For years, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts have had one very splashy trump card: Stormalong Bay. You can argue over the best Disney World hotel lobby, the best resort restaurant, the best transportation setup, or which hotel smells the most like someone bottled vacation and sold it for $48 in a gift shop. But when it comes to the best Disney World hotel pool, most people have pointed to Stormalong Bay and called the case closed.

It has a sand-bottom pool. It has a lazy river. It has a giant shipwreck slide. It has the general energy of “we accidentally built a mini water park and then attached two Deluxe Resorts to it.” But now? We may have a challenger.

Disney Lakeshore Lodge is projected to open at Walt Disney World in summer 2027, and based on the concept art and early details we’ve seen so far, its pool complex might be one of the most ambitious hotel pool areas Disney World has built in decades. The emphasis here is might, because we are still working with concept art, construction peeks, and limited confirmed information. Disney has said more details about dining, recreation, amenities, and design will be shared in the months ahead.

Still, the pool-watchers among us are already squinting at those renderings like we’re examining the Zapruder film, but with more pool noodles.

The Current Champion

Let’s start with the reigning champ. Stormalong Bay is the shared pool area for Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Beach Club Villas. It is a 3-acre water wonderland with a 750,000-gallon pool area, a sand-bottom pool, a lazy river, three whirlpool spas, an elevated tanning deck, and a life-size shipwreck replica with a waterslide. The slide is 230 feet long and starts from the mast of that shipwreck. That is not just a hotel pool. That is a full aquatic situation.

Stormalong Bay works because it has variety. Little kids can splash in shallower areas. Bigger kids can barrel down the shipwreck slide. Adults can float, lounge, soak, supervise, or pretend they are “just resting their eyes” in a chair while absolutely guarding that chair like it is a national treasure.

And then there’s the location. Yacht and Beach Club sit in the EPCOT Resort Area, which means you’re close to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, the BoardWalk, the Skyliner, and a whole cluster of restaurants and lounges. A pool day here can easily become a Beaches & Cream sundae day, a quick EPCOT stroll day, or a “we were supposed to go to Magic Kingdom but somehow ended up drinking something frozen near Crescent Lake” day. That convenience is part of Stormalong Bay’s power. It is not just the pool itself. It is the whole resort ecosystem around it.

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The Challenger From Bay Lake

Disney Lakeshore Lodge is being built along the south shores of Bay Lake, near the general Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness region. It is a nature-inspired waterfront retreat celebrating “the beauty and magic of nature” through Disney storytelling. The resort is expected to include 967 rooms, ranging from studios to suites, plus one- and two-bedroom Lake Houses along the waterfront. That already tells us this will not be a tiny hidden cabin village where three people and a raccoon share a dock.

This is a major new resort. And if the pool area is as large and feature-heavy as the concept art suggests, it could become a serious selling point. The new concept art appears to show a lazy river, pool, water slide, waterfront restaurant, boat dock, and other resort features. The pool area appears to include a zero-entry design, waterslides, and a splash pad, though Disney has not yet released full official pool specifications.

So, again, giant flashing caution sign: we do not yet have final confirmed measurements, gallon counts, slide lengths, operating rules, pool access details, or the complete amenity list. But based on what has been shown? Stormalong Bay should at least glance over its shoulder.

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Lazy River vs. Lazy River

One of the biggest reasons Stormalong Bay has stayed at the top for so long is the lazy river. Disney World hotel pools are not exactly overflowing with lazy rivers. Most Disney Resort pools have a feature pool, a slide, a splash area, maybe a hot tub or quiet pool nearby, and some highly competitive chair politics. Stormalong Bay has always felt different because the lazy river gives it that mini-water-park feel.

That is why the Lakeshore Lodge concept art is so interesting. If the new resort really opens with a substantial lazy river, that alone puts it in rare company. A lazy river changes how people use a pool. It turns the space from “we’re going swimming for 45 minutes” into “we may live here now.” It gives kids something repetitive and fun to do without requiring constant slide stairs. It gives adults an option that feels less chaotic than bobbing in the main pool while someone’s inflatable ball achieves sentience nearby.

But the size and layout will matter. Stormalong Bay’s lazy river is fun, but it can feel compact and busy. If Lakeshore Lodge has a larger, more scenic, better-flowing lazy river around a nature-themed courtyard, that could be a major advantage. Could it be better? Absolutely. But we won’t know that until we actually dip our toes into that tide ourselves. We need the final design, guest capacity, water depth, tube rules, shade situation, and whether the whole thing feels relaxing or like a wet traffic circle with children.

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Theme Is Where This Gets Interesting

Stormalong Bay has a great theme because it fits the Yacht and Beach Club perfectly. The shipwreck slide, beachy pool, sand-bottom areas, and Crescent Lake setting all speak the same visual language. It feels coastal, breezy, and classic Disney without needing to whack you over the head with characters.

Lakeshore Lodge appears to be going in a different direction. The resort will draw inspiration from nature-focused Disney stories, including films like Bambi, Pocahontas, and Brother Bear, with subtle nods woven into architecture, artwork, and ambiance. This could be lovely. It could also be dangerously close to “tasteful beige lodge with three hidden leaves and a bear painting,” so execution is everything.

The pool area may be where Lakeshore Lodge gets to have the most fun. A nature-inspired pool complex with rockwork, trees, water movement, a lazy river, shaded areas, and a slide integrated into the landscape could feel much more immersive than another sleek hotel courtyard with fancy chairs and one decorative boulder named Gregory. If Disney lets this thing breathe, Lakeshore Lodge could feel like a sister to Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness, with a bit more aquatic drama. If it leans too hard into modern generic resort design, Stormalong Bay keeps the crown without even drying its hair.

