** More 'Pool Rudeness' - I received a survey from DVC..**

[gscott8075]

We pool hopped to Stormalong Bay last summer.

Every once in a while, a CM would come around and ask for cards and we were issued an orange strap. They also asked for them at the entrances. It worked.

Fence building is a big expense.

It would be ashame if pool hopping is eliminated when I think the real issue is non-Disney guests.

 

[vernon]

While I'm not a great fan of the wristband idea that also operates at Vero, I do think this is a matter that needs to be dealt with. If each hotel had a different type of wristband and you collected it when you got your towels it would be easy for CMs to know who they should be checking. This would be a lot cheaper than fencing/gating and probably more effective. If the banding idea didn't completely solve the problem you can always bring in the gates etc at a later date.

 

[RLevy29]

The Grand Californian Hotel in DL has a fence and you have to use your room key to gain entry to the pool but not for towels.

 

[DVC1996]

Pam.....you are correct. It is attractively done at Vero. Vero is my home resort and the gate has been there since we joined in 1996. Of course....I have noticed people sneaking in behind others but these were mostly people who had forgotten their cards. I mean.....most people at the Vero Resort are vacationing at that resort!! It certainly makes more sense to do it at the WDW resorts where there is more of a problem with people abusing the pool rules.

 

[StevieD]

Count me in for the wristband idea. This is widely used at resorts in the Caribbean, and it would be less intrusive than a gating system.

 

[Zimbubba]

""The Grand Californian Hotel in DL has a fence and you have to use your room key to gain entry to the pool but not for towels.""

But we too are guilty of visiting here, not staying here, and wanting to see the pool. We aited until the gate was opened by someone else. A cast member placed here would have discouraged us from doing that. We did not swim as we were in street clothes.

 

[Luv2Dream]

I agree that something should be done and this gate idea is great. I endorse this idea wholeheartedly and I hope Disney is listening.

 

[stings]

I for one think that "securing" the pool areas resort-wide is a great, and unfortunately, necessary idea. And as a DVC owner would be willing to pay a one -time surcharge to make certain that the DVC pools were secured first.

 

[Mickey527]

I can't wait to swim at Stormalong bay again this year. I pool hopped last year when I stayed at my home resort WLV. But I do love their quiet pool, each night I used the pool and spa and no one was ever around. All the kids staying at the resorts wanted the big slide, so we had the pool to ourselves.
But my trip this year falls during the week of the 4th of July. I know that they have blocked pool hopping in the past during this week so I made sure to get resservations at Beach Club Villas this year. We stay one night at WL, then change to BCV on July 1, the day they open. We have a 2 bedroom and my boys are all going with me this trip.

 

[stings]

After reading Vernon's post regarding the issuance of wristbands that does seem to be a great way to go. As someone else posted fencing off each and every pool would be a major expense, and may in some cases detract from the theme of the pool area. If wristbands were issued to those people who rightfully should be there and the policy was policed hopefully word would then spread and keep the... lets see, a polite term... "cheaters" from using the pools.

 

[madcoco]

We have yet to pool hop to Storm a long Bay. If you get there in the morning and then it fills to capacity do they then ask "pool hoppers" to leave.

Of course....I have noticed people sneaking in behind others but these were mostly people who had forgotten their cards.

Hey I resemble that remark. LOL Wristbands sounds like the way to go. We ran into numerous people from Ft Wilderness at the VWL pool/spa on our stay last year.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Originally posted by Mickey527
We stay one night at WL, then change to BCV on July 1, the day they open. We have a 2 bedroom and my boys are all going with me this trip.

Wow! We may see you there! We're staying 2 nights at WL, and then switching over to the BCV on the 1st!

 

[Deb & Bill]

So do they give you one wrist band per bed space or registered guest (whichever is least) at the DVC resort per day? Different color coded bands each day? If you are staying for 8 nights, do you get 8 days worth of wristbands when you check in? How do you keep people from selling them on E-bay? If you only get one wristband per person for the entire LOS, what happens if you lose it/tear it/remove it because you are going to V&A for dinner and you don't want to look like a doofus?

The card reader might work, unless you had people staying at the resort letting all their friends/family who stayed at AS resort in under the one card.

At Easter time at the BWV, they had a fence around Luna Park and CMs checking IDs. They stamped hands when you showed your ID. They didn't fence or gate the quiet pool at BWV.

At OKW, the main pool was extremely crowded during Easter week. We found it nearly impossible to find even one chair. When we thought we were going to be able to get another for my husband (I had begged someone sitting at a table if I could use one of theirs), someone else moved in on the chairs and saved them for their entire family. I didn't see the kids use the chairs at all.

