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

[dsinclair]

I personally don't think these rooms look like they're worth the deluxe hotel price and wouldn't want to pay the Polynesian rate to stay there -- standard rooms at Port Orleans look better and they cost a lot less -- but that's fine. Plenty of people disagree and they'll have no trouble keeping the rooms full.

This looks tacky and old, like a musty B&B.

It largely seems to come down to the ability of people to adapt to change, and realize that this will not stay exactly the same for your entire life.

 

[UNCgolf]

View attachment 537458

This looks tacky and old, like a musty B&B.

It largely seems to come down to the ability of people to adapt to change, and realize that this will not stay exactly the same for your entire life.

You are missing the point of the argument in the same way so many others have.

It has nothing to do with adapting to change -- it's that the point of these hotels (at least some of them), as originally built, was not to have ultra modern rooms that look like they could easily fit into any hotel off-property. When the resorts were themed towards a specific era, the rooms were intended to evoke that era as well. They can be modernized without losing the details that helped make Disney resorts unique in the first place. Port Orleans isn't themed to 2021; that's why the gift shop is an old general store. Of course the rooms were intended to evoke an older feel. Not that that room is an especially great example; it looks a bit sparse.

We've gotten way off course now, though, because what we're talking about now has almost nothing to do with the specific Polynesian rooms (especially since they are in a resort that never really did that type of theming in the first place). I'm going to stop responding so this can get back on topic.

 

[dsinclair]

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.

And it seems they decided to go in a direction that highlights IP that is truer to actual Polynesian culture instead of elements that have nothing to do with Polynesian culture (Orange bird) or are seen by some as disrespectful (Tiki) of Polynesia.

 

[GimpYancIent]

View attachment 537458

This looks tacky and old, like a musty B&B.

It largely seems to come down to the ability of people to adapt to change, and realize that this will not stay exactly the same for your entire life.

Variety! Some people are looking for a step back into "tacky" others into minimalist, others into modern, some into bland and yet others into colorful / bright. The point is the get away and not being in a standard (4 or 5 star rated) hotel room at any Hotel chain. More is expected at a Disney property, its just the way it is.

 

[ppete1975]

im kind of shocked.. with the resurgence of tiki.. esp disney tiki I dont know why they arent going for that and an adult feel instead of the over the top cartoony (and i like disney cartoons), but it should be more tiki with some splashes of whimsy... like hidden mickeys but just moana. OR have a room thats family and a tiki room.

 

[Cruzin_PA]

I would say that the bungalows at the Poly look very much like the ones at The Brando and some of the other top-rated hotels in Tahiti and Bora Bora.

I agree. And if staying at the Poly, you have the option to get that experience......if you pay for it.

 

[Chomama]

I'm staying at the Andaz in Maui next week. Does that count?

It sure does. Let us know how it compares to the beach club

 

[Chomama]

The extra hilarious part is that the "older" rooms were actually criticized for the exact same reasons as the new rooms. People preferred the *even older* rooms before those.

Me! I’m those people

 

[Chomama]

why didn't they just save the lamps from the old design? They had the mascot on them!

And a hidden mickey

 

[Sir_Cliff]

im kind of shocked.. with the resurgence of tiki.. esp disney tiki I dont know why they arent going for that and an adult feel instead of the over the top cartoony (and i like disney cartoons), but it should be more tiki with some splashes of whimsy... like hidden mickeys but just moana. OR have a room thats family and a tiki room.

I feel the same way. For example, why not get Josh Agle to produce some original pieces for the rooms and maybe also have a hand in the design? They can even merchandise all of those things for high markups in their gift shops.

Of all the resorts, this theme seems the best to appeal to cashed-up adults. Particularly with Trader Sam's right there.

 

[dreday3]

I feel the same way. For example, why not get Josh Agle to produce some original pieces for the rooms and maybe also have a hand in the design? They can even merchandise all of those things for high markups in their gift shops.

Of all the resorts, this theme seems the best to appeal to cashed-up adults. Particularly with Trader Sam's right there.

I am not expressing an opinion one way or the other, but the tiki-culture can be viewed as offensive to some. Perhaps Disney wanted to play it safe?

or not, I have no idea!

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I am not expressing an opinion one way or the other, but the tiki-culture can be viewed as offensive to some. Perhaps Disney wanted to play it safe?

or not, I have no idea!

I do wonder whether such caution beyond simple financial calculations is why theming has increasingly been narrowed down to recreating their films in order to avoid charges of cultural appropriation, etc. But that's a topic for another thread!

 

[dreday3]

Last thing, I'm not sure how anyone can look at the feature wall and not associate that with Polynesia! It's like a giant Polynesian tattoo.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Last thing, I'm not sure how anyone can look at the feature wall and not associate that with Polynesia! It's like a giant Polynesian tattoo.

Yes but, you see, because Disney ALSO made an animated feature film with a character who has similar tattoos, that particular design choice is no longer considered "themed" and is instead "IP intrusion" and must be hated.

 

[SorcererMC]

Last thing, I'm not sure how anyone can look at the feature wall and not associate that with Polynesia! It's like a giant Polynesian tattoo.

It looks to me like a whimsical version of tapa/ hiapo. https://mnch.uoregon.edu/collections-galleries/tapa-cloth

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Yes but, you see, because Disney ALSO made an animated feature film with a character who has similar tattoos, that particular design choice is no longer considered "themed" and is instead "IP intrusion" and must be hated.

I think that's a bit disingenuous. This is not about characters having similar tattoos, its that the tattoo image is of the characters and is one of several representations of characters throughout the room:

 

[dreday3]

I think that's a bit disingenuous. This is not about characters having similar tattoos, its that the tattoo image is of the characters and is one of several representations of characters throughout the room:

See, to me, that's a pretty seamless way to integrate a bit of IP and stay true to "theme" of the hotel.

 

[Chomama]

I think that's a bit disingenuous. This is not about characters having similar tattoos, its that the tattoo image is of the characters and is one of several representations of characters throughout the room:

Exactly. It’s a giant picture of maui. Next to a picture of hei hei. The light fixture is the same thing. Whatever. I don’t love it but I’m sure I will still fork over and stay there. I do really love the new yacht club rooms though so maybe I will stay there more.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I think that's a bit disingenuous. This is not about characters having similar tattoos, its that the tattoo image is of the characters and is one of several representations of characters throughout the room:

Except the character isn't just a character, he's a representation of a mythical figure that has always been represented at the resort.

ETA: If they had a portrait of The Rock hanging over the bathroom sink, then I think there's beef to be had.

 

[dreday3]

Except the character isn't just a character, he's a representation of a mythical figure that has always been represented at the resort.

ETA: If they had a portrait of The Rock hanging over the bathroom sink, then I think there's beef to be had.

Soooo, I wouldn't totally mind that....