Walt Disney World goes to construct a resort between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness alongside the shore of Bay Lake on the previous River Nation water park. It’s not a matter of if, however when. This shares the most recent updates on the longer term mission, why we’re anticipating an announcement on the D23 Expo, and why we’re truly on board with the thought.
Initially introduced again in October 2018 as Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, the proposed resort on this website was to be “a celebration of Walt Disney’s lifelong love and respect for nature.” The advanced could be a blended use property like Disney’s Riviera Resort, with greater than 900 resort rooms and Disney Trip Membership villas.
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 treehouse suites and waterfront A-frame cabins that will be accessible 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.” (Bob Chapek’s phrases, not mine.)
Walt Disney World wasted no time in attending to work on Reflections Lakeside Lodge, and the mission website was very lively as of early 2020. However when the parks closed and all development stopped only some months later, Walt Disney World mothballed the development website for Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge.
The mission was shelved and crews on website eliminated concrete and rebar. The mission had but to start basis work, not to mention vertical development. Quick-forward 4 years, and it’s primarily an empty parcel. The longer term house of Reflections continues to be seen from California Grill and even the boat en path to Wilderness Lodge–it’s the massive empty space amidst the bushes.
Provided that Reflections Lakeside Lodge has been delayed indefinitely, at greatest, you is perhaps questioning why we’re reporting on this as if it’s an lively mission. In any case, the positioning has been inactive for a number of years and Walt Disney World has scrubbed all mentions of it, suggesting that it has been successfully cancelled. Nicely, about that…
Earlier this yr, Walt Disney Imagineering filed a request with the South Florida Water Administration District to increase one of many permits associated to ‘Undertaking 89’ by an extra 5 years. This is without doubt one of the massive image ‘allow packages’ for the proposed Fort Wilderness resort, pertaining to development of the resort and (because the identify suggests) water administration ensuing from the mission.
Disney’s request said the mission isn’t full as a result of it was shut down as a result of COVID closure, which “delayed the completion of this mission.” Delayed is technically appropriate, 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 per the Play Pavilion than CommuniCore Corridor.
Previous to that, Imagineering obtained a 5-year extension on one other allow associated to the development of Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge. That let was for the STOLport staging website–close to the previous Walt Disney World Airport, with the extension lasting till Might 2028. That extension was much less conclusive that Reflections could be revived, because it additionally might have served as a staging website for one more mission.
Even in tandem, these prior allow packages established–at greatest–a want by Walt Disney World to depart the door open for the proposed resort. They weren’t conclusive of development, however quite, Disney hedging its bets in order that they didn’t should redo all of the allow work ought to such a resort be “wanted” within the subsequent few years.
Quick-forward to August 2024 and we lastly have a development allow that, for my part, is conclusive of development. Imagineering has filed a development allow for a “thriller” (air quotes) mission between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness, with an prolonged expiration date by way of March 31, 2027 and Balfour Beatty listed because the contractor.
The allow is puzzling as a result of it lists addresses alongside Wilderness Means that don’t exist. Which is to say that there’s nothing there–they aren’t present property addresses at Walt Disney World. Nonetheless, that’s loads much less puzzling while you examine the allow to at least one filed in 2019 for Undertaking 89, which additionally has Balfour Beatty because the contractor. Spoiler: they’re for equivalent addresses–and that 2019 allow was for the A-frame cabins at Reflections Lakeside Lodge.
Whereas it’s attainable that Imagineering goes to make use of the permit-work for Reflections as the idea for increasing the Copper Creek Cabins, which might additionally make a point of sense in tandem with the recently-filed allow for work at Wilderness Lodge, we view the timing of those two permits as coincidence. These addresses are seemingly too removed from Wilderness Lodge to be a part of Copper Creek. It makes rather more sense for this to be a correct revival of Undertaking 89/Reflections than an enlargement of Copper Creek.
Not solely that, however we’ve obtained credible rumors (plural) that this lakeside lodge idea was being revived. I used to be skeptical when first listening to this final yr, given all the Disney Trip Membership tasks which might be at present underway and will probably be actively promoting within the subsequent few years.
Nonetheless, I’ve heard sufficient to be satisfied that Disney’s plan is to proceed with plans on this parcel. (It might additionally clarify why Tiana’s Palace hasn’t been introduced for Pecos Invoice–as a result of it’s nonetheless coming to this lakeside lodge!)
Timing-wise, it looks like the lakeside lodge idea is teed up for an announcement on the upcoming D23 Expo. In any case, this allow is coming one week earlier than that blockbuster occasion. Due to that, we added Reflections Redux to Our Listing of 2024 D23 Expo Parks Panel Predictions–it’s extra prone to occur than not (a minimum of 51%).
Nonetheless, I nonetheless suppose that is removed from a positive factor. With regards to Disney Trip Membership, the corporate proclaims when it’s strategically advantageous. It doesn’t matter if there’s a D23 occasion or it’s an open secret that development is happening. In the event that they’re involved about cannibalizing gross sales from different properties, they received’t announce.
