Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is an upcoming Disney Resorts Collection hotel scheduled to open at Walt Disney World on July 1, 2027, bringing nearly 1,000 new accommodations to one of the most historically significant pieces of undeveloped resort property on Bay Lake.
Disney is positioning the new resort as a quieter, nature-inspired waterfront retreat where classic Disney storytelling is woven into the landscape rather than dominating it. Instead of building the resort around one movie or character franchise, Imagineers are drawing from decades of animated films in which forests, rivers, mountains, seasons and wildlife play an important role.
That approach will bring together stories including Bambi, Pocahontas, Encanto, Brother Bear and Fantasia, with different films inspiring different room categories and public spaces throughout the resort.
The result is shaping up to be one of the most unusual Walt Disney World resorts Disney has built in years.
Lakeshore Lodge will include 967 rooms, multiple styles of studios and villas, freestanding waterfront Lake Houses, two pools, a lazy river, several restaurants and lounges, extensive outdoor recreation, water transportation to Magic Kingdom, and views of both the Magic Kingdom fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant.
But the most interesting part of the project may be the land underneath it.
The resort is rising along the south shore of Bay Lake between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, on property once occupied by Disney’s original water park, River Country. It is also the long-delayed successor to Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, a major resort Disney announced years earlier but never completed.
In other words, Lakeshore Lodge is not simply a new hotel.
It is the latest chapter in more than 50 years of Walt Disney World history along Bay Lake.
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge at a Glance
| Opening Date | July 1, 2027 |
| Location | South shore of Bay Lake, between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness |
| Resort Area | Magic Kingdom Resort Area |
| Number of Rooms | 967 |
| Theme | Nature viewed through Disney animation and storytelling |
| Featured Films | Bambi, Pocahontas, Encanto, Brother Bear, Fantasia and other Disney classics |
| Feature Pool | Lakeshore Lagoon |
| Lazy River | Daydream River |
| Table-Service Restaurant | Moonglade |
| Quick Service | Bay Lake Provisions |
| Pool Bar | Paint Out Point Bar & Grill |
| Fireworks Lounge | Dandelion Terrace |
| Club Lounge | The Artist’s Nest |
| Magic Kingdom Transportation | Water taxi |
Where Is Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge?
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is being built at 632 W. Wilderness Way along the south shore of Bay Lake.
The location places it between two very different Disney resorts.
To the west is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the grand 1994 resort inspired by the monumental National Park lodges of the American West.
To the east is Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, which opened in November 1971 and remains one of the oldest accommodations at Walt Disney World.
Lakeshore Lodge will occupy something of a middle ground between them.
It will not be a wilderness campground, nor will it attempt to duplicate the huge timber-and-stone architecture of Wilderness Lodge. Instead, concept art shows a more contemporary waterfront resort surrounded by extensive landscaping, glass, natural materials and smaller architectural details intended to connect the buildings visually with Bay Lake.
Its most important transportation advantage will be direct water taxi service to Magic Kingdom.
Disney has also confirmed bus transportation from Lakeshore Lodge to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the water parks and Disney Springs.
No monorail or Disney Skyliner connection has been announced.
This Was Once River Country
The location has an unusually rich history.
Long before Lakeshore Lodge, this stretch of Bay Lake was home to Disney’s River Country.
River Country opened on June 20, 1976 beside Fort Wilderness as Walt Disney World’s first water park.
Disney designed it to resemble an old-fashioned American swimming hole rather than a modern water park.
The centerpiece was Bay Cove, a massive swimming area connected visually and originally physically with Bay Lake. Guests could tackle attractions such as Whoop ’n Holler Hollow, White Water Rapids, Slippery Slide Falls and the Boom Swing while surrounded by rocks, trees and deliberately rustic architecture.
For much of its early history, River Country was enormously popular.
Thousands of guests could visit on a busy day, and its success helped demonstrate that a dedicated water park could become a major Walt Disney World attraction rather than simply another hotel amenity.
Disney eventually built much larger water parks.
Typhoon Lagoon opened in 1989, followed by Blizzard Beach in 1995.
River Country operated seasonally in its later years before permanently closing on September 1, 2001.
What followed became one of the stranger chapters in Walt Disney World history.
Rather than immediately redeveloping the property, Disney largely left the former water park in place for years.