 

[vernon]

At Vero, it works that when you go collect a towel from the window around the pool , you show your room card ( which you should do at most of the pools anyway) and are given a waxed paper wristband. This is a one day/one use band that you can take off at the end of the day. While it doesn't neccesarily stop people from getting extra bands and giving them to their friends/guests, it would at least stop people with no connection to the hotel camping down for the day.

I don't think different bands for different hotels is a problem, the CMs would pretty quickly get to know what is their own hotel's bands. In order to stop people getting the hang of it and making their own bands ( I know that sounds extreme but I wouldn't put it past some of the parasites that get up to these tricks) a routine changing of each hotels colour/motif would , hopefully, make it more difficult to copy/use old or unused bands.

There are always going to be people who try to sneak in, but at least with bands etc , it is obvious that these people KNOW THEY ARE CHEATING, and can't pull the old " oh I didn't realise I couldn't use (other) Disney hotels pools" .

 

[jsinohio]

I always agreed with the use of wristbands at Vero although, they have not used them the last several times that we have visited. My only problem with them was that they were only "marginally" enforced. If you're going to issue them, then you must expect people to 1: Wear them and 2: have lifeguards "routinely" check for them and enforce/eject those who will not.

 

[slp87]

My idea would be to get some type of "permanent" wrist band (something elastic so that I'm not stuck wearing it the entire trip) that is issued at check in, for the number of people using the room. I would be expected to turn these in at the end of the trip. A fee would be charged if I lost (or gave away) my wrist band. Each resort would have a different color with DVC members having a color all their own so pool hopping would be permitted without having to get a different band at each resort.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

We have gates at Vero, and I actually don't think they work. It's common practice to hold the gate open for the next person, which would allow any gate crasher in, especially if they had lots of kids with them or were in a great swim suit....
;-)

I presume they were put in due to the public beach next door. Pool crashing is a problem in WDW when in impinges on paying guests and members resort experience. Perhaps wrist bands are a better alternative, although I think enforcement with local crashers with some type of penalty ($50 fine for tresspassing?) would easily solve the problem. It probably wouldn't take too many fines before the word got around. Right now, if a pool crasher is caught, they are simply asked to leave. They probably try another pool.

 

[NancyDVC]

I agree that a gated access to the pools would be ideal. Having stayed at HH and VB and the DL hotel I found the pool gate access not to be a problem. Actually it was a relief to know that the guests at those resorts were given priority to use the facilities. After all who is paying for the facilities? We are whether as DVC members through our dues or as paying guests. And yes I'm sure that if we can charge using our room key/IDs then they can make them acees all the pools for DVC members.
I remember staying at WL the first year it was open and the trials they had trying to keep non WL guest out of the pool. They limited towels by having guests bring their room towels to the pool and then replacing them upon request. I don't know how successful it was but there were any awful lot of people just 'wandering' around that resort that year.

 

[mickey7861]

I think both the card reader and the wristband ideas are good. Maybe the gates don't keep everyone out but it probably curtails alot of crashers. Having to show your card for towels doesn't work, the pool crashers just bring their own towels. The CM's are either unable or unwilling to check ID's of every person at the pool area. Last July the Poly pool was almost SRO, no one was being carded and there were at least 4 families of crashers that I heard from. I know some one who lives in Orlando and for a fun day they routinely go to breakfast at Kona Cafe then use the Poly pool. They've done the same at other resorts, Poly is just their favorite. I'm sure they're not the only ones doing this.

 

[wheeler]

getting back to the Las Vegas thing:
Their fencing "matches" the decor of the hotels/pool areas, BUT - I assume that was "planned" from the beginning, unlike Disney, which would have to do it after the fact, and I'm sure it would be spendy. The other thing they do (and this is probably not even possible at most WDW resorts as I assume it has to be part of the construction plan from the beginning) is that there is only *ONE* entrance to the pool area and it's from within the hotel, and the elevators have their own "stop" for "pool/spa", and when you get out of the elevator, their are doors that require a valid room key that you must pass through before you can even get outside. The Aladdin had this system as WELL as a guard checking, so I asume pool crashing is a huge problem in Vegas, but I suppose that's bound to happen in the desert for pete's sake! But the Poly for example, you can walk right into that pool area from the boat launch, monorail, parking lot, ANYWHERE, and no one would stop you, so it just wouldn't be practical there......maybe the wristbands is the way to go. Even if some people think it's a pain in the neck, or impractical (I don't-personally) it's still a heck of a lot cheaper, and I agree with what someone else said about, "ONLY IF THEY ENFORCE IT", which seems "spotty" at best, right now with the resorts that currently do it (SAB? Luna Park?)