I've before pushed the idea of absorbing into Fort Wilderness for multiple reasons, including fact that we've been so close to Fort Wilderness brand expansion more or less on the same site...
30ish years ago Disney had plans for a resort named either Fort Wilderness Junction or Buffalo Junction. It was a western themed moderate hotel of 2-3 story buildings, a potential revival of the shuttered FW train that would link resorts, a duplicate of the DLP Buffalo Bill show, horse carriage rides, and other things. It was described somewhere as being like Crescent Lake with the ability to easily get to multiple resorts. It was discussed in a past Disney Dish episode and also the middle of Bright Sun Films piece on the FW railroad. The latter has some plans if wanting to see a few images. Alas, this wonderful idea was repackaged and used when Disney created the Wilderness Lodge Villas, now Boulder Ridge.
Considering it's unlikely Disney goes back to that same well then they need something new. I didn't think the lakeside lodge was a bad idea, it just suffered from a bad name and underwhelming render in, both of which can be improved. Even the Poly tower we're getting isn't the first Poly tower rendering ad those go back a ways (here's one:
https://www.genesisstudios.com/portfolio-item/313069-hhcp-disney_polynesian-porte_cochere/).
My point is that Disney plays with different designs, as one would expect. I'd still anticipate a silimilar lake resort theme because it fits well between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. Wilderness Lodge drawing inspiration from multiple national parks makes it particularly difficult. I'd love to see them lean into Americana more as areas like Liberty Square feel threatened. Something like the Williamsburg Inn with a colonial era / early American theme and bringing in ideas from Disney's America park. Move Liberty Tree Tavern and incorporate ideas like carriages from Fort Wilderness Junction. Alas it'll never happen because Disney probably considers the era "problematic."
