With five months to go until the opening of Disney Vacation Club’s new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, the tower is getting new details.
Island Tower Construction
Scaffolding is gone from the retaining wall on the Monorail side of the Island Tower. The wall hasn’t been completely painted, but the remaining gray is only on the bottom half.
There is now scaffolding up under the porte-cochère. Steel frames have been added around the columns and there is dark paneling on the roof. We saw a couple of crew members working on the scaffolding.
Above the main entrance, 10 balconies now have permanent railings.
A new steel framework creates a curving shape where the central part of the building meets the elevator tower. This will be covered in paneling to create a unique column. There are also new thin strips around the elevator tower where it hasn’t been painted, potentially to support something in the future.
Now that this side of the north wing has been painted, many tarps have been removed from over the sliding glass doors. Four rows of balconies have railings, although the top row of railings appears to just be a base and not the final zig-zagging design.
The other side of the Island Tower is visible from boats crossing the Seven Seas Lagoon, the dock, and nearby buildings. While most of the building has received its final paint, white spots remain on this side of the north wing.
The white is a primer for the hotel’s final brown color scheme. Some of the white has been painted since our last construction update and tarps protect glass doors. Several more railings are on this side of the building, too. The railings are also covered in protective tarps.
Like on the other side of the building, there are some incomplete railings on the top floor. A crew member in a lift was working on the north wing during our visit.
At the other end of the building, a new pool and hot tub are under construction.
The concrete basins are lined with light blue tiles.
Several poles are sticking out of the ground around the pool. Two circles in the ground feature rebar sticking up. Stacks of construction materials are currently housed in the empty pool.
Another stretch of walkway leading to the hotel has been paved. There is dirt between two stretches, perhaps left for construction vehicles to move in and out of the site.
Four balconies are on this side of the south wing. Also new to this side is a brown framework over a set of glass windows and doors.
Right now, the framework is just that — some horizontal and vertical poles. They will likely be covered with a canopy.
The fascia has not been completed along the edge of this roof.
Another unpainted section of the building is between the south wing and the center. It’s still concrete gray.
There are temporary wood railings on these balconies. Plywood creates walls behind the railings. These won’t be room balconies but may be accessible to guests hoping to relax with a view.
A scaffolding platform runs around the roof of the building and we saw three crew members working on it. This is right above the steel supports for an overhang.
Two other crew members were on scaffolding in an open square part of the building, which has been painted brown.
The structure on the first floor of the Island Tower will be a restaurant/bar. New black paneling covers the rooves of the circular bar area. A few crew members in lifts were working on the underside of the roof.
Final themed paneling has yet to be installed on the restaurant/bar’s exterior.
A wood wall surrounds the rectangular restaurant side, presumably the beginning of a concrete barrier.
Black tarps are hanging from one of the top floors, over the windows of another floor. There are also some translucent tarps over the windows above.
This roof overhang and its supports have been painted with a light color, so the tarps are likely protecting other parts of the building. The paint job doesn’t look complete yet.
Disney revealed the Island Tower’s name and new concept art in May. The tower will take guests on a “storytelling journey that brings to life the spirit of Polynesia.” Disney also shared guest room concept art and announced the December 2024 opening date.
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