BLT pool vs Poly volcano pool

[AllieV]

We're staying at BLT in April with a 5-yr. He loves pools but the forceful slides are a bit much for him and they don't let me go down with him. BLT pool looks pretty boring except for the massive slide, which he shouldn't do. The Volcano pool at the poly looks cool. Since I'm a DVC member staying on points, I can hop there. But the BLT pool doesn't allow people to hop there, which makes me think it's a really good pool.

Any opinions on these two pools? Is it worth packing up a 5-yr old, hopping the monorail, and hitting up the pool? We're there for 4 nights then go to Beach Club for 4 nights (cool pool!)

 

[spiceycat]

you can pool hop.

blt pool is tiny and I mean tiny. so it can't allow pool hoping because of its size.

besides the security is still working for the pool area.

 

[AllieV]

Oh that makes sense, thanks. I thought BLT was some hidden secret, but it's just small. Is it a far walk from the monorail to the pool at poly? Do they have cabanas to rent?

 

[murraylieb]

You can also use the pool at the contemporary. And I assume you can still pool hop from BLT to GF....they just put in a new kids water play area....it looked pretty great. We pool hopped from BLT to Poly...I liked Poly's pool much better. The walk from the monorail is not bad at all.

 

[AllieV]

Are any walkable from blt or is the monorail a must? Is there any way to call ahead to see if they are full? Gf sounds cool thanks

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

We are also staying at BLT this summer and would like to pool hop to the surrounding resorts. Riding the monorail to the pools seems awkward...is it? If you have a car, are you allowed to park at the other resorts while you swim? If so, is there a time limit?

 

[twinboysmom]

As others have said, the pool is small at BLT. I just wanted to add that the slide isn't one of the quick slides. You may find he does fine on it.

 

[bbn1122]

As other mentioned, BLT is a decent slide, my boys liked it, but they also love CRs slide......two slides ....to try at one resort....remember BLT is part of the CR.

But, you are only a monorail ride from Poly and GF and about ride from WL.

Have fun...

 

[Song of the South]

My little *loved* the little slide at BLT and could almost manage it by herself at 18 months. My DH stayed out of the pool to help her navigate up to the top of the slide and I stayed in the water at the bottom. She is a swimmer and obviously the big slide was out of the question but your kiddo could probably manage the little slide all by himself and might really, really enjoy it.

I wouldn't pool hop with my kiddo because I wouldn't want the inconvience and hassle but with an older kid it might be fun. Then again if you are at BCV in a few days just taking the elevator down and out to the BLT pool may be just fine.

No matter what you decide ENJOY and have a terrific time!!!

SotS

 

[gdrj]

Are any walkable from blt or is the monorail a must? Is there any way to call ahead to see if they are full? Gf sounds cool thanks

I think you need to look at a Disney World Map...You can not walk from Resort to Resort. If you are unfamiliar with the Resorts on the monorail I would recommend taking a ride to each before embarking on a trip with a child to a pool.

With the splash area at BLT and the slide at the Contemp your child will probably be happy right there. Since you are going to BCV after I would just focus on the pools at BLT and Contemp.

 

[AllieV]

Thanks for the info. As a kid, we stayed at Poly a lot but as an adult, we've stayed at Mods or the Boardwalk. I've only visited the monorail resorts via a cab at night when lounge hopping. I don't remember being able to walk to MK from CR but now you can, so I wasn't sure if more trails had been added resort-to-resort for walkers or joggers.

I saw that little slide at BLT, seems really small. The kids play area at GF looks cool.

 

[amypetecar]

The volcano pool is very fun, perhaps my favorite at disney. The slide at the poly is VERY agressive. My kids loved it! But it was fast, steep, and completely in the dark (aka awesome!)

To answer the prior posters question , the monorail is great for pool hopping! Just take a dr,y change of clothes and change in the public locker rooms. In fact, after hopping from blt to the poly to swim, my kids insisted on trying the GF pool next, on the same monorail ride! It was a great non-park resort only day.

