Another pool issue - Reserving chairs

[Bostonfamily]

My family and I will be making our first ever trip to OKW in a few weeks as new owners (purchased through resale late last year). I'm somewhat concerned about a pratice I have encountered at many, if not all, of the other resorts (Disney and otherwise) that I have visited. Specifically, when other guests "reserve" poolside chairs early in the day only to use them many hours later. In the meantime, I am forced to sit in a distant location, if I am able to find a chair at all! Is this a practice that I should be prepared to see at OKW and other DVC locations? If so, do others also feel this is an issue or am I just too damn picky!

[This message was edited by Bostonfamily on 04-25-01 at 07:47 AM.]

 

[ripleysmom]

It's not an issue for me. If no one is on the chair in a half hour or so, then it's mine. Nuff said

Kimberly-Lucas and Ripley's Mom

 

[CaptainMidnight]

I don't know what OKW practices are, but I don't think it is too picky of an issue to raise.

It is a valid concern that people are placing towels on chairs to reserve them, when they are not in the pool area and actually will not be using the chairs for several hours. I have heard of CM's removing those towels to free up the pool chairs for people who are actually present in the pool area at the Vero Beach resort, although I have not experienced it. I guess this is another case of the 'me first and foremost, heck with everyone else, and I don't care how much I take advantage of the Disney customer service and other vacationer's "attitude"' that we seem to run across now and then. Personally, I applaud those CM's for jumping in there and trying to rectify this abusive practice. They have a tough job.

A few taking advantage and making it hard for the majority,..... if only common courtesy had a more prominent place.

 

[bres@westernMA]

OKW has a main pool and three neighborhood pools. At the neighborhood pools, there are generally more empty chairs than ones in use. During the day, it is not uncommon to be the only people at the pool. This is not the case in the afternoon (after park dips are very popular). Unless you have young kids, I strongly recommend that you try your local neighborhood pool and enjoy the solitude.

 

[Renee']

We've experienced towels on chairs many times at Vero. I must admit I was surprised to come down to the pool at 8:30am and find all the "front row" chairs nicely taken already. We've always respected that they were taken and found other chairs. Possibly in the future I'll inquire with the CM and see if in fact they are reserved and go from there. I guess I'm naive....I would have never thought to stake-out the chairs beginning at sunrise.

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="165" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth

 

[Chuck S]

Geez, now people are reserving pool chairs? I usually don't stay near the main pool at OKW. Even so, if there aren't any people around and there is a towel on a chair I've always assumed that someone was too lazy to put it in the dirty towel bin. I usually pick it up, drop it in the bin, and use the chair. Now, if it is somewhat obvious that it belongs to someone in the pool or nearby (at the snackbar or something), I'll leave it for them, of course. I seldom see towels on chairs early in the morning at OKW, and if so and no-one is there, I automatically drop it in the bin.

Chuck
DVC '92 (OKW)

 

[familyfun86]

We have been members of OKW for 8 years and never had a problem getting a chair at any pool at any time. If you arrive with a party of 10 during a peak time it might be a problem getting 10 chairs together but as a family of 5 we have never had any problems. We typically only look for a chair for me and DH since the kids do not want to sit at a pool, they want to be in the water. IMHO I think OKW is not as easy to reserve chairs as other resorts since it is so spread out. Alot of folks would have to work pretty hard to get some towels put on chairs early in the morning, especially if they did not drive.

 

[mrsdon]

Family Fun man
Hi, we just left ST Mary's 2 years ago. DH rertired from the Navy.
To try to keep this on topic we would never think about reserving a pool chair if we werent at the pool. The only time we ever reserve a chair is at the water parks and I think you're supossed to there.

 

[dianthus]

I see people just leave their towels on the chairs when they leave & not deposit them into the used bin all the time... I'll usually ask the person closest to the chair if someone was in the pool or is it vacant, especially if I don't see shoes or tshirts in the vicinity... Usually, they are gone

On the Magic, CMs come by & take towels away frequently if there are no other belongings around to cut down on "chair saving". It can get pretty cut throat for chairs down by that Mickey slide pool & Goofy pool!It's like trying to get a parking space at the Mall at Christmas!

I think the 1/2 hour rule mentioned above is a good one!

 

[Galahad]

We are also long time OKW owners and have never seen a lack of available pool chairs at any pool. You should be fine. They are probably all out getting kicked out of another resort's pool.

 

[normr]

It's no different from the problem I had with one person using EVERY washer and dryer in the laundry room the one time we stayed in a studio, some people cannot do the polite thing and share, they think that because they show up first, that gives them the right to monoploize EVERYTHING.

 

[Renee']

Galahad.....LOL

Norm.....Agreed, those who spread-out and monopolize the washers & dryers are truly inconsiderate and lack common sense and common courtesy.

