Disney Moves Forward in a Big Way to Build a New Hotel

Is a new hotel coming to Disney World? It appears so! Check out the latest here.

Reflections

All the way back in 2018, Disney World announced they would build an all-new nature-inspired resort on the site of the old River Country water park near Fort Wilderness.

It was so to be located between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness and categorized as a deluxe resort with more than 900 hotel rooms and DVC villas.

In 2019, work began to clear out the area – including Mickey’s BBQ at Fort Wilderness. But then, 2020 happened, and we all know what happened in 2020. The project was put on an indefinite pause and left abandoned for several years.

Instead, Disney decided to move forward with a new DVC tower at the Polynesian, which is set to open in just a few months.

New Permit

Now, it’s 2024 and it definitely looks like Disney is ready to move forward again with Reflections. Disney World recently filed a permit to construct a 10-story hotel near Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. Specifically, the permit is for a crane that is needed to construct the hotel.

Construction of mobile cranes to construct a 10-story hotel. The mobile cranes can reach a max height of 240 ft. AGL when raised to its highest point. When idle, during non-working hours, the crane will be at a max height of 150 ft. AGL.

Work is set to begin in mid-October with a competition timeline of August 2025. The permit has been approved.

What does this mean for you?

While Disney has not officially confirmed that Reflections: A Lakeside Lodge is back on the books, there is too much evidence to suggest it isn’t.

A new permit suggests a 10-story hotel will be built at the proposed site of Reflections: A Lakeside Lodge.

We will keep you posted if Disney announces anything!

Are you excited for what Disney has planned for this area? Do you think Reflections is going to be built after all? Let us know in the comments below, and share this post with your Disney friends.