Looking through the new documentation...pool hopping not mentioned

[pharmlivin]

I have begun, (haven't read it all yet) to look over the documentation including member guidelines and I can't find even a mention of pool hopping. I'll keep reading. The only thing I have found so far is from the glossy binder (Members Guide, I think it is called. It states

" the use of the Disney Vacation Club Resort recreational facilities is restricted to Members and their guests while staying at one of the Disney Vacation Club Resorts. Don't forget to bring your RESORT ID card with you (not your Disney Vacation Club Member ID) for access to the pool, tennis or other recreational facilities at the Disney Vacation Club Resort."

 

[Renee']

Since all the pool hopping turmoil started it got me to thinking about how I've never seen this "pool hopping privilege" written in black and white. I've searched through my member guidebook last night which includes the member benefit section and I cannot find anything written giving us pool hopping privileges. Is it clearly written out somewhere? If so please let me know as thus far I can't locate it.

<FONT COLOR=Green>Renee'</FONT>
<FONT COLOR=Blue>DVC at OKW '98</FONT>
<img height="200" src="http://www.jessicasweb.com/content/about/smooches.gif">
<FONT COLOR=Green>"Life's too short not to have fun!"</FONT>

<FONT COLOR=Blue> Vow Renewal October '01 at the Happiest Place on Earth

 

[CLC]

Just fyi-under "Pool Priveledges" [last paragraph at the bottom]dated 2/99 under 'your home away from home tab section on the Disney OKW Resort page it states: " As a Disney Vacation Club Member, you and your guests staying with you at either Disney's OKW Resor or Disney's BWV have access to all Walt Disney World Resort swimming pools. Just show your resort ID card which identifies you as a Member, to the host/hostess at each pool location"
Has this been replaced? We have not received a replacement page for that page.

 

[CLC]

The same pool priveledge info is on the BWV page but not on the VWL page [for home resorts in the tab section of 'your home away from home'. Has anybody else found info?

 

[pharmlivin]

the one with the glossy pages...under the Home "Away from Home" tab. Nowhere do I see any mention of pool privledges. Just lists a page of resort ammenities, resort map page, room layout page and two Point tables (one for 2001 and one for 2002)for each DVC resort. Also on the bottom left of the pages is the date 01/01. Also, when I spoke to Jim McCoy (last week) he never mentioned Pool hopping, but then again I didn't ask about it. Like I said, I'm just plowing through this and haven't gotten to it all yet. (It might be 2042 before I finish reading it all)

 

[SueM in MN]

We stayed at OKW from March 23 thru March 31, 2001. Part of our check in packet was a 3 page copied document titled: Special Member Privileges March 2001.
on the second page there was section called: Use of Other WDW Resort Hotel Pools: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Disney vacation Clun Members and their guests staying with them at Disney's Old Key West and Disney's BoardWalk Villas are permitted to use other WDW Resort Hotel pools if these pools are not at capacity on any given day (check with the front desk regarding pool availability). A WDW Resort ID card identifying you as a "DVC Member" is required to use the other pools. Now thru March 8, 2001, at Disney's Polynesian Resort, the feature pool will be under renovation. You can select from one of th many other fabulous WDW Resort Hotel pools. [/quote]

Looks like an invite to me. It is not clear though, whether you were to contact the desk at the hotel you are staying at or the one you want to visit.

SueM in MN
Co-Moderator of disABILITIES

 

[PKK/MJK]

In my Disney Vacation Club Members Benefits Guidebook (rev.01/01/01--regular pages, not shiny)), on page 9 it has a SPECIAL PROGRAMS OPTION. #1 says, "Through the Special Programs Option, DVC Members and/or their guests may elect to participate in recreational, educational and miscellaneous programs and discounts which may be offered from time to time (including, without limitation, programs offered to children through the Disney Discovery Club and pool hopping among the various WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort pools.)

Since this was just revised at the beginning of this year, it should be the correct information for us to follow.

