Hurly-Burly, the new restaurant, bar, and live entertainment venue at Disney’s BoardWalk, opens October 1, 2026, on Walt Disney World’s 55th anniversary, in the former Jellyrolls space along Crescent Lake near EPCOT. It serves shareable boardwalk and Italian-American small plates all day, welcomes families with host-led trivia and games until 9 PM, and then becomes a 21-and-over live music venue at night. There are no reservations, just a walk-up waitlist. We got an early look inside, and between the food, the new look and the day-to-night format, it’s the clearest sign yet that the BoardWalk is on its way back.
Fantasy Land News attended a media preview on Friday, September 25, at Disney’s invitation. We’ve followed Hurly-Burly since Disney first announced it in June, through the opening date and first-look menu and the launch of its official page. Seeing it in person answered the big question, which is whether this space could feel new again. It does.
Hurly-Burly Is the Latest Piece of a BoardWalk Comeback – Hurly-Burly doesn’t stand alone. Over the last two years, the BoardWalk has been adding the kind of places that give people a reason to stop instead of cutting through on the way to EPCOT. Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs opened in August 2024 and quickly became our favorite corn dog spot on property. We still think about the Giant Mozzarella Stick. The Cake Bake Shop followed in October 2024 with its bakery and table-service restaurant in the old ESPN Club building (we will keep our opinions to ourselves about this self-indulgent influencer-first space).
More is on the way. Basin on the BoardWalk, with its make-your-own-soap station and soap embossing press, is set to open in the former Promenade Fine Art Gallery space, with Disney pointing to late 2026. A new quick-service restaurant is also coming. According to WDW News Today, the latest issue of Disney Files magazine teases a soon-to-be-announced quick-service dining spot for the promenade, and the most likely home for it is the former Big River Grille and Brewing Works, which closed in January 2024. Disney calls all of this the continued evolution of the BoardWalk, and with Hurly-Burly opening on Walt Disney World’s 55th anniversary, the timing feels right.
There is one trade-off worth knowing about. Atlantic Dance Hall, Hurly-Burly’s next-door neighbor, ends its regular public nights after this weekend and becomes a private event venue starting October 1. If you want one last dance there, September 26 and 27 are your final chances.
A Completely Different Room Than Jellyrolls – What we appreciated most was how different the old Jellyrolls space looks. The dueling piano bar closed in spring 2025 after nearly 30 years, and if you remember it, you remember how dark and dingy it could feel. That’s gone. The blue hues Disney used are bright and just right for the space, and while Hurly-Burly still has a nightclub energy after dark, it feels like a place you want to walk into instead of one you end up in.
Walt Disney Imagineering opened the room up and brought guests closer to the stage. The floor was raised to create one level throughout, with tiered seating so everyone has a clear view of the performers. The color palette pulls from the sea, with jewel tones and teals in the paint and fabrics set against coral accents, and brass finishes on the frames, handles and light fixtures give it a polished, period look. The refreshed façade carries that coastal style outside so the building finally matches the rest of the BoardWalk.
The Story Hidden on the Walls – The name comes from a phrase meaning a noisy uproar, a nod to a live audience bursting into applause. In Imagineering’s backstory, Hurly-Burly was once home to the BoardWalk’s most celebrated vaudeville performers, led by resident headliner Polly Delmar and a lineup of ocean-themed acts. When the theatre closed, the performers left their belongings behind, and nearly a hundred years later those props, costumes, show programs, tickets and telegrams are displayed throughout the space in chronological order as you walk through it.
A few of the icons from the posters on the walls show up as real props on the shelves, including the moon, the triton and the pearl. Keep an eye out for Pearl, the puppet from Mother Muriel’s ventriloquist act, sitting on a shelf where Muriel left her to watch over her proteges. Check the sign-in sheet from the Magician Showcase on September 14, 1940, where Prospero is somehow the only name on the list. And on the backstage bulletin board, you’ll find notes between Polly and the Siren Sisters, who were friends but could not share a dressing room without a fight.
The Food Tastes Like a Trip Down the Shore – I’m a Philly guy who was born in Trenton, New Jersey, so I know the Jersey Shore and I know what boardwalk food is supposed to taste like. Hurly-Burly’s menu gets that. The tomato pie is the one that got us. Tomato pie is a Trenton and Philly staple, and Hurly-Burly’s version is focaccia topped with tomato sauce, oregano and Pecorino Romano for $11. It’s the dish that best captures the boardwalk idea behind this place.
The Roast Beef Sliders get a nice touch with an everything bagel topping. And you can’t eat at the shore without some seafood, so the Oven-Roasted Shrimp fits right in. It’s decent, not a standout, but it does the job. Our tasting also included the Plant-Based Meatballs in Tomato Gravy and Mini Apple Cider Doughnuts, along with two drinks, the Caramel Corn Old Fashioned and the Overture in Orange mocktail. The full menu, including cocktails like the Mertini and La Taquilla Picante, is in our first-look menu breakdown.
Family Games by Day, Live Music After 9 PM – During the afternoon, a host leads trivia and other games for the whole family, which makes Hurly-Burly a good stop for families visiting the BoardWalk before adult time begins. Starting at 9 PM, the venue is 21 and over only, with valid photo ID, and turns into a live music spot featuring local performers.
The music changes nightly, with genres including Modern Vintage, music from the Motown era, Top 40, and hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s. That variety should keep it from feeling like the same night twice, which is a big part of why we see ourselves coming back.
Hours and How the Waitlist Works – We were told at the preview that the outdoor bar opens at 11 AM, which is great for anyone walking over from EPCOT’s International Gateway for a drink, while the inside opens at 4 PM. Families are welcome until 9 PM.
Hurly-Burly doesn’t take reservations, and its waitlist isn’t in the My Disney Experience app. If the room is full, walk up to the front, put your name on the list, and the team will call or text you when there’s space. If you’re planning a busy weekend night, getting there before the 9 PM switch is the easiest way to get a seat.
Our Take – For years, the BoardWalk was a place most people passed through. Hurly-Burly gives people a reason to stay. The room looks nothing like the old Jellyrolls, the food feels like a real boardwalk menu, and the split between family afternoons and adult nights means it has something for almost everyone. Add in Blue Ribbon, The Cake Bake Shop, Basin and a new quick-service spot on the way, and this should bring people back to Disney’s BoardWalk. We’ll be visiting often.
Hurly-Burly opens October 1, 2026. For more on what’s happening around Crescent Lake, visit our Disney Resorts coverage and our Disney Food and Menus section.
We Went Inside Hurly-Burly Before It Opens, and It Might Be What Disney’s BoardWalk Needed
