Pool issues at OKW

[Holly]

I saw the same thing happening at AKL on my last trip. It wasn't only children, either. There were some adults behaving horribly.

 

[Pa@okw95]

We used to stay at the Disney Inn back before we bought at OKW in 95 the rules were strict and they were inforced by the life guards. There was no jumping in the pools, if you wanted to go into the pool you had to walk down the stairs or sort of slide into the side of the pool lowering yourself. There were no floatation devices allowed, no balls thrown or anything else. The life guards really did a great job then, they also cleaned the pool furniture so it wasn't that dirty white we see at OKW. It may well be a generational thing that has come to pass where rules are not obeyed. I for one avoid most of the pool problems by only going now in January when swimming is a treat if we even get a day to do it. My days of swimming in more normal weather ended when I got wacked on the side of the head with a rubber football. Thinking about the whole or total is a thing of the past, thinking about others no longer happens too often. Just watch people run the red lights in this country now, you see it all the time at most every stop light.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree with a lot of what you just said, Pa, but I think it CAN be turned around if Disney wanted to enforce the rules they set.

We too like to go in January. There are rarely kids at the pools, and late evenings find a lot of northern folks just vegging in the hot tubs.

 

[Granny]

I'm assuming that the safety rules are posted prominently near the slide. And that they include the "sliding down with a toddler in the lap" rule? If they don't have that rule printed, they definitely need to do so. Otherwise, someone will just say that the lifeguard is putting their own interpretation of the rules.

I'm with those who say that the lifeguards should enforce the rules for the safety of the guests. That would include taking the same measures as they would for anyone who poses a safety risk on one of the rides, for instance. I'm sure that someone would "escort" a guest off of a ride if they had offending behavior.

That said, I also think Disney should have the top of the slide staffed whenever the pool is open. I know, I know...drives up the dues. But in this case, Disney is laying themselves wide open for a lawsuit when one of those "bumps" becomes more serious and tragic.

 

[LisaR]

I agree with a lot of what you just said, Pa, but I think it CAN be turned around if Disney wanted to enforce the rules they set.

A few months ago, we were eating at Cosmic Ray's and watching this family across from us. They were in a corner booth with a window. They had two little boys climbing on the top of the booth, wrestling around right up against the window. I could just picture someone falling through the window. A CM was sweeping up and said to them twice in a sweet voice "oh, you should get down. We don't want you to get hurt." The parents said they were fine. When the CM came near our table, we started talking about them and she said that their hands were tied for this sort of thing. I am not sure how true that is but it sure seemed to be the case with the lifeguards. They would shake their head in disbelief but for the most part, it was allowed. People ignored what they said. They would turn the water off and make an announcement and two minutes later someone would come out of the slide head first. I am not sure how much power they really have. Plus, can you imagine the uproar if a guest was removed from a Disney pool for "just having fun?"

Lisa

 

[Bugeye]

Boy, do I agree with Lacee. We stayed at the GF once and found the kids there to be the worst. The parents were too busy preening or sunning by the pool to care about their kids acting like hyenas. Eating in the restaurants was just as bad as the kids were allowed to run all over the place and act out every two minutes. Money does not necessarily give people class or make them good parents.

 

[linco711]

It seems like the parents are more of a problem then the children. Parents just seem to let their children run wild. No manners, no discipline. I see it everywhere, not just Disney.....so sad

 

[Granny]

I am not sure how much power they really have. Plus, can you imagine the uproar if a guest was removed from a Disney pool for "just having fun?"

Lisa

Lisa....When it comes to safety, especially something like a pool or an attraction, then I believe that the CM's have quite a bit of empowerment. In this case, it could well have been "rookie" lifeguards or else just those who don't like conflict. But I'll be if you ask Disney, their lifeguards are 100% empowered to stop dangerous behavior and take steps to remove offenders from the pool area.

 

[dianeschlicht]

It seems like the parents are more of a problem then the children. Parents just seem to let their children run wild. No manners, no discipline. I see it everywhere, not just Disney.....so sad

Boy do I agree with that! We have noticed it has gotten significantly worse in the past few years. I wonder if it has something to do with whole generations being brought up on day care instead of at home. Parents don't really seem to parent much anymore, or at least there are a fair number of them who don't.

 

[lllovell]

The "lower-class" comments that always get made when issues like this come up really irk me. Its like any excuse for it to be "someone else" not "my family" seems necessary to people and this one comes in handy. It has nothing to do with ones income. You can have manners and be taught to follow the rules at any economic level.

The no toddlers in lap rule is really hard for us right now. Its not posted like that specifically Granny, but I do believe it says "one at a time". My 3 year old loved going down the CS slide with hubby, but when we tried it with just him alone, it scared the patookies out of him, so for now, its something his bigger brother can do without him. (which is not terrible, I understand rules like this to a certain degree even if I disagree with them - but when no one seems to be help personally responsible for their actions, we all suffer).

This situation sounds like 1. the light needed to be fixed at the top of the slide or 2. a lifeguard needed to be posted there at all times when the slide was open. I agree that out of ALL the CMs at WDW, the lifeguards probably have some of the leanest set of hinderences when it comes to keeping everyone following the rules. While parents need to be responsible for their children, those that are not willing to follow the rules need to be "excused" from the pool for the day. Come back and try again tomorrow if you choose. (A few weeks of management being willing to send someone out if the lifeguard calls for help would greatly lower these sorts of problems. Word would certainly spread like wildfire here).

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

While there seems to be merit to the safety concerns expresseed by the OP, I feel that the lifegaurds at the Disney resorts tend to over do it and take the fun out of the pools.

