Tracking the New Lakeshore Lodge "Letters from Lakeshore" updates

I didnt catch that until you mentioned it, probably because it does mention studios. but it doesnt specifically say DVC. Very interesting. I am looking forward to hearing /reading more info about this resort.

Thankfully, Newswire just posted a press release from DVC. No real new info there, but Bill Dierksen (whose name I will never spell correctly) was quoted talking about the resort so that all shows clear sign DVC will be involved in some way.

Thats a relief! Thanks, Amy!

So exciting! I am dying to know what the points chart will look like. I am also scared thinking it will be like PIT. I own at Copper Creek and am spoiled that studios don't cost that much per night compared to other resorts like PIT or Riv. Planning on banking some points so I can hopefully sneak in there late 2027/early '28!

Perhaps the blog writer isn't a fan of DVC :).

That being said, I just don't see them not including a DVC component in any resort of the Lakeshore Lodge caliber given the fact that DVC prints money.

The original Refelctions concept photos still has the villas in them, so I would assume those will be announced sooner or later since there have been ery few changes to that original plan from what I can tell.

I think this is one of those "if you have to ask" situations :D

I'm very interested in the 2 bedroom A-frames but I'm doubtful that they will have jacuzzi since they seem to be purging them with the refurbs.

If the price the points chart akin to the Polynesian Tower there better be more than just a Lazy River to justify that...

I'm thinking it will be priced with a category between BLT Resort/Saver View and BLT Preferred View as the Standard, and then a Premium Category which will be notched between BLT Preferred View and BLT Theme Park View...

But they could try to price it like Riviera points chart... I think that would be a mistake given the number of units they are going to need to sell, but we also haven't heard of any new resorts on the horizon after this... so maybe they'll be comfortable selling this for years and years and years...

I think anything higher would be hard for me to justify with the points charts.... Unless there are some major amenities and a level of workmanship heretofore unseen at a Disney Vacation Club property...

Here's some new aerial footage from bioreconstruct. For those that don't know, bioreconstruct gets a ton of construction footage from the Orlando area, including the theme parks.

All can say is this place is going to be huge and the pools/water features are shaping up to be what I think will be one of my favorites:

(If this is the wrong place for this, apologies)

Thanks for sharing the Bio flyover! The footprint of this resort is remarkable. I’m eager to see the outdoor spaces continue to take shape.

Since I saw the first footprint of the resort and the pools/lazy river I have been calling this the "Aulani of East Coast". Obviously different theming but I feel the scale of DLL and the amenities it has to offer will be our side of the country's answer to that beautiful resort. We fell in love with Aulani and if it could come close to giving those same resort vibes I am so ready for it!

Would be great if that ends up being the case!

Noticed something, it appears that these rooms that face the existing Fort Wilderness Trail's End Restaurant and Hoop-Dee-Doo (the building you can see in the bottom right of this image) do not have balconies. I'm sure these won't be the DVC side and will be the hotel side as I would be any DVC room would have a balcony. Just interesting that they decided not to allow for balconies behind these buildings. The view would not be great anyway, but still.

Thank you for this post! I'm looking forward to this resort but I don't foresee buying there if they continue the resale restrictions.

I'd hope that all DVC would have balconies, but Disneyland tower is an exception to that. Still, it does make more sense those would be hotel side.

Man if I am really tempted to wait for a resale of this resort if that is the case.

New concept art!

It feels like an actual resort. I really like it. (still won't buy if there's resale restrictions but man it looks nice - although giant.)

NEW LAKESHORE LODGE CONCEPT ART REVEALED 🌊🏝️

Disney Lakeshore Lodge concept art just dropped, and this one is packed with new details. From a lazy river pool and water slide to waterfront dining and A frame cabins, this resort is shaping up to be something special.

Here is what we know. The new visuals highlight a massive pool complex that could rival the best at Walt Disney World, plus a dedicated boat dock for easy Magic Kingdom access. And yes, those cabins look like they will be premium DVC options.

Safe to say… 2027 cannot come soon enough.

