2. Polynesian Plans in the Past
Believe it or not, the Hawaiian village setup we all know and love so well, complete with longhouses, was not the resort’s intended first choice of design. During the conceptual planning phases the original idea called for a 12-story high-rise luxury hotel, similar in style to the popular Hawaiian Waikiki Beach resorts of the 1960s. But by 1970 the game plan and site designs were reimagined into a Hawaiian village concept—a much friendlier and convenient layout for Disney property. Groundbreaking for the Polynesian began in February of 1971—just a matter of months before it’s opening date.
