As we reported earlier, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge will officially open July 1, 2027, and today Disney gave us our most detailed look yet at the accommodations coming to the new Bay Lake resort.
And there is a lot to unpack!
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge will feature 967 rooms, with everything from two-person Duo Studios to traditional Disney Vacation Club villas, waterfront Lake Houses, club-level accommodations and even something we have never really had to discuss in the context of a new DVC resort before: a Presidential Suite.
For Disney Vacation Club Members, the variety may be the most interesting part of today’s announcement. Lakeshore Lodge is not simply following the usual studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and Grand Villa formula. Disney appears to be blending several accommodation concepts we have seen across the DVC portfolio while adding a few entirely new wrinkles.
Here’s everything we know about the room types at Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, along with some thoughts about what they could ultimately mean for DVC Members!
What You Need to Know About Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge Rooms
| Room Type | Sleeps | Theme | Standout Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resort Studio Queen | 4 | Pocahontas | Two queen beds, microwave, mini refrigerator |
| Resort Studio King | 2 | Pocahontas | King bed, hotel-style layout |
| Select Club Level Resort Studios | 2-4 | Pocahontas | Artist’s Nest lounge access |
| Duo Studio | 2 | Encanto | Queen pull-down bed, kitchenette, balcony |
| Deluxe Studio | 4 | Bambi | Queen bed, queen pull-down bed, kitchenette |
| One-Bedroom Villa | 5 | Bambi | Full kitchen, washer/dryer, soaking tub |
| Two-Bedroom Villa | 9 | Bambi | Multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, full kitchen |
| Three-Bedroom Grand Villa | 12 | Fantasia | Three bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, Bay Lake views |
| One-Bedroom Lake House | 5 | Brother Bear | Freestanding waterfront accommodation |
| Two-Bedroom Lake House | 8 | Brother Bear | A-frame design, waterfront porch |
| Hidden Willow Presidential Suite | 6 | Pocahontas | Two bedrooms, full kitchen, fireworks views, club level |
The result is probably the broadest mix of accommodations we have seen introduced together at a Disney Vacation Club resort.
Pocahontas-Inspired Resort Studios Bring a Hotel-Style Room to Lakeshore Lodge
The first category is one of the most interesting: Resort Studios inspired by Pocahontas.
These feel much more like traditional Disney hotel rooms than what longtime DVC Members may picture when they hear the word “studio.”
There will be two configurations. Resort Studio Queen rooms will sleep up to four guests with two queen beds, while Resort Studio King rooms will accommodate up to two guests with one king bed.
Design details draw from the landscapes of Pocahontas, including earthy colors, imagery inspired by flowing rivers and cliffs, and artistic elements pulled from Disney’s animation archives. Disney says the rooms will celebrate the natural beauty depicted in the film.
Amenities include a mini refrigerator and microwave, with balconies available in select rooms.
If you have stayed at Aulani or in the Resort Studios added to Big Pine Key at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, you can probably understand what Disney is going for here. These aren’t necessarily trying to be miniature villas. They are comfortable hotel-style rooms designed for guests who don’t need a kitchenette-heavy DVC studio layout.
And I actually think there is a place for that.
Studios have historically been incredibly popular with DVC Members because they provide one of the more economical ways to stretch a point balance. If the Lakeshore Lodge Resort Studios ultimately sit below Deluxe Studios on the point chart, they could become an important entry-level accommodation at a resort that otherwise looks poised to have plenty of premium options.
Of course, that brings us to the big question: How many points will they cost?
We still don’t know.
Club Level Is Coming to Select Resort Studios
Some Resort Studios will also be available with club-level access to The Artist’s Nest, the new concierge lounge at Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge.
Disney describes The Artist’s Nest as a lounge perched above the treetops where guests can enjoy personalized service, complimentary refreshments and views that include the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
For DVC Members, this is immediately noteworthy.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas at Jambo House has historically offered the rare combination of DVC accommodations and Kilimanjaro Club Concierge access. Older DVC point charts even contained a separate Kilimanjaro Club Concierge category.
