Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

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Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
GranCeremonial.jpg
The Grand Ceremonial House serves as the Polynesian Village Resort's lobby and epicenter.
Theme The South Seas
Resort Area Magic Kingdom (Seven Seas Lagoon)
Previously Known As Disney's Polynesian Resort (1985-2014)
Number of Rooms 847
Type Deluxe
Number of Restaurants Nine

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort is a resort located on the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Magic Kingdom.

History

Pre-opening (1966-1971)

The genesis of what would eventually become Disney's Polynesian Resort began in 1966, as Disney was working on their master plan for the Florida Project. As part of the plans for their expansion into Florida, Disney envisioned a series of "destination" that guests would stay at while vising Disney property. In these early concepts, Disney planned on creating a "South Seas" themed resort, which was to be located east of the Magic Kingdom, unconnected to Bay Lake. This early version of the "South Seas Island" hotel would have featured three main lagoons, each of which served as a hub for a series of canals. The resorts restaurants would have been located on the shore's of these lagoons, with the main restaurant sitting atop a large pier.

The next glimpse of the South Seas hotel came on October 27, 1966 when Walt Disney filmed his EPCOT film. Although the resort itself had not changed, it was now shown as being located on the shores of an extended Bay Lake. Although now a waterside resort, this incarnation of the South Seas retained the lagoons seen in the 1966 plan.

The first major written description of the South Seas resort came in the 1967 Florida Project book. Here the hotel is described as "designed for enthusiasts of aquatic sports". True to this description the hotel's lagoons were earmarked for a specific purpose. One lagoon was to be used for swimming, one for boating, and one for "shark diving". The history of the Polynesian Village Resort, and Walt Disney World in general, changed in 1967 when Disney learned that the planned location for their theme park and resorts was largely unbuildable. To rectify this, Disney moved the facilities, and created the Seven Seas Lagoon on the unbuildable land. At this time, the area planned resorts, including the South Seas resort, were moved to the shores of the newly created lagoon.

In 1968, Welton Beckett and Associates was hired by Disney to design and create the hotels for the Florida Project. When the next Florida Project Master Plan in was released in 1969, the resort was referred to as a "Polynesian style resort" which featured a 12 story main building, with elongated wings and smaller buildings to the east and west. In this incarnation of the Polynesian, the resort would form a semi-circle around a lagoon that would have been located approximately where the Ticket and Transportation Center is found today. This version of the Polynesian resort may have been influenced the modern hotels being constructed in the actually Polynesia, specifically in Hawaii.

Concept Art from Walt Disney's EPCOT film. Here the "Seven Seas Theme Resort" is featured with its three lagoons

On April 20, 1969, Disney held a press conference to announce the creation of what would eventually be titled Walt Disney World. Once again the Polynesian Resort was featured. At this time Disney announced that the Polynesian would be one of the resorts "Phase I" resorts along with the Contemporary, Venetian, Asian, and Persian resorts. Although the Polynesian's design was similar to the previously released 1968 version, however the location of the hotel's lagoon's location was now flipped. At this time, Disney also announced that US Steel would be partnering with Disney and Beckett and Associates to build Walt Disney World's hotels using unitized modular construction. The idea behind this new style of construction was that the Polynesian's rooms would be pre-built and then stacked atop one another. The partnership also meant that US Steel would lease the land from Disney, own the hotels, but then license the operation of the hotels back to Disney. This would have allowed Disney to run the hotels, with US Steel financing the construction of the resorts.

According to US Steel's initial plans, the Polynesian was to have 1090 rooms, 250 of which would have their own "private garden patio". The rest of the hotel's rooms would be identical, with every room guaranteed to have a water view. This version of the Polynesian also would have had a South Seas dining room located at the top of the hotel, a diving pool, a fitness center and private bungalows located on the Seven Seas Lagoon.

In the 1969 pamphlet The Polynesian was now described the place to stay for "sports enthusiasts. The resort was now planned to hold 700 rooms (all with a water view) with 230 placed in the resort's main tower. Released later in the year, the 1969 Disney annual report stated that the resort would be a "low rise vacation village design" with 503 rooms. This version of the resort shows the beginning of what would eventually be the Great Ceremonial House and nearby longhouses.

By 1970, the Disney World pictorial souvenir shows the Great Ceremonial house at the resort's center, with the marina on the east, and longhouses flanking the east and west of the resort's lobby. In this booklet the resort is described as:

The Polynesian Village Resort under construction in 1971

"The atmosphere of Pacific Islands will be created in the graceful high-rise structure and two-store "outbuildings" of the 700-room Polynesian style hotel. Entertainment, food, and décor will carry out the islander theme and -with all of its rooms facing the water- guests will almost literally feel like the have traveled into the far Pacific.
Like the other hotels, the Polynesian will provide a variety of recreation activities,. Boating will be almost at the doorstep of many rooms, and the Vacation Kingdom golf courses will be located close-by. A special highlight for many visitors will be the scuba-diving pool, where guests will be able to participate or watch through specials underwater viewing ports for spectators.

