Island Tower at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

[maui22]

View attachment 860743

People in the new artist rendering bar definitely look more dressed up than a QS.

The blueprint found by @Jwaire last September showed a path from the pool to the bar. It would have been to the left of the artist rendering you shared. It's possible they changed things, but it would have been strange to have people in bathing suits in a full service bar.

I believe @aka Charles and @ehh analyzed the diagram back then and pointed out what looked like walkup coolers similar to Capt. Cooks coolers.

Just noticed the new artist rendering appears to no longer have a seating area on the second story from the lobby. (Should be on the second floor where the wall of windows is.)

If they changed things, I wonder how people at the tower pool will get beverages?

 

[mkatsy]

Unless something is different for tower license approval, we may not see tower sales being until August.

Still no timeshare license (PVB update or any new DVD timeshare) on DBPR. May be private, but they haven't done this in the past.
To give an idea, CFW timeshare license was around October 12th as seen in this link https://www.myfloridalicense.com/licenseRelation.asp?SID=&licid=2361077
Or CFW license date could be classified as October 20, 2023 as seen https://www.myfloridalicense.com/LicenseDetail.asp?SID=&id=9AD4ED51BAE55D10E8DC879D0F11D9D4

Sales of CFW started February 1 (roughly 3.5 months later).

CFW was the shortest license approval to sales window going back to at least the original VGF.

I believe the timeshare license has always been at 1-3 months before the Orange County Comptroller condo related documents show up.

Here is a link to the DBPR PVB timeshare additional information page. This is the page many of us expect will be updated first with the license/POS update. https://www.myfloridalicense.com/AdditionalInfo.asp?SID=&licid=5886708

People can say until they are blue in the face “it’s a done deal” and my retort is : it’s a very straightforward document. I’ll offer to fill it out, drive over to celebration so they can notarize it, and I’ll send it to the DBPR myself. What’s the hold up? If it were a done deal, it’d be done …. and another day goes by … and it’s not.

 

[mkatsy]

View attachment 860743

This is a full service sit down with a bar. They have already been issued the provisional license from the DBPR for this. I don’t see a license for a quick serve but it might not be in yet. They may have done this first because of the liquor license

 

[maui22]

This is a full service sit down with a bar. They have already been issued the provisional license from the DBPR for this. I don’t see a license for a quick serve but it might not be in yet. They may have done this first because of the liquor license

This makes sense for the change in the artist rendering. I wonder if they were originally planning for the full service be on the second floor and QS on the main floor? Guessing we will never know.

Not sure if Disney still allows this, but in 2022 we could order takeout from Kona Cafe via the mobile app. If they allow this at this new tower restaurant, it will help.

Any licenses for anything in the portal windows? If they were to serve liquor in any of them, wouldn't Disney likely have filled at the same time?

 

[Tatebeck]

We ordered Kona to go a couple weeks ago, so yeah they are still doing it

 

[Coronator]

Maybe it’s wishful thinking I can’t see Poly matching VDH full price instead of its active WDW competition. VDH is different demographics, onsite options, length of trips, etc. Poly would look more enticing by matching the price to active WDW, and they can just put better incentives on the others to push those potential buyers. Better optics all around.

Poly at $239 or $249pp would hurt the conversation in DVC communities. The negativity would be much less at $225, and would they really need more per point to make big profits on a ~40yr contract in a high point resort. If RIV goes to $230 then match it, but putting Poly start price higher than RIV also gives the impression RIV is less desirable.

Totally agree - I don’t see any way the base price is set more than RIV. I imagine incentives will be next to nothing, but they are not going to price Poly at a premium to their current premier property.

 

[kilik64]

Wheres the pricing poll?

$250 before incentives, guessing around $235 on 200 with incentives.

They are going to price their new shiny actually premier property on the monorail higher than anything else. It'll still sell very well.

 

[AstroBlasters]

“T

Maybe it’s wishful thinking I can’t see Poly matching VDH full price instead of its active WDW competition. VDH is different demographics, onsite options, length of trips, etc. Poly would look more enticing by matching the price to active WDW, and they can just put better incentives on the others to push those potential buyers. Better optics all around.

Poly at $239 or $249pp would hurt the conversation in DVC communities. The negativity would be much less at $225, and would they really need more per point to make big profits on a ~40yr contract in a high point resort. If RIV goes to $230 then match it, but putting Poly start price higher than RIV also gives the impression RIV is less desirable.

