New pool heat policy? ***update see post 549 ****

[Chuck S]

If that is the case and there hasn't been any changes made, then it shouldn't be taking SO long for MS or the general WDW customer service to reply to emails. IMO

It takes time to receive responses, often 2 to 3 weeks...longer sometimes.

 

[AMcaptured]

I talked to a friend that works recreation at SSR and OKW. I was told that there was not a change in property wide pool temperatures that the pools were still set at 78-80 per Red Cross Standards.

The Beach Club is having some issues with a broken hot water pipe which is under repair and should be fixed soon.

Sammie I don't doubt what your friend told you but I don't believe what he said was true. Last Christmas, December 2004 the pool at SAB was not warm and they shut a section of the pool down after the 1st of the year to repair it. Or so they said.....

Fast forward to August 2005 and the pool was at least 90 degrees every day because according to the manager at SAB the only way they could fix the heater was to shut off the cooler. Honestly, I should have known this was a lie but that has nothing to do with this thread....He told me if I wanted it warm in the winter I was going to have to "suffer" with 90 degree water temperatures in the summer.

Fast Forward again to December 2006, SAB is freezing and it is a warm December, told they were "working SO hard" on trying to fix the heater but it wasn't working out. Supposedly the reason the hot tubs were closed after New Years was to fix the heater for SAB.

So I doubt it is a matter that is going to be corrected soon but IMO it should be fixed soon because they have been working on it for 16 months now.

Honestly, they don't make ANY money on us when we are sitting by the pool refilling our mugs. That IMO is the real reason the pool temps have been lowered.

Did you friend have a reason why guests are reporting that other resort pools are freezing too??? Does the SAB hot water pipe effect all pools property wide?

AM

 

[Sammie]

Sammie I don't doubt what your friend told you but I don't believe what he said was true. Last Christmas, December 2004 the pool at SAB was not warm and they shut a section of the pool down after the 1st of the year to repair it. Or so they said.....

Fast forward to August 2005 and the pool was at least 90 degrees every day because according to the manager at SAB the only way they could fix the heater was to shut off the cooler. Honestly, I should have known this was a lie but that has nothing to do with this thread....He told me if I wanted it warm in the winter I was going to have to "suffer" with 90 degree water temperatures in the summer.

Fast Forward again to December 2006, SAB is freezing and it is a warm December, told they were "working SO hard" on trying to fix the heater but it wasn't working out. Supposedly the reason the hot tubs were closed after New Years was to fix the heater for SAB.

So I doubt it is a matter that is going to be corrected soon but IMO it should be fixed soon because they have been working on it for 16 months now.

Honestly, they don't make ANY money on us when we are sitting by the pool refilling our mugs. That IMO is the real reason the pool temps have been lowered.

Did you friend have a reason why guests are reporting that other resort pools are freezing too??? Does the SAB hot water pipe effect all pools property wide?

AM

My friend has no reason to lie to me. In fact I don't have friends that lie to me.

You can believe what you wish to believe, I will comment no further on this.

As to the rest of this discussion I have no idea why any you even go to Disney or own DVC, if you truly believe that everyone is just trying to rip you off, why give them any of your money.

And when my friends let me know when the DVC at the Contemporary is going to be built I will just keep that to myself too; being it would not be true.

 

[Sammie]

Must be a pretty extensive problem. We were at SAB in Feb and every pool besides the hot tub and the kids pool by the kid slide were pretty chilly. Last year the entire pool was warm, but the halk the pool was closed for rehab. This year only the large hot tub was sectioned off.

No big. I am sure the pools will be nice and warmed for our 07' trip. Chilly water can't keep us away.

Since you were polite enough to respond civilly, I have sent you a PM explaining why it is taking so long to fix and the details.

 

[boatboatboat]

Sammie if you would provide me with a PM,that will shed some light on this, I'll be your pal.

 

[Linda/Ohio]

We just returned from Saratoga and when we checked in--we were told the pool was heated to 82 degrees. In the winter we go to warm climes as often as possible...so I am accustomed to heated pools. We utilized the Congress Park area pool and found it quite cool...almost cold. I only swam a length one time...the rest of the time was only able to take a quick dip. There were a number of people near the pool--but not a lot of people in it. I enjoyed sitting in the sun---but was looking forward to a warmer pool....

Of course there is that old stigma about warm pool water......I didn't find any warm spots!!!

 

[Markstudy]

The Beach Club is having some issues with a broken hot water pipe which is under repair and should be fixed soon.