I don’t suppose that’s the case right here. A robust argument could possibly be made that the sluggish gross sales of the Cabins at Fort Wilderness could possibly be reversed by a lakeside lodge being a part of the Palmetto Belief. The Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort goes to promote like hotcakes it doesn’t matter what, in order that doesn’t have any bearing on this.
Additionally, I’m pretty satisfied that DVC’s new strategy to advertising and marketing is providing quite a lot of choices and letting them promote concurrently. Larger selection and precise decisions is sweet for company, and positively doesn’t seem like hurting Disney.
There’s additionally the truth that this lakeside lodge was at all times supposed to be a blended use resort, with each DVC villas and resort rooms. Though occupancy is down from the sky excessive numbers of the pent-up demand period, Walt Disney World might use extra resort stock. They’re most likely completely high-quality with the Disney Trip Membership aspect promoting slowly and progressively being declared within the subsequent decade-plus, as that’s loads of high-dollar resort stock to promote within the meantime.
The larger query might be whether or not Disney needs to “announce” one thing on the 2024 D23 Expo that they already revealed on the 2019 D23 Expo. That is perhaps a considerably unhealthy look in that it reminds company of simply how a lot was cancelled or delayed indefinitely from that occasion, and makes followers extra inclined to take any 2024 D23 Expo information with a grain of salt.
All of that does forged doubt on the announcement, however I nonetheless suppose it’ll occur. Purely speculative, however I’d additionally anticipate a brand new identify, idea artwork that appears totally different, and different delicate modifications to the mission. It’s been 6 years since this was first introduced, and it was in improvement even earlier than that. With a lot passage of time, totally 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 some extent by the point it opens virtually a decade later.
All of that is high-quality by me. “Reflections” sounds just like the identify of the place the place Don Draper went to rehab and Disney’s resort designs from that period go away loads to be desired. I truly suppose there’s a ton of potential on this idea, and am bullish on Imagineering’s potential to do justice to a resort on the previous River Nation website.
Nicely nicely nicely, how the flip tables.
That’s most likely probably the most apt technique to begin the commentary, contemplating that I used to be an outspoken critic of the unique announcement that Walt Disney World would construct a brand new tower resort between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. So, what has modified?
For one factor, it’s fairly secure to say that the Reflections website will probably be developed sooner or later down the highway. Walt Disney World solely has a lot prime parcels for resorts, and that is one in every of them. Not solely that, however quite a lot of the positioning prepwork was already achieved and it’s nonetheless in fairly good situation. So I suppose my perspective is that that is going to occur in the end regardless, through which case, I’ll take sooner.
I need to be clear: I don’t love the thought of constructing one other resort in between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. My authentic pushback to this idea was that this might irrevocably destroy the primitive nature and forested really feel of Fort Wilderness. An enormous a part of what makes the campground so particular is that it’s been comparatively undisturbed by time, and is without doubt one of the final bastions of “Trip Kingdom of the World” period of WDW.
It’s virtually outstanding how totally 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 modifications in character as each different resort over the past couple a long time.
Any enlargement at or round Fort Wilderness will destroy the primitive, secluded traits and attraction of the campground that give it a lot attraction. It’s a campground with wilderness proper within the identify–the surroundings is the center and soul of Fort Wilderness.
I nonetheless consider all of that. The issue is that this course of has already began, and there’s no unringing that bell. River Nation was razed, the positioning prep-work started, and areas of Fort Wilderness have been modified to accommodate the lakeside lodge. The irreparable injury is already achieved.
In fact, it might at all times worsen. Proper now, it’s an enormous empty parcel. Nothing however grime and vacancy the place there was as soon as a mature and thick forest. It’s noticeably totally different and uglier, however a tower that’s seen from from Pioneer Corridor and the Settlement space would arguably be worse.
With that stated, when some followers visualize this, it looks like they’re envisioning the Island Tower on the Polynesian or close by 4 Seasons Orlando (pictured above). The previous Reflections Lakeside Lodge wasn’t going to be almost that tall. It positively would encroach on Pioneer Corridor and be seen from that space, nevertheless it wouldn’t be dwarf the prevailing buildings.
On the plus aspect, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) was the lead designer for Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, and so they have an ideal observe report with Disney. They designed the unique Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, together with Disney’s Victorian resorts in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong. All incredible resorts.
In WATG’s mission web page, it’s clear they’re able to envelope-pushing designs. The group seems to particularly excel at smooth trendy designs that incorporate woods, stonework, and pure supplies to have nice indoor-outdoor designs. They’ve achieved a number of high-end resorts of this nature for Hyatt, Hilton, 4 Seasons, and Ritz-Carlton. Any a kind of appears extra bold than the Island Tower, Riviera Resort, or Fantasy Springs Resort.
Personally, I might like to see a brand new twist on the ‘lodge’ idea on condition that I’ve cherished every thing Disney has achieved on that entrance. Whereas it’s unlucky that the late, nice Peter Dominick can not design this property, I’m assured WATG can do an excellent job. As talked about above, I’m additionally heartened by modifications on the high of Imagineering; from what I’ve heard, that’s been accompanied by a mindset shift about design sensibilities. (We’ll see whether or not that’s truly true.)
