Best Pools for Kids

[threeprincesses]

Leaving soon and planning to pool hop for the first time! Wondering which pools are best to hop to for young kids age 6 and 4.

 

[joepoe]

With kids 6 and 4, I would just use the quiet pools, JMHO. With bigger kids flying down slides and "human soup" conditions, I'd be frazzled trying to keep track of my little ones.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I would say quiet pools at any resort, or main pool at OKW. These youngsters are too young for the wild bunch! OKW has great sand lot at the main pool as well as a dolphin wading pool. Each quiet pool there also has a play lot.

 

[Zurg]

Originally posted by threeprincesses
Leaving soon and planning to pool hop for the first time! Wondering which pools are best to hop to for young kids age 6 and 4.

Question is what is best for mom & dad at those ages.

Swiming skills are a big issue, 4 & 6 yearolds are typicaly happy with what ever and where ever they are. I would stay close to "Home" so the getting there and back doesn't use up important time (like in my case Dad getting a little mid day rest!)

IMHO - What is important is being with the kids, playing what they want to play and making memories.

 

[threeprincesses]

We'll do our best to make the memories, but being as I've never been to other pools I'm looking for a little information here. Perhaps I should ask which ones are the "wild" ones to avoid?

 

[spiceycat]

If it is opened - and I hope it is - POFQ - has a slide designed for your child's age group - very slow - this is the slide that the lifeguards will allow the parents to down the slide with the kids - it is that slow.

It is also cute - a sea dragon - you are sliding down the tongue - there was some nice of pictures of it around here once.

Now that last I heard was that POFQ was still closed - WDW is fixing up the entire place - but they have been working on this for quite a while - so I would hope they are finishing up - anyway go by the area and see for yourself.

there is a slide at WL pool, too - that is a little faster - but it is not a thrill slide - that kids seem to love.

the next slide for kids would be the one at CBR at their main pool - although this area can get pretty rowdy when the older kids get to running around the place and shooting the water gun at each other. So before I told the kids that we were pool hopping (bring everything with you) - I would check the pool out - to make sure it was fairly tame. If it is quite (and believe me you can tell a different between quite and rowdy - very fast) I would change and try it - or go to another pool.

I think the clown at the BWV might be kindna of scarey. You can only do the S-A-L-B when you are staying at the BCV - they have a kids area over close to the main pool.

the Polyn has the new pool - where you can walk in - zero entry - but this pool can get rowdy too - the same for the Grand Floridian. The Contemporary although the pool is pretty boring - might be fun for your kids - and riding the boat to get there would be a fun thing by itself.

 

[wdwstar]

we just got back and we did alittle pool hopping, but we have teenage and a 5 year old. animal kingdom pool was great for the five year old, the pool was about 4 feet deep all around, plus a great slide, slow side. and behind the pool/ hot tub was a sand play ground. the teens were board with this pool. the all star movie pool was fun, we all like that pool but the pool was alittle deeper, im not sure how deep. the five year old had water wings, ($2.12 at disney pools) we stayed at the bcv and you needed to show your resort id to get a wrist band for the pool. my 2 kids and 2 nieces loved that pool. we also stayed at the bwv,(signs by pool, must show resort id. no one asked for the id.) and the teens didnt like that pool, they were bored. the five year old said it was ok, but loved the bcv pool . the wlv , pol , pool was also ok.
the kids just loved the slide, sand, pool vollyball at the bcv. but be careful with the lazy river there, it gets as deep as 8 feet.

 

[threeprincesses]

Thanks for the useful info. SpiceyCat, What is CBR? Still new to this and can't figure it out! thanks

 

[spiceycat]

Caribbean Beach Resort -sorry

POFQ - Port Orleans French Quarter - the hotel next to OKW

wdwstar - I didn't think DVC members could pool hop at AKL - did they change the rule?

 

[dthomas]

I have a four year old who likes to swim as best he can. The only problem is when he is done swimming he likes to touch the bottom of the pool. We just came back from OKW. The main pool was too deep for him to do his kind of swimming. The baby pool came below his knees. He stayed right on the steps of the main pool, aside from the times we took him around the pool. I would have prefered an area not so deep for him to be able to touch the bottom. I think you have to decide on swimming skills and what the kids like to do in the water and go from there.

