Pool Comparison

ForMyBoys

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Hi! Our family really enjoys our pool time!! We stayed at PBH 2 years ago and spent countless hours at the pool. Could those of you that have been at PBH and HRH and/or Royal Pacific compare the pools for me? I'll take any Information you care to share ;)

Some of my questions: Is PBH the only one with a sand area? Is HRH music so loud that I won't be able to read? Do they all have waiters, etc? How are poolside movies at each? Pool depths? What about pool temps?

Thanks!!!
 
HRH has a sand area by the pool. It is mostly shallow. They have waiters there. I didn't think the music was that loud. They do have a team member doing pool games in the afternoon- they involve the adults and is very fun. They have a nice pool slide. We've stayed at RPH and their pool is huge!
 
Erie has a sand area
Chairs and volley ball net area

Nicer secluded quiet arena where you can watch the water taxis
 


Hi! Our family really enjoys our pool time!! We stayed at PBH 2 years ago and spent countless hours at the pool. Could those of you that have been at PBH and HRH and/or Royal Pacific compare the pools for me? I'll take any Information you care to share ;)

Some of my questions: Is PBH the only one with a sand area? Is HRH music so loud that I won't be able to read? Do they all have waiters, etc? How are poolside movies at each? Pool depths? What about pool temps?

Thanks!!!

I don't have any experience with PBH or SF but can give you a little run-down on RPR, HRH & CBBR.

RPR - nice, reasonable quiet pool. A little shallow. No slide. Kids play/splash area that can get a little "rowdy". Volleyball net in one part of the pool. Sandy zero-depth entrance on one side. Several "spas". Cabanas you can rent for an additional cost. Nice lounge chairs and towels. Decent number of areas to get shade. Great lounge-chair service (food and drinks) or you can sit at Bula Bar. Some games in the afternoon but not too intrusive. Movies in the evening.

HRH - fun, upbeat atmosphere. A little shallow. Great slide. Sandy zero-depth (I think) entrance on one side. Several spas. Cabanas you can rent for an additional cost. Nice lounge chairs and towels. Decent number of areas to get shade. Great lounge-chair service (food and drink) or you can sit at Beach Club bar). Didn't notice games but there might be. Live music in the afternoon we were there but not sure if that was everyday. Not sure about evening movies but would expect they have them.

CBBR - two pools - one with a slide; the other with the lazy river. We found these both to be pretty bland and didn't stick around very long. Not a lot of shade. There is a bar at each pool but didn't notice any waiters/service.
 
You guys are awesome! We are booked at HRH. Will likely pool hop to one hotel on one day. But most of our time will be at HRH.

My boys loved the beach area of PBH pool so I'm happy HRH has that. I like chilling and reading so am happy to know I can do that.

A lot of people say HRH is shallow but I assume some depth in some areas if they have a slide. Is it much more shallow than PBH?

Then more importantly, is it adequately heated ;)
 
Our family has a ranking of the resort pools. I have three teens.
1. PBH. The slide! The tunnel. The sand. The hot tub. The 2nd pool with boche courts.
2. RPR. The volleyball in the pool. The ping pong tables. The palm tree cover. The nachos supreme. The kiddie area with cool water jets (yes, teens can play, too and in Aug. it is refreshing)
3. CBBR. The lazy river. Two large pool choices. Diner near by.
4. SF. Nice and new.
5. HRH. Shallow. Crowded. No shade. Slide was closed for maintenance last two times.
That is our experience over 4 visits in the last 8 years.
 


Our family has a ranking of the resort pools. I have three teens.
1. PBH. The slide! The tunnel. The sand. The hot tub. The 2nd pool with boche courts.
2. RPR. The volleyball in the pool. The ping pong tables. The palm tree cover. The nachos supreme. The kiddie area with cool water jets (yes, teens can play, too and in Aug. it is refreshing)
3. CBBR. The lazy river. Two large pool choices. Diner near by.
4. SF. Nice and new.
5. HRH. Shallow. Crowded. No shade. Slide was closed for maintenance last two times.
That is our experience over 4 visits in the last 8 years.

Oh no, this is what I'm worried about. My kids will want the slide for sure. Will they post maintenance shut downs? I can find a room at PBH but my kids want to try HRH and I'd like to try something new. I'm just worried we will miss the great PBH pool experience. Maybe being so much closer to the park will make up for it??

RPH seems out because I can't find a decent SMSM rate there for our dates.

Hubby wants 5 beds w/o trundle. We did PBH with trundle and it took up space between beds and made it hard to move around. So based on price and availability my options seem to be a room at PBH w/connecting hospitality suite or a deluxe two queen at HRH. The one at HRH is much more affordable.

I will say that at PBH I didn't love the tunnel area because with younger kids I couldn't see them and it made me nervous so maybe I will like HRH more if shallow and I can see them all. My kids will be 7, 11 and 14. And my 14yo is more likely to chill and read then play volleyball.
 
The pool situation is only one variable in choosing a resort to stay. HRH is a beautiful resort with ambiance to spare. You will have a great time there.

The slide being down for us was just an anomaly, I guess. The ages of your kids is fine for the depth of the HRH pool. And it is better than the pool at Motel 6. Plus, you said you were going to pool hop.

I was just trying to compare based on the OP because we have been to all five so far and it might help others reading the thread. Have fun!
 
