Site inspections at River Country?

[rteetz]

I agree except we saw this head fake before. It'll be interesting what they do for transport. Stick with boats or add something new. I'm guessing boats. They work pretty well for WL and FW.

Yeah probably won't be much different than WL or FW. It definitely seems they are moving forward with something if they are creating a staging area.

 

[jknezek]

Yeah probably won't be much different than WL or FW. It definitely seems they are moving forward with something if they are creating a staging area.

It's a prime area. I'll be sad though if it gets too close to FW. We are going in January but if the cranes start pouring in after, it may be a while before we go back. I do hope they take pains to hide whatever tower they build somewhat from the campground. It is so secluded out that way now, a really different experience on Disney property than anything else. I also hope the theme will be consistent with the rustic campground and the rustic Wilderness Lodge.

 

[SSGNCNG]

It seems unreasonable to assume a moderate resort is even a remote possibility. Lake front near the MK is prime Deluxe or DVC resort territory. DVC resorts shift the costs of property taxes and maintenance onto the owners and off Disney. They also bring higher income visitors on campus. Disney is going to maximize that especially in a location such as this. This site would scream for waterfront cabins or on the water cabins, a.k.a. Polynesian. How about cabins built to look like rafts from the Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn stories?

If they're gonna do a large feature pool I can't believe they would waste lake shore acreage like this for it unless the next resort is immediately behind it.

 

[rteetz]

It's a prime area. I'll be sad though if it gets too close to FW. We are going in January but if the cranes start pouring in after, it may be a while before we go back. I do hope they take pains to hide whatever tower they build somewhat from the campground. It is so secluded out that way now, a really different experience on Disney property than anything else. I also hope the theme will be consistent with the rustic campground and the rustic Wilderness Lodge.

I don't think this will be a giant tower or anything but more along the lines of something like Wilderness Lodge. There were supposed plans a long time ago for this area that showed something more spread out but lower to the ground with maybe 6-7 floors? I think that would be the route they go.

 

[jknezek]

I don't think this will be a giant tower or anything but more along the lines of something like Wilderness Lodge. There were supposed plans a long time ago for this area that showed something more spread out but lower to the ground with maybe 6-7 floors? I think that would be the route they go.

I hope you are right. Would make sense. The campground has definitely been a maintained but not improved property pretty much since the 80s. It has steadily lost amenities, not that it has mattered one bit in terms of occupancy or prices, but having a tower built next door would be unpleasant.

 

[sachilles]

Probably not in the cards, but I'd love to see a skyliner serve this location, allowing that whole area to be served a bit better.
If it is indeed a resort, the added people in the area would like overwhelm the boat transportation. If they are to embrace the concept of the Gondolas, this seems like it could be a good opportunity to create a new line, even if it only goes to the transportation center. Thematically not a great fit, I'd agree. However it would largely be a straight shot to serve fort wilderness, this new property, wilderness lodge and the transport center.
Ok, maybe I'm just hoping for a better (free) way out of the hoop de do.
I know they can add busses

It certainly seems that there is plenty of space in that general area for water front development. That is of course if it's practical to build upon it. In general, I think Bay lake is under utilized.

 

[rteetz]

Probably not in the cards, but I'd love to see a skyliner serve this location, allowing that whole area to be served a bit better.
If it is indeed a resort, the added people in the area would like overwhelm the boat transportation. If they are to embrace the concept of the Gondolas, this seems like it could be a good opportunity to create a new line, even if it only goes to the transportation center. Thematically not a great fit, I'd agree. However it would largely be a straight shot to serve fort wilderness, this new property, wilderness lodge and the transport center.
Ok, maybe I'm just hoping for a better (free) way out of the hoop de do.
I know they can add busses

It certainly seems that there is plenty of space in that general area for water front development. That is of course if it's practical to build upon it. In general, I think Bay lake is under utilized.

I think Bay Lake is underutilized because it’s not the best land to build on. I could be wrong in that though. You’d think if it was great land they would have built more there in the almost 50 years that WDW has been a thing.

 

[umichigan10]

I think Bay Lake is underutilized because it’s not the best land to build on. I could be wrong in that though. You’d think if it was great land they would have built more there in the almost 50 years that WDW has been a thing.

I have no idea what the far shores are like building wise, but I know that infamous plot between the contemporary and TTC is too unstable to build on. So wouldn’t surprise me if some of the bay lake areas have the same issue

 

[jknezek]

I think Bay Lake is underutilized because it’s not the best land to build on. I could be wrong in that though. You’d think if it was great land they would have built more there in the almost 50 years that WDW has been a thing.

