Disney World Makes Major Change to Iconic Hollywood Studios Area After 37 Years

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has spent decades reinventing itself, and another longtime area is now getting a noticeable update.

This one isn’t about replacing a ride or introducing a new land. Instead, Disney is making a significant change outside a restaurant that has been part of the park since opening day.

Construction continues around The Hollywood Brown Derby, and guests can now get a much better look at what Disney has planned for its outdoor lounge.

After 37 years of changes throughout Hollywood Studios, even this classic corner of the park isn’t staying exactly the same.

The Hollywood Brown Derby Gets a New Look

The Hollywood Brown Derby opened with Disney-MGM Studios in 1989 and has remained one of the park’s signature restaurants ever since.

Its classic Hollywood design has helped the restaurant maintain a connection to the park’s original theme even as the surrounding destination has evolved.

Now, Disney is modifying part of its exterior.

Crews have installed framing for a new canopy above The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge. The structure stretches along the side of the building and angles outward toward the nearby walkway.

When finished, the canopy will create a covered outdoor lounge area next to the main dining room.

For guests familiar with Central Florida weather, the benefit is easy to understand. Additional shade can make a major difference during hot afternoons, while overhead coverage can also make an outdoor space more useful throughout the year.

Disney Temporarily Moves the Patio

Guests won’t be able to use the normal lounge area while construction continues.

Rolling hedge planters currently separate visitors from the work zone, but Disney has moved the patio operation rather than shutting it down entirely.

Guests can instead head to the former Starring Rolls Bakery area, where Disney is operating a walk-up bar with shaded tables during the refurbishment.

The Hollywood Brown Derby itself also remains open. Disney continues serving lunch and dinner inside the restaurant while crews work on the exterior.

So, while the construction is noticeable, it doesn’t mean guests have to remove The Hollywood Brown Derby from their Hollywood Studios plans.

Another Piece of Hollywood Studios Is Changing

The project adds another change to a park that looks very different from the one guests entered in 1989.

Hollywood Studios has undergone major transformations over its 37-year history, but The Hollywood Brown Derby has remained one of its constants.

That’s why even an exterior project here carries a little more significance.

Disney isn’t removing the restaurant or abandoning its classic Hollywood identity. Instead, it’s updating how guests use the space immediately outside it.

There is still one major question: when will everything be finished?

Disney hasn’t announced a completion date for the refurbishment.

For now, guests will continue seeing construction outside the restaurant. Once the work wraps up, however, The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge will have a noticeably different appearance, along with a major new feature designed to give guests something particularly valuable at Disney World: more shade.