By Kevin M. Kern, Walt Disney Archives
For the Fall 2024 edition of Disney Files Magazine, we took a trail less traveled through the horseback-riding, canoe-paddling, Hoop-Dee-Doo’ing history of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, sharing a curated collection of souvenir postcards culled from the legacy print media collections of the Walt Disney Archives. It was a feature that tapped into our enduring fascination with paper ephemera from Disney Parks and Resorts, with everything from postcards and park maps to restaurant menus and ticket stubs delighting the inner child in all of us by reopening windows to a simpler time.
We just can’t get enough of these tattered-corner treasures, so when Disney Vacation Club welcomed Members “home” to the new Island Tower addition at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, we at the Walt Disney Archives asked our friends at Disney Files Magazine if they’d be up for embarking on another souvenir sojourn, sailing from that forest oasis at the edge of Bay Lake to the place where palm trees sway on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon. Thankfully, they said “yes.” So, let’s revisit the souvenir spinner rack of yesteryear and turn back the “tides,” this time through promotional artwork, photography, and postcards celebrating more than 50 years of tropical torch-lit views at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Promotional Brochure Artwork, 1968
Early ideation for the look of what was then referred to as “The Polynesian Resort” included this design as part of the complex, featuring a central hotel tower. While that concept seemed lost at sea when the resort opened in 1971, the art seen here appeared on a pre-opening souvenir postcard sold at the Walt Disney World Preview Center, extolling the possibilities of escaping to a simulacrum “South Pacific” at The Vacation Kingdom of the World. Decades later, Disney Vacation Club would put its own twist on the tower concept with the addition of the now-open Island Tower addition to Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
Pre-Opening Souvenir Postcard, 1970
Close inspection of the concept art featured on this postcard reveals some of the tropical travel options envisioned for a resort that, by 1970, had adopted the name “Polynesian Village.” From traversing the “highway in the sky” aboard the Walt Disney World Monorail to voyaging across the Seven Seas Lagoon by outrigger canoe, sailboat, or old-fashioned, side-wheeled steamboat, all roads would lead to fun in the warm Polynesian (or Florida) sun.
Souvenir Postcard, Early 1970s
Here we see a similar view as the pre-opening concept art postcard above – one captured from high above the shore near the site now occupied by the new tower. If taken today, this photo would include over-the-water Bora Bora Bungalows along the shoreline near the center of the image, and Bay Lake Tower would rise just to the left of Disney’s Contemporary Resort near the top-center of the shot.
Palm trees loom, waterfalls flow, and crystal-clear waters beckon in this early postcard image of the resort’s fun-filled pool area. Snapshots such as this make it hard to avoid thinking…Cannonball!
From left, Lauwa'e Ah Mau and Homa Leapai perform at the resort, as captured in this May 1972 publicity photo, which would later appear on souvenir postcards sold at Walt Disney World for many years.
Resort Postcard Set, Late 1970s
While Moana may have first endeavored to sail “beyond the reef,” we’ll assume these guests stayed within the resort’s dedicated sailing area as they head out for adventure in this publicity image from a vintage collectible postcard set.
Resort Documentation Photograph, June 1983
A souvenir spinner rack showcases its treasures—including the postcard featured at left—in the resort’s former Robinson Crusoe, Esq. merchandise location. The shop was named with a nod to the classic Daniel Defoe novel Robinson Crusoe, which also inspired Walt Disney Productions’ 1966 film Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., an adventure comedy starring Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke as a U.S. Navy pilot lost on a tropical island.
Souvenir Postcard, 1990s
This artist rendering of the resort’s marina depicts a view from the approximate location of the current Fiji and Tuvalu longhouse buildings, with colorful catamarans crisscrossing the impressionistic lagoon.
Souvenir Autograph Card, Early 2020s
'Ohana means family, and family could mean a mouse and his dog, or a little girl and her experimental alien friend, as seen in this souvenir autograph card from the resort’s beloved ‘Ohana dining experience. Pass the Mickey-shaped Waffles, please!
Resort Postcard Set, 1975
Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smee prepare to cast off aboard the elaborately themed Eastern Winds, an authentic Chinese junk ship that was moored at the resort hotel during the 1970s. Though historical views of the vessel are few and far between today, who wouldnʼt want to go back in time to sip umbrella drinks with this motley crew?
The author would like to thank Ed Brown, Becky Cline, Ku'ulei Ashlen Johnson Fonoti, Lindsey Gregory, Megan Hoffman, Ryan March, Joanna Pratt, Francesca Scrimgeour, Steven Vagnini and Julia Vargas for their important contributions to this story.
