BC POOL Safety for nonswimmer

[warriorboy648]

Is the BC pool a good spot for non swimmers? Also, how difficult is it see the kids and how easy would it be for a child to end up in the lazy river? One of my kids doesn't swim well and I'd hate to have to worry about chasing him the whole time.

 

[n2mm]

I would be very concern and you will need to watch your child. The lazy river is 8 feet deep and is for swimmers. The whirlpool area can also be very dangerous for non-swimmers. You will not be able to relax and will need to stay with your child. The place is huge. We take turns staying with the little ones in the sandy area, but the bigger kids do their own thing (14 and up). There are life jackets you can get, but you will still need a watchful eye at all times.

 

[PKWallaby]

I agree with the above post regarding life vests, but as long as you set down ground rules first, you should be able to enjoy yourself and keep your kids safe. Although SAB is quite spread out, not all of the pools are interconnected, ie. the "lazy river" area is separated from the beach/sand playing area...so your child would have to get out of the one pool and walk over to another (he/she should not "accidently" end up in the lazy river). You did not mention the ages of your children, but we let our 2 decide which area they wanted to explore, then moved our stuff along with them as they took in everything SAB had to offer. Of course, that was early Feb so we had our choice of places to sit! This might be harder during busier times, but I'm sure you can make it work whenever you go...Have fun!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

To me it was relatively easy to go directly into the deeper water without knowing it. The current can be very swift and the water is very deep. If you child is a non-swimmer, you need to be with that child at all times at SAB.

 

[jerseypixie]

I posted a similir question before and wanted to know would anyone recommend SAB for non-swimmers (kids under 8) would they have a great time since they cannot use the slide or lazy river? Thanks.

Not trying to hijack thread

 

[PilotWife]

We are staying at BC in Aug - I would also like to know this, my children are 8 and 5 (and a 2yr old) the older ones are like fish. Also is there a height requirement on the slide at SAB? What does SAB have to offer, I am finding it rather hard to find info on SAB, except for pics.

Jennifer

 

[Kate716]

All

As you can see from my signature, we are BC/YC fans and stay there on almost every trip we take to Disney. Part of the attraction is definitely the pool area. My children are just now 8 and 4 1/2 - and neither is a true swimmer yet. We've had no problem keeping them safe at any part of SAB on any of our trips.

For the waterslide question - there are actually two waterslides at SAB. There is the huge Pirate ship one that I consider to be for teens and adults and then there is a "mini" one on the back of the ship that is definitely geared to young kids.

Agree the previous posting on the lazy river. It is a stand-alone pool so you can't accidently get in. However, as warned, it is very deep.

For Disers with young kids, I think you'll find yourself staying at the "sand" bottomed pool - which is where we have typically been on our trips. There is zero entry there and plenty of shovels and green buckets lying around for younger kids to play with.

Hope that helps!
Kate

 

[gogo]

I remember when my family and I stayed at the Yacht Club and used the lazy river at SAB. My son was about 5 and could not swim. I didn't know that the lazy river was so deep. My husband had an intertube and I put my son on an intertube and floated along side my son. Well, my son decided to jump off the intertube and I grabbed him. At five years old he was too heavy to hold and keep both of us up. What I did was put him above water while I went under. I kept trying to hold him above water while I managed to get to the side. All the while, I was under the water. I saw the lifeguards but panic hit me and I couldn't scream. This was one of the most frightening experiences I have had at a pool.

And as others have said, the current was pretty fast. My husband is not a good swimmer and I don't even think he realized how quickly the situation turned.

From what I remember, the slide was fun but this pool area is very spread out and keeping an eye on kids could prove challenging. If your aware of this ahead of time, it should be helpful.

 

[daneenm]

All

For the waterslide question - there are actually two waterslides at SAB. There is the huge Pirate ship one that I consider to be for teens and adults and then there is a "mini" one on the back of the ship that is definitely geared to young kids.

