Walt Disney World introduced Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, a brand new nature-inspired resort for the previous River Nation water park location alongside the shore of Bay Lake between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. This improvement could be combined use, with each resort rooms and Disney Trip Membership villas. (Up to date Might 9, 2024.)
Initially introduced again in October 2018, Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge will “be a celebration of Walt Disney’s lifelong love and respect for nature” with greater than 900 resort rooms and Disney Trip Membership villas. Reflections resort was slated to be the sixteenth Disney Trip Membership property, a part of a major enlargement on the resort facet of Walt Disney World. That plan would have introduced a complete of greater than 1,700 new resort rooms and Disney Trip Membership villas on-line over 4 years.
Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge was additional elaborated upon on the 2019 D23 Expo, and it was billed as one of many “most original resorts ever constructed” at Walt Disney World. Idea artwork was shared of the novel lodging, together with each treehouse suites and waterfront A-frame cabins that might be obtainable on the resort. Reflections — A Disney Lakeside Lodge would additionally function a restaurant impressed by Princess and the Frog, situated “alongside the bayou of Bay Lake.”
Might 9, 2024 Replace: Let’s begin by bringing you in control, as not a lot has occurred with Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge in roughly 4 years. Again when the parks closed and all building stopped, Walt Disney World mothballed the development web site for Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge.
The challenge was successfully cancelled and crews on web site eliminated concrete and rebar. At that time, just about all that had occurred was web site clearing and staging for building to start. The challenge had but to start basis work, not to mention vertical building. Quick-forward 4 years, and it’s primarily an empty parcel. The long run dwelling of Reflections continues to be seen from California Grill and even the boat en path to Wilderness Lodge–it’s the large empty space amidst the timber.
At present’s improvement is that Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a request with the South Florida Water Administration District to increase one of many permits associated to ‘Venture 89’ by a further 5 years. This is among the large image ‘allow packages’ for the proposed resort, pertaining to building of the resort and (because the title suggests) water administration ensuing from the challenge.
Disney’s request signifies that the challenge will not be full as a result of it was shut down as a result of COVID closure. Apparently, Imagineering states that these situations “delayed the completion of this challenge.” Delayed is technically right, however not the phrase I’d use to explain the standing of Reflections. Disney deleted previous references to it and hasn’t publicly talked about it in over 4 years. It’s as if Reflections by no means existed, which is extra in step with the Play Pavilion than CommuniCore Corridor (the latter of which was delayed; the previous cancelled).
This additionally isn’t the primary Reflections allow that Disney has sought to increase. Final fall, Florida granted Walt Disney Imagineering a 5-year extension on one other allow associated to the development of Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge. That let will now expire on Might 31, 2028. That let was for the STOLport Web site–close to the previous Walt Disney World Airport, with STOLport standing for Brief Take-Off and Touchdown. Reflections wouldn’t be constructed on the STOLport web site, however it will act as a handy staging floor situated between the TTC and Fort Wilderness. That extension was much less conclusive that Reflections could be revived than this one, because it additionally may have served as a staging web site for an additional challenge, such because the DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness.
Since reporting on the final allow extension, we’ve acquired credible rumors (plural) that this lodge idea is being revived. I used to be skeptical at first, given all the Disney Trip Membership initiatives which are presently underway and can be actively promoting within the subsequent few years (see beneath). Nonetheless, I’ve heard sufficient to be satisfied that Disney’s plan is to proceed with plans on this parcel.
My expectation (and this half is theory–not rumor) is that Disney will wait to announce till it’s strategically advantageous from the angle of DVC gross sales. Disney could be very methodical with its Disney Trip Membership method–longtime followers could recall over a decade in the past when Bay Lake Tower was going vertical and Disney nonetheless pretended it didn’t exist.
Don’t be shocked if one thing comparable occurs right here to keep away from cannibalizing Cabins at Fort Wilderness gross sales (conversely, the lodge may be seen as an asset to that–and introduced earlier in consequence). The underside line is that this isn’t essentially a 2024 D23 Expo reveal. It’ll occur when it’s most conducive to promoting extra DVC. If it occurs. It may very well be on the D23 Expo in August 2024, but it surely additionally may very well be tomorrow or by way of press launch on some random weekday in April 2025.
Additionally don’t be shocked if there are materials adjustments to the looks of the lodge or its title. Once more, purely speculative. However with a lot passage of time, completely different management each at Imagineering and Parks & Resorts, and shifting tendencies in resort design, it appears inevitable that what we first noticed in 2018 will change to a point by the point it opens virtually a decade later.
