In a wide-ranging replace on lodge swimming pools, Walt Disney World has introduced the reopening of Stormalong Bay at Yacht & Seashore Membership Resorts after a six-month closure to begin 2025. Together with this, Disney has revealed that one other pool is being constructed. Listed below are official particulars, plus our commentary.
Let’s begin over at Disney’s Yacht & Seashore Membership Resorts, the place the refurbishment of Stormalong Bay was initially introduced method again in Summer time 2023, virtually two full years in the past. And for good purpose, because it’s the #1 pool at Walt Disney World, combining the allure of a beachside boardwalk with the fun of a water park. It’s that good, and arguably the defining characteristic of those two resorts. It thus makes full sense that Walt Disney World would offer loads of discover so folks might plan across the closure. (Identical to they’ve executed with the 2026 Skyliner Refurbishment!)
It had appeared that Stormalong Bay was on the precipice of reopening for a couple of week. The advanced had been refilled with water early final week, with chairs reappearing on the deck and different prep-work and cleanup suggesting the pool would beat its late June 2025 goal. Over the weekend, lifeguards had been noticed conducting coaching, suggesting Stormalong Bay reopening was imminent. Building partitions are actually down, and Walt Disney World has confirmed that the pool is again to working as regular.
Stormalong Bay had been closed since January 2025 for routine upkeep and upgrades. With the reopening full, friends can now get pleasure from entry to Yacht & Seashore Membership’s well-known characteristic pool, simply in time for the center of the summer time season. The three-acre Stormalong Bay aquatic playground is as soon as once more obtainable to friends, together with the sand-bottom pool, lazy river, whirlpool spas, and extra.
Nevertheless, Walt Disney World notes that they’re nonetheless placing the ending touches on the Shipwreck Pool and waterslide, which is able to stay closed whereas crews full routine upkeep. Walt Disney World appears ahead to reopening Shipwreck Pool and waterslide to get pleasure from later in Summer time 2025.
As for the work that’s been executed, it’s largely “invisible.” Stormalong Bay options newly resurfaced swimming pools, rebuilt cabanas, redone concrete decking, up to date seating, and different routine upkeep.
There may be nothing new of substance, and Stormalong Bay is just not materially totally different than it was pre-closure. It did have complete work executed, although, as anybody who visited within the final ~6 months might see. Throughout our final keep, we noticed crews working at just about all hours of the day and evening on the totally-drained pool advanced.
Together with Stormalong Bay, Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar & Grill has additionally reopened. That is an beneath the radar eating possibility amongst Walt Disney World followers, regardless of being arguably one of the best counter service restaurant among the many choices at Disney’s Crescent Lake Resorts. This isn’t to say Hurricane Hanna’s is nice (it definitely isn’t price leaving EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios to dine right here); it most likely says extra concerning the lack of competitors that that is probably #1.
In the present day’s different large pool information is that Walt Disney World has introduced a pool enlargement mission! Over at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Space is being expanded to make room for much more enjoyable and leisure.
A brand-new zero-entry pool and deck space is being constructed alongside the present pool, successfully doubling the house for friends to get pleasure from. The enlargement can even embody a tennis court docket and two pickleball courts, giving households much more methods to play collectively within the nice open air.
This has been a very long time coming, with permits first filed roughly one 12 months in the past. On the time, we figured it was one thing totally different, maybe much like the Reunion Station recreation space for Disney Trip Membership friends at Boulder Ridge/Wilderness Lodge. As a substitute, it’s a doubling of the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Space. That additionally is sensible.
The brand new pool is already beneath development on the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Space, however there’s no timeline for completion. Our guess is that that is being executed upfront of Disney Lakeshore Lodge, which is the blended use resort being constructed on the location of the previous River Nation water park.
Plans for that mission revealed a large pool advanced with a lazy river, which appears prefer it’ll be the marquee characteristic and promoting level of Disney Lakeshore Lodge. Mainly, that new resort’s “reply” to the Skyliner or monorail, however not a mode of transportation. Whereas Disney has but to announce this unbelievable characteristic pool, there’s zero purpose to imagine the plans have modified. Every little thing else is being constructed to the unique plans to date (and Lakeshore Lodge will want its personal distinctive gross sales hook).
In any case, like Stormalong Bay at Yacht & Seashore Membership, the ‘aquatic playground’ at Disney Lakeshore Lodge will virtually assuredly not permit pool hopping. Most likely not even for the friends of the DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness, except these turn into a part of the Lakeshore Lodge apartment affiliation/belief.
Even when the coverage does permit these DVC Cabins friends to make use of the characteristic pool at Lakeshore Lodge, it’s probably that Disney will need to discourage them from utilizing it. In any case, Disney Lakeshore Lodge is totally large, and that characteristic pool might be in high-demand and have points with overcrowding earlier than including potential DVC Cabins friends to the combo.
Accordingly, the aim with increasing the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Space is more likely to soak up a few of that demand and supply a compelling pool space in a location that’s rather more handy to the cabins. An “everyone wins” state of affairs. After all, we’d count on the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Space enlargement to be completed effectively earlier than Disney Lakeshore Lodge opens in 2027. Though with the tempo at which that work is flying, maybe the brand new resort will open forward of schedule!
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Your Ideas
What do you consider the 6-month refurbishment of Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht and Seashore Membership Resorts? Excited to have Stormalong Bay again, or dissatisfied that Shipwreck water slide continues to be closed? Ideas on the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool enlargement? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation that that is probably about pulling demand from the characteristic pool and lazy river at Disney Lakeshore Lodge? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
