Credit: DisneyWalt Disney World is getting ready to open its newest resort, and guests won’t have to wait much longer to secure their first stays.
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is still months away from welcoming guests, but an important date arrives next week. Before that happens, Disney is giving future visitors another reason to pay attention.
On October 1, Disney revealed more of what guests will find inside the new Bay Lake resort.
With reservations opening to the general public on October 8, Disney is offering its clearest look yet at a resort that could become one of the most sought-after places to stay at Walt Disney World.
Disney’s Next Resort Is Almost Here
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge will officially open July 1, 2027, along the shores of Bay Lake.
The nature-inspired resort will join the Disney Resorts Collection, offering 967 rooms and several accommodation types. Those range from smaller studios to larger villas and waterfront Lake Houses designed for families who want considerably more space.
Disney is leaning heavily into its animation history throughout the property. Different accommodations draw inspiration from Disney stories, including Bambi, Pocahontas, Brother Bear, Fantasia, and Encanto.
The resort will also include The Wetlands, a large outdoor recreation area with pools, play spaces, and a lazy river. Guests will have complimentary transportation around Walt Disney World, including boat transportation to Magic Kingdom.
While Disney had already shared plenty about the resort, its latest announcement revealed another major piece of the experience.
A New Place to End the Night
Just beyond the main lobby, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge will feature a new lounge called Branch & Brush.
The space will offer handcrafted cocktails and views of Bay Lake, giving guests another place to relax without leaving the resort.
Disney designed Branch & Brush around the changing seasons. Natural textures, artwork, and rich colors will help carry that theme throughout the space.
However, one of its biggest features will hang overhead.
A color-changing chandelier will represent all four seasons, transforming the lounge’s look and atmosphere as part of the overall design.
The location should offer Lakeshore Lodge guests another option to slow down after a long theme park day. Visitors could start their morning watching the sunrise over Bay Lake and return to Branch & Brush for a nightcap later that evening.
And that wasn’t the only new detail Disney revealed this week.
The First Impression Is Getting Bigger
Disney also released additional information about the resort’s lobby on October 1, providing a clearer idea of what guests will encounter immediately upon arrival.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows will bring views of the surrounding natural environment directly into the space.
The lobby will also feature elements inspired by the music and storytelling of Pocahontas (1995).
A fiberoptic river will appear to flow through the floor and around a custom bronze centerpiece created by Walt Disney Imagineering. Guests who examine the centerpiece closely will find familiar Disney characters from decades of animated storytelling incorporated into its design.
Above it, Disney is installing another major visual feature.
The blown-glass Colors of the Wind sculpture will contain hundreds of suspended glass leaves, bringing movement and color above the lobby.
Together, these details show how heavily Disney is leaning into nature as more than simply a theme for the resort. The company is weaving that idea through the rooms, recreation areas, restaurants, lobby, artwork, and gathering spaces.
Soon, guests will have the chance to decide when they want to experience it all themselves.
October 8 Could Be a Busy Morning
For most guests, October 8 is the date that matters.
That’s when reservations for Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge become available to the general public. Guests can book online through Walt Disney World’s website or call Disney at (407) 934-7639.
Disney Vacation Club members can begin making early rental reservations through Member Services on October 6. Walt Disney World Annual Passholders get their opportunity on October 7. Everyone else follows on October 8.
Anyone hoping to stay near the July 1 opening should be prepared for plenty of competition.
Disney has not said that opening dates will sell out immediately, so guests shouldn’t treat that as a guarantee. Still, a brand-new Walt Disney World Resort will likely attract significant attention when reservations become available.
That could mean online waitlists, limited room categories, or dates becoming unavailable as other guests make reservations. Those targeting opening week, holidays, or other popular periods should have backup dates and room types ready in case their first choice disappears.
Disney’s official Lakeshore Lodge page will be the main place to check availability once general bookings begin.
The Countdown Is Getting Serious
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge won’t welcome its first guests until July 2027, but October 8 marks the point when thousands of future vacations can finally start taking shape.
And Disney is making sure people have plenty to think about before reservations open.
Branch & Brush adds another gathering place overlooking Bay Lake, while the newly revealed lobby details make the resort’s nature-driven design even clearer.
Now comes the next major milestone.
Beginning October 8, the general public can finally start locking in stays at Disney World’s newest resort. For anyone hoping to experience Lakeshore Lodge during its earliest days, that booking window could become almost as important as opening day itself.
