News Disney Lakeshore Lodge (Project 89 - Development near Fort Wilderness)

[Agent H]

One thing I really like about old key west is how instead of a traditional lobby they have a Main Street of a “town” housing the restaurants store and check-in desk.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I use Saratoga for transportation when I’m staying at the Disney springs resorts - I’ve always really enjoyed the grounds and transportation.

I will say the riviera is in a middle ground vs. the poly tower. It’s a step down as far as “disney feels” but the disney feel is still there a little. Poly tower? Not really.

 

[castlecake2.0]

I can’t see the future, but worth reiterating they are different resorts. Which does not excuse the issues.

I doubt they do much of anything to the Fort in the same way the Martinique pool isn’t at risk from RIV. There isn’t going to be any attempt on Disney’s behalf to make them gel further, for better or worse.

Old Disney would have built an island in the lagoon here with some landscaping to create a visual break between the two resorts. They did create a small berm between Aruba and the Skyliner station that’s growing in at least.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I will say the riviera is in a middle ground vs. the poly tower. It’s a step down as far as “disney feels” but the disney feel is still there a little. Poly tower? Not really.

I’s say the opposite. Island Tower isn’t trying to be anything more than a contemporary tower. It’s not great, it’s not unique, but it’s also not without precedent. Riviera on the other hand is trying to be more of a themed experience and completely botched the attempt.

 

[jpeden]

I use Saratoga for transportation when I’m staying at the Disney springs resorts - I’ve always really enjoyed the grounds and transportation.

I will say the riviera is in a middle ground vs. the poly tower. It’s a step down as far as “disney feels” but the disney feel is still there a little. Poly tower? Not really.

I’s say the opposite. Island Tower isn’t trying to be anything more than a contemporary tower. It’s not great, it’s not unique, but it’s also not without precedent. Riviera on the other hand is trying to be more of a themed experience and completely botched the attempt.

I will say this - I’ve always been a big Riviera critic for the same reasons rehashed - lack of theming, etc. HOWEVER - my wife has been insistent we stay here because she love it for some reason (although she also hates Illuminations and LWTL so maybe we don’t trust her opinion on WDW ).

The rooms here are VERY nice and well appointed. I have to say they are probably the nicest and most “elegant” rooms on the property and come the closest to feeling like a true deluxe, luxury resort. The food options are also good with Primo Piatto and the pool bar, and the splash pad area for the kids is VERY nice.

I agree they somewhat botched the outside but it’s a beautiful hotel on the inside.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I don’t mind piping in this one. It’s the only ‘deluxe’ hotel I’ve stayed at Disney that I actively disliked. Strolling around the grounds aside, which was still enjoyable.

I found the refurb quality is poorly holding up. The rooms were pretty battered, worsened by the high cash rate consumption. It felt deeply disconnected (I was shoved in the Carousel). I find externalized hallways the opposite of premium. The transport I felt was very lacking for where I was In the resort. I had an hour wait for a bus leaving MK, not because they were full but because it took that long. It was a hike to get to any amenity. Internalized luggage transfer was not well thought out (I walked my luggage across the resort rather than wait the quoted hour). It’s a resort better serviced by having a car and treating it as your condo and I guess I’ve realized I’m a hotel guy after all.

Now I love, love, love any of their original lodges through DAK and vaguely including the non-lodge Aulani. But Rivieria, for its immense flaws, is an infinitely superior experience to SSR in probably every aspect that I found actually mattered to me. Yea it’s a Euro Westin with a gondola, but I know I like Westin. I guess I don’t like Florida Condo.

I think the membership of DVC has given consistent feedback directly or indirectly that they want to be near amenities and dining and with convenient park access. There’s one (though many) reasons SSR is the least popular option. OKW has its own sub culture and isn’t so terribly sprawling. New membership prefer hotel towers and inevitably that’s who they are selling to.

I can't speak to the building quality - Saratoga is the only pre-Pop WDW resort I've never stayed in. Time shares, particularly in the coastal south, were traditionally associated with villas, and the DVC began with that logic. I've always found the timeshare hotel room idea Disney has moved to very odd - it seems to defeat much of the purpose. Of course, DVC really isn't a traditional "timeshare" now - if it ever was.

 

[peter11435]

I can't speak to the building quality - Saratoga is the only pre-Pop WDW resort I've never stayed in.

Saratoga came after Pop

 

[Touchdown]

I would imagine that they will be pairing buses with Ft Wilderness for this hotel at off peak times. I would also assume the internal bus will stop there too to serve as a secondary hub/replace the pioneer hall/boat landing stop.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I would imagine that they will be pairing buses with Ft Wilderness for this hotel at off peak times. I would also assume the internal bus will stop there too to serve as a secondary hub/replace the pioneer hall/boat landing stop.

