Now, don't get me wrong when I say crowded. It wasn't like you couldn't move around the pool. That is one thing nice about CSR, the pool is very large. Don't have any plans of swimming laps or across without disruptions but you can still enjoy the pool. My wife and I like to walk from one side to the other, good exercise and easy on the joints after all day in the parks and we had no problems dodging a few people here and there. If you like the hot tub, be prepared to wait to find a spot. Some nights the tub was maxed out and others not so much. Of course we did have a lot of soccer teams there at the beginning of our trip and that was a factor because once they left the crowd level went down at the pools during the day and evening. I would also be willing to bet many families will be at the parties like you said so I wouldn't sweat it too much. If not, the quiet pools although smaller were not as crowded at night as the main pool.