 

[spiceycat]

I think the POFQ is nice for this too - I think???? the biggest depth is 4 feet - not sure - but I remember it being more a kids pool.

not many adults using it as a pool - coming down the slide with their babies - but not enjoying the pool - when we were there.

 

[CK1]

We have 3 kids (now aged 8,7, and 3).

Frankly, my kids found the OKW pools hard to navigate at ages under 5 because they either had to hang out at the steps, cling to the edge, or sink in above their heads. VWL was very nice -- the slide isn't huge, but your child should be a decent enough swimmer to hit the end and come out swimmin'. VWL has a nice quiet pool and the wading pool is very large. Very cool atmosphere, too, with the waterfall. As for BWV pool -- that slide might be a bit much for your youngest UNLESS she is gutsy and an avid swimmer. My dd (age 3) is rarin' to try it, and others have posted that their 3 yr olds have done it easily and loved it as well -- you be the judge. My 3 yr old can swim under water, and I'll probably just make her wear a life vest for extra peace of mind (mine, not hers!!) I will add too that at least at BWV you can see your kids as they climb up the stairs and swim around in the pool -- fairly well laid out. My kids love those spraying elephants, too.

A zero entro pool might just be your best bet, and lots of fun. I'd be tempted to try the Poly... let's face it, no matter where you go, if it's hot, there are going to be people! We love to pool-hop -- we figure if there's folks in the pool we're leaving, there will be folks in the pool we're headed to, so what's the difference? Enjoy, and let us know how it goes!

 

[Zurg]

zero entry is great for little kids.

 

[DeeP]

How well do your children swim? If they are essentially non swimmers I would agree, go with the Poly that has a zero depth entry pool. I think GF also has a zero depth entry pool, but I am not sure, I have never stayed at this resort.

 

[threeprincesses]

My dd, 6 can swim very well routinely goes off diving board in 12 feet of water with no problem. My dd, 4 can swim underwater; but is more apprehensive (about everything not just swimming). We will be with them in the pool most of the time; however having an area where they can play and we could watch them would be nice also. This also gives us a chance to check out other places where we would like to stay in the future! Thanks for all of the insight about the various pools, very informative!!

 

[joepoe]

I didn't mention that when one of my daughters was six, she reached in a deep end to get a swim ring and fell in. We did not notice. Had we not heard her little voice say "help" as she came back up, we may not have noticed immediately and not been able to yank her up by the arm. It only takes a minute folks, and it haunts me to this day, even though we saved her quickly.

 

[cgcw]

Last WDW trip, our kids were 2 & 8. Our DS8 has no problems with any pool that we swim in. DS2 (now 3) thinks he can do it "by myself". So, this kind of presented a problem for us. We stayed at the AKL and swam in their pool as well as pool hopped to the Poly. At both, we were able to use a life jacket which provided our younger DS with the opprotunity to do it himself with the security of the vest helping him stay up. Although we were right next to him, we didn't have to hold him up.

We liked the pool at AKL but it wasn't zero depth like the Poly. Zero depth is neat for the little ones to be able to walk in at their own pace. The Poly has a very nice changing room/bathroom right next to the pool which made it very convenient to change into and out of our wet suits. It had the nicest scent of cinnamon instead of the chlorine/bathroom smell. Also, the Poly pool had the volcano slide which DS8 thought was really cool.

 

[DeeP]

We liked the pool at AKL but it wasn't zero depth like the Poly.

AKL pool is zero depth entry, at least it was the last time I stayed there. It is not availabe to DVC members for pool hopping though.

 

[cgcw]

Originally posted by DeeP
AKL pool is zero depth entry, at least it was the last time I stayed there. It is not availabe to DVC members for pool hopping though.

You are absolutely correct!! What was I thinking?? I know, in addition to having the 2 year old think he could swim it by himself, my DS8 was giving me a hard time about sit diving off the side of the pool. Sorry, must be time for another WDW fix!