How hard is it to get chairs by the pool at DLH?

[Izzieheartscindy]

Hi! We will be at DLH the first week of August and would like to take mid-day breaks by the pool. What are the chances of finding lounge chairs by the pool? Any suggestions on how to get them? Thanks!

 

[DLgal]

Hi! We will be at DLH the first week of August and would like to take mid-day breaks by the pool. What are the chances of finding lounge chairs by the pool? Any suggestions on how to get them? Thanks!

Chances are slim mid day.

My recommendation is either plan your pool time for right when the pool opens at 9 or 10am or much later, after 5pm.

 

[Pluto468]

When we went in the afternoon the chairs were taken, but you could luck out and get one right when someone leaves. Every time we go in the morning there are plenty of chairs and tables. You could rent a cabana if you're planning to spend alot of time at the pool. Not sure how much it costs but probably alot.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

You can rent a cabana to guarantee you’ll have chairs, but arriving midday at the same time everyone else does will mean you likely won’t find chairs, maybe just a chair. People will have the same idea as you for a pool break and won’t leave until the same time you want to leave to go back to the parks.

 

[Izzieheartscindy]

So the other people who have the same idea will get chairs but I won’t? I was hoping for some more helpful info like what time it tends to fill up so I can try and get there a little earlier. Or perhaps one pool isn’t as busy as another?

 

[Izzieheartscindy]

I looked into a cabana but they are all sold out.

 

[Izzieheartscindy]

Maybe I should put this another way: What is a good strategy to get a few chairs for a mid-day pool break?

 

[kristensideaoffun]

Maybe I should put this another way: What is a good strategy to get a few chairs for a mid-day pool break?

I don’t know what to tell you other than you will be competing with 100’s of other people for pool chairs mid-day, and a lot of people won’t win that competition. The best strategy is to get there before mid-day or go in the evening. By 11am, available chairs will be few and far between. You could have one person go back to the hotel early and reserve a couple of chairs for you. They will have to stay in the pool area because they no longer allow chair saving at the pools.

 

[DLgal]

So the other people who have the same idea will get chairs but I won’t? I was hoping for some more helpful info like what time it tends to fill up so I can try and get there a little earlier. Or perhaps one pool isn’t as busy as another?

No, the other people with the same idea who show up midday will also not get chairs. The people in the chairs by midday claimed them probably before noon. Be prepared to drop your things on a wall or on the ground. There is a very good chance you will not get even one chair if you show up between 1 and 4pm. People CAMP OUT. You can circle the area like a vulture and swoop in when someone leaves, but there will be competition.

There is really only one pool. I mean, they are technically separated, but there are only 2 main seating areas. There is more seating near the main pool vs near the monorail slide pool.

To be very honest, you need to be there by noon if you want a chair. Either get a very early start in the parks, and be back by noon or dedicate one morning to the pool and stay later in the parks (or one evening dedicated to the pool and call it a night early or close down the parks until midnight).

Our family now lets the kids sleep in and we head to the pool after breakfast. Or, we do the pool from like 5-7 and either have dinner poolside or eat a late dinner in the parks around 8 or so.

Chairs are always available after 5pm, and before noon.

 

[DLgal]

Maybe I should put this another way: What is a good strategy to get a few chairs for a mid-day pool break?

Bring a few $20s and bribe people to give up their chairs? Other than that, there is no viable strategy. There are simply not enough chairs for the number of guests who like to use the pool midday.

 

[Izzieheartscindy]

There is really only one pool. I mean, they are technically separated, but there are only 2 main seating areas. There is more seating near the main pool vs near the monorail slide pool.

To be very honest, you need to be there by noon if you want a chair. Either get a very early start in the parks, and be back by noon or dedicate one morning to the pool and stay later in the parks (or one evening dedicated to the pool and call it a night early or close down the parks until midnight).

Our family now lets the kids sleep in and we head to the pool after breakfast. Or, we do the pool from like 5-7 and either have dinner poolside or eat a late dinner in the parks around 8 or so.

Chairs are always available after 5pm, and before noon.

This was very helpful - thank you!!

Knowing the general timing helps us plan our day and perhaps we will do dinner poolside or sleep in one day since our kids are older.

 

[Ccortave]

I looked into a cabana but they are all sold out.

Are you allowed to reserve cabanas for a specific time slot? Or is essentially yours for the day?

 

[MouseEarsMom33]

Are you allowed to reserve cabanas for a specific time slot? Or is essentially yours for the day?

You have a full day option or two half day options of 930-130 or 2-6

 

[Skubygurl72]

Just returned and I was so worried about getting chairs for our pool day. -Saturday

Around 9:45am I did put some towels on 2 chairs under an umbrella- casually talked to some nice people already sitting nearby about worrying about getting a spot and they said they would hold their spots for me and move the towels.
They were leaving within the hour so I thought, sure !

We were just having breakfast at Goofy's nearby for I figured an hour or so.

Came out and our towels were gone and people were sitting in the spot supposedly saved for us?
Didn't really think it would work but was worth the chance.

Luckily it was early still (around 11:30?) but the pool was filling up.
I waited and grabbed 2 under an umbrella in a quiet corner between Fantasy tower and Adventure tower. -highly recommend for a quiet spot away from construction and pool noise.
The sun was very hot (temp up to 90) so I was very thankful for that umbrella spot.
I watched many many people come and go throughout the day looking for a spot.

There were times families left and chairs opened up throughout the afternoon but they were tough to spot.
If you go just be prepared to walk around and have someone watching for people to leave.
I would just put your things by the wall and swim -don't let a chair hold up your fun!

Also the servers were great I thought. They came around often and were very pleasant and helpful.
I have been to all inclusive resorts in Mexico where the service is usually fantastic but lately was not good so I really enjoyed ordering drinks from my chair.

 

[goofy1954]

Is it any easier to get chairs at midday on weekdays in April than it is during the summer?
Also: Is the DLH pool still absorbing guests from PP? When the PP pools reopen, might there be less demand?

 

[whoever]

They are available... seasonality impacted. The best way is to do a cabana or arrive early.

 

[SoCalGoofy]

Yeah I was just there on Sunday... came back from the parks around 130 and the pool was slammed. We just dropped shoes on the wall by the hot tub and jumped in... my wife was stalking and found one chair but narrowly grabbed it before two others that were slightly slower to react lol

I did overhear more than a few people that sounded like they were local and just visiting friends that were staying there... maybe time for wristbands or some other system of control. But it didn't ruin my trip or anything

 

[Malcon10t]

I was in the pool area Sunday about noon, and there were a few unattended chairs with towels, and about 5 mins later, pool attendants came along and picked up the towels and opened them for others who were waiting.

 

[DLgal]

I was in the pool area Sunday about noon, and there were a few unattended chairs with towels, and about 5 mins later, pool attendants came along and picked up the towels and opened them for others who were waiting.

Good. A towel with NOTHING else is not someone who is actually at the pool. This drove me crazy at the GCH. There, it's mostly used, wet towels on the chairs and the people who left them there are long gone. I simply picked up 2 wet towels from 2 chairs, threw them in the towel return and we claimed the seats. There was no evidence that anyone was actually using those chairs. No shoes, no bags, nothing. We were there 2 hours. No one ever came back to accuse us of stealing their chair.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I was in the pool area Sunday about noon, and there were a few unattended chairs with towels, and about 5 mins later, pool attendants came along and picked up the towels and opened them for others who were waiting.

I wish they would have done this during our stay last April. There were chairs that were saved allllll day with a t-shirt and a book and I never saw anyone sit in them in the hours we were there (without chairs).