As previewed by Federal Aviation Authority documents back in September a large crane has now arrived at the Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge construction site at Fort Wilderness. We first reported on the construction restart back in late September and we recently flew over the construction site to find that the layout of the current 10-story hotel is the same as the previously permitted Reflections project.
Technically, we’re still in a bit of a holding pattern from Walt Disney World, which has not officially recognized that the project has restarted after a 4-year pause due to COVID-19. Right now, we’re still using the name Reflections alongside “Fort Wilderness hotel” just in case Disney announces a new name or new details for the project that distance the company from the former Reflections naming. We have asked Disney for comment at various points throughout the restart of this project, but we have not heard back.
Ok, here’s a look at the new crane that’s on-site to assist with construction from a few different viewpoints from around Fort Wilderness and the Bay Lake area.
Crane Arrives for Construction of 10-Story Fort Wilderness Hotel
We’ll start our journey from the Pioneer Hall area, departing on a boat for the Magic Kingdom resort area for a photo from the Contemporary Resort before circling back to the Fort Wilderness dock. Here’s a look at the first crane to be installed at the site. I think there will be a few of these large cranes on site before it’s all said and done.
First, here’s a look at the work from the Tri-Circle-D Ranch area, looking north past Cast Member parking.
As we start to make our way toward the Fort Wilderness dock, we can see how the crane intrudes a bit on the sightlines. I’m not sure what height the crane was at when we visited, but it’s permitted to be up to 240 feet tall – taller than a 10-story building.
As first spotted from more than 3,000′ in the air during a helicopter flight this past weekend, we can now get a lake view of construction workers installing rebar for what appears to be the foundation of the east side of the hotel.
Here are a couple more photos of the crane from a boat gliding across Bay Lake towards our next vantage point from Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
The view from Disney’s Contemporary Resort is second to only the view from a helicopter. Here’s a look toward the Reflections construction site, with a view of the Four Seasons residences at Golden Oak being built about 1.2 miles in the background. Note that the white-roofed building is the Tri-Circle-D Ranch and not the Reflections project.
By the time we returned to Fort Wilderness, the crane was lowered for the day. This view of the Fort Wilderness dock was made possible thanks to high winds that forced watercraft to only be able to use one side of the dock. We were in a holding pattern waiting for the Bon Voyage to depart, which allowed for this view.
Here’s our article with photos from the helicopter, showing the layout of the building and offering a unique view of the construction site.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
