Disney’s BoardWalk Just Got Its Biggest Makeover in Years

The BoardWalk Comes Back to Life with Three New Experiences

For years, Disney’s BoardWalk has been the quiet sibling of Walt Disney World’s resort district. A gorgeous waterfront promenade inspired by turn-of-the-century Atlantic City and Coney Island, it had the bones of something special but not quite enough reason for most guests to make the walk from EPCOT’s International Gateway. That changes starting in late 2026, when three new additions will land along Crescent Lake in what amounts to the most significant refresh the BoardWalk has seen in a very long time.

Disney Parks Blog announced the full slate on Wednesday. The headliner is Hurly-Burly, a new waterfront lounge set inside what Disney describes as “a historic seaside theatre with a vibrant BoardWalk story that spans over a century.” During the afternoon, the venue will host family-friendly activities like trivia and interactive games led by a charismatic host. By night, Hurly-Burly transitions into a live music venue exclusively for guests 21 and older, serving coastal-inspired cocktails and light bites. Disney never explicitly confirmed the location, but as Disney Food Blog notes, the description lines up suspiciously well with the former Jellyrolls space, the dueling piano bar that closed and left a hole in the BoardWalk’s nightlife identity.

If Hurly-Burly fills the entertainment gap, Basin on the BoardWalk addresses the retail one. Basin already operates locations at Disney Springs and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, but according to Disney Parks Blog, this new outpost will lean into the BoardWalk’s vintage heritage with interactive elements that go beyond browsing. Guests will find a custom bath tea blending counter, a make-your-own-soap station, and a soap embossing press for personalized finishing touches, alongside a curated collection of handcrafted soaps, botanical bath salts, bath bombs, body butters, and more. MickeyBlog confirmed the same details, describing the store as a sensory shopping experience rooted in the resort’s classic boardwalk aesthetic.

The third announcement was more of a tease. Disney Parks Blog revealed that a new quick-service restaurant is also coming to the BoardWalk, but offered nothing beyond a promise of “more on that later this summer.” Disney Food Blog flagged the same line, noting that since summer just began, concrete details could be months away. Still, the mere existence of a new quick-service option is meaningful. The BoardWalk has historically skewed toward table-service dining, and a casual grab-and-go spot would make the area more accessible to guests who want to wander without a reservation.

Taken together, these three additions signal that Disney treats the BoardWalk as a destination worth investing in rather than just a pleasant connector between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The lounge gives it nightlife, the store gives it a reason to browse, and the restaurant gives it convenience. That combination could finally turn the BoardWalk into the kind of place guests seek out rather than stumble upon.

The Parks

The most visible project at Walt Disney World this year just wrapped up. BlogMickey reports that the Cinderella Castle repainting at Magic Kingdom is officially complete, and Disney is offering a behind-the-scenes look at the people who made it happen. The finished palette returns the Castle to a more classic look, one that Walt Disney Imagineering’s Senior Creative Director Chris Weck says was inspired by the building’s original 1971 color scheme. “We wanted to make sure we were bringing back that classic 1971 color palette, but in a more refined way,” Weck told Disney. The team leaned into the architectural details more than previous paint schemes did, emphasizing stonework, deep blue roofs, and gold accents designed to catch the Florida sun from every angle.

What makes the project notable beyond aesthetics is the operational discipline it required. Associate Project Manager Nathan Collahuazo, who started his Disney career as an intern, described the pressure of changing the look of “one of the most iconic buildings Disney has.” Multiple teams collaborated on the effort, including Walt Disney Imagineering, Facility Asset Management, Disney Live Entertainment, Project Development, Operations, and PhotoPass. Crews had to keep the Castle photo-ready every single day while the work progressed around them. Disney first teased the new paint scheme at Destination D23 in August 2025, so the project has been in guests’ sightlines for nearly a year. Now they can finally see the finished product without scaffolding in the frame.

Over at Disney Springs, a smaller refresh is nearing completion. WDW News Today reports that the Columbia Sportswear store in the Town Center area will reopen on July 24 after closing in late May. According to construction permits, the refurbishment includes a new storefront, updated lighting, wall finishes, fixtures, and fresh paint.