Structures deteriorated. Vegetation overtook portions of the property. Pools and slides that had once been packed with guests became some of the resort’s most famous abandoned spaces.
For Disney history fans, River Country became almost legendary precisely because so much of it remained standing long after the gates closed.
Disney Is Acknowledging the River Country History
Lakeshore Lodge will finally return this shoreline to daily guest use, but Disney does not appear interested in completely erasing what came before.
Disney has confirmed that guests walking through The Wetlands recreation area will encounter a special plaque honoring a beloved historic attraction that once occupied the site.
Given the location, the connection to River Country is unmistakable.
That makes the new resort unusual.
Disney is not rebuilding River Country, and Lakeshore Lodge is not being presented as a nostalgic recreation of the old water park. But the new resort’s heavy emphasis on water recreation, outdoor spaces and the Bay Lake landscape creates an interesting thematic link between the site’s past and future.
River Country centered the vacation experience around being outside.
More than 50 years after it opened, Lakeshore Lodge will attempt something similar in a very different form.
From River Country to Reflections
Disney’s first serious attempt to redevelop the River Country property was not Lakeshore Lodge.
In 2018, Disney announced plans for a new deluxe nature-themed resort along Bay Lake.
It was soon given the name Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge.
The planned project called for more than 900 hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas, with a nature-focused concept built around Walt Disney’s appreciation for the outdoors.
Concept artwork showed a large lakeside hotel and standalone waterfront accommodations.
Disney promoted Reflections heavily enough that it seemed certain to become the next major Magic Kingdom-area resort.
Site preparation began, River Country’s remaining structures were cleared, and construction infrastructure began appearing around the property.
The resort was expected to open in 2022.
Then 2020 happened.
Why Reflections Was Never Built
The COVID-19 pandemic brought Walt Disney World construction to an abrupt halt in March 2020.
Projects throughout the resort were delayed, scaled back or reconsidered as Disney faced park closures, dramatically reduced attendance and enormous uncertainty surrounding future travel.
Reflections was one of the casualties.
Construction stopped before the resort had risen significantly above ground, and Disney gradually stopped discussing the project publicly.
For several years, the River Country property once again sat largely dormant behind construction fencing.
The story appeared to have come full circle: another ambitious idea for the site had disappeared.
But the project was not completely dead.
The Resort Returns as Disney Lakeshore Lodge
Construction activity returned to the property in 2024.
Later that year, Disney confirmed that development was moving forward under a new name: Disney Lakeshore Lodge.
By 2026, Disney had refined the name again to Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge and begun revealing the project in far greater detail.
The relationship between the old Reflections plans and the new resort is clear.
The location is the same. The broad nature theme remains. The project still combines traditional hotel-style accommodations with villas and unusual waterfront lodging. Even the overall massing and placement of the primary hotel buildings closely resemble the earlier concept.
But Lakeshore Lodge is much more than a simple name change.
The new version has a much more developed Disney-animation identity, a far more ambitious pool and recreation complex, a confirmed lazy river, several newly named dining venues and detailed room themes spread across multiple films.
The resort that actually opens in 2027 will therefore be the product of an idea that took nearly a decade to evolve.
967 Rooms – But Not 967 Identical Hotel Rooms
Disney has confirmed that Lakeshore Lodge will contain 967 accommodations, but the number does not tell the whole story.
The resort will have one of the broadest accommodation mixes at Walt Disney World.
Current announced room categories include:
| Room Type | Theme | Sleeps |
|---|---|---|
| Resort Studio – Queen | Pocahontas | Up to 4 |
| Resort Studio – King | Pocahontas | Up to 2 |
| Duo Studio | Encanto | Up to 2 |
| Deluxe Studio | Bambi | Up to 4 |
| 1-Bedroom Villa | Bambi | Up to 5 |
| 2-Bedroom Villa | Bambi | Up to 9 |
| 3-Bedroom Grand Villa | Fantasia | Up to 12 |
| 1-Bedroom Lake House | Brother Bear | Up to 5 |
| 2-Bedroom Lake House | Brother Bear | Up to 8 |
| Hidden Willow Presidential Suite | Pocahontas | Up to 6 |
That range gives Lakeshore Lodge tremendous flexibility.
A couple can book a compact Duo Studio. A traditional family can choose a Resort Studio or Deluxe Studio. Larger groups will have one-, two- and three-bedroom villas with kitchens and laundry facilities. And guests looking for something more unusual will have the waterfront Lake Houses.
