>> Using Pools at Other Resorts - FAQ and Questions Thread (No Debate) <<

[brewcrew80]

any idea if pool hopping is 'blacked out' on the last week of march?

thanks in advance!

[Deb & Bill]

Originally Posted by brewcrew80

any idea if pool hopping is 'blacked out' on the last week of march?

thanks in advance!

With Easter being March 31, I'd say there is a very good chance of it being blacked out.

Just checked my Portable Perks and pool hopping is blacked out from March 25 through April 7 (Sunday to Sunday - two weeks).

[Inga]

We are staying at BCV in September and while we appreciate that BCV has lovely pools, we are also looking to do some training (lap swimming) while we are away. We would LOVE to use the Dolphin lap pool as it is he only one on Disney property. Is there any way to make this happen? I can't imagine ther is a high demand for the use of this pool....any suggestions as to how we could make this happen?

Inga

[RobynPrincess]

We are renting DVC points from a friend, can we pool hop?

If yes, what pools can we hop to?

I'm not sure that we will but I want to know if we can and where we can.

Thank you!

[Deb & Bill]

Originally Posted by Inga

We are staying at BCV in September and while we appreciate that BCV has lovely pools, we are also looking to do some training (lap swimming) while we are away. We would LOVE to use the Dolphin lap pool as it is he only one on Disney property. Is there any way to make this happen? I can't imagine ther is a high demand for the use of this pool....any suggestions as to how we could make this happen?

Inga

The Dolphin pool is not a WDW pool because the Dolphin is separate from Disney resorts. You can swim there if you are a guest there.

Originally Posted by RobynPrincess

We are renting DVC points from a friend, can we pool hop?

If yes, what pools can we hop to?

I'm not sure that we will but I want to know if we can and where we can.

Thank you!

If you are not the member, you are not entitled to pool hopping privileges. You'll be swimming at the pool at your resort for this trip. If your friend was going with you on the trip and you did not compensate the friend for the trip, you could join your friend if and when the friend pool hopped.

[Inga]

Originally Posted by Deb & Bill

The Dolphin pool is not a WDW pool because the Dolphin is separate from Disney resorts. You can swim there if you are a guest.

Thank you, I am aware of that, and wondering given the uniqueness of being the only lap pool on Disney property, thought perhaps there was a way to purchase swim passes (like a gym membership) to the Dolphin lap pool....doesn't sound like that is likely.

A shame!

Inga

[RobynPrincess]

Originally Posted by Deb & Bill

The Dolphin pool is not a WDW pool because the Dolphin is separate from Disney resorts. You can swim there if you are a guest there.


If you are not the member, you are not entitled to pool hopping privileges. You'll be swimming at the pool at your resort for this trip. If your friend was going with you on the trip and you did not compensate the friend for the trip, you could join your friend if and when the friend pool hopped.

Thank you very much, we won't be hopping then not worth the embarrassment. Thanks for your reply

[Jimmysmom0703]

Hello, I was wondering if I stayed at the POP Century & took the walk over bridge to AOA can I swim in there pool..I would love to swim with the nemo theme..Thank you

[Deb & Bill]

Originally Posted by Jimmysmom0703

Hello, I was wondering if I stayed at the POP Century & took the walk over bridge to AOA can I swim in there pool..I would love to swim with the nemo theme..Thank you

Nope, you need a room ID from AoA to enter the pool there. You could cancel your Pop Century reservation and book AoA if you really wanted to swim there.

[chaoslobster]

Hi everyone. I have a bad habit of rambling on, so I apologize in advance.

I'll be visiting WDW next month, staying at the Pop Century. I am severely disabled and need to have a zero-entry pool (no steps) to enjoy the pool safely. Don't worry, this post isn't about asking for special privileges. The pertinent information is that I'd like to know, if I am a paying guest at a Disney resort, am I entitled to use the resort's pools on the day I check in, and the day I check out?

The full details:

I go to Disney once a year, every year, just myself and my little sister in a caretaker role. It's always been my fantastic dream to stay in the lap of tropical luxury at the Polynesian, with white sand beach-pools and alcohol served in a pineapple. I could really go in the pool then, and swim!, and pretend for awhile that life isn't always so painful.

