Any Salt Water Pools?

[canadawithboys]

Are there any/many salt water pools at WDW? I read somewhere that Art of Animation's main pool is salt water. We stayed at AOA 4 years ago and loved it. I have recently developed a severe chlorine allergy/sensitivity, and I'm planning another trip to DW and hoping that either AOA's main pool is still saltwater and/or that other DW resorts are also using saltwater. I have not been able to find any recent info at all and I thought someone on here may know.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Sue M]

Not that I know of? But I hadn't heard AoA was salt water either!

 

[dbavis]

the oasis pool at the Poly, which is not the main/feature pool, is salt water.

 

[AngiTN]

I've been in the AoA main pool and if that was salt water it was sure not obvious. I would have sworn that was chorine.
I've been in the main pool for every other Mod and Deluxe (not OKW or SSR) and none of them were either

 

[Sue M]

the oasis pool at the Poly, which is not the main/feature pool, is salt water.

Darn. When we stayed it was still. Mud hole!! I've only stayed at one hotel that was non chlorine. A Hampton Inn at Cocoa Beach had a mineral pool. It was nice not smelling like chlorine after a swim.

 

[robl45]

Even if it was salt water, its still chlorine. Chlorine is also higher at public pools to make sure they disinfect everything.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Oasis pool at Poly is most definitely a,salt water pool

 

[canadawithboys]

Thanks everyone!

Even if it was salt water, its still chlorine. Chlorine is also higher at public pools to make sure they disinfect everything.

Thank you for your response! I've heard this as well... that saltwater pools still convert salt to chlorine. I'm still hoping that somehow I'm able to go in "the least of the evils" when it comes to pools... perhaps wishful thinking. Am I understanding you correctly that the level of chlorine in a public saltwater pool is probably just as high as a regular chlorine pool? Do you know whether saltwater pools convert salt into the same form of chlorine as "normal" chlorine, or a slightly different one? There's no guarantee I'll be able to go even in saltwater pools, but they seem to be my only possible hope at this point.

 

[Sue M]

Thanks everyone!



Thank you for your response! I've heard this as well... that saltwater pools still convert salt to chlorine. I'm still hoping that somehow I'm able to go in "the least of the evils" when it comes to pools... perhaps wishful thinking. Am I understanding you correctly that the level of chlorine in a public saltwater pool is probably just as high as a regular chlorine pool? Do you know whether saltwater pools convert salt into the same form of chlorine as "normal" chlorine, or a slightly different one? There's no guarantee I'll be able to go even in saltwater pools, but they seem to be my only possible hope at this point.

I'm not a chemist, I can only go by the smell, and the pool I was in didn't have that heavy chlorine smell.

 

[bigeyedfish]

http://www.inyopools.com/Blog/converting-your-pool-to-saltwater/

 

[Triton]

I'm sorry to hear about your sensitivity to chlorine. Saltwater pools are indeed chlorine pools; the salt is converted to chlorine, and then when it reacts with organics, it turns back into salt.

Generally the super chemically smell in pools is actually chloramines, not the chlorine itself. Ironically (to me at least) this usually means there's not enough chlorine in the pool, rather than too much. The ACC has a good article on it if you're interested: https://chlorine.americanchemistry....Library/Chloramines-Understanding-Pool-Smell/

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Not trying to start a debate but I remember my first cruise in 98 I had the surprise of my life I went in the pool and it was salt water I am not sure if cruise ships have different standards then resorts

 

[bababear_50]

Hi Canadawithboys
I have a couple of skin conditions and have been looking for answers to the question you asked.
I found this post
https://disneyparksmomspanel.disney.go.com/question/resorts-saltwater-pool-chlorine-allergy-292927/

I'm also checking Disney spas out to see what options they offer.
The wet sauna at Universal Royal Pacific was wonderful.
Have fun planning and best wishes to you
Hugs Mel

 

[HopperFan]

Are there any/many salt water pools at WDW? I read somewhere that Art of Animation's main pool is salt water. We stayed at AOA 4 years ago and loved it. I have recently developed a severe chlorine allergy/sensitivity, and I'm planning another trip to DW and hoping that either AOA's main pool is still saltwater and/or that other DW resorts are also using saltwater. I have not been able to find any recent info at all and I thought someone on here may know.
Thanks in advance!

