As construction continues on Walt Disney World’s new Disney Vacation Club tower — Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows — crews are also adding new decorative elements to nearby Polynesian Village Resort buildings.
Island Tower Construction
During a recent boat ride across Seven Seas Lagoon, we saw a crane and lift raised next to the tower. A crew member in the lift was working on the frame of a large square window. On the roof, crew members were working on new silver piping.
During another trip, we saw several crew members on balconies across this side of the tower. Balcony railings have yet to be installed as they finish painting the exterior.
There are still several areas that are still white with primer or gray concrete.
Crew members have added new sheathing to the framework of the square window.
Between the center of the building and the south wing is a row of balconies. There are now plastic tarps hanging across the openings of each balcony, with work lights visible inside.
New sheathing covers the metal overhang on the south wing.
The outdoor dining area has received more paneling and sheathing around its columns and round roof.
On the other side of the building, we saw crew members digging a rectangular hole. This is just a few feet from the edge of the construction site.
Dirt was piled up next to the hole. This is not for the tower’s swimming pool, which is located on the lagoon side.
Several steel beams were staged for installation at the front of the tower’s porte-cochère, which was erected earlier this month. Crew members were working underneath it, including in a lift raised to the ceiling.
This side of the north wing remains unpainted.
Other Polynesian Village Resort Buildings
Nearby buildings are being repainted and getting new decorative panels reportedly to better match the color scheme of the Island Tower.
For comparison, the above building with red walls is unchanged. It has a pyramid-shaped column with a brown, orange, and white color scheme.
This building is now a more orange-ish color. Its pyramid column has been painted shades of yellow, brown, white, and green.
The new decorative panels are on the dark brown balcony columns. They align with the second-floor railings and feature different patterns and colorways.
The colors vary from red to white to yellow.
The patterns are inspired by traditional Polynesia patterns. The one above features triangular shapes.
This one is made of thick red lines turning curling around each other.
The Hawaii building’s decorative diamond panels have been repainted.
The Tokelau longhouse is only partially repainted. The walls of the first floor are a pale yellow-orange, while the second and third floor walls are red.
Crews were still actively installing the new decorative panels. We saw a white one leaning against a wall near a ladder.
Through some ferns and tree branches, we saw a lift raised near columns with brand new panels.
The construction work is taking place around rooms that appear to be unoccupied.
With the announcement of the new DVC tower’s name, Disney also announced it would open in December 2024. Reservations will open in early June.
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