Best pools for pool hopping

[ShuisFan584]

We'll be going to VWL for 8 nights in August and plan on spending a lot of time at the pool since it will be HOT! We've never pool hopped before and figured maybe we'd try on this next trip to check out some of the other pools.

I know that not that many people take advantage of pool hopping, but for those that do, what are the best pools to pool hop to? My group is all about the slides, so any pool that has a nice big slide would be of interest to us!

 

[VacationKicks]

Saratoga Springs Resort has a great slide! There are locker rooms you can use to change.

 

[scot@dvcstore]

All DVC Resorts have great slides and great pools. Saratoga slides are larger & longer slide than Wilderness and OKW. Beach Club probably has the best slide but unfortunately you are not able to pool hop and use Stormalong Bay unless you are staying at BCV.

A day of pool hopping can be lots of fun for your entire family. With each new location comes a new theme and new experience. Enjoy your vacation!

 

[twinklebug]

The Poly volcano pool is unbelievable (they even play music under the water)

I also wouldn't miss the the Boardwalk clown pool. I hate the clown, but the slide's ridiculous & there's so much to do at the Boardwalk.

 

[taylor3297]

It is my understanding that you can pool hop to other DVCs but not to other resort pools.

 

[mamaprincess]

It is my understanding that you can pool hop to other DVCs but not to other resort pools.

We have the privilege of being able to hop to any pool on property except BC, AK, AKV and now BLT.

We also love the Poly pool. It is awesome! The Beach is right there and the views are awesome. We love to be able to get a Dole whip from Captain Cooks afterward. We also like the Coronado Springs pool for hopping. It has a really good slide and awesome counter service at the Pepper Market. We hopped at BWV one time but the girls said the cracks in the slide made their tushies hurt.

 

[kid-at-heart]

We have the privilege of being able to hop to any pool on property except BC, AK, AKV and now BLT.

We also love the Poly pool. It is awesome! The Beach is right there and the views are awesome. We love to be able to get a Dole whip from Captain Cooks afterward. We also like the Coronado Springs pool for hopping. It has a really good slide and awesome counter service at the Pepper Market. We hopped at BWV one time but the girls said the cracks in the slide made their tushies hurt.

Thank you! I, also, was under the impression we could only pool hop at DVCs (w/BC, AK, AKV, BLT exceptions). We like the pool at POFQ so I am glad we can include the resorts in our hopping.

 

[5forDiz]

ALL YC/BC pools are also on excluded list for member pool hopping as are Stormalong Bay & BCV quiet pool, AKL & AKV Kidani pools and BLT pool.

All other onsite Disney owned resorts & SSR, OKW, BWV/BWI, VWL/WL allow member pool hopping.

 

[deva]

Does anyone know where this rule (being allowed to hop to non-DVC resorts) is written? I was under the same impression, that I was allowed to hop to, say, the Grand Floridian. I was at Kidani Village last week & was talking to the girl at front desk about pool hopping to the Grand Floridian, she told me I could only hop to DVC resorts. I mentioned it was my understanding I could hop anywhere and to ask someone else, she asked another employee, who agreed that it was only DVC resorts. Then I went over to the DVC salesperson & asked her, she agreed with the front desk. Thus, I didn't want to risk it & decided not to hop to the Grand Floridian.

Is the rule codified somewhere? Since returning home, I searched the DVCmember site as well as a couple other resources and haven't found an official rule, just conjecture.

 

[vicki_c]

Does anyone know where this rule (being allowed to hop to non-DVC resorts) is written? I was under the same impression, that I was allowed to hop to, say, the Grand Floridian. I was at Kidani Village last week & was talking to the girl at front desk about pool hopping to the Grand Floridian, she told me I could only hop to DVC resorts. I mentioned it was my understanding I could hop anywhere and to ask someone else, she asked another employee, who agreed that it was only DVC resorts. Then I went over to the DVC salesperson & asked her, she agreed with the front desk. Thus, I didn't want to risk it & decided not to hop to the Grand Floridian.

Is the rule codified somewhere? Since returning home, I searched the DVCmember site as well as a couple other resources and haven't found an official rule, just conjecture.

It's in the DISFiles magazine every time they publish it, but I don't have it nearby to quote from it. I believe all the CMs told you wrong, but can't prove it w/o the magazine. I also couldn't find it on the website despite searching everywhere one day.

 

[Mosleymouse]

You should find the rule in the member perks guide that you receive at check-in.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It is my understanding that you can pool hop to other DVCs but not to other resort pools.

You can hop to any pool at a WDW Disney operated and owned resort except for any of the pools at YC, BC and BVC (including the quiet pools and Stormalong Bay), AKL/AKV (both pools - Jambo House and Kadani Village) and BLT. You can still hop to the CR pool, just not the one at BLT. Plus the Grotto pool and any other pool at the Swan/Dolphin are off limits.

Coronado Springs has a pretty neat pool - just don't climb the temple. We liked the GF quiet pool over the themed pool with the water fall (too crowded when we stayed there).

 

[twinklebug]

You should find the rule in the member perks guide that you receive at check-in.

Last year's pool hopping rules are still up on the DVCmember website:

Pool Hopping Information for 2008
You and any Guests staying with you at Disney's Old Key West Resort, Disney's BoardWalk Villas, The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Beach Club Villas or Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are permitted to use other Disney Vacation Club and Walt Disney World Resort hotel pools (in addition to the pool at the Resort hotel at which you're staying) if they are not at capacity.

