The smallest Disney Vacation Club room type, the Duo Studio, is among the many room types available at the new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. Introduced in 2019 at Disney’s Riviera Resort, these “closet rooms” are designed for just two guests.
Island Tower Duo Studio
The vanity is to the right immediately upon entering. Instead of the pretty green tile backsplash in the other Island Tower rooms, this one has a sandy woven backsplash, sadly sucking some of the color out of the space. We assume this is because Disney felt the vanity area needed to better match the room, since it’s not separated like the rest of the bathroom.
It has a white counter, cubbies for storage, two oblong illuminated mirrors, and a small makeup mirror. There’s one sink, leaving a decent amount of counter space. There are two standard outlets below the makeup mirror.
The bathroom is separated by a sliding door, instead of the barn doors we’ve seen in other rooms, saving some space. There’s no toilet art.
Considering the size of the room, the shower is actually huge. It might be bigger than the shower in the 2-bedroom villa. It has blue tiles and stonework on the floor, so it doesn’t feel too plain.
It’s a step-in shower with a sliding door. There’s a detachable showerhead and a waterfall showerhead. As usual, the shower products are mounted on the wall.
The room has white walls and a zig-zag wood-patterned floor. There’s a small kitchenette — which is the only thing that really makes this a Disney Vacation Club room instead of a standard Disney hotel room.
The cabinets hold an ice box, toaster, bowls, plates, cups, and mugs. It has a dark backsplash and two sets of standard outlets above the counter.
The microwave is tiny.
It has a smaller Keurig than the other room, ostensibly to save on counter space, but we don’t know who is using this counter space. It’s not like there’s an oven or stove to make food. We would rather have the full Keurig.
The Hey Disney! voice assistant is on this counter.
There’s a small fridge behind a cabinet door.
A full-length mirror is on the wall between the kitchenette and the sofa/bed unit. There are two more standard outlets next to the mirror.
The circular table in front of the couch has wheels so it can easily be moved around. The L-shaped couch is sea green.
We appreciate that we’ve encountered mostly different art in each room. This piece above the couch features boats arriving at an island at sunset. It seems “Moana”-inspired but there’s nothing overtly referencing the animated film.
It makes sense to incorporate less of “Moana” in these rooms, which are aimed at two adults with no kids (although an infant could stay here). The art also brings much-needed color into the space.
A Murphy bed pulls down over the couch.
It has plain sheets. Extra bedding is in the closet.
Another unique piece is above the padded headboard. This features the fleet of boats sailing past an island at night. The sky is filled with nautical constellations.
The constellations include sea creatures like fish and sea turtles, as well as Maui’s hook.
In the water below the boats is the subtle shape of a spiritual manta ray, like that of Gramma Tala in “Moana.”
A cubby to the side of the bed is the only place you’ll find a USB outlet, as well as a USB-C outlet. There are also two standard outlets. This cubby is where the room phone is located.
Across from the bed is the dresser and closet unit. The TV is mounted above the dresser.
This is the same unit as the deluxe studio. We found it weird that there are no extra outlets built into the counter. There are two standard outlets on the wall to the side.
In the closet is the extra bedding, safe, hangers, luggage rack, and hamper. Keep in mind there is no washer/dryer. There’s a steam iron. The ironing board has its own pocket on the side of the closet, which keeps it nicely tucked out of the way.
There’s a blue stool — the same kind as all the other rooms. Although we don’t know what you’re using the stool for in this room. There’s no desk and the dresser counter is really too tall.
The other rooms have beige curtains with brown designs. This one adds some color back into the room with a green design. It balances out the lack of pretty backsplash above the vanity.
The balcony has two chairs and a small table. But now comes the most notable feature of our Duo Studio…
The view is embarrassing. We were looking out over a roof with some lighting and exhaust ports. While rooms on the other side of the tower offer perhaps the best view at Walt Disney World, this is the worst.
Why does this room exist? Sure, we were at eye level with the Monorail and no trees were obscuring it. But it would be hidden behind a wall if we sat down.
For reference, the red arrow above points to our room. The Duo Studios on higher levels make more sense. But still, value-wise and experience-wise, there are better room types to choose from. At Riviera, the Duo Studio is justified by the view. And we’re not fans of the Island Tower but its other rooms are at least pleasant. A Duo Studio here is a bad idea.
Duo Studio Video Tour
Watch our video tour of the Island Tower Duo Studio:
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