Disney World Guests Arrive at Hollywood Studios on Monday, Find Park Area Closed
Guests heading to Echo Lake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Monday morning walked into a construction zone. The scaffolding now surrounding one of the area’s most unique dining locations confirms that the drained lake visible last week was just the beginning of something larger.
Dockside Diner Surrounded on All Sides
On Monday, WDWNT reported that metal scaffolding had been installed completely around the Dockside Diner — the Quick-Service restaurant housed inside a boat aptly named the S.S. Down The Hatch, moored on Echo Lake. The scaffolding wraps around every side of the vessel: the water-facing side, the dock side, and both ends. There is no angle from which the boat isn’t currently enclosed in construction equipment.
The full scaffolding installation follows a significant preparatory step that took place last week, when Walt Disney World Resort drained Echo Lake entirely — a move that suggests the refurbishment work extends beyond the boat’s surface and may involve the structure below as well. Fencing around the lake area now carries signage explaining the situation to guests:
“Please pardon our appearance.
Keeping our city beautiful.
Echo Lake is being refurbished for your future enjoyment.”
Walt Disney World Resort has not issued a statement about the drained lake, the Dockside Diner scaffolding, or how long the refurbishment is expected to take.
Despite being completely enclosed in scaffolding on all sides, the Dockside Diner is open and operating on its normal lunch and dinner schedule. Seating areas around Echo Lake remain accessible to guests throughout construction.
The Dockside Diner work is part of a wider moment of change at Echo Lake. Walt Disney World Resort recently addressed a separate issue at the same waterfront area, repairing the tail of Gertie the Dinosaur, the beloved green structure on the lake’s edge that houses Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction. That Quick-Service location also remains open during the ongoing construction around Echo Lake.
Have you noticed any other construction during your most recent visit to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your experience with Disney Dining in the comments!
