One of Walt Disney World Resort‘s most recognizable hotel lobbies looks nothing like it did a year ago. A recently released behind-the-scenes video from Walt Disney Imagineering reveals just how deep the changes go at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
The Golden Birdcage Is Gone for Good
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa spent much of last year under construction as crews worked through a top-to-bottom reimagining of the Victorian hotel's lobby. New fixtures, updated textiles, and refreshed furnishings reshaped the space over several months, but the most permanent and significant change was the removal of the lobby's signature ornate golden birdcage.
In its place stands The Perch, a birdcage-shaped bar that opened on November 10 and marked a first for the Central Florida Disney Resort hotel lineup. No other Walt Disney World Resort hotel lobby has anything quite like it.
The construction timeline did claim one casualty: the beloved annual life-sized gingerbread house display was canceled last year as the final touches were being completed in the lobby at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
What Imagineers Hid Inside the New Lobby
Months after The Perch opened and the dust settled, Walt Disney Imagineering took to Instagram to spotlight one of the lobby's quieter additions: a curio cabinet installed in the hotel's common area, filled with small objects referencing Aladdin (1992), Cinderella (1950), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and other Disney movies.
Buried among the collectibles is a treasure chest holding golden coins and a glass bottle with a trick that many guests will never catch. In a recent video, visual media designer Shay explained how digital technology was used to animate a still image of a Disney Cruise Line ship at sea, bringing Tinker Bell to life above the vessel as she lights up the night sky with fireworks:
See how a touch of pixie dust turns everyday props into something extraordinary, like the curio cabinet with living effects at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
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“These props are full of magic,” Shay said. “They're alive.”
The curio cabinet sits near the Disney Vacation Club consultation desk in the lobby at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It's worth a second look on your next visit to Walt Disney World Resort!
Did you stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa during the recent construction? Disney Fanatic would love to hear from you in the comments!
