If you were to Re-imagine the Neighbor, what theme would you Re-imagine it as?

nomorethan8

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 15, 2019
Like a lot of people who love the Fort, I like the fact that Disney's Lakeside has been put on hold. It does seem that the property will eventually be developed as a DVC property. If you were to re-imagine the theme of that resort, what would be the theme you would want.
 
I have been pretty vocal, nomorethan8, about the Reflections design in the thread that's on the DIS Rumors board.

It was a beautiful design in-and-of-itself that was TOTALLY wrong to be plopped so close to Fort Wilderness. Fort Wilderness is one of the original WDW resorts. It's welcomed campers and cabin guests for going on 50 years now. It has built a powerful "brand" of its own in the rv'ing community as among the premier destinations for that group.

My contention on the Rumors thread was to fully EMBRACE the Fort Wilderness vibe and design a resort that compliments or augments what you already have in a frontier theme. Here was my thinking: as much as we would like to see FW expanded with more sites, maybe some pull-throughs, it is never going to happen. The Disney mentality is "build up, build big, charge a lot". Ground level sites don't match that. But you have 50 years worth of guests with lots of memories and past trips to the Fort who are getting older. And younger families that might have come to the Fort for Trails End dinner or HDDR, to see/ride horses, to roast marshmallows and sing along with Chip & Dale and say to themselves: "we're not a camping family but we sure like it over here".

What came next after the frontier was settled with forts, log cabins, coonskin caps and leather chaps/mocassins? A civilized town with a country store, a hotel, an trading company (that took the gold or animal furs to market), a sheriff with a small jail, a saloon or two, a diner, a telegraph office, a stagecoach office, and more. (not gonna attempt to bring a train station into the picture - that one still hurts too much). I propose reusing the "Buffalo Junction" name (which was a name/project floated by Disney a few decades ago for the space between WL and FW). And by fully embracing the Fort vibe, keep a lazy river in the pool/recreation plan and call it "River Country" again. Market it as the "Fort Wilderness DVC" and I think it would be a strong marketing angle.

I'm not going to get into DVC and their discussion about newer resorts not being able to trade/book back into their existing DVC resorts. I'm just simply saying there is a ready made market for folks who are older and maybe even packing/driving/setting up the rv is more work than it used to be. And younger folks who want to buy DVC and enjoy the outdoor/frontier/friendly camper vibe. That's your target buyer audience for a DVC next to Fort Wilderness.

So rather than ignore the Fort Wilderness theme 20 feet away from the project, embrace it. Advance it about 40 years in time from the rough western frontier (camping) to a more modern civilized frontier town with building fronts (DVC) of the type mentioned above. I think we all believe Disney will build something on that property SOME DAY and will include the cottages along the lake side. Therefore the best we can hope for is to have something that is similar/related/extended from the Fort Wilderness brand/theme.

Build "Buffalo Junction" and people will buy it. That's my opinion since you asked - it's worth what you paid for it. :confused3

Bama Ed

PS - you know Disney would want a multi-story property and I don't recall too many 5 story saloons in the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. But that would be for the architects and designers to figure out.
 
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...If you were to re-imagine the theme of that resort, what would be the theme you would want?
Develop it as an Undeveloped Wilderness, like the set of the Hunger Games series. Total "nature only" experience, without the kill-your-neighbor-requirement of course.
 
I read years ago when this project was first scoped that Disney intended it to fit "between" the Fort and WL. Not physically (that is obvious) but from a country geography stand point. The Fort is obviously the "Wild West" theme and WL is Pacific NW. Reflections was originally supposed to be themed, geographically, in between. That leaves a few options. I think they were trying to go with an Arts and Crafts/Frank Lloyd Wright feel to mimic Central and Northern California. I like the artist renderings. The problem, as Ed noted, is it is too close to the Fort. With it literally backing up to the Settlement and encroaching on Clementine's Beach, the style (what ever it was going for) clashes with the Fort.

