Should we take along blow up water wings/tubes...

[prcoamo]

for our stay at Poly this coming Sept? Or does Poly supply them (free or not)?Is this even allowed in the pool?

Also, are you or are you not allowed to bring, snack items, juice into the parks? Do CM's check you and either make a big deal out of it or not?

 

[Enchanted]

I'm pretty positive that the resort pools don't supply blow up wings or anything. I'm sure that the little water wings that kids wear would be allowed, but I'm not sure about other inflatable pool toys. It seems like one of my brothers brought an intertube to the pool back when he couldn't swim very well, but I don't know if the rules have changed since then.

And feel free to bring food and drink into the park. The security guards at the front of the park never say anything. We've brought crackers, cookies, water bottles, juice, etc. in, and they've never once made a comment. Just make sure that the food and drink is not in glass containers because I think that is the only thing that they are allowed to refuse. Have fun on your trip!

 

[RangerPooh]

I would bring your own water wings. As for the tubes they may or may not be allowed. Some pools (Our local home owners association included) don't allow them as they can pose a threat to young children who aren't good swimmers and slip out of them...or for the really young who are wedged in and topple over without being able to upright themselves. As a lifegaurd I took slack for not aloowing them but there are reasons. Now with this said, you might wnat to contact the hotel and see what their policy is on tubes. I have never heard of water wings never being allowed.

 

[bartleby1]

We brought water wings and noodles. I can't remember if we used a tube or not though. Definitely bring water wings if your children need them.

 

[prcoamo]

Thank you all. One question, what are "noodles"?

 

[lovesdumbo]

At the Poly you can get a life jacket to use in the pool. You need to leave your room key so you may want to be sure you bring at least 2 keys with you to the pool. We all (me, DH, and 3 kids) went to the pool one time and my youngest fell asleep while the others were still in the pool. I didn't even ask if I could have my room key back but it just would have been easier if I had brought 2 down with me.

I've also brought along water wings which my DD did use and we also had blow up beach balls. The life guards never told me I couldn't use the beach balls and the kids seem to enjoy them.

 

[RangerPooh]

Thank you all. One question, what are "noodles"?

Noodles are long (round or octogon shaped) styrofoam noodles/tubes. The come in a whole host of colors (pink, yellow, blue, green, purple) and arefairly cheap. Kids sit/stradle them and flaot around the pool.

 

[KristiKelly]

I'm just going to back up everyone elses answer. Definitely take you water wings and maybe even an extra pair just in case you lose one or get a hole in one. We forgot DD's when she was 2 y/o (that's all she was used to), we tried the lifevests that are supplied by the resorts. EVerytime we let go of her she would tip over face down. We asked and even had a CM call another resort but were told they do not sell water wings ANYWHERE on WDW property.

 

[RuthLS]

We are going in May with a 3 and 1.5 yr old. Neither has really been in a pool much. We go to the ocean a lot.

So..should I get those wings? Do they even work?

I was thinking of one of those swimsuits with the build in kind of flotation thing. Has anyone tried one of those? Which one, where did you get it, did it work well?

Thanks,
Ruth

 

[NotUrsula]

"Water wings" really are not very safe; they impede the child's arm movement and they tend to slip off easily if the child gets into water that is over their depth. A full vest with a crotch strap is a much better option for a child who is at least 18 months old. (Younger children should have a parent's hand on them at all times when in the water.)

Vests for kids under 3 should have a head support collar on them, which the
loaners at WDW resort pools don't have. (The ones at the marinas do have them, if you take a boat cruise.) We always brought our own for the pools when DS was that little.

The suits with built-on flotation work quite well for pools; they are not suitable for open water. The drawback to them is that they are difficult to get off for bathroom breaks, unless you can find one with a zipper.

 

[KristiKelly]

I loved the water wings, used them for both of my kids. Like I said earlier, DD had a hard time holding herself upright in the vest for some reason. We never had any problems with water wings coming off DS or DD's arms, even when they jumped off diving boards or went down slides. Some brands blow up all the way around and some stay flat on the underside. My kids liked the kind that stayed flat. The kind we used blew up and had a turtle on top.

I have always heard the suits with built in floatation device that looks like a small innertube around them could be dangerous because IF they flipped upside down, they could be stuck in the water head first.

My kids didn't like the vests and for packing purposes, neither did I. The only time we used those were on my Dad's boat.

I don't think it matters which you choose just don't ever leave your child's side while in the water.

 

[nin8jc]

We are going in May with a 3 and 1.5 yr old. Neither has really been in a pool much. We go to the ocean a lot.

So..should I get those wings? Do they even work?

I was thinking of one of those swimsuits with the build in kind of flotation thing. Has anyone tried one of those? Which one, where did you get it, did it work well?

