Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge lobby refurb is behind schedule

The Kidani Village lobby was due back Oct. 9 and isn’t, and more of the building closes Oct. 26. The Old Key West boat is out, too. We checked 21 Disney resort pages, and 16 have work posted for the week of Oct. 26.

The lobby at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, Kidani Village was supposed to be done by Oct. 9. It isn’t.

“The October 9th opening date definitely isn’t the case,” Disney Food Blog reported on Oct. 11. Cast members couldn’t give a new date, the blog said.

Disney’s own resort page now says the work runs “through late 2026.” Further down, the same page still says it’s expected to wrap in early November. So the finish line is fuzzy.

What’s closed at Animal Kingdom Lodge right now?

Kidani Village is a Disney Vacation Club building at Animal Kingdom Lodge, separate from the main Jambo House. Its lobby has been walled off since Aug. 17.

Disney’s resort page lays out the plan in phases:

• Aug. 17 to Oct. 9: main lobby closed, with check-in moved to the Palace Library

• Aug. 17 to 28: Johari Treasures gift shop closed

• Sept. 28 to Oct. 9: north corridor closed

• Oct. 26 to Nov. 6: south corridor closed

One piece is back. The savanna-side area with the refurbished stairs reopened Oct. 10, Disney Food Blog reported. The rest of the lobby and Johari Treasures were still “far from complete.”

What closes at Kidani Village on Oct. 26?

Plenty of the spaces guests use every day. From Oct. 26 to Nov. 6, the south corridor closure takes out:

• Community Hall

• The Safari So Good Arcade

• The laundry room

• The Palace Library

• The lobby restrooms

• The outdoor terrace observation deck

That list has a problem in it. Check-in has been happening in the Palace Library, and the Palace Library closes Oct. 26.

Disney hasn’t said where check-in goes after that. WDWMAGIC raised the same question back in July.

Disney also hasn’t said what’s changing in the lobby. Disney Tourist Blog reported in September that the thatch had come off the ceiling, and guessed it might be behind-the-scenes infrastructure work.

Is the Old Key West boat to Disney Springs closed?

Yes. The Sassagoula River Cruise boat between Old Key West and Disney Springs is out from Oct. 12 to Nov. 1, with buses instead, Disney Food Blog and Disney Tourist Blog reported.

Disney Food Blog’s take: “a closure is here AGAIN.”

That’s because the same boat was down from July 20 to early August. Disney said then that refurbishment work was taking place along the boat route, WDWMAGIC reported. This time, Disney Tourist Blog says it’s due to ongoing refurbishment work along the route.

And Disney’s Old Key West page doesn’t mention it. It still advertises a “complimentary water taxi” to Disney Springs.

The boats also serve Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter, according to Disney.

Which Disney World resorts have refurbishments this fall?

Most of them. We checked 21 of Disney’s resort pages, counting Kidani Village and Jambo House separately.

Sixteen have work posted for the week of Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, when the two closures above overlap. Some of it is just exterior work, but it’s there.

Some of the bigger ones, from Disney’s resort pages:

• Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House: guest rooms and some public areas, through early 2027

• Port Orleans Riverside: guest rooms and select public areas, through mid-2027

• All-Star Movies: guest rooms, through January 2027

• Polynesian: some areas, including the front entrance road, through late 2026

• Grand Floridian: the covered entrance, through early 2027

• Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower: phased work through late 2027

• Coronado Springs: the convention center and El Centro hallway, overnight, through late September 2027

• Saratoga Springs: the main entrance and tennis courts, through fall 2026

The five with nothing posted that week: All-Star Music, Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach and Riviera.

Which Disney World resort restaurants are closed?

Five dining and bar spots at four resorts are closed or partly closed this fall:

• Grand Floridian Cafe: closed since mid-July, with brunch moved to Citricos. WDWMAGIC lists a Nov. 1 reopening.

• Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace at the Polynesian: closed through late October.

• Scat Cat’s Club Cafe at Port Orleans French Quarter: closed until December.

• Scat Cat’s Club Lounge: closed until January 2027. A temporary bar runs 5 to 11 p.m.

• Grandstand Spirits pool bar at All-Star Sports: closed Sept. 18 to mid-December.

The closure dates come from Disney’s resort pages.

What Disney World closures are coming in 2027?

Two big ones are already on the calendar:

• Disney Skyliner: closed Jan. 24 to 30, 2027. That affects guests at Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, Riviera, BoardWalk, Beach Club and Yacht Club.

• BoardWalk’s Luna Park Pool: closed Jan. 11 through April 2027, along with its play area and the Leaping Horse Libations pool bar.

What should you do if your Disney World hotel is under refurbishment?

A few easy steps:

• Check your resort’s page on Disney World’s website before you go. The closure notices sit near the top.

• Ask at check-in what’s open. Some closures, like the Old Key West boat, aren’t on the resort’s own page.

• Plan extra time for buses if you’re at Old Key West and headed to Disney Springs through Nov. 1.

What are some fun facts about these Disney World closures?

Disney’s own page hedges. Kidani’s page says both “early Nov.” and “late 2026.”

The Old Key West boat keeps closing. This is its second outage since July.

Even the Skyliner gets a week off. Seven hotels lose their gondola ride for a week in January.

If you’re checking into Kidani after Oct. 26, maybe ask where the front desk went.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Walt Disney World: resort pages and closure notices for Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani Village, Old Key West and other resorts, checked Oct. 12, 2026

• Disney Food Blog, Oct. 11, 2026: This Disney World hotel refurbishment is officially behind schedule; This transportation closure just made it harder to get to Disney Springs

• Disney Tourist Blog, Oct. 12, 2026: Disney World hotel construction and refurbishment update; Sept. 21, 2026: Animal Kingdom Lodge projects

• WDWMAGIC, July 17, 2026: Disney Springs boat service unavailable for Old Key West guests; July 28, 2026: Kidani lobby refurbishment; refurbishment tracker, checked Oct. 12, 2026

• DVCNews, Sept. 9, 2026: Kidani Village lobby walled off

• Walt Disney World: water transportation page, checked Oct. 12, 2026

• Our count: resorts with posted work Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, from Disney’s resort pages

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.