Disney Shares First Look at Newly Redesigned Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs

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If you’ve ever stayed in the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa — or had them on your bucket list — the redesign Disney just previewed is worth paying attention to. Walt Disney Imagineering has released the first look at the newly redesigned Treehouse Villas, and the updated units are rolling out in phases through mid-September 2026. Here’s what we know so far about the redesigned Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs.

Quick Summary

• Disney has shared the first look at the redesigned Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs via a Walt Disney Imagineering video
• The design draws inspiration from Disney’s animation history — 100 years of characters considered for the treehouse setting
• Imagineering walked through their full process: virtual model room, functional model room, then contractor model room
• The refurbishment runs in phases through mid-September 2026 across the 60 standalone octagonal villas
• Some units will be available to guests while others are still under construction

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What the Imagineering Video Shows

Walt Disney Imagineering released a behind-the-scenes video walking through the creative and construction process behind the redesigned villas. The team explained that the design process started by looking back across 100 years of Disney animation history, considering which characters might authentically feel at home in a treehouse setting. That’s a meaningful design constraint — it keeps the theming grounded in Disney’s actual creative heritage rather than just applying surface-level decoration.

How Disney Imagineering Designs a Room

The Imagineering team walked through their full room design process, and it’s more structured than you might expect:

• Virtual model room — Digital designs are built out in full before any physical construction, letting the team visualize the entire space and make changes without material cost
• Functional model room — The actual layout and functionality of the space is tested — how guests will move through it, interact with furniture, use the room day-to-day
• Contractor model room — A physical version of the final design is built and used as the reference standard for every subsequent unit constructed across the property

That contractor model room is the final checkpoint before construction rolls out unit by unit. It’s the physical proof of concept that every other villa will be built to match.

About the Treehouse Villas Refurbishment

The Treehouse Villas are 60 standalone octagonal villas set among the trees at Saratoga Springs. The refurbishment is running in phases through mid-September 2026, updating one cluster of villas at a time. That means you can still book and stay in a Treehouse Villa while the project is underway — just check availability carefully, as some units will be offline during their individual renovation window.

The villas sleep up to nine guests across two bedrooms, making them one of the larger accommodation options in the Disney Vacation Club portfolio. They’re uniquely positioned elevated among the trees with full kitchen facilities — a genuinely different experience from a standard resort room.

What We Don’t Know Yet

The Imagineering video focused on process rather than final reveal. We haven’t seen the completed interior design, specific theming choices, or which characters were ultimately selected for the space. Those details will presumably come as individual units complete their refurbishment and become available to guests.

When Will Redesigned Units Be Available?

The phased rollout runs through mid-September 2026. Early-completing units should be bookable before that date. If you’re targeting a stay in a freshly redesigned villa, fall 2026 is when you’d realistically expect most or all of the units to be finished.

Final Thoughts

The redesigned Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs are shaping up to be a meaningful upgrade to one of the more unique stays in the Disney Vacation Club lineup. The Imagineering team’s approach — grounding the design in actual Disney animation history rather than generic “nature” theming — suggests they’re taking this seriously. Keep an eye on booking availability as units come back online, and watch for the full interior reveal once completed villas are open to guests.

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