I do not believe Disney uses chlorine in any of their pools. I think they have used bromine for years so you might want to check if that will bother you as well. I know we find a big difference in reactions when we switched our hot tub from chlorine to bromine.

I've been in the AoA main pool and if that was salt water it was sure not obvious. I would have sworn that was chorine.
I've been in the main pool for every other Mod and Deluxe (not OKW or SSR) and none of them were either

I don't think it's a salt water pool, I think it has a salt water type of filtration system .. so that makes sense it's not obvious.

 

[JerseyJanice]

On Disney property but not a Disney pool is the salt water lap pool at the Swan.

 

[hakepb]

Not trying to start a debate but I remember my first cruise in 98 I had the surprise of my life I went in the pool and it was salt water I am not sure if cruise ships have different standards then resorts

cruise ships have to dump pool water when rough seas would spill it out. Some even refill pools every night.
It can be cheaper to filter and sanitize sea water than fully desalinize it via reverse osmosis or steam or buying fresh water at port.

I believe inland "salt water" pools (with Salt Water Chlorine Generators) generally only have 1/10 the salt level as ocean water.

 

[gillep]

I do not believe Disney uses chlorine in any of their pools. I think they have used bromine for years so you might want to check if that will bother you as well. I know we find a big difference in reactions when we switched our hot tub from chlorine to bromine.



I don't think it's a salt water pool, I think it has a salt water type of filtration system .. so that makes sense it's not obvious.

I was also under the impression that the pools in Disney use bromine or at least this is what I have always read, and I am pretty sure that I have seen responses from Disney that people have posted over the years that confirm this (as much as that's worth).

Regarding the salt water pool. I have a 'salt water' pool at home. It is really just a salt-chlorine generator. Via the pool's filtration system the NaCL of the salt water is converted to chlorine by taking away the sodium part (the actual reaction is more complicated but this is the essence of what it does). So yes, there is still chlorine, and in a residential pool the chlorine level will be lower than a traditional chlorine pool, but I don't know if that would hold true for a mass use Disney pool.

 

[Lvsdisney]

Not trying to start a debate but I remember my first cruise in 98 I had the surprise of my life I went in the pool and it was salt water I am not sure if cruise ships have different standards then resorts

I remember being on a cruise and watching the pool fill with sea water! I believe they do filter it, but it still had a sea water smell/taste.

 

[NS8VN]

A lot of people self-diagnose themselves with chlorine allergies, but such a thing is incredibly rare. While it is not impossible, I have had several people who claimed such an allergy swim in pools my company manages and had none of the side-effects they associate with chlorine. What typically causes discomfort and rashes are chloramines, which are the byproducts of chlorine reacting with contaminates. A strong chlorine smell indicates an abundance of chloramines and points to too little chlorine in a pool. It makes no difference what produced the chlorine, gas injection, solid or liquid forms of chlorine, or saltwater chlorine generators, once it is in the water chlorine is all the same. Pool water comfort is about properly balancing the water, assuring there is enough chlorine and the pH is properly controlled. There is also no such thing as a "saltwater filtration system", nor a pool that uses "no chemicals" that is open to the public in the US. All public pools MUST use an EPA approved sanitizer, either chlorine, bromine, or biguanide. Local codes dictate what those levels can be and they are regularly inspected and would be shut down if they are not kept within the guidelines. Cruise ships are a totally different situation than pools on land.

As was said above, most pools at WDW are bromine, though they can still be salt pools. The saltwater generator will produce chlorine which almost immediately reacts with the sodium bromide in the water to form bromine. Also the salt level in a saltwater pool in the US is 1/10th that of the ocean. They are about 2000-4000 PPM salt, most people can't even taste it. The ocean, on the other hand, is 35,000 ppm. So the experience is nothing like swimming in seawater.

 

[Jennasis]

The oasis pool at the Poly had a distinctly salty taste so I assume it was a salt filtration system.