Grand Californian Hotel Pool before check in

[australiankaren]

My friend and her son are checking into the GCH this weekend, she wanted to book a cabana but they are all sold out (understandably as its marathon weekend).
So we were talking and i suggested just leaving her stuff on 2 lounges by the pool earlier in the morning as we do on disney cruises, then going back to her previous hotel, getting her stuff and then when she returned she'd have a lovely spot by the pool.
Do you think this would work, or are there any other issues she needs to think about.
BTW she is European and wears a European type swim bottom (aka thong), is that an issue in a Disney resort??
Thanks for you advice....

 

[Marlea98]

I don't see why she couldn't leave her stuff on the lounge if she is a guest, after all, she's paid for a room there so should be able to use the pool and reserve a lounge. I've not stayed onsite so I don't know how the thing goes, but I don't think a thong would be a problem considering how many women get around with their cleavage out even when they're not wearing a bikini top.

 

[Malcon10t]

She will need a key to access the pool. As far as taking a lounge when you aren't there, this is frowned upon here. Sort of like putting a blanket down for Fantasmic! in the am for the night show. You need to be there.

 

[becpee]

My friend and her son are checking into the GCH this weekend, she wanted to book a cabana but they are all sold out (understandably as its marathon weekend).
So we were talking and i suggested just leaving her stuff on 2 lounges by the pool earlier in the morning as we do on disney cruises, then going back to her previous hotel, getting her stuff and then when she returned she'd have a lovely spot by the pool.
Do you think this would work, or are there any other issues she needs to think about.
BTW she is European and wears a European type swim bottom (aka thong), is that an issue in a Disney resort??
Thanks for you advice....

We leave stuff on lounges all the time and have only ever had a couple of issues with people trying to remove it, but they left alone after we had words.

As for the European swim bottom, I don't think anybody will have any issues (is your friend part Brazilian?) as long as they look ok and aren't obscene as in bleugh.
Tell your friend not to forget to Slip Slop Slap as that sun can be very bitey on body parts that don't often see the Californian sun.

 

[SMD]

Why can't she take her stuff from her previous hotel early in the morning, get her room key to access the pool, and have GCH store her stuff while she goes to the pool and occupies the lounges herself?

 

[wellsronald18]

I don’t see any kind of issue in wearing thong in Disney.

 

[bbeagle]

I dont see any kind of issue in wearing thong in Disney.

I hope I'm not at the pool when this happens.

 

[DarthMole]

She will need a key to access the pool. As far as taking a lounge when you aren't there, this is frowned upon here. Sort of like putting a blanket down for Fantasmic! in the am for the night show. You need to be there.

I agree. There will always be those who think it's their right to take a space even though they are not there, but it is frowned upon on busy days. It's one thing if you are there for a while and need to leave for a bit, but to go "claim your space" in the AM and then take off for a long period of time expecting your space to be there later when the place is crowded is rude. You're not entitled to that space simply because you have a room key. If you want to hold a space, I think the vast majority of guests would appreciate it if someone were to actually be there. The Fantasmic analogy is very good.

 

[SGDisneyFam]

I agree. There will always be those who think it's their right to take a space even though they are not there, but it is frowned upon on busy days. It's one thing if you are there for a while and need to leave for a bit, but to go "claim your space" in the AM and then take off for a long period of time expecting your space to be there later when the place is crowded is rude. You're not entitled to that space simply because you have a room key. If you want to hold a space, I think the vast majority of guests would appreciate it if someone were to actually be there. The Fantasmic analogy is very good.

Exactly.

 

[bbeagle]

I agree. There will always be those who think it's their right to take a space even though they are not there, but it is frowned upon on busy days. It's one thing if you are there for a while and need to leave for a bit, but to go "claim your space" in the AM and then take off for a long period of time expecting your space to be there later when the place is crowded is rude. You're not entitled to that space simply because you have a room key. If you want to hold a space, I think the vast majority of guests would appreciate it if someone were to actually be there. The Fantasmic analogy is very good.

Completely agree.

I'm the type of person that if I go to a pool area, and see towels, blankets, etc. on chairs unattended for more than a half hour, I'll go over there, remove them myself and put them in a pile somewhere to the side. I hate rude people that leave their stuff out like that. I'll give them 5-10 minutes, of course, but 30 minutes is ridiculous.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

My friend and her son are checking into the GCH this weekend, she wanted to book a cabana but they are all sold out (understandably as its marathon weekend).
So we were talking and i suggested just leaving her stuff on 2 lounges by the pool earlier in the morning as we do on disney cruises, then going back to her previous hotel, getting her stuff and then when she returned she'd have a lovely spot by the pool.
Do you think this would work, or are there any other issues she needs to think about.
BTW she is European and wears a European type swim bottom (aka thong), is that an issue in a Disney resort??
Thanks for you advice....

I would worry about someone taking her stuff while she's gone. A better solution to deter chair theft would be to tie some balloons and chocolate pudding-soaked diapers to the chairs. .... Hey, it works for strollers.

 

[Mary484]

I could see people complaining about the thong.

 

[aussietravellers]

Is there a time limit that one should be swimming in the pool before someone will come along and take your chair whilst you are in the pool?

