Take a fresh look at Walt Disney World's next resort
Disney has released fresh details about the new DVC (i.e. vacation ownership/timeshare) resort that it is building on the site of Walt Disney World's old River Country water park.
Disney Lakeshore Lodge is set to open next summer. The Disney Vacation Club resort will offer 967 accommodations, ranging from studios to multi-bedroom villas. Included among those will new one- and two-bedroom Lake Houses on the shore of Bay Lake.
Design motifs in the resort will reference Disney films set in nature, from Bambi to Pocahontas to Brother Bear. Disney also has released new concept art for the resort's entry and towers.
Concept art courtesy Disney Experiences
"We're excited to share our vision for Disney Lakeshore Lodge, a place where the magic of Disney storytelling comes alive through the beauty of the natural world," Disney Vacation Club senior vice president and general manager Bill Diercksen said. "Inspired by Walt Disney's lifelong admiration for the great outdoors, this resort will offer our members and guests an opportunity to reconnect with nature while creating cherished family memories at Walt Disney World Resort."
Disney Lakeshore Lodge should provide an alternative for Disney visitors looking for the natural vibe of Disney's Wilderness Lodge, but with a lakefront setting that allows a better angle of the Magic Kingdom fireworks at night. Located next door to Fort Wilderness, Lakeshore Lodge also will be located just a short jaunt from the popular Hoop-Dee-Do Musical Revue. Disney will announce the dining and recreation venues at Lakeshore Lodge itself in the months ahead.
Replies (10)
I'd be curious to see some transparent accounting and an open and honest assessment of DVC from higher-ups (they paint rosy pictures for the parks and DCL, but you don't hear them talking about DVC much anymore). Disney isn't as forward pushing DVC as they were a couple of decades ago, which could be a result of a decrease in available inventory, but may also be due to sagging interest in anything presented as a "time share" in today's climate. I don't think DVC is going anywhere, but Disney is clearly being more conservative about expanding the program given that this resort was announced almost 8 years ago and the recently opened tower at the Poly has had little fanfare 18 months after it debuted.
DVC was viewed as Disney's trump card in the industry, because it created an invested fanbase incentivized to return to the parks year after year, but after explosive growth at the beginning of this century, DVC might not be viewed in the same light.
I thought this looked really cool. And then I was like, well, it sucks that it's DVC, and the rooms are probably all going to have that cheap theming so that they all look like IP, and then I noticed that the architecture looks really bland. So points for the landscaping and name I guess.
I’d like to just take the opportunity to pour one out for River Country. Miss you homie
I think "bland" describes this well. Time disney got back to imaginative designs of its resorts. In this location, they could have build something really special.
Is this up to the design standards of a normal well-themed Disney resort?
Possibly not
But does this design motif fit in line with the portfolio of other DVC resorts?
Probably so*
*with the notable exception of Aulani, designed and overseen by Joe Rohde and his team
You're absolutely right fattyackin. I don't have an issue with the concept drawings here, though the thematic elements are significantly toned down from what Disney showed when they originally announced this resort back in 2018. If you look at all of the DVC resorts across WDW, they are ALL pretty low key in terms of their theming, especially when compared to the traditional WDW resorts, particularly the ones that have been added to the Deluxe resorts. These resorts are not designed to compete with other WDW resorts, they're competing against other timeshare resorts in Central Florida and Airbnb.
In interior design terms, based on insider information, DVC resorts are built for durability and residential comfort, not excessive narrative immersion. That’s why they often feel more like upscale condos than highly themed Disney environments.
@scxymike: honestly that sounds perfectly reasonable
I have always been in awe with the creative genius of so many of WDW's resorts but Disney has created a name which misleads the customer. This would fit seamlessly in any 1970's Eastern Bloc city. I assume transportation will be via electric Trabants.
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It's really disappointing to me to see them follow this course with the architecture of the resorts. This looks like it would blend in easily with any city... in fact it looks like apartments they built in Huntington Beach 10 years ago. If I'm going to Disney, it shouldn't feel like home, it should feel better than home.