Menu

Disney Confirms Plans To Close Bar and Shop in Efforts to Rescue Unpopular Hotel

Sequoia Lodge exterior
Credit: Disney

Disney has confirmed plans to close the bar and shop at one of its lowest-rated hotels from February 2027.

Several Disney hotels are undergoing major updates right now. At Walt Disney World Resort, Guest rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House are being refurbished through January 2027, while phased work across the Contemporary Resort’s atrium, Main Tower, and Bay Lake Tower will continue through late 2027.

A family sits at a table as they meet Mickey Mouse as Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort
Credit: Disney

Meanwhile, at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the front entrance roadway is undergoing work, while Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace is also facing disruption due to refurbishment at the Grand Ceremonial House.

Further afield, one of Disney’s lowest-rated hotels is undergoing even more dramatic changes

Disney Confirms Ongoing Hotel Overhaul

Disney Sequoia Lodge Hotel is set to close its bar and shop – Redwood Bar and Lounge and Northwest Passage – early next year.

Rooms at Sequoia Lodge
Credit: Disney

Guests have until February 19, 2027, to experience both parts of the hotel. Disney has also vaguely stated that select hotel services will also become unavailable from this date.

🔧 As part of the ongoing Disney Sequoia Lodge refurbishment, the hotel bar, shop and some hotel services will close from February 19, 2027. Character meet and greet will continue as planned.

The good news is that the closures are only temporarily. However, Disney hasn’t confirmed the duration of the closures, or whether both the bar and shop will reopen at the same time.

Disney Sequoia Lodge Hotel has long been criticized for its old-fashioned, dusty rooms with outdated bathrooms.

With 2.8 stars on Yelp, it’s among the lowest-rated Disney hotels in the world – performing worse than cheaper hotels at Disneyland Paris, including Disney Santa Fe Hotel.

Concept art for refurbished Sequoia Lodge rooms
Credit: Disney

However, Sequoia Lodge’s ongoing refurbishment is set to right many of the hotel’s wrongs. Disney is giving the 1,010-room property brighter, more contemporary interiors while preserving the warm, wood-heavy wilderness-lodge atmosphere that has defined it since 1992. Every major guest area is eventually set to be redesigned.

Work began in January 2026 with the rooms across Sequoia Lodge’s five outer buildings. The first redesigned rooms – inspired by the likes of Bambi (1942), Pocahontas (1995), and Brave (2012) – will welcome guests in early 2027, before work expands to the remaining rooms, lobby, restaurants, recreation areas, and shops.

This week, Disney also confirmed that bookings will open for the updated rooms from September.

⚠️ New look at the refurbished Disney Sequoia Lodge rooms – and bathrooms, which will be opening for bookings in mid-September 2026:

It also shared a first look at the refreshed accommodation, which has notably removed the bathtubs – a long-term staple of Disneyland Paris’ hotel rooms – from the bathrooms.

Fans have reacted positively to the updated rooms and the fact the hotel is retaining its nature-inspired charm.

“It appears they have not ruined the nature look and feel!” one X user wrote. “Thank god! Not too much gold or bronze!”

Another said, “Finally no more old ass bath tub.”

Sleeping Beauty Castle and other attractions at Disneyland Paris
Credit: Jeremy Thompson, Flickr

Disney Pushes Ahead with Major Resort Changes

Also announced for Disneyland Paris this week is an update to the movie theater in Disney Village. The Pathé Cinema will undergo an extensive transformation – which includes a brand-new exterior – with work set to begin this summer.

This follows the debut of Disney Adventure World in March. Replacing Walt Disney Studios Park, the updated park includes World of Frozen, a ride inspired by Tangled (2010), and new eateries.

What do you think of the new updates at Disney Sequoia Lodge?

About Chloe James

Chloë is a theme park addict and self-proclaimed novelty hunter. She's obsessed with all things Star Wars, loves roller coasters (but hates Pixar Pal-A-Round), and lives for Disney's next Muppets project.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.