Walt Disney World Resort finally appears to be wrapping up a refurbishment at Disney's Hollywood Studios that began in mid-August. Here's what to know before your next visit to the third Central Florida Disney park.
Dockside Diner Refurbishment
This summer, Walt Disney World Resort drained Echo Lake at Disney's Hollywood Studios for several simultaneous refurbishment projects, including repairs to the iconic dinosaur statue and ice cream shop, Gertie, as well as restoration work on the Dockside Diner.
The Dockside Diner Quick-Service dining location is located inside a fake boat called S.S. Down the Hatch. Scaffolding and other barriers appeared around the faux vessel soon after Walt Disney World Resort drained Echo Lake, and Disney Park guests could see cast members repainting and repairing elements of the structure.
Last week, that scaffolding came down, revealing the extent of the Dockside Diner refurbishment. Let's take a look.
The Current Situation at Disney's Hollywood Studios
On October 15, WDWNT shared the first look at the S.S. Down the Hatch since scaffolding appeared around the fake boat in mid-August.
The most obvious change to the vessel is a fresh coat of red paint at its base, where it was most worn from contact with the water in Echo Lake. Refreshed fake rust is visible on the white portions of the hull. Disney clearly repainted the blue trim and touched up some lettering on the side of the structure.
Across Echo Lake, Gertie the dinosaur was repainted earlier this month, as were fake tree stumps and logs in the area. There is still some construction equipment scattered throughout the lake, so that will need to be removed before Walt Disney World Resort refills it.
Despite ongoing construction, both Dockside Diner and Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream Quick-Service dining locations remain open.
Have you noticed any other changes at the Central Florida Disney parks? Disney Fanatic would love to hear from you in the comments!
