Disney released a ton of new details about the new 10-story Polynesian tower that we now know as the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows! The tower is located along the Seven Seas Lagoon and takes inspiration from Polynesian culture and wildlife as well as the Imagineers’ original plans for the Polynesian Resort.
In case you missed it, here’s a breakdown of the latest info and what it all means for you!
The Island Tower Is Part of the Existing Polynesian Condo Association
While DVC leadership shared this info at the 2023 DVC Condo Association Meeting, speculation continued despite much evidence supporting the shared condo association. With Disney announcing that the Island Tower is indeed part of the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, there are some important implications:
- Existing Polynesian owners can book at the Island Tower at the 11-month mark, and owners who buy points at the Island Tower will be able to book at the existing Villas and Bungalows at the 11-month mark.
- The contract end date will be 2066.
- There will be no resale restrictions. DVC Members can use resale points from the original 14 DVC resorts to book stays at the Island Tower, and they can use resale points from the Island Tower at the original 14 DVC resorts (just like any other resale points at the Polynesian).
- Dues will be the same as the existing Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, which are $8.2301 per point for 2024.
Lots of Different Room Types Will Be Available
Existing Polynesian owners will be happy to know that they will soon be able to book more than just Deluxe Studios and Bungalows! The Island Tower will have Duo Studios (similar to those at the Villas at Disneyland Hotel), One Bedroom Villas, Two Bedroom Villas, and new Two Bedroom Penthouse Villas.
There was some confusion surrounding Deluxe Studios since they were not mentioned in the Disney Parks Blog; however, Deluxe Studios were included in Disney’s press release. Notably absent from both documents are Three Bedroom Grand Villas, so now that is the one room type missing from the Polynesian.
The Island Tower Will Open in December 2024
The new rooms at the Island Tower are expected to be available as early as the end of this year! This may seem ambitious, but the construction has been making good progress lately.
Booking Starts Soon for Cash Stays
With rooms expected to be available in December, reservations for cash stays will open as early as June 4 for DVC Members who call Member Services. On June 5, Disney World Annual Passholders can make reservations, and on June 6 all guests can book cash stays at the Island Tower.
Polynesian owners may be wondering why they don’t get first priority to book over cash stays. As Paul kindly explained to the moderators in the DVC Fan Facebook group, until the points at the Island Tower are declared into the Polynesian’s DVC inventory, Disney is temporarily the only owner. This means that they can sell those rooms for cash stays until those points are officially declared as available inventory.
We still have unanswered questions about points charts, when to book stays using DVC points, when the tower points will go on sale, and resort amenities like the new restaurant and a possible pool. Stay tuned to DVC Fan for all the latest news on the Island Tower!
Jack
May 15, 2024Great article. Thank you Lauren!
Laura
May 15, 2024I’m at Poly now and specifically asked the DVC guides about the press release not mentioning deluxe studios. They seemed shocked and stated that there will be deluxe studios at the Island Tower, but they did not know the numbers of each. They said “members usually find out information before they do”!