In the past few days, Disney has released several updates about two lounges at Epcot and Magic Kingdom. That includes an early opening for one of them. Instead of trying to drag out roughly 1,000 words about each lounge, I’m going to fit both updates into this post. We’ll start with the news about Epcot’s GEO-82, an adults only lounge beside Spaceship Earth, and then follow that up with the now open McKim’s Mile House, a DVC lounge in Magic Kingdom. I’ll add some commentary to both pieces of news. Let’s get to it!

GEO-82: An Adults-Only Lounge

When GEO-82 opens this year, the location will offer reservations for guests 21 and older. This lounge will be the ultimate spot to toast to a trip around EPCOT with innovative cocktails and globally influenced small plates while you take in spectacular park views.  

With this new lounge, you’ll feel like you’re discovering an all-new part of Spaceship Earth – GEO-82 will surround you with iconic shapes and intricate structures inspired by the park’s instantly-recognizable icon. You’ll sit amid rich textures and warm, metallic tones that echo Spaceship Earth in an elegant and intimate setting. 

Commentary

I continue to be surprised, and mostly excited, about this project. It was first announced at D23 Expo last year and seemed like a better use of space than whatever ‘futuristic’ stuff that was happening before. More and more details have slowly rolled out and I’m optimistic about pretty much all of it.

The big news this time around was that GEO-82 will be adults only. There’s a few other bars and adults-only spots in Disney World but, by and large, it doesn’t happen often. With such a prominent spot in the park, I’m curious what led to this decision. I do think that part of the reason comes down to trying to dress the space up a bit. If you squint hard enough at the concept art you might be able to see Jay Gatsby raising his glass to you. The more cynical take about the adults-only space is that they’re using that allure in order to charge more for drinks and small plates.

Both might be true! I don’t have a problem with a few adults-only spaces in theme parks but I say that as an adult without children. That might be enough to disqualify me from commenting on this. Even if I may be biased, the small footprint this takes up shouldn’t be enough to make anyone up in arms. And if you are, I’ll come babysit for you while you go have fancy drinks.*^{* Offer not valid due to momentary lapse in judgment.}

The other bit of news here is the swanky concept art and the name. The latter is fine. Sure it’s on the nose, geo being Earth and 82 representing the year Epcot opened, but at least it’s not 8 words long. We’ve done much worse.

Speaking of on the nose, those chandeliers in the concept art are just dead ringers for Spaceship Earth. Frankly, I love it. The rest of the room looks fairly nondescript, albeit nice, so I’m all for livening it up with little SSE orbs all around the place. I want them to take it a step further and get some of those light fixtures to float around in there! Jokes aside, this looks like a great spot to have a drink and I hope they keep the primary aesthetic focus on the view outside.

McKim’s Mile House – A Member Lounge Opens in Magic Kingdom

Located in Frontierland, this brand new “home on the range” invites eligible members and their guests to relax, recharge and reconnect in a space steeped in Disney storytelling. Let’s take a closer look!

From the wood floors to the hand-carved stone fireplace, every aspect of this lounge tells a story, including its name!   The lounge’s namesake is Sam McKim, a Disney Legend and concept artist for the original Frontierland in Disneyland Park. To combine McKim’s everlasting contributions and the story of Frontierland, Imagineers were inspired by historic mile houses of the American West.  

Mile houses were what we would now consider hotels. Spread across the frontier, travelers could check in to a mile house for a much-needed spell of rest and relaxation. Now, after an adventure with Princess Tiana or concert with the Country Bears, members and their guests can enjoy that same bit of respite in this new member lounge said to be operated by a fictional McKim family of hospitality pioneers. 

As visitors gaze around the McKim house, they may notice stairs that appear to lead up to boarding rooms said to be occupied by some famous folks from around Frontierland. One room, for example, is designated as the host room of none other than the owner and founder of Big Thunder Mining Company, Barnabas T. Bullion. Just down the hall is the room occupied by M. Davis, a special recognition to Disney Legend Marc Davis. 

Although members can’t access the lounge’s second floor, they can appreciate these Imagineering details from the comfort of the lounge’s seating area. And with a keen eye, they may even spot some original artwork and details from Sam McKim himself! 

Ready to rest those feet? Visitors can mosey into “The Frontier’s Best Kept Secret,” a special nod to a former Disney Vacation Club slogan, “Discover the best kept Disney secret,” and relax in style on a variety of comfortable sofas and chairs.  

Inside, as travelers kick up their spurs and sip on complimentary soft drinks, the space’s visual details bring special attention to the backstory of the fictional McKim host family, including drawings said to be created by the McKim children. 

Along with these amenities and immersive storytelling details, the lounge also includes complimentary Wi-Fi and phone charging spaces.  Disney Vacation Club McKim’s Mile House – A Member Lounge is open daily from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST and for all eligible Disney Vacation Club Members with valid park tickets and reservations to Magic Kingdom Park.  

Commentary

Full disclosure: I’m a DVC member. I will likely use this lounge nearly every time I’m in the park and am grateful for a complimentary drink and snack. As much as I’d like to take a righteous stand against this place, my will power over a refreshing beverage will win out. Feel free to call me a hypocrite because of that and what I’m about to say.

I wish this lounge didn’t exist. The design seems nice enough and it comes complete with a backstory that honors an Imagineer. That’s a nice touch on a controversial project. To be clear, my distaste for the lounge is nothing again Sam McKim who seems to be worthy of getting a place named after him. I just can’t believe that the Frontierland Shootin’ Gallery was scrapped for this space.

It’s another in a long line of moves where Disney has taken from the common park goer to give to their highest spender. As a DVC Member, I don’t want that. I want the parks to be open for everyone as much as possible. While I appreciate a nice place to relax, I don’t want it taking up space that was actively being used by all guests. Unlike the spot in Epcot with a lounge, the shooting gallery was a spot that guests walked by every day in Magic Kingdom.

I won’t pretend that this is as egregious of a case as the Court of Angels in Disneyland. It’s not. The shooting gallery had problems and Disney found a quick and easy way to replace that. Unfortunately, that space just isn’t for everyone.

In a few weeks, I’ll have thoughts about the actual space as I don’t want to review it until I’ve been inside.

What do you think of Disney World’s newest lounges? Let us know your thoughts or questions below in the comments! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our planning guide for help! Looking for discount tickets to Disney World? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney, please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages. You can do both of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!