Pool at Poly is such a let down!

[JasonMouse]

What is the deal with the pool fences? The pool area looks impressive, but everyone is caged in. It looks very odd and uninviting. I think it was Beach Club that started this, but that fence had more natural barriers and looked more natural. WL, ALK, and now Poly added them, Poly by far looking the most ridiculous. The bar area is cut in half by the security fence, allowing the undesirables to get drinks right along side the upper class guests. There are 3 stools there, and room for maybe 8 people to stand in that area, right next to the air handlers. No tables or chairs. Given resort hopping is half the reason we go to Disney, seeing this kind of thing is a huge let down. And it's not as if there isn't enough room! There are huge grassy areas with nothing. Why not just move the bar over to the other side and make the area more inviting and allow people to sit. I'm not trying to use the pool or take the tables there.

 

[thisismyusername]

The fence was not negotiable: If you refurbish or build a pool, by law, a fence needs to go around it. The older pools on property that have not been recently refurbished are grandfathered from needing a fence, but the minute that Disney files a work permit for an older pool, a fence will go around it--even if it's not a popular pool.

Um, not sure what you mean by undesirables and upper class guests. We certainly don't consider ourselves upper class having just gotten back from the Poly, and there were no undesirable people around the bar area. There are the same number of stools around the bar as there were before, AND tables and chairs with umbrellas both inside AND outside of the fence. Plenty of seating for people, even with the 95 degree temps this past weekend.

 

[WEDWDW]

I have to agree that it looks "strange" to have the bars behind fences-AoA's bar is completely fenced in so if you are dining at Landscapes of Flavor or just visiting AOA you can forget sitting at the bar and enjoying a drink.

 

[thisismyusername]

And by the way, I think the Poly pool refurbishment is ANYTHING but a let down. The kids splash area rivals Kidani. My kids LOVED it--and I have a teen and a tween who I thought wouldn't be interested at all in playing over there. The pool is exactly as awesome as it was before. The hot tub is a great addition. And the expanded decking area with MUCH more plentiful seating a HUGE improvement.

The gate was non negotiable, but I'm sure glad it's there since it allows Poly guests access to the pool, which is the exactly the way it should be.

 

[kiki02]

What is the deal with the pool fences? The pool area looks impressive, but everyone is caged in. It looks very odd and uninviting. I think it was Beach Club that started this, but that fence had more natural barriers and looked more natural. WL, ALK, and now Poly added them, Poly by far looking the most ridiculous. The bar area is cut in half by the security fence, allowing the undesirables to get drinks right along side the upper class guests. There are 3 stools there, and room for maybe 8 people to stand in that area, right next to the air handlers. No tables or chairs. Given resort hopping is half the reason we go to Disney, seeing this kind of thing is a huge let down. And it's not as if there isn't enough room! There are huge grassy areas with nothing. Why not just move the bar over to the other side and make the area more inviting and allow people to sit. I'm not trying to use the pool or take the tables there.

I know. I said the same thing. Really sad and if I took a poll, I bet most would agree. What about the lounge chairs with NO shade right on top of each other? awwwwww damn!

 

[pixarmom]

The new hot tub looks great and the splash pad looks awesome. Our youngest son loves the splash pads at GF, Kidani and WL, and the new Poly one will certainly be a contender for his favorite! I entirely understand the fence is required and I appreciate all of the reasons for that requirement. It's just too bad it doesn't blend in more nicely like some of the other pool fences do. And I don't love the rows of chairs - but it's either less seating or rows of chairs. I like to sit on the side of the pool anyway, but most guests seem to want chairs, so I can see why the rows resulted.

For me, it's one of those things where it doesn't look great in photos (like the CR pool or the WL pool fence) but I'll see how it feels when we're actually staying there.

 

[wdwrich]

What is the deal with the pool fences? The pool area looks impressive, but everyone is caged in. It looks very odd and uninviting. I think it was Beach Club that started this, but that fence had more natural barriers and looked more natural. WL, ALK, and now Poly added them, Poly by far looking the most ridiculous. The bar area is cut in half by the security fence, allowing the undesirables to get drinks right along side the upper class guests. There are 3 stools there, and room for maybe 8 people to stand in that area, right next to the air handlers. No tables or chairs. Given resort hopping is half the reason we go to Disney, seeing this kind of thing is a huge let down. And it's not as if there isn't enough room! There are huge grassy areas with nothing. Why not just move the bar over to the other side and make the area more inviting and allow people to sit. I'm not trying to use the pool or take the tables there.

I haven't seen the refurbished area yet, but I think the fence will help keep non-Poly guests out of the pool.
BTW, I think your comment (bolded in the quote above) is quite snobbish.

 

[skibum25]

The bar area is cut in half by the security fence, allowing the undesirables to get drinks right along side the upper class guests.

I'm curious what that means? Not because I want to sit in judgement but because I just can't figure out what the issue is. Are the undesirables those that get drinks at the bar and the upper class are those that don't get drinks? That doesn't seem to make sense so I fell I'm missing something.

 

[Sue M]

The new hot tub looks great and the splash pad looks awesome. Our youngest son loves the splash pads at GF, Kidani and WL, and the new Poly one will certainly be a contender for his favorite! I entirely understand the fence is required and I appreciate all of the reasons for that requirement. It's just too bad it doesn't blend in more nicely like some of the other pool fences do. And I don't love the rows of chairs - but it's either less seating or rows of chairs. I like to sit on the side of the pool anyway, but most guests seem to want chairs, so I can see why the rows resulted.

