A new construction project has turned up at one of Adventureland’s longest-standing attractions. Multi-story scrim has been spotted on the back of the Swiss Family Treehouse at Magic Kingdom, signaling that work is now underway at the classic walkthrough. The good news for guests is that the attraction remains open, so you can still make the full climb while the project continues. Here is a look at what the construction involves, what Disney has said about it, and how it fits into the treehouse’s recent history.
What Is Happening at the Treehouse
Approaching the attraction from the front, the Swiss Family Treehouse looks close to normal. The change becomes clear once you round toward the back of the structure, where a themed scrim has gone up.
The scrim is printed with a sky-and-foliage pattern designed to blend into the surrounding greenery, so it does not stand out from a distance. It marks the start of a new project at the walkthrough, one that guests can climb right past as work takes place nearby.
A Closer Look at the Scrim
The scrim is tall, spanning multiple levels of the treehouse as you make your way up. In some spots it appears as a blue printed sky panel with foliage, while in others it is a darker green mesh. Both are strung between the tree limbs and the platform railings.
At one of the upper landings, the theming has been pulled back to expose bare metal decking as part of the scaffolding. This perforated metal platform is normally hidden behind the scenery, but it sits open here. There is also a protective wrap around the trunk and branches that pass through the deck, which suggests care is being taken around the structure itself.
The Attraction Stays Open
Despite the scrim and scaffolding, the full climb up the Swiss Family Treehouse remains open. Guests can walk the entire route up to the crow’s nest and back down, passing the scrimmed sections without any portion of the path closed off.
The ground-level scene at the base, with its barrels, waterwheel setup, and dining tableau, is also fully intact and viewable. Whatever the work involves, it is not resulting in a closure of the attraction.
What Disney Has Said
Walt Disney World has described the work as routine maintenance and confirmed that the Swiss Family Treehouse is expected to stay open throughout the project. There is no set timeframe for how long the work will take at this point.
It is worth noting that this project does not appear on the official refurbishment calendar. That absence makes it harder to know the full scope in advance, though the routine maintenance label points to upkeep rather than a major overhaul.
Recent Refurbishment History
This is not the first round of work at the treehouse in the past couple of years. The attraction has been through a lengthy stretch of updates that ran well past its original schedule.
Here is how the recent timeline played out:
- The Swiss Family Treehouse closed for a five-week refurbishment in late 2024.
- It did not reopen on schedule that December, as the refurbishment ran long.
- The attraction reopened with scaffolding still in place and portions blocked off before the work was finished.
- Scrims and blocked-off areas remained a full month after that reopening.
- The uppermost crow’s nest reopened in February 2025, about two months past the scheduled date.
- The water wheel returned to working order in June 2025.
Conclusion
The arrival of construction scrim at the Swiss Family Treehouse points to a new round of work at a familiar Adventureland spot, following a busy stretch of refurbishment activity over the last two years. For now, Disney has called it routine maintenance, the project is not listed on the refurbishment calendar, and the attraction remains fully open for the climb. Guests can still explore the treehouse from base to crow’s nest, and it will be worth watching for any updates as the work progresses.
Written by
Rachel Van Norman
Contributing Writer
Rachel fell deeply in love with all things Disney as a little girl. Now as a wife and a mother herself, she shares this Disney obsession with her son and everyone around her. From her love of princesses to eating all the Disney food, Rachel spends her time radiating Disney magic and keeping everyone up to date on Disney news.
