Today, we decided to visit Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. There have been several notable changes to the resort recently both inside and out. Lets take a look.

Parking Lot Resurfacing

Once you arrive at the resort, you can see the result of some of the resurfacing projects in the parking lot. This has been done in stages over the past several months and the lots look a lot nicer now all around, with less cracks visible.

There is a visible difference between the old parking lot and newly resurfaced lot.

As we walk up towards the main entrance from the parking lot, the planter that once housed a large tree that was damanged during Hurricane Irma still features small plants. There is no word on whether or not a new tree will be planted here in the future.

New Lobby Updates

As we entered the lobby, guests were taking part in free Ukulele lessons.

There is also a new photo wall for guests to take photos in front of promoting Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom.

The window dispaly for Boutiki now features some new blue wave graphics all around. It has definitely improved the overall look of the display as it helps hide some of the empty space at the bottom and sides of the display.

There is also a new check-in kiosk and sign for the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show right next to the Disney Vacation Club podium.

New Beach Chairs and Hammocks

As we walked outside, cleaning crews were hard at work doing some window and padio cleaning for some of the rooms at the resort.

Arriving at the beach, we spotted guests enjoying some new additions. After the old school beach lounging chairs were removed several months ago, brand-new beach chairs and hammocks have arrived to replace them.

The new chairs are made out of synthetic hard plastic material and quite honestly very comfortable to sit in. The arm rests also provide the perfect place to set your drinks on while enjoying the outdoor breeze.

They certainly provide a great view of the lake and would be a great location to watch some fireworks.

Also new are several sets of new hammocks. It is a wonder these haven’t been up before, as they fit perfeclty with the theme of the resort.

The sand volleyball net has also been replaced with brand new padding. Signs are up on the posts informing guests that they can rent volleyballs at the boat rental window. Volleyball rentals are free of charge to resort guests.

Inside Boutiki & New Christmas Cookie Tins

As we strolled through Boutiki, we noticed a few new items.

If you’re still looking for the Hat Box Ghost pin, they’re still available behind the counter.

Christmas merchandise has taken over the main table inside the entry to Boutiki, including the new holiday tins from Honolulu Cookie Company.

The large red tins retail for $33, small red tins are $11, large green tins are $18, small green tins are $7, the long green boxes are $13, and the red bags are $6.

Captain Cook’s

As we were passing by Captain Cook’s, we noticed two things of interest.

Guests at Captain Cook’s can pick up a special Avocado Toast with Egg right now for $11.29. We saw several guests enjoying their morning meal with this new option, and you can check out our review of it here.

Also noteworthy was that the chips that limited guests on their soft drink refills were no longer present on the cups. When we asked a cast member about them, they indicated that they were no longer being used. We aren’t sure if this is a permanent, resort-wide change as chipped cups were spotted as recently as Halloween weekend at Coronado Springs. We will continue to monitor this potential change.

Kona Island Changes

Upstairs at Kona Island, several notable changes have taken place in the past few months.

Guests looking or the old sushi bar at Kona Island will now find it relocated inside of Kona Cafe where the old desserts displays used to be. This has now been incorporated into the restuarant itself as guests will have to check in at the Kona Cafe podium to sit here.

Despite the sign over the menu still saying they serve sushi, the display below it features only coffee.

As guests arrive at Kona Island, the old sushi display cases now feature sweets and desserts.

Chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate bacon join various cupcakes and desserts in the display. As before, the bacon strips retail for $4 and the specialty strawberries retail for the same price.

We did spot a few pre-made sushi rolls in the to-go cooler down below next to some bacon.

That wraps it up for us at the Polynesian Village Resort. Which of the changes are you most excited to check out on your next visit? Let us know in the comments below!