Since our last construction update, Disney Lakeshore Lodge has grown in size to include a third floor and crews have begun working on the resort’s fourth floor.
Disney Lakeshore Lodge Construction
We know from a September 2024 permit that the new hotel will be 10 stories. Disney Lakesore Lodge was announced a few months after the permit as a replacement for Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge.
The hotel is under construction along Bay Lake, between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. The space once held the water park River Country, which closed permanently in 2001 but was not demolished until 2019, when work on Reflections began.
Big Floatmaster platforms are in the water next to the construction site. These barges can be used to hold or transport construction equipment. The yellow barriers in the water keep stray debris from drifting too far into the lake to be retrieved.
The hotel is currently being built as a set of three buildings, though work began in February to connect the three structures together. However, this separate construction process has meant the buildings are not uniform, with the central building being the tallest.
Construction crew members are already working on installing elements of the fourth floor in this section. From the water, the large concrete beams holding the floors in place are visible, along with some wooden safety railings running across the top.
To the right of this central section, elements of the second and third floors can be seen still under construction. Many of the construction tools and materials for the project have also been staged on this right side.
The furthest wing of the resort is currently the least finished, though it is still much further along than our last update. The roof of the first floor has been completely installed, and it appears most of the main work is now taking place on the second floor.
Disney has not released any new concept art since this project was renamed Disney Lakeshore Lodge instead of Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, so it is possible only the middle section of the resort will be ten stories and the side sections will be shorter.
Finally, the leftmost wing that is closest to the Fort Wilderness beach has seen its third floor mostly completed. Cranes were lowering more wall panels into place from the nearby staging area.
The beams dividing the third and fourth floors are still exposed, but crew members can already be seen walking on what will become the fourth level.
Some of the dirt to the left of the building has been smoothed since our last update, though the area is still very uneven.
Around the corner of this building, we can also see construction beginning on what appears to be an outdoor roof structure or overhang.
The work on Disney Lakeshore Lodge expanded in February to include most of the Fort Wilderness beach. Only the seating area closest to the fishing excursion check-in building is still available for guests to enjoy.
Scrim with a nature print cuts across the beach and surrounds the construction site to the left.
The scrim is adorned with PPG Paints signs featuring Disney characters and quotes like, “Squirrel!”
The scrim wraps all the way around the side of the beach and blocks guests from going any further than the fishing building.
From Fort Wilderness, more of the construction progress can be seen above the scrim. One early-stage wall has been installed in the center of this building, while metal wiring for additional walls is propped nearby.
Several crew members are working on completing the second floor. Crew members on ladders are seen installing metal posts for the walls. It appears this section will be individual DVC rooms, since the frames have open spots for doorways and walls dividing each room.
None of the walls have been installed yet for the third floor, so that section is still mostly empty.
Announcements from Disney have described Lakeshore Lodge as “inspired by the majesty of nature and its enduring influence on Disney artists.” The resort is expected to open sometime in 2027, though no more details or new concept art has been revealed yet. According to some new rumors, Disney Lakeshore Lodge may be home to a large feature pool with a lazy river.
Are you planning to stay at Disney Lakeshore Lodge once it officially opens? Let us know in the comments.
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