Pool Hopping - a real perk?

[xdan0920]

I think that perk was available the first time I stayed at a WDW resort - CBR, hence why I said miscellaneous friends & family rather than taking a walk down memory lane because even then I don‘t think you could invite friends & family not staying on site to join you.
They now have 2 water parks for groups staying at different resorts or on & off site to enjoy swimming together.

I have a serious question for you. Do you honestly care if the OP goes swimming with their friends for a couple hours?

 

[Sandisw]

I have a serious question for you. Do you honestly care if the OP goes swimming with their friends for a couple hours?

I’ll answer. Yes, I care if others come to a pool and then it means guests have trouble finding spots.

And some pools it will matter a great deal.

 

[xdan0920]

I’ll answer. Yes, I care if others come to a pool and then it means guests have trouble finding spots.

And some pools it will matter a great deal.

Fair enough. I guess if it meant me not getting a lounge chair I too wouldn't want friends to be able to hang out!

 

[crisi]

I have a serious question for you. Do you honestly care if the OP goes swimming with their friends for a couple hours?

I will also answer...yes. I own at BWV, where pool hopping is "legal" - and where pool chair access mid-day can be unreasonably difficult. The line to the slide gets unreasonably long. I suspect that is just the fact that BW has three pools, but pretty much everyone uses the theme pool - and its a large resort - that pool hopping and guests have a moderate impact - although as the only near park resort where hopping is legal, I also suspect its far more than no impact as DVCers break from DHS or Epcot for a "quick swim." But frankly, at 2 in the afternoon if I'm looking for a chair and the kids want to hit the slide anyone who is there who shouldn't be is creating a problem for ME.

(And lets not start on the chair savers....)

I also care when people feel like they can break the rules. We have a compact as a society that we will all behave according to standards set. At Disney, that standard is set usually by Disney and one of those rules is "you can't bring guests to the pools." Breaking the societal compact is a huge deal because done enough, it breaks down society. And I believe one of the rules set by the DisBoards is we don't encourage others to break Disney's rules.

 

[xdan0920]

I will also answer...yes. I own at BWV, where pool hopping is "legal" - and where pool chair access mid-day can be unreasonably difficult. The line to the slide gets unreasonably long. I suspect that is just the fact that BW has three pools, but pretty much everyone uses the theme pool - and its a large resort - that pool hopping and guests have a moderate impact - although as the only near park resort where hopping is legal, I also suspect its far more than no impact as DVCers break from DHS or Epcot for a "quick swim." But frankly, at 2 in the afternoon if I'm looking for a chair and the kids want to hit the slide anyone who is there who shouldn't be is creating a problem for ME.

(And lets not start on the chair savers....)

I also care when people feel like they can break the rules. We have a compact as a society that we will all behave according to standards set. At Disney, that standard is set usually by Disney and one of those rules is "you can't bring guests to the pools." Breaking the societal compact is a huge deal because done enough, it breaks down society. And I believe one of the rules set by the DisBoards is we don't encourage others to break Disney's rules.

Interesting. You have invented a long winded hypothetical situation in which a handful of people, already staying on Disney property are visiting their friends at the pool, and these "others", are impacting you in a negative way.

I guess I just can't wrap my mind around this.

And not for nothing, you are mad about the rules, but also don't you dare question the rules! Interesting dichotomy.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I also care when people feel like they can break the rules. We have a compact as a society that we will all behave according to standards set. At Disney, that standard is set usually by Disney and one of those rules is "you can't bring guests to the pools." Breaking the societal compact is a huge deal because done enough, it breaks down society. And I believe one of the rules set by the DisBoards is we don't encourage others to break Disney's rules.

Generally agree with the sentiment contained in this snippet. An argument could be made that there is a nuanced difference between "standards set" as part of the social compact, and rules. For example, many (dare I say most?) drivers exceed the posted speed limit by some margin deemed acceptable by the community. That becomes the standard, yet is a clear violation of the rule (law).

Let's bring it back to the present discussion. Why single out this one particular rule for strict compliance when on a daily basis other pool rules are brazenly flaunted by users? I see lots of people drinking while in the pool, smoking at the table way in the back, having glass bottles and jars at the tables, saving chairs and tables to prevent others from using them, and allowing kids to run on the pool deck, etc.

I am all for rule-following, but let's follow them all. Personally, I choose to not let the occasional pool invader bother me or detract from my vacation. Others may feel differently.

 

[Sandisw]

Fair enough. I guess if it meant me not getting a lounge chair I too wouldn't want friends to be able to hang out!

I think the other aspect is that of course, people stretch the rules and pool hop, invite others, etc. over, but because its not officially allowed, the impact may not be that big of a deal. You start saying that pools are open to anyone staying at the resort and any friends/family they want to bring, it will be a big issue.

It is why I really hope they don't officially bring it back!

 

[crisi]

Interesting. You have invented a long winded hypothetical situation in which a handful of people, already staying on Disney property are visiting their friends at the pool, and these "others", are impacting you in a negative way.

I guess I just can't wrap my mind around this.

And not for nothing, you are mad about the rules, but also don't you dare question the rules! Interesting dichotomy.

