Disney's Lakeshore Lodge Names Branch & Brush, a Lobby Cocktail Lounge and Its Fifth Food and Drink Space Open to All Guests

Disney's Lakeshore Lodge has a food and drink space Disney had not named before. The October 1 entry in Disney's Letters from Lakeshore series introduces Branch & Brush, a lounge just beyond the lobby serving handcrafted cocktails with views of Bay Lake. It was not part of the lineup Disney revealed in August, which means the resort now has five announced food and drink spaces open to all guests, two of them lounges.

What Disney said about Branch & Brush

Disney's description is short. The lounge sits past the lobby, in what Disney calls a gathering space "just around the riverbend," a phrase from Pocahontas, the film behind the lobby's design (Disney used the same line for the Otter Springs splash area back in June). Disney says the look takes its cue from the changing seasons, with deep colors, natural materials and walls of artwork. The centerpiece is a color-changing chandelier that Disney says will evoke all four seasons.

The only drinks Disney has mentioned are handcrafted cocktails. Disney did not say whether Branch & Brush will serve food, what its hours will be, or whether it will take reservations.

How it fits the lineup we already knew

On August 4, Disney named four food and drink spaces for the resort: Moonglade, the lakefront table service restaurant; Bay Lake Provisions, the all day quick service marketplace; Paint Out Point Bar & Grill, the pool bar; and Dandelion Terrace, a lounge built around a two story gallery of archival art and aimed at the Magic Kingdom fireworks across the water.

Branch & Brush makes five venues open to every guest. It also makes two public lounges, not counting The Artist's Nest, the concierge lounge for club level guests that Disney described in August. Both public lounges are pitched on their Bay Lake views. Disney has not said how the two will differ beyond their theming. It introduced Branch & Brush as a new lounge, and its August description of Dandelion Terrace is still posted unchanged on the same page, so nothing suggests one replaced the other.

What has not changed: Moonglade is still the only table service restaurant Disney has announced for the 967 room resort. Branch & Brush adds a place for drinks, and Disney has not said whether it will serve food.

A closer look at the lobby

The same update gave a fresh angle on the lobby. Most of it repeats what Disney shared in August: floor to ceiling windows, a fiberoptic river lit into the floor, and the Colors of the Wind sculpture, a canopy of hundreds of hand blown glass leaves hanging overhead. The new detail is a custom bronze centerpiece designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, which the river flows around. Disney says familiar animated characters are hidden in its design.

Booking for all guests opens in a week

Disney framed the update as a preview ahead of booking. The resort opens July 1, 2027, and reservations open in three waves:

• October 6: Disney Vacation Club members can make early rental reservations through DVC Member Services at (800) 800-9800.
• October 7: Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can make early rental reservations at (407) 934-7639.
• October 8: all guests can book online or at (407) 934-7639.

Rates have not appeared in any Letters from Lakeshore update so far. If dining is part of your decision, plan on one table service restaurant at the resort, a quick service marketplace, a pool bar, and now two lounges.

Source: Disney Parks Blog, Letters from Lakeshore, October 1, 2026.