Disney World Reveals Stormalong Bay Reopening & New Resort Pool Under Construction!
In a wide-ranging update on hotel pools, Walt Disney World has announced the reopening of Stormalong Bay at Yacht & Beach Club Resorts after a six-month closure to start 2025. Along with this, Disney has revealed that another pool is being built. Here are official details, plus our commentary.
Let’s start over at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, where the refurbishment of Stormalong Bay was originally announced way back in Summer 2023, almost two full years ago. And for good reason, as it’s the #1 pool at Walt Disney World, combining the charm of a beachside boardwalk with the thrill of a water park. It’s that good, and arguably the defining feature of these two resorts. It thus makes complete sense that Walt Disney World would provide plenty of notice so people could plan around the closure. (Just like they’ve done with the 2026 Skyliner Refurbishment!)
It had appeared that Stormalong Bay was on the precipice of reopening for about a week. The complex had been refilled with water early last week, with chairs reappearing on the deck and other prep-work and cleanup suggesting the pool would beat its late June 2025 target. Over the weekend, lifeguards were spotted conducting training, suggesting Stormalong Bay reopening was imminent. Construction walls are now down, and Walt Disney World has confirmed that the pool is back to operating as normal.
Stormalong Bay had been closed since January 2025 for routine maintenance and upgrades. With the reopening complete, guests can now enjoy access to Yacht & Beach Club’s famous feature pool, just in time for the heart of the summer season. The three-acre Stormalong Bay aquatic playground is once again available to guests, including the sand-bottom pool, lazy river, whirlpool spas, and more.
However, Walt Disney World notes that they’re still putting the finishing touches on the Shipwreck Pool and waterslide, which will remain closed while crews complete routine maintenance. Walt Disney World looks forward to reopening Shipwreck Pool and waterslide to enjoy later in Summer 2025.
As for the work that’s been done, it’s mostly “invisible.” Stormalong Bay features newly resurfaced pools, rebuilt cabanas, redone concrete decking, updated seating, and other routine maintenance.
There is nothing new of substance, and Stormalong Bay is not materially different than it was pre-closure. It did have comprehensive work done, though, as anyone who visited in the last ~6 months could see. During our last stay, we saw crews working at pretty much all hours of the day and night on the totally-drained pool complex.
Along with Stormalong Bay, Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar & Grill has also reopened. This is an under the radar dining option among Walt Disney World fans, despite being arguably the best counter service restaurant among the options at Disney’s Crescent Lake Resorts. This isn’t to say Hurricane Hanna’s is good (it certainly isn’t worth leaving EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios to dine here); it probably says more about the lack of competition that this is potentially #1.
Today’s other big pool news is that Walt Disney World has announced a pool expansion project! Over at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Area is being expanded to make room for even more fun and relaxation.
A brand-new zero-entry pool and deck area is being built alongside the existing pool, effectively doubling the space for guests to enjoy. The expansion will also include a tennis court and two pickleball courts, giving families even more ways to play together in the great outdoors.
This has been a long time coming, with permits first filed roughly one year ago. At the time, we figured it was something different, perhaps similar to the Reunion Station recreation area for Disney Vacation Club guests at Boulder Ridge/Wilderness Lodge. Instead, it’s a doubling of the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Area. That also makes sense.
The new pool is already under construction at the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Area, but there’s no timeline for completion. Our guess is that this is being done in advance of Disney Lakeshore Lodge, which is the mixed use resort being built on the site of the former River Country water park.
Plans for that project revealed a massive pool complex with a lazy river, which looks like it’ll be the marquee feature and selling point of Disney Lakeshore Lodge. Basically, that new resort’s “answer” to the Skyliner or monorail, but not a mode of transportation. While Disney has yet to announce this fantastic feature pool, there’s zero reason to believe the plans have changed. Everything else is being built to the original plans thus far (and Lakeshore Lodge will need its own unique sales hook).
In any case, like Stormalong Bay at Yacht & Beach Club, the ‘aquatic playground’ at Disney Lakeshore Lodge will almost assuredly not allow pool hopping. Probably not even for the guests of the DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness, unless those become part of the Lakeshore Lodge condo association/trust.
Even if the policy does allow those DVC Cabins guests to use the feature pool at Lakeshore Lodge, it’s likely that Disney will want to discourage them from using it. After all, Disney Lakeshore Lodge is absolutely massive, and that feature pool will be in high-demand and have issues with overcrowding before adding potential DVC Cabins guests to the mix.
Accordingly, the goal with expanding the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Area is likely to absorb some of that demand and offer a compelling pool area in a location that’s much more convenient to the cabins. An “everybody wins” scenario. Of course, we would expect the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool Area expansion to be finished well before Disney Lakeshore Lodge opens in 2027. Although with the pace at which that work is flying, perhaps the new resort will open ahead of schedule!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think about the 6-month refurbishment of Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts? Excited to have Stormalong Bay back, or disappointed that Shipwreck water slide is still closed? Thoughts on the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool expansion? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment that this is likely about pulling demand from the feature pool and lazy river at Disney Lakeshore Lodge? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Is there any info for how large the feature pool area at Lakeshore Lodge will be? Looking at the plans and then guesstimating its size on Google Earth yielded a size similar to Stormalong Bay, which is kind of hard to believe is correct. Stormalong Bay is large enough to comfortable service Yacht+Beach+Beach Villas, about 1,500 units all together.
