Pool Hopping Mad!! Happened to us too!

[Scarlet]

Hello, well LIDisneyFan, you are not alone. The
very same incident happend to myself and my 6 yr old daughter at BWV pool on Friday 4/13. We had
been there for about 1 1/2 hours when they came
around and starting asking for ID's. Another family sitting next to us was asked to leave first. They protested, as did I, but the interesting twist was that the other family had a couple with them who had JUST finished the DVC tour; they still had the handouts with them. The
recreation manager was very hesitant to make a scene because of the prospective DVC members, but
eventually told us ALL that we would be escorted out by SECURITY GUARDS if we did not leave the pool. I was staying at OKW because I could not get a room at our home resort BWV, and had promised my daughter we would visit and use the slide. The rec. mgr. argued that "people are paying $500/night to stay here and can't get a chair." I argued back that I have paid over $12,000 to OWN at BWV and that I deserved a seat as much as anyone else. I also mentioned that they should be checking ID as you enter the pool, not having you escorted out after being there for a while. I was so humiliated when they threatened to have security take us out I started to cry. My 6 yr old daughter was completely freaked out that we were being treated like criminals at our own home resort. The entire incident shook me for the rest of the day. I went there in good faith to enjoy the afternoon.
I would NOT have risked the embarrassment or aggravation of being kicked out if I had any remote idea that pool hopping was not going to be allowed. My daughter called my mother as soon as we got back to OKW and the first thing out of her
mouth was about "the mean lady who wouldn't let us swim". Nice image for her to have of her Disney trip. I am writing letters demanding an
apology from the rec. mgr. (who gave me her card if I wanted to pursue the matter), and I am calling my guide as well. Very, very poorly handled.

Scarlet
BWV '99

 

[tarzanman]

I definitely think that Disney needs to make a quick fix here. If they are causing this many issues at BWV, then they need to have a system immediately.

some trips as a child
DxL 4/00
DVC member 4/00
BWV 9/00, 12/01
VB 9/00, 5/01
DCL 1/01, 12/01-1/02 New Years Cruise
OKW 1/01

http://gennaroworld.topcities.com

 

[LisaR]

Scarlet,
I am so sorry this happened to you. I notice a trend starting at BWV.
Here is my take on the whole pool hoping situation:

This is a privledge that can be taken away at anytime. HOWEVER, I think it is rude, inconsiderate, embarrasing, etc, etc to kick someone out of the pool area once they are already there - assuming they are cash paying customers, there on points or DVC members. They need a way to check ID's when people enter the pool area. If the pool area is truly filled up with ONLY cash paying customers, people staying at BWV on points and other DVC members staying elsewhere, then yes, those other DVC members should be the first to go. However, when they randomly select people to kick out, the process of elimination isn't fair.

Wouldn't most of us rather show up at a pool and be told right then and there that the pool is closed to pool hoping instead of being kick out a few hours later? Wouldn't ALL of us LOVE to show our DVC membership upon entering the pool area to show that we are members and not just someone staying at the Holiday Inn that came by for a swim?

I understand that the pool area may be empty at noon and full 2 hours later but BWV does know the occupancy of the hotel and there are trends in most pool occupancy at different times of the day. They know the pool is busiest in the middle of the day then the morning, etc. They better come up with a better plan or they are going to tick off a lot more people.

I will stick with OKW. The no slide thing is just fine for my family. The kids have a blast being in a huge pool and making new friends. I will say, I am thinking of adding on with some BWV points (enough for a weekend) and the whole attitude thing at BWV is making me rethink.

Lisa

 

[LauraS]

Scarlet, I'm so sorry that you and your daughter were asked to leave your home resort pool. I think it's incredibly rude for BWV staff to be asking BWV owners to leave that pool area once they've settled into chairs. If Luna Park use by members not staying at BWV is a problem, then why don't they put up a white picket fence like they did at SAB and check IDs. Hopefully this is just an unusual event that occured due to high crowds and high temps over Easter break. I hope so, because I don't like what I'm hearing from my fellow BWV owners.

My only advice to folks is to call the BWV Front desk before heading over to avoid this kind of humilation and stress. Disney is *totally* handling this the wrong way and it saddens me that they're humiliating members who have plunked down *thousands* of dollars for a membership in the DVC. I would absolutely write to everyone in the DVC and Disney Resort organization until I received some serious apologies.

We're heading down to BWV on April 28th and plan to do some SAB hopping. I'll let you all know how we make out. Hopefully we won't have any problems, but I'll be sure to call the Yacht before we bother heading over there.

Laura

 

[rallydoc]

let's face it. This is profiling plain and simple... Scarlet.. I've never seen you but ... well... you're a Yankee.. and that's why they did it. ;-)

As a new owner at VWL and a business owner I find it hard to believe that an orgnization as well put together as Disney didn't already have a plan in hand. From what i have experienced at Disney in the past I would like to give the cm the benefiet of the doubt, I can certainly imagine a guest even more irate than you hitting her desk and ranting for 30 min before she finally gave in and came out to clear the pool. I also don't recall anything in any guest contract for DVC or the resorts that says everyone gets to go to the pool or gets to sit down at the pool. If the guests don't have a place to swim then BWV (or whomever) could give them a pass to one of the big pools (I can't remember the name of the one with the snow ).

