Before we get started, this review was written by our fearless leader, Len Testa, and written by me, Guy Selga.
When Lane evaluates a Disney hotel, what he looks for is how well it executes the Disney theme. For example, could a resort turn into a beach club overnight if you could change the paint, some picture frames, or some wall art? Meaning, is the theme just superficial? The island towers at Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows are the real deal. The island tower is highly themed and features beautiful wood carvings, stone carvings and other high-quality materials that you will notice as soon as you walk in.
The lobby at Island Tower is smaller (similar in size to the lobby at Disney’s Riviera Resort), but the amenities there are great. We were immediately reminded of the lobby at Disney’s Aulani Resort. Both the Aulani Tower and the Island Tower have open spaces with water views out back.
The lobby is not grand in scope and scale, but fits well with the size of the rest of the Island Tower.
One of our favorite features of the Island Tower is what Len calls “The Hollow,” an outdoor lounge located on the upper floors of the hotel. The Wave Break Terrace is one of these spaces on the fifth floor. Here, Island Tower guests can enjoy unique views of the Magic Kingdom and its fireworks spectacular.
During the day, it looks like a nice place to relax. We are fans of Polynesian inspired artwork. There are four such spaces, with lounges on odd-numbered floors overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon and lounges on even-numbered floors overlooking the golf course.
Below are the preferred view deluxe studio rooms. All rooms in the Island Tower Deluxe Studio Apartments feature 1 queen bed and 1 queen pull-down bed. When the pull-out bed is not in use, the sofa is in place.
We really like the pull-down beds at other Disney resorts that have this feature because it opens up all the space. Overall we found the room to be spacious with enough room to accommodate four adults comfortably.
Deluxe studio features a kitchenette with microwave, mini-fridge, dishwasher and coffee machine. Coffee, paper towels, dishwashing supplies and cutlery are also provided.
Since the Island Tower rooms are so spacious, they come with a table and seating area big enough for a few adults, as well as a side table with some storage underneath.
This is the dresser and TV area. For charging, we counted 20 power outlets, 5 USB-A outlets, and 3 USB-C outlets.
There is an office area, but unfortunately it only includes a backless stool. Most vacationers won’t care about this, but as someone who works remotely, it’s much more comfortable to have someone with a back when I’m getting some work done on my laptop. On the plus side, this stool can easily be pushed into the corner to have more space for luggage. Speaking of luggage storage, the area under the bed is open so you can store your belongings.
It’s worth mentioning that we had no reception and paid $1544.63 cash for one night in this room. so If you like our work, please continue to subscribe.
Moving to the bathroom, you can see there’s a sink and plenty of counter space. There’s also plenty of storage space under the sink. A barn-style door separates the bathroom from the rest of the room.
Lane noted that the lighting wasn’t strong enough, but overall the bathroom was functional.
This is what the toilet and shower look like.
Len said the water pressure in the spacious shower was good. Also includes wall-mounted shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. In addition to the handheld showerhead, the shower also features an overhead rain showerhead.
Our room had a beautiful view of the Island Tower pool area, with the Polynesian Village Resort in the background.
The way they set up the balconies on the island tower gives them a wider view than other hotels. If we turn slightly to the left we can see the Magic Kingdom which gives us a great view of the fireworks.
Continue to the Polynesian Island Tower Pool. The new pool is located between the east side of the Island Tower and the west side of the Polynesian Fiji Building. We believe the Island Tower Pool looks better in person than in the photos.
The pool is the first at Walt Disney World Resort to feature a sun rack, measuring up to 45 feet by 5 feet.
The Island Tower swimming pool is open from 7am to 11pm and has a capacity of 65 people. One of Lane’s favorite features is that the building is so tall that it blocks the afternoon western sun. This is great as there is plenty of outdoor seating and lawn areas. There are plenty of places where you can sit outside with a drink and not be in direct sunlight, which is nice most of the year.
Moana’s Voyage is a water ride located near the Island Tower Pool. This should be fun for little kids.
Wailulu Bar & Grill is a poolside bar with outdoor seating. The quick service portion is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows’ Total Island Tower are great additions to the Disney Vacation Club lineup at Walt Disney World. We were worried that Disney would make everything bland and beige, which seems to be the style of many modern developments, but that’s not the case here. Beautifully done. We found the room to be spacious, clean, open and functional. Additionally, we loved the common spaces, such as the lounge overlooking the Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon.
What do you think of the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows? Do you plan to stay here in 2025? Would you rather stay at the original Polynesian Country Resort? Let us know in the comments.
Note: Disney did it no Sponsored this post, provided a room, but did not pay a fee or receive copy approval.
You might also like…
-
Soon, many will be able to call the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows their Disney Vacation Club home,…
-
Disney Vacation Club members – and all Polynesian Village Resort fans – rejoice! Also, have your checkbook ready. Disney…
