The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District's public database does not lie, even when it does not tell the whole truth.
Two new entries appeared this week for locations at Disney's BoardWalk Resort, both listed under project names that Disney has not explained or acknowledged. The filings are for Project Amazon and Project Bubbles, and they cover two spaces on the BoardWalk promenade that have been sitting vacant for months. A third space nearby is being gutted without any corresponding public filing yet.
Disney has made no announcement. The project names themselves are almost certainly chosen to obscure rather than reveal. But two active permit filings at vacant BoardWalk locations, combined with ongoing demolition work at a third, is the most concrete sign that something is changing at the BoardWalk since the closures started stacking up.
What Closed and What Is Being Filed
The BoardWalk promenade has absorbed three significant closures in roughly two years.
Big River Grille and Brewing Works closed at the end of January 2024. The space has been empty since. Disney signaled a replacement concept was being considered but never announced anything.
That location is where Project Amazon has been filed. The former brewpub had a full kitchen already in place, which makes a food and beverage replacement the most operationally logical outcome, whether that ends up being a restaurant, a bar, or a lounge format. The permit does not specify.
The Promenade Fine Art Gallery closed in late October 2025, making it a relatively recent vacancy. Project Bubbles is filed at that location. The name prompts some obvious guessing: a bath and body retail concept would be a natural fit for a previously retail space, and a champagne bar or lounge would also make thematic sense with the name.
Neither interpretation is sourced or confirmed. The permit name was almost certainly not chosen to make this easy to figure out.
Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar that operated at the BoardWalk for nearly three decades, closed in April 2025. The signage came down, and the interior is currently being gutted. Jellyrolls does not appear in the current CFTOD database under a project name, meaning either no filing has been made yet or it has not surfaced publicly. The active demolition work suggests a filing will eventually appear.
All three spaces sit in close proximity on the same stretch of the west side of the promenade.
Why This Section of the Boardwalk Has Felt Different
Anyone who has walked the BoardWalk promenade over the past year has noticed the change. The stretch of the west side that used to include Big River Grille, Jellyrolls, and the art gallery has fewer reasons to stop. The promenade still has ESPN Club, Ample Hills Creamery, AbracadaBar, and a handful of other options.
But the cumulative effect of three closures in a concentrated area is a section of the promenade that feels less complete than it used to.
Jellyrolls in particular left a specific kind of gap. A late-night entertainment venue that has been operating for nearly 30 years develops a personality and a loyal following that is hard to replicate with a different concept.
Guests who went to Jellyrolls went specifically for Jellyrolls, not for boardwalk entertainment in general. That specificity is not something the permit filings can address. What they can do is confirm that the spaces are being treated as active development opportunities rather than indefinite vacancies.
The CFTOD process requires permit filings for construction and renovation work on Disney property, which is what makes the database a useful signal. A project appearing in the database does not mean it is imminent, and Disney regularly files permits months or years before anything opens. But a filing is a meaningful step past empty signage and a locked door.
What This Means for a Disney Vacation
Guests staying at the BoardWalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan, Swan Reserve, or Dolphin resorts use the promenade as their primary walkable evening destination.
The EPCOT area resort corridor is one of the best parts of Walt Disney World for guests who enjoy a resort experience that extends beyond the theme parks themselves: Crescent Lake, the promenade, and the ability to walk to both EPCOT's International Gateway and Hollywood Studios are genuine advantages.
The current state of the west side of that promenade is a real consideration for guests planning evening activity around their hotel. Fewer operational spaces means fewer options for a casual dinner, a drink, or a late-night stop.
Guests arriving in the coming months should plan accordingly and look at what is currently open rather than relying on older visit memories or pre-closure recommendations.
For guests whose trips are further out, the permit filings suggest the promenade could look different by the time they arrive. How different, and when, depends on how quickly Project Amazon and Project Bubbles move from filing to construction to opening, and what eventually surfaces for the Jellyrolls space.
Disney's timelines for projects like these vary considerably and nothing in the current filings signals a specific opening window.
The most useful practical advice is to check current BoardWalk entertainment and dining listings before your visit if this area is part of your plans. The resort guide on Disney's official site and the My Disney Experience app both reflect current operating status. What the filings tell you is that the story is not finished, even if the details are not yet available.
When Disney officially announces what is coming to these BoardWalk spaces, we will have full coverage here. In the meantime, if you are planning a visit to the BoardWalk area and want to know what is currently operating on the promenade, check the My Disney Experience app for up-to-date dining and entertainment listings before you make the walk.
The EPCOT resort corridor is still one of the most atmospheric areas at Walt Disney World. The promenade is worth the visit even in its current state.
