Moana Room Makeover at Polynesian Resort
Walt Disney World has shared a sneak peek at the newly reimagined guest rooms at Polynesian Village Resort. In this post, we’ll take a look at photos of the “Moana Makeover,” plus share a brief update on construction, and offer first impressions on how these compare to other refurbished rooms in WDW hotels.
Let’s start by quickly recapping what’s happening with Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Originally scheduled to reopen on October 4 of last year, Walt Disney World announced a last-minute Moana-Inspired Refurbishment Pushing Back Polynesian’s Reopening. This would feature a makeover to guest rooms and enhancements to the Great Ceremonial House that would keep the hotel closed until Summer 2021.
Details were vague at the time, but a couple of weeks later, Walt Disney Imagineering released concept art for a new porte-cochère and clarified that the Great Ceremonial House would remain open, but that the monorail station would close. Officially, that’s where things have stood since then, with this preview of the new Moana rooms being the first update from Walt Disney World in months…
We’ve visited the Polynesian several times since reopening. In case you haven’t been keeping track of this project, only the hotel side of the Polynesian is closed. Meaning that the longhouses with regular hotel rooms are the ones receiving this Moana-inspired makeover. Great Ceremonial House (minus the monorail, ‘Ohana, and Trader Sam’s) is still open, as are the Deluxe Villas and Bungalows.
Disney Vacation Club members can still book that ‘side’ of the Poly, which encompasses the Pago Pago, Tokelau, and Moorea Longhouses plus the Bora Bora Bungalows. The DVC rooms will receive a separate soft goods refurbishment this year, which is occurring one year ahead of schedule. That could be to coincide with this project, or because the DVC rooms are looking a bit worse for wear. Regardless, there’s no concept art or info for the refreshed Disney Vacation Club rooms, or any indication as to whether they’ll receive Moana artwork.
This can be a bit confusing, especially since Disney Vacation Club rooms can also be booked by regular guests. Basically, the Poly is open, albeit with a significantly reduced room inventory, no monorail, no ‘Ohana or Trader Sam’s, and lots of construction walls. Hope that makes sense, but regardless, let’s take a look at the new Moana rooms…
These reimagined guest rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort feature a new color palette inspired by the Pacific Ocean and its many islands.
This includes details, patterns and textures from the Walt Disney Animation Studios hit, Moana. Of course, there are even some hidden (and not-so-hidden) characters from the film.
You’ll also see all-new furnishings and fixtures.
In the bathrooms, Imagineers took inspiration from the sandy ocean floor for the tiles and carved details in the vanity. The colorful patterns found throughout the room bring a whole new energy to the space, evoking undulating ocean waves and tropical flowers.
Now let’s offer some commentary. For those who are new to the blog, Imagineering’s spotty track record with room redesigns has been an area of acute interest for us. We do dozens of Disney hotel stays every year, and have previously reviewed and scored all of the past room redesigns. Notable posts on the subject include the following:
- All Star Movies (B)
- Animal Kingdom Lodge (A-)
- Beach Club (D)
- Old Key West (C)
- Pop Century (B)
- Riviera Resort (A)
- Saratoga Springs Resort (A-)
- Yacht Club (B+)
(For other resorts, see our regularly-updated Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page.)
We’ll withhold final judgment until completing an actual stay, but our first impression of the new Moana-inspired rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is very positive.
In the past, the Poly’s rooms have been visually busy and cluttered. These new rooms manage to balance an array of colors and textures without ever looking garish. That’s especially impressive given the wall pattern, which appears to borrow from Maui’s tattoos. Feature walls are very on-trend in the hotel industry, and we think it works well here. It’s clearly and prominently Moana-inspired, but also looks good and cool on its own, divorced of Moana context or knowledge.
Beyond that, the interior design is generally low-key, but offers subtle sophistication, clever and engaging uses of texture, an abundance of clean lines, and upgraded finishings throughout.
From the herringbone plank flooring to the lighting and furniture, the features have been plussed in a variety of ways. It all feels custom-made for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, rather than being off-the-shelf furniture and styles that could be found at any hotel in the country.
