Hollywood Studios / Refurbishments

Water is returning to Echo Lake

By Ruuben Becker · Published November 4, 2026

A November 3 photo report shows water returning after the summer drainage, with refurbishment details still worth keeping separate.

Echo Lake is starting to look like a lake again. WDW News Today photographed water returning to the Hollywood Studios basin on November 3, after it was drained for refurbishment in August.

See the current Echo Lake photographs ↗

The S.S. Down the Hatch and fountain on Echo Lake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in May 2023 — Echo Lake and the S.S. Down the Hatch in May 2023. Archival location context, not a photograph of the November 2026 refill. Resized for web display. Benoît Prieur / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Image source →

A familiar view is coming back

The refill was underway when the photographs were taken, with different water levels around the lake. That is a visible step forward, not confirmation that every part of the refurbishment has finished or that Dockside Diner has reopened.

The report also shows a metal access bridge in place for work on the Christmas tree. Gertie, the boat that houses Dockside Diner, and the artificial logs and stumps have received attention during the refurbishment.

What the pictures establish

The current report is about water returning on November 3. The photograph on this page is an older view of the location; follow the source link for WDWNT’s photographs of the refill itself.