If a stroll along Disney’s BoardWalk is part of your Walt Disney World routine, some of your old favorites are about to change. The coming weeks bring a farewell, a debut, and a new restaurant that Disney hasn’t officially named yet.
Guests who want one more public night at Atlantic Dance Hall have a short window. Disney has confirmed that the venue’s final regular public weekend runs September 25 through September 27. From October 1 onward, the dance hall will no longer offer its usual weekend walk-in schedule. It will instead be reserved for private events, including weddings and other functions.
The venue isn’t being torn down. It will stay on Crescent Lake as a gathering space for celebrations. For guests who have spent evenings there dancing away from the parks, though, those nights now require an invitation.
The former Jellyrolls dueling piano bar begins its next chapter on October 1 as Hurly-Burly. Disney took inspiration from a historic seaside theater and built the venue around the time of day. Earlier hours are for families, with trivia and games. Later in the evening, it becomes adults-only, serving live music, cocktails, and light bites.
This is a real change for anyone planning a BoardWalk visit with kids. The space used to be off-limits to younger guests, and it now has something to offer them before the grown-ups take over.
The most intriguing news came from Disney Files, the quarterly magazine produced for Disney Vacation Club members. Along with Hurly-Burly and Basin, the issue referenced a “soon-to-be-announced” quick-service dining destination for the BoardWalk, according to WDWNT.
For now, there isn’t much to plan around. Disney has not announced a name, cuisine, theme, menu, opening date, or exact location. The magazine directed readers to the Disney Parks Blog for more, so an official announcement could come soon.
In the meantime, BoardWalk visitors have familiar choices: BoardWalk Deli, Pizza Window, and Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs for a quick meal, plus BoardWalk Ice Cream, Carousel Coffee, and The Cake Bake Shop Bakery for dessert or a caffeine stop. A new counter-service location could add something the promenade doesn’t currently offer.
Basin is also heading to the BoardWalk, bringing bath and body products and hands-on experiences like custom bath tea blending and soap-making. After several longtime establishments disappeared from the waterfront in recent years, these additions show Disney rebuilding the area with a mix of dining, entertainment, and retail.
How do you feel about this big phased development at Disney’s BoardWalk? Let us know in the comments down below!
