News Refurbishment coming soon to Disney's Polynesian Village Resort - Moana details to be included

[Jdn0018]

My guess is the toilet is on the same side as the tub/shower and is not pictured.

Disney posted a TikTok video (which has given me a headache). The toilet is beyond the shower with a door to separate it off from the main part of the bathroom.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

As someone who stays in the Poly often and was opposed to the inclusion of "Moana Details" out of principle... This could have been much worse. They did a solid job on this. The colors work really well here whereas the old rooms were far past their expiration date.

Reasonable people can disagree on whether the IP inclusion is too intrusive. The DVC rooms are still far better, though, and that's where I'll keep staying.

 

[Parker in NYC]

In the final analysis, to those calling people like me who are unhappy about the redesign stupid and possibly suffering from a mental illness (thankfully, that post was edited or removed), the rooms aren't going anywhere. They're staying and you - and you - and you... you're gonna love them.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The vast majority of people in this thread and every thread when there's a resort-wide room refurb. "They took all of the Disney details out and made it into a generic Marriott" is a much more widespread complaint than "they put too much 'Disney' into it and went overboard on characters and the like."

Those things can't both be true.

Character imagery is not inherently a detail. If anything it is rarely a detail as it is often done in contradiction to the supposed story. What definitely cannot be true is for something very large and prominent to be described as small.

The wall is a large element that is on-theme for the Polynesian independently of the IP integration and the IP integration is a small component of the overall effect.

The TV wall is the largest wall in the room. It is the primary focal point of any hotel design. The sleeping side of the bathroom wall is also rather large. These things are not small components and their entire design is centered around the character imagery.

 

[UNCgolf]

The vast majority of people in this thread and every thread when there's a resort-wide room refurb. "They took all of the Disney details out and made it into a generic Marriott" is a much more widespread complaint than "they put too much 'Disney' into it and went overboard on characters and the like."

Those things can't both be true.

I certainly can't speak for everyone, but my issue with resort refurbs has little to do with Disney details, unless you consider Disney detail an attention to theme. The theming details are what matter and they generally (especially in deluxe hotels) shouldn't have anything to do with Disney IP. If the resort is themed to the early 20th century, e.g., then the room furnishings etc. should look that way. They certainly don't need to be antiques -- being modern is fine. But modern furnishings can still evoke the turn of the century look. Recent refurbs have leaned more towards turning the rooms into something you can find anywhere without much connection to the resort's overall theme.

As I said above, this room refurb didn't do that -- these rooms aren't generic. I don't especially like them and don't think they look like deluxe rooms, but they're not generic. The issue that some people is that they avoided making them generic by leaning hard into an IP. I think they could have been far more blatant with the IP than they were, but they didn't really theme the rooms to fit the resort's overall aesthetic (to be fair, the Polynesian's aesthetic was always more tiki kitsch than anything authentic, so it's a bit of an outlier compared to some other resort themes).

This is of course personal preference. I've said it elsewhere, but if Disney can keep cutting back on that theming (and spending less money in the process) while continuing to draw massive crowds, I don't blame them for making the change. If enough guests like it, it doesn't matter if I don't and eventually stop going. They can replace me.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

Is this new? I don't remember seeing this listed as a room category before.

 

[Parker in NYC]

I certainly can't speak for everyone, but my issue with resort refurbs has little to do with Disney details, unless you consider Disney detail an attention to theme. The theming details are what matter and they generally (especially in deluxe hotels) shouldn't have anything to do with Disney IP. If the resort is themed to the early 20th century, e.g., then the room furnishings etc. should look that way. They certainly don't need to be antiques -- being modern is fine. But modern furnishings can still evoke the turn of the century look. Recent refurbs have leaned more towards turning the rooms into something you can find anywhere without much connection to the resort's overall theme.

As I said above, this room refurb didn't do that -- these rooms aren't generic. I don't especially like them and don't think they look like deluxe rooms, but they're not generic. The issue that some people is that they avoided making them generic by leaning hard into an IP. I think they could have been far more blatant with the IP than they were, but they didn't really theme the rooms to fit the resort's overall aesthetic (to be fair, the Polynesian's aesthetic was always more tiki kitsch than anything authentic, so it's a bit of an outlier compared to some other resort themes).

This is of course personal preference. I've said it elsewhere, but if Disney can keep cutting back on that theming (and spending less money in the process) while continuing to draw massive crowds, I don't blame them for making the change. If enough guests like it, it doesn't matter if I don't and eventually stop going. They can replace me.

Agreed, especially the line in bold. It's funny how the Orange bird is having such a renaissance and they didn't think to feature tasteful elements of him and, oh I don't know, the TIKI ROOM/Adventureland/that whole kitsch quotient into this redesign. Because merch and marketability. There was such an opportunity to reinvent this with style true to its original mission.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The theming details are what matter and they generally (especially in deluxe hotels) shouldn't have anything to do with Disney IP. If the resort is themed to the early 20th century, e.g., then the room furnishings etc. should look that way.

