With just a few weeks to go before Disney Vacation Club's new Island Tower at Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows opens to guests, crews are working quickly to complete final touches.
The staging area in the parking lot of Disney's Polynesian Village Resort hasn't changed much. There are large storage containers and several construction vehicles, including a few different lifts.
A turtle mural was completed on the south side of the tower a few weeks ago. More of the ground around the tower has been paved. The retaining walls around this end of the tower have yet to be painted.
We saw the beginnings of a mural on the section between the south wing and main tower but it has been painted over with a light orange color. The concrete wall on the first floor has been stripped of paint. Tarps were removed from some balcony railings on the south wing.
Parts of the porte-cochère still need to be covered with final paneling. Right now, sheathing is exposed on the columns and edges of the roof. Crew members in lifts were working on the porte-cochère near the entrance doors.
Some rock-like pavement has been installed under the porte-cochère. The columns closest to the entrance doors have some brown wood panels featuring Polynesian designs.
Crews have started painting another mural on the tower above the elevator bay windows. Again, the concrete walls around the first floor here were stripped of paint. But crews have added new rock designs along the bottom of the walls.
Crews were walking around the north wing, but we didn't see any major updates on the exterior. There are still some tarps on balconies as they are finished up.
As we traveled to view the other side of the tower, we noticed crew members working on the beach of Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. This appears to be a basic refurbishment.
Part of the walkway around the marina is blocked by green barriers. The nets on the railings have been lifted and may be replaced soon.
More progress is visible on this side of the tower, which faces the Seven Seas Lagoon.
A large group of crew members was visible on the ground at the north end of the tower. They appeared to be working on the walkway near the water.
Curved elements now surround a large column near the center of the tower. Most of the walls on this side are now covered in paneling and paint, but a few strips of weather-proof sheathing are exposed around the column.
The terrace garden on the north wing has an arched element inside. The walls of the garden space are painted with a nature mural.
The other terrace garden is full of scaffolding, perhaps for the installation of another arched framework.
It looks like plants have been installed in the flowerbeds between the main tower and the south wing. They are currently covered by tarps. The walls in this space were also painted relatively recently.
The bar has been installed under the rounded roof of Wailulu Bar & Grill. The roof now has thatching and the columns are covered in brown paneling. There are tiny holes in the columns, likely for light fixtures.
The bar has a black bamboo-like exterior. Crew members were working on the installation.
The rest of the roof over the outdoor seating area is not quite complete. Temporary railings along the edge of the roof are for crew member safety. Hanging in the seating area are large lamps. Crews are also completing landscaping between the restaurant and the water.
The pool area has come a long way in recent weeks. The pool and hot tub are now full of water. Turf has been installed in spaces nearby, with palm trees offering shade.
Beach chairs are in place around the pool, hot tub, and splash pad. They are covered in tarps to keep them protected while work wraps up. There are also some tables and chairs.
Black fences surround the pool deck. Signs for the pool, which is called Cove Pool, have been installed. These include rules for the pool and spa.
At the splash pad, we can now see Moana standing on her outrigger. The life-size figure was officially revealed in October. The splash pad is separated from the pool with its own fence and gate.
Behind Moana and her boat, we saw a couple of Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. Above a nearby doorway, where a crew member was entering, is a new "Restrooms" sign.
The Island Tower opens to guests on December 17, 2024. Check out more details of the Island Tower's artwork.