Stormalong Bay policies

[BJoy82]

I've read mixed accounts about this and will preface by saying that my family has no intentions of being sneaky or trying to break any rules. We had always stayed at either the Beach Club or the Yacht Club, and my older two remember Stormalong Bay and of course want to return to it. Unfortunately, we were unable to get a room in either Beach Club or Yacht Club this time. We're in BoardWalk instead.

We'll be there the last week of January, which is always one of the very slowest times of the year. I've read elsewhere that during times like that they don't typically enforce the usual requirement that you be staying at Beach Club or Yacht Club to use Stormalong Bay. (Some have even said that all of the gates were left wide open!) Can anyone here speak to this?

Again, there's nothing at all wrong with the pool at BoardWalk (especially since they did away with the creepy clown on the slide, LOL), and I'll probably wind up just asking when we get there either way, but if I can tell my older kiddos with confidence that there's a better than average chance they'll be able to use Stormalong Bay again, well...

 

[DWillowBay]

They are strict about checking, at least when I've stayed there. I wouldn't want to promise something to the kiddos and then have to disappoint. We just stayed at Boardwalk in Nov and it was a great pool!

 

[JFDIS]

I’ve stayed at BC/YC multiple times in the last year and they have had someone monitoring the entrance every time. I would think it would be highly unlikely that you wouldn’t encounter a cm at the entrance and be turned away.

 

[SkyGuy]

In September, it was slower - like we completely walked on FoP around 3pm slow, and my nephew and niece forgot to bring their 3-year-old daughter’s magic band with them to Stormalong Bay; they had theirs. The attendant would not let her in unless one of them went back to the room to get her magic band.

 

[Pickles516]

In September, it was slower - like we completely walked on FoP around 3pm slow, and my nephew and niece forgot to bring their 3-year-old daughter’s magic band with them to Stormalong Bay; they had theirs. The attendant would not let her in unless one of them went back to the room to get her magic band.

I had to re-read this a few times to make sure I was reading it right. I’m generally an accepting “rules are rules” type of guy and am not a “Karen” type person at all, but I’d be really annoyed by this. Yes, I’m staying at BC, but my toddler is staying at All Star Music.You caught us red-handed.

 

[Lewisc]

Keep checking at BC and YC. People cancel, sometimes at cancel deadline.

 

[Lewisc]

I had to re-read this a few times to make sure I was reading it right. I’m generally an accepting “rules are rules” type of guy and am not a “Karen” type person at all, but I’d be really annoyed by this. Yes, I’m staying at BC, but my toddler is staying at All Star Music.You caught us red-handed.

Your brother might be staying at the Allstars. You can't bring your niece unless she's on your reservation.

I don't know if this is a common issue or if the CM is being a jerk.

 

[Rick195275]

In September, it was slower - like we completely walked on FoP around 3pm slow, and my nephew and niece forgot to bring their 3-year-old daughter’s magic band with them to Stormalong Bay; they had theirs. The attendant would not let her in unless one of them went back to the room to get her magic band.

That’s definitely a case of a strict CM. My daughter has forgotten hers multiple times and they just scanned mine to check our party and see she was on the reservation. None of them ever made us retrieve her specific magic band for her to be allowed in. And shout out to Ren who was awesome to us both at the gate and working the slide when we were there in October

 

[dwonderz]

We were there in February (during a slow period) and they still checked us every single time we entered.

 

[gottalovepluto]

You cannot pool hop at Disney World hotels. If you are booked at Boardwalk you can use the pools at Boardwalk. SAB is only for YC/BC/BCV guests. That is WDW policy.

 

[focusondisney]

These signs are at the entrance to SAB. Disney doesn’t allow pool hopping from resort to resort. We were at YC 4 times this year, March, April , June & September. There is always a CM to scan your MB. We have been staying at Y & B up to 4 times a year for 25 years. I have never seen the gates “left open” or remember a time we didn’t have to show our room key or MB. I would be telling the kids with confidence … “sorry, we couldn’t get a room there so we can’t use that pool. Maybe next time”. Why set yourselves up for disappointment?

Also, late January wasn’t that slow in 2017,18 or 19 when we were there.

 

[SkyGuy]

I had to re-read this a few times to make sure I was reading it right. I’m generally an accepting “rules are rules” type of guy and am not a “Karen” type person at all, but I’d be really annoyed by this. Yes, I’m staying at BC, but my toddler is staying at All Star Music.You caught us red-handed.

Hahaha! Yes! Very true. They also had their 10 month old with them, and he passed muster since he didn’t have to be IDd by a ticket or MB. Every time we walked out to use the bathroom or walk to the beach, we had to scan back in, so in the end it was needed, but they could have been a bit more diplomatic - “go in, but someone needs to run back to the room for her band.”

 

[patty57]

I've stayed at BC many times, and have never encountered the SAB gates being left open and not monitored. Busy times...slow times...any time. You can always ask, but I doubt you will be allowed in SAB without staying at YC, BC, or BCV.

 

[Suzabella]

SAB was always one of the pools that was excluded from pool hopping at DVC resorts. That was suspended during Covid from all resorts and I don't think it's returned yet. Anyone know for sure?

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

I was there a few weeks ago. There was a Cast Member at every entrance, all day every day.

One day, I re-entered the pool area after taking a break in my room at Yacht Club (I had my wristband on). The family in front of me swung the door open enough for me to jolt a few feet and get inside. The Cast Member stopped me in my tracks and asked to see my wristband. The pool area was nearly empty that day.

Don't try to sneak in. You will get caught.

 

[motherof5]

I've read mixed accounts about this and will preface by saying that my family has no intentions of being sneaky or trying to break any rules. We had always stayed at either the Beach Club or the Yacht Club, and my older two remember Stormalong Bay and of course want to return to it. Unfortunately, we were unable to get a room in either Beach Club or Yacht Club this time. We're in BoardWalk instead.

We'll be there the last week of January, which is always one of the very slowest times of the year. I've read elsewhere that during times like that they don't typically enforce the usual requirement that you be staying at Beach Club or Yacht Club to use Stormalong Bay. (Some have even said that all of the gates were left wide open!) Can anyone here speak to this?

Again, there's nothing at all wrong with the pool at BoardWalk (especially since they did away with the creepy clown on the slide, LOL), and I'll probably wind up just asking when we get there either way, but if I can tell my older kiddos with confidence that there's a better than average chance they'll be able to use Stormalong Bay again, well...

If its slow doesn't hurt to ask. I haven't ever been there so not sure why it's so popular.

 

[Marthasor]

We stay at YC/BC at all times during the year and have never seen unmonitored gates at the pool. I would tell your kids there is little chance they are swimming at SAB unless you can switch your reservation. The pool, especially the slide, at BWI is great, IMHO. If that isn't exciting enough, perhaps consider a day at a water park?

 

[CWTC]

They always check bands. Period. Stormalong Bay is for YC/BC guests. Pool hopping has never been permitted to this pool. The only time I’ve seen BW guests allowed in was when the clown pool was closed for refurbishment.

If having stormalong bay access is that important, I’d agree with what others have said about trying to change resorts.

 

[Pickles516]

Your brother might be staying at the Allstars. You can't bring your niece unless she's on your reservation.

I don't know if this is a common issue or if the CM is being a jerk.

I could just as likely be using someone else’s band as well. This seems like an excessive measure to me.

 

[Kae]

If its slow doesn't hurt to ask. I haven't ever been there so not sure why it's so popular.

Because they are not going to let them in and then people will make the CM out to be the bad guy. It is the most popular resort pool at WDW.