Does anyone else NOT like SAB?

[LisaR]

We just spent 4 nights at BWV. Everything was great except the 1 1/2 hour wait for our luggage to be brought up to our room!! Our home is OKW but we usually do our shorter trips to BWV. In all our trips to BWV and OKW, we have never pool hopped. Since this would be our last chance to try SAB unless we stay there, we decided to give it a try. My kids are 4 and 7. My 7 year old hated the slide. My 4 year old wouldn't even try it after she told him how bad it was! Yet, they both love BWV and the VB slide. Then they wanted to just swim for a little while. When we were in the pool with them, it was fine. When my 7 year old made a friend (which she does everywhere we go), she didn't want to swim with us anymore. In the OKW or BWV pools, we can see her the entire time. At SAB, she wanted to go into a different section constantly. I was forever moving from one chair to another to keep an eye on her. I found it to be a royal pain!!

I am glad we were able to try it out but it just wasn't for us. That is what makes DVC so great. There are so many choices to please everyone!

Lisa

Lisa

[Muushka]

We stayed at BC a few years back. It was mid-May, and pretty hot. We found the pool very noisy and crowded. Really not worth getting wet for! But then again, we don't have kids, and really appreciate the peace and quiet (so why do we go to WDW :D ???)

[BuzzLightYear3]

We pool hopped from BWV over to SAB last June when our 3 kids were 8, 4, and 21 months, and I didn't like it either for the same reason you stated.....difficult to keep track of the kids, and they have us out-numbered, so we couldn't even split up and follow them around. It's definitely not a place where you can easily sit by the pool and watch the kids splash (unless they're really little and are easily satisfied playing in one area without wandering.)

I think people with older kids would love it though....it has a large number of really cool features. My 8 year old did love the slide. Even the younger kids loved the the little slides at the base of the ladder to the big slide (although it took us a while to notice those.)

With little kids, I look at it as a 'nice place to visit' but not the pool I'd want to use for the daily mid-afternoon break. I imagine I'll view this differently when the kids are older though. As they say, the flexibility is the great thing about DVC!!!!

[Patricia]

I completely agree with you. I felt like I was constantly on the run looking for my kids. It wasn't relaxing at all. I guess if you are into action, it's the place to be. Or maybe if you go without kids. That will be awhile for me.. Plus, I hated the feeling of the bottom of the pool at the sand section. Not much of a lake girl...

[wdwnut]

hi: i can see where sab would be a problem with younger kids. ours are teens and twenties and they love it. they have also spent a fair amount of time in the quiet pool and hot tubs at bwv.

[Johnnie Fedora]

SAB is definetly a pool you need to have a mental map of. Once you have that, finding your way around isn't a problem. Our kids were 2 and 4, and they loved the kiddie pool and the whole lagoon area on the YC side. The YC lagoon is a shallow one, and I didn't have to spend my entire time at the pool holding my 2yo. The pool at ASMu has no zero entry and a little one can't splash at all unless an adult is holding him. We spent hours at SAB last Sept. Also, the kiddie slide on the pirate ship was perfect for the under 5 crowd.

[DVCajun]

We went when we were childless-- the lazy river was great!

I guess it depends on your situation.

[DisneyCrazy]

Personally it doesn't thrill me. When we were staying at BWV in June of last year, my nephew (11) and my friend's daughter (10) didn't even bother going over, they were more than happy at Luna Park - plus I don't think they liked the sand bottom.

[Towncrier]

When the sinking sands part of the pool worked, we loved SAB. But the sad fact is that the sinking sands have not been working on our past two vacations to WDW. We had so much fun there in 1999 that it was a major disappointment to us when we were back in 2000 and 2001. In 2000, the CM at the pool blamed a lightning strike for burning out the pump. There were no excuses in 2001. It just plain didn't work.

SAB is a nice pool, but not worth the hassle for us anymore.

[Mouse Ears]

What do you mean by 'sinking sands'?

I am not too familiar with SAB since I have never seen it. I am interested in this discussion since I am considering joining DVC by purchasing at BCV and SAB has been part of my justification for the higher cost vs. resale.

:earsboy: M.E.

[Towncrier]

There is a section of the pool that contains a "surprise" if you stand there long enough. It is marked with buoys that warn of sinking sands (or something to that effect). That should be enough info for you to figure out just what might happen in that area of the pool.

[Terry S]

My childern, ages 4 and 6 and husband love SAB, this is one of the reasons we bought BCV. I on the other had don't like it, but not for the reasons you mention. I know this is going to be a shocker, but I really don't like the sand (I don't like to swim in an ocean either, because of the sand), it just seems dirty to me with the sand, and then there is the whole issue of sand in my bathing suit bottom, but I won't get into that.

I was kind of hoping that the BCV pool would have a small slide and mabe a waterfall so I didn't have to go to SAB, but we all know that that is not the case.

[madcoco]

Not that we dislike SOB it is a great pool but usually way too crowded to enjoy most times.No more pool hopping.:( (but it needed to be done with the addition of BCV)

[Lew]

We have taken advantage of SAB during our stays at Y&BC and have pool hopped there a couple of times. It's a wonderful pool area...we enjoyed it very much.

SAB was always a mob scene when we were there...prior to BCV. With the addition of close to 300 units, SAB will be unbearable.

I can't imagine fighting the crowds at SAB!

[sgtpet]

SAB is so unoriginal, there is nothing that makes it stand out. I can't wait to sell my BCV points when it opens. Unless of course, they make it one huge pool with no slides of any sort. That sounds perfect. Of course the rooms will still by tiny...


SAB is the best, ask Terry S.