Full details at the link:
https://dvcfan.com/general-dvc/new-lakeshore-lodge-concept-art-details-2027/

I am so excited for this resort! I didnt think i would be but the pool area really makes it exciting for me! It will be great for resort based stays and also so close to magic kingdom. Cant wait!

I am super excited for this resort and for more details to be released. glad we finally got some info confirmed! I dont see us buying there but I do see me staying there, hanging out in the lazy river:)

This looks next level/game changer. (If the concept materialzes of course)

We can always use more points, I guess :)

Now we just need to see point charts.. I'm scared already.

Did anyone not think this would be a DVC resort? I was always under the impression it would be DVC.

My impression of the resort, at least from an artist rendering (which usually isn't exact to the final resort) is that it looks unique and will be a good addition to the DVC family. It appears to be a slight spinoff from what is available at Wilderness (Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge, along with the cabins), but with different theming.

I will hold final judgment until it is done and I start hearing reviews from others who have stayed there. I don't see me breaking my non-Adonitis streak for this resort, though.

I'm curious if this resort will be part of the Palmetto Trust association like the cabins. If it is do we think the Cabins and Lake Shore could "share" dues costs? It seems way off but it could make the cabins more desirable if the guests could use LSL pools and have a better dues rate.... just random thoughts I had 🤷‍♀️

I would love to hear from someone more knowledgeable about the trust structure but I believe this is the assumption right now. It would certainly help bring down the dues costs. On the flip side, if the cabins are bringing in enough cash sale traffic they may simply not care that the resort has sold "poorly". I think having these current cabins as an extension to Lakeshore seems like a logical play.

Looking forward to this resort opening. Would love to stay here at Christmas some year. . . enjoy a show at Hoop Dee Doo, holiday carriage ride through FW, quick boat access to MVMCP at MK.

I hope they release interior concept art soon. Curious if it will be the same as the previously released "Reflections" interior concept art. Also anxious to hear a confirmation of the theme for waterfront TS restaurant. Perhaps more details will be coming at D23 in August?

Im hoping we get some dates this upcoming D23

Great new aerial shots from bioreconstruct!

Thanks for the pics ! Sure is coming right along.

This is what I am assuming. and hoping:)

Saving some points to stay there asap!

Man, those pictures show just how massive that property is.

I'm getting serious Aulani vibes...

And this is a very good thing IMO.. Aulani of the east.

I wonder if it does hurt Aulani sales at all even more?

Latest update. Kinda shocked it might be mostly DVC instead of 50/50 split:

https://dvcfan.com/general-dvc/disney-lakeshore-lodge-resort-use-plan-filed-june-2026/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSLo4VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeU8MFJ7J5p9yqE0Dct17afo9NzqbSX-1cjCGebg93Kwm6GGbgbaX1YxgISw8_aem_u92KgrqZZhNwTdHRo8fGuA

DVC makes them money in multiple steps so it makes complete sense.

• They can rent out rooms via cash until they're declared, with no rush to do so. (See CFW)

• They make a ton of money on the rooms via DVC sales once declared.

• Then DVC members pay their dues which helps pay for the upkeep.

So, while it's the new "hot" resort, they can just list undeclared rooms as cash at a premium (no/light sales, etc).

And when they start needing more and more maintenance, more rooms will most likely declared for DVC which shifts the costs to DVC members.

Awhile back I read somewhere that one reason they might put the new resort in the same ownership interest as the FW Cabins is that it could reduce the high maintenance fees for the cabins which some people have said are a deterrent to buying points there. I don't know if adding the extra volume to the same ownership interest would have that impact, I have just heard others make that claim. Interested in what others think.

So I just answered my own question on this - I just watched Paul and Amy's latest video on this subject and I think Paul and Derek laid a pretty good case for why the new Lodge will be the same ownership interest as the FW Cabins although Jeff made a very solid counter argument.

I wouldn't be surprised either way, I just don't see this happening for two reasons... at least not in the way everyone's thinking.

LSL will be a premium offering and the cabins will dilute this... it's just two different clientele.

If it is added to the CFW pool, then we're goign to have a 2042 problem again.. where mulitple properties end in the same year.

