Walt Disney World has announced new details about the restaurant, Moana pool area and fireworks viewing decks in the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. Here are all the details, new concept art and our thoughts on the upcoming expansion at the Poly.
According to Walt Disney World, the architecture of the new 10-story Island Tower will be inspired by early concept art of the iconic building by Walt Disney Imagineering, also according to Disney. This expansion will enable a new experience at the resort, starting with an exquisite ceiling art installation in the tower’s lobby inspired by the South Pacific islands and featuring a variety of native wildlife. Each animal has a strong connection to the islands and symbolizes values important to the people of the region.
Located on the waterfront, Island Tower will capture the charm of the South Pacific islands, the thrill of discovery and the beauty of nature. The Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows offers a variety of guest room types that can accommodate two to nine guests, including duo studios, spacious one and two-bedroom villas and brand new two-bedroom penthouse villas. The tower will also include deluxe studio rooms, in addition to the deluxe studio rooms already available at the Poly Villas.
The Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows is planned Opening on December 17, 20245 years after the opening of Disney’s Riviera Resort on December 16, 2019. The new Poly Tower will feature villas filled with original artwork inspired by the Polynesian islands, signposts and the natural elements of earth, water, wind and sky. Each guest room will also feature custom artwork inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Moana.”
There will be other artwork in the lobby, from sculptures made from recycled fishing nets to chandeliers made from living moss plants. Walt Disney Imagineering has collaborated with various artists to create artwork influenced by Polynesian heritage and the spirit of conservation, as well as Disney references.
Now Walt Disney World has lifted the curtain and revealed restaurants, amenities and other resort facilities in the Island Tower…
Enjoy the delicious flavors of Polynesia in the “Wailulu Bar & Grill.”The name “Wailulu” is a combination of the Hawaiian words “wai,” meaning water, and “lulu,” meaning rest. This is very fitting, as this unique restaurant offers stunning views of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Wailulu Bar & Grill offers spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas and a spectacular bar area with views of Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. This casual poolside bar offers an all-day lunch and dinner menu influenced by the local and indigenous ingredients of the Polynesian islands. Specialty coffees and grab-and-go pastries are available for breakfast.
The dining room will be adorned with stunning Polynesian-inspired artwork created exclusively for this space, including floating sculptures of tropical fish made from recycled materials and repurposed fishing nets. The fish will “swim” through the space, leading to a magnificent textile piece in the bar area depicting a colorful coral reef.
An abstract Polynesian staff map, an ancient navigational instrument used to cross the seas, is displayed in the center of the dining room. A vibrant centerpiece of beautiful blues, teals and greens made from faux stained glass creates an atmosphere to immerse yourself in and explore the delicious menu!
In other artwork, everyone’s favorite signpost princess, Moana, will be featured in a painting at Wailulu Bar & Grill.
Wailulu Bar & Grill looks nice! One of the biggest complaints about the lobby and other common areas of the Island Tower that have been featured so far is that they are too boring and beige – very drab in contrast to the colorful Polynesian Village Resort.
This looks like a much healthier mix of natural woods and materials, a calming earthy look… and colors! I love the fish above and what looks like a backlit stained glass panel on the wall. Combined with the open-air view of the Magic Kingdom, this space looks like a winner.
The big question for me is capacity. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort really, Really already needs more restaurants. This delivers that, but is it enough for a tower of this size? Gran Destino Tower and Riviera Resort have both added a lot more than that. These are not exactly apples-to-apples comparisons, but Coronado Springs is pretty nearby. There were already many restaurants (especially for a moderate resort) and with the tower, a few more were added.
This is one of my main concerns about the Island Tower in general. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is already very popular – perhaps Walt Disney World’s most popular “destination” resort (if not, then number 2 behind the Grand Floridian). The infrastructure breaks down when it gets busy, and the new Island Tower will make that even worse.
