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The Brown Derby Lounge Traded Its Umbrellas for a Permanent Roof, and the Patio Is Open Again at Hollywood Studios
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The Brown Derby Lounge Traded Its Umbrellas for a Permanent Roof, and the Patio Is Open Again at Hollywood Studios

Michael Travels
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Published

The umbrellas are gone. In their place, the patio at the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge now has a roof that is not going anywhere.

The outdoor lounge at Disney's Hollywood Studios reopened in its permanent home at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 4, after a refurbishment that began on June 29. WDW News Today reported the reopening that morning, and Blog Mickey followed on Sunday with photos of the finished patio in use.

The exterior of The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney's Hollywood Studios, with a new overhang running along the side of the building. Black lanterns and ceiling fans hang beneath it, black lampposts rise from white stucco column bases along a black chevron patterned railing, and the older maroon awning and a matching umbrella are visible further down the walkway.

The new overhang running along the side of the building, with the lampposts now rising from stucco column bases. Image: WDW News Today

What actually changed

The headline change is a large awning that juts out from the building. Where the patio previously had only umbrellas for cover, it now has permanent shade and shelter, and the structure carries hanging lights and ceiling fans. Blog Mickey describes the new awning as red, matching the entrance canopy out front, with wrought iron looking lantern fixtures lining the underside whose scrollwork echoes fixtures found elsewhere on the building.

A few smaller details came with it. The pavement was redone. Concrete columns now sit along the outer wall, serving as the lamppost bases, where the lampposts previously extended down alongside the black railings, and WDW News Today describes the new lamps as "less boxy than the old ones." The overhang's horizontal supports, previously golden, have since been painted black. Blog Mickey dates the new support columns, and the concrete footings that gave away where this was heading, to July 17.

Guests dining on the covered Brown Derby Lounge patio. Deep red painted beams run across the underside of the new overhang, with wrought iron style lanterns hanging on chains and a black ceiling fan. Round tables with white tablecloths are set among black metal and red leather chairs, a server attends a table, and the park walkway runs alongside.

The finished patio in use, under the new overhang. Image: Blog Mickey

The lounge never fully closed

Through the work, the lounge technically kept operating from a small outdoor space tucked around the corner from the main patio, so it stayed in service, just not in its usual spot. Blog Mickey's timeline of the project adds that the walk-up bar moved to the former Starring Rolls space when construction started. The restaurant's main dining room never closed during the work, so the project stayed confined to the outdoor side of The Hollywood Brown Derby.

The seating that came back is largely the seating that left. WDW News Today reports the same tables and chairs returned with refreshed red upholstery, and that some chairs have cushions while some do not. Blog Mickey describes round tables dressed in white tablecloths, with black metal chairs along the outer edge and red leather chairs on wrought iron frames closer to the center.

A round glass topped table on the Brown Derby Lounge patio surrounded by chairs with bright red upholstered seats and backs on black wrought iron frames with twisted rope detailing, standing on newly laid pavement beside a terracotta planter.

The returned seating, with its refreshed red upholstery, on the redone pavement. Image: WDW News Today

One table for the gamblers

Not every seat got the roof. Blog Mickey points out that for anyone who likes dining outdoors and does not want to be shielded from the elements, there is "a single table for guests who prefer rolling the dice a bit."

Everyone else now gets the shade.

Sources

WDW News Today, "Brown Derby Lounge Refurbishment Complete, Reopens Today at Disney's Hollywood Studios"
Blog Mickey, "Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge Reopens with Fully Covered Outdoor Seating"

Image credits: WDW News Today (exterior overhang, returned seating), Blog Mickey (covered patio in use).

Mentioned in this story

Check out our guides for more on each place in this story:

Hollywood Studios The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge The Hollywood Brown Derby

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