During the weeks leading up to the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort, The Polynesian Village R

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Tiki culture in the United norwegian cruise lines States began in 1934 with the opening of Don the Beachcomber, a Polynesian-themed bar and restaurant in Hollywood, California. The restaurant, with flaming torches, rattan furniture, flower leis and brightly colored floral fabrics, featured Cantonese cuisine and exotic rum punches.
After returning from his travels to Cuba and Hawaii in 1937, Victor Bergeron, known as Vic "The Trader," transformed his Oakland saloon, norwegian cruise lines Hinky Dink's into a Tiki themed restaurant Trader Vic's.  Two years later at the California norwegian cruise lines s World Fair the Golden Gate International Exposition celebrated, for the first time, Polynesian culture in the United States. After World War II, returning soldiers brought back with them stories and souvenirs from the South Pacific including an intense desire for all things Polynesian.
Walt Disney and his wife Lillian started visiting Hawaii beginning in 1934 when they vacationed on Oahu.  In the mid-1950's, Walt's interest in Polynesia continued to grow.  He patronized Polynesian supper clubs and tiki bars.  He loved the food and atmosphere so much that he wanted to open up his own Polynesian/Tiki restaurant.  According to the Tikiman Pages website, "The thing he wanted to add that made it different, but sticking to the true Polynesian design, was to animate the décor. He wanted to make the Tikis, birds and flowers move and talk. This was not only the birth of the idea for the Polynesian resort but Audio Animatronics, which is at the heart and soul of all the Disney parks."  This year the Enchanted Tiki Room is celebrating its 50 th Anniversary.  It is in the history of this attraction that the culmination of Walt's fascination with Tiki culture can be found, but that's norwegian cruise lines another story!
Like The Contemporary, The Polynesian Village Resort was always planned as an opening day hotel on October 1, 1971.  And like its sister hotel, this resort did not originally look like it does today.  However, unlike The Contemporary Resort Hotel , The Polynesian Village Resort norwegian cruise lines had its grand opening celebration on October 24, 1971, one day before The Contemporary Resort Hotel.
The original plans called for 12-story triangular high-rise structure, similar to Hawaiian resorts built during that time.  The main building would have included the lobby, retail shops and dining, meeting space and guest rooms.  Similar to The Contemporary Resort's Top of the World Restaurant, at the top of The Polynesian norwegian cruise lines was to have been a 'South Seas' dining room. Surrounding the main building would have been smaller longhouses along rambling streams, a waterfall-fed swimming norwegian cruise lines pool and a lagoon where guests could go skin-diving.
In 1970, once U.S. Steel came on board, Welton Becket Associates modified the design of the entire resort. The large, main-building was scaled norwegian cruise lines back into the present-day Grand Ceremonial norwegian cruise lines House.  The number of longhouses was increased to include the additional guest rooms that were originally part of the former design of the main building. The Polynesian Village longhouses, The Contemporary Resort,  consisted of the same construction method norwegian cruise lines of slotting in completed pre-fabricated rooms .  The one difference was that this resort was only three-stories in height.  Therefore, the hallways, norwegian cruise lines frames and roof were simply norwegian cruise lines built around the rooms.
The Polynesian Village Resort, with its Great Ceremonial House, which was modeled after a Tahitian norwegian cruise lines royal assembly lodge, opened with 492 guest rooms in eight longhouse buildings: Bali Hai, Bora Bora, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, and Maui. Resort rates in 1971 were $29, $36 and $44, depending on the floor, view and location.
During the weeks leading up to the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort, The Polynesian Village Resort served as home base for many journalists covering the opening.  Some of the press staff worked in offices at The Polynesian Village while others worked in the Magic Kingdom in offices located on the upper floors of City Hall.
According to Charles Ridgway 's autobiography, "Spinning Disney's norwegian cruise lines World," the press itinerary included a day visiting the Magic Kingdom , a tour of the entire property, use of the recreational facilities and a gala evening luau on the beach of the Polynesian Village.  Unfortunately, during the six days of press previews it rained every day thereby preventing the cast members from setting up each evening.  "So every night we moved our luau inside to an upstairs balcony area overlooking the central atrium lobby," said Ridgway.  "A little less glamorous, but dry."  At each press night inside the Polynesian Village, Hawaiian dancers performed and chefs paraded around the balcony with a large roasted pig, albeit a plastic pig, with an apple in his mouth.  Only Ridgway and his staff were tired of seeing that pig night after night, but the journalists had a wonderful time.
