animal kingdom lodge pool

[MikeWazowski]

This Is So Silly

When you say at a WDW hotel you pay for the group of people that will be in your room. Which means you are paying X amount for your wife, son, and daughter to say in a room.

The price that you pay for your room has all factors figured into. You are paying for every amenity, including for you and the guest staying in your room to go swimming. Your not paying for your friend who lives in Orlando to come down for a quick dip in the pool.

When I pay 200 a night for my room I don't want some cheapskate swimming next to me, who payed nothing. It's the principle. When you get your 4 day hopper does that mean you can bring your friend in to take a spin on splash mountain. Of course not.

I don't even want people who ar not staying on property to be able to walk around the hotel that I'm satying at. DON'T RUIN MY VACATION

 

[JLS]

Mike, I would agree that this is silly. When you and others say "I don't want some cheapskate swimming next to me who didn't pay $200 for a room" and make reference (in all caps!) to "ruined vacations", my sense is that the biggest risk to "ruining" a vacation is spending too much time worrying and obsessing about whether anybody around you is getting something that they didn't pay for or getting something "for free" while you paid $200 for your room. I honestly don't think this is worth worrying about.

People are always going to pool hop and always going to scam or get things for free that you paid good money for. This post is not about "some cheapskate" who is cheating Disney and flaunting the written rules provided at check-in in order to get some benefit that they should not be entitled to because, like you, they did not pay for a room. Those people, I think we can all agree, are a problem and when seen to be flaunting the rules, should be asked to leave. This post is about whether a PAYING and rule-abiding guest can have a friend or two visit the resort pool to swim with them with the permission of management, or whether the entire group should have to pay to go to a water park or somewhere else because Disney pools are ONLY for hotel guests, no exceptions, period. I think this debate comes down to those who believe that rules are rules, no exceptions, and you and your paying family must buy admission to a water park if you want to spend time in the pool with a friend or two who might want to swim together, and those who believe that a common sense approach to the rule, with managements approval, would be appropriate under these circumstances.

For me, it comes down to two things: (1) I don't think the pool rules were made for this situation in mind; (2) I don't think that the chronic "overcrowding" of the pools and thus reduced enjoyment of vacation that you are paying for, as some on this Board readily report, is due to the few people who invite a guest or two to swim with them. Pool "crashers" are another matter.

 

[MikeWazowski]

Jls-

Why do you think WDW charges you more money when you have any extra person in your 4 person room. So they can compensate for the use of amenties such as swimming. When the extra person is accounted for, they won't run into the risk of having an overcrowded pool.

When one person brings two friends over to go swimming, then the guy down the hall does the same thing, and so on without telling the resort this is when they will run into a full pool.

WDW does not want extra people around swimming in the pool because it's going to make people like me feel uncomfortable when I go for a dip in the pool when one hundred local yocals are doing the same thing.

 

[JLS]

Mike - I think that if every person at the resort invited a group of friends to come to the pool (whether or not management was notified), then I agree it would be a problem. All I am saying is that I don't think people legitimately inviting friends is a big issue at all because I would guess that very few paying guests at the AKL at any given time know any "local yocals" in Orlando that they could even invite... What percentage of on site Disney guests do you think have local yocal friends? I am just guessing of course, but I'll bet the percentage is quite low. I think that if you are finding that pools are overrun by "local yocals," those people probably are the true problem "crasher" types who should be banned, and not people who were actually invited by paying guests. In fact, I would bet that most of the people who invite others to swim with them at the pool are visiting friends/relatives who happen to have chosen a different disney resort to stay in...

Anyway, my point is that if the pool police-types did some kind of survey or study of the origins of pool "interlopers" at any given resort pool, my guess is that a very TINY percentage would be people who are there swimming with paying resort guests. As others have pointed out, I think it is a given with any resort, including 5-star resorts such as the Ritz Carlton, that invited guests of paying guests are welcome to use the facilities. Of course, this is subject to common sense and is within reason (two paying guests should not invite 6 or 10 people to swim, obviously!)

My apologies to Orlando residents - I was just quoting the term "local yocals..." I'm sure you are not yocals, whoever you are! (and whatever yocals really means.....)

 

[Virgo10]

Well I'll tell you what happens with this when I get back. My son and his g/f will be down there with me. I'm staying at the BC for 3 days while they'll be at the AsSp. I will ask permission for them to join me for an afternoon.