Thanks for your idea Sammie, I know you are trying to help. But something is bugging me.

I wouldn't have gotten mad if they had a little sign posted "sorry we are fixing the pools heater"

But when you have 14 LifeGuards standing around watching the cold water and making a sly smile when the guest complain that its too cold to swim? Well something doesn't quite smell right?

Disney is very good at posting signs when things are broke.
But....seems Disney is also very good at sneaking in cost-cutting programs. No signs anywhere to been seen

 

[Sammie]

Thanks for your idea Sammie, I know you are trying to help. But something is bugging me.

I wouldn't have gotten mad if they had a little sign posted "sorry we are fixing the pools heater"

But when you have 14 LifeGuards standing around watching the cold water and making a sly smile when the guest complain that its too cold to swim? Well something doesn't quite smell right?

Disney is very good at posting signs when things are broke.
But....seems Disney is also very good at sneaking in cost-cutting programs. No signs anywhere to been seen

My point is I have no reason to question the integrity of my friend. If he/she says there is a hot water problem then that is that. If it was a cost cutting procedure he/she would have said so. There is no benefit to her/him to state anything other that what is happening at that location.

My friend has also worked at Disney resorts for over 15 years, I seriously doubt any of the lifeguards have been there that long. Many of them enjoy jerking the chains of the guests and then running here to see if it made the "news" and laugh about it.

Believe what you want, as I said I will not continue to defend the validity of what I was told.

I am sure you have friends that work at other business or companies other than where you work. If you needed info on something involving that company you would ask your friend and unless it was government classified your friend would tell you what is going on. No reason not to, or put any "spin" on it. That is the case with my friend.

 

[AMcaptured]

Sammie, I am not argueing with you that they don't have hot water at SAB. I happened to have experienced it FIRST hand. I don't need a friend that works at OKW to tell me what is happening at SAB. I have my own proof. However, that does not explain why all of the pools resort wide are being reported as significantly colder. Obviously something is going on. I have been staying at the YC/BC since it first opened in 1990 and in the winter months, the pool was always kept at 84. I can guarantee you that it is no longer being kept at that temperature.

If you believe I am being uncivilized that is unfortunate, I did not mean to be anything but civilized. I am just reporting what I have experienced and it is different than your friend is reporting to you.

AM

 

[DrTomorrow]

Thank you, folks, for reminding me that my tinfoil hat needs to go in for a tune-up!

Let's recap:

A very small number of DVCers (a dozen - maybe two) posted that the water at their resorts was cold in the winter. Exactly one poster has information that there has been a policy change dropping pool temperatures; exactly one poster has information that there has NOT been a policy change.

Based on these solid-as-the-rock-of-Gibraltar 'facts' - and despite (or because of ) no immediate official response from Disney - a swarm of emails has found its way to Disney. Only a few of those responses were from folks who actually experienced the water; the rest are all of the "I heard a rumor on the Internet" variety. And to ice the cake, we have one letter-writer making implied threats to inform the media, go public with this news, and marshall the combined might of 5,000 (or was that 50,000) DVC owners (I liked the torch & pitchfork imagery!)

Please note: I am in favor of communicating any legitimate issues to Disney staff - and management, if necessary; of course, why people don't raise the issue while they are still there is beyond me. However, if anyone thinks "I'm sending you this complaining email because I heard some gossip on the DIS boards" helps create a positive image of DIS members in the minds of Disney, well, thanks for playing - better luck next time.

Once we have some official information, then member feedback is appropriate. Until then.... hold on .... sorry, got to go - the microwave transmissions from the alien satellites are breaking through the tinfoil....

IMHO - YMMV {[{}}

 

[LIFERBABE]

OK Doc I'll admit it! But in my defense, I did not invoke these boards in my email, nor did I threaten to get medieval on their ****!

I did however place an order for 2 pitchforks and a torch to be held at Bell Services, just in case my babies need flotation devices in the new kiddie hot tub!

Yeah! When you put it like that, it sounds pretty bad, but we were provoked!! (and a little bored )

 

[shantay1008]

...And sometimes we just need a little prodding to get motivated. I wondered why my little water dogs weren't begging to go in the pool more while we were there in Feb. (usually we can't drag them out of the water), so this thread (and the memory of their blue lips) made me sit up and take notice.

Perhaps the Powers-that-Be at DVC will find us irritating and silly, Doctor. But then again, in the future they might think twice about their methods when they remember the Cool Pool Fiasco.....

