Upcoming renovations to Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort will also impact guests' ability to travel to and from the A-frame tower.
Next month, Disney will begin work on a year-long refurbishment of the Disney Vacation Club tower. This will be the most extensive update to the property since it debuted back in 2009. Villa interiors will be thoroughly renovated with changes expected to include new floor coverings, wall coverings, upholstry and other finishes. New pull-down Murphy Beds have also been installed in most renovated villas since making their debut in 2019 at Disney's Riviera Resort.
Back in April Disney clarified the timeline for this project, indicating that construction would take place from September 2024 to September 2025. The notice has since been updated to reflect the need for periodic closures of the skybridge which connects Bay Lake Tower to the original A-frame building of Disney's Contemporary Resort. The revised notice reads as follows:
From Sept. 2024-Sept. 2025, room refurbishment work will take place in Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. During the refurbishment, Guests will see and hear construction work throughout Bay Lake Tower. Additionally, the Skyway Bridge may experience intermittent closures. Please allow extra time for travel as alternate paths may be utilized.
The Skyway Bridge connects the 5th floor of Bay Lake Tower with the 4th floor of the Contemporary. The 4th floor is home to the monorail platform, restaurants Chef Mickey's and Contempo Cafe, gift shops and a number of other amenities. When bridge closures occur, guests are likely to be routed to ground level to make their way between the two buildings. Bay Lake Tower has two elevator banks which serve all 16 floors. At the Contemporary tower, guests can use elevators or a series of escalators to travel to-and-from the 4th floor.
Renovations at Bay Lake Tower are expected to be completed one floor at a time. Disney has not publicly revealed the order in which floors will be updated, nor when the first updated rooms are expected to open.
Additional refurbishment projects have been announced for 2025 at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins, The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort. No specific timelines have yet been revealed. Check out the DVCNews Resort Refurbishment Tracker for the latest confirmed dates and projections.
