Walt Disney World's Trouble With Towers
Orlando, Florida, is a flat place, and it seems in keeping that most Walt Disney World Resort Hotels are no more than 3 stories tall. There have always been exceptions, even beginning with a flagship resort, the Contemporary, whose unique architecture makes its atrium 14 stories tall.
But there's been a trend in recent years to build tower structures at the resorts specifically for the purposes of Disney Vacation Club members (DVC). There is already the Gran Destino Tower at the Coronado Springs Resort, Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary, and news this week of a new tower at the Polynesian Village resort.
The news earlier this week is two-fold. First, the Spirit of Aloha luau dinner show will not be returning. It closed in March 2020 along with the parks due to the pandemic, but did not return at that time, and now it is known it will not return. This show had its own outdoor theater situated on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon between the rest of the Polynesian Village Resort and the Grand Floridian resort.
News hot on the tail of that news is that a resort tower will be built in that location, making Polynesian the latest resort to get the "tower treatment" for DVC members. Below is the concept art, which you might feel looks familiar. That's because it appears to take some elements from the previous concept of the Reflections Lakeside Resort Disney had planned on Bay Lake. If so, it would make sense to move it here to this now open space on the Seven Seas Lagoon.... but if that's so, is it really in keeping with the Polynesian Village resort's theme?
Needless to say, we have opinions - a LOT of them, not all of which are good. If you're not in the mood for a little criticism of Disney, now might be the time to stop reading.
Our main concern has to do with the concept art. Yes, this is a pretty looking building, but, for us, it does not scream Polynesian Isles. In fact, at this point, even "Village" is a misnomer. I live in the land of Frank Lloyd Wright, and I drive past dozens of buildings that look just like this every day. It's called Prairie Style, and it has no place nestled between the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian, in my opinion. Sightlines are also a concern. If this is going where luau cove was, then just beyond it, to the right in this picture, would be the wedding pavilion, and I'm just trying to picture how this would work or look.
Finally, we don't like the theme we're beginning to see. Large towers to pack as many guests in as possible that lack in personality are becoming more prevalent. But there aren't more theme parks to make room for the influx of guests.
There is some good news. Apparently with this tower will come more restaurants for guests to enjoy, and a pool (we think it might be pictured here on the left but it's hard to tell). And of course, the entire resort, but especially the upper floors, are going to provide a fantastic view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
What do you think of this announcement? Tell us in the comments or over on our Facebook page where you can follow us to see when we post a new article, each week. Until next time...
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