Large banyan tree being relocated from the Polynesian Village Resort DVC tower construction site

Virtual Toad14 hours ago

I would give it a pass in terms of this discussion as it was the product of a different time and place, when Disney had limited resources financially and very little real estate to work with. The original DL Hotel wasn't even owned by Disney when constructed and the Anaheim property has always been boxed in. The DL hotel is simply a product of the company doing the best it could at the time. The issue for me at WDW is a shift towards relatively bland vertical construction in places on property where it intrudes on carefully crafted landscapes. In these instances, Disney is in full control of the real estate and decisions regarding its development and has extraordinarily vast financial resources-- yet this is the path they have chosen to take. It belies a callous disregard of the company's own time-honored standards of quality and a total lack of respect for its own brand. Inserting bland and generic buildings into meticulously developed settings is a short-sighted and monumental mistake that is not easily corrected. The new Poly building will likely be a part of the Seven Seas Lagoon landscape for the next half-century or more. Perhaps a little more thought, care and expertise should have been brought to bear before making such a careless decision, one which seems more like a typical real-world urban real estate development project than a shining example of world-class architecture, placemaking and Imagineering. The Polyday Inn would look great on US 192 or I-Drive. It would even fit in nicely next to the Royal Pacific at Universal. But it boggles the mind that anyone thought it would be even remotely acceptable in the very heart of Walt Disney World.

Doberge18 hours ago

My guesses are based off FW. I think shorter time lines work great to sell a few points before opening but maintain a larger cash inventory. All new rooms open with big cash demand so maximizing opportunity on cash side makes a lot of sense, imo.

ToTBellHop19 hours ago

It is well-established that 10-story buildings are built faster than 10-layer cakes. You can’t rush pastry.

MagicRat22 hours ago

Given this analysis of 5-15 floor Marriott hotels and it’s similarities, would the OG Disneyland Hotel qualify?

nickys1 day ago

Yeah, I must have had the wrong timeline in my head. But the timelines are getting shorter. Riviera sales started in March and opened in December - 9 months. The Cabins at FW sales started in February and opens in July - 5 months. I can understand that one because they don’t need all cabins done to open. If Poly Tower sales start in July and it opens in December, that would also be 5 months.

Brian1 day ago

This tower may very well be started and finished in less time than the Cake Bake Shop.

DCBaker1 day ago

Within the last week, Thomas Mozloum said "And we’re so excited to offer even more magical experiences later this year with the openings of The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and a new tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows."

Doberge1 day ago

Did I miss a schedule change? I thought we were still on at a late 2024 opening? I've been looking forward to April/May teasers, May/June news, and Julyish opening sales to open tower in November/December.

nickys1 day ago

No it isn’t. They still haven’t announced an opening date or declared rooms into DVC inventory. We should hear sometime in the Summer about an opening date, with sales starting November / December. It probably won’t open until Spring 2025. Usually it’s a few months from sales to opening.

nickys1 day ago

Maybe not a theme as such but I found a lot to interest me. The library / lounge room is chock full of photos and memoribila, and two hallways full of photos. The mosaics in the tunnel through to the Skyliner. I loved the splash pad, nice to see Fantasia get some love at WDW. All of that is literally Walt Disney themed. I also liked the style of the “formal gardens” around the pool with Primo Piatto (? Spelling) opening out onto it .I enjoyed visiting and spent far longer there than I’d anticipated. That though is separate from the design aspect of say AKL, WL or the (original) Poly. I certainly wouldn’t claim the design of Riviera compares favourably to those resorts.

lazyboy97o2 days ago

Per code a high rise has occupied floors more than 75’ above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.

UNCgolf2 days ago

You're right -- it's shorter than I realized. It seems taller than it actually is, likely due to the location.

Animaniac93-982 days ago

Riviera's height is more noticeable because is so close to the rest of Caribbean Beach's 3-story structures (a byproduct of it being on a former section of that hotel). Wilderness Lodge is nestled in the trees and doesn't have another building so close to compare.

BrianLo2 days ago

Is also a mid-rise. I know it's semantics, but it matters when the definition of a mid-rise is 5-15 stories and Riviera is smack in the middle of that range. The Riviera's issues really are not its height, the lodges are very well received I think, despite being in the same range.