Review, Photos & Video: New Moana Rooms at Polynesian Village Resort
Polynesian Village Resort’s newly-reimagined “Moana Makeover” guest rooms have debuted and the hotel has reopened after a long delay. This review share photos, video, and our thoughts on Walt Disney World’s redone rooms, how they compare to the old ones, and other recent redesigns to Deluxe Resorts.
Let’s start by quickly recapping what’s happening with Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Originally scheduled to reopen last summer, Walt Disney World postponed its return until fall before announcing a substantial overhaul to the hotel–its second in less than a decade–that delayed its return by almost a full year.
This overhaul featured a “Moana Makeover” to guest rooms, enhancements to the Great Ceremonial House, a new porte-cochère, and rebuilt monorail station. We’ve visited the Poly on a number of occasions since last summer (the Disney Vacation Club side has been open all along), watching the work progress around the resort. It has been a much more ambitious project than we initially anticipated, and crews continue to scramble to finish up the monorail station and new entrance area.
The changes to the “arrival experience” and front of the Great Ceremonial House are unequivocal upgrades, even in unfinished form. It’s still unclear to us why Walt Disney World opted to undertake that project at a time when everything else was being paused, but the new porte-cochère looks great already and the monorail station is taking shape nicely. Even today, the first impression is significantly better than it was before.
With that said, the Moana-inspired reimagining of the guest rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has been much more polarizing among Walt Disney World fans. Let’s take a look at the good and bad…
Before we get started, above is the old rooms for the sake of comparison and context. These rooms were only around 7 years old before being replaced.
These were redone either during or shortly before the overhaul of the lobby and pool, addition of the Bora Bora Bungalows, and conversion of some hotel rooms to DVC villas. All of that construction doesn’t seem like it was so long ago, but I guess it was.
I was still referring to these as “new rooms” until last year, as they felt that way to me. Heck, I still vividly remember the red and blue turtle comforters like they were yesterday, but I guess they’re more accurately from the days of yore.
Since these rooms were redone around the time Disney Vacation Club was added, you might be wondering whether the villas are next up for a Moana infusion. A soft goods refurbishment is now underway on the DVC units, with no word yet on whether they’ll feature Moana. (We suspect those will be nothing like what you see here–the scale of that project is much more limited.)
Turning to the newly-finished hotel rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, let’s begin with a closer look at some of the details. The room is packed with custom-made fixtures, furnishings, and Moana decor.
The quality of these is mixed but mostly good. The furniture is heavy and substantial, feeling both high quality and durable.
Of all things, the pillows are perhaps the best example of this. Those on the couch feel identical to what you’d receive on a long flight. They look nice enough, but they’re disposable quality. Disney has not advertised them as such, but it would be nice if these were a free souvenir for guests to take home as a reminder of a memorable stay. (I’m not saying it’s okay to do this–I don’t know!)
This is actually what Disney Cruise Line does with bed runners on its themed cruises (Star Wars, Marvel, etc.) and guests love it. Speaking of which, and I don’t know why this never occurred to me before, but that would be the perfect solution to the “unsanitary bed runner” dilemma–just make cheaper quality ones and let guests keep them. It’s much better and more unique than taking home a towel animal!
At the other end of the spectrum is the floral pillow on the bed itself, which is substantial and high quality. It also has a vinyl case, presumably to make it easier to clean between guests and thus more sanitary.
There’s a nice heft to the bench, end tables, lamps, and other furniture. The cabinet doors and drawers move smoothly, and simply feels higher end. These little upgrades are not apparent from photos, but imbue the room with a greater sense of luxury than its predecessor, which definitely had a more vintage vibe. That’s understandable given its mid-century inspiration.
That probably bears further explanation. In visiting historic hotels and touring homes, one thing we’ve noticed is that many have a, for lack of a better term, more “delicate” design.
Older interiors often offer eye-catching and unique style, gorgeous details, and use exquisite materials less common today. However, they’re also less practical and built with the expectation that people would treat them with the care they deserve.
Expensive modern designs are often more solid, having a built-to-last quality that can withstand wear and tear (we’re talking high end–not IKEA). Newer designs also offer functional refinements not found in older ones.
I love historic places, but there’s a nostalgic bias and an erroneous belief that older is always better. I’m a sucker for things like conversation pits, but there are plenty of ways newer can be better. (Not relevant here, but kitchens are the best example–bathrooms are another good one.)
Basically, the durability, usability, and practicality of newer designs is usually superior whereas the style and personality is more of an open question. I find many newer interiors play things way too safe, attempting to avoid offending any tastes, and are boring and soulless as a result.
That’s not a criticism that can be easily levied at the reimagined Moana rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. If you dislike these, “dull” is almost certainly not the reason why. Love or hate the Moana rooms, there is absolutely no mistaking them for a Marriott or Hilton.
For the most part, I think the Moana makeover works. There is a lot going on in terms of colors, patterns, and textures–for some people, this is going to cross the line and be too busy or chaotic. We found the use of colors to be soothing and the warm and dispersed lights relaxing. For us, the environment is–above all else–comfortable. All of this is much more apparent in person than in photos.