The pool situation is only one variable in choosing a resort to stay. HRH is a beautiful resort with ambiance to spare. You will have a great time there.

The slide being down for us was just an anomaly, I guess. The ages of your kids is fine for the depth of the HRH pool. And it is better than the pool at Motel 6. Plus, you said you were going to pool hop.

I was just trying to compare based on the OP because we have been to all five so far and it might help others reading the thread. Have fun!

I totally appreciate the comparison! It was what I asked for and good to hear opinions. I've read that the pool is relaxing and I've read the music is too loud and it's not relaxing. I've read the servers are great and I've read they are awful. It's so hard to know!!

But yes, worst comes to worst we schlep down to PBH pool ;)
 
A lot of people say HRH is shallow but I assume some depth in some areas if they have a slide. Is it much more shallow than PBH?

The area under the slide is deep. And you must leave that area immediately so as to not be hit by the next slider.

The rest is sitting-on-your-butt-on-the-bottom-of-the-pool-while-drinking-wayyyy-too-many-beers-without-leaving-the-pool deep. NOT deep. If you try to swim you will scrape the prints off your fingers.
 
Maybe it was our timing, but for us it wasn't that the music at HRH was loud it was the guy directing pool activities with the kids (air guitar contests, etc.) was loud and obnoxious. This was 2015, not sure if they still do this. Our kids' rankings were:
1-PBH
2-Cabana Bay (love lazy river, slide okay)
3-HRH, loved the slide, did it over and over, totally bored by actual pool
4-RPR (felt too old for kids play area at 14 and 11) and missed having a slide

I spend most of the time watching the kids from the sidelines and probably get in the pool 1 or 2 x during stay. My rankings would be the same as the kids except I might switch 3 and 4 because RPR was so pretty. PBH was so far and away the best pool imo (pretty, fun for kids, less crowded) that it's hard for the other pools to compare, but it doesn't mean they're not good. We're staying at HRH again this year because I love the smaller size of the hotel and the closeness to the parks and our kids are excited to go back. So I think it's worth trying at least once, especially with the ability to pool hop.
 
let's continue with rankings

1. PBH : very nice slide. Cool pool. Rather quiet and relaxed.
2. CBBR : Hard to beat 2 pools (1 with slide) and a lazy river, especially with kids
3. RPR : Mostly for the atmosphere. The pool lacks a slide, but the slapsh zone for kids (and grownups) make it up
4. Sapphire Falls : Strange pool, weird shape with a 2 inches deep passage between both parts of the pool. It's the big sister of the "butt-on-pool-bottom-sipping-way-too-many-beers act. The slide saves it from last place.
5. HRH : Previous poster used the words Loud and Obnoxious ... that about describes it. Good for people too drunk to swim or be bothered by the way too loud music. We've never been able to go near that pool long enough to find a lounger before developping a major headache requiring immediate departure and use of some Advil.
 
Thanks for the rankings!! I think with my boys ages they will love the slide and won't mind a shallow pool. I will be sure to download an audio book in case it's obnoxiously loud around the pool so I can shut it out. I will plan a pool hopping day to PBH since I know we love that pool for relaxation.

We went end of July last time so maybe pool would have been more important because it was hot out. I also recall we didn't visit the parks much at night because it took some time to go back and forth do with HRH being much closer we will likely visit the park more.

One unanswered question. Going end of March, can anyone comment on how the diff pools are heated?
 
We just got back a few weeks ago from saying At the Royal Pacific. We've stayed there numerous times and this last time there were ducks in the pool. I don't think they can actually do anything about them, I love ducks, but didn't like them in the pool.
 
We've only done the pools at HRH and RPR, and preferred the pool at HRH. More stuff going on with music and games, but still a large enough seating area where you can sit away from that if you choose. They had servers at both, but they were few and far between and we ended up getting our own drinks at both pools.
 
Pool at RPR is perfect for us........I love it has no slide, but we have no young kids.

Plenty of music, entertainment and fun around the pool during the day it, it never feels overly loud and intrusive. .....you can get involved or just sit and enjoy the tranquility.

And at night like the other pools they have the dive in movies.

PB is nice too as is Sapphire. HRH is too loud for us any time we visited, now we don’t pool hop at all. RPR suits us down to the ground.
 
We just got back a few weeks ago from saying At the Royal Pacific. We've stayed there numerous times and this last time there were ducks in the pool. I don't think they can actually do anything about them, I love ducks, but didn't like them in the pool.

Yeah, ducks in pools are gross. Alas they don't realize the water isn't for them. :) I've seen them at all
Orlando pools I've been to. And they are the bane of my friend's existence as she has an outdoor pool and has a duck family come back yet after year to hang out in her pool.
 
Our family has a ranking of the resort pools. I have three teens.
1. PBH. The slide! The tunnel. The sand. The hot tub. The 2nd pool with boche courts.
2. RPR. The volleyball in the pool. The ping pong tables. The palm tree cover. The nachos supreme. The kiddie area with cool water jets (yes, teens can play, too and in Aug. it is refreshing)
3. CBBR. The lazy river. Two large pool choices. Diner near by.
4. SF. Nice and new.
5. HRH. Shallow. Crowded. No shade. Slide was closed for maintenance last two times.
That is our experience over 4 visits in the last 8 years.

love the info..we're going in Dec and just might have to pool hop! We've been to CB and HR, and trying RP this time, but the PB sounds awesome to try.
 

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