Lakeshore Lodge plus the cabins is about 1,250 (900 Lodge units and 350 cabins). So even if the area is a bit smaller than Stormalong Bay there shouldn’t be an issue with the DVC cabins having access, especially because it won’t be too convenient for those staying in the cabins to get to (we can safely assume there will be no golf cart parking at the new lodge). I’m a bit cynical, but the new pool at the Meadows seems designed to placate the campground people and prevent them from trying to crash the new Lakeshore Lodge pool.
If they want to keep the cabin DVCers from the Lakeshore Lodge pool, they’ should improve the Wilderness Pool. It doesn’t have to be a feature pool, but something akin to Old Key West’s Turtle Pond pool with a seasonal snack bar (it once had a tiny arcade too!) would be nice.
It’s been a while since I looked at the plans, but my perception was a pool complex slightly smaller than Stormalong Bay. Your assessment sounds accurate, from what I recall.
Keep in mind that rooms don’t use pools, people do. I’d hazard a guess that the number of guests per unit at Lakeshore Lodge will be higher than YBC given the number of larger villas that number includes. Not only that, but occupancy is higher at DVC resorts and the guest-mix almost certainly skews towards higher utilization (e.g. families vs. conventioneers, weddings, etc).
I still think the cabins will be incorporated into the Lodge or guests will be able to use all amenities. They need to sell cabins and the quiet pool by the cabins is nice but it’s nothing to go out of your way for. I wonder if they may ramp up the QS offerings at Meadows as well.
I hope the new Lodge gets the awesome pool it deserves but I am hoping that the Pocahontas statue is one thing that is LONG gone from the original plans.
Agreed on all counts. I wish they would’ve left the OG Trail’s End alone, and built out the Meadows more with a counter service food court there. I think that location makes more sense.
I’m trying to remember, but can’t, which came first: The announcement about the pool expansion at Ft. Wilderness or that the cabins would become part of DVC. The reason is that one of the many issues/questions/doubts I’ve had about the success of the DVC cabins was the lack of DVC level amenities at Ft. Wilderness. This is one rising tide that benefits all at Ft. Wilderness.
They announced a ‘variety of improvements’ simultaneous with the cabins but didn’t specifically announce this pool until June 17, 2025. I think the permit was filed last spring, but it wasn’t clear it was a pool at that time.
The Wilderness Lodge pool refurb sounds great and all, except…where exactly is a pool expansion and three new courts going to fit? I certainly hope it doesn’t mean removal of any of the natural water features, geyser, or changes to the wooden walkway to the boats!!
It’s not the Lodge getting the expansion, it’s the campground. We were there a few weeks ago and they’d closed off access across from the 1500 loop, requiring everyone to go down to 1400 and walk past the campfire sing along area to get to the Meadows pool (not a big deal for those with golf carts or bikes, a bit more of a hassle if you’re walking…and even more so if it’s storming and you’re trying to get to the bus stop!). There’s ample room right there for the few additional courts and the pool expansion. Definitely wouldn’t be at the Lodge!
It’s at Ft. Wilderness, not the Wilderness Lodge.
“Set against the backdrop of a New England-inspired retreat, Stormalong Bay combines the charm of a beachside boardwalk with the thrill of a water park. ”
The Disney Parks Blog says this and their picture of the pool shows two palm trees. At least in your pictures I can barely make out the palm trees.
Lakeshore Lodge to Cabins at Fort Wilderness: “we’ve got a pool, we’ve got a pond. The pond would be good for you”.
Amazing reference!
Hi, is the pool volleyball going to still be available once stormalong bay pool reopens?
I’m guessing yes, since apparently half the lifeguards job is yelling “stay off the net” and without that, they would have little to do. Lol.
Staying at BC in January, can’t wait to take the grand kids to Storm Along Bay. As someone who is old enough to have gone to River Country, they sure better have a lot of RC theming and Easter Eggs built into the pool at the Lodge.
If the recent room renovations and new additions at Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness are any indication, Lakeshore Lodge is going to lean heavily on Easter eggs and nods to Walt Disney World/Walt Disney history. That’s totally fine by me–beats Pocahontas decor!
We stayed at Beach club last summer- was great all around – particularly storm along bay. The only thing I wouldn’t mind being redesigned is the ladder to the slide. My kids really enjoyed the resort overall with the pool and beaches and cream being mentioned several times throughout the year lol
We are a few months away from trying poly for first time- hoping that pool area is a hit as well
How long do we reckon on shipwreck slide and pool? We’re coming from the U.K. in early September specifically for Beach Club
I would hazard a guess that it’s less than a few weeks, and certainly much less than a few months.
I heard they sent out emails giving guests a ‘heads up’ about this for stays in late June and early July, but nothing beyond that.
Thanks Tom!
We’re arriving at the Beach Club on 7/25/25 and received an email in late May regarding the closure of the porte cocheres and some exterior maintenance with no mention of the Shipwreck Pool.
Thanks for sharing that, Elena.
It’s my understanding that the latest round of emails about Shipwreck Pool went out last week or this week, so if you didn’t get one then, you should be good!