Attack of the Lakeshore Lodge

[Brian Noble]

Not only has the "future resort" langauge been there forever, it is (as I understand it) required by FL timeshare law. You can't market a current resort based on an unbuilt resort.

 

[DoubleBaconBLT]

This is the difference between a "hotel" and a "resort". Hotels are about efficiency; resorts are about leisure. Riviera feels more like a big, upscale hotel than a resort (and the same could be said for the Island Tower, aside from it piggybacking on the original Poly).

Disney's recent philosophy seems to be that people come for the parks and lodging just offers a bed with the usual hotel amenities. Disney still cares about opening good hotel restaurants, because they're money-makers, but look at the recent pools; Riviera's pool is plain, Island Tower's pool is plain, and I predict the pools at LSL will be plain.

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. They'll put together an incredible plan with some amazing imagineered artists renderings. Then when it comes time to budget and pay for it all, they'll pare it back, and it won't be nearly as cool as it could have been. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Philsfan77]

This is the difference between a "hotel" and a "resort". Hotels are about efficiency; resorts are about leisure. Riviera feels more like a big, upscale hotel than a resort (and the same could be said for the Island Tower, aside from it piggybacking on the original Poly).

Disney's recent philosophy seems to be that people come for the parks and lodging just offers a bed with the usual hotel amenities. Disney still cares about opening good hotel restaurants, because they're money-makers, but look at the recent pools; Riviera's pool is plain, Island Tower's pool is plain, and I predict the pools at LSL will be plain.

I think the issue here is Walt Disney World, is the resort. The places we stay at, are simply lodging within the resort. I do quite a few golf trips each year, most are labeled resorts (Pinehurst, Kiawah). Still took us 15 minutes to get from our lodging on Kiawah to the Ocean Course (similar to what it would take to get to Magic Kingdom from most properties). Main pool area with kids pool/splash pad and slides was about 10 minutes from our lodging. Spa/Dining, same thing. Similar to Disney, you use shuttles/busing to get everywhere on property. The point of a resort as a whole is that you don't have to leave their property and they take care of getting you from point A to point B once you are there, to do what you are there to do. These are hotels within a massive resort facility if you want to be technical.

You say recent philosophy, but honestly this has almost always been the philosophy with DVC properties with the exception being OKW and SSR. BRV is 31 years old (going on 32). The pool there is plain, the lobby is simple, it's a place to sleep within a larger property that has a signature pool and all the amenities you need (no different than the Island Tower is to the Polynesian). BCV is going on 24 years old...Dunes Cove Pool is basic. I don't think this is anything new/recent. It's par for the course with how they build DVC properties within other properties (DLH is the same). I expect the new resort to have its own signature pool, pool bar and all the frills of other signature pools since it will be it's own property. I have a hard time saying Riviera's pool is plain, and it's definitely a step up from a traditional hotel pool (just stayed at the new hotels at Universal for instance, and I'd take Riviera's pool area over Helios or Stella Nova). It's not the best on property, but overall it's better than your average hotel pool.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I think the issue here is Walt Disney World, is the resort. The places we stay at, are simply lodging within the resort. I do quite a few golf trips each year, most are labeled resorts (Pinehurst, Kiawah). Still took us 15 minutes to get from our lodging on Kiawah to the Ocean Course (similar to what it would take to get to Magic Kingdom from most properties). Main pool area with kids pool/splash pad and slides was about 10 minutes from our lodging. Spa/Dining, same thing. Similar to Disney, you use shuttles/busing to get everywhere on property. The point of a resort as a whole is that you don't have to leave their property and they take care of getting you from point A to point B once you are there, to do what you are there to do. These are hotels within a massive resort facility if you want to be technical.

You say recent philosophy, but honestly this has almost always been the philosophy with DVC properties with the exception being OKW and SSR. BRV is 31 years old (going on 32). The pool there is plain, the lobby is simple, it's a place to sleep within a larger property that has a signature pool and all the amenities you need (no different than the Island Tower is to the Polynesian). BCV is going on 24 years old...Dunes Cove Pool is basic. I don't think this is anything new/recent. It's par for the course with how they build DVC properties within other properties (DLH is the same). I expect the new resort to have its own signature pool, pool bar and all the frills of other signature pools since it will be it's own property. I have a hard time saying Riviera's pool is plain, and it's definitely a step up from a traditional hotel pool (just stayed at the new hotels at Universal for instance, and I'd take Riviera's pool area over Helios or Stella Nova). It's not the best on property, but overall it's better than your average hotel pool.

Could yesterday have gone any worse for our teams?

 

[MagicCat]

There is no DVC resort with only one room category so that’s the reason I think it will be combined with Lakeshore as one of multiple options for booking just like every other resort has. Also, I would consider Lakeshore part of the larger Fort Wilderness property because it’s on the old River Country site that was originally part of the Fort. Anything can happen but I think the odds are in favor of it being one combined resort.

 

[Philsfan77]

Could yesterday have gone any worse for our teams?

Just a black cloud of doom the last week or so

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We have our lazy river...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1979948120243872058

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

We have our lazy river...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1979948120243872058

Looks riveting …

 

[DebbieB]

That contract language about not buying based on future resorts has been there forever.

It’s to cover them if they fail to develop something they may have said was coming.

The reason behind the 10 day cancellation rule under FL timeshare law is to give owners time to read everything.

It’s why I am a firm believer in buying a home resort you don’t mind staying if you can’t trade or the rules of trading change. Which they can.

