Polynesian’s Disney Vacation Club Island Tower: Full guide to new Disney World hotel
The Polynesian Disney Vacation Club expansion — Island Tower — is opening at Disney World.
Updated Dec. 16, 2024 ; original version published May 10, 2024.
Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Disney Vacation Club is opening a new property at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla. formally named “Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.” (Traditional rooms at the existing 53-year-old hotel will remain branded as part of “Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.”) Island Tower will open on Dec. 17, 2024.
The tower is 10 stories tall, and overlooks the Seven Seas Lagoon, neighboring Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and providing views of Magic Kingdom.
Photo by bioreconstruct
Island Tower sits upon the former real estate of Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (aka the luau), which closed with the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 and never reopened.
Photos by bioreconstruct
Photo by bioreconstruct
We attended the opening ceremony for Island Tower on Dec. 14, 2024 ahead of the resort’s official first day of operations (Dec. 17).
Inside the rooms of the Polynesian Disney Vacation Club tower
Accommodations sleep two to nine guests in various room styles:
- duo studios
- deluxe studios
- one-bedroom villas
- two-bedroom villas
- two-bedroom penthouse villas
Lobby
Walt Disney Imagineering collaborated with over a dozen artists from around the world to create unique artworks that will be displayed throughout the resort. From preserved moss walls to sculptures made from recycled fishing nets, each piece will be inspired by the spirit of conservation and embody the rich cultures of Polynesia.
Disney Parks Blog
‘Moana’ pool area
Just outside of Island Tower, guests will find the Moana’s Voyage splash pad (pictured below).
The Polynesian’s DVC expansion also introduces the new zero-entry Cove Pool. Both Moana’s Voyage and the Cove Pool will be accessible to all Polynesian Village overnight guests, not just those staying at Island Tower.
Dining at Wailulu Bar & Grill
Wailulu Bar & Grill will be a counter-service restaurant at the Polynesian’s Island Tower. Featuring outdoor and indoor seating, Wailulu serves pastries for breakfast and all-day lunch/dinner menu inspired by Polynesian flavors.
Out and about at the Polynesian’s Vacation Club tower
Throughout Island Tower, guests can relax in four unique garden terraces.
Resort-wide changes at the Polynesian
Disney first announced the DVC tower project in 2022.
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows first opened in 2015, adding unique DVC lodging to the existing accommodations of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which opened in 1971. Classic rooms at the resort received “Moana”-themed renovations in 2021.
Reservations for the Polynesian Disney Vacation Club tower
Reservations for Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows are now open to all guests via (407) 934-7639, online, or with points-based options as part of Disney Vacation Club.
A deeded ownership interest in DVC ranges from $23,500 – $60,100. Ownership interests with Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows will expire Jan. 31, 2066.
The opening of Island Tower will marks the conclusion of a busy year for Disney Vacation Club. New DVC cabins opened at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort this summer, and an official DVC welcome center opened recently at Disney Springs.
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So the big question I have is are we going to get the walkway from the Poly to the Grand Flo back. No one has mentioned that.