Reopening date set for Disney's Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World

Jun 28, 2021 in "Disney's Polynesian Resort"

Posted: Monday June 28, 2021 1:33pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney's Polynesian Resort will reopen to guests on July 19 2021 following a major refurbishment of the Great Ceremonial House and the guest rooms. 

Although the Polynesian will reopen July 19, the new monorail station will not yet be completed, neither will the new main entrance. The front-desk will reopen in the Great Ceremonial House, and 'Ohana will reopen July 9.

The new porte cochere will be ready, and will receive guests arriving via Disney Magical Express and valet.

The new guest rooms will also be ready on July 19, giving guests a first opportunity to experience the new theming. A standard view room for the opening day is currently $595 plus tax, and a Magic Kingdom view is $839 plus tax.

According to Disney, the new look rooms feature a new color palette inspired by the Pacific Ocean and its many islands, including details, patterns and textures from the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Moana.”

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort was originally planned to reopen from the COVID-19 shutdown on October 4 2020, but Disney decided to delay the reopening and use the time to refurbish the resort ahead of Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary.

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    BocabearJun 17, 2025

    It was kind of a mess... All traffic, Busses, Cars etc all entered through the same gate and traveled the same route more or less... The new entrance will be for Automobiles only and then there will be a bus loop that is separate...which should make it a much more pleasant experience...

    COProgressFanJun 16, 2025

    We were going to try to visit the new tower / Wailulu grill this summer. I'm guessing they won't let us in to park. Anyone know what the current situation is? Are they sending everyone to park at TTC?

    Mr. SullivanJun 16, 2025

    I was gonna ask what was primarily motivating this. I have never been to Poly by car so wondered if there was just a bad traffic flow problem.

    BocabearJun 16, 2025

    The reorganization of the parking and Auto traffic completely different from Bus traffic will make that a bit nicer, but the Poly does indeed need more parking... Perhaps they could create a 2 level deck concealed with their favorite rockwork and landscape...so it would look like a landscaped plateau from the front but contain multi levels of parking.

    tissandtullyJun 16, 2025

    Dang, this is gonna be more chaos at Poly parking, the arrival experience is pretty bad. The tower lot is very nice though, but there's no guard shack so it's a little confusing for first-timers.

    AylaJun 16, 2025

    So they are removing even more of what little parking there is at the Poly (even after the Tower addition). :rolleyes:

    BocabearMar 08, 2023

    That fabric doesn't feel like a fit...it doesn't feel like it evokes Polynesian culture or the Poly-Pop modernist aesthetic... I does feel more 80s/90s than anything else. I am sure someone would be able to justify the design having some roots to Polynesia, but it feels more 1990s Caribbean. there is a lack of sophistication and the pattern scale is flat out terrible.

    LittleBufordMar 07, 2023

    Some of the posts seemed to be saying that the design itself was lacking or ugly, though you’re right that that wasn’t the overall tenor of the criticisms.

    UNCgolfMar 07, 2023

    I don't think anyone was opining on the quality of the fabric/pattern in general -- just the fit for the location (or its status as mid-century modern, or lack thereof).

    BocabearMar 07, 2023

    It really does look like the 80s to me. Having lived through it and Wolfgang Puck restaurants...lol It is an odd choice for the Poly... completely wrong scale and off. I am not sure why their Refurbishmenteers can't grasp theme and design in any meaningful way. I am glad it is not "Marriott Hospitality Beige" but it really feels completely wrong for the room. Tacky and loud...and WAAAAAAAAY too much repeat

    James AlucobondMar 07, 2023

    It actually looks decent on the throw pillows they have in some of the chairs. Just a very odd choice for upholstering very wide bench seating.

    LittleBufordMar 07, 2023

    Through the wonders of Google Lens, I managed to find the pattern, though in somewhat different colours from the version at the Poly: https://clarencehouse.com/fabric/1393702/od-montmartre/ultramarine Whatever one may think of it, the fabric comes from a well-regarded textile design company: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/clarence-house-textile-kazumi-yoshida-article

    UNCgolfMar 07, 2023

    I agree with others that the pattern doesn't look right at all. I don't think it evokes tiki or mid-century modern; it feels more like something you might have seen in the 1980s or 1990s. Mid-century modern patterns certainly repeat, but they typically aren't that busy and usually use fewer colors. Not that I think the Polynesian really needs mid-century modern anyways, but this pattern is incongruous with the existing surrounds.

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