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

[Markstudy]

I sent this email today.....

Hello,

I took my Honeymoon at Beach Club this year in January. It was a perfect trip! We did sooo much! .......but
The last day we tried the big pool at noon, and turned a teeth chattering blue! (it had been too cold for a late afternoon swim all week)
I was sick for 3 weeks once I got home from my trip. (not saying it was cold pool, maybe or maybe-not the cause, but it didn't help)

This is the Quote that is now hitting the Disney chat rooms- (not my words)

"They told me that upper management has made an initiative to turn all the pools down to 80 degrees for feature pools, 78 degrees for quiet pools, from a previous 84 - 86 degrees, as a cost savings measure.I was also told, that a study was run, where it was shown how this effected negatively the resort guests, and they are doing it anyway...."


Over 5,000 of your best repeat customers are now actively talking about it, and we are waiting to hear from Disney????
I hope 50,000 people are reading about it,.. on-line.

I am soo un-happy with Disney, taking the pool away from us at the Beach Club (that's the reason I went there and paid top dollar.)
Please do something to make this right.
People are worried about Jan / Feb and not being able to relax in the pools.

I am thinking about contacting the media and trying to find out who in Disney's upper management came up with this horrible idea?
It would be a great project for the blogs, on-line, and investigative community. THIS HAS TO BE THE WORST IDEA DISNEY HAS EVER HAD. But trying to be sneaky about it ...... makes it even worst in my book.

Thanks
Mark Q
727 466-xxxx

thinking about Planning trip for 2007 but worried about pool problem, we want to swim this time. Still unhappy with Disney right now.
Jan. 2006 - Beach Club
May 1983 - Grad Night
Jan. 1978 - Poly
Jan. 1975 ,77, - Contemporary
Sept 1972, 73 - Fort Wilderness
plus, a few day-trips over the years

 

[goldilocks_63]

Markstudy and others,
I want to state clearly that I have reported what I was told.....

But I do not know for a fact whether the pool temperature is true or not. I sent my concerns to DVC, and am waiting for an answer....

I'm leaving on 3/28 so I hope this can be resolved a.s.a.p.

Just want to clarify,

Thanks, Goldi

 

[Chuck S]

Markstudy,

I think yur email is way over the top. You can NOT get sick simply from swimming in cold water, it requires a virus or bacteria. Most likely picked up in the parks where you were in closer contact with people, more likely you touched an infected handrail then rubbed your face. I don't remember pool temps being officially published anywhere, Disney is not required to fully disclose company operations, no company is, nothing "sneaky" there.

It is letters like yours that give CMs the impression that DVCers will never be satisfied and have an entitlement mentality, and can, in the long run, do more harm than good.

 

[nezy]

Mandy-Thanks for starting this thread. I thought my blood was getting thinner!
As someone who visits FLA during the winter months, I will go in the pool if the air temp is above 70. So with 2 recent trips-Jan anf Feb. -the weather was well above 70-it was 80's. The pools were COLD! I was at SSR and BCV. I was also at Marriott's Cypress Harbor which was NOT cold. So re: the Fla weather causing cool pools-I doubt it.
I am not surprised that the mgmt. decided to lower the temp as a cost saver and as someone said here earlier-to get people into the parks!

I wonder what the temps at the water parks have been? I can't imagine them keeping those as low as the resort pools.

 

[freediverdude]

Maybe they're just turning all of the pools into cold plunge spa baths, as an extra added "spa" feature for all of the resorts! We'll see this advertised soon as a new amenity.

 

[manning]

Markstudy,

I think yur email is way over the top. You can NOT get sick simply from swimming in cold water, it requires a virus or bacteria. Most likely picked up in the parks where you were in closer contact with people, more likely you touched an infected handrail then rubbed your face. I don't remember pool temps being officially published anywhere, Disney is not required to fully disclose company operations, no company is, nothing "sneaky" there.

It is letters like yours that give CMs the impression that DVCers will never be satisfied and have an entitlement mentality, and can, in the long run, do more harm than good.

I wonder how Markstudy came up with 5,000 complaints?

 

[CarnotaurDad]

I dunno. I'm still not convinced. We were there in late January at SSR and swam in both the large pool and a quiet pool and they were both warm.

Could be just perception and everyone is feeding off of group-think?

I remember the long thread on the Dining Board when it was "rumored" that Disney was removing desserts from the Dining Plan. Everyone was upset, sending e-mails off to Disney saying they'll never be back, on and on and on. Turns out it was just some misinformation that spiraled out of control.

Don't get me wrong, I love the internet. But it is amazing how quickly rumors can become facts and then we act on those "facts" without ever getting confirmation.

 

[mrsminniemouse]

Mandy-Thanks for starting this thread. I thought my blood was getting thinner!

I am amazed at the response! Obviously it is something that lots of people have noticed. I have never started such a long thread before!

Mandy

 

[mrsminniemouse]

I dunno. I'm still not convinced. We were there in late January at SSR and swam in both the large pool and a quiet pool and they were both warm.