Within the intervening years since Reflections was mothballed/cancelled/delayed indefinitely, a trio of latest Disney Trip Membership initiatives within the Magic Kingdom resort space has been introduced, not directly changing Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge. The primary and smallest of those was at Walt Disney World’s flagship resort, changing one outlying constructing to new Resort Studios on the Grand Floridian. That challenge is completed and obtainable on the market already offered out.
The following of those is the New DVC Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (pictured above), which is presently underneath building and is slated to open in late 2024 at Walt Disney World. Based mostly on the extremely fast tempo with which that enlargement is being constructed, there’s no purpose to imagine it’ll be delayed. This can be a license to print cash for DVC, as everybody loves the Poly. It’ll promote out quick, no matter Reflections (which means the latter is not going to cannibalize Poly gross sales).
Lastly, there’s the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Trip Membership Resort (idea artwork beneath). These are slated to start out opening in July 2024, earlier than the Poly tower. That is the largest query mark–does saying Reflections assist or hinder gross sales of the Cabins at Fort Wilderness? (The reply in all probability relies upon upon how Disney treats them.)
The opposite purpose it’s price drawing consideration to those initiatives is as a result of there are plenty of them. Along with the WDW additions, the Villas at Disneyland Lodge is now open and being actively offered. Then there’s Disney’s Riviera Resort and Aulani in Hawaii, the latter of which has been on sale for years now; there’s a good probability Aulani will by no means promote out of DVC factors. That is all important as a result of it means a ton of factors being offered concurrently, and quite a few resorts competing with each other for the eye of consumers.
Based mostly on previous precedent, it will thus appear unlikely that Disney Trip Membership will resume Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge anytime quickly. They’ve began too many initiatives and have an excessive amount of on the market proper now already. Nonetheless, it’s not simply the permits. That alone may very well be ignored or defined away as pertaining to a different challenge, housekeeping, or Imagineering wanting to maintain its choices open. There’s sufficient smoke right here that there’s in all probability hearth.
Reflections resuming in 2024 would’ve been deemed loopy even ~5 years in the past, again when Disney Trip Membership didn’t announce the following challenge (and actually denied the existence of building occurring in plain view), however so much has modified since. Again then, DVC tried to area its additions in order that they wouldn’t immediately competing with each other. Bulletins for the following DVC property didn’t begin till gross sales have been wholesome and had progressed for the earlier one.
Issues have modified extra not too long ago, and Disney Trip Membership has had a number of properties on the market concurrently for the final a number of years. There hasn’t been hesitation in saying the following large enlargement or beginning building–it looks like there’s been a philosophy change. Maybe now Disney Trip Membership is ok with a bigger variety of properties being obtainable on the market, with the thought course of that extra selection equals larger shopper selection and a better probability of promoting memberships. (In spite of everything, they’re all going to promote out ultimately…nicely, possibly minus Aulani!)
One other chance is that Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge is on the precipice of resuming, however not as a Disney Trip Membership challenge. Not less than, not immediately. Walt Disney World wants extra resort stock, too. There’s nothing to say this beforehand mixed-use improvement couldn’t begin as a resort challenge, however be constructed with the long-term intentions of “conversion” to Disney Trip Membership when level provide and demand dictated as a lot. That does appear very believable to me, and may be what Walt Disney World opts to do. (In that case, I ponder how they message the ‘nature’ of Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge.)
No matter what occurs within the near-term, it’s fairly secure to say that the Reflections web site can be developed in some unspecified time in the future down the street. Walt Disney World solely has a lot prime parcels for resorts, and that is one in every of them. Not solely that, however plenty of the location prepwork was already accomplished and it’s nonetheless in fairly good situation. It simply is smart for building to occur right here sooner or later, and my guess could be that it begins earlier than 2030.
Whether or not that’s Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge or a completely new idea is anybody’s guess. The additional eliminated we get from the prior mothballing/delay/cancellation, the extra possible it’s that Disney will revisit each the title and the idea. Even when this challenge have been re-announced tomorrow, I believe the chances are fairly good that the idea artwork would look materially completely different and the title wouldn’t be the identical.
Turning to my unique commentary, I really like Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. I’m a Disney Trip Membership member. In idea, Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge appears completely tailor-made to a few of my favourite issues about Walt Disney World. I need to like the concept of the River Nation parcel lastly being redeveloped, as a substitute of rotting in plain sight. I’m actually eager for the perfect right here.
Sadly, like just about each Fort Wilderness fan, I’m very apprehensive about this Disney Trip Membership challenge (nicely, mixed-use, however presumably largely DVC). A part of what makes Fort Wilderness particular is that it’s been comparatively undisturbed by time, and is among the final bastions of “Trip Kingdom of the World” period of WDW.
