Disney Announces New Nature Resort on Bay Lake

[Lensman]

Optimism is the devil in these forums.

At least it sounds like they aren't going to be building more cabins.

Nothing past the use of what appears to be some wood accents and a stone veneer point to much in the way of "nature" theme. Humans are nature, water is nature, animals are nature, stones, air, oil, diamonds, sunshine, hurricanes, etc.......it's a lazy way out of creating any real theme.

Maybe there will be natural crushed rock in the concrete?

I think part of the problem with the concept art is that the whole thing looks like concrete. It needs to be brick, stone, slate, and hardwood. Looking closely, I think that's what they're going for, but I do agree with others that this particular rendering doesn't do justice to those textures.

As @Missing20K points out, a significant fraction of it is stone veneer.

I think it could be nice staying there if you like the idea of a wooded lakeside location but don't like the log cabin look. My wife, for example.

 

[Ponderer]

a square roof does not mean Frank Lloyd Wright... You can trace architectural influences through many buildings if you isolate tiny details but the spirit of what I am seeing has nothing to do with Frank Lloyd Wright's aesthetic. Just because they used a modern style porte cochere does not mean the resort is evocative of his work... That is like saying the new McDonalds restaurants are clearly influenced by the Memphis architectural movement, but no, it is just a cheap concrete box....and these buildings are more evocative of a Marriott B Brand airport motel than a Frank Lloyd Wright masterwork... Again you can say, Hey Frank used rectangular doors in the Robie house and glass in his windows so this is Frank Lloyd Wright inspired, but having been to the Robie House many times and Taliesin as well, I can tell you this looks nothing like his work...and he and his heirs would be insulted to hear the comparison...

In your opinion. I respectfully disagree.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That hotel is in the middle of all that construction...i don’t think they can start at this point...I’d guess early next year though

They could be doing site work...but I don’t think you’ll see vertical for quite a while

It started. Don't be fooled by FordExploder ver.2

See above and look at your photo, Drone Disney Defender ver 2,456,436

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

My original phrasing may have been inelegant. I didn't mean that folks were actually trying to dislike what Disney does in the sense of saying they don't like it regardless of how they really feel. I meant that it seems like there are some folks who just do dislike whatever today's Disney does, regardless of what it is. Which I can't understand. I don't see how someone can be a Disney fan and yet constantly be negative about everything Disney does. But that is just me.

I can only speak for me...and all the alter egos that I’m accused of but have never had...

It’s really a concern for the alteration of the overall strategy/management trajectory that manifests with nearly every new “development”

Upsell, constant increases, lessening of capital expense and maintenance of the parks...and now using the park to prop up corporate? The stock market requires constant increases in large amounts of money to be happy. That’s tough to sustain at the ticket booth and when the bill comes at boatrights. It’s flawed math.

Disney has been a stock company since the 50’s....but it maintained a core philosophy until recently. That philosophy has turned into more of “nostalgia strip mining” from my view. I hope there’s another evolution...this one is not good.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Omg is this a replacement for River Country?

I think of the movie Poltergeist movie and what they are building over

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think of the movie Poltergeist movie and what they are building over

One of two movies that ever scared me

 

[note2001]

I think of the movie Poltergeist movie and what they are building over

Only thing they're building over would be potentially hundreds of dollars in change from all the years of money being dropped out of those little swimsuit pockets. I doubt that Disney ever sent anyone in with metal detectors to scrounge up all those lost pieces of change.

 

[RandySavage]

Looks like an upscale senior living condo development. Disney is so pedestrian at hotels now. They don't even try.

 

[build_it]

I think it was an odd choice for concept art. There’s not enough of the resort showing to tell when you look at just an entrance. Just as an example, it you took a similar view to AKL, it’s not all that inspiring either.

 

[rreading]

While it’s been mentioned that we might withhold judgment until we see more of the project...two thoughts:

1. Sure, it looks somewhat generic, but it may ultimately be beautiful. We stayed in a resort in Costa Rica which looked similar (on an Adventures by Disney trip, now that I think of it) and it was amazing and very nestled into nature.