As a DVC "old-timer", I have the page in Your Home Away from Home section (shiny page), that says,' "Disney Vacation Club Members and your guests staying with you at the Disney Vacation Club Resort have access to all Walt Disney World swimming pools. Just show your Resort ID which identifies you as a member, to the host/hostess at each pool location." Apparently this page has been discontinued in the newer books.

Phil and Mary Jo

WDW--82,83,85,87,89,93,95,96, 97,98,99,00,01
DVC/OKW

 

[normr]

It sounds like Disney is changing policies that many of us have in our books, we bought with this expectation and now they are trying to put an end to it.

I'm not a lawyer but this looking like grounds for a class action to me.

Guess I'll have to set up my own web site!o

 

[valdranias]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I thought that you could use the amenities of any of the resorts as long as you were staying at WDW property resorts. It had nothing to do with whether you were a DVC member or not. Has this changed, too?

 

[Firefighter Mickey]

Yes, pool hopping used to be allowed for any WDW guest at any WDW resort. The benefit was eliminated a number of years ago - I don't know exactly when though.

As far as DVC changing things.... When you signed your paperwork for your purchase, you signed away all of your rights regarding how the homeowners association is run. DVC can pretty well do anything it darn well pleases.

 

[TampaDisneyFreaks]

NORMR, To answer your question, I do not recall there being a pool hopping privilege for all resort guests, but there was a long stretch (from 1977 to 1996) where I hadn't stayed on property. However when I got married in 96, and my wife and I started going to Disney and staying on property, it was always made very clear to us (even to this day when we make cash ressies instead of using our points) that pool hopping was not allowed. So it has been discountinued for general reosrt guests for at least 5 years. Their reasoning always was that everyone would go to SAB.

Now another of my 2 cents worth on the topic in general.
When we first toured DVC in 97, pool hopping was never mentioned. In all of our contact with DVC since then until last April when we bought in, there was never any mention of it either. I didn't learn about it until about 6 months ago on these boards. I don't use the privilege, but like that it is there and will probably use it in the future )if it still exists. I have read te guidebook (shiny pages) but never saw it before. Will have to check that and the memeber benefits guide now that there is written proof.

 

[pharmlivin]

It's funny because the glossy part of my Members Guide is dated 01/01 but the white sheets (regular paper with "additional Guidelines" is dated 8/2000! No where in this binder, glossy pages or not, is there a mention of "Pool Hopping"... Go figure.) As a brand new member just finishing reading the paper work I must say, Disney is not offering me any pool hopping privledges, as far as I can determine. I never spoke about it with my guide as it's not a big issue with me but I get the feeling that they are very much "playing down" this perk to new members. As long as I can use the main pool at Wilderness Lodge when I am staying at VWL I'm o.k. But I realize that pool hopping is an important activity for a lot of DVC families. Hope things work out for everyone.

 

[TampaDisneyFreaks]

I just went to the DVC Members website, and under "Member Benefits Guidebook" , then "DVC World of Attractions Program Link", they have the following:

SPECIAL PROGRAMS OPTION
1. Through the Special Programs Option, DVC Members and/or their Guests may elect to participate in recreational, educational
and miscellaneous programs and discounts which may be offered from time to time (including, without limitation, programs
offered to children through the Disney Discovery Club and pool hopping among the various WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort
pools).
2. These miscellaneous programs and discounts to be offered to DVC Members, including the types of programs, times, dates
and frequency of the programs and discounts, will be determined by DVD in its sole discretion.
3. The price of the programs and amount of the discounts will be determined by DVD and will vary depending on the program and
discount being offered. Generally, DVC Members and/or their Guests will be offered a discounted rate for each program
offered.
4. These programs and discounts may be unavailable due to capacity constraints or inclement weather and use may be denied or
restricted during special events and subject to availability. All programs and discounts may not be available at all times,
however one or more of these miscellaneous programs or discounts will be available to DVC Members at all times.

