I definitively didn't see this one coming. In addition to renovating the current hotel, Drury Hotels is planning on building a second tower on the site of the Best Western Lake Buena Vista.
https://wdwnt.com/2018/08/permit-fi...t-western-lake-buena-vista-resort-renovation/
Phase 1 will be the construction of the new tower and a new pool deck. Phase 2 would be a renovation of the existing tower and construction of new meeting space.
Note: This information was posted over in the News Round Up 2018 thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/news-round-up-2018.3654979/page-653#post-59607038
If I were going to pick one of the hotels to expand, it wouldn't have been the Best Western. I would have guessed the Hilton Lake Buena Vista. They have that massive parking lot. They could put up a 3-4 story parking garage along Interstate 4 and use the current parking lot for a second tower. It probably would be easier because it's already paved, so there'd theoretically be less to deal with in terms of environmental impact. It could be more rooms for that hotel or even a new one.
But, you're correct that Disney might not want that to happen. If this Drury project moves forward, I'm sure Disney will be taking a cut of the profits. If it's a quality product, Drury will still be able to make a ton of money even if Disney gets their share.
Sounds as if there will be major construction for quite awhile. We were thinking of January. Their site shows a resort fee but no parking. It does state they have the right to charge for parking. I guess there are things up in the air.
Thanks for letting us know the source of the problem.