News Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge (Project 89 - Development near Fort Wilderness)

[Minthorne]

Ummmmm

View attachment 818034

That’s 14 stories.

 

[jme]

I wonder if anyone who worked on the 2011 proposal for a DVC resort on this site is still around working on this one

 

[peter11435]

so now that they built the Polyday Inn on the same basic design model as the original Reflections concept, will we have two of the same towers with the exception of some vaguely country themed details on the outside the way they did Polyday? or will this be a new design?...like the All Star resorts....same building, added theme elements depending on location?

The poly tower and reflections were not structurally, architecturally, or thematically the same. The poly tower was actively being designed before Reflections was put on hold. Had Covid not happened both would already be open.

 

[castlecake2.0]

The poly tower and reflections were not structurally, architecturally, or thematically the same. The poly tower was actively being designed before Reflections was put on hold. Had Covid not happened both would already be open.

What one is going to look worse

 

[SpaceMountain77]

What one is going to look worse

A 10-story tower in a campground.

 

[HauntedPirate]

A 10-story tower in a campground.

Easy solution - Get rid of the campground. Which could ultimately be the goal.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Disgruntled Walt shakes his head again...

 

[GladToBeHear]

Easy solution - Get rid of the campground. Which could ultimately be the goal.

I've said this before several times on these forums. I'm honestly shocked the campground has survived this long. I know it doesn't pull in nearly the same type of profit as the other resorts. And that's prime real estate. I can't believe they haven't tried to move it elsewhere on property (North?) or just omit it completely. I think that's probably the ultimate goal.

 

[Doberge]

I mean, seriously why not theme this new thing to actual Ft Wilderness...make it a kind of Frontierland Hotel and grounds... Add the train back and connect Ft Wilderness to Wilderness Lodge in a meaningful way...and let this property be the central entertainment and restaurant/shopping area for the Wilderness Resorts....and design it thematically to bridge the two resorts.... not another modern Marriott hotel, but something that feels like the Disney we all fell in love with... That is what people want... not another run of the mill hotel you can find anywhere....something unique fitting the theme of the area....

So bringing Buffalo Junction back from the dead and retheming to fit Fort Wilderness more? I love it!

But yes, I still think it ends up as Fort Wilderness expansion. It's the only way to salvage the Cabins disaster.

 

[GladToBeHear]

I mean, seriously why not theme this new thing to actual Ft Wilderness...make it a kind of Frontierland Hotel and grounds... Add the train back and connect Ft Wilderness to Wilderness Lodge in a meaningful way...and let this property be the central entertainment and restaurant/shopping area for the Wilderness Resorts....and design it thematically to bridge the two resorts.... not another modern Marriott hotel, but something that feels like the Disney we all fell in love with... That is what people want... not another run of the mill hotel you can find anywhere....something unique fitting the theme of the area....

This would be the only plan I could probably get behind. A Frontierland old-style hotel, Western town, train connecting FW and WL, etc. They could even go full-schlock with daily gun fights, train robberies, etc. like the Tweetsie Railroad. But this would all require effort and money. Not gonna happen.

 

[Doberge]

I've said this before several times on these forums. I'm honestly shocked the campground has survived this long. I know it doesn't pull in nearly the same type of profit as the other resorts. And that's prime real estate. I can't believe they haven't tried to move it elsewhere on property (North?) or just omit it completely. I think that's probably the ultimate goal.

The infrastructure is all there to support the resort mostly as it is. Anywhere they'd move it to is just a candidate for new construction without spending to close down one site for another. Short of replacing with an expansion of Golden Oak I don't see Disney better utilizing the space from front to back. And by better I just mean better for Disney's bottom line.

 

[GladToBeHear]

The infrastructure is all there to support the resort mostly as it is. Anywhere they'd move it to is just a candidate for new construction without spending to close down one site for another. Short of replacing with an expansion of Golden Oak I don't see Disney better utilizing the space from front to back. And by better I just mean better for Disney's bottom line.

I agree. And this is obviously the only reason it hasn't gone away yet. I could still see them clearing this property for more residential.

 

[Doberge]

The tallest part from original renderings may have been approximately 10 stories.

 

[nickys]

So bringing Buffalo Junction back from the dead and retheming to fit Fort Wilderness more? I love it!

But yes, I still think it ends up as Fort Wilderness expansion. It's the only way to salvage the Cabins disaster.

I’m not sure it can salvage the Cabins. The maintenance fees still have to cover the cost of the cabin replacements. Which means if they add Reflections to the same resort, its maintenance fees are also going to be high, to subsidise the Cabins.

It might be better to make them separate, like CCV & BRV, but with shared facilities.

 

[BrianLo]

do they really think DVC demand is or will increase based on how things are going?

Yes… and I’ve soured on some of their decision making around it (Island Poly Tower) considerably. Including thinking it’s completely non sensical for anyone to ever buy it direct.

But people are lining up in droves none the less. Those same crowds panic bought and drove the resale market into insane pricing, further justifying it, somehow.

The demand is such that either they partially need it by 2027 when Riviera is definitely gone or really need it by 2028, when Poly is probably selling out again. Either way there seems to be ridiculous demand and DVC begets constantly adding supply to sell.

 

[BrianLo]

Has it been said that it’s going to be DVC only or is that an assumption?

Nope, it was actually supposed to be both hotel and DVC in the former reflections plan. Not just DVC.

It also included a lazy river, which is one small bright spot I hope remains.

 

[Andrew C]

Easy solution - Get rid of the campground. Which could ultimately be the goal.

They know better than to anger the RVers, no?

 

[Bocabear]

for some reason, all Disney hotel pools except Stormalong Bay suck. I have no faith in them building a decent lazy river...why would they? that will cut into their water park sales... It will be another very shallow featureless geometric shape with an uninteresting slide. The simplest and least exciting option... maybe a fiberglass Disney character.

 

[JD80]

for some reason, all Disney hotel pools except Stormalong Bay suck. I have no faith in them building a decent lazy river...why would they? that will cut into their water park sales... It will be another very shallow featureless geometric shape with an uninteresting slide. The simplest and least exciting option... maybe a fiberglass Disney character.

Maybe you just don't like pools.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I've said this before several times on these forums. I'm honestly shocked the campground has survived this long. I know it doesn't pull in nearly the same type of profit as the other resorts. And that's prime real estate. I can't believe they haven't tried to move it elsewhere on property (North?) or just omit it completely. I think that's probably the ultimate goal.

They make plenty of money from the Campground. Think about how much maintenance goes into a resort hotel room(painting, soft goods, hard goods, cleaning staff, restocking things) versus a campsite?