It will be interesting to see where this goes.

I bought BWV in 1999 and it had wording that the Villas at Wilderness Lodge (now Boulder Ridge) may not be completed. Then there was the time it actually happened. Eagle Pines was announced, I think it was to be built where Four Seasons is now, it was previously a golf course. After 9/11 they changed their minds and built SSR instead, using the Disney Institute property.

 

[disneylandtour]

We have our lazy river...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1979948120243872058

Well, being able to float around and look at Bay Lake may be the final element that gets me to buy direct...at least somewhere...probably not here, if LSL ends up in the Trust....but somewhere.

 

[aka Charles]

We have our lazy river...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1979948120243872058

At first glance, I was going to say that the main pool and lazy river were smaller than I hoped...

But..

I then noticed the crew cab pickup truck parked next to the pool.

Using that for scale, it looks like the main pool is about 180 feet long (top to bottom in the picture).

And assuming the curve in the dirt at the bottom end of the lazy river is it's end, it looks to be about 270 feet long (end to end).

Even if my measurements are off a bit, that's plenty big enough for me.

I can't wait to see the final result.
.

 

[Kailunkat]

At first glance, I was going to say that the main pool and lazy river were smaller than I hoped...

But..

I then noticed the crew cab pickup truck parked next to the pool.

Using that for scale, it looks like the main pool is about 180 feet long (top to bottom in the picture).

And assuming the curve in the dirt at the bottom end of the lazy river is it's end, it looks to be about 270 feet long (end to end).

Even if my measurements are off a bit, that's plenty big enough for me.

I can't wait to see the final result.
.

It only looks small because the resort is SO massive.

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

It only looks small because the resort is SO massive.

Yeah. A monstrosity.

 

[airjay75]

Do we think there will be a second pool in the left “U” of resort? From that aerial, I can’t tell if that area looks like bulldozed dirt, the remnants of a marshy pond like area, or the beginning of a pool dig site. I assume the resort will need a second quieter pool, right? And that looks like the logical location.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

At first glance, I was going to say that the main pool and lazy river were smaller than I hoped...

But..

I then noticed the crew cab pickup truck parked next to the pool.

Using that for scale, it looks like the main pool is about 180 feet long (top to bottom in the picture).

And assuming the curve in the dirt at the bottom end of the lazy river is it's end, it looks to be about 270 feet long (end to end).

Even if my measurements are off a bit, that's plenty big enough for me.

I can't wait to see the final result.
.

I can't remember if if was here or another thread but I went down the rabbit hole sometime over the summer measuring the lazy river in one of the stormwater permits since those are at scale and I got ~633 feet for the full loop, which compared to ~244 feet for Stormalong Bay and ~698 feet for the Four Seasons, just for context. All should be considered approximate and the stormwater permits had a few slightly different versions of the pool and lazy river along the way. So your crew cab truck for scale measuring is probably pretty close!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Do we think there will be a second pool in the left “U” of resort? From that aerial, I can’t tell if that area looks like bulldozed dirt, the remnants of a marshy pond like area, or the beginning of a pool dig site. I assume the resort will need a second quieter pool, right? And that looks like the logical location.

Yes, the 'leisure' pool will be here, you can start to see it a bit these photos. Source credit x.com/bioreconstruct, I added the red circle.

Also interesting to see just how far out on Bay Lake the new boat dock goes in that one shot.

 

[Girlstar30]

What would be the point to own here if its so huge anyone can easily get a room I guess potentially cheaper rooms priority would be the answer...

 

[airjay75]

What would be the point to own here if its so huge anyone can easily get a room I guess potentially cheaper rooms priority would be the answer...

So hard to say until we know the make-up of the resort and view categories. Even for current, active selling resorts, we don't know exactly how things will pan out until everything is declared and sold out. RIV has a fair number of years in operation - I'd say if you want a resort view studio or resort view 2 BR lock-off, you better own there. For the Poly Island Tower, my money is on it following BLT - if you want resort view, you definitely better own there. If you're ok with preferred view, you probably don't need to own there. TP view will likely be somewhere in between. For LSL, let's see what the view categories are and exactly how many of each there are. Could be like CCV where A LOT of points are tied up in the cabins, making studio, 1 BR, and 2 BRs all somewhat difficult to book if you don't own there.

 

[Girlstar30]

So hard to say until we know the make-up of the resort and view categories. Even for current, active selling resorts, we don't know exactly how things will pan out until everything is declared and sold out. RIV has a fair number of years in operation - I'd say if you want a resort view studio or resort view 2 BR lock-off, you better own there. For the Poly Island Tower, my money is on it following BLT - if you want resort view, you definitely better own there. If you're ok with preferred view, you probably don't need to own there. TP view will likely be somewhere in between. For LSL, let's see what the view categories are and exactly how many of each there are. Could be like CCV where A LOT of points are tied up in the cabins, making studio, 1 BR, and 2 BRs all somewhat difficult to book if you don't own there.

I wonder if they'll continue the duo studios here. I like the option for when its just my wife and I, especially for pit where the tpv is insanely priced, I could justify the duo studio premium view.

I wonder what kind of views this hotel will offer, im not that familiar with this area as WL is not my favorite

 

[VGCgroupie]

What would be the point to own here if its so huge anyone can easily get a room I guess potentially cheaper rooms priority would be the answer...

Each new resort will have more years on it. Extra years, can give you a lot of extra value.