POP Guests Are Being Allowed To Swim @AoA

[DJFan88]

Disney will enforce it when they're ready. We saw a family get turned away from SAB this trip - they weren't even trying to sneak - just didn't know somehow. We also were told that they don't check room keys at SAB after 5 when we went to get our wristbands one evening...as soon as that gets too overwhelmed with hoppers they'll start checking again.

Enforcement at Disney is not consistent. Heck we pulled in to BC to check in and my husband joked with the guard that we were just coming over to park, swim and see the fireworks for a couple of hours....the guard let us in!!! I quickly shouted out that we were just joking and were actually checking in, but he could have cared less. We saw tons of families parking in the BCV lot and walking the exterior path to Epcot (not to Cape May) first thing in the mornings (other resort parking passes in the windows) as we were headed out to parks (we usually drive).

We walked over from Epcot once to eat at the Captain's Grill, and then we just walked around SAB to look at it and My DH even bought a drink at the bar there and sat while me and the kids looked. No intentions or desires to swim, but the kids were able to walk on the little bridges in there because they wanted to look at the different heights on the pool, as this is important to kids and since we want to stay there sometime. So we were allowed in to look at things. Well, it wasn't even locked up or anything. I don't know if people had wristbands, cause we really didn't care. I suppose that one can't be locked up because of where the slide enterance is. Of course me not wanting anyone to think we were up to anything (even though we were fully dressed) told the lifeguard we were just checking it out.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

We went over to AoA on Wednesday to look around and eat lunch at Landscape of Flavors. The pool gate was not locked. We went in to look at the pool area (no plans to swim ), and I was surprised how crowded it was at lunch time when the resort is only partially completed. Maybe there were guests from other resorts swimming, but I commented to DH that the pool seemed like it would not be big enough to accommodate all the AoA guests once the resort is finished.

This is an interesting observation and I am also curious how things will be once the resort is actually complete.

 

[*Fantasia*]

The pool is already crowded? How is that? Not even half of the resort is open. So who are those folks swimming in their pool? Disney's cast members and family? This is good for marketing, that way they can spread the word.

 

[pjpoppins]

If I go over to AoA pool and stick my head underwater to hear Nemo would that be considered pool hopping?

 

[SmallWorld71]

Maybe for whatever reason, they're letting people pool hop over there. (practice, technical difficulties, ???) But think about those people talking and saying they liked the Nemo pool better. And people who heard them. If they knew they could only use the AOA pool if they were guests there, would they pony up the dough to stay at AOA next time? A little bit of marketing going on perhaps? Like the guy standing in front of restaurant in a food court handing out samples of food? Who knows???

This was kind of my thought as well.

5 years ago we were staying at POR and had some friends who were in the area at the same time. (They were staying offsite with family.) We asked if they could park their car at POR one evening so that we could take the boat to DTD together. The CM's told us, "Sure. But you don't need to go to DTD. You could all stay here and eat and swim and have fun." They were very much encouraging us to show off their resort. We ended up doing both; letting the kids swim at POR and then we all went to DTD for dinner and shopping. It had the desired affect. Our friends had never stayed on site and now they've been back twice - and stayed at POR both times!

I would imagine that the gate will be locked when it is deemed necessary. (holiday weeks, resort at capacity, etc...) But in the meantime, I'm sure they'll take all the free marketing they can get. And who knows, maybe it won't become a big issue. With AoA not right by a park, it may never have the big problems that BC and Poly have had.

 

[tstidm1]

I think this is part of the soft opening. They haven't opened all of the parts of it, so I wouldn't be surprised if they are more stringent after they open Lion King or Little Mermaid wing. I'm not sure I will do it when I travel there due the distance I may be from my room to there and would rather enjoy a close by pool.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

We were there last week and ate at AOA several times. There were very few people in the AOA pool. I think that is why they don't care right now who is in there. I also don't think it would be worth it to walk form POP to there just to swim.

 

[StacyMarie]

Yes,I agree it isn't a big deal at this point.

I would not have even given this a second thought if not for the HUGE BUILD-UP about how POP Guests would NEVER be allowed in The Big Blue and here thney are being allowed in from Day One!LOL

Agreed! I find it kind of amusing with all the bickering that was going about the pool being locked and only for AOA guests and that there was no way Pop people would be able to get in. It seemed for a while that was all that was talked about, gated locked entry, lol. Curious to see how this goes. Only time will tell. Personally, I'm paying for a pool view at Pop so I'll swim in my pool. The only big difference I see is the zero entry and the fact that it talks. Otherwise, a pool is a pool. I'm only concerned with cooling off, not looking around and listening underwater

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Yes,I think you are probably right that most POP Guests don't know that the AoA pools are supposed to be only for AoA Guests(and vice-versa)especially since the All-Stars "share" pools.

There was just SO much build up before AoA opened about the "gated pools" with "RFID access ONLY" and how "locked down" the pools were going to be(as mentioned previously,the AoA pools have even been added to the small list of off-limit pools for DVC members).

As another poster mentioned,"if" the AoA pool restriction is eventually inacted,this precedent could cause Disney problems with complaints from Guests who will want to know why they aren't allowed to use the pools when others were allowed.

Very interesting situation.

I imagine it isn't a big deal right now because the resort was at least until recently at 25% capacity so there's going to be no risk of overcrowding. Or maybe the RFD system isn't working correctly. Who knows what the reasoning is.
I think it sends a weird message though. They gated it and put up those signs for a reason so I imagine they'll eventually start enforcing the rule. At which point people will have heard that it's ok to do and it's going to make it a little harder on the cast members who have to explain.

Yes,I agree it isn't a big deal at this point.

I would not have even given this a second thought if not for the HUGE BUILD-UP about how POP Guests would NEVER be allowed in The Big Blue and here thney are being allowed in from Day One!LOL

A portion of each of these comments could also apply to the refillable mug. And we all know where that leads.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

POFQ only has one ... but we can go over and swim at POR, which does have several.

My take on the POP/AoA pool sharing? If WDW didn't want it to happen, it wouldn't be happening. They'd have a CM posted out there to make sure it didn't happen by checking room keys since the gates aren't working. If there's no enforcement ...

JMHO

That's because they are considered sister resorts, like Yacht and Beach Club, the All Stars, but Pop and AoA are 2 different resorts.

We wandered over there a few days after they opened to look around and it appeared that they had card access, not RFID, but it seemed that the gate wasn't locked, but there were very few people out there at the time. I really wasn't any more impressed with it than any other pool, maybe if we had children, idk. We hardly ever swim when we go to WDW.

 

[NHKristy76]

If I go over to AoA pool and stick my head underwater to hear Nemo would that be considered pool hopping?

LOVE this idea.

 

[kaysmommie]

If I go over to AoA pool and stick my head underwater to hear Nemo would that be considered pool hopping?

 

[safetymom]

The gates were closed when we were there. Just got back from a two day stay in the Cars area. We had to use our room key.