Gertie and the Dockside Diner ship are freshly painted at Hollywood Studios, but Echo Lake is still dry
Scaffolding is off the SS Down the Hatch at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner, and Gertie the Dinosaur has a fresh coat of paint, as the Echo Lake refurbishment at Disney's Hollywood Studios nears its finish. The lake, drained in August, was still empty on October 15, and Disney has not said when it will be refilled.
The SS Down the Hatch at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner is out from behind its scaffolding, and Gertie the Dinosaur has a fresh coat of paint at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Echo Lake itself was still empty on October 15, and Disney has not said when the water returns.
Key Details
- Where: Echo Lake, Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Drained: August 2026
- As of October 15: Ship and Gertie repainted, lake still empty
- Refill date: Not announced
The Buzz
A drained lake, a ship wrapped in scaffolding and a weathered dinosaur have been in plain view of Hollywood Studios guests since August, so each step of the work has been watched closely.
The SS Down the Hatch is out of its scaffolding
With the scaffolding gone after about two months, the repainted ship at the diner is fully visible again.
- What the ship is. The SS Down the Hatch houses Min and Bill's Dockside Diner, a quick-service stand named for the 1930 film Min and Bill.
- Fresh hull colors. The white hull looks clean and bright, and the red lower hull and blue stripe look freshly finished.
- Bunting and lights. Flag bunting and string lights run along the masts.
- Rust on purpose. Orange rust streaks below the red-rimmed portholes and down from the rivet seams, added in early October, are part of the finished look.
- Upper deck props. A "Down the Hatch" life ring hangs by a rope-wrapped crate and a porthole door, with a white ventilation funnel up top.
The weathering is selective: some rivets carry rust spots while their neighbors stay clean, which gives a freshly painted ship the look of years at sea.
Gertie the Dinosaur is green again from neck to base
Gertie, still untouched in early October, now looks finished, including the base that showed the worst water wear.
- Who Gertie is. The dinosaur honors Winsor McCay's 1914 animated short Gertie the Dinosaur and houses a snack window on the lake.
- Even green. Her body is a bright, even green from her neck down to her base.
- Face details. Yellow-orange eyes and a tuft of moss hanging from her mouth stand out, with a white patch of snow along her head and back.
- Base repaired. The section that normally sits underwater, which showed water staining and faded color bands, has fresh paint.
- February crack. The rear of the base, where a crack was spotted on February 14, has been repainted too.
Echo Lake has no refill date yet
The painting looks done, but equipment still in the basin shows work remains before the lake can hold water.
- Still in the basin. A blue hose stretches across the empty lakebed, and pipe railings still line it.
- Blocks at the base. Rows of concrete blocks line the ship's base, some painted tan to match the lakebed and others still bare gray.
- Blending the conduit. The conduit crossing the basin appears to have a tan finish now, so it blends into the lakebed.
- The 2017 precedent. A 2017 refurbishment drained Echo Lake for about the same two months and also repainted the lakebed, Gertie and the diner.
- All three painted. The lakebed was repainted in early October, so every part of this year's matching job now has fresh paint.
Our take. Expect Echo Lake to stay dry a little longer: the paint is finished, but the hose and railings in the basin mean the refill has not started. Guests visiting soon get a rare look at the ship's base and Gertie's footing, which normally sit underwater.