Walt Disney World had not built a brand-new waterfront hotel in years. Disney Lakeshore Lodge will open on July 1, 2027 on the shores of Bay Lake, featuring 967 rooms spread across eleven categories, timber houses set along the bank, and direct boat service to Magic Kingdom. Bookings open to the general public on October 8, 2026. Here is the full breakdown of what Disney has unveiled, category by category, and what you need to know before booking.
- 🏨 The property · Disney Lakeshore Lodge, a new hotel at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
- 🗓️ Opening · July 1, 2027. Bookings on October 6, 2026 for Disney Vacation Club members, October 7 for annual pass holders, October 8 for everyone else
- 🛏️ Capacity · 967 rooms in eleven categories, from a studio for two guests to a three-bedroom Grand Villa for twelve
- 🌲 The standout product · The Lake House, a detached A-frame house with floor-to-ceiling windows, private waterfront porch, fully equipped kitchen, and washing machine, sleeping five or eight guests, with Brother Bear decor
- ⛵ The asset · Complimentary boat service between the hotel and Magic Kingdom, avoiding the road
A 967-room hotel on the former River Country site
The land has a history. Lakeshore Lodge rises on the shore of Bay Lake, the artificial lake at the heart of the Florida resort, on the long-abandoned site of River Country, Walt Disney World’s first water park, which closed in 2001 and sat vacant for twenty years. With 967 rooms, the property ranks among the largest hotels in the Disney Vacation Club portfolio, the group’s timeshare residence branch. The architecture embraces the North American lodge aesthetic, featuring light wood, grand timber frames, and open spaces overlooking the water, following in the footsteps of the neighboring Wilderness Lodge but with a distinctly more contemporary design.
◆ Disney Lakeshore Lodge in pictures
Eleven room categories, each inspired by a film
Disney has based its accommodation hierarchy on its own films rather than traditional hotel categories. The simplest studios draw inspiration from Pocahontas, the family villas from Bambi, the Grand Villa from Fantasia, and the Lake Houses from Brother Bear. The centerpiece is called the Lake House: a detached A-frame house with glass walls overlooking the lake, a private porch, a full kitchen, and a laundry room, available in one- or two-bedroom configurations for five or eight guests. The table below summarizes the entire offering.
◆ Rooms and suites, category by category
Two details deserve the attention of those booking. Club Level categories grant access to a private lounge named Artist’s Nest, offering continuous food service throughout the day, a feature few hotels in the resort offer. Furthermore, the property features a presidential suite, the Hidden Willow, a two-bedroom accommodation sleeping six with a full kitchen and club access, which will be one of the hardest addresses to secure in all of Walt Disney World.
Moonglade, the Wetlands, and the boat to Magic Kingdom
The main restaurant, Moonglade, embodies the lakeside dining experience with table service, complemented by Bay Lake Provisions, an all-day market for villas equipped with kitchens, and the poolside Paint Out Point Bar & Grill. As for leisure, the Wetlands area features a lazy river, a zero-entry pool with a spiral water slide, and a Pocahontas-inspired water play area. The real advantage remains logistical: a complimentary water shuttle service connects the hotel to Magic Kingdom, sparing guests from buses and parking lots, a privilege shared by only a handful of addresses in the resort.
When and how to book
The sales opening schedule is staggered across three days in October 2026: October 6 for Disney Vacation Club members, October 7 for Walt Disney World annual pass holders, and October 8 for the general public. For a summer 2027 stay during peak Florida high season, it is best to target the first sales opening day that applies to you. The Lake Houses, available in very limited numbers, will sell out first, followed by the twelve-person Grand Villas. Nightly rates have not yet been published. Discover US hotel news on La Revue des Hôtels.
Our perspective
Disney is building less of a hotel here than a real estate product: the majority of keys belong to the Disney Vacation Club, meaning a pre-purchased right of use rather than a conventional hotel stay. This explains the equipped kitchens, laundry rooms, and villas accommodating up to twelve guests, which are a far cry from standard leisure hospitality standards. For international travelers, the real appeal lies in the boat to Magic Kingdom and the Lake Houses, which offer rare intimacy within a resort that welcomes tens of thousands of visitors daily. The rest will be judged by rates and Disney’s ability to meet an opening date down to the exact day, which is far from guaranteed on a project of this scale.
Practical information
- Address · Bay Lake, Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- Opening · July 1, 2027
- Bookings · October 6, 2026 for Disney Vacation Club, October 7 for annual pass holders, October 8 for the general public
- Airport · Orlando International (MCO), approximately 30 minutes away
- Park access · Complimentary water shuttle to Magic Kingdom
