DVC Pools, Pool Hopping, Etc.

[kathleena]

The addition of wrist band and gates and such would add to resort prices and maintenance fees. Although I think adding wrist bands to all hotel pools with slides would be prudent during certain times of the year, it's not really needed all year.

But for the busier times, the many, many DVC members who love this perk could enjoy the pools and slides without being hampered by other resort and park guests who are not polite enough to follow posted rules.

As a BWV owner, I'm not so concerned about overloaded pools as to want to pay for the additional cost of year-round "protection" against squatters.

Funny story anyway. But give me extra pool people over the smokers that smoke in the non-smoking areas anyday.

 

[LisaSt]

Since when does staying at a value resort make you any less of a guest than somone staying at AKL or BC or CR? I think that comment was pretty derogatory as my wife and I are DVC members and still love to stay at All Stars so does that make us less deserving no I don not think so. Get a grip as was mentioned the offenders were from AKL and BC so far from any value resort.

 

[SSRex]

We stayed one night at the Pop Century before moving over to BCV for 5 days and we both commented on what a different crowd there was at the Beach Club. You get what you pay for and I also felt that pool hopping was not a priviledge afforded only to DVC members, but also any dishonest or illiterate people (based on not being able to read the signs posted at Luna Pool). Kind of makes me think of Ellis Is. immigants verses illegal aliens.
Disney appears to be policing the pool gates like our government watches the borders. I had to send my kids to find someone to give them a wrist band at SAB. I was very upset at no restriction to enter. If pool hopping ends it will only be over for honest DVC members, not the rest of the pool crashers that are not checked.

 

[KNWVIKING]

***" Even though I felt like I should report them to the lifeguard, I didn't feel like being a tattletale."***

WE have to start being TATTLETALE's !!!

It doesn't do a darn bit of good to complain about it here. E-mails aren't the answer either. Tell a lifeguard or CM. Make them address the problem then and there. If they don't, get a manager. If other parasites see people getting thrown out, maybe the embarrasment would make them think twice.

 

[ripleysmom]

Seems to me that it's the people who stay at the Deluxes that think they are all that and a bag of chips. I guess it must be that "I am paying a lot of money to WDW for my room so I am entitled to poolhop" mentality.

 

[LisaSt]

I would have to agree with you Ripleysmom.

 

[crisi]

Tyvek wristbands are $.0195 apiece for me ordering 1000 of them. Disney can probably get them much cheaper.

You could have the lifeguards issue them, as they do at SAB.

I don't think it would raise dues. Or if it does it would be pretty insignificant.

 

[paults]

how about installing one of those invisable fences they use for dogs and have neck bands for guests so they can get into the pool area. And if you don't have this neck band you get a shock and that way the lifeguard can see who's not suppose to be there and go over and help that person up and out of the pool area.

 

[JimC]

This topic generates a fair amount of passionate responses. What I find interesting is that no one ever talks about using restaurants at other resorts, or shopping at other resorts or boats at various resorts where they are available. Yet it seems to me that the logic is the same. I wonder why that is?

 

[crisi]

Because it isn't the same.

When you shop at another resort, you may buy something. That is what they are there for. And the profits from the shop support the shop.

Same with a restaurant.

When you use the pool at a resort, you aren't paying anything for that pool. Even if you are a guest at another Disney resort. Particularly if you aren't a guest in a Moderate or Deluxe (a case could be made for the transitive value of pool slides - although SAB is such a different animal that it throws any comparison out of whack).

Moreover, hotel pools get crowded at certain times of year. They are built to house some percentage of hotel guests - not some percentage of hotel guests, plus guests from other Disney resorts, plus DVC pool hoppers, plus day guests who take a break in the Poly pool. It may sound selfish, but if my kid waits in line for the pool slide 10 minutes instead of 5 because half the guests are "pool crashing" my kid isn't getting the enjoyment from the pool that we are entitled to as guests of the resort. I think vernon recently used this arguement in a thread about occupancy - and he has a point - however, I'd guess the reason pools are crowded has more to do with busy seasons and pool crashers than five in a room.

It would be different if all pools were hopped to equally. But the proximity of the MK and Epcot/MGM resorts to the parks make them an attractive spot to "hop" to during the day -- while its unlikely that WL guest will be hopping over to Pop Century.

 

[Dean]

Using bands would likely be cheaper than what they are doing now. Since they do police it part of the time, they spend a lot of time spinning their wheels. A band and enforcement thereoff would make it easy to have a limited enforcement using minimal employee time. You link the bands to the pool towels and check them off a list using a key and or resort guest list. No room key or other proper ID, no towels or band. No band, they get stopped and asked to leave if they don't have proper ID. You just let everyone know this is the rule and will be enforced by telling them at check in and putting it in the check in paperwork. It's very simple. Of course there will be those willing to test the system, just prove to them it's being enforced. Change colors once a week. Almost no crashers from then on.

