The clock is ticking on The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop’s nearly 30-year run in its original Disney Springs home. A newly filed construction permit confirms that the transformation is about to begin.
A Permit Seals the Construction Timeline
On Thursday, a construction permit was filed for The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop at Disney Springs, contracting Dynamic Aspects to install new “signage” on the Marketplace building. The filing is the first concrete paperwork tied to the reimagining of a location that has been a Disney Springs staple since 1996, and its 2027 expiration date aligns precisely with Ghirardelli’s already-confirmed spring reopening.
Whether the signage work involves replacing the shop’s well-known light-up sign or simply refurbishing it hasn’t been specified in the permit documents.
Sometime this summer — with no exact date announced yet by Walt Disney World Resort — The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop will temporarily vacate its Marketplace location and move to an unoccupied space in Disney Springs’ Town Center area. Construction crews will then begin reimagining the original building while the shop continues serving Central Florida Disney Park guests from its temporary home.
“Disney Springs has been a cherished home for Ghirardelli for nearly 30 years, and we are proud of the magical chocolate memories we’ve helped create for guests from around the world,” Lacey Zane, Vice President of Restaurant & Retail at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, said. “Our longstanding relationship with Disney is an important part of that story, and this next chapter allows us to thoughtfully evolve the space while honoring its legacy. We look forward to continuing to serve guests at our temporary location in Town Center during this transition and unveiling an updated space in 2027.”
The Reimagined Ghirardelli Space at Disney Springs
When The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop reopens in its original Marketplace location in the spring of 2027, guests can expect shorter wait times, expanded indoor seating, and some unspecified “surprises” from the iconic chocolatier. The details on those surprises remain under wraps for now.
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