Pools At Resorts- Verified Guests

[Cattrip]

Can someone who is at the pools now verify that the resorts are being good about varifying guests. I have heard in the past some ppl got in without verifying they are guests.

 

[starry_solo]

Can someone who is at the pools now verify that the resorts are being good about varifying guests. I have heard in the past some ppl got in without verifying they are guests.

Key card to get in. Stormalong Bay, they have people manning the entrances, checking for key cards (well, I guess now Magic Bands)

 

[kaytieeldr]

Stormalong Bay isn't open, and doesn't currently have a potential opening date.

 

[vinotinto]

I would imagine that they will be checking since it appears there are lines to enter the pool areas, due to capacity limits:
https://www.disboards.com/attachments/786241b8-dd9a-41aa-85bd-da339b1ef0ce-jpeg.506492/

 

[JM23457]

I would imagine that they will be checking since it appears there are lines to enter the pool areas, due to capacity limits:
https://www.disboards.com/attachments/786241b8-dd9a-41aa-85bd-da339b1ef0ce-jpeg.506492/

With lines like that, they'd better be verifying that people are guests. Yikes! If they'd open the pools earlier in the morning, there would be more off-peak times for guests to swim, and the lines wouldn't have to be this bad.

 

[WEDWDW]

It will be interesting to see if Pop Century reaches capacity at all 3 of its large Pool Decks at the same time.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I would imagine that they will be checking since it appears there are lines to enter the pool areas, due to capacity limits:
https://www.disboards.com/attachments/786241b8-dd9a-41aa-85bd-da339b1ef0ce-jpeg.506492/

Yikes! I hope Disney re-thinks their approach to resort pools. Possibly having people ”reserve” a 90 minute block of time at the pool, and if that time slot isn’t at capacity for reservations, to allow people people in on a “standby” basis. If they are limiting pool capacity to let’s say 50 people (I’m just picking that number as an example), they could have the first 50 people who arrive at the pool staying there all day, especially with the limited pool hours. Then no other guests would have an opportunity to swim and instead spend all day waiting in a line for nothing. At least at the parks, unless the ride goes down, the line will eventually get guests the desired outcome of spending all that time waiting.

I’ve never done it before, but I’m thinking that for our trip next month, I will need to pick days to be pool days (usually we head to the pool in the afternoon or evening if/when we feel like like it), and I’ll make sure we are waiting outside the pool before it opens! That photo makes me especially nervous because we are supposedly staying at Kidani.

 

[JM23457]

Yikes! I hope Disney re-thinks their approach to resort pools. Possibly having people ”reserve” a 90 minute block of time at the pool, and if that time slot isn’t at capacity for reservations, to allow people people in on a “standby” basis. If they are limiting pool capacity to let’s say 50 people (I’m just picking that number as an example), they could have the first 50 people who arrive at the pool staying there all day, especially with the limited pool hours. Then no other guests would have an opportunity to swim and instead spend all day waiting in a line for nothing. At least at the parks, unless the ride goes down, the line will eventually get guests the desired outcome of spending all that time waiting.

I’ve never done it before, but I’m thinking that for our trip next month, I will need to pick days to be pool days (usually we head to the pool in the afternoon or evening if/when we feel like like it), and I’ll make sure we are waiting outside the pool before it opens! That photo makes me especially nervous because we are supposedly staying at Kidani.

Reservations for pools? Noooo! What if it rained during your time? WDW is overscheduled enough without that.

I do think that once the parks open, population pressure on the pools will decrease. Right now, there isn't much else for guests to do.

It would also help for those pools to open at 9am rather than 11am.

 

[bcuinohio]

Needed magic band for Oasis Pool at Poly.

 

[BillFromCT]

I would imagine that they will be checking since it appears there are lines to enter the pool areas, due to capacity limits:
https://www.disboards.com/attachments/786241b8-dd9a-41aa-85bd-da339b1ef0ce-jpeg.506492/

I would assume pools are at capacity now, since the parks aren't open. Other than sitting in the lobby or in your room, where else you gonna hang out and relax with a resort only stay?

 

[ColoradoMom12]

Reservations for pools? Noooo! What if it rained during your time? WDW is overscheduled enough without that.

I do think that once the parks open, population pressure on the pools will decrease. Right now, there isn't much else for guests to do.

It would also help for those pools to open at 9am rather than 11am.

I agree that the demand for pools is especially high right now with parks closed. Hopefully once parks open it will help with the pools being at capacity. I also think it would help for the pools to open earlier than 11. I’ve read the “quiet” pools are open 24 hours, but Kidani only has one pool.