The one other time I was able to use SAB, I was not asked to show my room key but that was in the month of September and the pool was nearly empty.

I would never just have them come in but my guess is that, depending on how crowded the place is, the CM's will probably say yes to allowing my guests to join me.

Roberta

 

[kdibattista]

Well.... DH and I never use the pool so there will be 2 extra spaces available in the AKL pool the week of December 13 - 20th. If anyone wants to use our 2 slots... please feel free

 

[ScottJoy]

Why must the answer be black and white? Invite your friends to visit you at the resort. If the pool isn't crowded, go ahead and swim; if it is crowded, find something else to do.

 

[bbchurch]

Well I am going to stick my neck on the butcher block here and insert my 2 cents worth! I personally feel like if you want to invite non-hotel guest to swim at "your" hotel pool, then ask the hotel. If they say it is okay then there should not be a problem.
While I agree that you should not invite a whole crew of people, I also agree that a couple more swimmers would not overload the pool to the point of causing major problems for everyone there.

The entire issue of pool hopping comes down to one big issue,
Until Disney sees it as a problem then it will continue. I don't know about anyone else but I would have a major problem with a regular hotel guest trying to tell me what to do. Disney has CMs for a reason let them do there job. And while I am on this subject let me just say that any vacation is what you make of it! If you choose to dwell on all the "bad" things like how many people are not supposed to be at "your" pool then you will more than likely have a terrible trip. Why not have fun Loosen up and enjoy your trip being thankful that you have the priveledge of being able to go to WDW. My advice in short hand....
Short of someone directly affecting your trip in an adverse way, don't worry about it! This world would be alot better place if more people minded there own business.

Anyway back to the AKL pool. My guess is that disney would like someone not staying there to "vistit" someone staying there.
To see the hotel, use the pool whatever they want to do.....Why you may ask? Simple If that non-paying guest sees something they like they may just turn into a paying guest in the future!

Bottom line....ask for permission from the hotel staff. Written rule Emplied rule or Guest rule should not matter if the staff says okay!

Calmly awaiting my "flogging"

 

[*Fantasia*]

Why do I always hear about the pool when guest are coming over or if they want to spend time with their relatives or friends who live in Orlando or nearby.

Can't they just hang out at a restuarants or dowtown disney or maybe at a lobby (some lobbies are nice to just hang out...sit down relax and enjoy the ambience of the place). Or how about hanging out at the parks. Enjoy riding together...enjoy shopping together...enjoy strolling on the resort property.

How about the Disney guest leaving Disney to spend time over at their relatives house or go out to a resturants instead of the relatives and friends always the one who has to come over to Disney.

There are other ways to enjoy each other and spend time with each other besides using the pool.

I don't have any problem with them bringing their guests...as long as I have a long chair to sit on or the pool is not crowded where it's elbow to elbow...as long as I don't have to wait half hour just to slide down the slide...as long as there is enough towels for me and my family.

What if other resort guest do the same thing?? Someone from room #7932...#7720...#5649...#2094...#3384...etc And they br ing about 4 guest in from each room guest ... How will the front desk know that the pool is getting crowded? I would assume that the lifeguard will have to tell the guess to leave.

 

[Brier Rose]

SO.....based on the principal that someone pays "X" amount of dollars to stay at a certain resort,and wants no cheapskates swimming next to them.....Does that mean that someone who is paying rack rate to stay at that resort,should have "first dibbs" over someone staying on a code rate???
After all, someone paying a code rate would be a cheapskate to someone paying full price.

 

[sonicblaze]

If I am shelling out 200+ bucks a night to stay at a hotel I am going to expect to have privileges, such as having a friend come over... that is included in the ridiculous price they are charging for the hotel rooms. I would not want to shell out my hard earned money to find out that I am not getting my money's worth, and that I would have to spend more money to use a privilege any other hotel in the world would offer.

Especially when other 5 star hotels would agree with me. Also, FYI the maximum capacity of a pool is not based on the number of guests that could be staying at a hotel. I don't know what would make you think of that. It's based on the size of the pool, and AKL has a huge pool so I don't think that would be a problem.