Could be just perception and everyone is feeding off of group-think?

I remember the long thread on the Dining Board when it was "rumored" that Disney was removing desserts from the Dining Plan. Everyone was upset, sending e-mails off to Disney saying they'll never be back, on and on and on. Turns out it was just some misinformation that spiraled out of control.

Don't get me wrong, I love the internet. But it is amazing how quickly rumors can become facts and then we act on those "facts" without ever getting confirmation.

Carnotaurdad, I am thinking that the policy change came some time in February. Maybe you were lucky that it didn't affect you. I really dont think you can blame it on perception. It truly was freezing in the pool at SSR last week. My DH who is never cold, was very reluctant to go due to the temperature and many, many people were complaining about it poolside.

I do partially agree with your last comment though. I think DVC/WDW are more likely to take complaints seriously from people who have actually experienced it and found it uncomfortable. I cannot imagine they will give any credibility to complaints received from people who are only able to say someone on the internet told me about it.

I can totally understand why people who have trips coming up are concerned about how this will affect their trip, maybe they want to enquire about this policy, but to complain based on the experiences of virtual strangers seems a bit OTT. Just my opinion of course. I did experience the uncomfortably cold pool at SSR and feel perfectly justified in complaining that it affected the quality of our stay there.

Mandy

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I dunno. I'm still not convinced. We were there in late January at SSR and swam in both the large pool and a quiet pool and they were both warm.

Could be just perception and everyone is feeding off of group-think?

I remember the long thread on the Dining Board when it was "rumored" that Disney was removing desserts from the Dining Plan. Everyone was upset, sending e-mails off to Disney saying they'll never be back, on and on and on. Turns out it was just some misinformation that spiraled out of control.

Don't get me wrong, I love the internet. But it is amazing how quickly rumors can become facts and then we act on those "facts" without ever getting confirmation.

I'm with you. This may or may not be true, but I don't think we should whip ourselves into a frenzy over it until we know for sure.

MG

 

[KarenP99]

I cc'd Guest Relations with my email. I got the following response today:

Thank you for your email to the Walt Disney World® Resort.

We appreciate the time you took to contact us. When we receive
comments
from Guests, such as yours, they are shared with various areas of our
organization. This allows us to identify what we are doing right, and
what we can do better. You may be assured that your observations have
been shared and taken seriously.

If you should wish to discuss your comments further, or provide us with
additional details, you may call me at (407) 934-7765. If I am not
immediately available when you call, please leave your telephone number
and an indication of the best time to reach you.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your honest and
constructive feedback. We hope to have future opportunities to
entertain you at our Resort.

Sincerely,

Executive Offices
Walt Disney World ® Resort

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Hmmm... That appears to be a generic form letter.

MG

 

[KarenP99]

Hmmm... That appears to be a generic form letter.

MG

That's all I was expecting. I hope that SSR is a bit warmer in May though!

 

[GGjertsen]

I don't complain about anything, but I just wrote member services about this. I just got back from BWV and the water was cold. My 2 and 3 year old daughters were shivering and crying after going in the clown pool. You can't tell them not to go in when you see the slide, elephants squirting water and they been talking about it for weeks prior to the trip. Really bad idea on Disney's part.

Also on a side note for you football fans: Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning along with Joey Porter and John Lynch were hanging out in the Bellvue Lounge until closing last week.

Gary

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Also on a side note for you football fans: Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning along with Joey Porter and John Lynch were hanging out in the Bellvue Lounge until closing last week.

Was Peyton whining about something as he usually does?

MG

 

[jim and meesie]

Just got out of the pool at Stormalong Bay. Beautiful hot, sunny day probably in the eighties for air temp, water was freezing!!!!! Everyone was commenting on it as they tried to go in, not many people actually swimming! It seems to be a real problem. My husband, having heard nothing about the grumblings on these dis boards commented, "It seems like Disney is cutting back on heating the pools!!" Two weeks ago at Hard Rock Hotel (at Universal) the pools very plenty warm, made you want to hang out in it all day!!!! Maybe that's the strategy, get the people out of the pools and into the parks.

 

[CarnotaurDad]

Jim and Meesie,

Thanks for the update. Did you speak with the hotel manager or lifeguards at all? Just curious what their response would be.

Thanks!

 

[magicmouse2]

I will be watching this thread carefully - and hopefully star to see some positi ve reports of Disney raising the pool temps again. I am extremely sensitive to cold and love swimming its the main part of my vacation. If they dont improve things I will not be taking my trip to WDW in December as planned. I will have to go October instead and mss out on Xmas parades.

 

[corinnak]

I wonder what the temps at the water parks have been? I can't imagine them keeping those as low as the resort pools.

I was at TL last Friday and the water was warm and very pleasant indeed. We stayed at POFQ where the pool was pretty darned brisk. It seemed colder at night, too. Subjective, I know. We were MUCH happier at TL, temperature-wise.

I can't speak for BB, but in the pictures the water always looks colder there.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I will have to go October instead and mss out on Xmas parades.

The Halloween parade is better!

MG