According to information provided by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the mystery project taking place near the Meadows Swimmin’ Pool at Fort Wilderness is actually another swimming pool. Here’s what we know.
New Swimming Pool Coming to Fort Wilderness
We’ve been tracking the work since April 2024, when Walt Disney World filed a permit for “confidential facility improvements”. The initial permit did not indicate that a swimming pool was planned, instead focusing on a new 5,500 sqft building. Now, new information from Walt Disney World’s governing authority sheds some new light on the project. Walt Disney World did not return a request for comment.
According to public information maintained by the CFTOD, the construction that is now underway at the Meadows is for a second swimming pool. The building is going to house a restroom and equipment for the pool.
As seen in our file photo below, the pool equipment building and restroom building is highlighted in red. The pool will fit into the empty space between the building and the existing pool area. It’s unclear if the existing pool will remain open, or if it will close or receive updates.
Thinking about the why of this project, Walt Disney World plans on opening the Disney Lakeshore Lodge hotel on the very north end of Fort Wilderness property in 2027. Permits indicate that Lakeshore Lodge will have quite the pool area, perhaps even some mini-water park elements like a lazy river. The hotel looks like it’ll be a very nice property (location notwithstanding).
My guess is that the pool complex for Lakeshore Lodge may not be open to regular Fort Wilderness guests, or at least, non-DVC Fort Wilderness guests. If that’s the case, an expansion of the pool area to ensure that the current lineup of guests has plenty of room to lounge would make sense. Disney has not announced any restrictions for Lakeshore Lodge, and details about the new hotel remain slim. In fact, Disney hasn’t even released updated concept art for the hotel since the project was resurrected.
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