For the sake of comparison, above is our most recent photo of the Poly’s previous rooms. As with just about anything Imagineering does that infuses intellectual property in old-school Walt Disney World “stuff,” this is bound to be controversial among fans. That’s simply the nature of the beast.
Our view is that these newly-reimagined rooms strike a perfect balance of luxury, themed design, and Disney characters. They look well-appointed but also something you’d find in the islands, and if you had zero knowledge of the movie Moana, you wouldn’t question the artwork choices. It all coalesces surprisingly well, with nothing feeling forced or out of place.
Above is a photo of the current rooms at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which we panned earlier this week in our latest Resort Stay Report: Weak Rooms at Walt Disney World’s Flagship Resort. In that, we suggested more overt thematic flourishes (and even specifically-themed character rooms) to distinguish these rooms from a garden-variety Marriott or Hilton. To our surprise, the vast majority of readers agreed with us. (So perhaps our take on the new Poly rooms won’t be that controversial?)
Without question, the new Moana-inspired rooms at the Polynesian are an upgrade over these Grand Floridian rooms. I honestly don’t think there’s even any comparison. (Honestly, the old rooms at the Poly were also nicer…as were the rooms there one generation before that!)
We’ve also seen some comparisons between the new rooms at the Polynesian and those at Gran Destino Tower. That’s a sensible comparison, as many of the stylistic approaches are similar, but the Gran Destino rooms are typically less than half the cost of the Poly. (Gran Destino rooms are also significantly smaller, have weak bathrooms, and no balconies.)
We love Gran Destino Tower and think it’s one of the best bang-for-buck options among all Walt Disney World hotels. However, that comparison makes about as much sense as contrasting the price disparity of houses in Malibu to those in Milwaukee. No disrespect to Milwaukee–it’s a great city–but I think we all understand why Malibu is more expensive. Whether it’s proximity to and views of the Pacific Ocean or Cinderella Castle, the first three rules of real estate are location.
Walt Disney World still has not released an official reopening date for the Polynesian Village Resort. It was once booking beginning in early July 2021, but that’s now been pushed back to late July 2021. Our expectation is that date will hold, but there’s still a decent amount of work to be done around the Great Ceremonial House.
Speaking of which, the porte cochere is in the midst of a dramatic overhaul that will feature a high-pitched, open-truss roof covered in a thatch style with pops of color. The Monorail station is receiving new wooden screens with tropical colors, adding to the open and airy vibe befitting of the South Seas. Above is concept art, below is current construction progress.
Also included in the sneak peek of the Moana rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort was a teaser of more such updates in the weeks and months to come. Per Walt Disney World, this is “part of the overall evolution of our Disney Resort hotels, as we infuse even more Disney touches across our collection” just in time for the World’s Most Magical Celebration, beginning October 1, 2021, in honor of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary.
Our guess is that the next update will concern Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which is taking most of its rooms in the A-Frame out of commission next month. Two years ago, Imagineering tested new rooms inspired by the Incredibles at that resort. It’s possible we’ll see something similar at that resort with that IP, or maybe Walt Disney World will go a different direction. We’re also still holding out hope on a Grand Floridian refresh. Now is the perfect time with occupancy rates low during the phased reopening! We’ll keep you posted as to what happens next.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts on the Moana-inspired rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort? Think this is a tasteful melding of luxury, themed design, and Disney characters? Concerned about the IP invasion at Walt Disney World? Are these better or worse than the Grand Floridian rooms? Think these rooms help justify Polynesian’s price-point, or is it still too expensive? Do you have any questions about the current resort experience at Walt Disney World? Will you be attempting to visit Walt Disney World this summer or fall, or are you waiting until 2022 or beyond? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
The pics on Disney’s website of the new Poly rooms shows they omitted the small desk with chair, which used to be on the wall opposite the beds. That’s a big omission for me, since I’m the senior on-call engineer and often have to handle issues at work even while on vacation. It would suck to be mitigating a database problem or routing issue while balancing my laptop on a pillow.
