Disney’s New Lakeshore Lodge Has Us Ready to Book ASAP

Disney just shared new concept art and resort details for Lakeshore Lodge in its latest Letters from Lakeshore update. The resort is still projected to open in summer 2027.

All concept art in this article is courtesy of Disney.

We Already Know We’ll Stay Here

Hayley’s family already owns at Riviera, so we’re pretty well versed in DVC. That being said, we aren’t looking to buy another contract. We will, however, be looking to stay here ASAP.

We’re huge resort fans. Sometimes we actually prefer them to the parks. Immediately after reading Disney’s article, we knew we needed to visit. With three new restaurants, the lazy river and, of course, a fireworks-viewing spot, we can’t wait to go.

The “Marriottification” Doesn’t Bother Us

A lot of Disney fans look at the newer resorts and see expensive Marriott hotels with a little Disney added on top. I get the criticism. Some of the newer designs do lose a bit of the character that made the older resorts feel unmistakably Disney.

But it just doesn’t bother us that much. Lakeshore Lodge looks beautiful. It also isn’t replacing Wilderness Lodge or taking anything away from it. Wilderness Lodge will still be there, and Lakeshore Lodge adds another option around Bay Lake. More options aren’t a bad thing.

Subtle Disney Is Still Disney

Disney says the lobby takes inspiration from Pocahontas. The concept art shows a fiber-optic river running through the floor, a glass sculpture inspired by “Colors of the Wind,” landscape tapestries and furniture made with river-recovered cypress.

If it’s done carefully, I think it’ll be cute. I’ve never liked the over-the-top, in-your-face character design at Art of Animation or some of the other resorts. What does spark my interest is the subtle character design on the Wish-class ships, where the character artwork might be a single piece above the headboard. The room still feels Disney, but it also stays clean. That’s much more our style, and it seems like the Pocahontas theming here does just that.

That doesn’t mean we want Disney stripped out of everything. We love the full immersion of places like Oga’s Cantina and The Beak and Barrel. The cruise ships do it especially well, too. But a resort room or lobby doesn’t always need that much. A few details in the right places can still make it feel like Disney without covering every surface.

We’d Go for the Lazy River Alone

The lazy river alone has our attention. It’ll be part of The Wetlands, which will also have a zero-entry pool, spiral waterslide, wet and dry play areas, and a second pool with a whirlpool spa.

We’re the kind of people who will set aside a full resort day for all of that. Sometimes we enjoy the resorts more than the parks, so the pool area isn’t a side note when we’re deciding where to stay. Disney is also planning boat transportation to Magic Kingdom. That’s worth the stay alone just to avoid the TTC (literally the worst parking lot in America).

Three Restaurants and a Fireworks-View Lounge

Disney hasn’t shown any menus or prices, so there isn’t much to say about the food itself yet.

At Moonglade, floor-to-ceiling windows will look out over Bay Lake, and Disney says the table-service menu will use seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.

Bay Lake Provisions will have an open kitchen, specialty coffee and fresh food throughout the day. Near Lakeshore Lagoon, Paint Out Point Bar & Grill will serve shareable food and specialty drinks.

Dandelion Terrace will face Bay Lake, with views toward the Magic Kingdom fireworks at night. The lounge will have a two-story gallery of archival Disney animation art, including work from Fantasia, along with dandelion-shaped lights.

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Disney hasn’t said which places will take reservations, whether Dandelion Terrace will hold space for resort guests, or what any of this will cost.

What We’re Waiting for Next

Lakeshore Lodge is planned for 967 rooms, including studios, suites and one- and two-bedroom Lake Houses. Disney is still saying summer 2027, but there’s no exact opening date or reservation timeline yet.

We won’t be buying there, but we don’t need another DVC contract to be interested. If the finished resort looks anything like these renderings, we’ll be staying.