Disney pushed the Polynesian’s refurbishment into early 2027 and kept Trader Sam’s terrace closed until mid-December. Plus new cast costumes and a reopened Contemporary splash pad.
The Polynesian’s makeover is taking longer than Disney planned. The resort opened alongside Magic Kingdom on Oct. 1, 1971, and it’s been under some kind of construction for most of 2026.
Disney now says work in some areas of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and its Villas & Bungalows will run through early 2027, BlogMickey reported this week. The resort’s notice previously said the work would wrap up by the end of 2026.
The Polynesian is one of three hotels on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop, along with the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian, so all three show up in this week’s updates.
The project includes reworking the front entrance roadway. Some guests may have their views affected, but Disney says most of the resort’s dining, pools and amenities will stay open.
Here’s a day-and-night walkthrough of the Polynesian from 4K WDW, filmed this summer:
When does Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace reopen?
It’ll be mid-December at the earliest. Disney’s notice now says the outdoor terrace will stay closed through mid-December, and it hasn’t set an exact date.
It’s the second delay. The terrace closed in April for exterior work on the Great Ceremonial House, the Polynesian’s main building. That’s where you’ll find the lobby, the shops, Kona Cafe and ‘Ohana, so it’s hard to miss the scaffolding. Disney first said it would be back by late June, then pushed that to late October.
The indoor Trader Sam’s location next door is still open, WDW News Today reports.
What else is changing at the Polynesian?
A lot has been happening around the resort this year:
January: Exterior work begins on the Great Ceremonial House.
July 13: A new bus loop opens, and Seven Seas Drive closes at Floridian Way.
September: Permits are filed for work at Tangaroa Terrace and the Island Tower, the Disney Vacation Club tower that opened in December 2024.
Oct. 20: Wailulu Bar and Grill, the resort’s newer quick-service spot, adds mobile ordering for breakfast.
There’s no sign of a room, pool or monorail station refurbishment at the Polynesian right now.
What do the new Polynesian cast member costumes look like?
The Polynesian’s cast members started wearing new costumes this week, WDW News Today reported Oct. 26. Everyone now wears khaki pants with a button-up shirt.
Bellhops have blue-green or orange-red shirts with a leafy print on one side. Front desk cast members switched from red tops to teal tops with an orange patterned scarf, and BouTiki workers now wear either teal or white shirts with light-blue stripes.
Cast members told WDW News Today the rollout started Sunday, Oct. 25, and that everyone at the resort will get new looks. Disney hasn’t commented. Capt. Cook’s cast members are keeping the Moana-inspired outfits they got in 2021.
Is the Grand Floridian monorail station almost done?
It’s getting close. The Grand Floridian, Disney World’s flagship hotel, opened in 1988 and sits one stop from Magic Kingdom on the resort monorail loop. Its monorail station has been under refurbishment since at least March, when crews were replacing the column facades and ceiling panels while the station stayed open.
As of Oct. 26, WDW News Today described it as nearing completion. Most of the steel is covered again, but some plywood, scaffolding and a construction wall are still up, along with an exposed section of ceiling. Disney hasn’t given an end date.
Is the Contemporary’s splash pad open again?
Yes. The children’s splash pad at Disney’s Contemporary Resort reopened Oct. 26 after a quiet closure that started in September, WDW News Today reported.
It got a fresh coat of paint in shades of blue, and the circles and bucket on the center structure changed from gold to dark gray. The flooring and plumbing may have been refreshed, too.
The rest of the Contemporary is in the middle of a much bigger refurbishment that runs through late 2027, so expect walls and scaffolding around that resort for a while.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
BlogMickey (Oct. 2026), the Polynesian’s early 2027 timeline and the Trader Sam’s delay
WDW News Today (Oct. 26 and 27, 2026), Trader Sam’s, the cast costumes, the Grand Floridian station and the Contemporary splash pad
WDWMagic (July and Oct. 2026), the Trader Sam’s reopening windows
4K WDW on YouTube, the Polynesian walkthrough
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