I'm sorry that it happened to anyone on this list. As a group this is the rabid disney love club. i can only imagine what would have happened if they had started that with a dad, like myself, who had only 2 hours of sleep after a 16 hour drive and had just been allowed to relax...

Gonna have to practice my Southern drawl.. ;-)

 

[Jimbo]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>If the guests don't have a place to swim then BWV (or whomever) could give them a pass to one of the big pools (I can't remember the name of the one with the snow ).
[/quote]

Our friends tried to get into Blizzard Beach (the one with the snow) last week and were turned away because the park was at capacity. Maybe cast members should have gone through BB and tossed out people that they thought had been there long enough.

I'll never understand why people want to visit WDW when it's this crowded. It seems to me that most people wind up being disappointed. We're going in about 17 days, 2 hours and 44 minutes, and the place should be much less crowded then.

No matter what, though, this BWV policy is out of line. IMHO.

 

[LauraS]

I'm also one of those folks who will never-ever go during Easter Break again. However, that week is so popular because many people can't pull their kids out of school when it is in session. We love to go down in late April/Early May because we get the nice weather and miss the horrific crowds. By this coming Sunday the crowds should drop considerably.

Laura

 

[KNWVIKING]

I imagine BWV was booked up.If all the guest staying at BWV suddenly decided to use the pool at the same time- this is purely hypothetical- what would they do. I doubt the pool could handle anywhere near that load. Would they post a CM at the entrance and turn people away ?

 

[Beachangel]

Scarlett, I'm sorry to hear about your embarrassing pool experience. I wish I could be more sympathetic but quite honestly, I don't feel that as an owner I have more rights than a cash guest. Suppose I was staying offsite - would that still give me the right to any DVC pool? I don't think so.

I'll be bold and say that I agree that if the pool area is crowded and you were not a BW guest, the CM was justified to ask those non-guests to leave so that registered guests could be accomodated at the pool.

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the THINKS you can think up, if only you try." Dr. Seuss

 

[Peggy Sue]

DVC has a problem here and needs to address it ASAP. They need to include information on how to "pool hop" upon check-in. Last year, when we checked in to OKW on 4/28, we were handed a sheet advising SAB was closed to pool hopping, however, it didn't have any information about how to check other resorts first to see if pool hopping was going to be allowed that day. We don't pool hop, so no big deal to us.

However, if a member has gone to another pool and was allowed it, I don't think it's right to ask them to leave after they've been there for awhile. If the resort was at capactiy, they should have had their CM's checking people upon arrival, and turning arway guests at that time.

Scarlet..just a curious question..did you call BWV or OKW front desk to check if BWV was available for pool hopping before you went over there?

So sorry this ruined your vacation for you and your daughter.

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[Rock'n Robin]

Scarlet I hope your daughter has other more enduring memories of your trip. I have a 6 year old and I know she would be just as upset.
We own BWV and have our first stay coming up in 64 days. I have some poolhopping at SAB and hopefully the Poly in our plans. I hope this type of thing doesn't happen then.
Perhaps DVC needs to amend the note about SAB being closed during Eastertime and add Luna Park to that list! And before next Easter!
Robin M.

 

[A1A1]

Sorry to be a dissenter, but though I feel sympathy for your disappointment at not being able to continue your swim day at BWV by being asked to leave, if I were paying or using points to stay at BWV while you were there, and I couldn't get a chair at the pool, I would be mad and want you to leave also.

I own at BWV also, but would not fault anyone but myself if I couldn't get a room there and stayed somewhere else, went to use the pool at a resort at which I was not a registered guest, and then was asked to leave.

There is a capacity at these pools whether you own there or not.

What do you think would happen if every BWV owner who was down there at that time staying somewhere else decided it was there right to swim at the BWV pool? No room for anyone, including you.


We all should realize what time of year it is, and not get so testy about our rights as owners. Use common sense here. There is a capacity at all the pools, and those that should have first preference are those that are staying there at the time. Sorry.

I understand your embarassment, but I don't understand how you don't understand the limits that capacity places on the situation. If there are too many people at the pool, who do you suggest should go?

[This message was edited by A1A1 on 04-17-01 at 05:42 PM.]

[This message was edited by A1A1 on 04-17-01 at 06:01 PM.]

 

[Joeblack]

I don't quite understand why some people understand Scarlet's humiliation but cannot understand why she does not understand the situation. (Geez I don't understand what I just wrote).

In any case. Go and read the other "Pool Hopping Mad" thread where UK Eagle gives a whole new perspective on this whole matter. It seems Scarlet and LIDsney had all the right to stay at the pool, and those rights are in written in the contract. Unfortunatley, those rights were abusively and flagrantly stepped all over by some bureaucrat.

Next time we should all make copies of the pages in the contract, put them in plastic covers and carry them along inside out DVC bag when we pool hop. And I really mean that!!