But also, I beleive it's possible for both LSL to be in the same trust, but actually not be added to the CFW pool. This would mean it would be functionally treated as a different property, even if it's under the same trust.

Worth a read - Lakeshore Lodge is Not a Mixed-Use Disney World Resort Hotel, But That Doesn't Really Matter. - Disney Tourist Blog

Ok I just skimmed these posts and did not see anyone asking about transportation. 900+ rooms. Thats a lot of folks to move around. How many bus stops will there be? If just one, that will cause issues. Imagine everyone trying to hop a bus to Epcot or HS for rope drop? Already at the larger DVC properties it can get pretty dicey to catch a bus during peak demand times. How many buses would you have to wait for at DS or any park for that matter, for a ride back? Transportation will be interesting to say the least.

Correct me if I am wrong but the Contemporary only has one bus stop and between the A Frame, Bay Lake Tower, and the Garden Wing it has over 900 total rooms.

You are correct in that there is only 1 stop. or its 950 some odd rooms. However the contemporary has other means of transport as well such as the Monorail, and the walking path . It can be a mad house getting a bus to AK or DS, especially first thing in the morning. That is why we almost never use a bus when staying at BLT. The Monorail is a no go at times as well with having to wait for multiple trains.

LSL will only have busses and boats. It may not be an issue, as Disney seems very good at moving people around. However, the jury is still out.

What about the All-Star Resorts? Each only has one bus stop, they only have bus transportation, and they all have a lot more rooms than the Lakeside Lodge will. Port Orleans French Quarter has over 1000 rooms and only one bus stop. I believe Pop Century and Art of Animation (both of which are huge) have only one bus depot and yes I realize they have the Skyliner but that is a fairly recent addition.

I doubt Disney sees this as that big of a deal.

True, However I have never stayed at those and dont know first had what the bus situation is like. I do know that at the Contemporary that has 950+ rooms, it can be a bit of on issue with multiple bus waits. And at the Contemporary you have walking and the Monorail as alternate transportation options. With only Busses and boats, it could prove interesting.

Like at Boardwalk and Contemporary where there is really only space for 1 or 2 busses at most, it can get really chaotic at the stop. AKV Jambo, however, has more bays which are more or less dedicated to a specific destination. That would be a preferred model. Like I said. It will be interesting to see how transportation is handled.

This is where my thought went too. The Value resorts often gets those double length buses at peak times that help a ton. Logistically they will figure it out.

I think part of the issue here is that for those of us who stay almost exclusively at the DVC resorts 900+ rooms sounds really big because from our perspective it is but when you compare it to resorts in the Moderate and Value category, it is less than half the size of some of those. We also need to remember that a lot of the DVC resorts are attached to Deluxe Hotels that when you add in the hotel side to the DVC side, they size comparisons are pretty close.

In addition to the Contemporary as we have pointed out, the Wilderness Lodge in total has over 1000 units, the Boardwalk has over 900 total units, the Beach Club has over 800 total units, the Polynesian has over 800 total units, Animal Kingdom Lodge (just the Jambo House side) has almost 1200 total units, and the GF has over 800 total units.

Bottomline - this new lodge is not as big as we are making it out to be, in fact in terms of total units it is more or less in line with other deluxe resorts and a lot of those resorts are single bus depot resorts and many share their bus line with other resorts.

One thing I noticed on Bioreconstruct's latest aerial photos: the bus stop seems really large. Hopefully that means there will be room for lots of buses at once. Looks like at least 5 buses at a time by the footings? And hopefully they will be dedicated buses - not shared with the campsites or any other resort.

Not sure about other resorts but Jambo and Kidani both have five bus stands - one for each park and one for DS so this would make sense.

The latest letter is out. This looks pretty awesome!

https://dvcfan.com/dvc-resorts/lakeshore-lodge/the-wetlands-disney-lakeshore-lodge-lazy-river-pools-play-areas/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSfoahleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFPNmg1Umw5ZExSS210Q0RQc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkFmY1ytf7CUIUo9U3IJsEjw3NbgW07nEfKkC3nsaGZ0xqwkdRxZL8CrKAH9_aem_yzDph7aAfRjUhBHqw5tI2g