Work progresses on the birdcage bar and the Garden View Tea Room as part of the lobby remodel at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Grand Floridian Lobby Remodel
Birdcage Bar
Last week, the top of the birdcage bar got lighting, which continues to glow through white paneling. The last element of the bar’s roof is now in place, creating a spire atop the structure that reaches past the second floor railing. This gives the bar a shape similar to the giant birdcage that it replaces.
The spire element has the same dark wood finish as the rest of the roof. More paneling has also been installed on the overhang, encasing wiring inside. There are still some open spots, but it looks like there are panels ready to cover these areas.
There is also now lighting beneath the bar’s counters on both the exterior and interior. The The fronts of the counters have faux wood paneling. The countertops aren’t finished yet, but this seems to be where work is now concentrated.
One side of the bar has a lower counter where guests will likely fully sit down or pull up a wheelchair. No chairs or bar stools have arrived yet. Sitting on the front of the counter were some square frames that appear to be for the light-up openings around the top of the bar.
On the front of the bar, floral stained glass panels now fill all of the light-up openings. Previously, there was just one of these panels.
The bar is blocked off with white curtains. The rest of the lobby received new carpet and furnishings earlier this month.
Garden View Tea Room
At the end of the lobby is the Garden View Tea Room, also blocked off for refurbishment. Scrim has been removed from the front archways, and they have new decorative framing.
Inside, we can see standing lamps and what appear to be decorative trays.
Grand Floridian Lobby Concept Art
For comparison, above is a photo of the lobby now and a photo of it from before construction. Below is concept art for the reimagined space.
Work is scheduled to continue through November, and the lobby will not present its Victorian gingerbread house this year due to ongoing construction.
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