I just don't understand these statements side-by-side with one another. If the IP is itself the same theme as the resort, what's the objection? They're not putting Moana in Bay Lake Tower or Frozen at the Yacht Club.

 

[Parker in NYC]

I just don't understand these statements side-by-side with one another. If the IP is itself the same theme as the resort, what's the objection? They're not putting Moana in Bay Lake Tower or Frozen at the Yacht Club.

But they are putting them in an Epcot nighttime (and daytime, kind of, show). Don't fit there, do they? But yes, they weren't Disney enough (didn't sell enough merch). Also, you can't tell me they still wouldn't do that show if Frozen Ever After had never debuted.

 

[wedenterprises]

I like it. The wallpaper is intense, but I like everything else.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Agreed, especially the line in bold. It's funny how the Orange bird is having such a renaissance and they didn't think to feature tasteful elements of him and, oh I don't know, the TIKI ROOM/Adventureland/that whole kitsch quotient into this redesign. Because merch and marketability. There was such an opportunity to reinvent this with style true to its original mission.

Orange Bird is Florida, not Polynesia. They're not really connected at all.

Also, "kitsch" is problematic these days.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I will likely never stay at one of the deluxe hotels, I don’t think they’ve ever been or ever will be worth the price.

HOWEVER

This is what I’m talking about! That’s gorgeous. Modern, clean, and a bit of a Disney touch. This is exactly what I want in a hotel room, especially if I’m going to stay at their more expensive resorts.

 

[UNCgolf]

I just don't understand these statements side-by-side with one another. If the IP is itself the same theme as the resort, what's the objection? They're not putting Moana in Bay Lake Tower or Frozen at the Yacht Club.

I wasn't really complaining about the Moana inclusion. It's one of the few Disney IPs that actually can fit into one of their themed resorts, as you said. I just don't think these rooms look especially good regardless of the Moana inclusion, and I don't think they have much of a theme -- I would say the rooms have Moana/Polynesian accents as opposed to theme.

 

[Parker in NYC]

Orange Bird is Florida, not Polynesia. They're not really connected at all.

Also, "kitsch" is problematic these days.

The NYT did an article about how problematic Tiki kitsch is and it was met with laughter by the Tiki community, either native to the cultures it inspired or not. If kitsch is truly awful, Disney better be ready to do wholesale changes of entire lands and an entire resort hotel (beyond its rooms).

 

[UNCgolf]

This is what I’m talking about! That’s gorgeous. Modern, clean, and a bit of a Disney touch. This is exactly what I want in a hotel room, especially if I’m going to stay at their more expensive resorts.

I think this is the disconnect for a lot of people. If I'm going to pay deluxe room prices, I don't want something obviously modern that I could get almost anywhere else (and for significantly less money). I want something highly themed to the resort to evoke a sense of the time and place.

I'm not saying you're not wrong to want that, because you're not. It's just a difference in opinion of what someone wants out of a Disney resort.

 

[zachrupertdsn]

I think these are roughly the same rooms right? I personally love the change.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Beautiful, I love it! The hotel always seemed so dark to me (just in my visits to Ohana) so I really like this refresh. Wow!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I wasn't really complaining about the Moana inclusion. It's one of the few Disney IPs that actually can fit into one of their themed resorts, as you said. I just don't think these rooms look especially good regardless of the Moana inclusion, and I don't think they have much of a theme -- I would say the rooms have Moana/Polynesian accents as opposed to theme.

Hotel rooms don't really have "themes," as such. That's not really a thing. A hotel ROOM shouldn't look like the lobby of Jambo House.

If you go to an actual hotel in one of the locations that Disney's Orlando resorts are replicating, the rooms themselves are not themed.

This is the Four Season Ko Olina. Literally a beachfront "Polynesian" resort. The room is not themed.

This is El Tovar on the Grand Canyon. Literally a western "Wilderness Lodge." The room is not themed.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I think this is the disconnect for a lot of people. If I'm going to pay deluxe room prices, I don't want something obviously modern that I could get almost anywhere else (and for significantly less money). I want something highly themed to the resort to evoke a sense of the time and place.

I'm not saying you're not wrong to want that, because you're not. It's just a difference in opinion of what someone wants out of a Disney resort.

Definitely a difference of opinion and or taste, which is fine.

When I look at the old rooms, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to stay in it.

However, with this I get an incredible resort with a modern room, which is what I would want (and I can only assume the majority if Disney is going this direction across the board).

 

[UNCgolf]

Definitely a difference of opinion and or taste, which is fine.

When I look at the old rooms, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to stay in it.

However, with this I get an incredible resort with a modern room, which is what I would want (and I can only assume the majority if Disney is going this direction across the board).

Oh, I think the old rooms definitely needed an overhaul. Not a big fan of the new rooms, though.