On high of that, lodges are my jam. I like Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World, but additionally the Grand Californian at Disneyland, Sequoia Lodge at Disneyland Paris, and Explorers Lodge at Hong Kong Disneyland (above). All of those differ in delicate however essential methods, making them distinct and distinctive from each other.
I’m not naive sufficient to suppose the Walt Disney World of at this time would construct a resort on par with any of these, however even when this lakeside lodge is half nearly as good as a kind of, it’s nonetheless worthwhile. And whereas the artwork beforehand showcased for the unique incarnation of this lakeside lodge wasn’t incredible, it was higher than Riviera, Gran Destino, or Fantasy Springs Resort. (I used to be significantly a fan of the A-frame cabins and treehouses.)
In reviewing WATG’s portfolio and previous plans, I feel this lakeside lodge has the potential to be like a recent twist on Sequoia Lodge. That resort borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s trendy Prairie Fashion and is admittedly underrated as in comparison with the opposite lodges.
Even acknowledging that the previous River Nation website will turn out to be a resort in the end, some Walt Disney World followers could take a distinct viewpoint, preferring it occur later versus sooner. That they’d wish to savor Fort Wilderness as-is for so long as attainable and in addition probably “wait out” the present Disney regime within the hopes of getting a greater design. Truthful sufficient–I can’t argue with any of that.
Simply keep in mind: issues can at all times worsen. I don’t know if that is an optimistic or pessimistic take. I might personally quite have this resort now, at a time when (I feel) Imagineering’s design ethos is not off course and the corporate is prepared to speculate $17 billion into Walt Disney World.
For that matter, I’d choose the mission whereas it’s going to be a lodge, within the first place. If Disney cabinets this for one more decade and decides to construct it in-between improvement cycles as a technique to juice income ( you, Island Tower!), there’s completely nothing to say they received’t go for a higher-capacity (suppose taller) luxurious resort that’s extra crowd-pleasing and worthwhile. Higher the satan you already know.
To be clear, my perspective isn’t one in every of outright pessimism or cynicism about this idea being even worse sooner or later. I’m truly cautiously optimistic about this lakeside lodge. Once more, quite a lot of this comes all the way down to timing.
Along with the above, I feel Disney at present “will get” nostalgia and, for the primary time ever, is leveraging that in significant methods at Walt Disney World–one thing they’ve been doing for ages at Disneyland. (It took lengthy sufficient!) We’re seeing this within the Take a look at Monitor reimagining, overhauled EPCOT entrance, and extra.
Whereas I don’t need to get too far afield in armchair Imagineering, I actually suppose this lakeside lodge idea might pull liberally from the previous and really turn out to be Disney’s River Nation Resort. Seemingly in spirit quite than actually. As superior as that identify could be, it’s most likely a tad too folksy for a high-end resort that has to attraction to each followers and most of the people.
However I might completely see Imagineers drawing inspiration from River Nation in a extra significant manner, in relation to the pool space. Might you think about one thing that evokes River Nation and rivals Stormalong Bay with a sand seaside, lazy river, and superior water slide. (Sadly, I feel the authorized division wouldn’t enable one thing like Slippery Slide Falls, however we are able to dream!)
Truthfully, I don’t suppose that is merely idle wishful pondering. Each new resort that isn’t on the monorail loop or in any other case adjoining to a theme park wants a compelling promoting level for its DVC aspect. Form of like how Riviera Resort obtained the Skyliner. Primarily based on what we’ve already seen from the allow package deal, it appears just like the hook for this lakeside lodge could possibly be a big pool advanced with a lazy river. It could definitely make sense!
Lastly, I’ll admit that I’d quite see Disney’s River Nation Resort (or no matter it is perhaps known as) sooner quite than later as a result of we have now a daughter who’s going to ‘develop’ up at Walt Disney World, and I can consider nowhere higher for that than within the “Wilderness Resort Area” of Walt Disney World.
If that is going to occur sooner or later anyway, I’d selfishly quite have it occur whereas she’s a child so we are able to make lifelong recollections at these resorts, doing journeys with the grandparents in one of many A-frames or treehouses, fast weekend getaways in a Boulder Ridge studio, and so on. I’d like to make the most of the character trails connecting the properties, staying at Wilderness Lodge however strolling over to Fort Wilderness for dinner, spending total days outdoors the parks exploring the realm–you get the thought. That’s solely attainable if this truly turns into a related resort district (like Crescent Lake) and never if it stays a mothballed development website.
Suffice to say, I’m cautiously optimistic about Walt Disney World creating this lakeside lodge, and hope it finally ends up fulfilling the spirit of Disney’s River Nation Resort whereas additionally dwelling as much as the wealthy artistic legacy of the lodges which have come earlier than it. Must be fascinating to observe this mission take form at Walt Disney World…assuming it occurs within the first place!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you optimistic or pessimistic a couple of revival of Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge (or no matter it finally ends up being known as now)? Assume it could possibly be Disney’s River Nation Resort in spirit or identify? Agree or disagree with our evaluation about its potential or the upside of getting a Wilderness Resort Area at Walt Disney World? Some other questions or feedback? Listening to your suggestions is a part of the enjoyable, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
