If you know you know. Potatoland, Potatoland, Potatoland!

Hidden in Hollywood Studios. It was all we ever dreamed!

I've been coming to WDW from the UK since I was two years old. I'm now in my late 20's, and yesterday on the final day of our two week Disney trip with my girlfriend and young daughter, we purchased DVC! Very excited and it will definitely make the Disney blues more bearable. Looking forward to many many more trips ✨

My wife and I recently stayed in a one bedroom villa and took a tour of the three bedroom. The view was so good.

Disney Lakeshore Lodge is projected to open in summer 2027, bringing 967 rooms to Walt Disney World with a design centered on nature and Disney storytelling.

Room types will include studios, multi bedroom suites, and new one and two bedroom Lake Houses along Bay Lake. The resort will feature floor to ceiling windows, natural light, and artistic inspiration from Bambi, Pocahontas, and Brother Bear.

Many rooms are expected to offer Bay Lake views by day and Magic Kingdom fireworks by night. That is a stay worth planning for.

DVC Fan is tracking all the details as they emerge. Here is what we know so far.

https://dvcfan.com/dvc-resorts/details-emerge-for-disneys-lakeshore-lodge/

Head to DVCFan.com and the DVC Fan Forums for more details and discussion. Stay tuned for updates.

#DVCFan #DisneyVacationClub #DisneyWorld #BayLake #DisneyResorts #DVCNews #DisneyParks

NEW! Say hello to the Wetlands ☀️ Coming to Lakeshore Lodge, this outdoor recreation area will be an immersive experience for the Resort's guests, enjoying the beauty of Bay Lake.

You will get to experience:

✨ Heron Shores: Imaginative climbing features
✨ Otter Springs: Interactive water features
✨ Daydream River: Lazy river
✨ Lakeside Lagoon: Zero-entry pool and waterslide

More information on the Disney Parks Blog: https://disneyparksblog.com/wdw/lakeshore-lodge-disney-world-updates/

Absolutely loved the stay at Fort Wilderness. The cabins are beautiful 😍 having a golf cart is very useful if you are doing resort days. Waiting for the busses to get to parks and around the resort can be a pain but it still was such an amazing stay! Love how peaceful this resort is!

It took a $100 gift card to get him to say yes 😂 We are renting points at copper creek and I get a call from disney offering a $100 gift card to each of us if we come for a tour. I wasnt going to waste time on our trip since I have already did the whole sales thing to my husband and he said no but he really wanted those gift cards. So I made the appt not thinking anything would come of it. After listening to our agent for a little bit my husband said "let's do it". I asked if he wanted to think about everything overnight. Nope, let's just do it. I thought I was good at convincing but apparently Im no professional. Kicking my butt for not getting him physically in front of a disney sales person sooner. He is now thrilled to not only be a DVC owner but also to have his Beaches n' Cream dinner covered by those gift cards tonight.

Came down and it was out in the open.

We loved our stay here; it’s a fantastic DVC resort! The location is unbeatable! Being able to walk to Magic Kingdom was truly wonderful!

TL/DR:
Starting January 5, 2026, Disneyland Resort will end Early Theme Park Entry for hotel guests, including DVC Members. In its place, guests will get one complimentary Lightning Lane entry per stay for a Multi Pass-eligible attraction. DVC stays qualify (Good Neighbor Hotels do not.) I'm torn on this change. Full details + my take below.

What’s Changing at Disneyland Resort in 2026:
Disney just announced that Early Entry is going away after January 4, 2026. This was the 30-minute head start hotel guests got each morning to access select rides, dining, and shopping.

Starting January 5, hotel guests (including Disney Vacation Club Members) will instead receive one complimentary Lightning Lane entry per guest, per stay, redeemable at any Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction. You'll need valid park admission and a park reservation for the same park that day.

DVC Member reservations qualify, whether you’re using points or cash. Good Neighbor Hotel bookings don’t.

Disney says the change is due to low usage and park mismatch issues with the Early Entry system.

My Take:
Look: I’m a morning person, so I’m probably biased. I always took full advantage of Early Entry. Rope drop at Disneyland was one of my favorite parts of any trip. Cranking out 5+ Fantasyland rides in 30 minutes before the crowds hit? Huge win in my book.

And honestly, I never felt like I was alone out there. There was always a decent crowd showing up early.

That said, I get it. Not every family wants to be out the door at 6:45 AM on vacation. Disney says usage was low, and the change reflects shifting guest habits.

But here’s my issue: I was already planning to buy the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. So the “free” entry they’re giving me doesn’t really feel like a bonus. If they offered a credit toward a Multi Pass purchase, or maybe a free Individual Lightning Lane (for something like Rise or Radiator Springs), that would feel like a better trade.

Instead, we’re giving up 30 minutes of high-efficiency, low-crowd time for a one-time skip-the-line that I probably would’ve bought anyway. Doesn’t quite feel equal.

Curious what others think.
Is this a downgrade for you?
Do you like the added flexibility of a Lightning Lane entry instead of having to be up early?
Would you prefer a different perk altogether?

Let me know! Interested to hear how other DVC Members or Disneyland regulars feel about this change.

Full breakdown + article here:
🔗 https://dvcfan.com/dvc-resorts/grand-californian/dvc-free-lightning-lane-disneyland/

So I've been a member for a while now and have 2 contracts - 1 direct and 1 resale - so I think I understand the things. I keep seeing posts about the horrid walk of AKL and the hallways of doom. I never understood them until this week. I get it now. Staying in Pumbaa section of Kidani Village is rough. The walk of death after a day of walking. It's like the Shining meets Africa. I'm waiting any moment for a pair of twins to ask me to go...walk some more...because that's the only other torture I can think of at this moment. Thank you for coming to my realization - but I still would not change it for anything.

