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

[SpaceMountain77]

DVC is currently expanding at a rate of one new condominium association every 2-3 years. At this rate, we could expect 4 - 6 DVC resorts, including the Riviera, by 2030. Currently, there are 11 DVC resorts at WDW. Does anyone else wonder about the ceiling?

If new resorts are constructed up until 2042, the year of the first round of expiring resorts (i.e., Beach Club, BoardWalk, Boulder Ridge, and original Old Key West contracts that have not been extended), then the DVC system would have 8 to 12 additional condominium associations, with a total timeshare presence at WDW of 19 - 23 resorts.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think about this growth rate and its saturation point?

 

[peter11435]

I know I'm in the minority but I'm really hoping it's a new value resort. I'm assuming Pops prices will increase when the gondolas open and the All Stars are pretty terrible Not a whole lot of on site options when you're on a budget.

I don’t see how the all-stars are all that terrible when comparing them to Pop. They really aren’t that different.

 

[mm121]

With Copper Creek still for sale and the Riviera not for sale yet, I’m thinking this isn’t DVC, but perhaps the long ago rumored moderate resort; Wilderness Junction. With just four moderates, there is probably a need for more room inventory in this category; especially with French Quarter being small and Caribbean Beach loosing rooms.

I think it would fit in well in between the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness in terms of theming and resort category.

moderate with lower buildings would be great, theyve been doing way to many high rises lately

and the skyliner definitely ups the category of aoa and pop

Do you think they will revitalize part of River Country as the new resort pool area a la Stormalong Bay?

would be cool

No.

In 2004, the Florida Department of Health passed the requirement that required that prohibited the use of natural water bodies. It stated that the water required chlorination and that it has to be potable 'drinkable' by the time it hits the pool, for water park use. As @marni1971 said in the past The River Country's filtration system took water from Bay Lake, filtered it, then released it into the lagoon via the water slides. The lagoon wasn't connected to Bay Lake; an inflatable wall kept the lagoon separate and slightly higher in level than the lake. The park's water would flow over the wall back into the lake.

In 2016 River Country has had moderate work done, in the form of draining and filling Upstream Plunge, the 330,000 gallon pool during the Zika virus outbreak. Disney said the work at River Country was unrelated to Zika.

Also to add, after 15+ years of no upkeep, it's really badly damaged beyond anything being salvaged

while yes it would have to be completely redestroyed and redone, the new water area could be river country themed and borrow some of the elements though still be brand new.

Accurate?

View attachment 268679View attachment 268683

would be cool to put a restaurant or something over on discovery island,

maybe build a zip line to get to it from the roof of the hotel, lol.

I know I'm in the minority but I'm really hoping it's a new value resort. I'm assuming Pops prices will increase when the gondolas open and the All Stars are pretty terrible Not a whole lot of on site options when you're on a budget.

i dont think they'll be building any values anytime soon, since when they did aoa its more a moderate than a value though the land was originally designated for a value extension of pop

 

[Figment Newton]

Disney have filed a SFWMD permit today to do geotech boring for "project 89". You can see in the image below that this is near Ft Wilderness of both sides of the old River County site. These borings are done to determine the soil structure in a area where they plan to build.

View attachment 268624

B-10. <yawn> What a boring location.

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

I don’t see how the all-stars are all that terrible when comparing them to Pop. They really aren’t that different.

Our 2 experiences were like night & day (Pop vs Sports) Hopefully Music & Movies are better because I have a feeling we will end up there someday.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I know I'm in the minority but I'm really hoping it's a new value resort. I'm assuming Pops prices will increase when the gondolas open and the All Stars are pretty terrible Not a whole lot of on site options when you're on a budget.

I don’t see how the all-stars are all that terrible when comparing them to Pop. They really aren’t that different.

If anything, they need to build more moderate, non DVC roomstock.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

No.

In 2004, the Florida Department of Health passed the requirement that required that prohibited the use of natural water bodies. It stated that the water required chlorination and that it has to be potable 'drinkable' by the time it hits the pool, for water park use. As @marni1971 said in the past The River Country's filtration system took water from Bay Lake, filtered it, then released it into the lagoon via the water slides. The lagoon wasn't connected to Bay Lake; an inflatable wall kept the lagoon separate and slightly higher in level than the lake. The park's water would flow over the wall back into the lake.

