Imagineering filed three new permits for signs and themed set pieces at Disney World’s next Disney Vacation Club resort on Bay Lake. Here’s what that means and what we know so far.
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is getting its name on the door. Walt Disney Imagineering filed three new notices of commencement for the resort, covering signage and themed set elements, WDWMagic reported Thursday, Oct. 29.
The resort opens July 1, 2027, on the south shore of Bay Lake at Walt Disney World.
Reservations are already open to everyone. Disney Vacation Club members got first crack on Oct. 6, Annual Passholders followed on Oct. 7, and all guests could book starting Oct. 8.
Guests staying there will get Early Theme Park Entry, and the resort also qualifies for Extended Evening Hours, WDWNT reported Oct. 9.
What do the new Lakeshore Lodge permits cover?
According to WDWMagic, the filings break down like this:
SPI will install signage at 632 W. Wilderness Way
ThemeWorks Inc. will install set elements at 632 W. Wilderness Way
SPI will install signage at 640 W. Wilderness Way
ThemeWorks is a themed fabrication company. “Set elements” usually means the decorative, story pieces that make a Disney resort feel like a Disney resort and the little details guests stop to photograph. WDWMagic noted the filings don’t say which parts of the resort the work covers.
Signs usually come late in a build. So the sign permits are a good sign, pun fully intended, that the build is moving toward the finish line.
This isn’t the first round. BlogMickey reported on April 1 that Imagineering filed seven permits for signage and set elements, six with Design Communications Ltd. and one with ThemeWorks. SPI wasn’t named back then.
Where is Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge?
It sits between Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge, on the old River Country water park site. River Country closed in 2001, and the land sat empty for years, so a lot of longtime fans have been waiting to see what finally goes there.
Imagineering’s “Pardon Our Pixie Dust” series checked in on Lakeshore Lodge construction in August, including the otter sculptures headed for the splash area:
Disney’s Parks Blog says guests will be able to take a boat to Magic Kingdom. Disney hasn’t said which boats will run the route.
Why did it take so long to build?
This project has had a few lives. Disney announced a new deluxe hotel and Disney Vacation Club resort for the site in 2018, aiming for about 900 rooms. It was named Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Lodge that November.
Then the pandemic paused it, and Disney took it off its websites in 2020. In November 2024, Disney Vacation Club brought it back as Disney Lakeshore Lodge. DVC said it would be “inspired by the majesty of nature and its enduring influence on Disney artists.” The July 1, 2027, opening date came in August.
What will the rooms at Lakeshore Lodge look like?
The resort will have 967 rooms, per the Disney Parks Blog, and each room type pulls from a different nature-themed Disney movie:
Duo studios themed to Encanto, sleeping 2
Deluxe studios and one- and two-bedroom villas themed to Bambi
Three-bedroom grand villas themed to Fantasia, sleeping 12
Lake Houses themed to Brother Bear, with private porches and full kitchens
Resort studios themed to Pocahontas
There’s also a two-bedroom Hidden Willow Presidential Suite and a club-level lounge called the Artist’s Nest. The lobby gets a fiber-optic river in the floor and a blown-glass “Colors of the Wind” sculpture.
What restaurants and pools are at Lakeshore Lodge?
Moonglade is the lakefront table-service restaurant, and Bay Lake Provisions is the all-day quick-service market. Dandelion Terrace is a lounge with a two-story art gallery and views of Magic Kingdom fireworks.
The pool area, called The Wetlands, has Lakeshore Lagoon with a spiral slide, the Daydream River lazy river and two kids’ play areas named Heron Shores and Otter Springs.
Disney hasn’t announced point prices for DVC buyers yet. WDWNT said in early October that points should go on sale in the months before opening. If you want a peek before then, a scale model sits in the Walt Disney Presents Imagineering display at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDWMagic (Oct. 29), new permit filings, contractors and addresses
BlogMickey (April 1 and Oct. 19), earlier permits and the resort model
Disney Parks Blog (Oct. 1), rooms, dining, pools and boat service
WDWNT (Aug. 27 and Oct. 9), opening date and DVC sales timing
Walt Disney Imagineering on YouTube, Pardon Our Pixie Dust construction update
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