With the Moana overlay for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort confirmed to debut in July of this year, and the transformation of guest rooms into an Incredibles theme all but announced by Disney at the Contemporary, fans are wondering what might be in store for Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
A newly filed permit indicates that extensive work is planned for Grand Floridian – perhaps even the inclusion of Intellectual Property like what we’ve seen at the other Magic Kingdom area resorts.
The recently filed permit lists 4401 Floridian Way as the area of interest. According to Disney, 4401 Floridian Way is the main lobby building at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. The work listed in the permit is “mechanical work” – nothing too out of the ordinary. What is out of the ordinary is the expiration date.
Typically, a permit does not have an expiration date listed for work. When an expiration date isn’t listed, the permit expires a year after it is filed. In the case of this permit, the expiration date is listed as September 30, 2022. This is out of the ordinary and could signal a larger project. Of course, at this time it’s a bit of speculation to say that a long permit means that we’re getting IP in the resort, but with recent trends at other Magic Kingdom area resorts, it’s not too much of a stretch.
Of course, just because we don’t have an official announcement from Disney doesn’t mean that things aren’t happening behind the scenes. A good example of that is the work taking place at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Officially, Disney has yet to announce the inclusion of the Incredibles franchise in the “reimagining” of their guest rooms this summer, but we’ve seen at least 6 different rooms with Incredibles-themed drapes.
So, what IP could be going into Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort? Already, there is a popular character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare that includes characters from Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and Winnie the Pooh. Beyond that, there are Mary Poppins touches in the resort already, as well as a Beauty and the Beast-themed bar and lounge. Really, Disney could go either the Mary Poppins or Beauty and the Beast route, but the Poppins route offers a little less friction compared to existing theming.
As of publish time, no other permits have been filed for the many Grand Floridian buildings that actually contain the majority of the rooms. It’s possible that the work will remain contained to the main lobby building, but if there is a significant change to the theming of the lobby, we’d expect it to extend out to the guest rooms at some point as well. Another permit has been filed for the convention center space at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa with the same expiration date and scope of work.
Just like any rumor or speculation, this should be treated as unofficial unless and until Disney confirms it.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!