Sorry it happened to you Scarlet. You are totally right to be furious. Please do pursue the matter and let us know what DvC has to say).

 

[Peterd]

Scarlet, sorry to hear about the way you were treated. I would have been pretty upset myself. It's only a matter of time before DVC has to make a set policy on telling us when the pools are unavailable.
I can see why they are starting to check IDs though. You can't get a chair or lounge anymore. I know the Swan and Dolphin guests use the pool along with some Florida residents. Our trip in Feb. we were in the hottub with another woman, we got to talking, and I asked what type of room she was in. She said she just lives nearby, and brought her kids down weekly, something to the tone of Cheaper than chuckie cheese's.
I do think they did you wrong with the way things were handled, but it's gonna keep happening until they make a way of letting us know when poolhopping is not available. I would be curious to know how many non DVC hoppers were at the pool that day. Hope your next trip is better.

 

[Dean]

Actually pool hoping is not written into the contract, it's only mentioned in one sentence in the guidelines with no explanation or statement of policy. It can be taken away at any time and I would suspect this is the beginning of the end for pool hopping. No DVC member has the right to pool hop under the current guidelines, it's space available. I won't repeat my thoughts from the previous thread.

Sorry you had the problem and still seems a little un Disney like to handle things so poorly.

Dean

 

[Werner Weiss]

Dean wrote:<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>It can be taken away at any time and I would suspect this is the beginning of the end for pool hopping.[/quote]
Why should this be the "beginning of the end" for pool hopping?

Why shouldn't this just be the beginning of improved communications between DVC and and DVC members? Pool hopping isn't complicated. Giving DVC members an easy way to check for any restrictions shouldn't be complicated either.

A lot of members like pool hopping. And pool hopping is a benefit that DVC salespeople present to prospective DVC customers.

The real "beginning of the end" for pool hopping should be around the time the pools close on January 31, 2042.

-----
Werner Weiss, Curator of Yesterland, featuring discontinued Disneyland attractions

 

[DownNeckBoy]

Let's see if I understand your situation correctly, Scarlet.
You go down to WDW at one of the most crowded times of the year. As a matter of fact, the resort where you own, BWV, is so popular, that you are unable to secure a reservation for BWV at this time of the year. You then opt to stay at OKW, but still go to the pool at BWV, assuming that there will be sufficient room for you and your daughter. Then you are surprised and humiliated when you are asked to leave at the same time as the woman next to you.
Your anger seems misdirected and unjustified to me. Let's change the scenario somewhat. You are staying at an expensive resort. You have paid good money for the right to use ALL the accommodations and you are unable to get a chair at the pool because it is occupied by a non-paying party. Would that pose a problem for you? It would for me. Perhaps the CM did not handle it in the best manner possible, but I think that she was placed in a "no win" situation. Under the circumstances, she did what she had to do. I'm sorry this blighted your vacation, but I don't see how you could have expected otherwise.

 

[POLLY ANN]

DownNeckBoy, I think I would be upset on both sides of your scenario. But in Scarlet's defense, I think she had every right to go there as a DVC member with BW being her home resort. If it were me, I would have assumed I would have had no problem, busy or not.

Boardwalk definitely needs to set up a system like SAB. Scarlett and others should be turned away upon arrival, not after a few hours of being there.

That's my .02!!

formerly POLLYANNA35

DVC Member since 1995

 

[Peggy Sue]

Polly Ann,

Just because someone is a member of BWV and is staying else where does not guarantee them the right to use the BWV pool. The rules request you call the front desk first to confirm the resort you wish visit isn't at capacity and is allowing DVC members to visit their pool that day.

I think the problem is WDW isn't providing members with enough information about HOW to pool hop when they check in.

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[Scarlet]

DownNeckBoy said:You are staying at an expensive resort. You have paid good money for the right to use ALL the accommodations and you are unable to get a chair at the pool because it is occupied by a non-paying party.

Since when is a DVC owner a non-paying party?? I
have paid thousands of dollars in investments in
the BWV; and my monthly maintenance fees pay for that pool and that chair.

I don't see how you could have expected otherwise.

When was the last time you heard of BWV pool being closed to pool-hopping???? We have all heard of StormAlong Bay being closed to pool-hoppers, but I have read this and many other Disney boards for many moons and NEVER once heard of BWV being closed. If I expected otherwise, trust me, I would have stayed at OKW pool (where there were no chairs available either, by the way)
and not subjected myself or my daughter to the potential embarrassment or aggravation of being turned away. What parent would?

On a separate note, I did speak with the General Manager at BWV this afternoon, who was very, very
kind in his assessment of the situation. The pool
situation apparently escalated on Sat/Sun to the point they had to put temporary fencing around it and check ID's as people entered. He said they turned away 350 people. He also mentioned there will be a major meeting on this issue this week and he will add my commments to the agenda. My suggestion was that they limit the pool-hopping during peak times at ALL pools; and advise DVC owners in advance to avoid these disappointing and embarassing situations.

Scarlet
BWV '99