What Are the Differences Between the Original Polynesian Deluxe Studios and Those at the Island Tower?

With the Island Tower at the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows opening at the end of the year, more rooms are being added, including more Deluxe Studios. Since the Polynesian already has Deluxe Studios, what are the differences between the original ones in the longhouses and the new ones in the Island Tower?
Capacity
Aside from decor and theming, one of the biggest differences between the two types of Deluxe Studios is the room capacity. The original Deluxe Studios can sleep up to 5 guests with a queen bed, a queen-size Murphy bed, and a twin pull-down bed beneath the television. At the Island Tower, the Deluxe Studios sleep up to 4 guests with a queen bed and a queen-size Murphy bed.
It’s also worth noting that the original Polynesian Deluxe Studios are the largest ones by square footage among the Walt Disney World DVC resorts.
Amenities
One of the best amenities in the original Deluxe Studios is the split bathroom. One bathroom has the toilet, sink, and tub/shower combo while the other has a sink and shower. The extra sink and shower are an added convenience, especially if you have 5 guests staying in the studio.
While the Island Tower Deluxe Studios lack the split bathroom, they do have one amenity that no other Deluxe Studio has: a dishwasher. To go along with the Island Tower’s commitment to being eco-friendly, the studio is stocked with real dishes and silverware that can go in the dishwasher. Guests may also appreciate the dishwasher for water bottles, baby bottles, sippy cups, and more.
Location
The Deluxe Studios in the original longhouses are all in close proximity to the Transportation and Ticket Center. This makes it easy to hop on the express monorail or ferry to the Magic Kingdom or the monorail to EPCOT rather than walking to the Great Ceremonial House for the resort monorail line.
The Island Tower is located on the far side of the Polynesian where Disney’s Spirit of Aloha dinner show used to take place. It’s actually quite close to the Grand Floridian, so you would need to walk to the Great Ceremonial House to catch the monorail since the Transportation and Ticket Center is much further from the Island Tower.

Map of Polynesian DVC Longhouses
Views
Formerly Standard or Lake View, the original Deluxe Studios are now categorized as Standard View (resort or parking lot views) or Preferred View (at least partial views of pools or lakes) as of December 2024. Note that Moorea is the only longhouse that has views of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Within the Island Tower, Deluxe Studios are categorized as Standard View, Preferred View, or Theme Park. As with the original Deluxe Studios, Standard rooms have views of the resort or parking areas. With Preferred rooms, the Deluxe Studios may have at least partial views of pools, lakes, or even Disney’s Magnolia Golf course, which is just across the way from the Polynesian. Unlike the original studios, there are also Theme Park Deluxe Studios that offer at least a partial view of Magic Kingdom.
Points
For the most part, the point values between the original and new Deluxe Studios do not differ much. In fact, the points for the Standard View and Preferred View Deluxe Studios are identical. The differences lie in the Theme Park category, which is the most costly. Points for the Theme Park Deluxe Studios range from 24 to 53 per night, which is similar to the values for the Theme Park Resort Studios at the Grand Floridian. These high costs are actually close to the number of points required for One Bedroom Villas at other resorts.

Updated Polynesian points chart including Island Tower rooms
Availability
There are 360 Deluxe Studios among the original longhouses. While we don’t yet know the exact breakdown of rooms in the Island Tower, there is a total of 268 new rooms, including other room types besides Deluxe Studios. That alone shows that there are more original Deluxe Studios than new Deluxe Studios in the Island Tower, making it fair to say that availability will be tighter in the new Deluxe Studios compared to the original ones, especially with all the excitement surrounding the new accommodations.
If you’re interested in adding points at the Polynesian, check out the listings at DVC Resale Market.
Comments