Disney has announced that the Polynesian Village Resort will remain closed until Summer 2021. This closure is due to a refurbishment of the Great Ceremonial House and guest rooms. The Polynesian Village Resort, along with several others on Disney property, have been closed since the shutdown in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Polynesian Village resort was planned to reopen on October 4, 2020. Disney released the following statement, “As we continue to reopen additional Disney Resort hotels to guests, we are modifying the reopening date for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which will reopen next summer. This schedule adjustment also allows us to complete some refurbishment work at the Resort hotel, including enhancements to the Great Ceremonial House and guest rooms. We expect work to begin in early October and look forward to sharing more about these changes in the future.”
Disney Vacation Club villas and bungalows will remain open during the refurbishment. However, due to the refurbishment of the Great Ceremonial House, monorail service to this resort will be temporarily suspended. Bus transportation to the Magic Kingdom will be provided. Guests will still have access to the Ticket and Transportation Center walkway so they can travel to Magic Kingdom via monorail or ferryboat. The new walkway from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom should be open soon, which will offer another way for guests to access the park. This leads us to wonder what else the closure means for anyone staying in a DVC unit. Details of whether or not services like Captain Cook’s and Pineapple Lanai will remain open have not been released.
Following the closure announcement came news that the room refurbishment will be inspired by Moana. A Disney World spokeswoman on Monday said, “changes to the rooms will include a move to a Pacific Ocean-inspired color palette as well as details, patterns and textures from Disney’s Moana, an animated film that takes place partly on the Polynesian island of Motunui.” More details and concept art are expected to be released later on.
We’re not going to lie to you, this announcement had us spiraling. There have been so many changes lately, none of which seem good. This is just another step away from the Disney World we love to one filled with intellectual properties and closures. Don’t get me wrong, the Disney animated movies are some of my favorites. I still need there to be a balance between nostalgic Disney and the injection of IPs. No doubt, Moana fits perfectly with the vibe of the Polynesian Village. If it can be added in subtle and whisical ways that do not destroy the integrity of the resorts modern theming, count us in.
Theming aside, the timing is absolutely perfect for an overhaul of this resort. The crowds are low and there is less demand for resort bookings. Disney can shut down the entire resort and complete a refurbishment project with very little inconvenience to guests. The idea of a fresh start is not lost on us in 2020. We look forward to seeing the updates to this beloved resort. We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available. What can we say except “Your welcome”.