Pocahontas-Themed Resort Studios
The conventional Resort Studios will draw heavily from the landscapes of Pocahontas.
Disney has shown rooms with earthy colors, landscape murals, Grandmother Willow accent pillows and imagery inspired by the rivers and cliffs seen in the film.
Queen rooms will sleep up to four adults with two queen beds.
King rooms will sleep up to two.
Both categories include a mini refrigerator and microwave, while select rooms will have balconies.
Some Resort Studios will also be designated Club Level accommodations with access to The Artist’s Nest.
Encanto Duo Studios
Guests traveling alone or as a couple will have the option of an Encanto-inspired Duo Studio.
These rooms sleep two and use a queen-size pull-down bed, allowing more usable floor space when the bed is folded away.
The design includes colorful accents and a butterfly mural inspired by Encanto, along with a seating area, kitchenette, spa-like bathroom and private balcony.
The Duo Studio concept has become increasingly important within Disney’s newer villa properties because it offers a smaller accommodation without requiring a larger standard studio.
Bambi Deluxe Studios and Villas
Bambi provides the theme for several of the resort’s most important room categories.
Deluxe Studios sleep up to four guests with one queen bed and one queen-size pull-down bed.
They include a kitchenette with a wet bar, seating area, private balcony and a larger bathroom with dual sinks, walk-in shower and separate water closet.
The one- and two-bedroom villas carry the same forest-inspired theme but significantly increase the amount of space.
One-bedroom villas sleep up to five guests.
Two-bedroom villas sleep up to nine.
Both include full kitchens, separate living and dining areas, laundry facilities and larger bathrooms.
The aesthetic appears intentionally restrained rather than character-heavy, using soft earth tones and woodland imagery to reference the film without turning the rooms into oversized character displays.
Fantasia Grand Villas
For the largest groups, Lakeshore Lodge will offer three-bedroom Grand Villas capable of sleeping up to 12 guests.
These accommodations are inspired by Fantasia.
The connection fits naturally with the resort’s broader theme because so much of the 1940 film uses music, seasons, landscapes and natural forces as storytelling devices.
The Grand Villas include three bedrooms, a full kitchen, large dining and living areas, a primary bathroom with soaking tub and walk-in shower, additional bathroom space, laundry facilities and private outdoor space.
The Lake Houses May Become the Resort’s Signature Rooms
The most distinctive accommodations at Lakeshore Lodge will be its freestanding Lake Houses.
These one- and two-bedroom structures sit directly along the edge of Bay Lake and use dramatic A-frame architecture to separate them visually from the main hotel.
Floor-to-ceiling windows face the waterfront, allowing Bay Lake itself to become one of the dominant features of the room.
One-bedroom Lake Houses will sleep up to five guests and include two bathrooms.
Two-bedroom versions will sleep up to eight.
Both categories include:
- A full kitchen
- Separate living and dining spaces
- Washer and dryer
- Private waterfront porch
- Large windows facing the lake
The artwork and interior details take inspiration from Brother Bear.
Disney has specifically highlighted a Northern Lights-inspired lighting feature in the primary bedroom, tying the room to the film’s Alaskan landscapes and themes of transformation, family and nature.
Conceptually, these feel like Lakeshore Lodge’s answer to the Cascade Cabins at Wilderness Lodge or the Polynesian’s overwater-style Bungalows: high-end accommodations that make their location part of the experience rather than simply providing a room near a theme park.
The Hidden Willow Presidential Suite
The highest-end conventional suite announced so far is the Hidden Willow Presidential Suite.
The two-bedroom suite sleeps up to six guests and continues the Pocahontas design language used in the Resort Studios.
It includes:
- Two separate bedrooms
- Two full bathrooms
- A full kitchen
- Separate living room
- Washer and dryer
- A private balcony
- Bay Lake views
- Magic Kingdom fireworks views
- Access to The Artist’s Nest
The combination of a full kitchen, premium view and club-level privileges makes the Hidden Willow one of the most elaborate accommodations currently announced for the resort.
The Artist’s Nest Club Level Lounge
Lakeshore Lodge will also offer a dedicated Club Level experience.
The Artist’s Nest will be positioned above the surrounding treetops with views that include Cinderella Castle and Magic Kingdom fireworks.
