Amid a lengthy refurbishment, the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has now reopened for guest use with new furniture and carpet. Plus, we spotted a new water refill station added to the resort.
Grand Floridian Lobby Reopens
Only yesterday, Cast Members and crew revealed and set-up the new furniture for the refurbished lobby, which had been completely blocked by walls apart from a small corridor around the edges of the room. Only a short time later, the lobby reopened late in the night on October 10. Installation of the new carpet began on Thursday, but we can now see the design up-close.
The updated carpet retains the lobby’s floral motifs and Victorian theming, but with larger flowers. The main color is now bright blue instead of green, and it matches the new carpet on the grand staircase and in the check-in area.
The new furniture is also Victorian-inspired. It looks like there are fewer sofas and more individual chairs than the previous layout. Several sets of chairs sit around glass-covered tables. This set of four chairs is colored with rich red and gold tones in velvet-textured fabric.
The sofas are mostly a beige color, and most of the fabric furniture has dark brown wood or leather finishes. The sections with sofas are set up with other individual chairs and ottomans surrounding coffee tables.
There are multiple styles of armchairs situated around various round coffee tables. High-backed chairs feature tan upholstery and pink pillows. There are green chairs with floral patterns on their backs as well. Some of the coffee tables feature white marble with gold and glass accents instead of the wood, as seen above.
The grand piano has returned to the lobby and is now positioned in the center. Red velvet ropes and gold stanchions are wrapped around it.
Crew members are still working on top of the birdcage bar, which has now been placed behind curtains since the rest of the lobby is open. The structure has progressively gained more wood-style paneling on the exterior. It looks as thought floral stained glass with be added to the blank spaces around the top, with one already added near the center.
Some of the new furniture sits right up against the curtains placed near the bar. There is also a row of curtains on the opposite side, near the cage-style elevator.
From this angle, the large flowers of the new carpet stand out against the pale colors of the chairs and other furniture. Bright shades of pink, blue, and green almost draw the eye away from the curtains hiding the upcoming birdcage bar and elevator.
Throw pillows placed upon the beige couches are golden or green with bird patterns. Pink velvet throw pillows, floral-patterned pillows, and beige patterned pillows adorn other furniture in the room.
Some of the end tables are topped with new lamps that have circular white shades, detailed golden bases, and tassels. The bases has several power outlets if guests need to charge devices while waiting in the lobby.
Similar floor lamps line the backs of the seating area nearest to the construction curtains. These also have circular shades, but have wooden bases instead of metal.
Continued Construction
The birdcage bar and Garden View Tea Room remain under construction, so construction walls and curtains remain standing by each side of the lobby. New Grand Floridian logo decorative elements will also be added to the balconies overlooking the tea room and main entrance, assuming the plans are still similar to the original refurbishment concept art.
Crew members continue to replace wallpaper and repaint walls throughout the lobby, with work scheduled to continue through November. The last remaining construction “wall” surrounds the rear of the birdcage bar construction.
All other barriers in the lobby are made from white curtains, providing a more “soft” feel to the remaining construction zones.
New Water Refill Station
Just outside of the Sandy Cove Gifts and Sundries store, a new water fountain and bottle refill station have been revealed.
The left half is a taller fountain that has a spout from the top for refilling a tumbler or bottle. The right is a more traditional water fountain at a slightly lower height.
Above is concept art for the renovated lobby. With the added furniture and details, the lobby draws nearer to looking like the image. Due to construction, the Grand Floridian will not present its Victorian gingerbread house this year.
What are your thoughts on the updated lobby? Let us know in the comments and on social media.
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