Value of open water swimmable lagoons as part of WDW DVC resort

[bookwormde]

With the announcement of the Evermore resort in near WDW, we now know that swimmable open water lagoons are now possible in the WDW area, what value do DVC enthusiasts think it could being to a DVC resort?

https://evermoreresort.com/
https://www.crystal-lagoons.com/

Would it be a strong draw to a WDW DVC resort even if it was not adjacent to a park
Should Reflections be redesigned to incorporate this technology?
How about existing resorts? Now or at the 2042 turnover?

 

[RoseGold]

Other than the gondolas, which weren't really RIV specific, there was nothing "new" at RIV. Or CCV.

What makes you think DVC, obviously cutting costs everywhere, would now be trying for cutting edge?

 

[BillPA]

Have you looked at the quality of the water in the lagoons? I would not let my dog in that 'yuk' much less my kids.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I am very happy with SAB. I have three multiple day stays there this year!

 

[Chuck S]

If the water was filtered and chlorinated, maybe. Just open water that isn't cleaned and treated? No way. It would be a very expensive to properly maintain that much water.

 

[CraigInPA]

I swam in the 7 seas lagoon in the 1970's as a teenager and in the 1980's as an adult. I didn't see what the allure was to doing so. It reminded me of swimming in a warm lake. The wave generator was perpetually broken. Then, one trip they told us we couldn't swim in the lagoon anymore because of the duck poop.

I don't see Disney spending a gazillion dollars to drain the 7 Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake, Crescent Lake, etc... to install a concrete bottom needed for the turquoise blue water promised at Evermore. In addition, both Bay Lake and Crescent Lake are natural waterways, so there would be environmental protection agency requirements that would probably make such a change impossible.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

In addition, both Bay Lake and Crescent Lake are natural waterways, so there would be environmental protection agency requirements that would probably make such a change impossible.

Plus, need I mention the whole Florida thing? You cannot have a puddle without a gator finding it.

Lose a golf ball in the water hazard? Don't go after it.

 

[drusba]

I am still trying to figure out what is really to be built. They are apparently going to build, for over a billion dollars, the largest resort that exists with homes, townhomes, apartments and hotel, with rooms ranging from 1 to 11 bedrooms, all to be rentals, and ultimately having 10,000 bedrooms and thus apparently the ability to serve 30,000 or more guests when full. The photos show a supposed zero-entry lagoon that looks and sounds more like a very large swimming pool made to look like a lagoon, having more energy efficient cleaning methods than pools in general, and the huge size is needed to serve those 30,000 guests.

I seriously doubt anything like this will appear at WDW. To build a pool that large for Reflections is unnecessary considering that Reflections is not going to be anywhere near the size of Evermore. Disney built a huge pool before in 1990, Stormalong Bay, which itself is not anywhere near the apparent size of Evermore's lagoon pool, and Disney never built another one as large as Stormalong, apparently making a conscious decision not to.

Maybe Evermore will be a success but the grand plans laid out -- a city-size vacation rental resort that is not even part of WDW or other theme park with the first phase to be opened in 2023 -- sounds more like a plan that has a real chance to be a huge loss of money.

 

[RoseGold]

Disney built a huge pool before in 1990, Stormalong Bay, which itself is not anywhere near the apparent size of Evermore's lagoon pool, and Disney never built another one as large as Stormalong, apparently making a conscious decision not to.

Well sort of, they just made them into more $ by calling them waterparks.

 

[NoTime42]

Wasn’t Jambo advertised as the largest pool in WDW until AoA?

 

[Brian Noble]

I am still trying to figure out what is really to be built.

Yeah, it's not clear how much is going to be a reskinning of existing buildings and how much is new construction. But it makes a certain amount of sense. This has been happening on a much smaller scale via AirBnB and similar platforms for a while now. We've been fans of taking extended family trips in multi-bedroom homes/villas for at least 20 years now.

 

[drusba]

Wasn’t Jambo advertised as the largest pool in WDW until AoA?

That is mainly a promotional ploy. Stormalong Bay is actually more than one pool. Its has a large main pool, a pool/lazy river area, smaller separate sub-pool areas, and a low level water pool with a sand bottom. If you compare only the main pool area to others, Jambo is larger and AoA's Big Blue Pool is the largest. If you compare all of Stormalong Bay to those others, it is more than twice the size of the Big Blue Pool.

 

[bookwormde]

From what I can tell this is a lined system. and the water is kept at a similar water quality to conventional pool. The system just appears to use a biochemical system of treatment that is able to manage it with very limited added chemical and also limited energy input.

The scale appears to be of a size where all of the water at Epcot, the lagoon at BC/YC/BW/SW and the canal to HS could be a larger size installation.

 

[bwvBound]

The resort video was annoying to watch ... but the lagoon appears altogether lovely. Might be nice to visit someday.

 

[sethschroeder]

Looks fine but have lake houses up here can easily rent and swim, boat, ect in the lake. Can do tubing in a river for hours without going in a circle.

It's nice but can't see Disney wanting to spend money building a resort with it.

Reason Reflections had a lazy river I think as they needed a draw. AKV was the savanna and Riviera is the Skyliner. Otherwise every other new DVC or Deluxe has been tied to an active resort.

Am I missing something built in the last 20 years in the Deluxe/DVC category?

 

[WilsonFlyer]

OT: They'll likely go bankrupt before it's ever finished, or tremendously diminish the product from what was originally advertised.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Warm fresh water lakes means brain eating amoeba.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Warm fresh water lakes means brain eating amoeba.

#PeskyFacts

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I don't think the lagoon at the new resort is fresh water. I think it's a filtered swim pond of uncommon size.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I grew up in "The land of 10,000 lakes". I think I've been in 2 of them.