One of my quibbles is with herringbone plank flooring, which I generally like. In this case, a single color might’ve been the better choice here in subduing the design without undercutting its personality. Otherwise, nothing really clashes or overwhelms. Stylistically, I also would’ve loved to see “tiki man” lamps as a way to meld the old and new Poly.
There’s a lot going on with the style and design–no denying that. However, that comes with the territory of rooms inspired by characters. In our view, these are more tasteful than some of the over-the-top princess and pirate rooms, and offer more luxury and refinement.
Walt Disney World has tried more subtle character infusions, most notably at Yacht Club. We loved those, but the reader feedback was far less positive. It would seem that regular guests and fans want bolder and more distinctly “Disney” designs. This offers exactly that, while still being elevated and tasteful.
It’s going to be divisive, but I really like the feature wall art, which is inspired by Maui’s tattoos. Feature walls are on-trend in the hotel industry, and we think this one works well. It’s clearly Moana-inspired, but also looks good on its own, divorced of Moana context or knowledge.
When this falls out of style–and it inevitably will within the next decade as Disney is joining this in-progress trend about 5 years after it started–the feature wall can easily be painted over. (Leading to fresh outrage as a generation of new fans will have by then developed nostalgia and this art will be beloved.)
Functionally, there’s a lot to like about the rooms. There are tables with outlets on each side of each bed and reading lights in addition to lamps. There’s also uplighting from the headboard itself, which is fantastic as a single-source mood light for decompressing after a long day in the parks.
As with other Walt Disney World hotel redesigns, the beds are elevated with storage of suitcases. There’s also more storage space flanking the television and dresser, but this comes with a big potential drawback–no desk. (Personally, I think this was an unnecessary removal–this is a huge room and they added plenty of storage space. No need to also remove the desk for even more.) The chair and couch are both comfortable, and provide plenty of space for spreading out.
The additional storage space continues in the bathroom, where there are cubbies below the sinks and an elevated countertop above.
The backlit mirror provides ample lighting in the bathroom and the stone texture behind is a nice touch. The toilet is also now separated with a door, a simple but essential upgrade for larger parties.
As two adults, the shower is a massive improvement for us, but I’m guessing parents might disagree. There are a variety of 2 queen rooms that still have bathtubs, meaning that the many rooms still have bathtubs. (We’d recommend requesting a tub if it’s important to you.)
The one thing I dislike about the bathrooms–and this is totally personal preference–is the removal of the turtle wallpaper. I know it wouldn’t fit the new style or color scheme, but I found that delightful and charming. Oh well.
Above is a video that Sarah shot of the new Moana rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (see if you can spot me, hiding in plain sight!)
If you’re interesting in reading/seeing our other posts concerning these new rooms to judge for yourself how Wilderness Lodge stacks up, here’s the full list of our reviews, with the letter grade I’d give to each in parentheses:
- All Star Movies (B)
- Animal Kingdom Lodge (A-)
- Beach Club (D)
- Old Key West (C)
- Pop Century (B)
- Port Orleans Riverside (C)
- Port Orleans French Quarter (C)
- Saratoga Springs (A-)
- Wilderness Lodge (C+)
- Yacht Club (B+)
Note that these leaves off a few resorts (Caribbean Beach, Coronado, BoardWalk Inn) all of which we’ve covered elsewhere, mostly in updated resort reviews. See our updated Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page for those.
Ultimately, we love the reimagined Moana rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The remodel is not perfect, but it’s pretty close for what it is. As fans of the “old Poly” and “Vacation Kingdom of the World,” our fondness for this resort is mostly its mid-century modern roots, tiki inspired qualities, and fun Oceanic Arts faces and figures.
Seeing some of this phased out over the last decade hasn’t always been easy, but I also believe that Disney has done a good job of modernizing the Poly and making it a luxury resort of a high caliber that’s commensurate with its price points. I love kitsch and quirkiness, but also realize I have nostalgia for this and am not representative of the average first time guest and what they expect when dropping $600+ per night to stay here.
With that in mind, I’d rather Walt Disney World be bold and ambitious instead of playing it safe when it comes to room redesigns. Not everything about the new Moana rooms is to my tastes and it comes close to crossing the line of chaotic design. However, I love the risks Disney took with these rooms, which I far prefer to the playing-it-safe “suburban model housing development” look of Beach Club.
Of course, it helps that almost all of the aggressive gambles paid off, and the end result is that the Moana rooms are an extraordinary balance of vibrance, fun, function, luxury, and personality–a mix of qualities that’s tough to pull off simultaneously. They’re not for everyone, but we suspect the Polynesian’s new Moana rooms will appeal to many Walt Disney World visitors. Sarah is even more emphatic in her love of these new Moana rooms–she says this reestablishes Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort as her favorite hotel at Walt Disney World!
If you’re planning a WDW trip, we can help! For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the new Moana-inspired rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort? What do you think of the Maui tattoo feature wall art? What about the other furnishings, fixtures, or decor? Think this is too busy/chaotic–or perfectly energetic and vibrant for a character-inspired room? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Do you prefer the look of the old or new rooms? 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!