Unfortunately I live in the real world and deluxe resorts will never, ever be within my reach. I've always made a choice to stay for 10 days at the Pop instead of 2 or 3 somewhere cushier.

But... I've been thinking about this for years, and finally decided to go ahead and splurge this one time -- my health is deteriorating and I'm afraid this may be the last year I'm able to visit Disney. I still can't afford a vacation at a deluxe, but this year I decided I'm going to spend the $600 and get a room for just 1 night at the Polynesian, so I'd be allowed to use the zero-entry pool.

I just want to be 100% sure on some things before I commit to spending that much money. It's going to mean a lot of sacrificing and I need to know it's worth it.

If I'm a guest at the Polynesian, when exactly can I use the pools? Only the hours that I'm actually checked into the resort? Or is there some leeway? In specific, could I arrive a few hours before check-in time at 3pm (say around noon) and use the pool while I'm waiting to check in? And the next morning, check out time is 11am. Would I be able to check out of my room, but stay a few more hours at the resort?

This is what I'm tentatively planning. I have secured a reservation at Ohana for a Wednesday night. I'd like to take a room at the Polynesian the same night. My sister and I will sleep in late at our room at the Pop, pack a few things and head over to the Poly around noon. If we can't check in yet, we'll explore the resort, maybe have some wine and sushi, and soak up the expensive atmosphere. After checking in, we plan to lay out at the pool, swim, and consume the aforementioned alcohol served in pineapples. Our res at Ohana isn't until 9:45, so we'll probably head back to our room a few hours early for hot showers followed by facial masques, cucumber slices and terrycloth robes, to be accompanied by a bottle of good merlot.

We will then consume far more food than any three people could require, and take a brief moment to feel thankful that it won't be necessary to stumble out to the monorail platform, intoxicated and uncomfortably queasy, ride the train back to the MK and inevitably arrive in time to watch a Pop Century bus board and pull away while we wait in the wheelchair queue, before finally catching the next bus and stuffing in like sardines for a 15 minute wobbly drive in a darkened bus full of overtired children swaying on their feet because there's always at least one jerk who won't give his seat up to an exhausted 5 yr old.

...where was I. Yes, giving thanks that we'll be avoiding all of the above this year, normally an annual ritual on Ohana Night of our trip. Instead we'll depart from Ohana as guests of the resort, and stroll back to our room leisurely in the moonlight, admiring the palm trees and pretending we can afford to be here. To cap off the evening we'll finish off the merlot while soaking in a tub of bubbles (me) and watching American Idol reruns (her).

The next morning, we'll sleep late and check ourselves out at 10:55am. We'll have coffee and fruit sitting in the shade near the pool, then spend a leisurely afternoon much like the previous, with swimming and pineapples, et cetera. I imagine around 3 or 4pm we'll finally pack up and slink back to the Pop where we belong, probably tormented by mental images of everything else that $600 could have been spent on.

What do you think? Can it happen?

[nebo]

chaoslobster: you may use the pools and any other ammenities of the resort you are staying at the full day of check in and until midnight the day of check out.

so, if you want to arrive at the Poly at 6 am on check in day you can use the pool, and continue to use it until midnight the day of check out.

but, for $600, you could stay in the little mermaid rooms at the Art or animation for longer than one night. they do have handicapped rooms, some on the 1st floor, and the Nemo pool is zero entry.

with a room only discount, you could stay a lot more nights at the Carribbean beach (heck, even without a discount). they have a zero entry pool. it is a Moderate resort. and quite lovely.

[chaoslobster]

Originally Posted by nebo

but, for $600, you could stay in the little mermaid rooms at the Art or animation for longer than one night. they do have handicapped rooms, some on the 1st floor, and the Nemo pool is zero entry.

with a room only discount, you could stay a lot more nights at the Carribbean beach (heck, even without a discount). they have a zero entry pool. it is a Moderate resort. and quite lovely.

I didn't know about the Nemo pool at AoA being zero-entry. That's wonderful! I did some searching on the matter via Google and the disabilities FAQ, but all the information I could find stated that the only zero-entry pools were at the Deluxe resorts (and CBR). Guess because AoA is so new. Well, it's too late for my upcoming visit, but if I'm still able to make the trip next year I'll definitely be booking at Art of Animation.