It’s virtually outstanding how completely different Fort Wilderness feels from the remainder of Walt Disney World—even its neighbor, Wilderness Lodge. It’s virtually as if Walt Disney World management has forgotten about Fort Wilderness, and it hasn’t seen the identical fiscal mandates, adjustments in emphasis, or character as each different resort over the past couple a long time. Largely, it’s been doing its factor, roughly unchanged for the reason that Nineties.
There’s a really official concern, particularly after seeing how the Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge initiatives at Wilderness Lodge unfolded, that any enlargement at or round Fort Wilderness will destroy the primitive and secluded traits of the campground that give it a lot attraction. In spite of everything, this can be a campground with wilderness proper within the title–the setting is the center and soul of Fort Wilderness.
The event of Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge doesn’t essentially should destroy the tranquil and secluded environment of Fort Wilderness, however that looks like a really distinct chance. Disney’s latest method to growing lodges adjoining to present resorts doesn’t encourage a lot confidence, and if there’s a ham-fisted method when clearing land or an overzealous mentality on the subject of the scale or proximity of the resort to the campground, will probably be extremely detrimental to Fort Wilderness.
As for the design, solely a pair items of idea artwork have been launched, and so they’re nothing particular. I don’t need to rush to judgment right here, as I believe there’s potential for this to finish up being attention-grabbing as soon as extra is launched, however proper now it appears to be like like a reasonably generic resort with some trendy rustic thrives.
On the plus facet, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) is the lead designer for Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, and so they have an excellent observe report with Disney. They designed the unique Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, together with Disney lodges in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong.
If this have been a decade or two in the past, I may be extra deferential to Disney with regard to this idea artwork. Nonetheless, the final a number of years have proven that Walt Disney World could be very hit and miss with resort improvement and redesigns, skewing in the direction of boring designs. It appears the method is to decide on essentially the most middle-of-the-road choices as attainable in order to not alienate these with bland tastes.
Once you evaluate Walt Disney World resorts constructed earlier than the mid-Nineties to ones constructed or redesigned in the previous couple of years, there’s typically a transparent division. Modern initiatives are sometimes interchangeable with actual world Vacation Inns or different mid-tier chained model lodges.
Take a look at the distinction between BoardWalk Inn or Seaside Membership and the brand new Gran Destino Tower at Coronado or Disney’s Riviera Resort. Don’t get me fallacious–I like each for the facilities they provide, luxuriousness, and room designs. Nonetheless, the exteriors of each depart so much to be desired, and neither are precisely exemplars of themed design. (Admittedly, they’ve each grown on me so much, however I nonetheless want they have been extra ornate or distinctive.)
One rationalization is that Disney needs to make issues as crowd-pleasing as attainable in order to not alienate any potential clients. The factor about this method is that if you attempt to attraction to everybody, you find yourself interesting to nobody.
One other rationalization is that Imagineering’s skills are unfold too skinny. I do know some readers may solely observe the initiatives at Walt Disney World, however each single property world wide has large initiatives in varied levels of improvement or building.
Up to now when much less was occurring concurrently, possibly some top-tier Imagineering expertise who “received” Disney’s distinct method to lodges labored on a resort challenge. Now? Perhaps they’re largely designers who view working for WDI as “simply one other job” no completely different than Greatest Western or IHG.
Alongside those self same traces, with so many initiatives in improvement, it’s totally attainable–if not possible–that management within the Parks & Resorts division is attempting to trim the price range from every one, chopping elements or particulars seen as superfluous.
The issue is that these leaders usually are not creatives, and their expertise is usually in shopper merchandise or different division of the corporate. They’ve completely no perception into what particulars are literally superfluous, and what are essential for reinforcing theme or creating a way of immersion.
Finally, extra idea artwork may very well be launched that’s actually good. The challenge may make use of a deft hand when growing round Fort Wilderness in a means that doesn’t injury that panorama. (Disney, simply consider how a lot you could possibly pat yourselves on the again by using eco-friendly and sustainable building practices–it’d be price it within the PR alone!) It may find yourself being actually good–a real tribute to each Walt Disney’s love of nature, however the spirit of River Nation, which was by no means coming again anyway.
I’m cautiously optimistic that’s what may find yourself occurring, however I believe it’s equally possible that we’ll get a generically trendy and vaguely rustic design. It’s additionally extra possible that as a substitute of eco-friendly building that preserves the pure magnificence and wilderness of the world, we get extreme tree clearing for the development, and an finish product akin to Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge when it comes to huge walkways and naked grounds.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study lodges on our Walt Disney World Inns Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things you might want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge? What do you consider the potential of this and different new lodges at Walt Disney World? Another questions or feedback? Listening to your suggestions is a part of the enjoyable, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
