Kids wearing life vests on pool slides?

[disney-super-mom]

Is there anyone who has been lately that can tell me if their child was allowed to wear a life vest on the pool slides?

Thank you.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

Yes they can. We were at GF last May and my daughter's used the life vests on the slide in the pool. They also used them at Typhoon Lagoon.

 

[mamacatnv]

Yep, we were recently at POFQ and they have a huge bin full of vests that the kids can borrow and wear anywhere in the pool including the slides.

Have fun

 

[LSUmom4kids]

In 8/06, the lifeguards wouldn't allow my kids on the slide with lifevests. My youngest (6) couldn't use the slide - he's not a good swimmer. He was a little sad....

 

[eeyoreiscool]

We have seen it vary at each resort. Some guards don't like the buckles scraping the slides so they say they can't be used. Others will allow it without any problems. Just ask when you are there and see what they say.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I know both the Poly and the GF have always let the kids go down the slide with lifevests. Before we took our July 2006 trip I had read on the boards that YC/BC didn't allow kids in vests to go down the SAB slide. Since my kids were able to swim without them I wasn't worried. However when we got there lots of kids were allowed to go down the slide with the lifevests on.

 

[WANNABE@WDW]

The lifeguards at the BWV watch your child go down the slide the first time, and if the don't think the child is a strong swimmer, they will insist upon the child wearing a lifevest down the slide from that point on.

 

[minniebeth]

My DD wore one last week at Blizzard Beach and AKL slide...

 

[loopner67]

Considering the water is deeper than I thought at the end of the slide, they really should allow it. I'm surprised to hear that some pools don't allow it.

We stayed at Dixie Landings (POR) many moons ago and vests were allowed.

We stayed at WL last year and I didn't see any kids going down the slide with one on. Because of how deep the water was, the pool was a huge disappointment for my kids. They aren't strong swimmers yet and they couldn't stand up in the pool.

 

[magchavez]

We stayed at POR last September and the kids (3 and 4) were allowed to wear the life vests down the slide! They loved it!!!

 

[deejohn]

It's up to the life guard. My DD3 was not allowed on the slide with the swim vest at CBR. But we agreed with them. My other kids can all swim or are taller than 4', so it was not an issue.

They have vests at the resorts for you to use and would prefer them over the one we brought, which is Coast Guard approved, but not Disney! Who am I to argue with the mouse. Besides, we are all looking out for the kids!

 

[ducklite]

Not allowed at SAB, there are signs posted about it as well.

Anne

 

[Schmeck]

I wish WDW would be more consistent with their rules - and I wish they wouldn't let kids with those stupid inflatable arm swimmies anywhere near a pool. I've witnessed two incidents at WDW where lifegurads had to jump in to save kids with swimmies that fell off. The parents were nowhere to be seen, either.

A life vest might make it a bit safer for your kid, if it is done up properly and has been used less than the recommended time in water. Older life vests can become damaged by sunlight, become waterlogged by being submerged too long, and can become very dangerous for a child to wear. The life vests you borrow at WDW are lying in the sun all day, and have been used for how long in the pool?

 

[Ambassador]

lifevests have been allowed at all pools(POR, POFQ, CR, CSR), except SAB at YC: something about getting stuck in the enclosed portion of the slide. But The Ambassador is certainly bigger around than our littlest Delegate with his vest on!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

While I agree that life vests shouldn't be allowed at SAB the lifeguards were definitely letting the kids go down the slide with them on last July. I was really surprised because one of the reasons we waited to try YC was I waited until the kids were old enough to swim well enough to do the slide without the vests! Maybe the lifeguards do their own thing but the certainly were letting kids were the vests on the slide that week. I was surprised the Poly also let the kids were the vests because that slide is enclosed too I believe.

 

[cara loves the poly]

Our children wore them down the slide at the Poly.

 

[jenr812]

They wouldn't allow my youngest to wear his lifevest on the slide at POR in July 2005. I hope they allow it this May! He still went down without it and let me catch him, but it wasn't as fun for him because I couldn't time it perfectly each time and sometimes he got lots of water in his face so he didn't go down many times. I keep trying to make time for swim lessons but our trip is quickly approaching *yay* and we haven't done lessons yet!

 

[jaycns]

My youngest was able to wear a life vest at both the Poly and the CR this past September. The lifeguards never said anything about it and I guess it never even crossed my mind that it would not be allowed. Goes to show you how "with it" I am!

 

[Schmeck]

The lifeguards don't always let you hang out at the bottom of the slide to let you catch your child either. There's always the chance that someone else will be coming down instead and someone could get hurt. I've seen people yelled at by lifeguards at AKL and CBR about this very issue.