Walkway Connecting Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Magic Kingdom Reopens with Island Tower Opening

Dec 17, 2024 in "Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows"

Walkway Connecting Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Magic Kingdom Reopens
Posted: Tuesday December 17, 2024 7:45am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The long-awaited walking path at Disney's Polynesian Resort has reopened alongside the grand opening of the Island Tower on December 17, 2024.

Guests can now once again walk between Disney's Polynesian Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, providing an extended pedestrian route that connects major points along the Seven Seas Lagoon.


The walkway takes a scenic route alongside the new Island Tower, with views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom in the distance.

Expanded Walking Access

The reopened walkway creates a continuous path for guests:

  • From the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) to Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
  • From the Polynesian Resort to Disney's Wedding Pavilion
  • From the Wedding Pavilion to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • From the Grand Floridian Resort to Magic Kingdom

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

View all comments →

Mr. Sullivan23 minutes ago

I don’t disagree with you, trust me. I was just saying that this has always fundamentally been a Disney vacation pitch at the core. Even if this is separate from BTA as stated above, that’s still what BTA is as much as I enjoy it. At the end of the day, I do appreciate them looking at other things than just rides in the park and maybe in the future we can look at more resorts and such. I’d love an episode on dining too.

Bocabear49 minutes ago

They have been working on removing all of that to make it like any other hotel...it would be a great special about how they de-themed the lobby and grounds to add a gigantic "event lawn" and removed the volcanic streams and landscaping, and they could talk about removing the waterfalls and interior gardens from the lobby....then best yet they can talk about the ill-fitting modern condo tower they built on site with the very plain unadorned Days Inn-Style pool....

nickys4 hours ago

I assume it’ll be focussing on the wall decorations, which are drawn from Hawaiian culture. Dig out your copy of Disney Files where they did an article about it. 😉

easyrowrdw13 hours ago

Surely they’ll discuss the resort as a whole too, right? It’s an original resort at Disney World. There’s so much more than the tower. Right?

Smiley/OCD13 hours ago

The legendary Ron Popil…Mr. Pocket Fisherman…

Sirwalterraleigh13 hours ago

It has “location, location, location” working in its favor And that goes a long way in the swamp. The best part is the restaurant…the open air vibe is good

networkpro13 hours ago

Its a concrete box with windows..... but a Polynesian themed box, just squint a bit harder....

DCBaker13 hours ago

This is not attached to Behind the Attraction and appears to be a stand-alone special.

Sirwalterraleigh14 hours ago

Was there a couple months ago. It’s clean…it’s nice…and as are all hotels at all price points. But nothing Stands out that screams “artists brainstormed for 5,000 hours to build this” Its as nice spot if plain Jane

Tha Realest14 hours ago

When do we get the episodes about HarmoniUS, the Riviera Resort, the Galactic Starcruiser, and phase one SW:GE?

Sir_Cliff14 hours ago

Sure, this is all meant to promote Disney vacations. Let's be honest, though, the new Polynesian tower is no great work of Imagineering and no-one is clamouring for a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how it was designed. The show moving from looking at things like The Haunted Mansion or Jungle Cruise to the latest DVC tower has a definite whiff of jumping the shark.

Tha Realest14 hours ago

You bring up an interesting point- this is an exclusively DVC building (yes, I know they can rent out cash rooms, but it is functionally a property deeded to owners if not mistaken). I do wonder if that creates certain issues that aren’t present with their other productions that are thinly-veiled advertising and marketing efforts (like basically anytime they show something on GMA or ABC ‘News’)

Mr. Sullivan14 hours ago

They’re broadening what they focus on for the show to include other areas of Disney’s experience offerings. This new season will feature in park attractions, resorts, and DCL. I imagine part of why this is featured is because it was under construction while this season was in production so they were able to film it, which is a new thing that the show’s never gotten to do before. The show is in and of itself an advertisement for a Disney vacation, it just happens to also show fans of WDI how they work. I don’t really see this as any sort of leap from what the show already has been. They’re not producing it just to show how they build stuff.

Sirwalterraleigh14 hours ago

Like The Ronco set it and forget it?🤔

Park Hours & Calendar

Updated frequently

Find operating hours, early entry times, and park hopping info across all four Walt Disney World parks.

Lightning Lane Prices

Updated daily

See current Lightning Lane prices for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane attractions at all parks.

Dining at Walt Disney World

Dining Guide

Explore restaurants, menus, and reviews for quick service and table service dining across Walt Disney World.

Latest Disney News

Updated multiple times per day

Catch up on the latest park updates, construction news, entertainment, and official announcements.