Pool Hopping Drama

[Dancind]

We stayed at BWV the week of May 4, and DD tried the pool there on 5-5. She was not impressed, so on 5-7 we decided to go over to SAB. Perfect timing, she could swim for a couple of hours before going to Harbor Club while we had our anniversary dinner at Palio. Like a good DVC member, I called BC front desk to get permission. The guy that answered the phone immediately said, "Oh, we're not doing that anymore". Snippily, at that. A little shocked, I said, "I thought pool hopping was ending on July 1?". He went away, and then came back and said "well, we're at capacity, so No". I thanked him and hung up. Well, this was a little depressing, no pool hopping all week? So, I called Member Services to see if the policy had been changed since we arrived in Orlando. The CM there called the manager at the Beach Club! Of course, the hotel wasn't even close to capacity, and we were welcome to pool hop. So we did. A happy ending, but it was a little odd. Maybe that BC guy was having a bad day. Diana

 

[DoeWDW]

I'm sorry that you had such a hard time! It always makes me sad when I encounter a cast member that seems to be all out of magic. Walt would have been shocked and saddened to see any of his cast members treat a guest that way.

I am happy that your daughter got to use SAB in the end!

Thanks for relating your story and proving once again that persistence pays!

 

[Doctor P]

Glad it worked out for you.

 

[anewvance]

So it is totally ALLOWED to pool hop, at least until June 1st? We are staying at OKW hotel and would love to check out SAB. But I don't take confrontation very well if someone came up to us and asked for our hotel id. Can you just say "we are over at OWK and heard it was ok?" LoL.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by anewvance
So it is totally ALLOWED to pool hop, at least until June 1st? We are staying at OKW hotel and would love to check out SAB. But I don't take confrontation very well if someone came up to us and asked for our hotel id. Can you just say "we are over at OWK and heard it was ok?" LoL.

It's ok for members and guests of members. No other groups are allowed to legally pool hop. Those that rent from members are a gray area that DVC currently treats like guests of members.

 

[PKS44]

On the thread about the end of poolhopping, Dean and I had an exchange of ideas about how they go about deciding to end poolhopping in general and how they decide whether a pool is at capacity...this incident lends further support to my position that there is no real effort exerted whatsoever by Disney to address this question...nor should they have to---I believe that this is because it rarely is an issue,nor should it be for well behaved, prepared DVC members... the policy that you should call ahead is window dressing (also known as CYA) for those members who are not prepared to be asked to leave...

The closing of SAB to hopping year round is actually just an extension of what Dancind experienced....they don't have the desire to find out whether the pool is at capacity or deal with the question at all so they just make it a policy to say "no" year round.

Well prepared, well behaved, considerate DVC members should be able to go to the pool of their choice, be prepared to leave if it seems to be crowded even if not asked, and to leave if asked without any fuss whatsoever. This is what I would expect of most of the small number of DVC members who poolhop-unfortunately, such faith in my fellow members ability to behave in a mature and reasonable manner is not shared by Disney. This lack of trust in individuals is either great foresight and understanding of member behavior, or further evidence of a bloated beauracracy at work. I suggest it is the latter.

Paul

 

[anewvance]

So you are saying that I should probably call the Beach Club before I leave and ask if it's ok? Or call DVC even though I am not a member, just a guest. How should I word it so they won't think I am a complete idiot? I would hate to go with 2 and 1 year old, get in the water and be asked to leave 10 minutes later. Has this happened to anyone? Sorry to ask so many questions. We have just wanted to try out SAB for SOOOOOOOO long and can't afford BC or YC and this is a wonderful opportunity.

 

[bjcgl]

if your id/room key has the words member printed on them, then you will have no problem pool-hopping (if it is available). however, if you are renting from a member or are renting from disney, your id might not have "member" on it and then you are not allowed to use pools other than at OKW

 

[Dancind]

When we got to SAB, noone was checking ID's. And the pool was not crowded, we had our pick of seats, there were even inner tubes available to rent. Calling Member Services to check on pool hopping is probably not usually a good idea, though I'm not sure I will call the front desk again. But with SAB no longer available after July 1, I'm not sure we will go to all the trouble of pool hopping anymore. BTW, i was told that there is no hopping May 24-28. Won't be there then, anyway! Diana

 

[KNWVIKING]

We were at VB from the 4th till the 12th and on the 7th we drove over to BC to try and get a better look at the BCV as well as BC. When I started reading the original post by Dancind and got to the part where the CM stated the pool was at capacity my first response was "you bleepin liar". DW and I walk all around SAB, could have jumped in any time.I doubt there were even 25 people using the pool at 11:30 am. I was glad to read on in your post that you eventually did get into SAB, persistance does pay off.

 

[iluvdisney]

When I was at WDW the week of May6th, I went over and used the SAB - it is a really nice pool.
I was a bit surprised that the Beach Club guard didn't have a clue as to DVC members. I could be mistaken but I get great treatment any time I visit BWV - the guards always seem to be very pleasant - don't know if that has anything to do with all the member displays on my car or not. But I do feel that BCV guards should do the same.
I had to show my room key, and membership card just to drive in and park so DH and I could look around the buildings when the construction wood was taken down. And my car already had the parking pass which states Member Parking. Is this going to be the norm there?

 

[EROS]

We're BWV members and plan to "poolhop" to SAB after July 1st regardless of a stated policy. If we're denied admission or asked to leave, we'll be happy to oblige. I have many more important things to worry about in life than the DVC poolhopping policy .............

 

[dbkelly]

We tried out our first pool hopping experience in April. We were staying at OKW and decided to go to BWV to pool hop. The guard at the entrance asked us if we were guests of the hotel and I happily explained that we were DVC members and we have come to BWV to use the pool. His answer was "don't you have a pool were your staying?" (he asked this question with a very sarcastic attitude). I politely answered "yes, but I have been told that pool hopping was a privilege given to DVC members" Then he asked for a DVC card, so I showed him mine and he said that he wanted to see my husband's card. We explained that the card was in the trunk. He made my husband get out of the car and retrieve the card. He made us feel like idiots. When we entered the hotel, I immediately went to the CM at the vacation booth and told him about our experience. The CM apologized and said there was no excuse for that behavior. He said that it may be due to the guards being on high alert for 9/11. He attended to our needs immediately and made sure that we got free valet parking.

D. B. Kelly

 

[CaptainMidnight]

We have just wanted to try out SAB for SOOOOOOOO long and can't afford BC or YC

When the BCV open, you'll have the option of being able to reserve a room on points and use SAB whatever the policy.

I was very surprised over mothers day how many locals crashed the Vero Beach pools. They just wait at the gate for someone with a room key to open it for them and walk right in. There must have been 35 people sitting right around us who were not members or staying at the resort. I actually asked some of them if they were staying at the villas or the Inn and they couldn't answer and said they were there visiting a "friend."