The Latest On Refurbishment Progress at Disney’s Polynesian Resort- Where Do Things Stand Right Now?

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort continues to undergo quite a few changes.  Where do things stand right now, and what is in store for the next phase?

A New Polynesian Experience

Since Walt Disney World began its phased reopening back in the summer of 2020, the regular guest room portion of the resort has been closed and has undergone a major refurbishment.  Only the DVC Polynesian Villas & Bungalows portion of the resort has been open to guests.

With the regular rooms now closed for more than a year, guests were excited to get a preview of the refreshed Moana-themed rooms back in early March.  The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and it seems Imagineering achieved the right balance of traditional style and new Moana elements.

Polynesian Reopening

Polynesian Village resort is slated to open in late July according to the latest information from Disney.  In addition, guests have been able to book rooms the last few months for arrivals of late July onward, however bookings seem rather hard to come by based on my last check.

Yesterday we received great news for those guests anxious to get things even closer to “normal.”  Disney announced that the popular restaurant ‘Ohana will be reopening July 9th. The excitement was tempered a bit for some by the omission of a few popular menu items, with the most outrage over missing noodles…check out more details on the fan outrage HERE.

Refurbishments Continue

On the construction front we have a couple updates to pass along. First, we have reports that the suites are in the process of being gutted in the Tonga building (near the ceremonial house) in preparation for refurbishment.  This seems to be the next phase of room refurbishments after the regular rooms were completed.

This continued construction comes amidst reports of permits being filed by Disney that seem to point to a planned refurbishment to the DVC Bungalows and Villas.  No official announcement has been made regarding this project.

Porte Cochere Progress

July is shaping up to be a big month for the Polynesian Village Resort.  In addition to ‘Ohana reopening and the Moana rooms, the new guest arrival experience featuring a new Porte Cochere is expected to be completed.

Currently there is no monorail service for Polynesian Resort guests as work continues on a new monorail platform, arrival experience, and continued work in and around the Great Ceremonial House.  

The old platform was demolished as seen in the picture above as the new platform is being rebuilt from scratch.  A decent amount of progress has been made in the last few weeks with flooring on the widened platform being laid as well as roof trusses set in place.

The A-frame roof as shown in the concept art above is currently being built off to the side of the platform.  A crane will hoist this centerpiece in position in the near future and signal a major milestone in the project. 

Are you planning on returning to the Polynesian Village Resort anytime soon? Are you excited to stay in the new Moana-themed rooms?  Will you attempt to get reservations at Ohana or are the omissions too much for you?  Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.