1. What’s in a Name?
Did you notice a few years ago when the Polynesian Resort underwent a slight name change to become Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort? This isn’t really a name change, per se, but rather a name reverting because when the resort first opened back in 1971 it was in fact christened “Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.” The name was shortened to “the Polynesian Resort” back in 1985 and remained under this title up until 2014 when the decision was made to return it to its previous name. Some of the longhouses that accommodate resort guests have also undergone name revisions. Back in 1999 the Bali Hai building became Tonga, the original Tonga became Hawaii, the former Hawaii adopted Samoa, the former Samoa switched to Tuvalu, Tahiti was renamed Aotearoa, Bora Bora changed to Niue, Maui turned into Rarotonga, Oahu switched to Tokelau, Pago Pago turned into Rapa Nui, and Moorea became the new Tahiti. The current names for each building and the order in which they appear to one another on a resort map, more accurately reflects the geographic coordinates of the real islands.