For me, it's one of those things where it doesn't look great in photos (like the CR pool or the WL pool fence) but I'll see how it feels when we're actually staying there.

All pools seem to have the rows of lounge chairs. SAB, WL, AKL, GF, POR, etc. I wish they all had more umbrellas. Not nearly enough shade ESP in August.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I think, and I could be wrong, but I read it that the OP wasn't staying at the Poly and they were terming themselves as "undesirables". I think it was a more "anti snobbish way of putting it?

 

[thisismyusername]

And if the bar is your primary concern, there are PLENTY of options for sitting at a bar at the Poly--more than any other resort than I can think of. The renovations brought THREE additional bar/lounges to the Poly--one going in at the quiet pool, the outside terrace and Trader Sams. Plus the pool bar and Tambu lounge, which were there beforehand.

 

[JasonMouse]

I felt second class, because they caged in all the tables and chairs, yet left a little of the bar open for those without clearance to buy a drink. You just can't sit in first class, or sit at all really. I even tried to go in with my wrist band, no luck. They are only required to fence the pool, not the whole area.

 

[wdwrich]

I think, and I could be wrong, but I read it that the OP wasn't staying at the Poly and they were terming themselves as "undesirables". I think it was a more "anti snobbish way of putting it?

Fair enough, but the wording was certainly not clear and as is, lends itself to several interpretations.
In any case, the OP may indeed have a valid point as to how the required fence was implemented.

 

[3Gsandme]

Pool hopping isn't allowed. So, no, you aren't allowed to access the pool amenities if you aren't a guest of the resort. You can still access the pool bar f you're not a guest and have access to other bars at the Poly. I don't get the outrage.

For years people here have been saying that Disney would put an end to pool hopping if they wanted to. It seems like the are.

 

[lovin'fl]

Having stayed at US Hard Rock, I like the pool and pool bars at the resorts to be just for resort guests...not an upper class guest vs undesirable thing but I am paying lots of $$ to stay at whatever resort so I don't want to be overcrowded. Is that the problem, OP? You weren't a resort guest and could not get into fenced area?

 

[Jenny412]

Normally I stay at the moderate resorts but decided to splurge this time around and stay at the Poly. My husband had made a comment that he hoped that staying at the "deluxe" resorts didn't also mean dealing with snobby people who think they are above everyone else. After reading your comment I'm starting to feel maybe he may be right. Get off your high horse and come down with the rest of us. Disney is for families of all sorts )

 

[huntconn]

I wish I could disagree with the OP, but I can't. I do think the new kids area is great. It's nice that the Poly has finally gotten a hot tub. Everything else about the redesign is a thumbs down for me. Too much cement, not enough shade and foliage for me. Increasing the pool deck but not increasing the size of a pool that has been regularly criticized for being too small is ridiculous IMHO. There are a lot of "little things" that have been removed that might not mean much to some but meant a lot to me. For example: getting rid of the bubbling spring that came out of the rock formation outside of the GCH then ran down under a bridge and into the pool. That was such an attractive feature. And now it's been replaced with a bare lawn made of sod squares? I don't get it. I loved the little sitting area with the water jets where the stream ran into the pool. Now that's gone too. The pool area badly needed more umbrella tables but instead we got rows and rows of lounge chairs on top of each other. I hope my opinion changes when we visit this summer and I see it in person. I have loved the Poly since I was a boy in the 70's and have always welcomed the various changes that have come. But I don't think they did a very good job redesigning the pool area at all.

 

[thisismyusername]

I felt second class, because they caged in all the tables and chairs, yet left a little of the bar open for those without clearance to buy a drink. You just can't sit in first class, or sit at all really. I even tried to go in with my wrist band, no luck. They are only required to fence the pool, not the whole area.

If you want to sit with your drink, take a few more steps and head up to the terrace. I don't understand why anyone would feel second class for not having SIT down access to a really small pool bar when there are plenty of other and much better options to sit and drink at the Poly that are open to everyone.

(And for clarification, the pool bar IS open for non-guests--but there is no seating for them unless they take their drink a few more paces up to the terrace. So it's not like you don't have access to that pool bar--you just don't have a table and a chairs to sit at NEXT to the pool.)

 

[Ceryssa]

The OP's point, as they clarified above, was wanting to sit at the pool bar and have a drink, as they have done in the past, but now can't because the fence includes most of the seating for the bar. A lot of people do that--go to a different resort and sit at the pool bar. Don't believe any "snobbery" was intended--in fact I believe the point was the opposite, given the feeling like "second class" comment. I know other people that like to do that--it's not that they're trying to pool hop or take advantage of amenities meant for guests at that resort; they just like to sit outside in the pool atmosphere and have a drink--especially somewhere like the Poly with its tropical vibe. It's unfortunate that the fencing in of the pool caused this problem. I haven't been out to the Poly pool since it was under construction last time we were there, so I'm not sure what it looks like but it does sound like an odd choice to fence in most of the bar and seating area. From what I understand that's rather unusual?

 

[rainboots]

"allowing the undesirables to get drinks right along side the upper class guests. "


Is this aboard the Titanic?