What should I do?
In the past the question I got the most was “what longhouse should I request?”
Now the most common question is, “What should I do about my trip in 2014?” or “Will the construction be too disruptive?”. Well with Disney it is hard to tell. Many times they have had projects planned and they get delayed. The work on the Great Ceremonial House was talked about years ago and had to happen right away. There was going to be major re-themeing of the quiet pool and it only got shallow and resurfaced. Then again I wonder if that artist rendering was the design for the new pool where the volcano pool is now.
My initial thought was that if you are worried about construction than book somewhere else. Then I started to worry that if construction gets delayed again, people will be upset that they switched. Maybe the safe thing to do is book the Polynesian and if the time comes and there is a lot going on you can switch to another resort.
From everything I hear coming there will not be new buildings going up but there will be 3 major things that need to be done in the next 2 years because they expect to have this completed late 2015 or early 2016. They will be taking 143 rooms out of inventory at some point when they close Tahiti to be turned into DVC. The biggest problem I see with that is Tahiti has the best lagoon and Themepark view rooms outside of Hawaii. Not that Tuvalu does not have a great view because it does, but I don’t see Tuvalu’s location as convenient to other things like Tahiti. Many thing Tahiti is farther from the pool and boat but actually it is a short walk right down the beach and with Tuvalu you have to walk around the marina to get out to the boat dock and pool. Also Tuvalu is a much longer walk to the TTC. I know Aotearoa also has themepark and lagoon view rooms and they are not bad but they are set so far back that I don’t think they compare with the views in Tahiti or Tuvalu. I have stayed in Tahiti twice and Tuvalu once and Hawaii many times and Hawaii really has the best view and location with Tahiti a close second. Taking Tahiti out of the regular rooms will keep me from ever booking lagoon or themepark view unless I am staying club level.
Now besides the work that will be going on over at Tahiti there has been some more information about the Great Ceremonial House (lobby) starting work. By now you may have heard that the GCH needs to have asbestos removed and brought up to code for ADA compliance. Just like the asbestos recently removed from the halls of the longhouses, the asbestos in the GCH is not harmful unless disturbed. There are also major issues with the skylights and the waterfall so those are going to be changed. Word is that the waterfall feature will be removed completely (as discussed in my last article) and some new water feature will go in somewhere in the lobby but allow the view from the front to look out the back toward the pool and beach without being obstructed (similar to Aulani’s lobby). The last time I heard about how they were going to do this they said that it would be done in stages but there was plans at one time to shut the whole place down. I am guessing they are going to go with doing it in stages. No word on what will happen to any of the stores or the restaurants. I also don’t know if the new Trader Sam’s will go in the GCH or somewhere else on property. Maybe it will go where the old Tangaroa Terrace is which would be ironic because attached to the Trader Sam’s in Disneyland is a counter service place similar to Captain Cook’s called Tangaroa Terrace.
Feeding into the information about Tahiti becoming DVC is the fact that Tahiti longhouse did not close on time to get the rooms renovated. Maybe this is because of some other reason we are not aware of but it would seem odd that they close it (now a few weeks late) to be renovated to the new room design and then closed not too long after to be turned into DVC. My guess is that Tahiti will not be renovated but we shall see.
The other major work looks like it is coming to the pool area. Word is that they do not like the look of the volcano and it will be altered to look different. That is all I can say for now and I don’t know if this will include any changes to the size of the pool, change to the bar, addition of the proposed fence or addition of the hot tub but all those things could be possible or Disney change their mind again. If and when the pool closes I don’t know how long it will be but when it is closed guests will have access to the Grand Floridian pool. In the past they have even set up pontoon boat shuttles from the Polynesian beach over to the Grand Floridian beach so you don’t have to walk.
With the news of the changes to the DVC plans I am guessing that maybe the luau building will not be affected and maybe the Neverland Club will just be getting a new theme instead of closed for good. There is some speculation that the new theme to the Neverland Club will be some Hawaiian theme but that seems to be more based on rumors than any facts from a source directly involved.
I do understand how some can be skeptical about what if anything will happen at the Polynesian but here are the first signs of things to come. SEDCrockett over on the Mouseowners.com forums found some interesting documents. Permits and plans were posted on South Florida Water Management District web site. It states that “Work to be conducted on this site includes new parking, vehicular circulation, pedestrian pathways, utilities, and fire access. It also includes installation of pilings along the neighboring lagoon that will support future structures, redesigned landscaping and new amenity areas to serve the building expansions for this resort hotel.”
The maps and descriptions talk about beach expansions, additional over the water structures and show new pathways that are on the beach side of Tahiti as well as different paths and stairs over on Sunset Pointe. The new paths at Tahiti’s beach and Sunset Pointe show paths that lead to the water for the over the water structures. 
There looks to be 5 of them wrapping around Sunset pointe with the farthest being over at the end of Tahiti’s beach. There is also a map showing the locations of the 5 bungalows. Rapa Nui seems to remain untouched and so does the garden area between Tokelau, Rapa Nui and Tahiti. It does not seem that any additional pool is part of these permits. Maybe the drastic changes to the Nanea (Volcano) pool are going to be all that happens. Considering they will not be adding more rooms but in fact losing some due to converting rooms into DVC units I guess they don’t feel the need to expand the pool facilities. The maps do indicate that the Rehab site does include all the way past the East (quiet) pool but that could just be for additional dranage.
The next few years are going to be a big question mark as to what will be going on so you have to decide to take the risk or not but if you do decide not to stay at the Polynesian understand that all this can change and it maybe that nothing that would have affected your stay will be going on. Even when something is going on they do a good job of isolating the work from the guests but I know for many the GCH being worked on and the pool being closed is a deal breaker. That is where you may be taking a chance considering no official schedule is out. Even if we hear dates you just never know with Disney.