@Sheebah I agree most new room makeovers are very bland and boring. It’s almost like watching the sickening movement on all the home improvement shows to go with white cabinets, counters, and floors. It’s even worse than 1970s bright colors!
For eight million dollars a night at a Deluxe/Luxury resort, I do expect more.
Terrible. The room is pretty, but it looks like any room you’d find at a Holiday Inn or something going for a Hawaiian theme, maybe slightly better… Bright color palette, modern furnishings that look like stuff you’d find at IKEA..pretty, sleek, and soulless This doesn’t transport you. The poly’s emersive-ness used to be carried all the way into the style of the old rooms. And as someone else mentioned, the darker colors were calmer and better suited to winding down after the parks. But, now people who claim they love the poly apparently are incapable of appreciating why it was great in the first place. I can’t imagine being happy with this lifeless, IP cash grab makeover. That’s all Disney is about now though so I guess standards have adjusted.
Based just on the photos, I’m definitely NOT a fan of the Poly’s new look. The new style seems too busy, in-motion, bright, like a hot July breeze in direct sunlight. Hot pink and aqua– too hot and spicy. The theme being replaced was SO relaxing to come home to after hours of over-stimulation in the parks. Peaceful, tranquil, restful colors, cool-breeze casual feel of the islands.
I’ve spent decades of my life going to the Poly, first as a kid, now as an adult taking my own family there. It’s had facelifts and refreshes over time, but this is the first re-do that I don’t like. Very sad. 🙁
If only they’d added a nod to the bio-luminescence scene! I’d love to have a bar with The Collector and his embedded pearls in the decor. The Moana movie was amazing with the different kinds of animation and color palettes to choose from that personally I wish the resort took it farther with the colors and patterns. Looks like a good upgrade nonetheless.
I really like the theme and the colors used in the rooms. The bathroom looks great and has a lot of counter space. One change that I would like to see, is more walk-in showers with the nice rainfall shower heads and the removal of bathtubs. In regard to the GF, I would love to see Alice in Wonderland or Mary Poppins in the rooms. I personally like the characters and IP in the rooms and think they are perfectly fitting in a WDW resort. When they do the Contemporary, I hope they re-do the 4th floor and other public spaces as well as the rooms. Just close that area off and do it really well. There is nothing contemporary, futuristic, pretty, or modern about that wonderful space right now. With the lighting effects and current technologies, they could make that space amazing. It feels a lot like the Land Pavilion in Epcot right now, a neglected shopping mall built in 1980 and just left alone for the last 40 years.
Personally, I’m already long tired of the rainfall shower head fad. Time for it to go away, along with stupid vessel sinks.
I think the update is lovely! It is fascinating that they managed to combine some pretty bold graphics and soothing seaside colors, and it totally works.
COVID canceled our Polynesian Resort vacation that was supposed to be September 2020. We are now planning our visit for 2022 instead. I’m very pleased to see these Moana rooms, and will absolutely request one for our vacation.
The Dole Whip is long overdue . . .
They look good. Not necessarily better, but good. Enough color and texture to almost hide the garish stark white boring beds. It does look pretty luxurious as far as things go. That term gets thrown around a lot though, and there is no hotel room that is actually worth the rates they get there!
Thanks very much Tom. The rooms look awesome! As you say, the room is in a different league to the Grand Floridian room you reviewed which looked incredibly dull. If I stayed in the Moana themed room I think I would feel like I was staying in a Disney resort and it would be part of the magic of the trip. I actually feel tempted to stay in one, and I have not previously thought that way about the Poly.
It is a great, city, lol. If you ever want to do a Travel Caff article on Milwaukee, I’d read it for sure.
Your photos look like they are of the Hawaii building. We loved it but think this upgrade looks nice. No one has commented on this but it looks like they got rid of shower curtains and installed glass doors. Is that correct? Club rooms should not have shower curtains.