[FreshAir]

Sorry folks I need a Mickey Mouse decoder for some of these forums. What is SAB and where is SAB? Thanks

[ncligs]

FreshAir,

Welcome to the DIS!!! the SAB is the pool at the Yacht and Beach Club, (Storm Along Bay)It is one of the largest Resort pools on Disney property.

[DVCajun]

It took me a second, sgtpet, to get it! :) I'm still on my first cup of coffee!! http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/coffee.gif

[Ashley'sDad]

I took my daughter there last time we stayed at Beach Club. I purposely chose Beach Club because I thought she would love the pool. Well, she hated it. She said it was too crowded and some older kids kept splashing her in the face. It might have just been an off day (knowing how kids can be), but she did not want to go back.

I talked her into trying it again the next day, and we went early when it wasn't very busy. She liked it better, but still said she missed the Poly.

I am hoping that when she is a little older she will like it more. Dad loves it!

[KaraKW]

There are several reasons I don't like it.

1. I frequently scrape my feet at the bottom of the pool in areas where sand is suddenly scarce. Ouch!

2. The slide is terrible. It's rough on the back -- the "connections" between the slide tubes is rough at best, so it irritates the back as you go down "whee! :) bump! :mad: whee! :) bump! :mad: whee! :) bump! :mad:" I started going down with my back elevated so that it would not make contact with the uneven surface of the slide. Hardly comfortable! :rolleyes:

3. I have seen ducks swimming around that pool on several occasions. Yuck! :eek:

By the time I hit reason #3 I stopped swimming there. But, in all fairness, I have to say that it's themed beautifully and laid out uniquely!

[DVCajun]

I know what you mean about the ducks, but I think they're cute. :) Everytime I've seen ducks there it's been a momma and her babies.

Awww....

[drtpaper]

I like spending one afternoon at SAB. I love letting the kids play in the sand and sitting in the shallow end watching them. Everyone on this thread has already hit the highs and lows of the SAB area. The only thing better than BWV pool is the ability to sit in the water and watch the kids play in the sand. I have a 7, 4, and 2 year old and they all love it. I will miss being able to pool hop, but I figure I can round up the arm band if I need it. They were giving them out last week, but they weren't checking them and weren't stopping anybody from using the pool.

[LisaR]

Dave,
I am curious about the arm bands you mentioned. I was there last week and pool hopped to SAB. I called to make sure we could pool hop and they said "sure". They didn't say anything about arm bands. I didn't notice anybody wearing anything that would indicate they were staying there or not. Just wondering...

Lisa

[KaraKW]

DVCajun -- I, too, think the ducks are cute... but when there's something that strikes me as a big unhygenic about having wild fowl in the pool. :eek:

I like to joke that it's Donald and his nephews! :p

[MarkRG]

LisaR. Once the Beach Club Villas open for occupancy, people at Boardwalk won't be able to pool hop to Stormalong Bay any longer. Notice was given in the last Member Newsletter. I would guess at that point they're either going to start looking for room keys or armbands or something.

[drtpaper]

They were issuing armbands by the towels at the entrance by the beach club. You could walk right in through the entrances by the lake. Only about 25% of the people had armbands. I only got one to see what they were like so I could track some down for a future visit. They were nothing special, just a fluorescent orange with a small serial number on them. I went over there on two days - the 22nd and 23rd, and they were handing them out.

[invalid_char]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to address some of the concerns people have with SAB:

1) Regarding overcrowding, starting on July 1st pool-hopping will be eliminated. Only those with a valid BC, YC, or BCV room key will be admitted through the entrances. Given SAB's fame and popularity, the overcrowding problem should be lessened, even with BCV coming on board. So the overall SAB experience should be more enjoyable and less stressful from that point forward.

2) Ducks have frequented not only SAB but every other WDW pool we've visited. And besides, ducks are not the worst pollutants of the pools, our kids are. But never fear, that is why chlorine is here.

3) Regarding child supervision, if you have young children, consider bringing some sand toys and keeping them in the shallow sandy area, as others have mentioned above, when you do not feel like being in the water with them. This area is very quiet and non-intimidating for little ones. They will play, build sand castles, and splash around for hours while you relax in your chair or lay out your towel on the sandbar. If your kids are too old for this area, then they are probably old enough to be responsible and stay in the areas in which you feel comfortable having them.

If you still don't think SAB is your style, then the rest of us are truly grateful that you have found a pool you like better. There's that much less competition for the rest of us!

[Lesley]

Nothing against those of you who love SAB...but I thought it was nice to try once and I don't really mind that we won't be able to pool hop there anymore. If we decide to give it another shot we can make ressies at the BCV...no big deal.

Honestly I didn't think it was so gosh darn cool as everyone makes it out to be. Could be an issue of just hearing too much hype about it, I guess. The Rising Sands are cool and the idea is neat...but in the end, its just another pool. I think my kids would like to spend an afternoon in the sand/kiddie area....but we have more interesting things to do at WDW! We go to the beach for that!

Oh, we went when it was empty (early on a Mon. in January)....and my biggest problem with it is that the texture of the walkways hurt my feet. But you can't really wear your sandals to the edge of the pool because you'll probably be getting out elsewhere!

[Tom R]

Am I safe to assume this pool is heated in the winter time? With it's size, I wasn't sure about this. How about the lazy river? Is it heated too?

[TerriBelle]

We stayed at the BWV (home resort) in October and pool hopped twice to SAB. We are returning to Disney for Thanksgiving and we are staying at BCV so the kids can use SAB. My twins loved the sandy kids pool and the small slide. They still talk about the pirate slide! My older daughter loved the whirlpool and the sinking sand. The sand was working this October!

I agree it is difficult to keep track of kids but when we were there it was not very crowded. My daughter was 8 and is a good swimmer. She met a girl from England and they swam together.