But, RIV is less desirable….

 

[Jwaire]

I'd be surprised if they opened another full service restaurant because of Kona Cafe, but maybe we'll get both. But there's no way Captain Cook's can service another 260+ more rooms.

 

[Disdreaming479]

I'd be surprised if they opened another full service restaurant because of Kona Cafe, but maybe we'll get both. But there's no way Captain Cook's can service another 260+ more rooms.

While I was at Poly this year, Kona Cafe mobile order was often 2-4 hours out. Definitely over booked most of the midday hours.

 

[Jwaire]

While I was at Poly this year, Kona Cafe mobile order was often 2-4 hours out. Definitely over booked most of the midday hours.

It was dead last September. We could just walk in and sit down most days except during the dinner rush (5-7). Less people than Captain Cook's, so it just depends on the time of year.

Underrated restaurant in my opinion. I would love another option at the tower though, but quick service should be first. Captain Cook's is so small.

Bring back 24/7 quick service while they're at it.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Updates you say

Here I go again getting excited about an update lol Tuesday is 2 weeks until cash bookings start- maybe we’ll get some room/concept details?

 

[GoingSince1990]

I'd be surprised if they opened another full service restaurant because of Kona Cafe, but maybe we'll get both. But there's no way Captain Cook's can service another 260+ more rooms.

GF has 5 full service restaurants (6 if you include Enchanted Rose). Poly desperately needs at least one more.

 

[TinkAgainU]

... putting Poly start price higher than RIV also gives the impression RIV is less desirable.

Agreed. There is already a lot of pressure to convince people RIV is a top tier DVC, and it still gets flack over being the first "resale challenged" resort due to the restrictions - pricing it below Poly would not help its image at all ... and bumping prices across the board seems poor timing with the travel leisure industry numbers already struggling. Disney "looks" stronger if it can simply hold the numbers (and hide drops in incentives), than if it has to drop noticeably over the next year or two due to overpricing now - that hits too many Red Flags for for the Disney PR/Market.

 

[mkatsy]

GF has 5 full service restaurants (6 if you include Enchanted Rose). Poly desperately needs at least one more.

maybe it's a pub? nothing on the licenses ever indicates style or design. It doesn't appear to be exclusively a pool bar because they usually write 'pool bar' on the license when that's the case.

 

[Sykes]

GF has 5 full service restaurants (6 if you include Enchanted Rose). Poly desperately needs at least one more.

While I’d love to see another one for Poly, I don’t think there’s as much location-specific drive for full service restaurants as there is for quick service. Quick service is all about convenience, but people are willing to travel for full service restaurants. Easy access to the restaurants at other monorail resorts further takes pressure off of needing one at Poly, especially with the new tower being a pretty easy walk to the Grand Floridian.

 

[KimMcGowan]

Any licenses for anything in the portal windows? If they were to serve liquor in any of them, wouldn't Disney likely have filled at the same time?

I am sticking with what I have said all along - those are purely ornamental viewing areas, something to add wow factor to the design.

 

[Genie+]

Agreed. There is already a lot of pressure to convince people RIV is a top tier DVC, and it still gets flack over being the first "resale challenged" resort due to the restrictions - pricing it below Poly would not help its image at all ... and bumping prices across the board seems poor timing with the travel leisure industry numbers already struggling. Disney "looks" stronger if it can simply hold the numbers (and hide drops in incentives), than if it has to drop noticeably over the next year or two due to overpricing now - that hits too many Red Flags for for the Disney PR/Market.

Yep! And there’s already plenty of ‘meat’ for them to ride on. DVC base prices -

January 2019 Copper Creek and Aulani $182. When RIV joined it went to $188. Jan 2020 went to $195pp. Now it’s $225.

That’s some quick upward movement - $43 increase in 5 years from $182pp.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Yep! And there’s already plenty of ‘meat’ for them to ride on. DVC base prices -

January 2019 Copper Creek and Aulani $182. When RIV joined it went to $188. Jan 2020 went to $195pp. Now it’s $225.

That’s some quick upward movement - $43 increase in 5 years from $182pp.

I put those numbers in the BLS CPI calculator and got a pretty surprising (to me) result:

 

[Genie+]

I put those numbers in the BLS CPI calculator and got a pretty surprising (to me) result:
View attachment 860812

Wow, spot on!

Hopefully we’d had enough inflation for a while And it stays put.