It feels like Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort updates are always happening – the lobby overhaul and addition of the bungalows in 2015 and the opening of the Disney Vacation Club Island Tower in 2024. These additions have included new amenities plus a surplus of additional rooms to one of Walt Disney World’s original hotels. It’s no secret, the Polynesian will always be my favorite Disney Resort and generally, I’ve been happy with all of the updates so far. On a recent stay, I was surprised to see more construction and some small changes to the resort.
The Polynesian’s parking lot has been under construction for over a year now, limiting parking and changing the entrance to the resort. Poly fans might be sad to see the original entrance and gate is no more. The gate house has been removed and all guests must enter through a new entrance near the Floridian Way and Seven Seas Drive intersection. The new entrance lacks any signage or charm but it’s clearly still in progress. Even though road signs will direct guests to take Floridian Way to the Poly, I still find it easier to come in from Seven Seas Drive. Hopefully the roadway improvements will include a traffic light at this busy intersection.
The lobby and porte cochere now have a green space and a roundabout for luggage drop-offs and valet. This is also the temporary home of the resort bus transportation. The road and former bus stop are both currently under construction. If you’re staying the Poly, you’ll want to go through the lobby, outside to the porte cochere to take the bus to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon.
The construction of the new bus stop makes it clear that the busses will have their own resort entrance, road, and roundabout. I’m sure this plan helps with both efficiency and the need for parking with the addition of the Island Tower.
Once inside the resort, there is also exterior refurbishment happening to the Great Ceremonial House. This seems to be regular upkeep and while it doesn’t affect any of the amenities or offerings, it’s quite the eye sore.
The outdoor scaffolding makes the entrance into Capt. Cook’s a little confusing and the outdoor seating has been moved to the right near the Great Ceremonial lawn where the outdoor movies and recreation activities happen in the evening. The scaffolding will also impede on your Cinderella Castle/ Happily Ever After Fireworks view from inside ‘Ohana. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto outdoor seating has been unaffected.
Thankfully, none of these updates really change the experience of staying at the Polynesian and I would not let it be a factor when selecting your Disney Resort. Once completed, the parking lot changes, bus pick-up, front entrance, and outdoor seating at Capt. Cook’s will likely all help with capacity. Hopefully, by next year we’ll forget any of this construction happened. Hey Disney, maybe leave our Poly alone for awhile after this though?
