Just back!! Quiet Pools?

[rhk43]

Just returned from vacation, two days at OKW and 5 at the BW. The BW is still my favorite, so much to do and so easy to get to a lot of different things. OKW is a very close second, both resorts are fantastic!! Just two items to report on. The bus wait seems to be reduced, we hardly waited for busses at all. The parks were not crowded at all, no wait time for anything. One thing that does annoy me though. AT the BW, they have so called quiet pools. No kids allowed, yea right. If it is supposed to be a quiet pool, then enforce it!! I am writing to member services to voice my displeasure about it. If they don't monitor who goes to the pool, then don't advertise it as a quiet pool. I have no problem with kids being there, but not screaming and hollering and that sort of stuff. Other than that, another great trip!!

 

[RobDoc]

Glad you had a good trip!

Just for clarification, "Quiet" does not refer to sound levels at these pools, it is in reference to the available activities at the pool. No slide, no lifeguard- just "quiet".

There are not even any signs indicating noise at the pool.

 

[MaryJ]

Thanks for clearing that up. The VWL also have a quiet pool, and your definition of quiet was right in line with want I thought too. Just a basic pool and spa, no frills.

 

[DVCDAVE]

Ditto's to the above posters. Quiet means no frill activities like slides and stuff. Kids are allowed there.

 

[Dean]

I have to agree, sounds like your assumption of what "Quiet Pool" meant was somewhat off. Sorry things didn't work out for you there. It has been my experience that there are usually a few kids running, yelling, jumping in and out; etc.

 

[rhk43]

I disagree!! If it is advertised as a quiet pool, then thats what it should be, also, I have no problem with kids being allowed, but they should be quiet, if they want to play they should go to the main pool. I should have a place to go as as adult and relax without kids screaming!!

 

[Wes]

I have to agree with rhk's interpretation of "quiet pool".

If you asked 100 people on the street what a "quiet pool" was at a resort, the vast majority would say it was a pool where things were peaceful and quiet.

"Quiet" is a word that relates to sound level in common parlance. If the pool is not supposed to be quiet in sound, then they should rename it to something else ... the Simple Pool? the Basic Pool? the Classic Pool? the Traditional Pool?

 

[LIDisneyFan]

It's quiet in comparison to the Luna Pool! I think that's what they meant. It's not billed as an 'adults only' pool, like the one on the cruise line.

Also, since we all know the Luna Park pool can get quite crowded , familes sometimes have no choice but to use the quiet pool - even if they would prefer one of the feature ones.

 

[Muushka]

I agree with rhk43 also. The quiet pools should be just that. I can understand bringing very active kids to the quiet pool when the main pool is too crowded. However, I have been many times when it is not busy at the main pool, and parents bring their loud children to the quiet pool (why, I do not know!). All it takes to make a quiet pool loud is 1 loud kid! This is just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[Peterd]

For the most part it is a "quiet" pool. USUALLY, there isn't the running around, screaming, etc... I can see some children getting a bit loud once in awhile, but it doesn't really bother me. I can see some could get annoyed by it. There are no posted rules, except for the hottub rule requiring adults with unsupervised children, so they're not doing anything wrong. I feel they intend for it to be a little less louder than the main pool, but not a hospital zone.
You have the community hall right there with all of the activities for the kids. They rent the bikes right in front of the pool. This past fall, they showed a children's movie with a screen by the pool, so the KIDS could swim and watch the movie at the same time.
I know there is a more secluded "quiet" pool on the inn side which seemed to me less crowded than the community hall pool. We use the community hall pool, when the slide pool is too crowded, and half our kids are in the hall. I don't condone screaming at the pool, but I'm certainly not going to hush my kids playing Marco Polo, because someone is reading the paper or doing work by the pool on a cellphone. JMHO!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

going to the pool looking for quiet is like going to McDonalds and ordering super size fries while on a low fat diet

 

[MikeBW]

rhk43,

You are going to Disney World and you don't want any kids around? Or you want them to be quiet while in a pool?
Here's a suggestion for you, sell your membership and put a pool in your backyard.

 

[brittsmum1998]

My DD 2 yrs old swam at the quiet pool at the BWV last year, and i can assure you she wasn't quiet, I always "assumed" quiet pool meant no "frills" slides, etc. We were at the Wilderness Lodge last week, there were always kids playing in the quiet pool, one nite at 9:30 they were playing Marco Polo. I didn't think anything of it except that they were lucky to have that pool because they wouldn't be able to play that game in the big one. I actually enjoy listening to kids having a good time and wouldn't hesitate to bring my DD to the quiet pool if she so desired.

