the Island Tower at the Polynesian

How Far Is the Island Tower from the Polynesian Village Resort Bus Stop?

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If you’re staying at the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you’ll want to be aware that this portion of the resort does not have its own bus stop. The Island Tower shares a bus stop with the rest of the Polynesian. This isn’t necessarily a big deal, but it might feel like one if you weren’t aware of these extra steps. The same goes for monorail access and the boat dock. You’ll need to walk to the original Polynesian to access all transportation. For this article, we’ll walk through how long it takes to get from the Island Tower to the Polynesian’s bus stop.

a walking path that dead ends near a service area

Before we get started, there are two things that I feel are important to address.

  1. The Polynesian shares a bus service with Disney’s Contemporary Resort. (We cover this extensively in our guide to the bus schedule at Disney’s Polynesian. See that guide for average travel times to the various destinations serviced.)
  2. You do not want to walk out the front entrance of the Island Tower to walk to the Great Ceremonial House or the resort’s bus stop. Cast members direct guests to use the resort-side entrance when coming and going. You’ll only use the front entrance if you need to access a personal vehicle.

Here is a photo of the Island Tower’s main entrance.

landscaping and entrance of the Island Tower with no designated walking path

To get to the bus stop, you’ll exit at the back of the Island Tower’s lobby, which is pictured below. I typically refer to this exit as the “resort-side.”

the back door exit of the Polynesian's Island Tower lobby

You’ll continue along the path between Wailulu Bar and Grill and Seven Seas Lagoon as you head toward the Great Ceremonial House. It’s a scenic walk.

the walking path behind the Island Tower

Then, take an immediate right near the pool.

the pathway curves to the right ahead of the pool

Before long, the path turns left toward the Great Ceremonial House. (If you were to stay straight, you would hit a dead end.)

the path to the bus stop turns toward the Great Ceremonial House

From here, you’ll stay on the same path until you reach the Great Ceremonial House. The path slightly curves here and there, but it’s pretty straightforward.

an astro turf lawn at the Polynesian

For reference, the Great Ceremonial House is the resort’s lobby. The bus stop is on the opposite side of the lobby.

a path to the Great Ceremonial House

Technically, you can walk around the back exterior of the lobby, but I think the air-conditioning is a welcome relief for most, even if it’s short-lived. A ramp is available to the right of the stairs that lead inside. (Note: If you were going to the boat dock, you would just take a left here, and the path leads directly to the boat dock. For the monorail, you would take the stairs or elevator inside the lobby to the second floor.)

the steps that lead up to the resort's lobby

Once inside, you’ll continue through a hall that leads to the main lobby. Then, you can stay straight across the lobby and head back out the side door that sits on the opposite side. Or if you prefer, you can also walk out the front door. We always go for the side door because it’s less traveled. The front entrance is, while scenic, often bustling with guests, valets, and bell services.

a Tiki Statue under the Skylight of the Great Ceremonial House

The side door comes out directly in front of Raratonga. Here, you’ll take an immediate right.

the building where you exit the lobby to walk toward the bus stop

The path continues toward the monorail track.

a path from the lobby at the Polynesian to the bus stop

You can’t miss it. The bus stop sits ahead to the left, immediately underneath the monorail track.

the monorail track sits above the path to the bus stop

You will see signs indicating the bus stop is ahead. Since we originally published this article, a new bus stop was built, but it’s in the same location. You might also want to be aware that the Polynesian shares a bus service with Disney’s Contemporary. See our overview of Disney’s Polynesian Transportation Options to learn about all routes to and from this resort.

a sign directional to bus transportation
the path falls directly under the monorail
new bus stop at the Polynesian

Here is a view from the bus stop looking back to the resort’s main entrance. I’m sure some of these directions might sound a little complicated, but it’s fairly simple to find. One of our best tips is to familiarize yourself with how to access transportation at Disney World when you first arrive. We discuss this in more detail in How to Spend Your First Day at Disney World. If you do a quick walk-through, you’ll set yourself up nicely for the rest of your vacation.

the view from the Polynesian's bus stop to the lobby

Total Distance: Island Tower to the Polynesian’s Bus Stop

Overall, our walk from the Island Tower to the bus stop was 0.30 miles and took approximately 8 minutes. I did take photos along the way, so your walk will likely be a tad shorter than mine, depending on your pace. If you would like to know more about routes around the resort, you might like the following:

Final Thoughts

We hope this walk-through got you going in the right direction. If you enjoy walking, make sure to see our overview of walking options around Disney World. We’ve personally tracked each route with photos, times, and mileage. For more on getting around, see our overview of all transportation at Walt Disney World. Check back with ResortsGal.com.

In the Comments

Do you have plans to stay at the Island Tower? Do you think the bus stop is close enough? Let us know your thoughts below in the comments.

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