The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop at Disney Springs has been stripped down to its steel skeleton, with crews pulling stained glass, decorative exterior panels, and chunks of the front wall off the building as its multi-year renovation grinds forward. What's left exposed along the waterfront storefront is insulation and bare framing where ornate glasswork used to catch the light over the Marketplace basin.
According to WDW News Today, crews removed the stained glass and other decorative exterior elements from the Ghirardelli building, along with pieces of the front wall that exposed the steel frame and insulation beneath, and a light fixture that once hung on the exterior. The wall facing the basin now shows red plywood where the stained glass windows used to be, though the diamond-patterned panel and the Ghirardelli sign remain intact above it, the outlet reports. Crews are also constructing a metal frame in front of the opposite side of the building, per the same report.
A Waterfront Landmark Mid-Demolition
The teardown marks a dramatic escalation from the cosmetic update the shop received in February 2020, before this year's structural overhaul began, according to WDWMagic. This time, the work goes past paint and furniture and into the bones of the building itself, with the stained glass removal signaling a full architectural rework rather than a simple refresh.
Ghirardelli has operated at this Marketplace spot since 1996, per WDW News Today, making it one of Disney Springs' longest-running third-party tenants. The Marketplace district itself traces back even further, having opened in March 1975 as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village before cycling through names including Walt Disney World Village, Disney Village Marketplace, Downtown Disney, and finally Disney Springs in 2015, according to Wikipedia.
Why the Chocolatier Is Rebuilding Now
Lacey Zane, Vice President of Restaurant & Retail at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, said in June that the renovation allows the chocolatier to “thoughtfully evolve the space while honoring its legacy” after nearly 30 years at the site, as reported by Laughing Place. The company also filed a Notice of Commencement permit in June for illuminated exterior signage at its temporary storefront, naming Florida-licensed contractor Dynamic Aspects to carry out the work, according to AllEars.
Once finished, the renovation will add indoor seating and is expected to help cut down on wait times, per WDW News Today's report. The project is expected to wrap in spring 2027, giving guests a longer stretch without the chocolate shop's usual sprawling line along the waterfront.
Where to Get Your Fix in the Meantime
In the meantime, fans don't have to go without. Ghirardelli opened a temporary location in Disney Springs' Town Center neighborhood in July, taking over a waterfront building previously occupied by Sprinkles Cupcakes and Black Tap's CrazyShake pop-up, according to WDWMagic. Town Center is one of four neighborhoods that make up the 120-acre Disney Springs complex, alongside Marketplace, The Landing, and West Side, a structure that's been in place since the Downtown Disney rebrand in September 2015, per Attractions Magazine.
The overhaul fits into a broader wave of tenant changes rippling through Disney Springs this year. Hoodline previously reported that Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill closed permanently in September, ending chef Wolfgang Puck's nearly 29-year run at Walt Disney World. And fellow dessert vendor Vivoli Il Gelato opened a second Orlando-area location in Winter Garden that same month, looking to expand production beyond its cramped 900-square-foot Disney Springs counter, as Hoodline also reported.
Ghirardelli's theme park footprint stretches beyond Florida, too. The company opened a flagship soda fountain and chocolate shop inside Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim back in June 2012, establishing its presence on the West Coast. Founded in San Francisco in 1852 by Italian chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli, the company has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli since its 1998 acquisition.