When did Disney start putting Keurigs in the rooms?
No bed cover? Is that just a white sheet?
I must be an outlier, like Tom’s mentioned. Wilderness Lodge and Polynesian were my favorites for the theming and the general feel of the resorts. Perhaps to some this new theming is somehow better? More appealing to the masses? I’m sure they had some reason for spending the money. To me, however, I would say the feeling it most evokes is being in a dentist’s chair having a less-than-stellar hygenist making Jackson Pollock’s out of my gums. C’est la vie.
Any idea when the monorail station may open?
@David Z. You made an Interesting observation. To me, the “Disney” feel probably has more to do with the nostalgia of the Disney resorts -the old Tiki style of the Polynesian for example that I remember from past visits rather than the Disney feel that some may get from seeing newer characters.
Which longhouse were you in? The view looks great and I also am booked for the “cheapest” standard room. Thanks!
The rooms look lovely, but I’m a little disappointed at the lack of privacy for showering. If anyone is using the shower, no one else can use the sinks or toilet – unless privacy is ignored. Can make for awkward moments when traveling with a family!
re: the pillows. saying nothing of quality but from look only, the couch pillows go with the room much better than the bed pillow. sorry but that bed pillow reminds me of something you buy at the abc store in waikiki or at the airport, and not at all authentic. and it’s color scheme doesn’t match anything else.
agree on the floors, too busy.
We stayed the first week they reopened and our shower had a bathtub; 2 queens standard view in Fiji.
Thanks, Julie and Paul. Sarah also reminded me that she told me this during our stay, so I guess that’s why I could’ve “sworn” that I had heard this. 😉
I saw on another Poly new rooms review that you can still get a room with a bathtub, but you have to request it.
My main criticism is that I would rather have had a less subdued color palette. The brown tone doesn’t do it for me — I’d prefer either to go with the darker brown of the older rooms, or bright sandy colors more like the bathroom floor. To me, the color palette of Moana is so incredibly bright, that this always felt off to me. I think the elements that are bright in this room are great though — the bed pillow, the blue/green on the chairs etc. I do also miss the tiki themed stuff.
(To be fair, I do particularly like bright colors – maybe more than most people. I LOVE the Royal rooms for example. They’re not over the top to me at all — pretty much the most perfect room design I’ve seen at Disney imo.)
That said, I’ll always take more theming than less, even when I’m not crazy about the exact choices. This is a step in the right direction, and I’m still happy they made the choices they did. Probably the best I could have hoped for in 2021 given Disney’s recent refurbs.
Thank you for the room suggestions!!!!
“It would seem that regular guests and fans want bolder and more distinctly ‘Disney’ designs.”
About six years ago, I was on a WDW trip with a group of friends. We did a no parks day and took a tour of a bunch of the resorts around property. I remember stepping into the lobby of Yacht Club and being blown away and saying that it had instantly become a dream hotel for me. A friend responded, “It’s fine. It doesn’t feel very Disney. Like where are the characters?” And this was the moment when I realized that I was working from a very different definition of “feels Disney” than a lot of other people do.
When it comes to hotel rooms, Disney does get conflicting feedback from regular guests, but the bigger conflict is what average guests want versus what hardcore parks fans want. Among casual or first-time guests, here’s a strong desire for both “more luxurious” and “more Disney” (which means characters, not lavish theme) accommodations at many of the resorts. The biggest exceptions to the latter are at the convention hotels.
Basically, the vast majority of people here–and that includes me–are outliers.
Some of it’s OK. But, I can’t see trying to justify changing the character of what the rooms were all about since inception in the name of being modern, or supposedly appealing to guest expectations. I think the vintage/tiki design has served the Poly quite well. – hopefully we’ll get a return to roots in a future update.
Definitely done with more pizzazz and interest than the WL room redos.
I think these rooms are really successful – I love the flooring detail and the lamps. They are fun without being over-done- like the Poly.
They work much better, I think, than the new Wilderness Lodge rooms (although I guess they could have been worse given that Wilderness test room, seen a couple of years ago).
@Vicki:
Rooms 3405 till 3414 in the Tuvalu building
Rick – Great question! I was wondering the same.
Tom,
We have reservations at the Poly for three rooms with a Magic Kingdom view. We’d like the 3rd floor with balconies. Any chance you can tell me what rooms to request?
Vicki
Theme park view means you’ll be in Tuvalu or Hawaii, both of which are great locations. Third floor would’ve been my recommendation, so you’re already covered there. Hawaii might have a couple of palms that partially obstruct the view (although I doubt it), but I like the more centered view from there. Specific room numbers to request is beyond my knowledge.
Tom – the room looks great, I will miss the tikis. It doesn’t look as “warm” as the old rooms. It looks like you had a king size bed with a fold down twin size in the sofa. Is that a room category that can be requested? I only see rooms with two queens.
Yeah, this is simply the lowest tier room–the “cheapest” thing we could book. It’s listed on the site as the ‘Standard View’ room, which is towards the bottom of the results (the thumbnail image is of 2 queen beds, but they also have a single king bed option).