When I posted above about the pool chairs at Vero being taken at 8:30am I was referring to fresh new towels placed on the chairs. When I see used, wet towels on chairs for quite sometime you can assume they've simply left their mess for someone else to pick-up.

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="165" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth

 

[Mic]

I had to post a reply to this, as I had a lesson in "pool etiquette" Easter Sunday at the Boardwalk. We arrived at 9:40, a few minutes before the slide opened, to find all the "good spots" taken by people who left only towels on the chair. Now that I think about it, there were more chairs "reserved" than there was people at the pool! We ended up sitting in a place where I could not see my younger daughter playing in the pool unless I stood up. We left the pool to have lunch in Epcot, and came back that afternoon to a much more crowded pool, and NO chairs. I found a CM who found 2 chairs next to each other that had only towels on them, and he removed them. I was told that a chair with only towels on it is fair game, but any personal item can not be touched by a CM. Sure wish I had known about that rule earlier in the day, since no one used 90% of the reserved chairs the entire 2 hours we were there.

 

[pluto109]

there was chair saving at the boardwalk adult pool this past april...they left towels and a store bag for three hours..sent a 5 year old at 8 am ..set up chairs right in front of the pool... this pratice should stop..its getting crazy!!!!!

 

[dvcdudes]

I wouldn't even wait a half hour as ripleysmom has stated. A towel on a chair does not constitute possession. I would however get up if someone came over and said they had that chair. I have sat on a regular chair for 1-2 hours and not taken two lounge chairs that had towels on them. We finally took over the lounge chairs after my back was cramping up and stayed another hour and guess what... no one ever came back to the lounge chairs.
From now on, I will take the towel off and plant myself immediately. that was a couple of hours of serious relaxation I missed out on.
If there is a bag or personal belongings I wouldn't remove them but a resort towel... c'mon.

DVCDUDES
Owner BWV Feb 2000

 

[JerseyJanice]

This is a pet peeve of mine, and I've seen it at every resort I've ever stayed in.

 

[Bostonfamily]

Thank's everyone for your input. As you can imagine, this is also an issue that really bothers me as well. I am very much looking forward to my upcoming visit and I hope this issue will not arise. If it does, however, I will not hesitate to enlise the help of a CM to remove any towels that have been left in an attempt to reserve a chair. Quite frankly, I wish DVC and all resorts would leave a "kind" well-worded note in all rooms requesting (demanding!) that guests not employ this practice. The resorts need to make it clear that this is unacceptable! We, as guests, should not have to be placed in a potentially confrontational situation with other guests. B]Thanks again everyone.[/B]

 

[DisneyMim]

WOW!!! I guess I am really naive too. I can't imagine tying up chairs for hours. We always just go for about 2 hours, would love to stay longer, but feel that is enough in the Florida sun. I would never even think of "reserving" chairs. We use the chairs when we are there and when we leave bring everything with us.

HOW RUDE!!!!!

 

[ckr]

I don't understand the comments about the washers/dryers. But before you blast me -- it wasn't me!! I don't even know where the laundry is at BWV! And I'll probably never find out!! :0)

If I were to go to the laundry room and all the washers were empty why would I be expected to only use one washer and leave the rest empty? How am I to know that 10 minutes after I start up my loads someone else is going to want to use that washer? Then after everything is washed, am I supposed to leave some of my wet clothes sitting in a basket and leave some of the dryers empty? Just doesn't make sense to me....

Can someone explain to me why using the available washers and dryers and making this yucky task more efficient on my vacation is such a rude thing for me to think of doing? I'm obviously missing the point here.... ???? Thanks!

 

[Renee']

If I were to go to the laundry room and all the washers were empty why would I be expected to only use one washer and leave the rest empty? How am I to know that 10 minutes after I start up my loads someone else is going to want to use that washer? Then after everything is washed, am I supposed to leave some of my wet clothes sitting in a basket and leave some of the dryers empty? Just doesn't make sense to me....

Can someone explain to me why using the available washers and dryers and making this yucky task more efficient on my vacation is such a rude thing for me to think of doing? I'm obviously missing the point here.... ????

ckr,

I'll try to demonstrate why it is rude and inconsiderate.

Since you mentioned BW I'll use that as my example. You're coming back from WDW and running up to your room for a few minutes before leaving again for a restaurant. Using your logic.....would you lock the busy elevator on your floor since you'll be using it again in a few minutes to go back down???? Those washers & dryers are for everyone in the hotel just as those elevators are. If you enter an empty laundry room good for you - usually they're busy. It would be the courteous thing not to monopolize the washers & dryers for those other people who also have that arduous task of laundry while on vacation. You don't know that 10 minutes later someone may show up to do laundry but you could assume in a busy hotel others may like to use the facilities too.

HTH,

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="165" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth