Walt Disney World is starting a brand new improvement cycle that can lead to $17 billion of spending on new lands, rides, eating places, and resorts. That final one is definitely an assumption on our half. Regardless that WDW’s 5-year plan was laid out at D23, there was radio silence about accommodations–even tasks we all know are in improvement.
In all chance, there’s much more on the Walt Disney World ‘lodge horizon’ in 2025 and past that has but to be introduced. This could come as no shock, because the final improvement cycle noticed a number of resort reimaginings, together with the development of Gran Destino Tower, Riviera Resort, Swan Reserve, and a couple of dozen totally different Disney Trip Membership add-ons. To not point out the shelved Reflections Lakeside Lodge, which is now a part of this improvement cycle.
What’s notable about most of these tasks is that the unique bulletins weren’t made on the D23 Expo or different blockbuster occasions. They as an alternative got here through press releases or, on uncommon event, through quiet updates to the official Walt Disney World web site or bulletins to journey brokers. Level being, it’s best to anticipate extra of the identical beginning in 2025, with fast-tracked resort tasks which have various levels of affect to the visitor expertise.
At its essence, that’s what this listing is all about. Walt Disney World has a ton of accommodations and a whole lot of building, which might affect your trip. To assist make issues simpler, we’re going to slim down your decisions with a listing of lodging NOT to e book, with a rundown of the worst resorts for 2025, together with a couple of accommodations that we usually love–and one large time fan favourite!
What makes this listing of the worst accommodations at Walt Disney World in 2025 totally different from another time? Every of those resorts makes the listing for a particular motive distinctive to 2025. Usually, that’s both because of the affect of building…or the dearth thereof, as time has handed by a few these resorts as their “competitors” has improved by comparability.
In a few instances, we’re additionally bearing in mind current reader suggestions, which has soured on some resorts at Walt Disney World greater than others. In different instances, we’re proactively anticipating an increase in complaints come 2025, as previous precedent is one of the best predictor of future efficiency, or visitor (dis)satisfaction, because the case could also be.
With that stated, calling these the “worst” Walt Disney World resorts for 2025 might be a bit hyperbolic. In lots of instances, the development tasks impacting every of the resorts will likely be localized, which means that you would keep away from it with a room request. In different instances, the pertinent closures received’t even final the complete 12 months, so relying upon your 2025 journey dates, chances are you’ll not expertise any points in any respect.
If you happen to’re not anxious about closures or building, and are merely on the lookout for how we rank the resorts at Walt Disney World with none particular consideration for 2025, we’d suggest studying our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Accommodations from Worst to Greatest. Truthfully, that’s a greater beginning place than this listing because it covers a greater variety of professionals & cons and is simply, typically, extra complete…
With that stated, let’s dig into this listing of the worst resorts at Walt Disney World for 2025…
All Star Films
Walt Disney World has introduced that the Fantasia Pool at Disney’s All-Star Films Resort will likely be closed for routine upkeep from January 2025 by way of April 2025. That is the characteristic pool at All Star Films.
Company may even see or hear building work throughout daytime hours. Throughout this time, lodge friends are welcome to swim within the Duck Pond Pool at Disney’s All-Star Films Resort.
Clearly, a pool venture lasting ~4 months isn’t sufficient to maintain All Star Films on the ‘worst’ listing for the complete 12 months. However wait, there’s extra. Films was additionally the primary of the All Star trio to get completely reimagined rooms, so these at the moment are the oldest of the bunch, which means barely extra put on and tear. For that motive alone, e book Sports activities or Music in 2025.
Bay Lake Tower
Bay Lake Tower is within the midst of receiving a full refurbishment. The venture simply began in October, and is slated to take one full 12 months, which implies that it’ll be completed by October 2025. That’s assuming there are not any delays or pauses to accommodate peak season dates, and I wouldn’t be so positive of both.
Disney has indicated that that is going to be a “difficult” venture, with renovations accomplished floor-by-floor, requiring a rerouting of utilities so that each one working flooring nonetheless obtain service. The venture may even entail infrastructure work along with room overhauls. Development crews are on-site and rooms are already out of fee, but it surely’s unclear how a lot worse the affect will get.
Bay Lake Tower is overdue for a refurbishment, and the rooms have been worse for put on for at the least 5 years now. The rooms at Bay Lake Tower had been poorly constructed within the first place and constructed simply earlier than the present ‘wave’ of modern lodging that marry space-saving types with well-themed ones. The studios are additionally small by Disney Trip Membership requirements, particularly when contrasted with the Polynesian.
Consequently, BLT may benefit tremendously from getting the Riviera remedy. We actually look ahead to returning to Bay Lake Tower as soon as that occurs…however received’t till it does! At this level, meaning banking and reserving a keep at BLT for Christmas 2025 or in Winter 2026.
