Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Lodge

[Nick]

This “what about-ism” is besides the point.



This hotel is located in the upper right, slightly north west and very close to the ranch, Hoop, and Trails End.

Places that look like this.

For better or worse Universal isn’t building their hotels in themed areas. If Disney wants to throw their name and Walt around as reasons they’re the best and worth the cost then they should follow their own design history. Good for the Pacific North west and their designs, but it doesn’t fit the Fort Wilderness area. Period.

You could’ve quoted my whole post but you only quoted the part that was convenient to you.

I was in no way playing a what-about-ism game, as seen evidenced by the paragraph you cut out. The one you quoted was a set up paragraph.

You have your opinion, but you won’t see this resort from FW so it’s really not worth getting panties in a wad. Now if we want to discuss individual design merits of this hotel on its own that’s one thing, but it shouldn’t be held to FW’s design just because it’s nearby-ish. If I can’t see it, it’s not an issue.

 

[JungleSkip]

Overall, I actually have no problem with this. And I do think there is a bit of bias as Sapphire Falls and Aventura aren't much special design wise (nor is CBBR's new towers), but because they're a UOR hotel, people seem to give them a pass and are then much harder on Disney (speaking from a design perspective).

None of those are going to muck up the best area in WDW by a country mile.

I have no issue with the design in a vacuum. I do have an issue with it mucking up Bay Lake.

 

[Nick]

None of those are going to muck up the best area in WDW by a country mile.

I have no issue with the design in a vacuum. I do have an issue with it mucking up Bay Lake.

How often are you going to actually see it from the lake? Sure you will while on the boat to MK, but that’s literally it. Otherwise it will be as if it’s on its own little island.

 

[JungleSkip]

How often are you going to actually see it from the lake? Sure you will while on the boat to MK, but that’s literally it. Otherwise it will be as if it’s on its own little island.

Can we push it off the island into the lake so I never have to see it?

 

[Nick]

Can we push it off the island into the lake so I never have to see it?

If it turns out as bad as you guys seem to think it will, trust me, I’ll admit I was wrong. I just personally don’t think this is something to get all worked up about yet. If it’s executed right, I truly think this could be pretty nice.

 

[JungleSkip]

If it turns out as bad as you guys seem to think it will, trust me, I’ll admit I was wrong. I just personally don’t think this is something to get all worked up about yet. If it’s executed right, I truly think this could be pretty nice.

I'm admittedly overly protective of the FW/WL area. It's my favorite part of WDW, and this just does not fit in IMO.

If JC is ever changed or demolished, I will be as equally unreasonable.

 

[Bulldog45]

I think everybody is getting a little too worked up over 1 piece of concept art...

 

[SeventyOne]

Yeah, it's hideously out of place, ok, whatever.

Does the press release confirm that Pioneer Hall will remain untouched or not?

 

[Alicia]

Yeah, it's hideously out of place, ok, whatever.

Does the press release confirm that Pioneer Hall will remain untouched or not?

No, but I've spoken with a lot of folks and everyone agrees that area will not be affected. Only Mickey's Backyard Barbecue has to close for construction (and they want to bring it back as soon as they can cause it makes money without much effort and they like money). No word yet on whether Backyard BBQ gets a new location or will remain where it is now though.

EDIT: Here's the full press release, since no one's posted the entire thing yet:

Hotel and Proposed Disney Vacation Club Property, Three Other Previously Announced Resort Projects to Add More Than 1,700 New Hotel Rooms, Villas at Walt Disney World Resort

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Oct. 18, 2018) — A new nature-inspired, mixed-use Disney resort will welcome families in 2022 along the picturesque shoreline of Bay Lake. Located between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, this resort project joins three others underway at Walt Disney World Resort, bringing a total of more than 1,700 new hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas online over the next four years.

The deluxe resort, which will be themed to complement its natural surroundings, will include more than 900 hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas spread across a variety of unique accommodation types.

“Walt Disney World is in the midst of our most significant expansion in the last two decades and the combined 1,700 new hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas we are building at four different resorts will create thousands of new construction and permanent jobs and will drive economic opportunity and incremental revenue for Central Florida,” said George A. Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “We continue to add new attractions, new lands — and these beautiful accommodations will be right in the heart of all that magic.”

The soon-to-be named resort is slated to be Disney’s 16th Disney Vacation Club property and it will continue to build on the value and flexibility of a Disney Vacation Club membership.

“This resort experience will be a celebration of Walt Disney’s lifelong love and respect for nature, with some fun and even surprising accommodation types that families will find irresistible,” said Terri Schultz, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club. “It will give our members and guests yet another opportunity to stay in close proximity to all the newest attractions and experiences in our theme parks, and with the flexibility, value and world-class service families expect from Disney.”

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort will debut completely reimagined in 2019, featuring a new 15-story tower overlooking Lago Dorado, the resort’s centerpiece lake. Offering an additional 545 new guest rooms and suites, the tower also includes a two-level entrance lobby, concierge lounge, new meeting spaces and more. Guests will also be able to enjoy rooftop dining at a specialty table-service restaurant with panoramic views. The existing 1,800 guest rooms have all been fully updated with new fixtures, furnishings and a color palette that ties the entire resort together.

