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

[Wood Nymph]

It looks like the new boat dock won't be visible from Wilderness Lodge. That will make some people happy. They don't want their view spoiled.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Another round of current pictures from the air credit to @bioreconstruct on X

https://twitter.com/x/status/1951970249747632539

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Lots going on in some of these photos... continued boat dock construction, signature restaurant steel vertical construction, and outline of at least some part of the center courtyard pool. From my untrained construction eye, still too much other construction staging occurring to see any signs of a lazy river or the full pool complex at this point.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Additional elements of the project starting to become more visible...the beginnings of the porte cochere, lobby, and bus stop area. Original stormwater permit drawings showed six bus stops, some other plans have shown five. That's a seemingly decent size for a deluxe resort - similar sizing to AKL - and at least to me would seem appropriate for the potential guest load here. Original stormwater plans showed the bus stops as "proposed roof area" in orange in the image below, so presumably (and hopefully) these stops have some sort of roof structure along with a covered walkway from the lobby, which would make sense.

The grade leading to the porte cochere/main lobby entrance is "built up" - I believe you enter the building on the third floor.

Still very early in construction and inconclusive, but it seems to me that "hole" and steel now being erected in the lobby area could be the beginnings of the structural supports you see in original concept art in this area.

 

[mrsap]

Latest Look at Ongoing Construction at Disney's Lakeshore Lodge​

The main hotel buildings are also making significant progress. Vertical construction is now nearing the planned maximum height, with large concrete panels and structural steel in place across most of the core resort footprint. This resort is following the same efficient construction method used recently at Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Resort.







The North and West A-Frame units are positioned at the edges of the resort, while the central hotel structure wraps around a feature courtyard and pool complex. Additional treehouse-style accommodations are also in the plans, reflecting the resort’s “inspired by nature” theme.



The extensive footprint includes dedicated parking, new roadways, and guest amenities spread throughout the wooded site, which sits between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.









Lakeshore Lodge is expected to open in 2027 and will join Disney’s growing collection of Vacation Club resorts.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Being able to walk to Pioneer Hall is so wild to me. It was once quite the golf cart ride away.

 

[CarolynFH]

It looks like it will be beautiful, but I just wish it weren’t so close to The Settlement….

 

[team bradfield]

so disappointing

 

[WEDWDW]

It looks like it will be beautiful, but I just wish it weren’t so close to The Settlement….

We saw it in person for the first time last month.

It is not CLOSE to The Settlement.

It IS The Settlement!lol

 

[mrsap]

Disney Lakeshore Lodge Under Construction​

August 28, 2025 Update: Work quietly resumed on this project almost exactly one year ago, and has moved at a really fast pace. There are currently a half-dozen cranes on site and the base structures have now been topped off at their maximum heights, as work begins to enclosure some of the structures. As you can see from the photos below, even some windows have been installed!
Active construction is visible from Bay Lake, Wilderness Lodge, and even the Settlement area of Fort Wilderness. Lots of concrete, rebar, columns, and activity from the cranes.

Here’s a look at new photos from Fall 2025:

Large concrete panels and structural steel are now in place across most of the resort’s footprint. Disney is utilizing the same efficient construction method for Lakeshore Lodge that likewise enabled Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Resort to be built expeditiously. Note that there are multiple connected buildings that form the main resort, and not all have been equally far along throughout the project.

Beyond the main building, there are waterfront A-Frame units and treehouse villas planned for the periphery of the resort. In the photos below, you can see the units that are closed to Wilderness Lodge. There’s another set in place on the former Clementine Beach at Fort Wilderness–those are right next to the boat launch.

Walt Disney World hasn’t really said much officially about Disney Lakeshore Lodge. With the Island Tower at the Polynesian still brand new and in active sales, this makes sense. Disney Vacation Club doesn’t want to steal the spotlight from that. What we do know officially is that Disney Lakeshore Lodge is projected to open in 2027.

Given the current pace of the project, our expectation is that it opens in the first half of 2027. Quite honestly, it wouldn’t surprise us in the least if Disney moved this up to late 2026. It probably depends on when it’s most strategically-advantageous to launch a new DVC resort from a sales perspective, so perhaps Island Tower sales are more outcome-determinative than construction progress.

Click link to read full article.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

Does anyone know how you will actually get to the resort say by car. The entrance to Ft. wilderness is so crowded already. I can't imagine so many cars driving all of those loops. It seems like there should be another entrance and direct road to the resort.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Does anyone know how you will actually get to the resort say by car. The entrance to Ft. wilderness is so crowded already. I can't imagine so many cars driving all of those loops. It seems like there should be another entrance and direct road to the resort.

There is a road that the buses use to travel between FtW and WL. There are other roads, too. The road that runs along the old nature path ends right next to the construction area for Lakeshore lodge.

 

[hardcorestitch]

There is a road that the buses use to travel between FtW and WL. I would think that they will use a separate entrance for the new Lakeshore Lodge.

I do imagineer that a connecting road could be made towards the new area…

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Does anyone know how you will actually get to the resort say by car. The entrance to Ft. wilderness is so crowded already. I can't imagine so many cars driving all of those loops. It seems like there should be another entrance and direct road to the resort.

The entrance plans are not currently confirmed, but my personal opinion/speculation is that it will be via Timberline Drive (current WL entrance) and it will be modified to be the entrance for both WL and LSL, with LSL guests turning right on W Wilderness Road (first right past the guard house, current road that serves WDW transportation access between WL and FW). It's also possible they intend to use the current backstage service routes on Frontier Way that connects to an access road the winds behind the Stolport and make an entrance on Vista Boulevard, but there haven't been any stormwater permits or plans suggesting as such and that area is currently relatively backstage-y. A Timberline Drive/West Wilderness Way entry would be the most direct and efficient in terms of distance and utilizing existing infrastructure, in my opinion.

 

[WEDWDW]

Will Lakeshore have dedicated buses or will they share with The Settlement and/or the Lodge?

 

[Dave006]

Will Lakeshore have dedicated buses or will they share with The Settlement and/or the Lodge?

Too early to know but the WL buses already service the Main lodge Resort (339), CCV (190) ), 26 Cascade Cabins, and the BRV DVC (184). Total room count 739.

Thanks to touringplans.com for the number of rooms for each location.

Dave

 

[OKW Lover]

I wonder if the future entrance road will be the same way construction vehicles get to and from the site?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Will Lakeshore have dedicated buses or will they share with The Settlement and/or the Lodge?

I believe that there is a large bus depot on the plans. I think Lakeshore will be too large to share with WL.

 

[WEDWDW]

I believe that there is a large bus depot on the plans. I think Lakeshore will be too large to share with WL.

Do you think Lakeshore will have a dedicated Magic Kingdom boat as well or it will share a boat with The Fort?

 

[Dave006]

Do you think Lakeshore will have a dedicated Magic Kingdom boat as well or it will share a boat with The Fort?

Well there is a boat dock in the plans so it might have its own boats or be like the GF and the Poly that are on a loop rotation using the same boats.

Dave