Aloha, Mahalo, ‘Ohana: An Update on Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

On our first visit to the Poly back in 2011

The Polynesian Village Resort was our first family home-away-from-home at Walt Disney World. It was the perfect spot for me. I arrived a Walt Disney World skeptic and left a raving fan.

While we remain big fans of the Polynesian, the Poly has been in the midst of some major construction projects the last year or so, and we have not stayed there since our first visit.

We did stop by recently though to check out the changes, and provide our friends and clients an update on one of the most unique of the Walt Disney World resorts.

From the Poly’s beach looking towards the Bora Bora Bungalows

The over-water Bora Bora Bungalows are no doubt the biggest news in the Poly’s recent construction. However, because of the price many of us may never get to experience them.

For all the details of a real visit to the Bungalows, check out the review on the Disney Tourist Blog.

We came over by boat from the Magic Kingdom, so the Bungalows were our first sight of the new & improved Poly, but after disembarking it was clear even from the trash cans that Poly definitely had a fresh coat of paint, and was in good form.

In addition to the construction of the bungalows, the Poly’s Volcano Pool area has been revamped, and had a considerably more open feel than we remembered.

The pool is especially fun for small children, as it has a shallow walk-in area near the beach, and the Poly cast members provide tons of entertainment with games and activities.

The slide through the volcano is not to be missed.

A hot tub was also added, a feature that some Walt Disney World resorts have lacked, but which are appearing as renovations occur.

After the bungalows, the biggest change to the Poly is certainly the lobby in the Great Ceremonial House. Like many folks, we miss what was essentially a huge atrium in the Poly’s lobby, some of which can be seen in the photo at the top of this post.

Looking down in the new lobby

The new lobby is certainly more usable, and well-done even in comparison to other Walt Disney World resort lobbies, but a little of the Poly’s charm has been lost.

Construction is still in progress and the East Pool is under renovation. The construction is well contained, but may still cause some challenges for guests.

If you’re considering a stay at the Poly, let us know and we’ll give you all the details and your options.

Until then, never forget to: