iamtwothousand:

On October 1st 1971 the Polynesian Village (as it was known then) opened along with the Contemporary Resort and the Magic Kingdom. All six of my WDW vacations were spent at the Polynesian. As a 5 year old, this kitschy paradise blew my mind and my first impressions have always stayed with me; if I were forced to get a tattoo, my first choice would be a (very small!) reproduction of the tiki man mascot. I’ve also come to the realization that my color palette and design preferences tend to favor the South Seas and mid-century kitsch. Yes, folks, this is where my love of the Bauhaus typeface comes from. 

This piece began as many wonky scribbles in a notebook as I tried to get the composition and perspective right. I wanted an army of certain elements (vintage illustration, whimsy, childlike enthusiasm, asymmetry) present in order to invoke some authenticity and that famous Disney magic but I didn’t want to merely rip off my influences; I wanted this to also look like mine. The elements I chose were based on my strong impressions from childhood and anecdotal consensus on what the resort’s “icons” are: the Great Ceremonial House, volcano pool, lush grounds, and beach hammocks by the lagoon. The Mark IV monorail, despite “belonging” more to the Contemporary, was added because it was imperative to include the tiki man and I thought it’d be cute to make him the driver.

So, what do y’all think? Hau ‘oli la ho’omana’o hau to this crazy, wonderful place and mahalo for the hospitality!

(via wdwdaily)