Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge reveals its lobby and new lounge

Disney revealed a Pocahontas-inspired lobby with a glowing “river” in the floor and a new lounge called Branch & Brush. Bookings for the 967-room Bay Lake resort start Oct. 6 for DVC members.

The lobby of Disney World’s next big hotel has a river running through the floor. Not a real one. It’s made of fiber optics.

Walt Disney World shared new concept art Oct. 1 for Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, the resort going up on Bay Lake between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. The art shows the grand lobby and a first look at Branch & Brush, a lobby lounge with cocktails and big views of the lake.

The timing isn’t an accident. Reservations open Oct. 6, and the resort opens July 1, 2027.

What does the Lakeshore Lodge lobby look like?

It’s built around Pocahontas.

A fiber-optic “river” winds across the lobby floor and around a custom bronze centerpiece, per Disney Tourist Blog. Familiar Disney characters are etched into the bronze. Above it hangs a blown-glass “Colors of the Wind” sculpture, with glass leaves that look like they’re caught in a breeze.

Floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the resort’s pool area, called The Wetlands. The walls get custom tapestries based on scenes from the film, plus accents made from cypress wood recovered from rivers.

So, yes, the song gets a sculpture. You knew it would.

What is Branch & Brush at Lakeshore Lodge?

The lobby bar. Disney is pitching it as a place to grab handcrafted cocktails and look at Bay Lake.

The big piece is a color-changing chandelier that shifts to match the four seasons. Disney shared versions for summer, fall, winter and spring, and theme park reporter Scott Gustin posted all four on X. Disney called it a “captivating color-changing chandelier.”

The rest of the room leans on rich colors, natural textures and an art collection. Disney Tourist Blog noted the description mentions sunrise, which hints the space may serve coffee in the morning and turn into a moodier bar at night.

It joins four other dining spots already announced for the resort:

• Moonglade, a lakefront table-service restaurant with seasonal dishes

• Bay Lake Provisions, an all-day quick-service market with specialty coffee

• Paint Out Point Bar & Grill, a pool bar themed to outdoor painting

• Dandelion Terrace, an upper-level lounge for watching Magic Kingdom fireworks

When can you book Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge?

Bookings roll out over three days, per Disney Tourist Blog and MiceChat:

Oct. 6: Disney Vacation Club members can book cash reservations by phone.

Oct. 7: Annual Passholders get their turn, also by phone.

Oct. 8: Everyone else, online or by phone.

Lakeshore Lodge is a Disney Vacation Club resort, so DVC members will be able to book with points later. That date hasn’t been announced.

Room rates haven’t been widely reported yet.

If you’re hoping to stay in the first few weeks, have your dates picked before Oct. 8. New Disney resorts tend to fill up first around opening day and holidays.

How many rooms does Lakeshore Lodge have?

967, per MiceChat’s guide to the resort.

That count covers a lot of room types. There are Duo Studios for two, Deluxe Studios for four, and villas from one to three bedrooms, with the biggest sleeping 12. There are also standalone Lake Houses, plus Club Level rooms with access to The Artist’s Nest, a concierge lounge with Magic Kingdom views.

Rooms take their themes from nature-heavy Disney films, including Encanto, Bambi, Brother Bear, Fantasia and Pocahontas.

What was on the Lakeshore Lodge site before?

River Country, Disney World’s first water park.

It opened in 1976 and closed after the 2001 season. It then sat abandoned on the shore of Bay Lake for years. A lot of longtime fans have a soft spot for that patch of land, and the new resort includes a plaque honoring the old park, per MiceChat.

That’s a nice touch for a spot that spent two decades as Disney World’s best-known ruin.

Is Lakeshore Lodge worth the hype?

Too early to say. Concept art is concept art.

Tom Bricker of Disney Tourist Blog likes the lodge look and the nature theme, but he isn’t sold yet. His worry is that the finished building may not match the drawings, which happens more often than Disney would like.

What’s real right now is the calendar.

DVC members book Oct. 6. Passholders book Oct. 7. Everyone else books Oct. 8.

And the glowing river opens July 1, 2027.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Disney Tourist Blog (Oct. 1, 2026), lobby and Branch & Brush details, booking schedule and Tom Bricker’s take

• WDWMagic (Oct. 1, 2026), Branch & Brush reveal and the Oct. 6 booking date

• MiceChat (2026), room count, room types, dining, River Country history

• Scott Gustin on X (Oct. 1, 2026), the four seasonal chandelier images

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