Construction progress at Walt Disney World’s upcoming hotel, Lakeshore Lodge, is barreling along. As the hotel gets closer to opening, Disney has released more and more details about the new place to stay along Bay Lake. News started coming out a few months ago when the resort’s inspiration and opening season were revealed followed by details on the massive pool complex. Now the attention has turned to the lobby and dining locations in the hotel, which we’ll share in this post before adding commentary.

As a bit of background, Lakeshore Lodge will sit near Fort Wilderness in Walt Disney World. The hotel is, more or less, on the site of the old River Country water park. Construction progress is easily viewed across the water from the boat dock at Wilderness Lodge, for those interested!

The DVC hotel is set to open in 2027 and will celebrate the beauty and magic of nature as seen through the eyes of Disney artists and storytellers. Inspired by Walt Disney’s lifelong admiration for the great outdoors, the resort’s design will pay tribute to decades of animated stories rooted in nature, with subtle nods to classic films — from the lush forests of Bambi and the colorful winds of Pocahontas to the sweeping glacial landscapes of Brother Bear.

Lakeshore Lodge will be massive, sporting 967 rooms. Going by the excellent Touring Plans room count, this will be among the largest deluxe hotels at WDW. That leads us to the recent news of the lobby! I’ll add in my commentary at the bottom of the post.

Lakeshore Lodge Lobby

When guests arrive at Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, they’ll step into the immersive lobby that features sights and sounds of nature. Spectacular floor‑to‑ceiling windows will welcome natural sunlight and showcase sweeping views of The Wetlands outdoor recreation area, allowing the local flora and fauna to flow seamlessly into the architecture, artwork, and ambiance.

Drawing inspiration from the music and storytelling of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Pocahontas, a shimmering fiberoptic river will illuminate the floor, while overhead, a blown glass Colors of the Wind sculpture with hundreds of suspended glass leaves will fill the space with movement, color, and wonder.

Natural materials will be incorporated throughout the lobby design, with custom tapestries inspired by the film’s landscapes and thoughtfully crafted furnishings with accents of river-recovered cypress wood.

Moving ahead, Lakeshore Lodge will feature three new restaurants and a lounge that offers Magic Kingdom firework viewing. Here’s information about each!

Moonglade

Along the lakefront, Moonglade will offer an enchanting table-service dining experience where stunning water views are part of every course. Here, guests will enjoy thoughtfully prepared dishes featuring seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.

Floor-to-ceiling windows will frame the gracefully arching cypress trees along Bay Lake where artful lighting and nuanced design reflect the interplay of light and shadow.

Bay Lake Provisions

Bay Lake Provisions will be the perfect spot to fuel up for a day of adventure or relax and refresh after a poolside afternoon. This all-day, quick-service marketplace will offer specialty coffees and fresh fare in an inviting open-kitchen atmosphere.

And because no space is complete without a little hidden magic, guests can find woodland critters inspired by beloved Disney classics throughout the space.

Paint Out Point Bar & Grill

When all the fun in the sun works up an appetite, head to Paint Out Point Bar & Grill near Lakeshore Lagoon.

Enjoy shareable bites and specialty beverages while soaking in the natural beauty that surrounds The Wetlands. Inspired by the art of plein-air painting, this pool bar will showcase a collection of original artwork created by Imagineers as they drew inspiration from the Bay Lake landscapes.

Dandelion Terrace

After the sun sets, guests can gather in Dandelion Terrace to see Magic Kingdom Park fireworks lighting up the sky over the waters of Bay Lake.

The lounge will be home to a two-story gallery of archival artwork from Disney classics like Fantasia, complete with whimsical dandelion light fixtures that add a touch of magic to the space. Soft lighting and sweeping views create the perfect setting to slow down and enjoy the nighttime spectacular.

Commentary

After being mixed on the concept art for the Wetlands pool area, Imagineering has come back with an update to calm my nerves. The lobby and Moonglade concept art is especially intriguing, looking more original and inspired than other aspects of this project.

Starting with the lobby, it appears that Lakeshore Lodge will feature an open concept with natural light and plenty of color. On first blush, the layout reminds me of a mix of the Polynesian’s openness combined with the massive windows like Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House has. The artwork overhead will be doing a lot of work in conveying the theme but I’m optimistic on that.

I’m happy to see this hotel is going with a spacious, grand lobby. While the inspiration and theme is still a little vague for my taste (judging by details and concept art only), having a stunning entry into Lakeshore Lodge can win a lot of people over, including me.

The lobby will be up above the ground floor and should feature some great views out onto the pool area and lake. Selfishly, I’m hoping that they make this a comfortable and work-friendly place to relax. Disney World hotels have done a nice job with that lately so that will likely extend to the new space.

While I don’t think this is overly unique and I still worry about new Disney hotel designs being overly boxy and missing character, this preview of the lobby has me back onboard the Lakeshore Lodge hype train.

Keeping up with raising expectations, Moonglade looks like it will be exceptional. This on the lake dining spot was always one of the aspects of the resort I was most excited for, and the details plus art are doing nothing to dissuade that. The restaurant appears to go hard on the “lakeshore” location, as the atmosphere doesn’t look transportive as much as it does very modern with clean lines. I’ll take that over trying to fit in a Disney franchise that doesn’t really belong!

I expect the restaurant to be a signature dining spot, meaning some very high prices. I’d love to see them go with a Bayou inspired menu but think something closer to Citricos is more likely. Not that we’d complain about that, Citricos is fantastic!

Bay Lake Provisions will be a needed counter-service restaurant. Honestly, it looks a little small but I’m hoping that this is on the bottom floor. That appears to be the case as the art shows stairs possibly up to the lobby. If that’s true, this spot might be bigger than the art is showing.

There’s nothing that looks all that fancy about Bay Lake Provisions and that’s fine. We’re just hoping the menu is interesting and offers something unique relative to other counter-service restaurants.

Paint Out Point looks like a mix of Wailulu (Polynesian) and 3 Bridges (Coronado). Disney has had a lot of success, in our eyes, with these types of relaxed restaurants lately. It’s casual dining but the food is usually a little cheaper than table-service restaurants while being better than most of them. I’ll be curious if this restaurant is attached to the other side of Moonglade. It appears so, but I’m hoping that they’re separate simply because this resort will have so many mouths to feed.

Finally, the Dandelion Terrace is the kind of place that could really elevate a stay. I’m not sure where this will be located (high enough to see the fireworks) or what the access will look like but the space looks large and beautiful.

Overall, I’m very excited about this latest release of details. The artwork is very pretty and I’m hoping it will salvage the somewhat bland pool theme as well as the big box looking hotel. Of course, all of this comes down to execution. The pool might be the best in Walt Disney World and the lobby might be the worst when it’s all said and done. But we’re more excited about Lakeshore Lodge after this latest detail drop.

Are you excited for Lakeshore Lodge? Let us know your thoughts or any questions you might have in the comments below. Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. Looking for Disney World discount tickets? You can find them here! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!