 

[Paul in CT]

MikeBW,

I have to agree with you. To the best of my knowledge, "quiet pool" has never meant "adults only pool" nor would I expect it to at WDW. Our "kids" are grown now so we often have to go without them , but it wouldn't be Disneyworld without kids having a good time. I enjoy watching and hearing it because it reminds me of the "old days" when our kids were little.

 

[Dean]

While I understand the interpretation, I can't see expecting any pool where there will be kids to truly be "quiet". I think your expectations were a little high. The only reasonable way to have an adult only pool would be to add another pool as the "quiet Pools" are spread out to give more people easy access. It has been my experience that overall they are quieter with less kids and less crazyness but still there are usually one or two sets of kids getting a little crazy. Sometimes you're lucky and sometimes not. Sorry things didn't work out, maybe next time will be better.

 

[Wes]

I am trying to figure out how we can turn this into a constructive poll that might have some realistic single action item that DVD could consider and perhaps implement.

I did a search in the old boards and found <a href="http://wdwinfo.infopop.net/0/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=40009993&f=14009194&m=238099591#014095791">an August 2000 thread on the quiet pool</a> that is very similar to the discussion in this thread.

The problem really seems to have arisen from the choice of name for the pool. The vast majority of people regard "quiet" as a measure of sound level and not as a measure of activity. Trying to swim upstream and use the word "quiet" contrary to its generally accepted use in the language is bound to lead to people expecting one thing and finding another.

There seem to be two poll questions (and thus maybe two polls?) that have emerged from the discussion so far:

1 - <b>Should there be a truly quiet pool that people can go to?</b> This does not necessarily mean no kids. It means quiet in terms of level of sound. Within the "yes" answerers to this question, we have (1a) those who would like to have adults-only pools and (1b) those who would allow kids but post a rule that the pool sound level is to be quiet.

2 - <b>Should the BWV community hall pool be renamed to something that does not imply that the sound level is quiet?</b> And of course, the question for those who say "yes" is what should it be renamed to?

So:

A - Should we start separate polls on both of these questions?

Or

B - Does someone see a way in which we can bring constructive focus with a single poll that includes all of the issues in an unbiased way?

Hmmm ... maybe I should have made this question itself into a poll.

 

[dianeschlicht]

How do we make the quiet pools quiet? I guess it has never been a problem for us since we usually only have time for the pools when no one else seems to be around. We have often gone around dinner time and again at 10 p.m. for a hot tub visit. It is usually exclusive at those times.

 

[Doctor P]

I guess it is all in the name. While I would not have had the expectation that kids were not allowed at the quiet pools, I certainly would have had the expectation that the noise level was to be controlled. I guess I am just stupid and unreasonable! They really need to change the name since logically "quiet" refers to noise level and/or calmness of activity, neither of which seems to be what is actually meant.

 

[DanG]

I can't decide which is more amusing: the suggestion that kids can't use any pool that hasn't been specifically
restricted to adults or the idea that it's OK for kids to use that pool so long as they are quiet. Maybe I could muzzle them or medicate them with ritalin so they wouldn't disturb you.

Come on people, this is WDW! The whole place is built for kids to have fun (or for adults to recapture some of the child still in them). Kids are told all the time to be quiet or no running around here for 51 weeks a year. I won't do that to them at a pool on vacation.

Everything comes back to time and place. I won't take my kids to an upscale restaurant or a classical musical concert or an opera where they won't enjoy themselves, fidget and disturb the people around them who have a fair expectation to not be disturbed by children. When I bring them to a library they understand how to behave and to be quiet and respectful of others.

But, when you are in what is essentially a public pool for guests, you don't have any justifiable basis for expecting quiet or privacy. I f you want that, then WDW is probably not the right place to be on vacation.

DanG

 

[Doctor P]

Sorry, but I don't find the expectation of quiet at a designated "quiet" pool at WDW to be any less reasonable than quiet hours in a college dormitory. Such hours do exist and are still to this day enforced at most schools. WDW is not JUST for kids, nor is it JUST for loud people. I'm far from a party pooper, but the expectation that since WDW appeals to kids and is for kids to have fun does not logically extend to a free run of the place with any and all behavior and noise levels acceptable.

Frankly, I don't care if the pools the are quiet except at times when people are sleeping (say starting at 9 pm since this is a place where many small children are present and need their rest until say 8 am), but if you are going to call something a "quiet" pool then I think that most people will have some expectation that the noise level will be significantly less there than at a pool not so labeled.