My swim club is currently doing reserved pool times. They open the schedule weekly, and we’re allowed to schedule two 90 minute swim sessions. If it rains during the time you signed up, you’re just SOL. Thankfully it hasn’t happened (yet) to me. I will be pretty irritated if/when it does happen because we really look forward to our two swimming times each week! I look at the weather forecast carefully the hour before sign-up opens and try to choose blocks early enough that thunderstorms won’t be problematic.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It will be interesting to see if Pop Century reaches capacity at all 3 of its large Pool Decks at the same time.

The only other thing to do onsite right now is Disney Springs. There will be, what, less than 24 hours between Pop reopening, and MK/DHS reopening? Unlikely that all three pool decks will reach or exceed capacity.

 

[JM23457]

My swim club is currently doing reserved pool times. They open the schedule weekly, and we’re allowed to schedule two 90 minute swim sessions. If it rains during the time you signed up, you’re just SOL...I look at the weather forecast carefully the hour before sign-up opens and try to choose blocks early enough that thunderstorms won’t be problematic.

I can't see that working at WDW, because it rains there almost every afternoon in the summer, and in my experience there any time after 12pm is fair game for rain and/or lightning. With pools opening at 11am, that gives little chance of securing a reservation time that's safe from rain or lightning. Being SOL at a local pool is one thing, but at a vacation resort we paid hundreds each day to be at and specifically for my family to use its pool- that would not be okay. Especially since many people with reservations would likely not show up for one reason or another. WDW would have to create a fine system like with ADRs, to prevent that.

Much better to line up early for the pool, or just wait in line midday, then to miss out completely due to bad luck.

 

[Spazz2k]

We have been at Riveria the past 2 days and the only time I was a line was when they opened....but that line was gone as soon as it opened. Most of that line was filled with parents and their kids excited to get swimming. Plenty of chairs and space to grab a spot all day tho....it was pretty light. They did have a guy walking around with a clipboard and I think, but don't know, he was counting guests.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I can't see that working at WDW, because it rains there almost every afternoon in the summer, and in my experience there any time after 12pm is fair game for rain and/or lightning. With pools opening at 11am, that gives little chance of securing a reservation time that's safe from rain or lightning. Being SOL at a local pool is one thing, but at a vacation resort we paid hundreds each day to be at and specifically for my family to use its pool- that would not be okay. Especially since many people with reservations would likely not show up for one reason or another. WDW would have to create a fine system like with ADRs, to prevent that.

Much better to line up early for the pool, or just wait in line midday, then to miss out completely due to bad luck.

My pool is at a private club. It’s not a Disney vacation, but I know for some families, a vacation at Disney might be similar to my membership dues. Thus I try very hard to schedule swimming time when my family is not going to get rained out. I haven’t done the math, but 90 minutes twice a week isn‘t anywhere close to how I anticipated using my membership dues this summer (it hasn’t happened to me, but friends of mine have had weeks where they haven’t been able to schedule any swimming times at all due to no availability. I’d pretty upset if I were in their position). I would feel similarly about swimming time at Disney, too, if I ended up scheduling a time and getting rained out. Hopefully having the parks open will mitigate the pools at resorts being at capacity. It will be interesting to read reports the days and weeks after parks open.

 

[mrsap]

Any word on the other pools? Are they as bad (line wise?) I’m hoping @ColoradoMom12 is correct, that the demand will lessen once the parks open.

 

[JM23457]

Any word on the other pools? Are they as bad (line wise?) I’m hoping @ColoradoMom12 is correct, that the demand will lessen once the parks open.

I haven't seen any reports of other pools having lines like that. PP mentioned that AKV has only one pool- that might have been the issue there.

 

[mrsap]

I haven't seen any reports of other pools having lines like that. PP mentioned that AKV has only one pool- that might have been the issue there.

Thanks!

 

[Boopuff]

Our HOA has a reservation system for our pool. 50 people in a 2 hr block. They clean inbetween sessions. They had to do the reservations, because people would arrive and never leave.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

Our HOA has a reservation system for our pool. 50 people in a 2 hr block. They clean inbetween sessions. They had to do the reservations, because people would arrive and never leave.

Same scenario at my club, except it’s 90 minutes for swimming and time in between for cleaning. We’re limited to swimming twice a week, and even with that limitation, not all members are able to reserve pool time each week.

The line in the photo at Kidani was what made me wonder if Disney might need to consider a reservation system or something similar. I imagine many people arrive right at 11 and then don’t leave all day (especially with parks not open), which leaves other guests standing in a line, like at Kidani, all day hoping for pool time. I will be very curious to read reports of how parks being open will (hopefully) change the dynamic of pools being at capacity. We’re supposed to stay at Kidani next month, and I’m going to find at least two days when we can plan to swim in the morning right at 11. Luckily no FPs and few ADRs makes it easy to revise our plans! Hopefully parks being open will ease the pool situation!