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s crowd picture across Walt Disney World showed a resort running warm but not overwhelming. Lightning Brain’s Daily Park Report pegged Hollywood Studios as the busiest gate at 5/10 (Average) with a 36.7-minute median wait, while EPCOT matched that 5/10 (Average) score and continued running about 20% above its own 30-day baseline. The interesting number was Animal Kingdom at 3/10 (Moderate), finishing as the easiest park on property by a comfortable margin. Magic Kingdom landed at 5/10 (Average) with a steady build toward a 7 PM peak. The 94.9-degree afternoon under mostly clear skies pushed guests toward air-conditioned queues, but Lightning Brain noted the weather was not a significant factor in reshuffling the parks’ relative rankings. Downtime on several headliner attractions across the resort added friction at the worst possible hours, a recurring theme this summer as Disney juggles heavy guest traffic alongside an aggressive construction schedule.

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The Parisian Breakfast Buffet with bottomless mimosas is returning to the Chefs de France restaurant during the 2026 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, according to Disney Tourist Blog. The fan-favorite offering had generated frustration in previous years when it was absent, so its return is a welcome signal for festival regulars who have felt the event drifting toward smaller portions and fewer signature experiences.

At Hong Kong Disneyland, Pixar Summer Fest runs through August 31, 2026. Attractions Magazine reports the celebration features park-wide character moments described as exclusive to the event, giving Pixar fans who visit the resort this summer a lineup they will not find at other Disney parks.

The Screen

Toy Story 5 arrives in theaters tomorrow, June 19, and the merchandise machine is already in full gallop. D23 published a comprehensive roundup of products tied to the film, spotlighting a theme of “Toy meets Tech” that mirrors the movie’s story. The standout is Mattel’s Ultimate Action Woody, an interactive figure with “toy” and “alive” play modes that uses animatronics and clap-and-pose recognition. In alive mode, Woody can even detect when a Buzz Lightyear figure is nearby and will interact with him. LeapFrog’s Explore and Learn Lilypad, inspired by the film’s new character, lets kids send text messages to Toy Story characters using emojis and preset messages. On the fashion side, adidas has launched a Toy Story collection with designs inspired by Woody, Buzz, and Jessie, while Crocs is offering Jessie-inspired “croots” (Croc boots) with denim and cow print detailing. The breadth of the product line suggests Disney and its partners are betting heavily on Toy Story 5 as the summer’s commercial anchor.

The Disney community is also processing a loss. The DisInsider reports that Daveigh Chase, the voice actress who brought Lilo Pelekai to life in Disney’s animated classic Lilo and Stitch, has died at the age of 35. According to reports, Chase’s boyfriend Roy Hernandez confirmed her passing to media outlets on Wednesday.

The Vault

Walt Disney Imagineering has always spoken about technology as a servant of story, but a new feature from The Walt Disney Company lays out exactly how that philosophy works in practice with some of the biggest names in tech. Adobe, NVIDIA, and Meta are all collaborating with Disney Experiences on projects that range from generative AI design tools to wearable guest interaction devices.

The most concrete example is Adobe Firefly Foundry, a generative AI platform that lets Imagineering build custom models trained on Disney’s own creative assets. Kyle Laughlin, SVP of Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development, told The Walt Disney Company that the tool can compress months of design iteration into days and weeks. “We’ve always talked about ‘our product is emotion,'” Laughlin said. “And these types of tools are helping us make that connection even faster.” The key distinction Laughlin drew is that Disney sought a partner who could work responsibly with the creative process. “We are a talent-driven company, and respecting that the creative process has a human as a part of what we do,” he said.

Separately, Shanghai Disney Resort is marking its 10th anniversary, and Disney Experiences published a tribute to the Opening Task Force Team, the handpicked group of Cast Members from parks around the world who relocated to Shanghai to help launch the resort. The stories are small and specific in the best way. One Cast Member arrived expecting to work as a costumer and ended up managing Entertainment Costuming Operations. She recalled the day former CEO Bob Iger and fellow executives previewed Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular, a show featuring an actual wind tunnel. “When they saw a performer fly on the stage for the first time, everyone in the house went from ‘professional executives’ to ‘teens screaming on a thrill ride,'” she said. Another Cast Member, Michael Pelozuelo, a 17-year Disney veteran, first heard about the Shanghai project in 2009 while working as a junior publicist at Disneyland Paris. He spent seven years maneuvering toward the assignment before finally joining the Task Force as a Red Carpet Producer in 2016. Parks are not just built with steel and imagination; they are built by people who pack their bags and cross the world because they believe the story is worth telling in person.

Sources

Disney Parks Blog · Disney Food Blog · MickeyBlog · AllEars · BlogMickey · WDW News Today · Disney Tourist Blog · Attractions Magazine · D23 · The DisInsider · Walt Disney Company · Disney Experiences · Lightning Brain