 

[gumdrop]

Wow. It amazes me how certain people get so upset and defensive about this topic. If you can't handle a few extra people at a resort pool, I wonder how you deal with the real problems and conflicts in life. I find it upsetting to know that a few of you really judge a good and bad vacation based on who is "illegally" using resort pools. Oh and Mike, this is how you spell "yokel"

--Maren

 

[bbchurch]

I think i have to agree with gumdrod on this one.
If you want a "private pool" then rent a house where you will be the only ones using the pool.

 

[MikeWazowski]

Hey GumDrop-

Why should your Local Yocal(I like my spelling better) be able to use the resort pool just because he's your friend and your staying there. So I have to pay to say and swim and your friend can come in and swim fore free. Ridiculous

I resolve real conflicts and problems in my life by complaining when the system is being abused by Local Yocals.

 

[Leota]

Well, that was interesting..........in a disturbing look into the minds of some people kind of way...... drives home the notion that there really are people out there just looking for an excuse to get indignant / angry / righteous ....... Ain't y'all got anything else more inmportant to take up space in your head while on vacation, than who "belongs" in your pool?

We've been guests at different resort pools & we've invited guests to our resort pool. We usually know folks who are staying on-site, at a different resort at the same time we are - Heck - We've had DIS meets at resort pools - Never had a problem, never had a CM say no. Always used common sense & common courtesy....

 

[MikeWazowski]

You can thank my parents for my indignant, angry, and righteous manner. I guess by teaching me to be honeest and not to cheat the system, I appear to be indignant today.

Your the same kind of people who bring's their children to wedding reception that only you and your significant other were invited to. Get with the Program.

 

[gumdrop]

Yes Mike I see where you're coming from, but I hate to see you and many others complain and get upset about something that isn't a big deal when you put it all into perspective (my opinion, of course). You and other resort guests are paying good money to stay there and use the facilities for the length of your vacation, but remember that these visitors that the original poster was referring to (not to mention other pool hoppers in general) would be there for a few hours, at the most. The individual resorts do not even seem too concerned about pool visitors. Granted wristbands have been in force on occasion and at certain times, there are room key checks, but overall, resorts seem to be pretty lax in enforcing pool usage rules, thereby making some visitors lax in abiding by them. Like you said, you and the rest of us spend good money to stay on Disney property, so why waste your vacation worrying about who should be in the resort pool and who shouldn't? Is the only thing you want to remember from your Disney trip the fact that you saw a few pool hoppers and it ruined your vacation? If you are concerned about getting your money's worth out of your Disney vacation, then don't get upset over something that, at this point, cannot be controlled.

Respectfully,
--Maren

 

[VickiVM]

Hey, way to make a new DIS member welcome!!

We are going to Animal Kingdom Lodge in May. Are we allowed to have our friends come and visit us at the pool? Some places want a key for each guest to enter the pool and I understand that. Really looking forward to going.

How about this for a DIS reply:

Although according to Disney Pool Rules, the pool is for the use of that resorts' guests only, you may want to check with the front desk, or CM's on duty at the pool to see if they deem it ok. Depending on the time of year and how crowded the pool is, they may not have a problem with it. They are there to help make your stay a memorable one and sometimes will do things "against the rules" to spread pixie dust on guests.

 

[lizmc]

just to note, at all of our deluxe $300. to $500. a night hotels on Maui , it is prohibited to bring friends to swim for a few hours or a day. Some hotels will allow it if you pay a guest fee of $25. -$50. per guest, adn that includes island residents as well as off island guests. Disney world hotels may have a different policy , and be more open to it, but it is well within their rights to do whatever they feel is in the best interest pof thier guests.

 

[maryliz]

If the situation directly affects you and it's really bothering you, go ahead and report it. But getting your knickers in a knot over somebody getting something, especially if you don't even know for sure it's happening However, I found the post about people ruining ones vacation by even visiting a resort truly humourous. Disney wants us to resort hop and check things out! Hey, maybe that's exactly why some of us have chosen to stay where we do. I do not pool hop (anymore, that is!), but I do resort hop, and yes, I do sometimes sit down by a resort pool to check it out, relax etc. And this isn't breaking any rules, according to Disney. So you might still not get your lounge chair

To the OP: ask the front desk. If they feel there's an overcrowded situation, they might deny your request. But in all likelihood, they will tell you it's not a problem. And if they don't have a problem with it, then there is no problem 'cause it's their hotel and their rules!