That naturally leads to the question everyone is already asking: Will Members eventually be able to book Lakeshore Lodge club-level rooms using DVC points?
We don’t have that answer yet.
My expectation is that we ultimately will see some method of booking these accommodations with points, but I would also expect inventory to be extremely limited and the point requirement to be substantial.
Anyone hoping Disney is about to recreate those surprisingly attractive old Animal Kingdom Villas concierge point charts may want to keep expectations in check.
Lakeshore Lodge looks like it is positioning club level as a genuinely premium category.
Encanto Duo Studios Continue DVC’s Small-Room Experiment
Next are the Duo Studios, inspired by Encanto and sleeping up to two guests.
These are bright, colorful accommodations featuring details such as a butterfly mural and a queen-size pull-down bed. They also include a seating area, kitchenette, spa-like bathroom arrangement and private balcony.
The Duo Studio concept has quickly become part of modern Disney Vacation Club resort design.
We first saw the basic idea with the Tower Studios at Disney’s Riviera Resort. Disney then expanded the two-person studio concept at The Villas at Disneyland Hotel and again at Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
And I understand the appeal.
If you’re traveling solo or as a couple, you may not need the additional square footage of a traditional studio. A Duo Studio gives Disney the opportunity to offer a smaller room while potentially giving Members access to a lower point category.
These could be particularly attractive for quick weekend trips when the goal is simply to spend a couple of nights close to the Magic Kingdom without burning through a large number of points.
Again, the point chart is going to tell us a lot.
A small room is only a value if the points required to book it reflect that smaller footprint.
Bambi Deluxe Studios Feel Much More Familiar
If Resort Studios and Duo Studios represent some of the newer directions DVC has taken, the Deluxe Studios at Lakeshore Lodge should feel very familiar.
Sleeping up to four guests, these rooms are inspired by Bambi, with warm natural materials, forest imagery and original concept artwork from Disney’s animation archives.
The layout includes a queen bed and queen-size pull-down bed, along with a kitchenette, wet bar, seating area, wall-mounted television and private balcony.
The bathroom also features dual sinks, a walk-in shower and separately enclosed water closet.
In other words, this looks like a modern interpretation of the classic DVC Deluxe Studio.
For a family of three or four that doesn’t need a full kitchen or washer and dryer, I suspect this will become one of the sweet spots in the Lakeshore Lodge lineup.
One- and Two-Bedroom Villas Continue the Bambi Theme
The Bambi design continues into the traditional One-Bedroom and Two-Bedroom Villas.
One-Bedroom Villas will sleep up to five guests, while Two-Bedroom Villas will accommodate up to nine.
That five-person capacity in the One-Bedroom category is especially welcome. Not every historical DVC one-bedroom has been able to accommodate five guests, and for families right at that occupancy threshold, it can make a significant difference.
The villas use soft earth tones and understated forest motifs rather than turning the rooms into heavily character-driven spaces. Disney’s artwork appears intended to bring the landscapes of Bambi inside without making the villas feel like children’s bedrooms.
Amenities include the things Members have come to expect from modern DVC villas: separate bedrooms, full kitchens, living and dining spaces, washers and dryers and private patios or balconies.
One-Bedroom Villas feature a split bathroom with two vanities, soaking tub and walk-in shower. The Two-Bedroom configuration adds another bathroom with dual sinks and a walk-in shower.
Looking at the design and overall room configuration, there are definitely some similarities to the newest generation of accommodations at Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
And that is not a criticism.
Island Tower showed how Disney can build a modern DVC villa around flexible sleeping arrangements, efficient bathrooms and more usable gathering spaces. Lakeshore Lodge appears to be continuing that evolution.
Fantasia Takes Over the Three-Bedroom Grand Villas
Then we get to the Three-Bedroom Grand Villas, where Disney changes films entirely.