An example: the toddler pirate ship slide at SAB. That is the perfect slide for a little kid and parent to use together. The slide is short, wide, and fully visible to the lifegaurd...but it's not allowed no rational reason is given??

Another example: the toddler pirate ship slide at SAB. The child MUST sit on their butt to go down. Why?? Most toddlers in that pool have life vests on, they are not going to hit the pool bottom. Each time my son came down the slide, the lifegaurd felt the need to say "Sir you have to tell him to sit on his butt". I had to keep explaining to a three year old to sit on his butt...sit on your butt...sit on your butt. I'm sorry, an excited 3 yo is not going to fully "get it". I guess I could have yanked him from the pool and dragged him back to the room crying so my son would have been in compliance with the rules. But I chose to shrug my shoulders to the lifegaurd and let my kid have fun on the slide. Call me a rebel, or naughty DVCer.

Another example: the rule about no kids on shoulders, even when you are the only 2 people in the pool. Why??? The kid may fall into the water?? Where are these safety police in the parks telling parents shoulder-riding is a safety concern since the ground is concrete.

Pool rules should be based on common sense, and vary with the overall crowds and activity level at the moment. There are times when the rules need to be more strictly enforced, and times when they could be somewhat ignored.

I think there was a large group of OKWers that never wanted the slide and these pool complaints will likely continue. Many members liked the "sunbathing" pool of OKW. A place where swimmers were not allowed to make a ripple in the water and splashing was the sign of irresponsible parents. Many want children to behave like "statues". We don't see "statue children" at the DVC pools...they sink.

 

[JimMIA]

When it comes to safety, especially something like a pool or an attraction, then I believe that the CM's have quite a bit of empowerment.

I don't know how much power they have, or to what extent their supervisors will back them if a guest complains that they are heavy-handed in enforcing safety rules -- but they sure have a ton of liability.

And...if you think about it, they is we! We own the DVC resorts, and if some child gets injured due to the negligence of management or the lifeguards, it's our dues that will go up to pay the big settlements and increased insurance costs.

I'm not looking to play cop while on vacation, but an owner certainly would not be out of line to complain to the managers on-site if they see negligence, non-feasance, etc.

As Doc is rightly fond of saying, the time and place to make the complaint is there...not here. The people who can do something positive about the situation are there, not here.

(As luck would have it...my daughter and her family are at OKW as we speak. I'll call her and tell her to pitch a hissy-fit. I'll tell her to use the name Sudl Hanname - they'll never know what hit them!)

 

[CharlesTD]

Well Lisa by the sound of it we left at a good time we didn't stay over the Memorial day weekend we just went to the beach and then drove back home 24 hours to miss the festivities in the US. We did have an issue with the stop and go lights at the top of the slide it would flash green then turn red again right away.

 

[dianeschlicht]

(snip) I'll tell her to use the name Sudl Hanname - they'll never know what hit them!)

 

[RobDoc]

While there seems to be merit to the safety concerns expresseed by the OP, I feel that the lifegaurds at the Disney resorts tend to over do it and take the fun out of the pools.
....
Pool rules should be based on common sense, and vary with the overall crowds and activity level at the moment. There are times when the rules need to be more strictly enforced, and times when they could be somewhat ignored. ...

As a former lifeguard, water safety instructor and having seen first hand the result of many pool related injuries in my office , I can assure you that "common sense" and general public safety are not always synonymous.

I have witnessed children falling off the slide when the parent they were sitting on lost his balance on the way down the slide. I have witnessed broken noses and teeth when toddlers (and older children) insisted on riding on their stomach and bumped their chin/face/nose on the bottom of the slide and/or pool. (I've even had to jump into the pool to rescue children after that exact scenario rendered them unable to get their breath after inhaling water and blood.) I have seen many "shoulder riders" fall on the concrete pool coping when their partner lost his/her balance slipping on the bottom of the pool. I've seen hundreds of children bloody their faces after sliiping on the wet pool deck when running. In each of these cases, the application of a little "common sense" and compliance with stated pool rules would have prevented these accidents and provided those children with a lot more "fun".

I'd much rather see any lifeguard, including those at Disney, err on the side of safety. What may affect one person's "fun" may just save someone else's life.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Well put, Doc!

 

[CarolMN]

I have to agree with Doc - it's not safe to have a toddler on your lap going down the slide. I witnessed an accident on the slide at VB when a parent ignored the rule. The Dad just kind of slipped at the end and the little guy hit his head when the Dad lost control - I'm sure the Dad thought his son would be just fine on his lap. Everything turned out OK, but I know the day (and maybe the rest of the trip) was ruined for that family. The little guy ended up with a nice bump (according to a CM I talked to later) and I didn't see the family in the pool again while we were there.

Best wishes -

 

[wtpclc]

Well said Doc!

 

[wintergreen]

Doc, you are right on the money! As a former lifeguard myself, I'm constantly yelling at my kids to "WALK." It's almost slipped out a few times when I see someone else's child running on the deck. Pool injuries can be nasty. Everyone needs to make sure that their kids follow the rules, so that everyone can have fun, and no one gets hurt. BTW, my kids know how to follow rules even though they spent much of their younger years in day care! (In fact, the day care center had more rules than we do at home!)

 

[plamp]

We were at OKW in for 8 days April. We were at the pool every afternoon and there were really no problems with the slide, probably becaues there was a lifeguard on top nearly always. The one time there wasn't there were a few kids who did not wait long enough - of course this will happen as from the top you can't see down below to even know how long to wait.

For safety reasons there should always be a lifeguard on top directing traffic (spacing) who is communicating with a lifeguard watching the area at the bottom of the slide to make sure its all clear.