Shannon

 

[AMcaptured]

Please note: I am in favor of communicating any legitimate issues to Disney staff - and management, if necessary; of course, why people don't raise the issue while they are still there is beyond me.

I did talk to the manager at the pool, as I talked to him about it being cold the year before and hot as hell during the previous summer. I'm not sure if there is anything the manager of SAB can do about it but wait until the next dept or managers meeting and mention he has gotten complaints about it.

I think it is good that people who have experienced it first hand write a letter directly to the resort and let them know their disappointment.

DVC'ers are not the only ones mentioning this problem, DISers are reporting it over on the resorts board as well. It seems to be a problem resort wide that is why I don't think it is "just" a hot water pipe at SAB that is causing this.

AM

 

[goldilocks_63]

Jackie at DVC management called and she was great.... Basically, she said that the pool policy is to follow the American Red Cross standards of 78-80 degrees, but that the matter had been presented to the recreation dept. management....

She could or would not answer whether the pool temps had been lowered....

***

Then got a hostile WDW management type, who again repeated the Amer. Red Cross mantra, and also wouldn't respond to gossip about the pool temp being lowered....


****


But I think that it's interesting that I got a phone call, and no email (so I can't post the response), and both refused to answer directly my question, if the policy change lowered the pool temps from 84 ish to 78-80, and two, if there was a survery done.

I'm droping this for now, because it's making me crazy. I'm going to OKW on 3/28, and plan on bringing a pool thermometer.

I have over 1,000 points, and had plan on spending 6 months every winter at DVC as my long term retirement plan, but am now rethinking that.

Again, for me, cold pools is a dealbreaker.

Unhappy, Goldi

 

[LisaS]

Thanks for posting what you were told. I find it interesting that they mention they follow the American Red Cross standards of 78-80 degrees when several people have posted they believe Disney standards were 82-84 degrees. Based on what I've read on the web about comfortable pool temperatures, 78-80 works well for people swimming laps or training for the Olympics but is generally believed to be too cold for people just splashing around in the pool.

ETA: Did they call you today (i.e., on a Saturday) or did you get the call yesterday?

 

[goldilocks_63]

And yes, I did argue that we weren't exercising, or doing laps, that it was a recreation pool, and that I would prefer it warmer to balance my margarita....

and to have it warm, so my kids would play and I could take a break....

It is painful for me as a Mom to watch them come out cold, shivering, and whiny because they want to swim, but it's really to cold. I want some relaxtion time, and this is just more work for me.

Goldi

 

[Chuck S]

So, if they don't follow the Red Cross guidelines, they leave themselves open to possibly being sued for "unsafe pool temps" (people are sue crazy in todays society) and if they have relatively safe Red Cross pool temps they have unhappy guests. Rock and Hard Place type of situation, huh?

 

[LisaS]

So, if they don't follow the Red Cross guidelines, they leave themselves open to possibly being sued for "unsafe pool temps" (people are sue crazy in todays society) and if they have relatively safe Red Cross pool temps they have unhappy guests. Rock and Hard Place type of situation, huh?

Thought it was time to go take a look at what the Red Cross has to say. Here are the Red Cross' guidelines on pool temperatures (from: http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/aquatics/FAQ.htm)

What is a safe temperature for a home pool?
Recommended water temperatures for the type of activity ranges from 78°F for fitness swimming, 82°F for recreational swimming and 86°F for water therapy. However, there is no recommended water temperature for residential pools — what it boils down to is individual comfort and preference. Although, please note that high water temperatures can present water quality issues.

 

[Chuck S]

Thought it was time to go take a look at what the Red Cross has to say. Here are the Red Cross' guidelines on pool temperatures (from: http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/aquatics/FAQ.htm)

What is a safe temperature for a home pool?
Recommended water temperatures for the type of activity ranges from 78°F for fitness swimming, 82°F for recreational swimming and 86°F for water therapy. However, there is no recommended water temperature for residential pools — what it boils down to is individual comfort and preference. Although, please note that high water temperatures can present water quality issues.

I think HOME pool is the key word in your post. There is a difference in risk between you and a few friends in a home pool versus a crowded resort pool.

 

[LisaS]

I think HOME pool is the key word in your post. There is a difference in risk between you and a few friends in a home pool versus a crowded resort pool.

I've seen similar temperature guidelines posted on other sites for public pools where the recommended temperature for casual use (vs. fitness swimming or lap swimming) was 84 degrees. I would hope that resort pools and public pools are well managed and probably better managed than many home pools.