In 2016 River Country has had moderate work done, in the form of draining and filling Upstream Plunge, the 330,000 gallon pool during the Zika virus outbreak. Disney said the work at River Country was unrelated to Zika.

Also to add, after 15+ years of no upkeep, it's really badly damaged beyond anything being salvaged

I was not aware of that. Thank you for the information.

 

[homerdance]

Clearly the new location for the Main Street theatre.

 

[disney4life2008]

Please no more DVC!!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Buffalo Junction?

...well that didn't take long

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There won't be a "moderate" Hotel ever built again...the writing is on the wall there.

I'm intrigued by this, however, as it seems an odd play for more dvc at that spot...perhaps they are moving towards the eventual replacement/redevelopment of fort wilderness as a whole?

Hmmm...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wetland 7.22 and 7.1G are considered unsuitable, 7.1K is considered marginally suitable. If they are doing these borings it means to me they plan to build on the land whether it's suitable or not.

You'd think...

...but the wetland dilenations are so much "up to interpretation" when you own your own county and have the state by the throats over sales tax revenue...It's the power of reedy creek.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I love the idea of a River Country DVC. Disney needs to build several more resorts before 2021 and having a new combo DVC and deluxe hotel on Bay Lake is overdue. The also need another value resort. The Flamingo Crossing hotels are actually priced sub Disney Value.

I'm sure they'd "love it"...but what makes you think they "need" dvc by 2021? The parks are overrun a bit now with numbers and that's gonna get worse...flooding more dvc isn't gonna fix that. Value to the consumer isn't really there either...

And I don't see a "value"...they've all but eliminated "moderates" now and are gonna take out a huge chunk of those two inventory categories next year...

That ship seems to have sailed.

 

[Rightley]

Disney have filed a SFWMD permit today to do geotech boring for "project 89". You can see in the image below that this is near Ft Wilderness of both sides of the old River County site. These borings are done to determine the soil structure in a area where they plan to build.






View attachment 268624

How does this old Blueprint from years ago compare?

 

[DocMcHulk]

Disney have filed a SFWMD permit today to do geotech boring for "project 89". You can see in the image below that this is near Ft Wilderness of both sides of the old River County site. These borings are done to determine the soil structure in a area where they plan to build.

The Lagina brothers have been doing a lot of geotech boring on The Curse of Oak Island. Are you sure that Disney isnt just looking for lost Templar treasure?

 

[MotherOfBirds]

I wouldn't be surprised if half the reason they decided to build a resort over River Country was to keep all those dang kids from poking around there. It's kind of a miracle that one particular ding-dong hasn't been arrested or seriously injured yet in the process.

I'd also add that it seems we've maxed out the wilderness-themed lodging. FW and WL and the new DVC are all lovely, but perhaps it's time to pick a new theme. I'm thinking either Enchantment Under The Sea or Casino Royale.

 

[Nick Pappagiorgio]

I wouldn't be surprised if half the reason they decided to build a resort over River Country was to keep all those dang kids from poking around there. It's kind of a miracle that one particular ding-dong hasn't been arrested or seriously injured yet in the process.

I'd also add that it seems we've maxed out the wilderness-themed lodging. FW and WL and the new DVC are all lovely, but perhaps it's time to pick a new theme. I'm thinking either Enchantment Under The Sea or Casino Royale.

Seems like anything they build would be too close and visible from the campground, not to be somewhat rustic in design, but then again the Riviera monstrosity is not exactly related to CB.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

I will be disappointed if it's another DVC resort.

 

[Biff215]

Those fearing DVC should probably get ready to be disappointed. The best you can probably hope for is a combo Deluxe/DVC. As others have pointed out, this is clearly very early in the process and years away. DVC needs to stay that far ahead of sales to make sure they always have inventory. Value and moderate wouldn’t happen this close to the MK, let alone anywhere else at this point.

I share the concern over what they may build here. If done right, it could finally clean up RC and add to the theme already present. A tower of any sort on the other hand would be a further slide following the other two currently being built. We obviously won’t know for a while, so for now we can only guess. Let’s just hope they do it right.

 

[jbolen2]

As much as I would hate something being built at my favorite place the campgrounds, a moderate/value resort that stays in line with the theme of the campground would fit in okay I guess. I still to this day can’t figure out why they have never expanded the campground, we literally have to book a year out to get reservations there each year.