Think about the world you knew in 2019 as opposed to 2026. You see my point. So, this sort of refresh goes a long way in restoring a hotel room. You’ll definitely feel like you’re getting your money’s worth by entering an entirely updated space.

Every 14 years, DVC takes the concept one step further. Your Home Resort will perform a Hard Goods refurbishment. I often joke that Disney strips the room to the screws, but it’s not much of an exaggeration. The difference between a Hard Goods refurbishment and the room it replaced is shocking. 

Your room will consist of new furniture, new appliances, new artwork, and (at least lately) new bedding. Those in-wall Murphy beds that have become a DVC trend started as part of a Hard Goods refurbishment. Now, Disney is even doing them during Soft Goods renovations. 

Which Resorts Are Currently Undergoing Refurbishment?

I had an out-of-body experience the other day when I was reading the DVC subreddit. Someone had posted pictures of the updated Treehouse Villas kitchen, and I realized I’d just stayed in one of those rooms. 

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa completed its main refurbishment earlier this decade. However, Disney didn’t work on the Treehouse Villas until this summer. The process has only recently begun, but DVC Fan scored some pictures. 

We definitely had the new kitchen during our stay the week of Memorial Day. Not everything in our room matches these pictures, which suggests that DVC may be taking a phased approach here. Alternatively, the rooms may vary slightly, as Disney booked us in an accessible room. The one thing I can confirm is that we definitely had more USB ports, an unexpected bonus. 

That’s the thing about DVC refurbishments. Cast Members agonize over even the most innocuous-seeming quality-of-life updates. The primary goal is to make a hotel stay more comfortable and livable. At Saratoga Springs, Disney definitely accomplished its mission. Our chief regret was that ours was a theme park-intensive vacation. We didn’t have anywhere near enough time in the room to savor all the splendid amenities.

Other Current Refurbs 

Obviously, the Treehouse Villas have undergone a Hard Goods refurbishment. These suites aren’t the only places at DVC doing so. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas just finished its Hard Goods refurbishment at Kidani Village last month. There’s no rest for the weary, though, as work on Jambo House immediately began. Here’s a look at Kidani Village’s changes from our friends at DVC Fan:

Nobody has gotten a look at the Jambo House changes yet. The work on these rooms will continue into calendar 2027. So, the process really has just started. In case you’ve forgotten, the pandemic caused a backlog of needed refurbishments. I would argue that 2026 is the first year in which Disney has taken complete charge of the process again. The company was scrambling before then…and understandably so. 

The other major project occurring right now is Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Disney has started a Soft Goods refresh of the hotel rooms…but it’s not really that. Disney is taking a more expansive approach with this one, with an official describing it as a “semi-hard goods” refurb. 

The DVC rooms will swap out parts of the living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens rather than just the soft goods. Owners will receive new in-room appliances as part of this change. So, it’s definitely more comprehensive than most refurbs in this category. I hope to provide you with some videos of Jambo House and Old Key West in the fall refurbishment update.

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