About the pools and kids...

[graygables]

While my DDs enjoy swimming, they will NOT enjoy getting splashed on and being around rowdiness in the pool. We are having plenty of swim time at our resort both before and after the cruise, as well as a water park day.

Would I be better off to discourage them swimming onboard (from all the horror stories I'm seeing)? Maybe do the Mickey slide a few times, but generally stick to more activity type things? Are there times that the Mickey pool is fairly quiet?

 

[mommasita]

In my experiences the Mickey Pool does get a little crowded starting at 11am or so..We tried to go earlier than this, so the kids could get their fun in..The slide tends to have longer line ups as the day goes on.. I would not totally avoid the pool, perhaps give it a shot earlier in the day...They really do love it!!!

Also supper times are a nice time to enjoy almost a totally empty pool.

 

[aprilgail2]

The only time i let my daughter there was in the early morning hours around 7am-8am or so ...later on the color of that water just grossed me out and I didn't want her swiming in that...plus there were a lot of kids over 7 years old in the little kiddie pool and it got a bit wild with kids that old in the kiddie pool...

 

[disneygatorfan]

i noticed the pool tended to be a little less crowded when the ship was at port...

also, the day you embark.. if you remember to bring the kids swimsuits on your carry on, its not always as crowded since many guests are still waiting for luggage to arrive...

 

[atakaratemom]

My vote goes for mornings as well. My daughter had the Mickey pool virtually to herself on a couple of mornings. I let her swim and go down the slide while I ate breakfast. Both pools get very crowded and the Goofy pool crowd does get a bit rowdy. My DS is 11 and he didn't mind the crowd in the Goofy pool as he is quite able to fend for himself, but my DD didn't like the Mickey pool when it was so crowded.

 

[inkkognito]

DEFINITELY do a swim on embarkation day before the safety drill! That is one of the best times. We are adults, so we don't have to worry so much about crowded pools, but the family pools are typically packed. But don't worry, there will be plenty of other fun activities to keep the kids distracted, busy, and having a great time.
Barb

 

[xlRacerXlx]

I rarely swim myself, but the pools are almost never crowed from 6:00 onwards, due to dinner, sleep and other activities. My mother always took my sisters immediately after dinner, this way there were enough kids to play with, but not so many that it was dangerous or gross...

 

[cats04]

We were on the 9/24 Magic sailing. My dd (5) was kicked in the face by another child jumping into the Goofy pool. It was very frighting to see her running to me with blood running down her face. Luckily, she only had a bloody nose. After that she would only go into the hot tub or Micky pool. This is something I can't get over. Disney should have lifeguards on duty during the peak daytime hours. Parents also need to watch their children and make sure they are following the rules (NO JUMPING). I would definately swim during the morning or port days. It's much more enjoyable.

 

[lbgraves]

We have been on the Magic twice & never saw the Mickey pool water get gross like some have reported on their cruises. I guess that it depends on how many parents of non PTd kids follow the rules each week. We also went to the pool around 8 am and the kids were fine. Some days we had lunch by the pool while the kids played & they still had a great time. There was only one child who ever misbehaved and after she hit my DD I told a CM & she was told to stop or get out. The Goofy pool is a place that I don't let my kids go. The water level is so far below the deck that kids are going to jump in...no matter what the signs say. This is also the result of parents not watching their kids closely enough or reprimanding them when they need to be. DS started using the slide last year & is excited about going on it again this year. The best time to use the pool is when the ship is in port. We would go ashore for an hour or two then come back & go to the pools. The three kids were sometimes the only ones in the Mickey pool! Others didn't really start coming back until 3 and we were ready to get out & rest a bit by then.

 

[umber]

My DD had the Mickey pool all to herself on a few evenings at 6pm. People really cleared out for dinner or other activities.

 

[imlazar]

My kids loved the mickey pool, and that is where they spent most of their time on-board. We found the goofy pool to be small, crowded, and VERY dirty with lots of napkin pieces floating around. My wife refused to get into it.

The biggest gripe I have about the Disney ship is the size of the Goofy pool, it should be twice what it is.