Hot take: Stormalong is not a top pool on property

[sethschroeder]

We stayed at BCV for almost 3 weeks this summer. It was a great resort as a whole but we actually found ourselves essentially going to the Quite pool fairly often because the main pool just was okay.

Issues we personally had:

• No kids splashpad (just a small slide across the walkpath that still is like 3 feet deep)
• Lazy river is very very very lazy (like so slow that you essentially have to swim if you want to make it around)
• Slide you have to exit the pool, go through a regular walkway, and no accessible for younger kids without parent supervision
• Whirlpool which does move fast was very small (area can often be fairly crowded - they needed to take those jets over to the lazy river)
• Its all segmented and spread out (as someone had posted in a thread I read its hard to keep tabs on the kids if you dont lay down the rules of where they can't go)

Personally prefer the layouts of BWV, RIV, VGF, AKV. Others as well seem to have better layouts but haven't stayed there so can't say for certain.

For a teenager I can see this pool climb the rankings but for having younger kids this would be last on our personal list of places we have stayed.

 

[starry_solo]

and that’s why, when most people respond to questions about Stormalong Bay, the first question asked is how old are your kids….

 

[Sandisw]

We were not big fans of it either

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We first stayed there when my kids were tween/teens. They loved it. They found the poly pool boring and prefer CBR pool over the poly pool.

Different strokes.

 

[Pens Fan]

Prior to buying DVC, our preferred resort was Yacht Club. We loved it for a combination of the proximity to Epcot and HS, but also the pool. Our son loved that pool when he was young but he was a strong swimmer at a pretty early age. Still, we stayed right there with him at all times - no lounging by the pool for us . However, it is definitely not the best option for kids just learning to swim. One minute you're in 3 ft of water the next 5 ft then back to 3. It's kind of bizarre how they designed it.

Still, I have very fond memories of spending many, many afternoons at that pool.

 

[tseitel]

When my grandkids were very little they liked the sand area to splash around in, but as they got a little older they really loved the splash pads that are at some other resorts- that kiddie slide area at the base of the big slide is kinda lame, gotta say.
Then as they got old enough to go down the big slide I was so tired of going back & forth out to the slide.
That said, BC is still our favorite resort, but I definitely don’t think it’s the best fit for those with littles.

 

[Ensusieasm]

and that’s why, when most people respond to questions about Stormalong Bay, the first question asked is how old are your kids….

I agree! A few years ago I was staying at beach club and spent a while floating along Stormalong Bay. I witnessed a mother in a tube with a baby go around a bend leaving her 4 year old in another tube out of sight to fend for herself. This little girl was having a lot of trouble holding on to the huge tube and crying that her arms were hurting as she was sinking in the middle of the tube and reaching up to hold on. I yelled to the nearby lifeguard who hadn’t noticed the little girl’s struggle. I had to tell her the little girl needed help. She seemed reluctant, but she did blow the whistle and jump in the water to help the child to shore. It was a few minutes before the mom, with baby sister, was able to return to reunite with the 4 year old. It is not a good pool for little ones!

 

[Smugpugmug]

I'm an adult without kids and I love Stormalong Bay. Your cons are my pros. Although even when I was younger it was my favorite. I understand the issues with small kids; different strokes for different folks I guess. Worst pool from my experience is the Lava Pool at the Polynesian due to it feeling the most people soup-ish.

 

[nw6675]

We were not big fans of it either

Agree! It is overrated in my opinion. My DD11 likes the BCV quiet pool better.

But then, we aren't BC or BCV fans anyway.

 

[piccolopat]

I loved digging my toes into the sand bottom when we were there not long after it opened. The last time we were there the sand was so thin that we felt the concrete bottom without trying. That was disappointing and we no longer go to BC or YC if swimming is on our plans.

 

[Jacq7414]

My husband wasn’t a fan either, but we love the location. So we stayed at Boardwalk instead. My daughter loved that pool - she’s 7. When she was younger, though, she absolutely loved the splash pad area at Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Bjaiken77]

I love Stormalong Bay. It’s for when I’m in a more beachy vibe and not looking to hang out quietly, but I still love it. I also love the quiet pool at Riviera, too.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Issues we personally had:

• Lazy river is very very very lazy (like so slow that you essentially have to swim if you want to make it around)

And, there are about 10 tubes in total too, and once people are in them, it's worse than trying to find an open lounge chair. Once you've tried the pools at Aulani, everything else is mundane (and THAT lazy river is awesome).

 

[zavandor]

I agree with OP, I'm not a big fan. I add that I find the sandy bottom creepy. I'm in a pool, there's no way suspension of disbelief might make me think I'm in the see, the sand on the bottom is just "alien".
BWV slide is so much better, even before talking about having to go through a public path, where you'll collect dirt with your feet that you'll wash into the pool when you slide back in.

 

[Disneychick13]

Thanks for posting this. I’m not a big fan either and thought maybe I was the only one!

 

[RoseGold]

My kid loved the sand area when very little. There are usually a ton of very little kids out there playing in the sand. This is a rare feature with hotel pools that aren't on an actual beach. And Disney provides the sand toys. The kdis are usually awesome about playing together out there.

But sure, other than that there isn't much for really little kids.

I didn't think that was much of a "hot take." It's the first thing anyone says about this pool.

 

[Anthony1971]

There are Depends - We personally do not like it- If you are slide people well SB is just not for you. There is a long list of pools Poly and BW by far have the best slides and how can you beat seeing the fireworks from the POLY pool. But that is us we also never had issues with finding chairs or the pools being crowded. We also have a long a list of other pools ahead of SB.

 

[kilik64]

I was not a fan of the slide, it hurt going down it, the sections of the tube have lips that didnt feel great. I did it a few times and was like yea im done, im too old for this. Then I was sad about getting old. It also got real old real fast having to walk out of the main pool area to get back over to the slide too.

I thought the pool, slide, and the kid area at the Paddock pool at Saratoga Springs was better. That slide is really fun. Kid area is great, basically a playground with water.

Only other pool area of DVC we did was Bay lake tower and it was pretty meh.

 

[Llama mama]

We enjoy it.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

My husband and I love the pool but we also don't have kids to keep track of.