Pool Hopping - a real perk?

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I believe, and have experienced, that the Grand Flo villas pool has been open to hopping (when hopping is allowed).
There is no such thing as a "villas" pool at the Grand Floridian. The resort has two pools: Beach Pool and Courtyard Pool. Both pre-date any DVC presence and are open to all guests. Where the exclusion list says "pools", it means both Beach and Courtyard are off limits to non guests.

IMO, pool hopping is overrated and uses too much of our valuable time. Nice that it's available for those who want to utilize it, but it no longer something we use.
I don't know that I would call it "overrated" since few people (if any) rave about pool hopping as a perk. We've done it a couple times during our ownership period, mostly during lengthy trips seeking a change of scenery.

If the perk is eliminated, it's no great loss. But it's also a "perk" which costs Disney nothing to provide.

As for claims that there are more pools excluded than included, that's not really true. When available, pool hopping is still possible at:

OKW (4 pools)
Saratoga Springs (5)
BoardWalk (3)
Beach and Yacht Leisure Pools (only SAB and BCV pool are specifically excluded)
Contemporary main pool
AKV Jambo & Kidani (2)
Caribbean Beach
Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter
Coronado Springs
All Stars
Pop Century

The appeal of certain destinations is open to debate and the exclusion list has grown over the years. But there are still many not excluded.
 
It feels legit to me if you're using the pool at one of your home resorts. Is that considered "hopping"?
Yes. Your use of a DVC amenity is fractional and only applies when you are staying at that resort on those points.

This is also why you cannot just park at a DVC resort any time.
 


Except that if pool hopping is restricted then people should abide by that, regardless
In an ideal world, that would be true, but people choose to violate rules on a daily basis. To be clear, we have never pool hopped because it seems like a lot of work to do so. I was just saying that in this narrowly defined circumstance, I wasn't going to lose sleep over it.
 
Other than BCV, yes, it’s expected owners will follow the rules on their own.

But I did witness non guests being asked to leave RIV this winter. They were clearly from CBR and sitting close enough to the life guard and others that it was clear from their conversations they were not staying at Rv

So, they were asked to leave and they did quickly.

Never saw the value in doing it myself.
So if you poolhop to RIV, talk in Italian or French with the lifeguard, to blend in.
:rotfl2:
 
BCV and BLT are the only two that I know of where you need a magic band/ room key or a special wrist band to enter the pool. All the other pools are unlocked for anyone to enter, though most if not all appear to have the same magic band/ room card scanner to unlock the gate. The scanners probably have broken and Disney has determined that not that many people besides hotel guests use the pools and it’s not worth the money to fix.

Poly does too. I took my kids to the pool while we were waiting on our room to be ready and had to go to the front desk to get our MBs accepted at the gate to the main pool.
Yep, just stayed at Poly where both of the pools require MB to enter and studio buildings too (11pm) Here at BWV now and there are no locks on pool gates. Not very consistent security wise. :confused3
 
Interesting BW isn't on that list. I think I might go by and see the SSR pool next time. People seem to like it.
 
Poly does too. I took my kids to the pool while we were waiting on our room to be ready and had to go to the front desk to get our MBs accepted at the gate to the main pool.
Our family did too. This negates them pushing the "online check-in" for this resort as you have to go to the front desk anyways to get the magic bands working for the pool.
 
Thanks Crisi for your response. I suppose that if this perk comes back taking a mid-day park break at Epcot by going to the Boardwalk pool is an option for those not staying at an Epcot resort.
This, I've done just this and it was wonderful. I had to plan ahead and bring bags for our wet suits, but it saved time rather than trekking back to AKL for a midday swim.
 
That's actual nonsense. You are with a hotel guest. Stop it.
It’s not nonsense at all, those staying at the hotel can use the pool. WDW has never allowed resort guests or DVC owners staying on their own points to invite their miscellaneous friends and relatives staying elsewhere to join them. The pools aren’t big enough for the guests staying in them sometimes, which is why even DVC hopping had block out dates & was always subject to ‘not today, too crowded.’ WDW had to draw the line somewhere & that’s the line they’ve chosen - their property, their rules.
 
Yep, just stayed at Poly where both of the pools require MB to enter and studio buildings too (11pm)
Not only the Studio's but all longhouses. I was caught in a nice FL rainstorm one night where it just would not stop raining. I was at the Great Ceremonial House and tried to stay as dry as possible getting back to Pago Pago. I attempted to get into a longhouse to walk to the end of it but was locked out. Needless to say I am glad I always pack extra shoes when going to Disney for our family!!!
 
It’s not nonsense at all, those staying at the hotel can use the pool. WDW has never allowed resort guests or DVC owners staying on their own points to invite their miscellaneous friends and relatives staying elsewhere to join them. The pools aren’t big enough for the guests staying in them sometimes, which is why even DVC hopping had block out dates & was always subject to ‘not today, too crowded.’ WDW had to draw the line somewhere & that’s the line they’ve chosen - their property, their rules.

Never is a LONG time. Way back before CBR opened, Disney did allow resort guests to pool hop. When Disney started putting in moderates - and a LOT more hotel rooms - that perk was dropped as the pools became more and more crowded. It was gone by the mid 1980s. But old folks might remember pool hopping before DVC was even a thing.

And there is the Disney ancient History lesson for today. It is past time that DVC fenced and required MB entry at all pools and killed pool hopping instead of the slow death they've been working on since the early 1980s.
 
Never is a LONG time. Way back before CBR opened, Disney did allow resort guests to pool hop. When Disney started putting in moderates - and a LOT more hotel rooms - that perk was dropped as the pools became more and more crowded. It was gone by the mid 1980s. But old folks might remember pool hopping before DVC was even a thing.

And there is the Disney ancient History lesson for today. It is past time that DVC fenced and required MB entry at all pools and killed pool hopping instead of the slow death they've been working on since the early 1980s.
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.
 
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