That is one the place a room request might suffice to keep away from the development affect, however given the standing of the previous rooms, chances are you’ll be higher off utilizing your DVC factors on the Poly or Grand Floridian in 2025 if you need a Magic Kingdom resort. As at all times, you possibly can rating vital financial savings when renting Disney Trip Membership factors, which ought to take the sting out of costs when planning your Walt Disney World journey!
Seashore Membership
On the plus aspect, the foyer refresh and room refurbishments at the moment are completed at Disney’s Seashore Membership Resort and Villas. This isn’t a large reimagining like a few of the resorts have seen–chances are you’ll not even discover most variations if it’s been a number of years between stays–however the resort feels contemporary because of this. It’s the kind of factor that may usually land Seashore Membership on this listing, particularly because it’s additionally a modest thematic improve.
However (and this can be a large “however”), an enormous closure is on the horizon: Stormalong Bay Pool is Closing in 2025 for Refurbishment. From January 2025 by way of June 2025, Stormalong Bay and Shipwreck Pool at Disney’s Yacht and Seashore Membership Resorts will likely be closed for upkeep.
Because the #1 pool at Walt Disney World and the most important promoting level of staying right here, we simply can not suggest Seashore Membership for the primary 6 months of subsequent 12 months. Personally, I wouldn’t e book it for July, both. Walt Disney World normally performs these reopening dates conservatively–they usually reopen on time or forward of schedule 4 occasions out of 5. That that 20% likelihood of a delay offers me pause.
Yacht Membership
Comparable story right here, at the least with regard to Stormalong Bay within the first 6-7 months of 2025. We wouldn’t e book these resorts except we actually didn’t care in regards to the pool, or there have been an distinctive low cost to compensate for the important thing characteristic being out of fee.
That’s not the one sticking level for Yacht Membership, although. From January 2025 by way of Might 2025, visitor rooms at Disney’s Yacht Membership Resort will likely be underneath refurbishment. Company may even see or hear building work throughout daytime hours.
That is attention-grabbing as a result of Yacht Membership’s “new” rooms (air quotes) have held up very well and aren’t exhibiting their age. So both it’s time for an additional smooth items refurbishment or Walt Disney World is making an as-yet unannounced change. My cash is on the previous–it’s about time for a refresh.
Even so, it’s odd that this venture would solely final 5 months. Yacht Membership is a relatively massive lodge, and a smooth items refurbishment looks like it’d take longer. Perhaps it’s going to, and that finish date is unsuitable, or maybe it’s not each room. Regardless of the way you slice it, we’d suggest avoiding Yacht Membership for the primary half of 2025.
Port Orleans French Quarter
Identical thought right here as with Yacht Membership. By means of Spring 2025, “some” visitor rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter will likely be underneath refurbishment. Company may even see or hear building work throughout daytime hours.
It’s price noting that this began as lasting by way of this November, inflicting us to invest that it was a two-phased onerous items room reimagining, with a pause within the center for the high-occupancy vacation season. After that, the second set of rooms could be redone within the first half of 2025. This has now confirmed to be right, as Walt Disney World quietly “prolonged” this to Spring 2025.
We’re prepared to go additional on a limb and say it might final even longer than that. Not essentially the room reimagining (though that might), however larger image tasks round French Quarter. It’s been some time since this resort had any main non-pool tasks, so it’s doubtlessly overdue. On the plus aspect, the primary units of buildings at the moment are completed, and the brand new rooms have been properly modernized.
Port Orleans Riverside Resort
If a time-traveler got here again and informed me a decade in the past that Riverside could be making my worst of listing for 2025, I wouldn’t imagine it. Principally as a result of I’m skeptical of time journey. We nonetheless love Port Orleans Riverside, however we love the thought of it greater than the precise resort. Time has handed it by.
A technique or one other, that’s why it Port Orleans Riverside makes this listing of locations to keep away from in 2025. Both as a result of time has handed it by and it feels dated as in comparison with different Average Resorts, or as a result of Walt Disney World acknowledges this and can lastly end the renovations that had been interrupted by the COVID closure.
Walt Disney World has already introduced a partial slate of room reimaginings at Port Orleans Riverside in 2025, however our wager is that there’s far more to come back. As soon as Port Orleans French Quarter is completed with its refurbishment, typical cadence could be for these building crews to maneuver over to Riverside. That’s what occurred final time and the time earlier than that. (I’m undecided in regards to the time earlier than that–that’s again within the AOL dial-up days and web record-keeping isn’t one of the best.)