Guests staying in qualifying Club Level rooms and the Hidden Willow Presidential Suite will receive access.
Disney currently describes the lounge as providing complimentary refreshments throughout the day, dedicated concierge assistance and personalized vacation-planning support through Disney Signature Services.
The elevated setting should make The Artist’s Nest one of the resort’s best nighttime viewing locations.
The Lobby Will Be Inspired by Pocahontas and Bay Lake
The lobby may become one of Lakeshore Lodge’s most distinctive spaces.
Rather than creating a huge enclosed monument like Wilderness Lodge’s lobby, Disney is designing the arrival experience to focus attention outward toward the landscape.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows will frame The Wetlands and Bay Lake.
Inside, a glowing fiber-optic river inspired by Pocahontas will run through the floor.
Above guests, a large blown-glass Colors of the Wind installation will use hundreds of suspended glass leaves to suggest movement through the air.
Custom tapestries will incorporate landscapes inspired by the film, while furniture and architectural accents will use natural materials including river-recovered cypress wood.
This appears to be the clearest example of what Disney means when it says Lakeshore Lodge will interpret nature “through the eyes of Disney artists and storytellers.”
The lobby is not intended to recreate a movie location.
Instead, Disney is using the artistic language of a film to shape an otherwise real-world natural environment.
The Wetlands Recreation Area
The resort’s outdoor recreation complex is called The Wetlands, and it may ultimately become one of the biggest reasons to stay at Lakeshore Lodge.
This is not simply a conventional hotel pool deck.
Disney is creating several different recreation areas spread through a landscaped environment immediately beyond the lobby.
Lakeshore Lagoon
Lakeshore Lagoon is the resort’s primary feature pool.
The zero-entry pool will include a spiral waterslide and serve as the energetic centerpiece of The Wetlands.
Daydream River
More unusual is Daydream River, a full lazy river winding through the recreation complex.
Guests will float through a landscaped route lined with palms and other vegetation while catching glimpses of Bay Lake.
A lazy river is still unusual at a Walt Disney World hotel and will immediately distinguish Lakeshore Lodge from most of the Resort’s existing deluxe properties.
Otter Springs
Otter Springs will be a water-play area designed for younger guests.
Its name comes directly from the animal imagery in Colors of the Wind, and Disney has described the area as incorporating interactive water features, splashing and slides.
Heron Shores
Nearby, Heron Shores provides a dry play environment with climbing structures and interactive elements.
Together, Heron Shores and Otter Springs translate the heron-and-otter imagery of Pocahontas into physical recreation spaces rather than conventional character theming.
Cypress Point
Guests looking for something quieter will have Cypress Point.
This smaller leisure pool will be separated from the more active main pool environment and will include a whirlpool spa.
Its biggest advantage may be its position.
Disney specifically designed Cypress Point to offer views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks at night.
Outdoor Recreation Beyond the Pools
Lakeshore Lodge will continue the recreation-heavy tradition established by Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge.
Disney has already confirmed plans for:
- Bike rentals
- Campfire activities
- Marshmallow roasting
- Fishing excursions
- Jogging trails
- Movies Under the Stars
- Playgrounds
That list is significant because it shows Disney is designing Lakeshore Lodge as somewhere guests can spend substantial time rather than simply sleep between park days.
The resort’s location makes that strategy logical.
Fort Wilderness has demonstrated for more than 50 years that the Bay Lake wilderness area can function almost as a destination unto itself.
The Electrical Water Pageant Is Coming to Lakeshore Lodge
Lakeshore Lodge will become another official viewing location for the Electrical Water Pageant.
The nighttime procession of illuminated sea creatures has been traveling the waters around the Magic Kingdom Resort area since 1971, making it one of the oldest continuously presented entertainment experiences at Walt Disney World.
Disney says the pageant will cruise past Lakeshore Lodge at night, weather permitting.
That may be a small amenity compared with the pools and restaurants, but it connects the brand-new hotel with one of Bay Lake’s oldest traditions from its first day of operation.
Dandelion Terrace: Fireworks Over Bay Lake
Another newly announced venue is Dandelion Terrace.
This nighttime lounge and viewing area is being positioned specifically around views across Bay Lake toward Magic Kingdom.
Guests will be able to watch both the fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant from the terrace.
