One thing’s for sure: People love the Polynesian Village Resort in Disney World.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
And really, what’s not to love (besides the room rates, perhaps)? The Monorail can take you directly from the Polynesian Village to the Magic Kingdom — or you can ride (or walk easily!) to the Transportation and Ticket Center to catch the EPCOT monorail. There are beloved restaurants here like ‘Ohana and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. You can get one of our favorite Disney World meals — Pulled Pork Nachos — at Capt. Cook’s. And the beach at the Polynesian is a favorite place to watch Magic Kingdom fireworks from outside of the park. But some recent news from Disney has been shocking to fans of the Polynesian Village Resort — let’s get into it.
The Polynesian Village Resort was one of two hotels that opened back in 1971 on the same day as Disney World! (The Contemporary Resort was the other original hotel, in case you were wondering.) Its theming is based on the Polynesian Islands in the Pacific — including the island groups of Tonga, Tahiti, and Hawai’i. And lots of Disney fans think that theming is nearly perfect.
Polynesian Village Resort
There is lush, tropical landscaping all over the property
Polynesian Village Resort
The Great Ceremonial House (the resort’s central building) is designed after a Tahitian royal assembly lodge. The rooms at the Polynesian Village are in a series of “longhouses” that are 2- or 3-stories (with the exception of some over-the-water bungalows).
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
This resort really transports you — it feels completely natural to be wearing a floral sundress and sipping a cocktail from a hollowed-out pineapple here, even when you know you are nowhere near an ocean.
Lapu Lapu Drink at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
But now, there are new rooms being built for this beloved hotel, and Disney fans are shocked at the concept art Disney just released for the new building. We’ve been watching this huge building take shape at the Polynesian Village hotel for months and months.
New tower under construction at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Disney announced recently that the new building will be called Island Tower. It will have villas that sleep two to nine people — including studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and two-bedroom Penthouse villas. This building will be part of the Disney Vacation Club (Disney’s timeshare vacation ownership program), but the villas can also be booked by anyone who wants to travel to Disney World (based on availability, of course!).
©Disney
The Island Tower will open in December 2024, and you can start reserving rooms in early June (more details on those dates right here). As you can see from the concept art above, many of the rooms will have water views, and there will be a new pool and beach — and plenty of palm trees. Disney says the new tower will “complete the vision created by Disney Imagineers decades ago while embracing the rich culture from the Polynesian Islands.”
©Disney
But some Polynesian Village fans just aren’t buying it. It’s definitely a more modern take on the Polynesian Islands theming, and, as Joslyn said on Facebook, “it doesn’t match the era of the hotel at all. I want to feel like I just walked onto the set of a 1960’s south pacific film.”
Also on our Disney Food Blog Facebook page, Kevin said there just isn’t enough theming in the concept art. “Looks like it’s a Hilton.”
And Jodi is holding out hope that the real thing will be more colorful — like the landscaping inside and out in the current Polynesian Village buildings. “I hope it’s not as sad and beige as the photos make it seem.”
©Disney
Not everyone is disappointed, though. Jeni said, “I actually really love it. I’m looking forward to staying there.”
Cherie said, “I think it looks nice.” And Cassie said she’s “obsessed.”
We agree it’s more light and bright than the current buildings, and it does evoke a more modern era in island design. We’re eager to see how Disney “blends” the new property in with the old — and we kind of like the idea of having the choice of the classic resort versus the newer look. Bringing the ocean and beach colors inside is beautiful — even if it wasn’t what we were expecting!
It’s looking good!
We’re constantly monitoring the construction here, and we’ll continue to bring you updates! Keep following us here at Disney Food Blog for ALL the Disney!
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Gee! What a surprise. Disney going for another watered down generic “tropical” looking hotel in hopes no one will notice or miss the originality of the Polynesian!!
I don’t have a problem with the design of the new building, but you have to admit it doesn’t look as if it’s an expansion of the original resort. It would have been nice if Disney had come up with a design that fit in with the existing resort in a more organic way, similar to the way the DVC building at the Beach Club matches the aesthetic of the Beach Club Resort.