As Walt Disney World began its phased reopening back in July only Disney’s DVC resorts were open. Slowly other resorts followed, but not all of them.
Currently 17 of Disney’s resort hotels and DVC properties are open to guests. Two more resorts will open up in the next couple of months – Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (October 14) and Disney’s Art of Animation (November 1). According to The Walt Disney World Resort website “While reopening dates were previously shared for Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, these Disney Resort hotels will remain closed until further notice, as the reopening timeline continues to be reevaluated.” In addition, there has been no reopening date for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
In a recent interview Christine McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Office of The Walt Disney Company, stated that Disney is not planning on opening their resorts just for the sake of opening. They are adjusting the business based on the demand. She said they expect to have a little over 50% of their resorts opened by the end of this year.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, one of the original resorts to open with the Magic Kingdom in 1971, will be closed through summer 2021 for an extensive refurbishment. Initially, the resort was schedule to reopen on August 12, then Disney announced the Polynesian would reopen on October 4. However last month it was announced the resort would now reopen next summer. Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows reopened in this past June and are expected to remain open.
A majority of the public spaces will be a part of the refurbishment, as well as the guest rooms. According to a Disney World spokeswoman “changes to the [guest] 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.”
In addition to guest rooms, other Polynesian refurbishments include a new porte cochere and entrance, a modified monorail station, addition work on the Great Ceremonial House including the removal of some of the crossbeams. Work will commence on September 28. Work will commence on Sunday nights through Thursday nights, from 10:00 p.m.– 4:30 a.m. On Sept. 28, the Front Desk area will move to a temporary location in the Pago Pago building and the porte cochere and front entrance will be unavailable.
Starting on October 4, Disney will modify the operating hours of some of the Polynesian’s dining and retail outlets. Those include the Kona Café: Sunday –Thursday 7:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m., Friday & Saturday : 7:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Moana Mercantile: Daily 8:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; Pineapple Lanai: Daily 10:00 a.m.– 9:00 p.m.; Tambu Lounge: Sunday –Thursday 2:00 – 9:00 p.m., Friday & Saturday 4:00 – 11:00 p.m. And beginning November 2 the monorail station will be closed. According to WDWMagic, “Access to the Great Ceremonial House will be via the side and back entrance only.”
Today Zach Riddley, who is the portfolio executive for the Walt Disney World Resort at Walt Disney Imagineering, heads up everything that happens at EPCOT, has shared an update on how the Polynesian Village Resort’s arrival area will look.
“I’m thrilled to share the first look at the new arrival experience from our design teams coming to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort! As you can see in the rendering above, we were inspired by the iconic mid-20th century architecture that the Polynesian is famous for,” wrote Riddley on his Instagram account. “The colors, patterns and textures found throughout the resort are reflected in the design of the new porte cochere with a high-pitched open-truss roof covered in a thatch style and a bold façade that complements the Longhouses. The monorail station will be transformed with bold new wooden screens covered with geometric patterns in bright, tropical colors. The Polynesian is a fan favorite and our Imagineering and Walt Disney World teams are excited to bring these new changes to life in this iconic resort.” Work on the resort will be just in time for the 50th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort.
On the Disney Parks Blog, Riddley gives more details on what to expect next summer. The new porte cochere will be reflective of the iconic mid-20th century architecture. He goes on to say that “Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney World have crafted a design inspired by colors, patterns and textures found throughout the resort. This new entry features a high-pitched, open-truss roof covered in a thatch style. There’s also a bold façade that features pops of color complementing the Longhouses found throughout the resort. Along the Monorail station, bold new wooden screens will be covered with geometric patterns in bright, tropical colors that complete an exciting new composition …”
According to Riddley’s post the entrance gardens and fountains will also be enhanced and the entryway will feature dramatic lighting elements, including beautiful chandeliers inspired by glass floats, fishing nets and oversized bamboo elements. The new chandeliers will match the existing grand chandelier in the resort lobby, artfully bridging interior and exterior spaces.”
In addition to work being done on the Polynesian’s monorail station, permits were filed for “monorail contactor replacement” work to be done on the monorail stations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and the Ticket and Transportation Center. According to electricaltechnology.org, a contactor is an electrical control switch use to switch the current to ON and OFF a circuit. They do not provide protection against overload protection, but are used to “control the heating circuits, electric motor, and automated industrial equipment.”