The interior will include a two-story gallery displaying archival Disney artwork, with Fantasia among the featured films.
Dandelion-shaped light fixtures and subdued evening lighting are intended to reinforce the resort’s nature-and-art theme without turning the space into another heavily character-themed lounge.
Dining at Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge
Disney has announced three primary dining locations in addition to Dandelion Terrace.
Moonglade
Moonglade will be the resort’s signature table-service restaurant.
The lakefront dining room will use floor-to-ceiling windows to frame Bay Lake and the large cypress trees along the shoreline.
Disney says the menu will emphasize seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
Rather than building the restaurant around one Disney intellectual property, its announced identity is rooted primarily in the lake, cypress landscape and changing light outside the windows.
That could make Moonglade one of the more understated table-service restaurants Disney has introduced recently.
Bay Lake Provisions
Bay Lake Provisions will serve as the resort’s all-day quick-service marketplace.
The location will offer fresh meals, snacks, specialty coffee and handcrafted beverages in an open-kitchen setting.
Disney has also teased small woodland characters inspired by classic animated films hidden throughout the space.
Functionally, this should be the primary location for breakfast before heading to the parks as well as casual meals throughout the day.
Paint Out Point Bar & Grill
Paint Out Point Bar & Grill will sit near Lakeshore Lagoon.
The open-air venue will serve casual American food, shareable dishes and specialty beverages.
Its name refers to plein-air painting—the practice of creating artwork outdoors while observing the landscape directly.
That idea will carry into the restaurant itself through a collection of original artwork created by Imagineers while studying the Bay Lake surroundings.
Transportation at Lakeshore Lodge
The biggest transportation advantage will be direct boat service to Magic Kingdom.
Disney has confirmed:
- Water taxi service between Lakeshore Lodge and Magic Kingdom
- Bus transportation to Walt Disney World’s other theme parks
- Bus transportation to the water parks
- Bus transportation to Disney Springs
- Minnie Van service for an additional charge
The lack of monorail service is worth noting.
Despite being classified as a Magic Kingdom Resort Area hotel, Lakeshore Lodge is not on the Seven Seas Lagoon monorail loop.
Its transportation model will instead resemble Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness, where boats provide the most atmospheric connection to Magic Kingdom and buses handle most other destinations.
Disney Resort Benefits
Disney currently lists Lakeshore Lodge guests as eligible for several major Disney Resort benefits, including:
- Early Theme Park Entry
- Extended Evening Theme Park Hours
- Complimentary Walt Disney World transportation
- Early access to certain dining reservations
- Early access to Lightning Lane purchases
- Early booking opportunities for select Enchanting Extras
Disney policies can change before July 2027, but the inclusion of Extended Evening Hours is particularly notable because that benefit has traditionally been associated with Disney Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villa Resorts.
Parking and Basic Resort Details
Disney currently lists complimentary overnight self-parking for registered hotel guests.
Complimentary standard parking will also be available to day visitors using eligible dining, shopping, entertainment or recreation facilities.
Valet parking is currently listed at $42 per night plus tax, although that price can change before opening.
Standard Disney check-in and check-out times will apply:
- Check-in: 4:00 PM
- Check-out: 11:00 AM
Other confirmed amenities include a fitness center, complimentary Wi-Fi, Bell Services, housekeeping and Disney’s in-room “Hey Disney!” voice assistant.
When Can You Book Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge?
Disney has created a staggered reservation rollout ahead of the July 1, 2027 opening.
- October 6, 2026: Disney Vacation Club Members can begin making early rental reservations through Member Services.
- October 7, 2026: Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can make early rental reservations.
- October 8, 2026: Reservations open to all guests.
As of September 18, Disney has not yet published opening-night room rates for the general public.
The exact number of each room category also has not been publicly broken down.
What Is Still Unknown?
Disney has revealed considerably more about Lakeshore Lodge during 2026, but several significant details remain unanswered.
Among them:
- Opening room rates
- Exact inventory totals for each room type
- Full restaurant menus and pricing
- Exact operating hours for the pools and lazy river
- Whether pool hopping will be restricted
- Detailed bus routing and travel times
- Specific boat frequency to Magic Kingdom
- Any additional shops or merchandise locations
- Complete Disney Vacation Club sales and points information
- Whether additional experiences will be announced before opening
Disney has been releasing Lakeshore Lodge information in stages, so several of those details will likely emerge as the October reservation dates approach and construction moves closer to completion.