According to Ridgway, "For the Grand Opening television special, a real pig was used at the luau and, for the first time in a week, there was no afternoon rain.  It turned out to be a sparkling evening when the Electrical Water Pageant sailed across the Seven Seas Lagoon for the first time."
Clayne Dice, who had been working norwegian cruise lines in the hospitality norwegian cruise lines industry since he was 15 years old, joined the Walt Disney Company in 1970 as the Administrative of Hotel Planning.  He worked on developing policies, manuals, rates and systems norwegian cruise lines for the resorts. In January 1971, he was promoted to General Manager of The Polynesian Village Resort. During its construction, like everything else, The Polynesian Village had its own challenges.  The Great Ceremonial House appeared to be falling apart.  In David Koenig's book, Realityland, Dice said, "Originally around The Great Ceremonial House they had used bamboo from the Far East, six to eight inches in diameter.  "By the time we were getting close to opening, it had split, rot and come apart.  They had to tear it all out and do a simulated fiberglass bamboo."
Dick Nunis, Vice-President norwegian cruise lines of Park Operations and an avid surfer, wanted to bring surfing to Walt Disney World and The Polynesian Village Resort provided the perfect backdrop. Nunis thought that waves crashing into the shore of the Polynesian Village's west beach, which Nunis wanted to rename "Surfrider Beach," would give guests a more realistic experience.  So in mid-1971 a wave machine was installed, reportedly at a cost of $400,000, in the Seven Seas Lagoon on an island adjacent to Beachcombers Island. The wave machine did indeed work – too well as a matter of fact – and the crashing waves caused too much beach erosion.  Most people say because of the erosion, the wave machine was abandoned. However, other stories about its demise included the wave machine constantly broke down during the three day grand opening and that it could only be turned on for a couple of hours a day.  Others have said the waves were so good they caused problems for the various watercrafts that had to traverse that section of the lagoon.  In 1985, Disney tested the wave machine one more time.  It was decided that it was best to just remove it in its entirety. norwegian cruise lines Contrary to popular Disney lore, the wave machine was not sunk to create an artificial reef, but it was completely dismantled and removed.
In addition to Walt Disney World becoming norwegian cruise lines a popular vacation resort, it was also becoming a popular convention destination.  As a result, the Polynesian Luau became a popular activity norwegian cruise lines for conventioneers.  Until 1972, luaus were held outdoors, but because of the frequent rainstorms in Florida, especially during the summer months, many of the corporate luaus were cancelled and money had to be refunded.  Therefore Disney decided to build an all-weathered sheltered luau cove.  Much of the structure norwegian cruise lines took over the real estate of Beachcombers Island and that all but sealed the fate of the wave machine.
When the resort opened norwegian cruise lines there was one swimming pool, located between the marina and the Hawaii longhouse.  On the other side of the Hawaii longhouse, surrounded by the Tonga, Bora Bora and Maui longhouses was a putting green.  Today that area is home to the East Pool or the quiet pool.  In 2001, the old volcano norwegian cruise lines pool was finally replaced with a new volcano pool.
In the 1980′s, there was a slight name change norwegian cruise lines to the resort and the "Village" part was dropped and now it is known as the Polynesian Resort Hotel.  Three more longhouses were added: the Oahu in 1978 (also this year the Maui longhouse was renamed the Maori longhouse) and the Moorea and Pago Pago were added in 1985 bringing the total number of guest rooms to its current 847.
In 1999, most of the Resort's longhouses were renamed to better represent the Polynesian islands.  With the exception of Fiji , the other 10 longhouses were renamed: Bali Hai became Tonga ; Bora Bora became Niue ; Hawaii became norwegian cruise lines Samoa ; Maori changed again to Rarotonga ; Moorea became Tahiti ; Oahu became Tokelau ; Pago Pago became Rapa Nui ; Samoa became Tuvalu ; Tahiti became Aotearoa norwegian cruise lines , and Tonga became Hawaii .
Excluding the three-story rock and waterfall rainforest, much of the Great Ceremonial House has undergone dramatic changes including the replacement of the green blue tiled floor in 1996 (now earth-toned rock slabs), and new or re-themed dining and retail outlets.
The Papeete Bay Verandah was a French Colonial restaurant that served breakfast, lunch and dinner with nightly floor shows – a Polynesian Review. It was closed norwegian cruise lines in the latter half of 1994 and reopened in 1995 as 'Ohana's . The Coral Island Cafe became the Coral Island Coffee Shop and today is known as the Kona Cafe .  The South Seas Dining Room featured a Polynesian buffet, norwegian cruise lines after it closed it was used as a space to conduct focus groups for various Disney pro