Disney's Art of Animation Resort is headed for a thorough makeover, with a full "hard goods refurbishment" of all hotel rooms scheduled to begin in mid-June 2027 and run through October 2028. Rather than a simple cosmetic refresh, the project involves rethinking nearly every element in each room — furniture, artwork, lighting, and technology — with Walt Disney Imagineering leading the creative effort.
Work will roll out in stages. The Little Mermaid standard rooms go first, followed by the Lion King and Finding Nemo family suites, with the Cars family suites last in line. Guests can expect to start seeing completed rooms come online as early as Summer 2027, since Disney plans to finish and reopen rooms on a rolling basis throughout the project.
One of the biggest practical upgrades applies across all the family suites: the pull-out sofa bed is being replaced by a Murphy bed with a proper mattress, with a couch positioned in front of it. For the Little Mermaid standard rooms, one of the two queen beds will also convert to a Murphy bed that folds away into a table, giving families more flexible floor space. The Little Mermaid rooms are also gaining a sliding shower door in place of a curtain, USB-C charging ports, colorful shell chairs, and a wealth of small character-themed details — including hidden Mickeys and decorative touches placed at kids' eye level.
The Lion King suites are shifting toward warmer, nature-inspired tones drawn from the savanna, with character-specific artwork replacing more generic Lion King-inspired graphics. Simba's presentation on Pride Rock will anchor the Murphy bed wall, while scenes of Simba and Nala feature in the bedroom. Across the suite, expect upgraded finishes — think granite-topped side tables and slate-look surfaces — along with a repositioned kitchen area to open up more living space and a new full-length entryway mirror.
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MickeyVisit, which was among the first media outlets invited by Walt Disney Imagineering to tour the Little Mermaid model room and view Lion King concept artwork, reported these details.
