“Welcome home” is what guests see as they enter Walt Disney World’s new Island Tower. Located on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon, is the new addition to Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, inspired by the vibrant spirit and rich cultures of the Polynesian Islands.
The moment you set foot in the lobby with its calming colors, undulating wood wave ceiling, Island-shaped panels that take guests on a journey from New Zealand all the way to Hawaii, plus an art installation made from preserved moss and a three-story mural that goes from under the sea up to the sky, you’re immersed in the essence of a tropical sanctuary.
© Courtesy of Disney Vacation Club“Immediately, when you walk in, you can see the water, you can see the island story and [the] narrative envelops you immediately. There's this sense of, ‘I've arrived’ right? and there's relaxation and I'm on vacation,” David Stofcik, executive architect at Walt Disney imagineering, told HELLO!.
The 10-story tower not only features different types of luxurious, spacious rooms, perfect for unwinding after a long day at the parks, but it is also home to a new dining spot, Wailulu Bar & Grill that offers a variety of signature dishes, including spiced ham musubi and beef short rib loco moco—personally, I loved the crispy chicken wings. The eatery’s outdoor seating area boasts scenic views of the lagoon, making you feel like you’re in a little oasis. And when nighttime falls, the ground level along with the tower’s tropical terrace gardens provide an incredible vantage point for watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
© Courtesy of Disney Vacation ClubWhile the Disney character Moana can be spotted in beautiful artwork, as well as in the splash area with her canoe, the theme of the Island Tower is wayfinding. Kama Hopkins, Hawaiian Cultural Advisor at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, was brought in on the project to assist artists and Imagineers with elements of wayfinding, which he explained is like GPS, but instead you use different elements to help find one’s way on the ocean.
“Right here in this space, that's something that we worked on, making sure that we're able to tell our Polynesian stories, our sustainability stories,” Hopkins told HELLO!, pointing out, “It’s the Walt Disney Company, so we're able to share those stories of Polynesia, sustainability stories, and then sprinkle some pixie dust along the way.”
© Courtesy of Disney Vacation ClubHopkins hopes guests find “their place in their own journey” when they visit the Island Tower. “As they come here and they're able to learn about wayfinding in the Polynesian sense, in the Pacific sense, Pacific Ocean sense, hopefully they get to learn in their own lives that they have different guiding principles that help them move through their journey in life,” he said. “And hopefully it translates from here into their own personal life. Because everything for us, it's that theme. It's that story of, you know, we tell our Polynesian stories here, we tell our stories of sustainability here, that's the other thing we hope they get, knowing that on an island, everything is so finite.”
The tower was designed with sustainability and conservation at the heart. According to the Disney Vacation Club, it is projected to use approximately 30 percent less energy compared to a typical resort of similar size.
The Island Tower officially opened to Disney Vacation Club members and guests on Dec. 17. Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows is one of 17 Disney Vacation Club properties, which include The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort at Walt Disney World Resort and The Villas at Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Resort.
