Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge Coming to former Reflections Site in 2027!

[TimbertopNJ]

Not sure if the Google numbers are accurate, but it looks like...
FTW campground (+ cabins) have around 1,200 lodging areas
WL has over 700
LL will have around 900

FTW survives on buses + boats, WL survives on buses + boats. AKL (~1300 units) survives on just buses.

I think LL transportation will be fine. It's not a capacity anomaly within WDW no matter how you shake it. And if a problem does arise, an additional boat probably resolves it. Seems like an easy fix to an unlikely theoretical problem.

Something to note: From 2013 to 2024, Disney World enlarged all 4 theme parks with minor hotel occupancy increases. PVB, CCV, Cabins & FTW replaced existing rooms (CC Cabins and Bungalows withstanding). Disney removed around 550 rooms at Caribbean Beach when they added Riviera (300 guest rooms).

At the end of 2024, we saw Island Tower add 268 rooms, essentially bringing total room totals in WDW back to their 2013 quantity (someone check my math if I missed something obvious).

The additional guest throughput from Lakeshore Lodge backfills years of park expansions. Any crowdedness we experience is simply from the Walt Disney company selling more tickets than they probably should, not from a sudden hotel-to-park imbalance. At least, that's how my brain processes that

 

[muppets3d]

Something to note: From 2013 to 2024, Disney World enlarged all 4 theme parks with minor hotel occupancy increases. PVB, CCV, Cabins & FTW replaced existing rooms (CC Cabins and Bungalows withstanding). Disney removed around 550 rooms at Caribbean Beach when they added Riviera (300 guest rooms).

At the end of 2024, we saw Island Tower add 268 rooms, essentially bringing total room totals in WDW back to their 2013 quantity (someone check my math if I missed something obvious).

The additional guest throughput from Lakeshore Lodge backfills years of park expansions. Any crowdedness we experience is simply from the Walt Disney company selling more tickets than they probably should, not from a sudden hotel-to-park imbalance. At least, that's how my brain processes that

The 3 bedroom at Riviera accommodates 12 guests, the rooms at Caribbean Beach accommodate 4 or 5 I guess. So how did actual beds change over this time? Obviously we know that many guests chose to stay offsite when they visit WDW, assuming they aren't locals in the first place. And hotel capacity in Orlando has exploded in the past 15 or so years around WDW I feel. I know a lot of the old motels on 192 have closed but tons of huge new hotels and resorts have opened.

 

[TimbertopNJ]

The 3 bedroom at Riviera accommodates 12 guests, the rooms at Caribbean Beach accommodate 4 or 5 I guess. So how did actual beds change over this time? Obviously we know that many guests chose to stay offsite when they visit WDW, assuming they aren't locals in the first place. And hotel capacity in Orlando has exploded in the past 15 or so years around WDW I feel. I know a lot of the old motels on 192 have closed but tons of huge new hotels and resorts have opened.

Good points; I don't know the actual occupancy numbers and their deltas. Is a grand villa always booked? Is it always max capacity? Those are important numbers that only Disney knows.

I have no idea how to estimate off-site guests, but you are definitely correct in your thinking.

My point, I suppose, is I don't see Lakeshore Lodge doing anything new to park capacity that's different from the previous 10 years. If anything, it's intent is to drive people from off-site to on-site.

 

[teamsamant]

Why does every new build in the last 20 years resemble an apartment complex with rooms that look like a corporate motel in a large city?

I have no intention of staying in these new rooms as long as the current regime continues to create bland hotels.

 

[DVCsloth]

It looks like Disney may be catering to their future customer base perceived preference of less themed resorts.
This resort seems to have the potential to be a pretty amazing resort, although it does seem out of place mostly because the size of it. Could be the possibility of a spa and several nice restaurants. Not that familiar with the details though.

 

[davidhr]

Why does every new build in the last 20 years resemble an apartment complex with rooms that look like a corporate motel in a large city?

I have no intention of staying in these new rooms as long as the current regime continues to create bland hotels.

The answer is always money.

 

[bama_ed]

It's ugly and ruined the majesty of nature that fort wilderness is, what a joke for NATURE

That statement deserves to be repeated ad infinitum.