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The Crowd Problem

Here’s where the shiny new pool dream gets a bucket of cold water dumped over its head. Disney Lakeshore Lodge is expected to be big. We’re talking 967 rooms. That is a lot of guests potentially aiming for the same pool chairs.

Stormalong Bay is also shared by multiple resort areas, so it is no stranger to crowds. In fact, one of the common complaints about Stormalong Bay is that it can feel very busy, especially during peak pool hours. But it has also been operating for years. Disney knows how to manage it, guests know what to expect, and the pool’s layout, while sprawling, has proven itself over time.

Lakeshore Lodge will need to nail capacity. A gorgeous concept art pool is one thing. A gorgeous concept art pool at 2 PM in July with hundreds of guests, wet towels, stroller parking, spilled fries, and one family treating six chairs like a real estate portfolio is another thing entirely. If the pool is large enough and smartly designed, it could handle that crowd beautifully. If it is too small for the resort’s guest load, the dethroning campaign may end before the first sunscreen application.

The Slide Situation

Stormalong Bay’s shipwreck slide is iconic, but it also has one quirk that not everyone loves: the slide entrance is separated from the main pool area, which can be annoying for families trying to supervise multiple kids. That does not ruin the experience, but it is one of those small logistical things that can turn into a full vacation side quest.

If Lakeshore Lodge’s slide is more integrated into the pool complex, that could be a quiet but important win. A great slide does not just need to look good. It needs to be easy to access, easy to supervise, and worth repeating ten times while a parent says, “This is the last one,” with the defeated confidence of someone who knows it is not the last one.

The concept art appears to show a treehouse-style slide area, but until Disney releases official details, we do not know the height, length, thrill level, minimum height requirement, or how it will compare to Stormalong Bay’s 230-foot shipwreck slide. So for now, the advantage of Stormalong Bay on proven slide power. Potential advantage Lakeshore Lodge on layout, if Disney designs it well.

Dining Could Tip the Scales

A hotel pool is not just water. It is also snacks. This is science. This is fact. This is what we base our vacation style, occupation, and even a smidge of religion on.

Stormalong Bay benefits from nearby options like Hurricane Hanna’s, Beaches & Cream, and the larger Yacht and Beach Club dining lineup. You can do a very respectable pool day there without feeling stranded.

Lakeshore Lodge may have a waterfront restaurant near the pool area, according to concept art analysis, but Disney has not yet announced the full dining lineup. That is a big question mark. If Lakeshore Lodge opens with strong pool-adjacent food and drink options, it could seriously compete. A lazy river plus a good lounge or waterfront restaurant is exactly the kind of math we respect.

If the pool area has a forgettable quick-service counter and a menu that feels like it was assembled by someone who believes “kid-friendly” means round or ketchup-friendly, then Stormalong Bay keeps an edge. The resort pool crown is not just won in the water. It is won with good fries, cold drinks, shade, mobile order, and enough seating to keep everyone from becoming a chair hoarder.

Location: EPCOT Area vs. Bay Lake

This may be the hardest comparison because both locations have very different strengths. Stormalong Bay has the EPCOT Resort Area advantage. You can walk to EPCOT. You can walk or boat to Hollywood Studios. You can wander the BoardWalk. You have easy access to restaurants, entertainment, and Skyliner connections. For many Disney adults, this is a huge part of why Yacht and Beach Club are worth the price.

Lakeshore Lodge will be in the Bay Lake area, which gives it a different kind of appeal. It may be better for Magic Kingdom-focused trips, especially for families who spend a lot of time in that park. The setting near Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness could also make it feel more peaceful and tucked away, assuming the transportation and guest flow work well.

But Stormalong Bay has one huge advantage: we already know how its location performs. With Lakeshore Lodge, transportation is still one of the big things we need to watch. A boat dock appears in concept art and construction coverage, but Disney has not yet released complete transportation details.

A gorgeous pool can sell a resort. Bad transportation can make guests mutter things into their refillable mugs.

Could Lakeshore Lodge Really Dethrone Stormalong Bay?

Yes. It could.

• If the lazy river is large and scenic,
• If the slide is well-designed,
• If the pool has strong theming,
• If the splash area works for younger kids,
• If the deck has enough seating and shade,
• If the dining is strong, and
• If the whole thing feels more like a resort centerpiece than a pretty rendering, Lakeshore Lodge could become the new “best pool at Disney World” argument.

That is a lot of ifs. A whole parade of ifs. An if cavalcade.

Stormalong Bay is not beloved because of one feature. It is beloved because everything adds up: the sand-bottom pool, the shipwreck slide, the lazy river, the location, the dining, the resort atmosphere, and decades of guest reputation. It has history on its side.

Lakeshore Lodge has novelty on its side. It also has a chance to learn from what Stormalong Bay does well and what guests find frustrating. Disney knows people love hotel pools that feel like attractions. If Lakeshore Lodge delivers a pool complex that feels immersive, spacious, and genuinely fun, Stormalong Bay may finally have a real rival.

But dethroned? Not yet. For now, Stormalong Bay is still sitting on the pool throne in sunglasses, looking mildly unbothered. Lakeshore Lodge is the intriguing challenger entering the arena with dramatic lighting, promising concept art, and a towel draped over its shoulder. We’ll need to see the finished pool before we hand over the crown.

Until then, keep following Disney Food Blog for more Disney World news, resort updates, vacation planning advice, and the kind of travel tips that can save your trip from becoming an expensive humid obstacle course. We’ll be watching Disney Lakeshore Lodge closely as more details are released, because if Disney is building a new pool champion, we absolutely intend to be there with sunscreen, skepticism, and a very serious snack plan.

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What are your thoughts? Are you excited to try the new pool at Lakeshore Lodge? Let us know in the comments!