Pool opinions, please.

[AJKMOM]

WE are considering a 2 night stay in a deluxe added to our DVC vacation in mid-November. I already know Storm-Along Bay is the best, and Contemporary is the worst, pool-wise. My autistic son loves to swim and it will be his birthday, so I wanted to surprise him with a nice resort pool.

Any GF-Poly comparison, please?

 

[DisneyWorldOct08]

I've only ever stayed at Poly, not GF, but I have seen the pool at GF and I think that the pool at Poly is more interesting for kids.

 

[J'aime Paris]

We've stayed at GF and Poly. They both have nice pools. One main difference is the slide. The slide at the Poly is built inside a volcano, and is dark. You must also lie down unless you're on the small side. This may scare some kids, and a few adults! The GF has a tamer slide that is not completely enclosed. Hope this helpss you decide.

 

[madthemouse]

The Poly has a better slide then at the GF. Both are zero entry pools.

Another good pool IMO, is at CSR. It has a good slide, something along the lines of 122 feet long. It's not zero entry but is a huge pool and nicely theamed.

 

[disnut8]

Don't know if this makes any difference but the Polynesian doesn't have a hot tub.

 

[AJKMOM]

Thanks for the help. Just also wondering if the WL pool is fun for kids?

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

My DD8 is on the autistic spectrum and she LOVES the pool at the Poly! It is zero-entry, has a slide through a 'volcano', and you can see Cinderella's castle from the pool. Plus at night you can see the fireworks from the pool and the electrical water parade on the Seven Seas Lagoon.

We've been to the pools at Pop, ASMo, the AKL and the Poly and the only pool my daughter keeps talking about is the one at the Polynesian.

 

[J'aime Paris]

The WL pool is my least favorite. It is made to look like an extension of the river that begins in the lobby. The pool does not have zero entry, and is very narrow because of the river effect . It always felt overcrowded to me.

 

[AJKMOM]

The WL pool is my least favorite. It is made to look like an extension of the river that begins in the lobby. The pool does not have zero entry, and is very narrow because of the river effect . It always felt overcrowded to me.

Thanks, I will cross it off the short list.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

My three loved the Poly pool and want to go back. My two boys enjoyed the slide again and again. My daughter is afraid of the dark, so she opted out. I loved it as a parent because I could sit out and watch all three very carefully. That is what I enjoyed. I could relax and enjoy watchgin all of them play. The view of the fireworks over the castle - priceless.

 

[tami82]

After reading some of the reviews a while back alot of people said that the pool wasnt themed but that they did have an awesome big slide. If you look at some pics from the other boards there is a section on CR and some nice pics of the pool. Another poster, im not sure who it was, said she stayed at poly and her kids liked CR pool better. We are going to CR and after looking at the pictures it seems like the kids are going to have a blast on the slide.

 

[allisonswonderland]

Of course, like you mentioned SAB. I have not stayed at Poly, but have been by their pool many times and think it looks awesome and the GFs pool looks nice as well. I am a former competitve swimmer/coach so I pay close attention to pools. I would rank Poly after SAB, but BW has a decent pool as well, but the slide is huge...looks like a lot of fun!

 

[rainy~daze]

the kids (5 and 6) loved AKL pool, which was zero entry and had a slide. they were able to use the life vests at every hotel to go down the slides (if you would need them). they loved SAB as well, and Boardwalk pool, for the slide.

Depending on when your trip is, the new pool at CBR looks like it is going to be awesome! I can't wait until they know the finish date for it, I would love to see how it looks with the new additions.
I liked the quiet pool at SSR better than any other resort.

 

[Samsma]

We were just talking about this today. My DS15 actually said he enjoyed the WL pool as much as SAB. I think the pool area at WL is very nice. There are at least 3 hot tubs, the quiet pool is really nice and the geyser is fun to watch. My kids enjoyed the baby ducks in the pool. They were too cute. In-out, in-out, all in a row. Very funny.

 

[Fionasmommy]

We love the pool at WL. My DD learned to swim there and on each visit we look forward to our nightly swim. She's too chicken to try the slide, but the pool itself is attractive, nicely themed and the temp always seems just right.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

My DD(7) is on the autism spectrum and we have stayed at CR and Poly. We loved both for different reasons.

The CR was great because the main pool is really large, less crowded, has a great slide, a "shelf" aound the whole pool where the kids can sit and play in the water without being "in" the pool, and has a kid's wet play area adjacent to the pool so you can keep an eye on one kid in the pool and one in the wet play area at the same time. What we didn't care for was
the lack of shade-including very few tables w/umbrellas, the expanse of concrete without theming or plantings, and the lack zero entry into the pool.

The Poly was our favorite of the two. The Volcano pool location is great between CC and the sandy beach. We could grab a table and rotate between the pool and the beach. Grab a quick bite to eat while taking a break. My girls spent half the time playing in the sand on the lake's edge and the other in the pool. The kids loved the zero entry, the water play area, and theming. The slide was ok but we actually preferred the CR slide. The lifeguards were really on top of everyone and often played games with the kids.The quiet pool was rarely crowded and a nice alternative too. Oops! I almost forgot the yummy adult drinks at the Poly pool bar...I have been having Pina Colava withdrawals ever since leaving.

Another don't miss is renting the water mice for an hour or so. We had a blast renting two of these and riding around the lake one afternoon. Loads of fun and well worth the cash.

Good luck on your decision. You will have a good time no matter what you choose