EPCOT's Disney Vacation Club Member Lounge Closing for Refurbishment

May 20, 2024 in "Imagination! (Pavilion)"

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DVC Member Lounge in the Imagination! Pavilion

Posted: Monday May 20, 2024 1:45pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney Vacation Club has announced that the Member Lounge is in the Imagination! Pavilion will be temporarily closed from June 2, 2024 – July 13, 2024 due to a planned refurbishment.

The Lounge is scheduled to reopen on July 14, 2024. During this closure, members will be able to use a temporary lounge space located inside The Odyssey.

DVC Member Lounge in the Imagination! Pavilion

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KDM31091Sep 22, 2024

This to me is the main reason they shuttered the second floor to begin with. Too much of a hassle even back then, and these days there are far more ECVs than in the past. The other sad reality is that in general "playgrounds" and interactive attractions just aren't as much of a thing anymore. The sad, wasted space of the current Imageworks would be the same if it were still upstairs. It's just not a thing that holds people's interests anymore it seems.

JaxFLBearSep 18, 2024

The member website says it's still closed: https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/membership-magic/epcot-members-lounge

MagicEye99Sep 17, 2024

Is this back open yet? I’m curious to see pictures.

DobergeSep 11, 2024

The biggest issue with the upstairs space is that it's upstairs. There is only one guest elevator and that's a problem for parks today when there are more ECVs, wheelchairs, etc than there used to be. The Land Pavillion skirts by with multiple attractions and dining on the ground floor. I just can't imagine Disney wanting to deal with accessibility of the Imagination second floor for, best use, like a second floor playground, especially when more accessible space for comparable use already exists.

Chip ChippersonSep 10, 2024

That's the choice because the reality is they aren't interested in having an attraction up there. If they were, they would have left it up there instead of moving it downstairs and leaving the upstairs space empty for 18 years. And when they do add capacity to Epcot, nobody ever says, "That’s nice, but why didn't they add something above Imagination?"

Andrew CSep 10, 2024

It is exactly that. All of their Epcot choices just compound the problem. And with it... Why is the choice between utilizing the space either for storage or a DVC lounge? That is just false.

Chip ChippersonSep 10, 2024

It's a stretch to say that not using upstairs space for a new attraction is the same as excusing Disney’s failure to add adequate capacity in the parks. Adequate capacity can be added without that space. The space being storage creates no capacity. Storage space converted to a DVC lounge creates at least a small bit of capacity during its operating hours.

Andrew CSep 10, 2024

That is a choice. Just like Wonders of Life sitting there. Just like Communicore Hall being nothing more than an empty space to cool off, minus a few racks of merch and kiosks during festivals. Just like the current Figment and Nemo layouts being shortened from the original. Be my guest if you want to excuse Disney's pathetic ways. I am not...at least not any longer.

Chip ChippersonSep 10, 2024

I didn't say "ride" either. That space hasn't had an attraction for 26 years now and they obviously don't view it as a practical attraction space anymore, otherwise they wouldn't have moved it downstairs when they re-did Journey Into Your Imagination. Having a DVC lounge there just gives DVC members a place to go sit, cool off, and grab a snack and a drink without taking up space somewhere else in the park. It doesn't hurt anyone else by existing in a space that would otherwise still be functioning as nothing more than storage.

Andrew CSep 10, 2024

I didn’t say ride. I said attraction. It’s not a strange expectation to utilize the space like it once was used, but for something new.

Chip ChippersonSep 10, 2024

It's just a strange expectation for the placement of an attraction, in my opinion. I see the lounge as an efficient use of space to give DVC members a perk, similar to the old Chase cardholder lounge.