I'm the type of person that if I go to a pool area, and see towels, blankets, etc. on chairs unattended for more than a half hour, I'll go over there, remove them myself and put them in a pile somewhere to the side. I hate rude people that leave their stuff out like that. I'll give them 5-10 minutes, of course, but 30 minutes is ridiculous.

See I find that to be extremely rude. I find that to be a lot more rude than leaving things on a chair.

If someone's been there for half an hour, it would be presumed that they already have a chair as I wouldn't be standing in the hot sun waiting for someone to get off a chair for that long. So why would they be pool monitor and go over and remove peoples belongings when they don't know where they are?
What if those people are in the pool when they arrived? Enjoying themselves? They have come down to have a nice morning or afternoon (or day) by the pool, they get their spot, pop their things down, have a read and a relax, decide to hop into the pool and have a swim and some fun. Should we be setting timers whilst we are in the pool (as you can lose track of time) so that when we get out of the pool and go back to dry out, have another read or relax only to find that some rude person has come along and dumped our belongings in a pile because they feel as they have just arrived at the pool, they are now entitled to the chair.

I've had this happen. I've been swimming, in the pool, and I've come back and a very rude individual has removed all of my belongings and placed their belongings there and I was in the pool! Not for that long either.

Nobody should be touching any body elses belongings. That makes them just as bad as the person who has left things there and left the pool area. If you have a problem and feel you should be entitled to a lounge over someone else who has been there before you and got one, then go and speak to the pool attendants and they can handle the situation.



As for wearing a thong, well that picture above made me . Imagine that sight around the pool. Each to their own I guess.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

I could expect some issues about the thong, too, and she might even be pulled aside by management for wearing one if other guests complain that her bikini bottom is indecent.

 

[lorieintucson]

unless she sneaks into the pool by piggybacking on someone else's entry card, then she won't have access to the pool before checking in anyway as you need a room key to enter.

and yeah...totally rude to 'hold' a chair early in the day when she isn't a registered guest. Her reservation and use of amenities starts when she checks in, not on the calendar day. If I witnessed that happening during high time, i wouldn't move stuff myself, but I would alert the pool attendant.

 

[Andyman33]

lots of pool police around here lol.
For the actual answer:
you can check in early even if your room isn't ready. You are a guest when you check in. You can get a room key (or resort key at least) which will get you into the parks early for the extra magic hour so DISNEY considers you a guest EARLY in the morning AND they advertise as such. The pool is an amenity for guests JUST like the extra magic hour which is advertised BY DISNEY to include the day you arrive...since the extra magic hour is often at 7AM you are a GUEST at 7AM.

as for the pool/towel issue on the loungers (my opinion) -- that is a well known problem at EVERY resort. There isn't a resort I have been to that doesn't have this problem and there isn't a single resort I have been to that has attempted to do something about the problem. Is it something that people really need to be putting out towels at 7am to claim their spot...probably not. but is it right to put their belongings in a heap -- absolutely NOT! to the PP who does that, I hope you realize that you are walking a thin line there...especially 30 minutes rule you have in your head is ridiculous. hours (plural) maybe.

 

[DarthMole]

I don't think bbeagle was talking about moving personal property. We've all seen it where someone in non-pool attire will stroll into a pool area and drop down a couple towels on chairs to claim their spot. That is by far more rude than someone moving a towel when somebody is obviously just holding a spot and has never actually occupied the chair. As for being in the pool, let's be real here. It's almost always very clear what chairs are actively occupied and which are just "reserved". You typically see a bag, some footwear, reading material, beverages, lotion... all sorts of things around a vacant chair when someone is in the pool. I guess if you want to trick people, you could set the scene and leave those things out so it looks like you're around rather than just dropping a towel as a place holder, but it seems pretty clear that it will not be appreciated by your fellow guests so I wouldn't do it.

 

[Andyman33]

but if "everyone" frowns upon it then why do resorts not make a policy about it? A bigger issue than just DLR in my opinion its at every resort...in my opinion until the resorts decide to do something about it I can't see why you can't or shouldn't do it other than "its rude".

 

[bbeagle]

I don't think bbeagle was talking about moving personal property. We've all seen it where someone in non-pool attire will stroll into a pool area and drop down a couple towels on chairs to claim their spot. That is by far more rude than someone moving a towel when somebody is obviously just holding a spot and has never actually occupied the chair.

Exactly.

It's obvious that someone is occupying a seat or not. For example, I've arrived at a near-empty resort pool before, and there are folded up towels on chairs everywhere, mostly in the prime by-the-pool seating.

I've been at the pool with my kids and have to sit way far back, looking over reserved chair after reserved chair. In those cases, we're planning on staying like 2 hours in the pool, after 30 minutes of being there, we're frustrated being 'inconvenienced' by these chairs. Eventually, we just move to one of the 'reserved' chairs, and move their stuff to the side. We usually are done before the 'reservees' ever get back. We think THEY are the rude ones, and leave their stuff on the side when we leave, so they 'know' when they get back.

I would NEVER move someone's stuff who's already IN the pool - that's beyond rude. Or someone who is somewhere else around the vicinity. That's why, if coming into one of those situations, we scope out everything and watch everyone's activities to find out which chairs are occupied and which chairs aren't.

 

[SGDisneyFam]

Or move the chair ... then you're not touching property.