I don't understand what you are saying? I'm not mad about the rules - but I do hope they stop pool hopping entirely - that's not mad - I just think at this point the "perk" isn't worth the list of exceptions - its confusing. And the situation isn't hypothetical - the lines to the slide and lack of access to chairs at BWV are real. I'm not sure if it would be made that much better without pool hopping, but pool hopping certainly doesn't HELP chair access.

I do get mad when people think rules they don't agree with can just be ignored.

 

[crisi]

Generally agree with the sentiment contained in this snippet. An argument could be made that there is a nuanced difference between "standards set" as part of the social compact, and rules. For example, many (dare I say most?) drivers exceed the posted speed limit by some margin deemed acceptable by the community. That becomes the standard, yet is a clear violation of the rule (law).

Let's bring it back to the present discussion. Why single out this one particular rule for strict compliance when on a daily basis other pool rules are brazenly flaunted by users? I see lots of people drinking while in the pool, smoking at the table way in the back, having glass bottles and jars at the tables, saving chairs and tables to prevent others from using them, and allowing kids to run on the pool deck, etc.

I am all for rule-following, but let's follow them all. Personally, I choose to not let the occasional pool invader bother me or detract from my vacation. Others may feel differently.

Yep, lets follow them all. Or at least try (its really hard to STOP your kids from running on the pool deck, but there is a difference between trying to stop the behavior and ignoring it)

(And in a greater societal sense, there are laws that are unjust and therefore there is an ethical responsibility to resist them. People who worked the Underground Railroad or worked in the Resistance in WWII broke laws for good reason - but that gets into a very big ethical debate not covered by this board - and not allowing guests of guests at resort pools does not exactly reach the bar of hiding Jews in Europe in 1942)

 

[xdan0920]

So, I just called the Front Desk at GF. I asked if it would be okay if my friends who are staying at the Poly joined me at the pool. Anyone want to guess what the answer was?

 

[Sandisw]

So, I just called the Front Desk at GF. I asked if it would be okay if my friends who are staying at the Poly joined me at the pool. Anyone want to guess what the answer was?

I am sure the call center people said yes.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

(And lets not start on the chair savers....)

This is always a massive issue when it's busy. People using multiple chairs for their towels and things. Drives me crazy.

 

[Sandisw]

This is always a massive issue when it's busy. People using multiple chairs for their towels and things. Drives me crazy.

Last summer, they were doing a great job monitoring that at VGF. They cleared some for us as the CM said no one had been in them for over 30 minutes and they were just folded towels..and no personal items.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Last summer, they were doing a great job monitoring that at VGF. They cleared some for us as the CM said no one had been in them for over 30 minutes and they were just folded towels..and no personal items.

I called the front desk, and they said (from their windowless cubicle at the call center in Kissimmee), that they couldn't see the pool from their vantage point, so they couldn't verify the number or location of chairs occupied solely by folded towels (or friends of guests), so it must not be an issue.

 

[xdan0920]

I am sure the call center people said yes.

Indeed. Now assuming I am not a Disney Nerd, and I was really in that position, and didn't know. Would that be breaking the rules?

 

[Sandisw]

Indeed. Now assuming I am not a Disney Nerd, and I was really in that position, and didn't know. Would that be breaking the rules?

Obviously if a guest goes to the front desk/calls and gets permission from Disney, no they are not breaking the rules.

That’s not what people are talking about. They are talking about people knowing the pools are for resort guest and there is no hopping in place and deliberately ignore them and have people come anyway.

 

[mgarbowski]

This is one of a set of old DVC perks that does not scale well.
When there were many fewer DVC members and a small handful of DVC resorts, most of which were separate from cash hotels, hopping was workable. Now it's not,even without any rule bending, stretching or breaking.

If it were to be restructured I think it should be set up differently as a limited perk among DVC resorts in close proximity:
DVC Guests at monorail DVC resorts would be welcome to use the pools at other monorail resorts.
Same for DVC guests at Epcot DVC resorts.
Same for DVC guests at DS resorts (Saratoga and Key West).
Maybe other groupings work, but these are the ones that easily come to mind.

This would avoid the issues of people taking a midday park break at MK or Epcot and crowding the nearby resort pools. If someone at Bay Lake wants to use the Poly Pool, or vice versa, you're not adding to the overall monorail MK-break pool crowdedness.

DVC members staying at resorts outside of these groupings might feel excluded, but that's how it is. Not every resorts provide the same amenities. We would have to accept and deal with this just as we deal with all those other differences.

 

[xdan0920]

I am crying uncle. @Leight19 you are welcome at my pool anytime. You can even use my good lounge chair.

 

[sndral]

Maybe they’ll bring hopping back but as a blue card member only perk & then the lifeguards can spend all their time scrutinizing patron’s cell phones to see whether their digital DVC card has the elusive Y .

 

[crisi]

Indeed. Now assuming I am not a Disney Nerd, and I was really in that position, and didn't know. Would that be breaking the rules?

Yes, because "pool reserved for guests of the hotel" is posted on the signs. You are responsible for reading the signs. Call center employees lack the authority to override policy.

Now, chances are, you aren't going to get caught - but now you DO know better, so of course, you won't do it, nor will you tell anyone else that they can.