If the pool you are visiting reaches capacity, you may be asked to leave in order to accommodate Guests of that Resort hotel. Please check with a Host/Hostess at the Front Desk of the Resort hotel you wish to visit to find out about pool-access availability. You must present your current "Key to the World" card with your Disney Vacation Club "Member" designation on it to use other Resort hotel pools. Pool hopping is not available at Uzima Pool at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts or at the leisure pools of these two Resort hotels. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Resort hotel pools may become unavailable from time to time because of capacity limitations. Due to expected high occupancy, Disney Vacation Club Members may not "pool hop" during the following dates*:

* May 23 - 26, 2008
* June 28 - July 5, 2008
* August 29 - September 1, 2008
* November 24 - 30, 2008
* December 14, 2008 - January 4, 2009

*Other restricted dates may be added based on projected pool capacity.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Does anyone know where this rule (being allowed to hop to non-DVC resorts) is written? I was under the same impression, that I was allowed to hop to, say, the Grand Floridian. I was at Kidani Village last week & was talking to the girl at front desk about pool hopping to the Grand Floridian, she told me I could only hop to DVC resorts. I mentioned it was my understanding I could hop anywhere and to ask someone else, she asked another employee, who agreed that it was only DVC resorts. Then I went over to the DVC salesperson & asked her, she agreed with the front desk. Thus, I didn't want to risk it & decided not to hop to the Grand Floridian.

Is the rule codified somewhere? Since returning home, I searched the DVCmember site as well as a couple other resources and haven't found an official rule, just conjecture.

Go to the Member website and look for the current issue of Disney Files. On Page 16 of the Summer 2009 issue, you'll find the blurb about pool hopping. Or just check out page 16 if you have the current issue.

You do have to be staying on a reservation from MS at a DVC resort and be a member or a guest of a member staying with the member at the DVC resort. You can't pool hop if you are staying at a non-DVC resort on the property or just passing through or staying offsite.

 

[ShuisFan584]

Thanks for the suggestions. It's funny we've been to WDW so many times, but never really paid attention to the pools so we never knew where all the good ones were.

And that's good to know that we can pool hop to other WDW Resorts. I always thought we were allowed to pool hop to say Poly or GF, but questioned whether it was just DVC resorts or not.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You can still hop to the CR pool, just not the one at BLT.

According to what someone posted from a DVC site, it says the Contemporary pool is off limits for pool hopping by DVC members.

Resort Guests may only use the pool(s) located at the resort in which the Guest is staying. Pool hopping to other resorts is not allowed.

Exceptions:

* Disney Vacation Club Members staying at a DVC Resort at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disney's Vero Beach Resort are permitted to use other Disney Vacation Club and WDW Resort hotel pools (in addition to the pool(s) at the Resort where they are staying) if those pools are not at capacity. If the pool they are visiting reaches capacity, they may be asked to leave in order to accommodate Guests of that Resort hotel. They must present their current "Key to the World" card with the "Disney Vacation Club Member" designation on it to use other Resort hotel pools.
o Pool hopping is NOT available at any time at Stormalong Bay and the leisure pools at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, and the pools at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney's Contemporary Resort. There are no exceptions to this policy.
o Pool hopping is restricted at all pools during certain periods of high occupancy. Members should contact DVC Member Services if they would like more information.
* Guests staying at Disney's Port Orleans Resort may utilize the pools in both Riverside and French Quarter.
* Guests staying at Disney's All-Star Resorts may utilize the all the pools at Sports, Music, and Movies.

 

[Deb & Bill]

According to what someone posted from a DVC site, it says the Contemporary pool is off limits for pool hopping by DVC members.

That is not what they wrote in Disney Files, though. They specifically mention the BLT pool but not the CR pool. They did state all the pools at YC/BC/BCV and all the pools at AKV/AKL.

So what you copied is not correct at this point.

 

[Jillpie]

Back to fun pools for the OP! The Boardwalk slide is one my favorites. It is lots and lots of fun! One January, my family had it all to ourselves. I love slides, so I'm picky, did NOT like SSR's, it was just too fast as I can recall. The Boardwalk's goes around, I laugh my way all the way down, just love it. POR's slide is also lots of fun. Have fun goin hoppin!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

That is not what they wrote in Disney Files, though. They specifically mention the BLT pool but not the CR pool. They did state all the pools at YC/BC/BCV and all the pools at AKV/AKL.

So what you copied is not correct at this point.

Well let's say some DVC members don't realize the Bay Lake Tower pool is off limits for pool hopping and they found that out when trying to pool hopp there, do you not think they would say let's go swim at the Contemporary pool since they would already be over there? The reason I bring that up is because Bay Lake Tower guests also have access to the Contemporary pool if they want to swim there, so wouldn't that cause the Contemporary pool to get a lot more busy and might cause Contemporary guests not being able to get pool chairs? So isn't that a good reason why the Contemporary should be on the no pool hopping list with the YC/BC/BCV and all the pools at AKV/AKL?

 

[dgaston]

I want to 3rd the CSR slide, and POR. I think the volcano slide at the Poly is ok, and now I'm wondering if I should hop to FW to try out their new slide. Looks good in the pics. I personally thought the slide at Uzima was lame, but looking forward to vetting the Kidani slide in Sept.