I would just tweak this a bit. We visited in August and my then 6 and 10 year old children could not get enough of the big waterslide. I would say rather than teens and adults, that they just be strong swimmers no matter what their age, since they have to be able to drop into the pool at the end, gain their orientation and swim to the edge. The slide is not very steep but it is quite long and drops into a fairly deep pool at the end.

All the Best!
Daneen

 

[keys2kingdom]

Is the BC pool a good spot for non swimmers? Also, how difficult is it see the kids and how easy would it be for a child to end up in the lazy river? One of my kids doesn't swim well and I'd hate to have to worry about chasing him the whole time.

As others have noted SAB encompasses a HUGE area and it could be quite scary if you should happen to lose track of your son. I'm on DS like white on rice from the moment we arrive poolside. Don't plan on sitting in a deck chair with a nice beach drink to relax, it ain't gonna happen. You'd be worried sick. Unless your son would be content in the "quiet pool" (read kiddie area) I'd give this some serious thought.

 

[jmtf2004]

Is the BC pool a good spot for non swimmers? Also, how difficult is it see the kids and how easy would it be for a child to end up in the lazy river? One of my kids doesn't swim well and I'd hate to have to worry about chasing him the whole time.

Another point I have not seen mentioned yet is that the area where you access the big waterslide is actually across the boardwalk from the main pool area. The slide goes over the boardwalk and into the pool. It was extremely frustrating trying to supervise my 7yo son when he was on this slide. You cannot go down the slide together - everyone has to go down the slide one at a time. If there are just two adults, and you want to keep an eye on the child at all times (a good idea, since the boardwalk is open to the public, not just BC or YC guests) one would have to go up to the slide and one would have to wait in the pool for the child to come down. Good luck, if you have more than one child to supervise. We did love the sandy kid's pool section, and the lazy river pool is fun, but definitely (IMHO) should be off limits for non swimmers - as others mentioned it has a strong current, deep water. Overall, I thought the SAB complex is difficult to navigate through - there are plenty of narrow walkways, stairways and bridges. The various pool and slide areas are all separate - fun to investigate, but easy for people to get separated. It is an amazing pool area though, and we enjoyed ourselves there - DS2 (wore a life jacket and mostly played in the kid's pool), DS7, DH and I. Aside from DS2, we are all good swimmers.

 

[brisus]

This whole pool area looks fun, but it scared the heck out of me once I got into it! A few of us went into the pool, all adults, and were unpleasantly surprised at the current in the one part of the pool which at the same time is also deep! I am not sure how this is a relaxing pool, we were just trying the survive! It is pretty, but I won't be going in again any time soon! I would be very cautious with little ones especially.

 

[MAKmom]

I hated the Beach Club pool. It was a pain in the neck finding my kids. I would do the BW if you have an weak swimmer.

 

[warriorboy648]

Thanks for all the great info. I booked the Poly rather than the BC because the pool area seemed too large and scary. I have 5 kids, three are teenagers, but my eight yr old is a non swimmer and my 7 year old is a fish, but has no common sense!!! My dh is not good at close supervision so this would never work. I'll save the BC for a future trip when the kids are all older.

Thanks again for your honesty...

 

[Deb & Bill]

I hated the Beach Club pool. It was a pain in the neck finding my kids. I would do the BW if you have an weak swimmer.

Yep, you and me. I see no reason at all to go to Stormalong Bay. If we stay at BCV, I'll swim at the Dunes Cove pool, not SAB.

 

[BCV23]

Thanks for all the great info. I booked the Poly rather than the BC because the pool area seemed too large and scary. I have 5 kids, three are teenagers, but my eight yr old is a non swimmer and my 7 year old is a fish, but has no common sense!!! My dh is not good at close supervision so this would never work. I'll save the BC for a future trip when the kids are all older.

Thanks again for your honesty...

Given the makeup of your swimmers, I think you've chosen wisely.

SAB is a fantastic pool. But I think it works best for truly strong swimmers and/or vigilant parents...or the families who are content to stay in the sandy area.

We love the Polynesian pools. Have fun!