As plans for the resort continued to develop throughout the rest of 1970, Disney released more details about what the Polynesian Resort would encompass. In addition to the previously released recreational activities Disney revealed that the resort would feature unique nighttime activities including:

An exotic restaurant and cocktail lounge will offer dining, dancing and entertainment from the South Seas. Under the stars, guests will enjoy a luau with other "islanders" or board a sidewheel steamer for a moonlight excursion cruise on the lake and lagoon."

Also of note is the fact that later 1970 descriptions of the Polynesian dropped all references to scuba-diving pool and made no mention of every room having "water view".

As the development of both the Polynesian Resort and Disney's Contemporary Resort continued, Disney's relationship with US Steel began to sour. As deadlines continued to be missed and the construction costs skyrocketed, Disney decided to take over construction of the hotels themselves, and ended their partnership with US Steel. In order to train their employees how to run a hotel and experiment with new guest service methods, Disney leased out the Hilton Inn South in Orlando. In 1971, the former Seven Seas Resort was officially christened Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. In February of that year, construction on the resort officially began. Four months later, in August 1971, the resort was completed.

Opening

When Disney's Polynesian Village Resort officially opened it housed 478 guest rooms and six suites. The resort's hotel rooms were housed in eight longhouses which were named: Tahiti, Figi, Maui, Samoa, Tonga, Hawii, Bora Bora, and Balley High (which was not constructed using modular construction).

The epicenter of Disney's Polynesian Village Resort was the Great Ceremonial House. In addition to being the resort's lobby, here guests could also shop at News from Civilization, Village Gifts and Sundries, Trader Jack's Grog Hut, Robinson Crusoe, Esq and Polynesian Princess. Also located within the Ceremonial House were the Papeete Bay Verandah, South Seas Room, and Coral Isle Cafe restaurants, as well as the Captain Cook's Hideaway and the Tambu Lounge which served alcoholic beverages.

True to its early advertisements as "the sportsman's resort", Disney's Polynesian Village also featured a swimming pool, white sandy beaches, putting green, and a marina which offered a variety of watercraft rentals.

History Since Opening Day

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort (1971-1985)

The first major change to come to the Polynesian resort was the construction of Luau Cove in 1972. This new covered area was used to house the Luau show, sheltering the performances from the elements.

The Polynesian's first major expansion came in 1978, when the Oahu longhouse longhouse opened with its 144 rooms. At this time, the Tangaroa Terrace, Snack Isle, Moana Mickey's Fun Hut (an arcade) also opened. At this time, a quiet pool, was also constructed on the former location of the resort's putting green. Subsequently, in 1980 the Lie Hut was added to the resort.

In 1984, the South Seas Room was closed and converted to a concierge lounge.

Disney's Polynesian Resort (1985-2014)

1985 proved to be a year of massive change for the Polynesian Village Resort. The hotel's, rooms and hallways were rehabbed and given a more traditional color scheme. At this time, the word "Village" was removed from the resort's name and two new longhouses, Pago Pago and Moorea, were also added to the resort, increasing its capacity by another 219 rooms. Further changes came to the Grand Ceremonial House, where the monorail platform was extended and Captain Cook's Hideaway was renamed Island Ice Cream Company. Also changing names at this time was the Maui longhouse, which changed its name to Maori.

Although room renovations continued throughout 1986, it was 1987 that saw the next substantial changes at the resort. Presently, a walkway was added from the Polynesian to the Transportation and Ticket Center. The Great Ceremonial House was also refurbished and given new tile, furniture, an enlarged front desk, and a new roof in order to match the lobby with the recently renovated guest rooms. Other changes to come in 1987 included the expansion of the concierge lounge, the remodeling of the Barefoot Snack bar, and the renaming of the Island Ice Cream Co. to Captain Cook's Snack and Ice Cream Co.

During the 1987 renovations, the resort's merchandise locations were moved to a corridor of merchandise shops. Here a relocated, Polynesian Princess, News From Civilization, and Kanaka Kids shops were found, while Robinson, Crusoe, Esq was moved to the former Polynesian Princess location. In total, the merchandise renovations added 2,800 square feet of retail space. Outside the Grand Ceremonial House, Outriggers Cove was completed, and the resort's main pool was refurbished.

In 1994, the Tonga longhouse became the new home of the concierge lounge, which left the former South Seas Room open as a conventions space. The following year, the Papeete Bay Verandah was renamed 'Ohana and the world's largest fire pit was installed.

In 1996, the management of the Polynesian resort had some of the staff from Maui's Ka'anapali Beach Hotel come to Florida to help the Polynesian's staff make the resort even more authentic. At this time, the tile of the Great Ceremonial House was removed and a new slate floor was added. In conjunction with these refurbishments Snack Isle, Coral Isle Cafe, and Tangaroa Terrace all permanently closed and Moana Mickey's was expanded. From 1996-1998 the longhouse's guest room were once again refurbished and the longhouses themselves were repainted.


