Can they really do this?

[simonkodousek]

Hi,

That party sounds like fun and I bet your DS wants to go, however it sounds a bit... extravegant, for a group of 4th graders IMHO. And, a party lasting for only 2 hours and requiring 3 hours of driving is just nuts. Isn't there a local waterpark that you can go to instead?

~Simon

 

[crazy4wdw]

I would be a nosey parent and call the Beach Club and inquiry about the party details. I know storm-along-bay is for Beach and Yacht club guests ONLY and they give out wrist bands to people showing their keys. I know some hotels do this, but there is a part of me that isn't sure about a Disney/DVC doing this (annoy the guests)

Maybe the pool party takes place before the pool opens or after it closes to hotel guests? Stormalog usually opens at 10:00 in the monring so it would be possible to have an early pool party before it opens for the regular guests.

 

[canwegosoon]

Beejie-I am also a fellow cub leader , and I probably would not drive 90 minutes for a party unless it was a child my children were really good friends with. But I have to say, I am glad that the child's family invited everyone, even though you seemed to comment that this girl did not seem to like your son, it was very respectful to invite everyone, since I am sure this will be talked about in class alot. It least your son can hold his head high and say,"yeah, I was invited too, but I had a previous committment, so we couldn't make it...did you have fun at the party?" Have a good time at your outing!!!

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

OP I am a little surprised the BC allows non-guests to use Stormalong Bay, also! My sis and I were there on a chilly, uncrowded day in March. she had left her room key up in the room, and had to go all the way back up to get it before they'd give her a wrist band. I would have NOT liked it, if I had found out that 20 non-guest children and their families had been allowed in without even being overnight guests!

To the pp who booked the extra room, that was a very good idea! Problem is, wouldn't you have to book enough rooms to have a keycard for each swimmer? Like, if 20 people showed up, pay for 4 rooms (5 keycards in each)?

I was wondering the same thing too. Since everyone has to have a room key/be a guest of the BC/YC to use SB it seems like there would have to be enough rooms booked for all the guest of the party. I'm so intriqued by this thread.....
I must admit that I would be annoyed if I had paid to stay at the resort and there was a party at SB and the guest were not booked at BC/YC.

 

[Beejie]

OK. I got the scoop from the mom.

They are DVC members and have a room for the weekend. They talked to the staff of the Beach Club and they are aware that there may be a few families coming to spend a few hours at the pool and apparently they are cool with it.

She's not doing anything special, like Beaches & Cream. Not even sodas from what I understand.

BTW - I just wanted to give a shout out to all the Scout people who posted!
This weekend I'm taking my Brownie to Salute to Girl Scouts at Kennedy Space Center for two days. Our Webelos (including DS 10) are spending the night at KSC under the Saturn V rocket in June (overnight adventure program). We have spring round up on 5/1 and I am supposed to be Tigerleader next year. I'm a committee member, holiday parade chair, advancement chair etc.

 

[clombardi]

It sounds like a great party for the kids who can make it.

90 minutes is what - 90 miles? 180 miles round trip, at 20 miles per gallon, is 9 gallons of gas, which would cost $27. I'm not sure what is so shocking about that.

You really don't see why that is shocking? It isn't her niece. I might be able to see driving all that way for a family member, but it is just a girl from school. I think 180 miles round trip for my son to go to a birthday party at age 10 is completely insane!

 

[PatMcDuck]

I own DVC points at BCV, and I would be furious if there was a birthday party at the main pool! Disney checks IDs so carefully at this pool......... to avoid over crowding.

 

[MaeDaisy]

Boy, do I feel silly. My husband and I rented one van and borrowed another to cart 15 kids to a museum 40 minutes away because I wouldn't dream of asking parents to drive that far for a birthday party. Plus navigating the city streets (Ann Arbor MI isn't a very driver-friendly town) and pay for parking too....? Nuh uh, I couldn't imagine "inviting" people to that.

To think I could have just told them to meet us there.

Granted, a pool party at WDW is just a tad more exciting than a Dino party with a paleontologist....

 

[traci]

I think it was kind that everyone in the class was invited, whether they can attend or not. Atleast your child wasn't excluded

 

[BroganMc]

OK. I got the scoop from the mom.

They are DVC members and have a room for the weekend. They talked to the staff of the Beach Club and they are aware that there may be a few families coming to spend a few hours at the pool and apparently they are cool with it.

Count me as another who's shocked and bemused by that explanation. One of the reasons people even own BCV is for the exclusive rights to use StormAlong Bay. (It and the pool at AKL are the only ones you can't hop to.) Allowing nonguests access is a slap in the face to owners and paying BC/YC guests.

Perhaps BCV staff are referring to a party at one of the quiet pools?