In any case, this splurge isn't entirely about the pool. That's a large part of the reason, but my love affair with the Polynesian stretches back twenty years. As a teenager our family visited Disney and spent a week on the Concierge level at the Poly. I was too young to appreciate the experience, not to mention being only a year into my diagnosis and brokenhearted at my first-ever confinement to a chair in public. I re-visit it in my memories now (and through home movies, thank you Dad!) and savor every palm tree.

The Polynesian is my dream vacation. I know I'm building it up into more than the sum of its parts, sprinkling pixie dust to make the ordinary extraordinary, but the heart wants what it wants, y'know? Every year, we make a point of visiting just to walk around the resort and breathe the air that smells of tropical flowers and white sandy beaches, and to eat at our favorite restaurant Ohana.

I think I always had it in my head somehow that one of these years I'd splurge and we'd stay there for real; maybe during a summer that I'd be out of commission after major surgery, I'd skip the vacation that year and be able to save up twice as much so as to afford the Poly the next year. Or maybe my grandmother would help me with it, maybe she'd even come with us. Something, somehow, someday!

Last year, early in the year I was hospitalized for over a month and my insurance paid out a daily stipend; thanks to that and a bit of generosity (and guilt, I'd bet) my fantastic parents gave me the best birthday gift ever by announcing that this year, my annual Disney trip would be all expenses paid. That decision wasn't made until a few weeks prior to leaving for Orlando, so I'd already saved up the necessary funds over the prior twelve months, same as I do every year. So out of the blue, I had (mumble) in my checking account that wasn't earmarked for anything in particular. You can guess how fast my imagination leapt onto the monorail and exited, watching its step and staying clear of the doors, into the lobby of the Polynesian! This was it, this was the only chance I'd get.

It turns out I seriously, seriously underestimated how much it would cost to stay at the Polynesian even for just a week instead of my usual 10 days. I'd never actually priced it out until that moment... you don't put dollar amounts on a fantasy. I'd saved up the typical cost for my trip and my parents were willing to match it, paying this year's expenses, so I was ready to pay double the usual. But a week at the Poly cost more than double. More than triple, actually, even assuming the room-only discount I always use for my room at the Pop. It cost more for 5 days than I had or could borrow or hope to pay back.

Short of winning the lottery I won't be vacationing at the Polynesian in this lifetime, but I refuse to let my dream evaporate entirely. I think that two days of relaxation in the beautiful pools and one night dining at Ohana and retiring in luxury is still something worthy of dreaming for. The $600 hurts (it's $585 really), but that is what it costs, and dreaming won't help. I wish the spring room-only discount was still available (I booked my 10 days at the Pop using that savings, as I do every year) but it's gone and that's that. The bright side is I have some Disney Visa points to spend because I forgot to bring the reward card with me last year, and also I'd made plans to see Cirque du Soleil this year but the show isn't running during my stay so that's two tickets I don't have to buy.

It is a splurge, but what's life if you don't splurge once in every great while? If this is my last time visiting Disney, I sure want to squeeze every moment from it.

[memakwed]

I started by reading the FAQ posted back on page one but see it was dated 2010. I just want to verify that policy hasn't changed and that guests at POFQ can use the pools at POR. My DS9 only likes quiet pools andto save a few dollars we were thinking of doing POFQ this time but using the POR quiet pool. We have stayed at POR the last two trips because of the quiet pool. While I would love for him to enjoy himslef at a pool with a water slide he is not a splashy kid and prefers to swim around adults and not other children so a quiet pool is a must because the noise and splash factor are more controlled then a resort with a single non quiet pool like POFQ.
TIA

[Deb & Bill]

Originally Posted by memakwed

I started by reading the FAQ posted back on page one but see it was dated 2010. I just want to verify that policy hasn't changed and that guests at POFQ can use the pools at POR. My DS9 only likes quiet pools andto save a few dollars we were thinking of doing POFQ this time but using the POR quiet pool. We have stayed at POR the last two trips because of the quiet pool. While I would love for him to enjoy himslef at a pool with a water slide he is not a splashy kid and prefers to swim around adults and not other children so a quiet pool is a must because the noise and splash factor are more controlled then a resort with a single non quiet pool like POFQ.
TIA

Yes, POR and POFQ are considered sister resorts. So guests at either resort can use the pools at either location.