Construction Status as of September 2026
The project has now progressed far beyond the early structural phase.
By September 2026, most of the primary hotel mass is clearly defined, extensive window and balcony installation is visible, rooftop architectural elements are taking shape, and construction around the feature pool and waterslide complex is well underway.
The scale is becoming much easier to appreciate from Bay Lake.
What once looked like an isolated construction site has become a substantial new resort stretching across the shoreline between Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge.
With less than a year remaining before opening, work is increasingly shifting from basic structure toward exterior finishes, guest-room installation, recreation areas, landscaping and the detailed themed spaces that will define the finished property.
Why Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge Matters
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is important for reasons that go well beyond its 967 rooms.
It returns a major piece of Bay Lake shoreline to active guest use after more than two decades.
It finally resolves the story of the abandoned River Country property.
It revives an ambitious resort concept that appeared to die with Reflections.
And it represents a different direction for Disney hotel design.
For years, Disney resort theming increasingly leaned toward unmistakable character references.
Lakeshore Lodge certainly uses Disney films, but the announced designs suggest a more restrained approach.
Bambi becomes forests and earth tones.
Pocahontas becomes rivers, leaves and natural movement.
Brother Bear becomes mountains, seasons and Northern Lights.
Fantasia becomes the relationship between art, music and nature.
The characters and films are there, but they are supporting the environment rather than replacing it.
That could make Lakeshore Lodge feel very different from many of Disney’s newer hotels.
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge FAQ
When does Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge open?
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is scheduled to officially open at Walt Disney World on July 1, 2027.
Where is Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge being built?
The resort is being built on the south shore of Bay Lake between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The property includes land formerly occupied by Disney’s River Country water park.
How many rooms will Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge have?
Disney has announced 967 accommodations, ranging from Resort Studios and Duo Studios to one-, two- and three-bedroom villas, Lake Houses and the Hidden Willow Presidential Suite.
Will Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge have a lazy river?
Yes. The resort’s recreation area, The Wetlands, will include Daydream River, a lazy river winding through landscaped areas near Bay Lake.
Will Lakeshore Lodge have transportation to Magic Kingdom?
Yes. Disney has confirmed complimentary water taxi service between Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge and Magic Kingdom. Bus transportation will serve the other theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs.
Is Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge replacing River Country?
The resort is being constructed on property historically associated with River Country, Walt Disney World’s first water park. River Country opened in 1976 and permanently closed in 2001. Disney has confirmed that the new resort will include a historical marker honoring an attraction that once occupied the site.
Is Lakeshore Lodge the same project as Reflections?
Lakeshore Lodge evolved from the Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge project announced in 2018. Reflections was planned for the same Bay Lake property and had a similar nature-oriented concept, but construction stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Development later resumed under the Lakeshore Lodge name with an updated and more fully developed design.
When can guests book Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge?
Disney Vacation Club Members can begin making early rental reservations October 6, 2026. Walt Disney World Annual Passholders follow on October 7, and reservations open to all guests on October 8, 2026.
From River Country to Lakeshore Lodge
Few Walt Disney World resort sites have experienced a journey quite like this one.
River Country brought guests to this shoreline beginning in 1976.
After it closed in 2001, the property became one of Walt Disney World’s most famous forgotten spaces.
Reflections promised to finally transform it, only for that project to disappear during the pandemic.
Now the buildings are actually rising.
When Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge welcomes its first guests on July 1, 2027, it will end a redevelopment story that has lasted more than a quarter century.
And in some ways, the resort will bring the site back to where it began.
River Country was built around the idea that some of the best parts of a Disney vacation could happen outside the theme parks—swimming, relaxing, exploring and spending time beside Bay Lake.
Lakeshore Lodge is approaching that same idea from a very different era.
Instead of a rustic swimming hole, there will be a lazy river and waterfront Lake Houses.
Instead of River Country’s beaches and slides, there will be The Wetlands, Lakeshore Lagoon and Cypress Point.
But the basic appeal remains familiar.
Slow down.
Spend time outside.
Watch the boats cross Bay Lake.
See the Magic Kingdom fireworks in the distance.
And remember that a Walt Disney World vacation can be about more than racing from attraction to attraction.
After decades of false starts, Disney is finally giving this historic stretch of Bay Lake another story.