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

while I take offense to the value resort comments since we loved the Pop century when we stayed there. IMO it is awesome for my 3 year old it will be just as fun when we go back in NOV.........Anyway...It takes a rare breed to just pool hop when not staying at the resort. Plus it is a huge bother IMO so that is what makes it a rare person to go through all that trouble. The easiest thing to do is start with checking the ids on the busses. I think a resort guests hopping (no matter what the level of accomodations) is much less aggrivating than an offsite person coming over from the MK or another WDW park. Then after the bus situation is cleared up checking at the pool should also happen. That way it isn't left all on the pool staff. Disney has the system in place already it just needs to be adheared too. Check ids on the busses and the pools no need for more intervention IMO.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

That thud you just heard was my jaw hitting the floor.

I guess the next value resort built should be themed like hell, because it seems as though some feel that's where those guests belong. Eternal flames? Shrieks of the damned? The possibilities are endless.

Gee. I thought the magic of Disney should be available to everyone. I guess that's why I wasn't a marketing major in college.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Originally posted by Dreamfinder2
That thud you just heard was my jaw hitting the floor.

...

Gee. I thought the magic of Disney should be available to everyone. I guess that's why I wasn't a marketing major in college.

Disney Magic is available for everyone who cares to pay the appropriate price. It's not free to anyone. If you pay for a value resort, that's what you get; if you pay for a specific moderate resort, again, you get that resort. If you pay for a specific deluxe resort, you get the amenities of that resort.

That's why you can't park hop on a one day ticket. You didn't pay to park hop.

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

On the 4th of July they were checking resort ids at the BW pool. The CM's were on the steps next to the pool bar, giving out wrist bands.

Just a thought, but just because someone has a different resort mug, they may not be pool hopping. We stayed at the CBR before we moved over to the BW and used our CBR mugs to keep our cocktails cold longer. We only bought BW mugs for the kids sodas at the pool.

Too bad they don't have refillable rum and cokes.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Deb & Bill, my point exactly. With proper budgeting and saving, WDW is available to all sorts of people. Therein lies the magic - it's not reserved for just the 6-figure wage earners. Without the value resorts, there would be many folks - good and decent ones, even! - who might not be able to swing a family vacation at Disney.

I was raised not to make class distinctions, and I bet most of y'all were, too! The worth of an individual - their manners, their integrity, their genuineness (is that a word?) - is not tied to their bankroll. I guess the solution would be for everyone who comes to Disney to bring a copy of their bank statement, to be screened at the entrance gate. Disney could safely assume that those of a certain financial strata wouldn't pool hop, and all those problems could be solved. Who'd want to share a pool with those nasty people, anyway? Think of the danger of infection by God-knows-what.

Sorry. Perhaps I've wandered OT. You can have your thread back. We're content to swim where we stay, btw.

I love all of y'all, but sometimes the pettiness just astonishes me. I've led a sheltered life.

 

[sap1227]

You can not imagine how many people I know that go "eat" at the Poly and then swim in the pool (I live about 20 mins away). I have tried many times to explain to them that this is WRONG, but they seem to not care. One person even told me that they saw old BC room keys on Ebay and wondered if that would get them into SAB.

Disney really should do something about "illegal" poolhoppers.

However, as long as it is "legal" for DVC members, we should be able to do it without feeling like evil people!!

 

[Disney Hot Mama]

We just got back from BCV on Friday. They never checked our ID's once. Maybe we looked like we belong? LOL

It was our first time there and we expected it to be crowded but really it was not bad at all.

 

[Mickmse2002]

We haven't ever done the pool hopping thing. Always seems like too much trouble to have to go through while on vacation. I mean pool water is basically pool water be it at a luxury resort, moderate resort, or value resort. Now having said that I will add my .02 to the argument: Disney resorts should do whatever it takes to enforce their rules relative to pool hopping. If you don't belong you don't belong; it's as simple as that. I don't care if you're wandering over from the Grand Floridian, a local scamming for some time or from Pop Century. if you don't belong you don't belong.

 

[FLYNZ4]

Personally, I think that most of you are trying to fix a problem that does not exist. WDW pools generally do not get overcrowded, and pool hopping is generally not a problem.

I would personally prefer to spend my time worrying about something that matters... and IMHO, this topic is trivial in magnitude.

/Jim