Yep. All you have to do is wander through the loops of FW after a rainstorm and realize how swampy and unstable that land can be. I'm sure you can build on it, but it can't be cheap down toward the water. I think you might see a Wilderness Lodge redo with smaller footprint cabins down by the water and a larger structure set farther back. Otherwise it's going to be a lot of prep. Doable, but expensive.

 

[rteetz]

Here are the old rumored plans for the site that could give us an idea.

 

[sachilles]

I think Bay Lake is underutilized because it’s not the best land to build on. I could be wrong in that though. You’d think if it was great land they would have built more there in the almost 50 years that WDW has been a thing.

Very true, but they've also historically gone after the low hanging fruit. The practicality of locations are starting to override the difficulties caused by the geography.
That being said, the area between the transportation center and Contemporary should have been used by now if it was usable.

I also think Disney has saved certain location for Blue sky dreams that have never materialized. Once it's reserved for those things, I get the impression that property if off limits for other ideas.

 

[jknezek]

I hate where that parking lot is located. That will be really ugly to people camping in the preferred and FHU loops down toward the dock. Not that I think that will be much of an overriding concern...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Lake George doesn't really have a style.
Lake George is to Saratoga as Alligator Bayou is to Magnolia Bend.

Maybe Lake Placid instead of Lake George

The Lake Placid Lodge has a pretty distinct look

 

[skier_pete]

Of course it will be DVC, they are the biggest cash grab for Disney, they incurre the 1 time building cost and then have the "Owners" pay for upkeep and Taxes, which Disney gets to set the price on so Disney sees little to no cost in running the resort once it reaches a certain percentage sold. Its also on Prime lake territory, her is the question though, will they increase the dock space at the magic kingdom considering they now will be funneling three resorts to one dock on a longer leg then the Lagoon trip is.

Another question is what out door themed area is this going to take after. They have already done the pacific northwest pretty much to death over there, could we see some different themeing?

As a DVC member, I LOVE that they keep adding to DVC -- I love the different options of places to stay. "Cash grab" makes it seem illegitimate in some way -- like those who buy in aren't deriving full/fair value. If you're the right type of customer, DVC is an excellent deal.

I think @Firebird060 is saying that it's way more lucrative for Disney the build DVC than hotels, because they take all the profit up front, and the owners pay for the resort upkeep. I am a DVC owner and there were a lot of years I resisted it, but as you say - DVC works really, really well for the right people.

I think it's way too early to predict what the decor might be, but it WILL be right next door to Fort Wilderness - so that may limit what they can do with it in terms of uniqueness. Honestly I'm a little disappointed if this is the next location. We stayed at WLV this past February for the first time, and while I loved the resort, I was not very impressed with the location. People complain about AKL being far from MK, but I found that WLV was while convenient to MK, it was not very convenient to the other 3 parks - especially having to share buses. Another resort even further around Bay Lake would have to have a really appealing theme to get me interested. (I cannot believe that they are not investigating away to get another resort in the Epcot/DHS area - though I suppose that's what they did with Riviera. )

 

[MissGina5]

I would love something different than another lodge. If that theory about MK resorts being based on the different lands in MK, which are we missing?
Grand Floridian -Main St
Polynesian - Adventureland
Wilderness- Frontierland
Contemporary -Tomorrowland

so just fantasyland right? I wonder what something like that would look like

 

[Firebird060]

you also have Liberty Square

 

[Firebird060]

If they do go with a more southern mountain themeing, it would stay with the theme of a watering hole river theme that old River Country had. It really depends if Disney wants to play to nostalgia to what was there over whatever other ideas they have kicking around.

 

[MissGina5]

If they do go with a more southern mountain themeing, it would stay with the theme of a watering hole river theme that old River Country had. It really depends if Disney wants to play to nostalgia to what was there over whatever other ideas they have kicking around.

Thats not bad! But also with LSq as you reminded me, I see where people are thinking Adirondaks/Lake Placid. Something that kind of ties that to colonial america would be ideal.

 

[skier_pete]

It seems like this almost HAS to be the next DVC. It's weird that for the first time in memory there haven't been rumors of the next DVC location floating around at least prior to the "newest one" (in this case Riviera) being under construction. I remember reading about the CCV before the Poly construction was really underway, and CBR was a rumor long before CCV construction got started. With Riviera likely opening in 2019, they will likely have to start construction on the next resort next year - ESPECIALLY if they are going to use the River Country land as there would certainly be a lot of remediation involved.

 

[OKW Lover]

I wonder if a DVC resort at the River Country site would include over-water units.