Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge opens July 1, 2027 on the south shores of Bay Lake at Walt Disney World, with 967 rooms inspired by decades of Disney animated films rooted in nature, from Bambi and Pocahontas to Brother Bear. Reservations open October 6 for Disney Vacation Club members, October 7 for Annual Passholders and October 8 for all guests. This page tracks every update Disney has shared, along with what we saw during our insider preview on Bay Lake with Walt Disney Imagineering.
Updated October 2, 2026
October 1, 2026: First Look at Branch & Brush and the Lobby
Disney shared a new Letters from Lakeshore update one week before booking opens to everyone, with a closer look at the lobby and the first details on Branch & Brush, a new lounge just beyond it. Branch & Brush will serve cocktails with views of Bay Lake. The design is inspired by the changing seasons, with natural textures, a collection of artwork and a color-changing chandelier at the center of the room that moves through all four seasons.
The lobby is built around floor-to-ceiling windows that look out toward the lake. A fiber-optic river will glow in the floor and flow around a custom bronze centerpiece designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, with characters from decades of Disney animation etched into it. Overhead, a blown glass sculpture called Colors of the Wind will hang hundreds of glass leaves above the room. The lobby takes its inspiration from Pocahontas, and Disney even describes the lounge as “just around the riverbend.”
The lobby has been the space we wanted to see most since our Bay Lake preview in May, and the glowing river in the floor is the detail we expect guests to stop and photograph first. Branch & Brush also sits right off the lobby, unlike The Artist’s Nest, the club level lounge reserved for select rooms.
How to Book Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge
Reservations open in three waves. On October 6, Disney Vacation Club members can make early rental reservations by calling Member Services at (800) 800-9800. On October 7, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can make early rental reservations by calling (407) 934-7639. On October 8, booking opens to all guests online or by phone at (407) 934-7639.
Disney calls these rental reservations, meaning stays paid for with cash and not Vacation Club points. The resort opens July 1, 2027, and Disney has not shared rates ahead of the booking window. If you would like help booking, our travel partner MEI – Mouse Fan Travel offers free, no-obligation quotes.
August 27, 2026: First Look at Nature-Inspired Guest Rooms
Disney revealed the guest room lineup for Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge and confirmed the resort opens July 1, 2027. Across 967 rooms, each accommodation type draws its design from a different Disney animated film, including Encanto-inspired duo studios, Bambi-themed deluxe studios and villas, Fantasia-inspired grand villas, and Pocahontas-themed resort studios. The standout is the new Lake House format, a one- or two-bedroom waterfront retreat with A-frame architecture inspired by Brother Bear, a first for Walt Disney World. Reservations open in phases starting October 6 for Disney Vacation Club members, October 7 for Annual Passholders, and October 8 for everyone else. Full room-by-room details here.
June 17, 2026: First Look at The Wetlands
Disney revealed the first details on The Wetlands, the outdoor recreation area planned for Disney Lakeshore Lodge, just beyond the lobby and surrounded by Bay Lake. The area leans into the resort’s nature theming with a direct nod to Pocahontas, pulling from the “the heron and the otter are my friends” lyric in “Colors of the Wind” for two of its play areas.
Heron Shores will offer climbing features for younger guests, while Otter Springs brings interactive water play nearby. Daydream River is a lazy river running through the recreation area for a slower-paced option. At the center of it all is Lakeside Lagoon, a zero-entry feature pool with a spiral waterslide, while a separate Perspective Pond on the other side of the resort offers a leisure pool and whirlpool spa positioned for Magic Kingdom fireworks views in the evening.
Disney also teased a plaque somewhere along The Wetlands’ walking path honoring a historic attraction that once stood on the site, almost certainly a nod to River Country, the water park that previously occupied this stretch of Bay Lake shoreline before its closure.
What Disney Lakeshore Lodge Is
Disney Lakeshore Lodge will sit on the south shores of Bay Lake, the same body of water that runs alongside the Magic Kingdom area of Walt Disney World Resort. The resort is being framed around Walt Disney’s lifelong admiration for the outdoors, with design and artwork that pays tribute to the natural world as seen through Disney animation. Spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows are designed to bring natural light in and frame views of the local flora and fauna around the lake.
The resort will have 967 rooms across a range of room types, from cozy studios to spacious suites. Many of those rooms are positioned to give guests views of Bay Lake during the day and clear sightlines to Magic Kingdom park fireworks at night. Disney is also debuting a new accommodation format here: one- and two-bedroom Lake Houses located directly along the waterfront, designed to give families a closer connection to the natural setting with more room to spread out.
The Design Story
The creative direction leans into nature as seen through Disney animation. The references to Bambi, Pocahontas, and Brother Bear are not accidental. These are three films where the natural world is essentially the main character, and each has a distinct visual identity. Lush eastern forest, painted-wind color palettes, and northern wilderness are all very different looks, and the room reveals have since shown each room type built around a Disney animated film. Disney is sharing details on dining, recreation, amenities, and design through an ongoing “Letters from Lakeshore” series on the Disney Parks Blog, and we add each new letter to this page as it arrives.
A new Disney Resorts Collection property on Bay Lake is a meaningful addition to the resort lineup, and the lakefront Lake Houses in particular are worth watching. That accommodation format does not currently exist at Walt Disney World, and positioning them along the water’s edge gives families something the existing cabin and suite options do not. The fireworks view from standard rooms is also a real selling point. Not every Walt Disney World resort can offer that, and Disney leading with it suggests the rooms were placed with it in mind.
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge opens July 1, 2027, and reservations open to all guests October 8, 2026. For more, visit our Disney Resorts coverage and our Walt Disney World coverage.
Disney Lakeshore Lodge: Every Update on Walt Disney World’s Newest Resort