For little kids though, try the grand floridian. The splash deck with the tree house is great, and the main slide at the cove pool is much slower than both blt and the poly

 

[Anal Annie]

We've never stayed at the the Poly so I can't comment on that but we thought the BLT pool was a joke. It is so dinky and small and crowded - the lounge chairs literally touch each other....and the slide is a lifeguards nightmare. The resort attracts a lot of families with really small children that are all still wearing life vests and floaties and I swear none of them had parents in the pool waiting for them. I've never, ever seen a pool slide shut down so many times because of a kid in the water at the bottom that couldn't get out of the way fast enough. We DID however really enjoy the pool over at the Contemporary. Lots of space, large, plenty of lounge chairs. I would definitely go there over the BLT pool. It was just so much more pleasant. Also, we were at the BLT pool in the spring...I don't know how the shadows may change in the summer months but in the spring by late afternoon the entire BLT pool was in the shade of the building...I was hoping for some sun time and never got more than a few minutes.

 

[AllieV]

Thanks, Annie. Unfortunately, my kid is one of those running around with a life vest. I do wait at the bottom of the slide for him, though, to get him out of the way. If hubby is around (he hates the pool. And sun.) then he'll put him on the slide at the top. But the little one can't get on the slide on his own (at least not last year at BWV) because of the roaring water at the top.

But the idea of tons of kids has me in hives. I think I'm hitting the rails. That GF water play area looks pretty good, if it's not too crowded. Does GF get a lot of little kids?

That Poly slide looks like a nightmare, although the rest of the pool looks cool. Just need to get through a couple of days until we hit BCV.

 

[Anal Annie]

Thanks, Annie. Unfortunately, my kid is one of those running around with a life vest. I do wait at the bottom of the slide for him, though, to get him out of the way. If hubby is around (he hates the pool. And sun.) then he'll put him on the slide at the top. But the little one can't get on the slide on his own (at least not last year at BWV) because of the roaring water at the top.

But the idea of tons of kids has me in hives. I think I'm hitting the rails. That GF water play area looks pretty good, if it's not too crowded. Does GF get a lot of little kids?

That Poly slide looks like a nightmare, although the rest of the pool looks cool. Just need to get through a couple of days until we hit BCV.

Sorry, it's not that I hate toddlers in life vests - our DS was one once too (and is now a competitive swimmer) but we NEVER let him go off by himself, vest or no vest. Seemed a lot of the kiddos at BLT had marched their own little diaper bags down there on their own. I kid you not. I couldn't believe that the lifeguards weren't insisting on a parent to be at the bottom of this slide to catch them. The other big problem is that the BLT pool almost seemed like an after thought. It is WAAAY too small for the population that BLT holds. Just go over to the Contemporary pool and you'll be fine!!

 

[DenLo]

I agree with the above post about the small slide at BLT. It is small enough that kids can indepently slide on it. There is also a water play area.

BLT water play area.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

To answer the prior posters question , the monorail is great for pool hopping! Just take a dr,y change of clothes and change in the public locker rooms. In fact, after hopping from blt to the poly to swim, my kids insisted on trying the GF pool next, on the same monorail ride! It was a great non-park resort only day.

Thank you for this information! I forgot about the locker rooms!

 

[Anal Annie]

I agree with the above post about the small slide at BLT. It is small enough that kids can indepently slide on it. There is also a water play area.

BLT water play area.

When we were there that pool was standing room only with a wait list!! And the toddlers weren't just using that baby slide - they were coming down the big one (with nobody waiting for them at the bottom). It was a free-for-all.

 

[spiceycat]

now the BLT does have a nice kids water fountain type area.

the only problem was you couldn't get the teens out of it for the little ones to enjoy it.

you can also go to the WL - the boat docks at the marina at CR.

 

[BLTisforME]

I have stayed at all 3 properties. The pool at BLT is "fine".... And because its kinda basic, we have found it to be quieter (which we like). Although the feel of the poly is great, I would use the pool at BLT or CR and wait for your time at BCV. Stormalong Bay blows everything out of the water (pun intended). Have a magical time!!!