Jellyrolls Announces Departure from Disney's BoardWalk at Walt Disney World

lewisc15 days ago

I think it means in the LBV area. LBV outlets aren't literally in LBV. Disney isn't in Orlando.p

TrainsOfDisney15 days ago

I had thought of that too…. There are some Orlando improv groups that have some previous comedy warehouse / citizens members.

nickys15 days ago

Maybe on the road that has the near-by hotels, across the footbridge from DS? Is that Lake Buena Vista Boulevard? Or at the Lake Buena Vista Resort.

castlecake2.015 days ago

The article says it’ll be in Lake Buena Vista, which is really just WDW, so that’s confusing.

lewisc15 days ago

Dolphin would have made sense. Presumably not available. Sunset and CityWalk already have piano bars. Is Icon walkable from the convention center? That was my 1st guess. Free parking probably means not in a hotel on hotel plaza blvd I don't think a short drive is ideal for a bar.

FiestaFunKid16 days ago

It really was in the perfect location with Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, S&D all right there - not to mention Epcot folks could walk over for some evening fun. To your point, it was often filled with DCP kids, so hopefully it still can pull them and the various flavors of disney adults....which is a growing market. Maybe whatever retail strip this is being placed in will evolve into a poor man's modern day Pleasure Island, a place were disney partiers can go after park close (but I think I'm probably dreaming). Hopefully, there is a rent decrease that will allow them to lower that cover charge.

Notes from Neverland16 days ago

For most Disney visitors, their new location might as well be a million miles away. Being out of the Disney bubble is going to be a deal breaker for many. Hopefully they can still draw enough cast members and locals to survive.

FiestaFunKid16 days ago

It's hard to fathom why Disney kicked them out w/o any near term replacement plan - but who knows the motivation there.

DznyGrlSD16 days ago

I'll only go back when they're under new ownership

lewisc17 days ago

Already working on building the interior I wonder why the exact location is a secret.

phillip969817 days ago

Wish this could have stayed on property. The talk of parking lots and ride share means this won't be within walking distance of disney transportation.

monothingie17 days ago

Great news... And yet Disney can't get out of their own way to reopen and make work a shuttered restaurant and bar/performance venue at one of their most popular locations with access from two theme parks and 6 hotels.

nickys17 days ago

Fantastic news! @mastromjm , are you going to be playing this new venue?

DCBaker17 days ago

Here's the latest update on Jellyrolls from the Orlando Sentinel: Jellyrolls, the shuttered dueling-piano club that was a mainstay of Walt Disney World’s Boardwalk resort for nearly 30 years, will make music again later this year. Officials with the company, which rented its space at Disney’s Boardwalk, confirmed this week that Jellyrolls has lined up a new location less than 10 minutes from its former home. A grand opening is planned for late summer or early fall this year. “We’re excited to continue the legacy we’ve had and do our thing,” said Amber Antel, director of operations. At a dueling-piano club, pianists play and sing selections chosen by the audience — anything from classic rock to showtunes, country ditties to novelty numbers. Part of the fun is watching the performers’ versatility and ability to recall so many tunes from memory. Jellyrolls is building out a commercial space in Lake Buena Vista, a stone’s throw from resorts, shops and restaurants that cater to both tourists and locals, Antel said. The new location will feature free parking — much closer to the business than the Disney setup — and the ability for patrons to be dropped off and picked up right at the front door by rideshare services, another change from the business’s days at Disney World. It has been almost exactly a year since Jellyrolls closed at Disney; its final night of operation there was April 19, 2025. Disney has not revealed its plans for the space, which remains empty. But at the time, Jellyrolls officials said the hope was to reopen elsewhere. Antel said it has taken so long to find a spot because Jellyrolls owner Michael Williams was determined to find just the right location. Construction already has begun to transform the space into an entertainment venue. The business will retain many of the features that made it popular at Walt Disney World, Antel said, such as specialty cocktails and its signature popcorn. The club will remain restricted to those age 21 and older, and the song list will still forgo overly sexual or violent lyrics. “We’re not going to change our standards,” said Scotty Kilwein, director of entertainment. “We want everyone to feel comfortable.” He expects many of his fellow piano players from the Disney location to return when the new location opens. Several of them, including Kilwein, have been performing in the interim at special dueling-piano events around the area. Fans have been attending — and seeking information about a reopening. “It’s really nice that they care enough to ask and keep showing up,” Kilwein said. Patrons will notice improvements over the former location, Kilwein said, including more technologically advanced sound and lighting. Even the stage will be given a makeover and made more prominent. “The room is being designed with the whole intention of the show being the focus,” he said. “It will be better for the musicians, and it will make everybody feel like they are part of the show.” Jellyrolls fans can sign up to be notified of the official location and opening-date reveals at jellyrollsorlando.com. Antel said she thinks music fans will find the new venue worth the wait. “We wanted to give our clientele an even better experience,” she said. “We weren’t just looking for a new home, we were looking for the right home — one we intend to be in for a long time.” https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/04/02/jellyrolls-piano-bar-reopening/