(Curious that RB, the third commenter, assembled a lot of detailed information from your photos. I appreciated that information but wondered if RB is a Disney representative).
LOL, no, I’m not a Disney representative. I’m a middle-aged married lawyer and mother of two (perhaps a little overly obsessed with vacation planning, which I thoroughly enjoy), from the Finger Lakes region of New York. Our family was booked at Caribbean Beach for the end of this summer, and I was on a mission to convince my husband to let us rebook at the Polynesian (a “bucket list” resort for us) instead. The details about the room that I shared were simply what I gleaned from scouring the photos on the Disney Blog and on Disney’s website for the Polynesian, and watching the TikTok video from the Disney Blog announcement a few times. 😉 As it happened, my efforts were well-spent, and my husband ultimately agreed that the room upgrades would be worth the additional expense, so we changed our reservation (still using the “2 days free” ticket package, which was offered for the new Polynesian rooms as well) and will get to see the refurbished space for ourselves in August.
We are planning a stay in the DVC rooms in early November. I hope the monorail station will be open by then, as well as the rest of the resort. I assume the DVC rooms didn’t get this Moana makeover upgrade?
You assumed correctly. Polynesian Villas won’t get a soft goods upgrade for a year or two. Doubt they will put in that flooring and wallpaper (they really do not go together).
The Poly has always been my family’s favorite and I MUST say, these are absolutely, by far, the best renovations and perfect application of theme that Disney has done in YEARS!!
I’m so excited to already be booked for 2 rooms here the week between Christmas and New Year 2021
This room is brilliantly done and light bright and refreshing
Beautiful
I think the new decor is darling.
Even more than that, the changes to the fixtures and furnishings have maximized the room’s usefulness for most families (and I hope these changes will be integrated into future refurbs everywhere). Specifically: there are surfaces with outlets on each side of each bed (a necessity these days when everyone wants their phone and/or charger within reach, yet you almost never see it in hotel rooms!), as well as reading lights. The beds are elevated and open underneath, for storage of suitcases, shoes, and cushions/decorative pillows that need to be removed for sleeping. Even the side table between the dresser and sofa (curved in such a way as to suggest an ocean wave, but also seemingly to prevent shins from getting banged up on a corner in the night) has open storage underneath, as do both bathroom sinks. The coffee/fridge area has more counter space (now well-lighted) and a shelf above for food and sundries, and even the shower has a deep shelf for toiletries, as well as multiple hooks for hanging robes and towels. I love the decor, but even if I didn’t, I appreciate the practicality and usefulness of this particular room design.
I like this. I also happen to like the movie as does my daughter. One of the best Disney films in some time. However I don’t think the use of IP is a sustainable move. The movie Moana may be the Atlantis or Treasure Island in 10 to 15 years. I do realize they need to update rooms periodically just didn’t think the Poly needed a refresh. Wish they’d work on the contemporary or better yet just work on Epcot!
Atlantis & Treasure Island were both complete busts out of the gate.
I don’t think comparing either one to Moana is remotely applicable at all.
Moana is extremely popular. Not on the level of Frozen, but similar or above Tangled. I don’t think it’s going anywhere in a hurry.
The room updates look amazing but not sure when I’ll be going back. Have lost a lot of respect for Disney over their double standard on social justice. Plus I don’t think political propaganda should be on children’s television. My 6 year old shouldn’t have to hear about it everyday on the Disney channel. It’s just wrong. Children’s television should be an escape for children not a place where a political narrative is pushed on them daily
Chris, quite so! We’re sick of it.
This is a great refresh. All things you’ve harped on Tom seem to be addressed here. Maintaining the luxury, deluxe feel of the Poly while setting it apart from chain hotels. It’s almost too much, which in my opinion makes it perfect! As I was looking at the photos I thought this is what the Contemporary and Grand Floridian need, and then I read your similar conclusion. Incredibles at the Contemporary and Mary Poppins or Beauty and the Beast at Grand Floridian. Love it.
Absolutely gorgeous! I wish we could afford these rooms!!