The Polynesian Resort’s new Island Tower has brought many new and exciting things to one of our favorite DVC resorts like restaurants, an awesome pool, and more room types. One of our favorite things at the Island Tower has to be the four terraces on the high levels of the resort. You can only access these terrace gardens if you’re staying at the Island Tower, so we’re going to give you an exclusive look at these beautiful and unique areas of the resort.

What Are The Terrace Gardens at the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows?

The Island Tower has four outdoor terrace gardens on four different floors. Two of them face Bay Lake, the Island Tower Pool, and the rest of the Polynesian Resort. The other two have a view of the other side of the tower showing the Monorail, parking lot, and future golf course. They’re all decorated beautifully, have confortable furniture, and offer a sense of relaxation and peace upon walking in.

Can Anyone Visit the Terrace Gardens at the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows?

If you want to visit the terraces, you need to use the elevators. In order to use the elevators, you’ll need an Island Tower reservation. So while you don’t need to reserve the terrace gardens themselves, you’ll need to have a resort reservation to get high enough in the tower to get to them.

If you’re worried about the terraces being crowded, don’t be. We’ve stayed at the Island Tower twice now; once on opening day (a crazy-busy day), then about three weeks later. On opening day, there were a good amount of content creators at the terraces, but they would pop in, get photos and videos, then leave. On our second visit, the terraces were even more open. Our room was right next door to the Bamboo Terrace on the third floor. We spent the entire day at the resort, and visited the terrace a few times throughout the day. Each time, we were the only ones in the terrace. It was peaceful, and we enjoyed our time. So if the terrace gardens are something you’re looking forward to, definitely visit them, and take some tiem to relax!

We didn’t try to go to the terrace during the fireworks, so we can’t speak to how crowded they were during that time. There’s a chance the terraces on the third and fifth floors are crowded with people trying to get a good view of the fireworks, so just keep that in mind.

The Bamboo Terrace Garden at the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

The Bamboo Terrace is on the third floor of the Island Tower. It has a large domed trellis in the center, with a some outdoor lounge furniture. There is beautiful bamboo-inspired art on the walls, as well as some faux-bamboo along the walls to really set the seen. The Bamboo garden terrace is peaceful, and rarely crowded.

The bamboo terrace garden has a great view of Bay Lake, the pool, and the rest of the Polynesian Village Resort. So if you’re looking for an interesting place to possibly catch the fireworks, this is a great spot.

The Lava Rock Terrace Garden at the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

The Lava Rock terrace is on the fourth floor of the Island Tower. It has a beautiful mural on one of the walls showing a valcona erupting. All of the rocks and garden walls in the terrace are dark, almost black, in a “lava rock” style. The lounge furniture is very comfortable, and it’s fun to watch the Monorail go by.

It’s a calm, and beautiful terrace garden, that has a view of the Monorail as it heads towards the Grand Floridian, and Magic Kingdom Park. While the view, in our opinion, isn’t as good as the Bamboo or Wave Break terrace gardens, it’s still really cool to see the monorail moving past up close. Currently there is a lot of construction across the street from the Island Tower at Disney’s golf course. We’re sure once the construction is complete, the view will be much more relaxing.

The Wave Break Terrace Garden at the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

The Wave Break Terrace Garden is on the fifth floor of the Island Tower. This terrace garden might be our favorite! The large mural shows Moana’s boat, beautiful plants, a large dome-shaped outdoor couch, and some rocking chairs overlooking the lake. On the wall facing the mural, there are some 3D birds coming out of the slats on the wall. We’re not exactly sure why, but this one is our favorite, there’s just something about it!

The view of the Wave Break terrace is beaitful. It’s similar to the view from the third floor Bamboo Terrace, but it’s two floors higher, which leads to a slight better view. You can see the castle a bit easier, as well as Space Mountain, the bungalows, and even Wilderness Lodge in the distance.

The Reef Terrace Garden at the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

The last, and highest garden terrace is the Reef Terrace that can be found on the sixth floor. This is the smallest terrace. It’s about half, or a little less than half the size of the other terrace gardens. The walls in this terrace have beautiful corral art on them, and the sitting area is more of a winding, narrow bench with colorful cushions. This one was probably our least favorite. Not because it isn’t great, but it’s quite a bit smaller, and was more difficult for our larger group to lounge around comfortably. This terrace is much more “cozy”. While we were there, there was a young lady snuggled up in a corner reading her book. I made a mental note to come back on my own and do the same in the future, because that looked so fun.

No matter which terrace you visit (we sugegst you visit them all at least once!), you’re sure to have a great time. These terrace gardens are meant to be peaceful places to relax, reflect, and just take some time during your busy week at Walt Disney World. They’re beautiful peaces of functional art that we’re very happy to see at the new Island Tower!