Walt Disney World Resort: Scheduled to have opened as this magazine mails, the new Island Tower addition at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows features the expansive array of island-inspired accommodations previewed in the fall edition of Disney Files Magazine, along with thoughtfully designed public spaces that, like those accommodations, celebrate Polynesian wayfinding, the wayfinders themselves and the natural elements with which the wayfinders were in sync as they traveled. Let’s take a look at those scenic spaces, courtesy of photo-realistic artist renderings from our friends at Walt Disney Imagineering (actual photo shoots at the completed tower took place after this magazine had to hit the press)
Artist renderings
The amenities and facilities adjacent to the Island Tower addition are not part of the ownership interest.
Each of the tower’s four terrace gardens are inspired by different Polynesian Islands: Bora Bora, Hawai‘i, Samoa and Fiji. Furnished with uniquely themed seating, these elevated spaces offer spectacular views of Magic Kingdom Park (and its fireworks!) on one side of the tower and Disney’s Oak Trail and Magnolia Golf Courses on the other.
Among the intricate details rewarding eagle eyes as you examine the new tower’s exterior are painted patterns inspired by Polynesian tattoos that celebrate island storytelling. You’ll find similarly inspired patterns throughout the tower, including sculpted works of art inside its wide range of accommodations.
The tower lobby’s interior draws inspiration, in part, from archived design concepts created in the late-1960s by Disney Imagineers who originally envisioned Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort with a waterfront tower. Several patterns seen in the new lobby pay homage to those designs, while others are inspired by natural elements of the islands, including those seen on these distinctive columns representing earth, wind, fire and water.
The multi-story lobby features some dramatic views, including interior overlooks offering views into the lobby below, and floor-to-ceiling windows framing scenic views of Seven Seas Lagoon. See those long, cylindrical light fixtures hanging from the ceiling? They’re made from preserved plant materials, and they’re among several examples of the tower’s embrace of “biophilic” design, a philosophy that aims to better connect spaces – and their occupants – to the natural world.
The tower features numerous nods to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana (and Moana 2), celebrating the title character’s wayfinding story and love of nature, from a three-story mural in the lobby to smaller works of art in the villas to the water-play area depicted above. Aptly named “Moana’s Voyage,” the splash area calls little ones to explore alongside a sculpted Moana aboard her iconic outrigger canoe. Depicted below is the tower’s Cove Pool (named with a nod to the resort’s former Luau Cove), a peaceful pool that shares its courtyard with a spa hot tub and sandy beach.
The tower’s Wailulu Bar & Grill (“Wailulu” is Hawaiian for “calm waters”) serves Polynesian-inspired foods and classic American favorites. The indoor-outdoor restaurant features 65 seats inside and 85 seats outside, including banquette seating surrounded by flowing water, and a lava rock-inspired bar overlooking Seven Seas Lagoon. Wailulu Bar & Grill adds to an assortment of food and beverage options that already includes the nearby ‘Ohana, Kona Café, Capt. Cook’s and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.
The school of fish swimming above the dining room at Wailulu Bar & Grill are “Ghost Net Art” sculptures fashioned from reclaimed fishing nets.
