Controversial Disney World Expansion Towers Over Iconic Resort

in Walt Disney World

Aerial view of the expansion at a construction site near water, featuring a dirt area surrounded by buildings with red roofs. Construction materials and equipment are scattered across the site.

Credit: @bioreconstruct

The newest expansion at Walt Disney World now towers above an iconic resort.

An aerial view of Disney's All Star Movies Resort, a Walt Disney World hotel.
Credit: Disney

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There is a daunting amount of rides, attractions, shows, food, and shopping adventures to discover at the Walt Disney World Resort. With four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping district, and even golf courses, there’s really no end in sight to the amazing experiences found at “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” This magic of course extends to Disney World’s huge collection of hotels and resorts.

After a long at Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests will certainly want to take a break and relax, and what better place to do that than at a Walt Disney World hotel?

Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Credit: Disney

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On Walt Disney World’s sprawling 25,000-acre property, Guests will find dozens of fantastic places to call “home” during their stay.

Walt Disney World currently features over 30 different hotels for guests to choose from, ranging from value-priced locations like Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort to ultra-luxurious destinations like Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Each hotel features its own vibe, atmosphere, and experiences, with some being more unique than others. Perhaps Disney World’s most unique hotel is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort.

This hotel is the first ever Walt Disney World hotel to feature the name of an actual theme park in its name, and it really earns this name. Guests can watch actual animals live their lives as they stay at this hotel, with certain spots being designated animal-watching spots.

However, there may not be a more iconic hotel at Walt Disney World than Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World
Credit: Disney

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This hotel is one of the three iconic hotels at Walt Disney World, with th other two being Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the previously mentioned Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. These three hotels are some of the most popular and beloved hotels, not only in Walt Disney World but in Florida in general. Despite these three being some of the most iconic hotels in Walt Disney World, they are not immune to upgrades.

All three of these hotels have access to the Walt Disney World Monorail, which transports guests to and from EPCOT and Magic Kingdom.

Currently, all three of these classic hotels are undergoing their own changes, some of which are more popular than others. One of the most controversial changes to these hotels can be found at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, where Disney is working on a new tower for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members.

DVC Tower at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Credit: Disney

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Disney is currently building new Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villas, which will join the rest of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. These were announced last year and, despite being more modern and updated with th latest amenities, have left a sour taste in a lot of guest mouths. Some compared the concept art to a Marriott hotel, insinuating it was well below the Disney standard.

The project is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2023, though an exact date has not been revealed. While it’s always exciting to see something new make its way to Disney, this specific project was met with a lot of criticism from Guests. Guests felt that the design of the new building did not match the aesthetic of Disney’s Polynesian Resort.

To make matters worse, these new towers effectively replaced the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show entirely. Fan favorite experiences like Ohana will remain, but many fans couldn’t help but feel a little sad at the news.

Despite all of this controversy, work is well underway. As you can see in the new photos from @bioreconstruct, work is going rather quickly in this new location.

Aerial overview of the new DVC tower at Polynesian Resort.

disney-world-polynesian-tower
Credit: @bioreconstruct

Seems like an excavation for a pool near the new DVC tower in Polynesian Resort.

disney-world-polynesian-tower
Credit: @bioreconstruct

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More aerial photos of the construction can be seen on bioreconstruct’s incredible profile. As we stated earlier, these new DVC towers are expected to open sometime in 2023, though we still do not have a definitive date. We will continue to monitor this expansion and update our stories as more information becomes available.

One of the biggest changes happening at the Walt Disney World Resort involves the now-closed Splash Mountain. That’s right, Disney’s iconic log flume attraction is officially closed at both Disney World and Disneyland as Walt Disney Imagineering works on the ride’s replacement, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

This all-new take on the classic water ride is inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009) and features the titular Princess Tiana as she takes guests on an exciting new adventure. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is to open sometime in 2024 at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

What’s your favorite hotel at Walt Disney World?

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