 

[Lynne M]

At first when you posted, I thought she'd paid to rent out SAB, and catered food from B&C. I'm sure people have done that, and paid a small fortune for it.

But no, she's just going to have an entire class of kids, and their parents, show up and swim at SAB, of all places? And she told BCV that a 'few families' are coming? I'm speechless.

Now I wish you were going, just so we could find out what happened. The lifeguards get final say over who gets into SAB, no matter what the front desk says, and would be well within their rights to boot the party guests right out of SAB. This could be very entertaining......

 

[constanze]

subscribing

 

[Tinkalink]

Taking in all the information that Beejie has given, I think it was an excellent decision to go to the Cub Scout event and RSVP the pool party. It even sounds like DS would rather attend the Cub Scout event than go to the party. Personally I always liked being with my good friends than go to a thing that I'm not really comfortable with.
I think it was a nice idea by the birthday girl's parents to invite the whole class. The parents had to know that some of the classmates would not attend, so I don't think they would be disappointed.
This all being said IMHO I would not have even entertained the idea of having my DS go to this party, unless there was a carpool with aparent I knew. Traveling 90 miles just to say "Happy Birthday" to an everyday classmate for 2 hours is RIDICULOUS! The overall drive time alone would be 3 to 4 hours for this event.(Not to mention the arrangements for the other DDs and DS.) We've traveled 90 miles for a professional baseball game that played 3 to 4 hours ONCE - the drive back was hell, never again. I could not imagine it with kids.

 

[Tinker74]

Count me in as being totally amazed at what the party family are planning....
I had a feeling when i read this that the parents were just asking the class to show up at stormalong bay....seems I was right.
Oh how I'd love to be a fly on the wall,,
Actually I feel sorry for the kids who are driving all that way and won't be allowed in the pool...there is no way the lifeguards will let in 20 families who are not guests...Iam totally amazed!!
Of all the pools to try this at...stormalong bay..Iam amazed..

Side note to the OP...you sound like a fantastic mom with great kids..have a lovely weekend. ..and please let us know what happened.

 

[InstImpres]

I've been reading with curiosity and now it just clicked....4/28 is my check in date and our pool day. Hopefully this is not a big deal. Otherwise I agree as someone paying for a 2 bedroom villa (for 6) I won't be thrilled.

 

[Beejie]

The mom said last night that she's made arrangements for her guests. She knows that not all of the kids can come (far away, other committments etc). She even apologized for scheduling the pool party during a Cub Scout event because apparently another family they are friends with had to cancel to attend the same cub scout event. I told her it was kind of a last minute change in schedule.

She said she'd give the names of the people coming to the party to the front desk. If I didn't post that last night, I'm sorry. I had to cut my post short - DS 10 needed my attention for something.

I really do wish I could go because it would probably be the only way I could afford to take a look around the BC resort.

DS 10 would've loved the pool. He's a fish so that part of the party would be fine. I did thank the mother for including the whole class because DS doesn't get invited to a lot of parties. He's an ADHD etc kid who doesn't have a lot of friends.

Thanks. Beejie

 

[DisneyBride'03]

I first read this post yesterday morning, boy it took off!!
I compliment mom on demonstrating to her children how important prior commitments are As far as the pool party parents go, good for them they invited everyone. As far as being DVC members, and thinking they can bring in a small crowd of people and enjoy amenities that other paying guests and DVC members pay for.....not good for them.
Beach Club staff being "cool with it"...yikes, they must not like their jobs much..lol!
This has been an interesting thread to follow, I do feel for the birthday girl though, if her party became a wash...no pun intended.
As far as the party being 90 minutes away, if my DD was invited, we would make a day of it and go, if she wanted. My DH is from San Francisco, when you live in Northern California, you get use to driving further distances! lol

 

[Tinker74]

Iam no expert but Iam really curious about this pool party thing.
Is it really OK to invite 20 families to enjoy stormalong bay with you if you are a DVC member.
Would the front desk really be OK with this and keep a long list of names from the party mother?? I just find this amazing...normally if someone aks if they can bring one family into stormalong bay they get told no? Or am I wrong...like I said Iam only going by what I have read on here.
OP ...will you let us know the outcome?

 

[snowman]

Nothing to add about the party in particular, just another Cub Scout leader wanting to say thanks for keeping your Cub Scout commitment...so many times a Scouting activity is the one that gets bumped for something else.

Oh yea - and do sign up to be a Tiger leader....you will LOVE it....and then they'll have ya hooked.

Yours in Scouting

Michelle (in my 7th year as a Cub Scout leader and I don't even have a Cub Scout...Carl is in the Troop now).

 

[MojitoMiss]

Edited to remove post. I haven't had enough coffee yet I guess--can't tell the difference between a 4 and a 5.