The underside line is that we anticipate to see a large-scale refurbishment venture at Port Orleans Riverside beginning someday between Spring 2025 and Fall 2025. Mainly, shortly after at any time when work wraps up at French Quarter. Keep there earlier than that if you wish to expertise a thematic exemplar of Walt Disney World, and would favor one thing that’s old style Walt Disney World (and in equity, that’s what many followers favor!).
Fort Wilderness
Walt Disney World remains to be within the means of changing the previous cabins with new Disney Trip Membership villas. The primary phases of cabins at the moment are open, however work continues.
Development affect will likely be minimal, because the cabins are pre-fabricated off-site and put in unit-by-unit, not constructed on location. This may happen loop by loop and ought to be completed by April 2025. Even when it’s not executed by then, we wouldn’t suggest avoiding Fort Wilderness on this foundation.
We’d, nonetheless, suggest avoiding it because of work resuming on Disney Lakeshore Lodge (previously Reflections). Walt Disney World lastly formally introduced this, after it being an open secret for months. We simply stayed at each Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness inside the final month, and the development from the latter was very noticeable.
It’s on that foundation that we suggest avoiding Fort Wilderness for the subsequent couple of years. The entire level of Fort Wilderness for us is its serenity and seclusion. Development could have an outsized affect on Fort Wilderness friends, as cranes tower over the Settlement to construct a tower that may even tower over the campground. Development blight and noise remove the primary attraction of Fort Wilderness for us within the first place. We merely would relatively sit out the subsequent few years there whereas this work is ongoing.
Wilderness Lodge
Wilderness Lodge makes the listing partly because of Disney Lakeshore Lodge (assuming that really is the ultimate identify), but it surely’s not almost as vital of an element right here as it’s for Fort Wilderness. Even the waterfront A-frame cabins and treehouse villas received’t materially affect Wilderness Lodge friends, save for these staying on the far finish of the Cascade Cabins (straightforward sufficient to keep away from with a room request).
Formally, there are two present venture at Wilderness Lodge: exterior refurbishment work and refurbishments to the Copper Creek Villas inside the primary constructing. Throughout this time, friends may even see and listen to building work throughout daytime hours. It’s unknown when this may finish.
These are two prolonged tasks that might affect Wilderness Lodge till 2027 if permits are correct. Consequently, this lodge arguably has the most important slate of building tasks in 2025. Nonetheless, as we talk about in higher element on this submit about Wilderness Lodge building, that doesn’t actually give us pause about staying there. With room requests, chances are you’ll not discover any of the work in any respect.
Wildcard: Grand Floridian Resort
We love the brand new Mary Poppins-inspired rooms at Grand Floridian and the refreshed eating places, however Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort nonetheless–in some way–a wildcard in 2025.
We are saying this as a result of nothing materials has occurred on this venture in over a 12 months. The outer buildings are all completed, and Walt Disney World bought to the primary foyer constructing and simply…stopped. It’s our understanding that work isn’t truly executed within the foyer–it simply paused for the favored vacation season final 12 months. However then, it by no means resumed in 2024.
What occurs subsequent is unknown. It might simply be a lightweight refresh, with work resuming and ending within the first couple months of 2025. On the different finish of the spectrum, it may very well be a chronic and concerned course of, encompassing not simply the foyer however the eating places in the primary constructing, too. It stands to motive that Grand Floridian Cafe will likely be refurbished sooner or later, receiving a refresh much like 1900 Park Fare.
Or possibly not! Maybe Disney has determined to hold a “Mission Achieved” banner within the foyer of the Grand Floridian and transfer on to different tasks. Truthfully, we’re effective with that. The foyer is improbable, even when it doesn’t fairly mesh with the outer buildings now.
Finally, there are a whole lot of glorious lodging choices for 2025 Walt Disney World holidays. There are tons of recently-redone resorts and room reimaginings, most of that are considerably higher than the previous rooms (something pre-2018). That is nice for friends, and makes it simpler to be choosy about the place you keep.
The dangerous information is that some resorts are being refreshed or could have building closures in 2025. Given the costs that Walt Disney World fees, you ought to be choosy about the place you’re paying a premium to remain and ensure all necessary facilities can be found and there’s nothing to detract out of your keep.
Our hope is that this listing of lodging helps you slim down the place you wish to keep when planning your 2025 journey to Walt Disney World. Simply take into account that this listing is probably going incomplete, particularly for the second half of 2025, so we’ll maintain you posted about additional updates and building tasks which are added to the calendar at a later date.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about accommodations on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part you should know!
Your Ideas
Which resort(s) will you be avoiding in 2025 at Walt Disney World? Assume we’ve making an excessive amount of of the development on the Poly or Grand Floridian? What about room circumstances at Bay Lake Tower? Assume time has handed by Port Orleans Riverside, or disagree with our tackle that? What about all of the pool and potential Skyliner closures in the beginning of 2025? Do you agree or disagree with our decisions? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
