PHOTOS - A look at the new Lava Pool at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Apr 08, 2015 in "Disney's Polynesian Resort"

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New Polynesian Village Resort Lava Pool area

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Posted: Wednesday April 8, 2015 12:56pm EDT by WDWMAGIC Staff

The main feature pool at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort reopened this past weekend, bringing an expanded deck area, a hot tub, a rebuilt volcano, and an all new children's water play area.

Lava Pool with newly expanded deck and volcano

Although the pool itself remains unchanged, the area has an all new larger deck, which has provided much more space for lounge furniture and the increased number of guests expected to use the pool with the expansion of the resort to include the DVC Bungalows and Villas.

The pool slide is the same, but the volcano structure around it has been completely rebuilt. Guests will find a new hot tub, which features an infinity edge - a first for a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.

Lava Pool hot tub

The biggest change is the inclusion of the new Kiki Tikis Splash Play area. Following the recent trend from the other refurbished pools, the kids splash area looks large and has a lot for the little ones to do. Something that was missing with the old Polynesian pool area.

Kiki Tikis Splash Play area

You might be wondering how the expanded deck area has been made possible without moving the pool or moving buildings. A lot of the walkways and gardens that were between the Great Ceremonial House and the pool area have now been incorporated into the pool deck, and all of the private cabanas have been removed. If you are curious about how it looked before, check out a gallery from before the refurbishment.

The original Nanea Volcano Pool before the refurbishment

Although the Lava Pool is open to guests, it is not yet fully complete. There is still active construction taking place on the Kiki Tikis Splash Play area, and in other small areas around the pool. Work is expected to be completed by mid April 2015, at which time the resort's quiet pool will close for a remodel.

The Lava Pool is open daily from 9am to 10pm, and like other recent Walt Disney World pool refurbishments, the area is now full gated.

Click the gallery for more photos.

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NYwdwfanApr 22, 2015

Any age guidelines for that play area?

FigmentJediApr 22, 2015

Name's already taken

BuzzKillingtonApr 22, 2015

Very nice. I wonder if they used the same designer for the splash area as they did the volcano pool area?

AndyS2992Apr 22, 2015

Kiki Tiki? :confused: Liki Tiki would be much better.

wdwmagicApr 21, 2015

RSoxNo1Apr 21, 2015

The only forced perspective issue I have with New Fantasyland is the Be Our Guest castle.

majortom1981Apr 21, 2015

Have you seen the splash n play area at kidani? I think its pretty good. Some of the ones they just added to Saratoga are pretty good also. My son had a blast at the one at Saratoga this past September.

COProgressFanApr 21, 2015

I wonder this too. Many years ago, when prices were not nearly as insane as they are today, we stayed in a lagoon facing room right near the end of the building that abuts the TTC. Things were quiet in the room, but whenever we had the balcony door open, you could clearly hear every announcement made on the ferry boats. It was wasn't enough to "ruin" our stay or anything like that, but it certainly detracted from the peaceful beach ambiance the area is supposed to have. I would imagine noise from the TTC and ferry boats is much louder in bungalows, as some of them are very close to the TTC. Not a lot of privacy, peace or quiet when tens of thousands of guests pass each day by your bungalow 100 feet away.

fractalApr 21, 2015

I would like to see it from a few different angles but from the pics it looks good and is a nice addition.

Disney AnalystApr 21, 2015

Looks very nice!

BocabearApr 21, 2015

I really dislike the rubble waterfalls they are doing all of the sudden...and while it is nice to finally have a splash area for the kids....many hotels have better.... oh yeah I forgot to lower my expectations.... Wow that's fantastic~

wdwmagicApr 21, 2015

PHOTOS - Kiki Tikis Splash Play area now open at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Monkee GirlApr 11, 2015

Ugh, that's a shame. I would love to go to the Wilderness but my traveling party is so spoiled, they won't leave the Monorail loop. I like the way the contemporary and GF did their DVCs; separate buildings away from the originals but still a part of the resort. I would have preferred the Poly do the same. Pick a patch of land, even if it meant taking a building or two, and just building a separate 'tower' for the DVC. Make is look similar to Aulani or something. One building just a few stories more than a regular long house and give them their own pool area area and things. What they did now is just too cluttered and ugly. I REALLY want to know about the people who get stuck in the Bungaloes right next to the TTC. Do they hear the boats all night? I would hate to be those people.

aladdin2007Apr 11, 2015

They had plenty of outcry and petitions when they announced changes were going to happen, it would be interesting to know if complaints are still rolling in. By the way some cast are talking it sounds like they are. But yeah its very much a good thing to share your opinions with Disney, I feel like the Wilderness Lodge is next to be ruined with DVC additions and changes.