Thanks,
Ruth

My DD uses one of these they work great my only concern would be that they take longer to dry.

 

[NotUrsula]

I have always heard the suits with built in floatation device that looks like a small innertube around them could be dangerous because IF they flipped upside down, they could be stuck in the water head first.

Well, that could be true, if that is the way the suit is made. Personally, I've never seen one made like that. All of the flotation suits I've ever seen have foam blocks sewn in, usually 4-6 of them, and they are always on the chest and back area, never near the middle of the suit. That being so, the child's weight will keep them from floating head-first, though just as with a vest that does not have a neck support, it won't necessarily keep their faces out of the water.

One thing I should have mentioned re: flotation suits. Just as with vests, you can't buy them with room to grow; they need to fit correctly at all times.

I agree that parents need to be in the water with their kids at all times, and attentive at all times. I also think that if the child does not have swim skills at all, a parent's hand should be on that child at all times when the child is in more than a few inches of water.

 

[RuthLS]

Thank you for all of the responses. We were obviously planning on being in the water with the kids, but I wanted to assurance that they would float with some sort of device and we could help teach them to swim.

I did see a vest that had zippers on the front and you blow up square pillows and put them in. I've also seen the innertube style around the waist. I guess I could see how one could flip upside down. If we got the vest we would get the foam block one I think.

I was leaning this way b/c we just moved and have a house with a pool. I plan to use it a lot this summer and wanted to use dis as a practice run. We aren't going till May..so I think whatever I get will get good use over the summer.

I'm not sure I get the neck support thing though. Could you explain that a little more? What it looks like etc.?

Thanks,
Ruth

 

[pospisil]

We stayed at ASMo last September, and my 4 yr old DS was so excited about the pool, and I forgot to bring his water wings! He wouldn't go in without them, and I was just feeling awful. I checked the gift shop at the hotel, and they had 3 pairs, on the clearance rack. It actually worked out well, they were pretty cute, shaped like Nemo, so I left them out as one of his Tinkerbell gifts. I told him that Tinkerbell must have known that I forgot his, and he was so excited, it really personalized it for him.

I would bring them from home if I were you though, it didn't look like they are something that are sold all the time.

 

[NotUrsula]

A PFD that has neck support will have a wide chunk of fabric that sticks out around the back of the head. This is a very popular one from Stearns that is sized for babies: http://www.yuccadune.com/product1074.html. Note that there is also a sort of "handle" running along the back on this one--that is a strap that can be used to grab the wearer and pull the person vertically out of the water to safety; it is designed for open-water situations where the wearer has fallen out of a boat.

Essentially, PFD's with head supports are the sort that were once popularly known as a "Mae West". These days, they are normally made out of foam rather than inflatable. The shape means that when you wear them in water you always end up leaning back facing up. Used in pools, they do impede a person's ability to swim forward efficiently, so they are not good for flotation during actual swim practice.

Here is a better photo example. http://swimzone.com/acatalog/Swim_Zone_BEGIN_TO_SWIM__95.html
Look at the blue & green vest models; the girl is wearing one with a head support, the boy is wearing one without one. The version without the support is very like what is offered as a loaner at WDW pools.

 

[jim and meesie]

We are going in May with a 3 and 1.5 yr old. Neither has really been in a pool much. We go to the ocean a lot.

So..should I get those wings? Do they even work?

I was thinking of one of those swimsuits with the build in kind of flotation thing. Has anyone tried one of those? Which one, where did you get it, did it work well?

Just my opinion....please don't use water wings. As a former lifeguard (8 years pools and ocean) I have seen more accidents with kids who had a false sense of security from water wings , noodles or tubes and then slipped into water over their heads. At 3 and 1.5 you will have your hands full in any pool but they should not be out of your hands (over their heads) until they can swim on their own. At such a young age they don't understand that they can't breath underwater, they don't understand what will happen and they don't need to float around independently until they do understand.

Most of the hotels have 0 entry pools and kiddie pools so they can get in the water (with you) without being over their heads. As far as the lifejackets at WDW. They are great for safety! If a kid can't figure out how to keep their heads out of the water with the lifejacket on they are too young or are in water way beyond their ability.

2 of my 3 kids actually taught themselves to swim by the time they were 3-4 because they wanted to keep up with their older brother (including water slides) and the only way we would let them was when they were ready to do it under their own power.

This past summer my silly SIL insisted on letting her 3 month old go "swimming" in their backyard pool with a lifejacket. A 3 month old can't even roll over! She couldn't possibly enjoy the swim. Her kids spend lots of time in the pool with noodles but that didn't stop her 4 year old from nearly drowning when she got in over her head at a family party. A fully dressed adult had to jump in to save her.