These accommodations will be inspired by Fantasia and sleep up to 12 guests.
Disney says the design celebrates the artistry of Fantasia, connecting music and nature throughout the room. The Grand Villas will feature three separate bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, a full kitchen and large gathering spaces. Disney has also specifically highlighted private outdoor space with impressive Bay Lake views.
For anyone familiar with the DVC portfolio, the basic concept is exactly what you would expect from a Grand Villa.
What stands out is the design.
From the images Disney released, these look like genuinely beautiful accommodations and exactly the kind of room that should feel special enough to justify the enormous number of points we can safely assume it will take to stay there.
Brother Bear Lake Houses Could Become the Signature Accommodation
Now we get into the truly unique rooms.
The new Lake Houses may end up becoming the signature accommodation of Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge.
Located directly along Bay Lake, these freestanding A-frame retreats will come in two sizes.
The One-Bedroom Lake House sleeps up to five guests, while the Two-Bedroom Lake House sleeps up to eight.
Disney says the Lake Houses will feature expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, waterfront views, full kitchens, washers and dryers and private porches facing the water. Inside, the design will draw from Brother Bear and its Alaskan setting, including a Northern Lights-inspired lighting feature in the primary bedroom.
That sounds fantastic.
Conceptually, think about the place occupied by the Polynesian Bungalows or Cascade Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins.
These aren’t simply larger villas. They’re destination accommodations.
You book them because staying in one becomes part of the vacation.
And having both a one-bedroom and two-bedroom version is particularly interesting. Disney isn’t limiting this concept to large groups that need a bungalow-sized accommodation. A family of four or five could potentially book a one-bedroom Lake House and still get that waterfront experience.
The big unanswered question will once again be the points.
If you have ever looked at the nightly point requirements for a Polynesian Bungalow or Copper Creek Cabin, you already know these specialty accommodations come at a premium.
I don’t expect the Lakeshore Lodge Lake Houses to be an exception.
But I absolutely want to stay in one.
The Hidden Willow Presidential Suite Is Something Entirely Different
Finally, we have the room I never really expected to be discussing in relation to a new Disney Vacation Club property.
The Hidden Willow Presidential Suite.
This Pocahontas-inspired accommodation sleeps up to six guests and features two separate bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room, washer and dryer, a private balcony, expansive Bay Lake views and views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
It also includes access to The Artist’s Nest club-level lounge.
A Presidential Suite is a fascinating addition because it doesn’t neatly fit into the traditional DVC accommodation hierarchy.
Studio. One Bedroom. Two Bedroom. Grand Villa.
We know those categories.
A Presidential Suite raises far more questions.
Will it appear as its own category on a DVC point chart? How many suites exist? How difficult will the booking competition be? Will Disney retain substantial inventory for cash reservations? And exactly how astronomical could the nightly point requirement become?
Right now, we simply don’t know.
But if this eventually becomes bookable using Vacation Points, I think we can safely assume nobody is going to describe it as a bargain.
Are All 967 Rooms at Lakeshore Lodge Really Disney Vacation Club?
This is where we need to separate what we know from what we are still trying to determine.
Disney Vacation Club itself issued today’s first look at the resort, and Lakeshore Lodge has consistently been discussed as Disney’s next major DVC development. Disney’s own corporate reporting also identifies Lakeshore Lodge as a DVC project under development.
At the same time, Disney is currently marketing the property through the Disney Resorts Collection and is opening cash rental reservations before releasing details about booking with Vacation Points.
That is not unusual for Disney Vacation Club.
DVC inventory can be operated as hotel inventory when it is not being occupied by Members, and DVC inventory is typically declared into an association over time rather than every unit becoming Member inventory on opening day.
That distinction is important.
Seeing Resort Studios, club-level rooms or other accommodations sold to cash guests does not necessarily mean Lakeshore Lodge has to operate as the 50/50 hotel-and-DVC project originally envisioned for Reflections.