So either the Poly will be closed or there will be more problems during peak season. Frankly, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the Island Tower – including Wailulu Bar & Grill – were inaccessible to guests not staying at the Polynesian. Of course, they’re not stopping people from wandering around outside, but I would imagine they’d need a key card to enter the building.
The Island Tower will also include a new fitness center and pool area. The new Cove Pool offers both water fun and relaxation and features a courtyard with a sandy beach, hot tub and stunning views of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
The little ones can discover their inner pathfinder at Moana’s Journey, a whimsical new splash area featuring life-sized sculptures of Moana and her iconic canoe from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film.
Both Disney Vacation Club members and guests of Disney Polynesian Village Resort can experience these new water attractions. In addition, you can cool off in the existing Polynesian Village Resort’s Lava Pool, which features a massive volcano, waterfall and 140-foot waterslide. Or visit the Oasis Pool – a refreshing leisure pool surrounded by lush gardens. You can also play volleyball, take a guided fishing trip or rent a motorboat and explore the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Finally, Disney Vacation Club members and guests staying in the Island Tower Annex enjoy exclusive access to four tropical terraced gardens.
Each terraced garden will feature vibrant artwork, lush foliage and uniquely designed seating areas. The individually designed retreats will provide families with a peaceful place to gather and enjoy the views during their stay.
These oases offer scenic views of Disney’s Oak Trail and Magnolia golf courses, but more importantly, the Seven Seas Lagoon, making the Terraced Gardens a spectacular place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
Okay, I absolutely Love those garden terraces. For some reason, I thought these large spaces (clearly visible in the concept art above) would be incorporated into the Grand Villas or one of the top-tier room types. This is much better than that, and I can’t wait to come here late at night or early in the morning, enjoy a cup of coffee, and watch Magic Kingdom wake up or go to sleep, as the case may be.
Unless there is a roof terrace, I expect these terraces to be an absolute hotbed of fireworks watchers, so I won’t even bother. Nevertheless, I am very I’m glad that Walt Disney World thought ahead and created additional fireworks viewing areas at Island Tower – and I hope more will be revealed.
One of the biggest existing infrastructure issues at the Poly is fireworks viewing. It is clear that guests on the hotel side of the Poly will not have access to these terraced gardens – which is good as space will be limited – but hopefully they will have access to the public areas along the waterfront (presumably they will). If the Island Tower can be a net addition in terms of fireworks viewing capacity, that would be absolutely gigantic.
Regardless of whether the Island Tower as a whole is closed, these garden terraces will definitely be closed. For example, Walt Disney World states that Island Tower guests will have “exclusive access” to them. This is a smart move and makes these terraces a great benefit for Island Tower guests.
Ultimately, I’m still not a fan of the Island Tower, but the terraced gardens, Wailulu Bar & Grill, and Moana pool area are not part of my criticism or skepticism. I don’t have a strong opinion on the splash pad (hence no comment above), but Really We like what we’ve seen so far of the terraced gardens and the Wailulu Bar & Grill.
As for the exterior and everything else, I really don’t want to beat around the bush, as I have already written extensively about the exterior of the building in the comment to our main contribution to the Poly Tower…and it’s not really relevant here anyway, as this is a post that offers a first look inside. I suspect that most of the criticism of the Island Tower, like the Gran Destino Tower before it, will relate to the view from the outside.
Once you get inside the Island Tower and can stop seeing what it looks like from the outside – and its negative impact on the Seven Seas Lagoon skyline – it will probably be a winner. At least, that’s my big hope. The damage already done by adding this tower to the monorail loop is irreversible… so it should at least be “worth it” in terms of the rooms, restaurants, and other amenities it adds. I really hope we get to a point soon where Walt Disney World expansions are no longer evaluated from a “making lemonade out of lemons” perspective.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the terraced gardens, Wailulu Bar & Grill, and the Moana pool area? Have you already booked a stay at Island Tower? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the expansion of Island Tower to include Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Do you have any questions we can help with? Your feedback – even if you disagree with us – is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