I like the looks of what was planned and it may have worked as being an "in between" design IF it was shifted towards WL and set back. But then the WL folks would have complained about it encroaching on their DVC expansion and setting it back would not have made it as desirable as a "lake front" resort. It's too bad the land to the northeast of the Fort is not buildable. Still on Bay Lake, but more ability to put some distance between the existing resorts.

j
 


Ray Charles could of drawn a better design given its location. That being said, it was obvious that resort was intended to only partake of FW available entertainment and dining, not to fit in. This was plainly evidenced by the beach being taken away from FW and ignorant looking bungalows intended to block the lake view from Trails End.

It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure that out. Larry Holmes could've done that.

If I would've had my choice it would've been a bit further away from FW. With some space the current design might of not been so out of place.
 
I have been pretty vocal, nomorethan8, about the Reflections design in the thread that's on the DIS Rumors board.

It was a beautiful design in-and-of-itself that was TOTALLY wrong to be plopped so close to Fort Wilderness. Fort Wilderness is one of the original WDW resorts. It's welcomed campers and cabin guests for going on 50 years now. It has built a powerful "brand" of its own in the rv'ing community as among the premier destinations for that group.

My contention on the Rumors thread was to fully EMBRACE the Fort Wilderness vibe and design a resort that compliments or augments what you already have in a frontier theme. Here was my thinking: as much as we would like to see FW expanded with more sites, maybe some pull-throughs, it is never going to happen. The Disney mentality is "build up, build big, charge a lot". Ground level sites don't match that. But you have 50 years worth of guests with lots of memories and past trips to the Fort who are getting older. And younger families that might have come to the Fort for Trails End dinner or HDDR, to see/ride horses, to roast marshmallows and sing along with Chip & Dale and say to themselves: "we're not a camping family but we sure like it over here".

What came next after the frontier was settled with forts, log cabins, coonskin caps and leather chaps/mocassins? A civilized town with a country store, a hotel, an trading company (that took the gold or animal furs to market), a sheriff with a small jail, a saloon or two, a diner, a telegraph office, a stagecoach office, and more. (not gonna attempt to bring a train station into the picture - that one still hurts too much). I propose reusing the "Buffalo Junction" name (which was a name/project floated by Disney a few decades ago for the space between WL and FW). And by fully embracing the Fort vibe, keep a lazy river in the pool/recreation plan and call it "River Country" again. Market it as the "Fort Wilderness DVC" and I think it would be a strong marketing angle.

I'm not going to get into DVC and their discussion about newer resorts not being able to trade/book back into their existing DVC resorts. I'm just simply saying there is a ready made market for folks who are older and maybe even packing/driving/setting up the rv is more work than it used to be. And younger folks who want to buy DVC and enjoy the outdoor/frontier/friendly camper vibe. That's your target buyer audience for a DVC next to Fort Wilderness.

So rather than ignore the Fort Wilderness theme 20 feet away from the project, embrace it. Advance it about 40 years in time from the rough western frontier (camping) to a more modern civilized frontier town with building fronts (DVC) of the type mentioned above. I think we all believe Disney will build something on that property SOME DAY and will include the cottages along the lake side. Therefore the best we can hope for is to have something that is similar/related/extended from the Fort Wilderness brand/theme.

Build "Buffalo Junction" and people will buy it. That's my opinion since you asked - it's worth what you paid for it. :confused3

Bama Ed

PS - you know Disney would want a multi-story property and I don't recall too many 5 story saloons in the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. But that would be for the architects and designers to figure out.


A man after my own heart there, Ed. You've got it exactly right. The only other thing I'd add is that the tallest building couldn't be more than 3 stories high, or whatever height doesn't impinge on the views from the loops. If it impinges a bit from the Outpost and/or Settlement areas it wouldn't be too bad, since those areas are sort of 'built up' anyway. But leave the actual loops 'DVC view-free'.

Oh, and don't forget the 12 foot high 'pointy-top' log wall with the lookout towers to keep 'them' on 'their side'. We can install a sally port and have a secret password. I suggest 'swordfish'.
 


A man after my own heart there, Ed. You've got it exactly right. The only other thing I'd add is that the tallest building couldn't be more than 3 stories high, or whatever height doesn't impinge on the views from the loops. If it impinges a bit from the Outpost and/or Settlement areas it wouldn't be too bad, since those areas are sort of 'built up' anyway. But leave the actual loops 'DVC view-free'.