The next big change to the Polynesian came in 1998, when Kona Cafe opened in the former location of the Coral Isle Cafe. The new restaurant was more open than its predecessor, and featured its signature Tonga Toast, which would become a staple of the Polynesian Resort.

On October 28, 1999, the Polynesian longhouse names were changed. The chart below shows the 1971 names and what they were changed to in 1999:

1971 1999 Note
Tahiti Aotearoa
Fiji Fiji Name Did Not Change
Samoa Tuvalu
Bali Hai Tonga
Maori Rarotonga Was Named Mauri from 1971-1985
Bora Bora Niue
Hawaii Samoa
Tonga Hawaii
Oahu Tokelau
Pago Pago Rapa Naui Reverted to Pago Pago in 2014
Moorea Tahiti Reverted to Moorea in 2014

Entering the new Millennium, the Polynesian continued to see frequent changes. At this time, the resort's main pool was redone (although the volcano theme would remain), and the exterior courtyard was redesigned, Captain Cook's received an expanded outdoor seating area, and a new pool bar and merchandise cabana were added.

In 2002, the Gran Ceremonial House's iconic waterfall was refurbished. Initially Disney thought that simple repairs were needed, but it was later discovered that most of the waterfall and many of the original plants had to be replaced. In a similar fashion, Disney determined that the original longhouses needed new foundations. At this time, they also received new carpeting.

The next change came in February of 2003, when the resort's original Luau was replaced by a new "Spirit of Aloha" show. The following year, the resort's quiet pool was refurbished, and work began on once again renovating the hotel's guest rooms.

2005 brought a series of changes to the Polynesian Resort's Grand Ceremonial House. This year, the resort's merchandise stores were replaced with new shops. At this time, Boutiki opened as the resort's new primary shopping location in the former South Seas Dining Room. Nearby, Wynlan Galery moved to the former location of News from Polynesia (which was relocated).

As part of the Grand Ceremonial House renovation's Captain Cook's was expanded into the former Polynesian Princess and Robinson Crusoe shops. While this expansion was taking place, the restaurant was temporarily moved to the old Snack Isle location, next to Tangaroa Terrace.

In 2009, the Polynesian's Grand Ceremonial House lobby was refurbished for the first time since the 1990s. At this time new carpets, decorations, and chars were added. The following year, the poolside cabanas that had been planned in 2009, were finally constructed.

In 2013, Disney announced that Disney Vacation Club would be coming to the Polynesian Resort. As part of a larger resort renovation, Disney announced that Rapa Nui and Tahiti would be converted to DVC buildings and that new bungalows would be built on the former Sunset Pointe location later in the year.

Return of Disney's Polynesian "Village" Resort (2014-Present)

2014 would bring the biggest changes to the Polynesian Resort in its forty two year history. The biggest change to come to the resort was the complete remodeling of the Polynesian's lobby. In February, the resort's iconic waterfall and surrounding foliage was walled off for removal. For the first time since the resort opened, the Grand Ceremonial House lobby was completely redesigned, with all new furniture, a new color pallet. In exchange for the water feature, a new statue of Maui serves as the lobby' focal point.

In addition to a brand new lobby, the 2014 Polynesian renovation saw the return of the world "Village" to the resort's official title. Other changes to occur during the year included:

- Moana Mickey's Arcade, Wyland Gallery, Outrigger Assembly House, Trader Jacks, and Samoa Snacks closed permanently

- Captain Cook's was refurbished and moved to a temporary location. The restaurant would reopen on August 13.

- The Tokelau longhouse was closed for conversion to DVC rooms.

- On July 28, The Nanea Volcano Pool and nearby Barefoot Bar were closed for refurbishment. At this time, guests staying at the Polynesian were given a complimentary water park pass.

- Pineapple Lani, a Dole Whip location, opened in August.

- In September Moana Mercantile opened in the former Trader Jacks and Samoa Snacks location.

In 2021, the Polynesian Village Resort once again underwent a series of major renovations. According to Imagineer Zach Ridley:

{{Quoation| One of the biggest changes will greet you right up front – a new porte cochere will showcase the iconic mid-20th century architecture the Polynesian is famous for. Our team from Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney World have crafted a design inspired by colors, patterns and textures found throughout the resort. This new entry features a high-pitched, open-truss roof covered in a thatch style. There’s also a bold façade that features pops of color complementing the Longhouses found throughout the resort. Along the Monorail station, bold new wooden screens will be covered with geometric patterns in bright, tropical colors that complete an exciting new composition that will greet you when you arrive."}

During the 2020-21 renovations, the resort is expected to get a new entrance, an expanded monorail station, a new roof, and new Moana themed guest rooms. All work is expected to be completed by Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary on October 1, 2021.

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • In 1974, the Polynesian's rooms were redesigned. Gone were the standard and sterile looking furniture that the resort opened with. Instead, the rooms now featured a darker, more "tropical", color palate.