Stay at Pop and swim at AOA?

[goodferry]

I'm just curious what other Disney pools are gated and carded? Just Beach and Yacht club, right? It seems crazy that they would bother gating a value pool and not the deluxe pools.

The pool at BLT is gated and required a key to get into when we were there in early February.

 

[CamoMama]

The feature pool at CBR is gated as well, although you don't need a card to get in.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

Well, maybe AOA pool is gated, but not carded. Maybe they gated it so that kids will not wander off, especially in the part with spray jets?

 

[WEDWDW]

Well, maybe AOA pool is gated, but not carded. Maybe they gated it so that kids will not wander off, especially in the part with spray jets?

It appears The Big Blue will be room card entry only.

One of our most knowledgeable DISers,Backstage Gal,posted the info below earlier in the Thread.

"I have been told the pool will be gated and you need your room key to enter"

 

[mickeye]

The feature pool at CBR is gated as well, although you don't need a card to get in.

That's interesting. I've stayed at the CBR 8 times with the last time being in Sept. 2010. At that time and all of the years previous, the main themed pool never had a fence. When they finished the kid's little 'mini water park' area with the pirate ship and slides, dumping water bucket, etc., that had a fence, but not the main pool. I see that you were there in Feb. 2012 CamoMama. They put that fence up between your trip and Sept. 2010 when I last went. Now it really makes me think that little by little all of the pools may be getting fenced in. Thanks for that info, CamoMama.

 

[Just*the*ten*of*us]

You've got exhausted guests coming home late from the parks with bags of souvenirs, tired kids, some kids maybe being carried, baby strollers, half eaten giant lollipops and cotten candy (that the kids desperately still want to eat! LOL)

you were watching me on my last trip werent you??

 

[CamoMama]

That's interesting. I've stayed at the CBR 8 times with the last time being in Sept. 2010. At that time and all of the years previous, the main themed pool never had a fence. When they finished the kid's little 'mini water park' area with the pirate ship and slides, dumping water bucket, etc., that had a fence, but not the main pool. I see that you were there in Feb. 2012 CamoMama. They put that fence up between your trip and Sept. 2010 when I last went. Now it really makes me think that little by little all of the pools may be getting fenced in. Thanks for that info, CamoMama.

Wow, this was our first stay, I had no idea that it hadn't always been gated. The main gate is between the pool bar and the large pool, but there are two other gates, one is for employees and leads to the parking lot, the other to the path toward Trinidad South near the little beach there. That one says it's for emergencies only, but a CM told my daughters that it was fine to use it as going all the way around to the main gate from our room added quite a bit to the trek, and it's not alarmed or anything.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

People who are not eligible for discounts on the suites and just want to be able to use their pool without twice as many people in it because it's new and easily accessible from Pop we're simply saying so.

 

[kathleendsm]

The pool at BLT is gated and required a key to get into when we were there in early February.

Yes, we were there last week and that was the case. It was pretty strict! And for a pool that, while nice enough, wasn't anything special compared to other pools on site. Interestingly, BLT and CR are "sister" resorts (BLT is the DVC wing of CR). But although BLT guests may use either the BLT pool or the CR pool, CR guests cannot use the BLT pool. So it's possible that AOA and Pop might be "sister" resorts and share certain amenities, but still restrict access to the Big Blue.

Frankly, I think it's perfectly reasonable to restrict access. AOA is a lot more expensive, and with not getting discounts, they should at least have easy access to their pool!

 

[trekker93]

Now that WDW has had some severe accidents, some of the pool changes may have been driven by security and safety concerns as much as privacy issues. The open pool access looks ike it will be limited due to these and child safety is probably high in the list. We stay at POP alot and will try to cross over the ridge to look at the new resort but I have no interest in swimming in their pools. The Pop pools are fine , the kids love them. why have them walk 100's of yards in a hot walkway to go to another pool? The kids will head for the nearest cool water at POP.

 

[WEDWDW]

Now that WDW has had some severe accidents, some of the pool changes may have been driven by security and safety concerns as much as privacy issues. The open pool access looks ike it will be limited due to these and child safety is probably high in the list. We stay at POP alot and will try to cross over the ridge to look at the new resort but I have no interest in swimming in their pools. The Pop pools are fine , the kids love them. why have them walk 100's of yards in a hot walkway to go to another pool? The kids will head for the nearest cool water at POP.

I have to agree with you.

I think all of the concerns about The Big Blue being over run with POP Guests would be a non-issue after the "newness" of AoA wears off even it wasn't going to be "gated".

 

[mickeye]

you were watching me on my last trip werent you??

Uh Oh, I guees you caught me! LOL

Yes, we were there last week and that was the case. It was pretty strict! And for a pool that, while nice enough, wasn't anything special compared to other pools on site. Interestingly, BLT and CR are "sister" resorts (BLT is the DVC wing of CR). But although BLT guests may use either the BLT pool or the CR pool, CR guests cannot use the BLT pool. So it's possible that AOA and Pop might be "sister" resorts and share certain amenities, but still restrict access to the Big Blue.
Frankly, I think it's perfectly reasonable to restrict access. AOA is a lot more expensive, and with not getting discounts, they should at least have easy access to their pool!

I heard that BLT has a 'smallish' pool that wouldn't be able to handle a lot of guests from the CR and that is why they are so strict and can't reciprocate.