[godoftheWorld]

Originally Posted by chaoslobster

Hi everyone. I have a bad habit of rambling on, so I apologize in advance.

I'll be visiting WDW next month, staying at the Pop Century. I am severely disabled and need to have a zero-entry pool (no steps) to enjoy the pool safely. Don't worry, this post isn't about asking for special privileges. The pertinent information is that I'd like to know, if I am a paying guest at a Disney resort, am I entitled to use the resort's pools on the day I check in, and the day I check out?

The full details:

I go to Disney once a year, every year, just myself and my little sister in a caretaker role. It's always been my fantastic dream to stay in the lap of tropical luxury at the Polynesian, with white sand beach-pools and alcohol served in a pineapple. I could really go in the pool then, and swim!, and pretend for awhile that life isn't always so painful.

Unfortunately I live in the real world and deluxe resorts will never, ever be within my reach. I've always made a choice to stay for 10 days at the Pop instead of 2 or 3 somewhere cushier.

But... I've been thinking about this for years, and finally decided to go ahead and splurge this one time -- my health is deteriorating and I'm afraid this may be the last year I'm able to visit Disney. I still can't afford a vacation at a deluxe, but this year I decided I'm going to spend the $600 and get a room for just 1 night at the Polynesian, so I'd be allowed to use the zero-entry pool.

I just want to be 100% sure on some things before I commit to spending that much money. It's going to mean a lot of sacrificing and I need to know it's worth it.

If I'm a guest at the Polynesian, when exactly can I use the pools? Only the hours that I'm actually checked into the resort? Or is there some leeway? In specific, could I arrive a few hours before check-in time at 3pm (say around noon) and use the pool while I'm waiting to check in? And the next morning, check out time is 11am. Would I be able to check out of my room, but stay a few more hours at the resort?

This is what I'm tentatively planning. I have secured a reservation at Ohana for a Wednesday night. I'd like to take a room at the Polynesian the same night. My sister and I will sleep in late at our room at the Pop, pack a few things and head over to the Poly around noon. If we can't check in yet, we'll explore the resort, maybe have some wine and sushi, and soak up the expensive atmosphere. After checking in, we plan to lay out at the pool, swim, and consume the aforementioned alcohol served in pineapples. Our res at Ohana isn't until 9:45, so we'll probably head back to our room a few hours early for hot showers followed by facial masques, cucumber slices and terrycloth robes, to be accompanied by a bottle of good merlot.

We will then consume far more food than any three people could require, and take a brief moment to feel thankful that it won't be necessary to stumble out to the monorail platform, intoxicated and uncomfortably queasy, ride the train back to the MK and inevitably arrive in time to watch a Pop Century bus board and pull away while we wait in the wheelchair queue, before finally catching the next bus and stuffing in like sardines for a 15 minute wobbly drive in a darkened bus full of overtired children swaying on their feet because there's always at least one jerk who won't give his seat up to an exhausted 5 yr old.

...where was I. Yes, giving thanks that we'll be avoiding all of the above this year, normally an annual ritual on Ohana Night of our trip. Instead we'll depart from Ohana as guests of the resort, and stroll back to our room leisurely in the moonlight, admiring the palm trees and pretending we can afford to be here. To cap off the evening we'll finish off the merlot while soaking in a tub of bubbles (me) and watching American Idol reruns (her).

The next morning, we'll sleep late and check ourselves out at 10:55am. We'll have coffee and fruit sitting in the shade near the pool, then spend a leisurely afternoon much like the previous, with swimming and pineapples, et cetera. I imagine around 3 or 4pm we'll finally pack up and slink back to the Pop where we belong, probably tormented by mental images of everything else that $600 could have been spent on.

What do you think? Can it happen?

It isn't about the pool, I'm dying of brain cancer myself. Go to the Poly and have a magical time. Get too drunk, eat too much and enjoy the pool. Then go right back to your room in the resort. Something's in life aren't about the money. It's the experience, the Poly is one hell of an experience.