That is one element I want to see how it functions as I assume they will need dedicated/direct busses for folks staying at Lakeshore vs the internal bus and just how all that fits together (maybe I am just over complicating it in my head)

 

[JD80]

I ate at Topolinos last week for dinner, great experience. I enjoyed the hotel and the grounds too. Thought the theming was well done, especially since I've stay at CBR a handful of times over the last few years. I really like the vibe of the place.

That being said, I don't feel compelled to stay there for any particular reason.

I stayed at OKW in 2015 and wasn't very impressed.

 

[FiestaFunKid]

I will say this - I’ve always been a big Riviera critic for the same reasons rehashed - lack of theming, etc. HOWEVER - my wife has been insistent we stay here because she love it for some reason (although she also hates Illuminations and LWTL so maybe we don’t trust her opinion on WDW ).

The rooms here are VERY nice and well appointed. I have to say they are probably the nicest and most “elegant” rooms on the property and come the closest to feeling like a true deluxe, luxury resort. The food options are also good with Primo Piatto and the pool bar, and the splash pad area for the kids is VERY nice.

I agree they somewhat botched the outside but it’s a beautiful hotel on the inside.

Agree that Riv are the nicest rooms on property - but liking the skyliner is essentially a must to stay here and justify those prices in that location.

I do have to admit theming inside rooms has improved over time. As an 80s kid, I always wondered why more was not done to make the rooms unique to match the amazing theming of the CR, Poly, etc. Of course, this a small win if entire resorts no longer have the immersion at a conceptual and structural level - as room looks will come and go with refurbs (and I hear the nice new rooms in the Poly tower are showing wear and tear already due to cheaper furnishings).

On SS and especially OKW, I think they are nice resorts if you are willing to rent a car. Parking outside your room and driving to parks is a different vacation experience vs taking buses from those resorts. I'd very likely rather stay at OKW with a car for less money vs Likeside and rely on the busses/boat.

 

[Bocabear]

We stayed at the Riviera once... We had one of the Grand Villas...Which was a beautiful set of rooms... It didn't feel particularly European or themed at all other than "Modern Elegant"... I found the rest of the resort "themeing" to be non existent... Yes, the one spot where the mosaics are is very nice ...the rest was rather bland, but nice. It did not feel much like a Disney resort.... And they could have made it look more like a Riviera hotel.... But thisa seems to be the new model... not theme to speak of, Modern nice rooms, and no one cares that it is no longer special or unique.... But as long as the customers think that is fine, that is what they will continue to build...

 

[DisneyHead123]

I don’t mind different options for different tastes, but I am worried that Riviera reportedly selling so well means the “tasteful Westin with light theming” look is going to dominate for awhile. For Lakeshore in particular, I’d like to see more elaborate and detailed theming. At a minimum I think the nice thing about a lodge is the cozy feel, wood logs and fireplaces. That doesn’t mesh with the open, airy look that is more prominent now, and I suspect the open and airy look is going to win out.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

We just stayed at Old Key West earlier this month and loved it. The bus transportation was fine (our room was halfway between Hospitality and Millers Rd), and the rooms were comfortable.

 

[JD80]

I don't have any experience with the real Riviera outside of movies. I thought the hotel kind of nailed it.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Saratoga came after Pop

I think of Saratoga and its predecessors the Disney Insitute and the Village as largely the same resort, in which case it’s one of WDW’s oldest resorts.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I don't have any experience with the real Riviera outside of movies. I thought the hotel kind of nailed it.

I’ve never been there but it looks like one of the highlights is the way it’s physically structured. It looks like it would be a great place to stroll around.

My concern (and this is specific to me) with Lakeshore is that to me, lodges should be more insular and synonymous with coziness. They should invite you to sip a hot chocolate or bourbon by a fireplace with a vague sense that the elements are raging outside. I loooved staying at Wilderness Lodge in the winter for that reason. I doubt that will be the structure of Lakeshore. I’m guessing it will be more “nature center” vs. “lodge” (I’m still very excited for it overall, though.)

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I had never actually been to OKW until my last visit, when I took a bus there out of curiosity.

There were always so many other options on property with a more desirable location, price point or amenities that neither myself or my family ever chose to stay there.

But it is a nice looking resort that's kept its original aesthetic and it's the kind of hotel that Disney unfortunately doesn't build anymore. Ironic when it was the original DVC location.

 

[Bocabear]

I don't have any experience with the real Riviera outside of movies. I thought the hotel kind of nailed it.

Well they got part of a roof right.... That is about it... Potorfino Bay at Universal does a far more convincing job at placemaking....

 

[Bocabear]

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