Oh, and don't forget the 12 foot high 'pointy-top' log wall with the lookout towers to keep 'them' on 'their side'. We can install a sally port and have a secret password. I suggest 'swordfish'.

I have to commend StormyCA for standing with me on that thread on the Rumors board versus the Reflections fans.
Iconcheers_zps2d1971b8.gif


And you bet we need to keep them on "their side". Darn time share/hotel folks gonna try to sneak over and pool crash at the Meadows Pool, I just know it.

When word gets out then those Beach Club folks gonna look over here for something better than StormAlong Bay and THEY'LL be sneaking over too. Bet ya!

:sad2: We make have to work shifts atop that wall, Stormy.

Bama Ed
 
I have to commend StormyCA for standing with me on that thread on the Rumors board versus the Reflections fans.
Iconcheers_zps2d1971b8.gif


And you bet we need to keep them on "their side". Darn time share/hotel folks gonna try to sneak over and pool crash at the Meadows Pool, I just know it.

When word gets out then those Beach Club folks gonna look over here for something better than StormAlong Bay and THEY'LL be sneaking over too. Bet ya!

:sad2: We make have to work shifts atop that wall, Stormy.

Bama Ed


I'm polishing my musket and dusting off my coonskin cap as I type, Ed.

"Fort Folks, Fooorrt Fooolks,
Kings and Queens of Ft Wildernneessss!"

(sung to the tune of the last 2 lines of "Davy Crockett")
 
I'd like to see a new River Country (safe version; no lake water). They could also add additional outdoor recreation activities that would compliment the Wilderness theme instead of detract from it.... Pony Rides, Extended nature trails, Train rides, Western town, ETC
 
Those are good ideas, skype4WDW. You could move the current Gem Mining activity over there (pan for gold?) too.

I mentioned a stagecoach office in the layout. How about a REAL stagecoach that would offer rides around the near Fort area the way the carriage does? What little kid wouldn't love that? (or us big kids :rolleyes1 ).

Bama Ed

PS - I can see myself in a remake of the War Wagon movie with Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, and Bama Ed. 🤠
 
Forget the whole steel and shiny and upwards vertical thing, and just re-vamp River Country. Give it a lazy river or a Deluxe pool setup. Upscale the food service into fancy glamour picnic baskets.
Massive re-use of the edu-tainment outdoors activities, like what AK has going on, only with the more classic barnyard animals.
 
The Fort is obviously the "Wild West" theme and WL is Pacific NW. Reflections was originally supposed to be themed, geographically, in between.
Or move a little east and put a Mississippi "River Country" themed resort. Now I know there is a Port Orleans, but maybe a Mark Twain angle or something like that. I also wouldn't be against a Williamsburg type of place either.
 
Or move a little east and put a Mississippi "River Country" themed resort.
That would work too. There is a canal that runs south of the Reflections site. That could be expanded and put in a river/bayou theme. The bungalows on the water could be river/swamp shack themed. :lmao: I have friends with some really nice river "shacks".

j
 
That would work too. There is a canal that runs south of the Reflections site. That could be expanded and put in a river/bayou theme. The bungalows on the water could be river/swamp shack themed. :lmao: I have friends with some really nice river "shacks".

j
It would be overrun with LSU fans. I can imagine how great the smell of Cajun cooking would of been...
 
It would be overrun with LSU fans. I can imagine how great the smell of Cajun cooking would of been...

Even if they are smoking some nutria that has been marinading for hours and hours (and hours) ..... :teeth:

Seriously given the work that's already been put into the work site, they'll build SOMETHING there in the future (who knows when) so ideas now are great but there may not be anything there for a while.

Bama Ed
 
That would work too. There is a canal that runs south of the Reflections site. That could be expanded and put in a river/bayou theme. The bungalows on the water could be river/swamp shack themed. :lmao: I have friends with some really nice river "shacks".

j
Already got the critters for the bayou ready to welcome visitors!
530308
 

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