Also currently under construction near Epcot and anticipated to open in 2019 is Disney’s Riviera Resort, the 15th Disney Vacation Club property. With plans for approximately 300 units across a variety of accommodation types, this much-anticipated property will connect to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot via the Disney Skyliner. This new resort will be the first all-Disney Vacation Club property at Walt Disney World since Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opened in 2004.

Seamlessly connected to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an immersive Star Wars-inspired destination will also be built at Walt Disney World Resort. This first-of-its-kind resort will be a completely immersive experience into an authentic Star Wars story as guests depart together for a multiday adventure aboard their starship. Guests will interact with characters as they become active citizens of the galaxy, dressed in proper attire as stories unfold all around them.

These resort projects join a flurry of expansion at Walt Disney World Resort, including the highly successful Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the recent debut of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In early 2019, Walt Disney World will unveil a collection of shows, parties, Disney character interactions and more that will allow guests to cherish time with family and friends. And later in the year, guests will be able to travel to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where they can live out their own adventures in a galaxy far, far away. Guests will realize now more than ever is the perfect time to experience all of the fun and magic of a Walt Disney World vacation.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Looks like a very nice low end moderate. Wait... what?

 

[NuteGunrayWasFramed]

Supposedly the front-runner choice for the name is "Reflections."

 

[Alicia]

Perfect:

 

[Donald Razorduck]

Reminds me of Villages Nature Resort at Disneyland Paris.

Exactly my thinking, I see this based off of that one

 

[Sledge]

The concept art is terrible. Looks like any other moderate apartment complex we have around Dallas.

Aventura is still dog crap, but at least its value dog crap.

 

[shiekra38]

Disney has officially revealed the next major resort being developed, slated to open for 2022.



The new resort will be the 16th DVC property on the resort, as it's slated to have 900 rooms and multiple DVC Villa's.

Introducing The Lofts at Sodo Sopa

 

[Alicia]

Introducing The Lofts at Sodo Sopa

I got that one!

EDIT: Just watched the clip again, and it ends with "Welcome Home," which is the DVC catchphrase lol. So, on point!

 

[shiekra38]

I’ve got a theory about Disney’s hotel designs.

Back in the 90s and early 2000s, Vegas wanted to be a family destination. After all, look at all the money that Disney was making, plus shopping malls, Chuck E Cheese. Families were where the money was at.

So, Vegas (which is basically just four developers, so it’s a similar situation to Orlando), started building family resorts and family attractions. The Exacibur (castle resort), Treasure Island (pirate themed), Mirage (Polynesian), NYNY (duh), Paris (not gonna bother). All of these were themed hotels from the outside and fairly well themed on the inside. MGM even built a theme park around this time.

What’s Vegas building now? CityCenter and the Cosmopolitan. The best themes I can think of for these are “city?” and “millennials?”. I’m really stretching it.

Why did Vegas undergo this shift? It seems like Vegas just gave up on attracting families. Kids love themed environments. Adults are more indifferent to them. I can’t think of a single themed hotel built in Vegas in years. Even the themed hotels are slowly losing their identity on the inside.

I can’t help but think that Disney is undergoing a similar shift with their hotel theming. Does this mean Disney is moving away from families? No idea. But, I think Vegas is the place to look if you want to read into Disney’s hotel strategies.

That explains all the extra strippers in Epcot recently

 

[La2kw]

This “what about-ism” is besides the point.



This hotel is located in the upper right, slightly north west and very close to the ranch, Hoop, and Trails End.

Places that look like this.

For better or worse Universal isn’t building their hotels in themed areas. If Disney wants to throw their name and Walt around as reasons they’re the best and worth the cost then they should follow their own design history. Good for the Pacific North west and their designs, but it doesn’t fit the Fort Wilderness area. Period.

But Disney has marketed the Wilderness Lodge as a Pacific Northwest inspired resort all the way back to 1994 when it opened. The resort web page currently states: "Escape to the rustic majesty of America’s Great Northwest." If it's patterned after a modern take of Pacific Northwest architecture, there is already a precedent for it.

That said, I'm not sure about this resort based on the one photo we've seen. It resembles a modern cabin style architecture, but who knows what it will end up being. I can't figure out why DVC plans are so vague these days, considering we still don't know what the Riviera is going to be and then this.

I think I'll save my DVC points for OKW, Aulani, or the Grand Californian.

 

[Teebin]

Is Disney overbuilding hotel rooms? It seems at this point they are building more rooms then there will be demand for... and for too many people for the parks to absorb.

 

[JoeCamel]

Is Disney overbuilding hotel rooms? It seems at this point they are building more rooms then there will be demand for... and for too many people for the parks to absorb.

I think their goal is to have the parks for onsite guests and then let in day guests to fill in. I'm sure they make more off the onsites than day guests and...... DVC still sells.