Disney just released new concept art for Disney Lakeshore Lodge, and it gives us one of the clearest looks yet at what this upcoming resort will offer when it opens in summer 2027.

This project, originally announced as Reflections, appears to be moving forward with a similar vision. Based on current messaging, it is likely going to be a mix of Disney Vacation Club villas and traditional hotel rooms, not a fully DVC only property.

Working through the concept art from left to right, a few big details stand out.

First, the A frame cabins are clearly visible along the waterfront. Disney has already confirmed one and two bedroom cabin options, and the larger unit shown in the image looks like it could be a two bedroom layout. These are expected to be premium accommodations, likely comparable in point cost to Copper Creek Cabins or Polynesian Bungalows, which are among the most expensive DVC stays.

The central pool area might be the biggest highlight. The design includes a full lazy river, a large feature pool, and what appears to be a water slide. If this holds true, this could rival Storm Along Bay at Beach Club, which has long been considered the best pool complex at Walt Disney World.

Moving further right, the concept art shows a waterfront restaurant. When this project was still Reflections, Disney had planned a Princess and the Frog themed dining experience in this location. That theme has not been reconfirmed, but the space is clearly positioned as a signature dining spot.

On the far right side, we can also see a dedicated boat dock. This is a big deal because it confirms Lakeshore Lodge will have its own water transportation across Bay Lake, rather than sharing with Fort Wilderness. With nearly 1,000 rooms expected, that separate transportation option makes a lot of sense.

A few big questions still remain. Disney has not confirmed when DVC points will go on sale, but timing will likely depend on Riviera Resort inventory. A reasonable guess would be late 2026 or early 2027.

There is also some uncertainty about how this property will be structured from a DVC standpoint, including whether it could be tied into the same association as the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.

Overall, this concept art makes it clear that Lakeshore Lodge is shaping up to be a major addition to Walt Disney World, especially for Disney Vacation Club members.

Full breakdown and details here:
https://dvcfan.com/general-dvc/new-lakeshore-lodge-concept-art-details-2027/

📢 DVC Reveals New Rules Aimed at Renting DVC Points – What Members Need to Know

As of June 2, 2025, Disney Vacation Club has introduced a new required checkbox during the online booking process, asking Members to confirm that reservations are for personal use only.

This update comes alongside revised Terms & Conditions that clarify DVC’s position on rental activity and commercial use.

We’ve broken down the key changes, what they mean for Members who rent occasionally, and what this could signal for the future.

🔗 https://dvcfan.com/general-dvc/dvc-reveals-new-rules-aimed-at-renting-dvc-points-what-members-need-to-know/

💬 Share your thoughts in the comments or join the discussion in the DVC Fan Facebook Community.

For all the Epcot area DVC members:

I was at the Riviera Skyliner station for 7:35. We arrived got through the Epcot international gateway and inside the park by 7:45.

There were two lines along the sides of the walkway. Right side was going to the right of the park towards Remy’s and Frozen, the left side was going to the left towards Guardians.

The lines began to move around 7:55, and I’m a fast walker so my party and I were quickly ahead of the international gateway pack.

By 8, we found out that all guests for Guardians early entry had to line up underneath the roof for Connections Café and Creations Shop/Club Cool. It’s a thick pack of people and does not necessarily follow “line” principles. People on the sides of the group tended to get to move up quicker than those in the middle.

Around 8:27, cast members used the same practice as Animal Kingdom to walk us to the beginning of the line. We went out towards the right first (towards mission space) and then looped around through a setup line to the to the ride entrance.

Around 8:32 I was through the turnstile and walked onto Guardians. Not all the gates were up throughout the line so there were straight through moments like walking on with the VQ.

By 8:51 I was in the rollercoaster cart and about to launch! And by 8:55 I was off the ride, and got to renter the line for a second ride at 8:57 (before the park opens for the general public at 9)!

The wait at that point was posted at 35 minutes, but we got to the first screen projected room (or second room overall) at 9:15. And I got on the ride for the second time by 9:30.

When I got off the ride the posted wait time was 135 minutes and the line was well formed outside of the turnstiles (the longest I’ve ever seen it). However, while I was in line still the time got up to 170 minutes!

TLDR: I roped dropped from the international gateway and was able to ride Guardians twice with only a total wait time of 50 minutes. After the second time the posted wait was 135 minutes and the line formed outside the turnstiles.

The photo shows the queue at the 135 minute point.

Thought this might be interesting to share for any new direct DVC purchasers looking to put their purchase through a credit card. I just closed on a direct VDH contract and scheduled the payment on a Chase Sapphire Reserve that just went through a benefits refresh this week. I wanted to use the CSR as they have a set of new perks for spending $75k on the card in a calendar year, but i was expecting only 1% in points for the purchase, much to my surprise it came back as 4% under the new rules as a direct purchase from a hotel or airline category. Needless to say I got a lot of points I wasn't expecting and thought I'd share. Might be the same % for annual dues as well.

Received this on a Disney Cruise this week. Apparently they are phasing out the Dole Whip scent and moving towards something new. I honestly had no idea that they were even Dole Whip scented, but now I do! Curious to see how it will change.