The resort formerly known as Reflections--a Disney Lakeside Lodge and Disney Lakeshore Lodge is now slated to be named Disney's Lakeshore Lodge.
The Walt Disney Company has a curious history with naming its theme parks and resorts in recent years.
In 2008, Disney-MGM Studios underwent a seemingly inevitable name change, dropping the "MGM" and moving forward as Disney's Hollywood Studios. This renaming came a decade after the debut of Disney's Animal Kiingdom. The possessive seems logical. If nothing else, the park IS owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. But it also seems to add a subtle link to Walt Disney himself, implying that it is [Walt] Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Most of Disney's domestic resort hotels feature the same preface, ranging from Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge to Disney's Vero Beach Resort. There exist a few legacy outliers like The Disneyland Hotel.
Nevertheless, in 2010 Disney made the curious choice to publicly drop a one of these possessives when Disney's California Adventure became Disney California Adventure. In that same general timeframe, an announcement was made regarding the elaboate hotel and Disney Vacation Club property on Oahu. The resort would not be known as Disney's Aulani Resort, rather as Aulani - a Disney Resort & Spa.
2019 brought a return to form with Disney's Riviera Resort. Yet before Riviera even opened its doors to guests, the eighteenth DVC property was saddled with perhaps the most cumbersome moniker yet: Reflections - a Disney Lakeside Lodge. There aren't many reasons to look back fondly on the COVID-19 pandemic. But the resulting halt in construction and rebranding of this property is one reason to be grateful. It's not the first time Disney altered course on resort naming. Long time DVC followers will recall that Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort was originally to be named Kingdom Tower.
In 2024 Reflections begat Disney Lakeshore Lodge. Around the same time, Disney's second European theme park was rebranded as the non-possessive Disney Adventure World.
It was nearly 2 years ago that Disney announced plans to revive Reflections, during which it has been referred to consistently as Disney Lakeshore Lodge. They've used that name on concept arwork, social media posts, YouTube videos, stories on the Disney Parks Blog. In spite of that, Disney has filed for a new trademark, changing the project's name to Disney's Lakeshore Lodge. It's the most recent pivot for a resort that also recently changed directions on naming of several pool amenities.
So here we are. It's now Disney's Lakeshore Lodge. (Until it isn't.) R.I.P. Disney Lakeshore Lodge and Reflections - a Disney Lakeside Lodge.
Long live Disney's Lakeshore Lodge.