What we don’t yet have is the legal resort documentation and Vacation Points chart that will show Members exactly how all of these accommodation categories fit together.
And until we see those documents, I would be cautious about treating every detail of Lakeshore Lodge’s DVC structure as settled.
Why Cash Reservations Are Opening Before DVC Point Reservations
Another point worth clarifying from today’s announcement is the October booking schedule.
Disney confirmed:
- October 6, 2026: Disney Vacation Club Members can make early rental reservations
- October 7, 2026: Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can make early rental reservations
- October 8, 2026: Reservations open to all guests
Those are cash reservation dates, not dates for DVC Members to book using Vacation Points, or guests looking to rent DVC points to stay here. Disney has not yet released the Lakeshore Lodge point chart or announced the point-booking schedule.
That distinction is going to become particularly important over the next few months.
Don’t see “DVC Members can book October 6” and assume you can call Member Services that morning with your Vacation Points ready to go.
Right now, October 6 is about paying cash. The DVC side of the equation is still coming.
What Could the Lakeshore Lodge Point Chart Look Like?
This is probably the question I’m most interested in now.
With 967 rooms, Lakeshore Lodge is enormous. And with so many different categories, Disney has a lot of flexibility in how it ultimately structures the point chart.
My expectation is that Resort Studios and Duo Studios will represent the lower end of the chart, followed by Deluxe Studios and then the familiar progression through One- and Two-Bedroom Villas.
From there, things get very interesting.
How much of a premium will Disney charge for club level?
What does a Lake House cost compared with a Two-Bedroom Villa?
Where does the Presidential Suite fall?
And perhaps most importantly, how much “point inflation” will we see compared with older DVC properties?
I would not look at the historic Animal Kingdom Villas concierge chart and expect Disney to use that as its benchmark.
Today’s Disney Vacation Club is operating in a very different environment, and the combination of a brand-new resort, Bay Lake location, Magic Kingdom proximity, premium views, lazy river and highly differentiated room categories gives Disney plenty of reasons to price Lakeshore Lodge aggressively.
We will know much more once those charts are released.
Lakeshore Lodge Is Starting to Look Like the Future of DVC
Today’s room reveal doesn’t change my enthusiasm for Lakeshore Lodge.
If anything, it increases it.
Amy and I have loved almost everything Disney has shown from this resort so far. I love the overall design. I love the location. I love the nature-focused approach to Disney storytelling. And seeing the breadth of these accommodations makes the idea of owning at Lakeshore Lodge even more appealing to us.
There is also something exciting about buying into what could represent the next chapter of Disney Vacation Club.
This isn’t a small addition to an existing property. With 967 rooms, multiple restaurants, The Wetlands recreation complex, the Daydream River lazy river, waterfront Lake Houses, club-level accommodations and an entirely new collection of villas, Lakeshore Lodge is going to be a major part of the DVC conversation for years.
And you can absolutely expect DVC Fan to be there when the resort opens July 1, 2027!
We want to stay in the Resort Studios. We want to see whether a Duo Studio is actually worth the point savings. We want to compare the Bambi villas to Island Tower. We definitely want a night in one of those Lake Houses.
And somebody is eventually going to have to take one for the team and find out how many points the Hidden Willow Presidential Suite costs. For research purposes, obviously.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions surrounding Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge room types, particularly the Vacation Points chart, club-level inventory, resort association details and booking rules for some of these premium accommodations.
But after today’s announcement, we finally have a much clearer idea of just how ambitious this resort is going to be.
What do you think of the new room types at Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge? Which one would you book first, and where do you think Disney will land on the point charts? Let us know in the comments.
As always, we’ll continue reporting the latest Disney Vacation Club news here at DVC Fan as additional Lakeshore Lodge details are released.
Stay tuned to DVCFan.com and the DVC Fan Facebook Group for the latest updates on Disney Vacation Club and Disney News. Want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation in the DVC Fan Forums at forums.dvcfan.com!
