Photos: Disney's Lakeshore Lodge Construction Towers Over Fort Wilderness Landmarks as Progress Continues

Guests visiting Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground will notice a towering structure looming over the quaint and charming Settlement area of the property. Home to Pioneer Hall (itself home to the venerable Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue), Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern, among other things like a playground, retail outpost, and more, this area is now overshadowed by the construction of Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, a new resort coming to this corner of the Magic Kingdom Resort area at Walt Disney World.

The construction of the new resort tower also blocks access to portions of the Settlement area, including a large swath of Clementine Beach at Fort Wilderness. The beach to the east of the boat transportation dock remains open, along with the marina for that transportation access. The remainder of what is actually open to guests on this side of the dock can be seen in the picture below.

Guests using the resort bus transportation in the Settlement area  will note a new loading zone in a different area, with designated signage and Cast Members there to assist. This is largely because the buses now load in a portion of parking lot adjacent to the Lakeshore Lodge construction site.

From the new Tri-Circle D Ranch at Fort Wilderness, you can see the general size and scope of the project, taking up a large part of the resort property, including the land that once served as the home of River Country, the Picnic Pavilion, and the original ranch and petting zoo.

It was back in November when Disney officially acknowledged the construction happening in this area after construction on a similar project (Reflections - A Disney Lakeshore Lodge) had been paused and eventually cancelled due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Now, specific details are scarce regarding the newly announced Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, outside of a similar idea that the property will still take inspiration from the “majesty of nature" as well as its influence on Disney artists, with a slated debut in 2027.

While all of these photos were taken from within Fort Wilderness, you can see more taken from the shores of Bay Lake in our post here. For more information about the new Cabins at Fort Wilderness or any other resort at Walt Disney World, be sure to reach out to our friends at Mouse Fan Travel who can assist with all your Disney Travel needs.