Fort Wilderness Gets a Big Resort Upgrade

Greetings fellow Rope Droppers,

My first visit to Wilderness Lodge was back in 2002, so Fort Wilderness has always felt a bit like the backyard. This week that backyard got an upgrade, and it wasn't the only resort making news.

Buses rerouted at the Polynesian, a tiki bar's closure dragged on, and a couple of pool names quietly changed at Disney's newest DVC property.

Let's head in.

If you're staying on property this summer or fall, four separate updates landed across Disney World resorts this week: two upgrades, one delay, and a quiet rename.

The headline is genuinely good news. Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground debuted an expanded Meadow Swimmin' Pool, with a new zero-entry pool, added deck space, and a 67-foot corkscrew waterslide that roughly doubles the old pool footprint.

The Reception Outpost got a refresh too, with new fireside artwork of Mickey and Huey, Dewey, and Louie enjoying the great outdoors (Disney Parks Blog).

Over at the Polynesian, the resort's transportation reconfiguration is done. A new dedicated bus stop opened July 13 with three pickup points (Hollywood Studios; Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach; Disney Springs and Typhoon Lagoon), moved off the main Port Cochere (WDWMagic).

It's one more piece of the transportation shake-up we've been tracking since Disney locked down resort bus and boat access from Disney Springs: you still need a hotel, dining, or recreation reservation to board there.

Not every update is a win. Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace, the outdoor lounge at the Poly, isn't reopening as soon as hoped. Disney pushed the target from late June to late October, tying the delay to ongoing exterior work at the Great Ceremonial House (BlogMickey). The indoor Grog Grotto stays open in the meantime.

And at the still-under-construction Lakeshore Lodge, Disney quietly renamed two pools in its Pocahontas-themed Wetlands area: Lakeside Lagoon is now Lakeshore Lagoon, and Perspective Pond is now Cypress Point (BlogMickey). No word on why, but file it away for when the resort opens.

Disney released the complete day-by-day schedule for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, running August 14 through 16 at the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center (WDWMagic).

Five stages, three Honda Center evening showcases, and dozens of panels, everything from a 75th-anniversary Alice in Wonderland retrospective to a deep dive on Kingdom Hearts.

We're watching Saturday night's Disney Experiences Showcase closest. That's historically where Disney has dropped park and resort news, though this year's lineup skews more toward nostalgia and entertainment than past D23s, so don't assume a parks-heavy night.

Sunday's schedule also includes a new feature documentary from Leslie Iwerks, whose father, camera pioneer Don Iwerks, we remember below, timed just hours ahead of the Disney Legends Award Ceremony.

Free feminine hygiene products are rolling out across Disney World bathrooms, courtesy of Aunt Flow dispensers replacing the old coin-operated machines.

Guests have spotted them at EPCOT (outside the main entrance, near Spaceship Earth, across from Test Track, and in the Odyssey, Morocco, and American Adventure pavilion bathrooms) and outside Hollywood Studios' entrance (AllEars).

The rollout is gradual (some bathrooms still have the $0.50 machines), so it's not everywhere yet, but it's a real quality-of-life win. No more digging for coins or a trip to First Aid.

Disney Legend Don Iwerks died July 9 at age 96. If you've ever watched Circle-Vision 360 footage at EPCOT's American Adventure, or seen photos of the old Circarama at Disneyland, you've seen his work.

Iwerks helped develop the 360-degree camera system that put guests in the center of the picture, starting with Disneyland's Circarama, U.S.A. attraction in 1955 (WDWMagic).

His 35-year Disney career touched more than theme park attractions. He engineered the projection system for Star Tours, built the 3D effects for Captain EO, and helped refine the sodium vapor process behind the visual effects in Mary Poppins.

He became a Disney Legend at the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, and his handprints sit at Legends Plaza alongside his father's, animator Ub Iwerks.

He's survived by his wife Betty, sons John and Larry, and daughter Leslie, a documentarian whose new feature premieres at this year's D23.

A quiet, foundational career, the kind that shaped how we experience the parks without most of us ever knowing his name.

That's the Rundown for this week. New pools, new routes, and some reminders if you’re thinking ahead to Halloween and Christmas (already?!). We'll see you back here next Thursday.

See ya real soon,

Gabe