They talk about some other programs, but pool hopping is mentioned. I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but it looks like they leave themselves an "out". They put constraints on it and it looks like they could discontinue pool hopping as long as other special benefits or programs are available. Interesting isn't it..... <IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused">

 

[Dean]

Read number 2-4 in your note and you'll see that DVD has sole discretion and that these items may not be available due to occupancy, etc. Finding the wording but proving they have control over it is winning the battle and losing the war. The questions is whether PH is contractual and being in the documents listed does not make it contractual. It would need to be listed in the POS or on your contact to be so. While I'm not sure I agree with a notion stated previously, the idea that other DVC pool use doesn't fall under pool hopping and is more of a direct club benefit is intriguing.

Dean

 

[dianeschlicht]

Aren't we getting a little bent out of shape about something as inconsequential as pool hopping? WE all have access to pools at our own resorts that we are staying at. I personally don't go to WDW just to use a pool! I cetainly wouldn't want to jeapardise other priveledges by sueing Disney. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face!

Disneydiane

[This message was edited by dianeschlicht on 04-24-01 at 12:52 PM.]

 

[normr]

If we let them take things away at every whim of theirs, where do you think they'll stop, maybe they'll stop offering laundry and towels and make us start bringing your own towels and sheets instead of providing it as a form of cost cutting.

I know it is an outrageous thought, but it something to think aboutn

 

[PKK/MJK]

The four statements that TampaDisneyFreaks listed as being at our Members site on-line, are exactly what I have on page 9 of The Disney Vacation Club Member Benefits Guidebook (rev. 01/01/01). I can't understand why we all don't have the same thing in our books. This seems really odd to me. All members should have the same info.

While pool-hopping as such is not especially important to me right now, I know many members really enjoy this privilege. At a future time, if I am blessed with grandchildren, I might find the pool hopping privilege something I would use. Perhaps suing Disney would be excessive, but I agree that it is the principle of thing. As an owner since 1993, I too am unhappy with some of the changes we have seen over the years. It seems that we are slowing losing so many "little things." It makes you wonder what will be the next thing that Disney will eliminate. Considering the trememdous amount of money all of us have invested in Disney, you would think the company would bend over backwards to keep us happy. But, obviously, that is not the case.

Phil and Mary Jo

WDW--82,83,85,87,89,93,95,96, 97,98,99,00,01
DVC/OKW

 

Whoa Up There!
Where did all the talk about sueing Disney come from?
Normr and I were simply floating the idea that if Disney kept tampering with our rights (Accepting they can do what they like with the privileges) we might need to be enlisting our own lawyer.
Nobody said anything about taking legal action against them I for one saw the 'lawyer' thing as being the only way we could get a definition of our rights that we all (including Disney Management) understood.

I also notice that something srange happened to dianeschlicht's posting. Some of her comments have been modified and her 'dig' at the suitability of my smiley has disappeared - why's that?

 

[pharmlivin]

that those guideline update pages predate the actual guidebook. It seems like they replaced them with an older version that states nothing about PH (I don't want to use that phrase anymore!). I am ready to send in my paperwork but this little thing is bothering me. Maybe I'll give Jim McCoy a call and ask him why my member Guidelines update pages are dated 8/2000!

 

[RamVA]

Was definitely going to stay out of this one, but have been reading pretty much all the threads and posts. For those of here since way early on, there was only 1 resort, so of course, it was a program giving us a "perk" of pool hopping, because Disney and DVC are of course 2 different companies and DVC has no rights at Disney resorts. But "use of recreational facilities" at DVC resorts is a horse of a different color than "pool hopping", now that we have more than one resort. I am certainly no lawyer either, but I don't see how we can be denied use of our own recreational facilities, especially at your home resort, which by the way you do own a percentage of (even though it's some miniscule percentage of a percentage--we don't just "own points" as one poster said). I see many sides to this dilemma, but, to imply that Lidisney was somehow less entitled to use of the pool since he wasn't "Paying cash" is ridiculous--he just payed his cash up front. The FIRST thing that absolutely should be done at ALL pools, is find a way to keep out all the people from the area "visiting" and gloating about getting away with it. That should be the main concern of any General Mgr. at all resorts, before they start kicking out legitimate property guests.

Ruthie
DVC'92