2. If we intended it to be naturally-inspired, how would we want it to look? They have done North American Lodge with WL, and clearly Fort Wilderness is what it is. As it happens, I expect this could complement the abutting properties nicely.

 

[WEDwaydatamover]

I think of the movie Poltergeist movie and what they are building over

Disney's Questa Verde Towers

 

[mm121]

Isn't it amazing how fast they can get these projects up and running too? Seems if it's a restaurant or hotel they can find the hysperspace button that is never there for park projects!

Yet there hasn't been an update on the SPACE Restaurant in awhile

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yet there hasn't been an update on the SPACE Restaurant in awhile

That kinda proves my point...access to a park is the first thing thing you need to get to that space restaurant...so no rush because that money is already assumed/spent on Korean barbecue tacos food truck on Wall Street...

Where as they built those wilderness lodge and poly bungalows awful quickly...requiring a realistic $40,000 upfront investment and $5000 annual maintenance fee to ever even remotely get access to the inside of one??

Shops and restaurants at springs secured by third party longterm agreements...sure get built rather quickly now as well. And “water bars” in Epcot.

It all follows a general pattern.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Naming idea: Call this location Boulder Ridge Resort, it seems to be all about rough angles and raw stonework so it makes sense.
Then RENAME the Villas at Wilderness Lodge BACK to VWL as it should be. They can take the godawful pool too. Restore the serenity.

They can’t do that because they are selling the EXACT same product for over 2x the price 15 years later.

And they are quite defensive about it. I shared the anecdote the other day that a DVC rep got mad at me during a normal conversation on an unsolicited sales call! And they never sent the info for the promotion they called about...via email.

Drinking the sand AND don’t look behind the curtain.

 

[peter11435]

That kinda proves my point...access to a park is the first thing thing you need to get to that space restaurant...so no rush because that money is already assumed/spent on Korean barbecue tacos food truck on Wall Street...

Where as they built those wilderness lodge and poly bungalows awful quickly...requiring a realistic $40,000 upfront investment and $5000 annual maintenance fee to ever even remotely get access to the inside of one??

Shops and restaurants at springs secured by third party longterm agreements...sure get built rather quickly now as well. And “water bars” in Epcot.

It all follows a general pattern.

Except this project is going to take over 3 years?

Also I don’t think you’ve been following some of the Disney Springs projects closely enough

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I like the fact that that area is being built out. I think eventually we may see more done on Bay Lake. As for this area that comprises of FW, WL, the new DVC on the old RC property and now the Nature resort - the first thing that comes to mind - is they need some type of entertainment district.

I wouldn't mind seeing Pioneer Hall being built out a bit to include some more dining, drinking, shopping and entertainment options. Not necessarily saying an old fashioned old west ghost town (although if done right - that would be cool). But they need somewhere convenient for all these people to go - outside the parks and Disney Springs.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

I like the fact that that area is being built out. I think eventually we may see more done on Bay Lake. As for this area that comprises of FW, WL, the new DVC on the old RC property and now the Nature resort - the first thing that comes to mind - is they need some type of entertainment district.

I wouldn't mind seeing Pioneer Hall being built out a bit to include some more dining, drinking, shopping and entertainment options. Not necessarily saying an old fashioned old west ghost town (although if done right - that would be cool). But they need somewhere convenient for all these people to go - outside the parks and Disney Springs.

I think this is the DVC on the old River Country property. No???

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I think this is the DVC on the old River Country property. No???

You are correct. I miss read that.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Except this project is going to take over 3 years?

Also I don’t think you’ve been following some of the Disney Springs projects closely enough

This project is huge...

And all the initial reorganization took forever at Springs...they seem to turnover new stuff more quickly now.

 

[peter11435]

This project is huge...

And all the initial reorganization took forever at Springs...they seem to turnover new stuff more quickly now.

Bit of a difference between refitting a space to suit a new tenant and something like Star Wars Land no?