Stormalong Bay Refurb?

[tjkraz]

After reading this post the other day I checked all the usual places on the web to see if the pool will be closed. Nope, not on the schedule anyplace............I checked. Not even on the Disney sight though, other closings are listed.

(snip)

I suspect the maintenance at SAB is kinda hush hush so people don't do what I just did and change m' ressie to other locations.

Most other sites get their refurb information from the official bulletins Disney makes available to travel agents. That is typically a very up-to-date resource. Disney knows that it is in its best interest to give TAs the information they need to best accommodate their customers.

I doubt there is a great conspiracy afoot this time around. According to reports here, MS was notified of the closure about a week ago. It's hardly unprecedented for information like that to take more than a week--in this case a holiday week--to circulate to all departments.

As some of us have pointed out, Disney has been able to refurbish the pool in phases in prior years and there is every reason to believe they can do the same thing this time around. Beyond the 200-300 DVC Villas, there are over 1100 cash rooms at the Yacht and Beach Club resorts. Disney isn't going to make a hasty decision to close down the entire pool complex for nearly 3 months, thus negatively impacting the vacations of tens-of-thousands of families.

 

[slp87]

ARRRRGGG!! We are huge pool/water park people and I was already bummed that TL would probably be closed during our March 10 - 21 trip. That's okay...I thought...we're at BCV and we can enjoy SAB even more. Now this! Bummer! We only go to WDW every other year at spring break and couldn't go this year due to me being diagnosed with breast cancer. I've been looking forward to this trip and relaxing by the pools. I'll hold out hope that maybe everything will work out.

Send pixie dust!!

 

[CarolAnnC]

Personally, I would probably keep my BCV ressie if this were to happen to me. I may pool hop, say over to VWL, or other resorts (BWV may be crowded due to this I assume) but would keep the BCV location due to park convenience, etc.

That being said, we were at BWV for 8 nights this July and were unable to go to the pool even once due to daily rain and overall yucky weather. When the sun did peek out on occasion, we were inevitably off at a park. So, I just go with the flow, lol.

 

[jcemom]

We're not DVC members so we can't pool hop. If we could I wouldn't be so worried. I doubt BWV's pool will be crowded even if SaB is completely closed, since we're going in January. Unfortunately we can't hop over there to use it.

 

[KatiebugsMom]

JCEMom.....if you are using the room on DVC points (even rented).....your room key will say DVC on it.....and you should be afforded the option to pool hop.

Also, Jan 07 BWV pool was being refurbished during my stay and I had a letter from MS giving BWV DVC guests the one time allowance to pool hop over to SAB. Just a thought.

 

[jcemom]

Really? If that's the case then I won't worry at all. I'm still thinking/hoping that SaB will be closed in phases, so we'll still have use of most of it. But it would certainly ease my mind to know we could hop over to BWV in the event that the entire pool was closed. Most likely we're only going to get a few good swimming-weather days anyway. My kids really look forward to those days though, considering we're coming from the frozen north, LOL.

 

[KatiebugsMom]

Thanks for the heads up on SAB......Talked with DH and he decided he did not want to waste the points at Beach Club if SAB would not be available. So we changed to OKW.....Beach Club we will save you for later.

 

[Buckalew11]

I just talked my 14yo into coming with us for our trip in January selling her to the idea with SaB pool. I really hope that it'll be done in sections. Otherwise, we'll pool hop if the weather is nice. They had part of it closed last January when we were there for maintenance so this scares me a bit about sections.
Oh well, I know January-March is the time for WDW to do it. I'll fess up to her and hope for the best and she can decide what she wants to do.

We'll keep ressie at BCV for the convenience to Epcot etc. as CarolAnnK said.

Thanks for the info on this. if I receive a letter (which I am now expecting), I'll post about it.

 

[tjkraz]

I was able to obtain a statement from a DVC rep on the pool closure. It WILL Be a phased closure running from January 5, 2009 until sometime in late March when the work is complete. The pool feature they are working on will be walled-off while the rest of the area remains open for guests. Here is the official info:

Beginning January 5, 2009, sections of the Stormalong Bay pool area will be refurbished. Since the work will be conducted in phases, unaffected sections of the main pool will remain open for your enjoyment. We expect all work to be completed by late March 2009. The first section, including the Flying Jib slide and pool area, is scheduled to be completed by mid-February. The Flying Jib slide will be unavailable during this section only. The second section, including the lazy river area, is scheduled to be competed by early March. The final section, including the Quiet Lagoon and Stormalong Bay kiddie pool, is scheduled to be refurbished by late March. As the work takes place during daytime hours, you will likely hear and see maintenance staff and equipment.

During the refurbishment period, Dunes Cove pool at Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Tidal pool at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Admiral pool at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort will be available and open for your full enjoyment. In addition, should you wish to have a slide as part of your pool experience, we are making the Luna Park Pool located at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort available for your enjoyment.

 

[jcemom]

Thank you! Looks like no slide for us, but I'm happy to hear the rest of the pool will be open.

 

[ryanmilla]

Thanks for the info. I'm so torn. I'm booked in BCV for March 8-13. I am taking my DS, BIL and his son for a trip. It is going to be a guys trip. Also, it is my BIL and nephew's first trip to Disney. Also, both the kids are young, so they would like the kiddie section, which according tjkraz's post will be closed while we are there. I'm torn if I should switch to BWV or not. ARGHHHHHHH!

 

[Hunclemarco]

 

[DutchsMommy]

We'll I'm gonna stay gosh darn it! We'll be at BCV for a few days after our cruise right at the end of Jan/early Feb and I'll keep my fingers crossed that some of SAB is open. I'm really more worried it will be FREEZING at that time anyway so any swim weather will be a blessing! I was actually pretty happy to get a few days at BWV and a few at BCV on pretty short notice so I can't really complain too much.....

 

[shelby101301]

Well this is a huge disappointment! This is going to be our first DVC trip and have been so looking forward to using the pool! I have 3 and 5t yr old, so things like the slides won't matter. I'm just not sure I want to look at walled off pool though, kwim?

Guess I will call MS tomorrow and see if there is even anything else available...

 

[lenshanem]

It has been released that the pool will stay open thru the refurb, just be closed by sections. They are starting with the slide first, the shallow section will be done last. Hope that eases some minds.

 

[tjkraz]

It has been released that the pool will stay open thru the refurb, just be closed by sections. They are starting with the slide first, the shallow section will be done last. Hope that eases some minds.

Shan (and anyone else reading for the first time):

I posted complete details earlier in this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27459572&postcount=49

That info has not even been posted to the DVC member website or released to any other public outlet, but I was able to get it from one of my sources at DVC. It should be considered reliable.

I believe that same statement (or something very, very similar) is being sent to members with reservations during that period.

Tim

 

[Jaaron2]

I was able to obtain a statement from a DVC rep on the pool closure. It WILL Be a phased closure running from January 5, 2009 until sometime in late March when the work is complete. The pool feature they are working on will be walled-off while the rest of the area remains open for guests. Here is the official info:

Beginning January 5, 2009, sections of the Stormalong Bay pool area will be refurbished. Since the work will be conducted in phases, unaffected sections of the main pool will remain open for your enjoyment. We expect all work to be completed by late March 2009. The first section, including the Flying Jib slide and pool area, is scheduled to be completed by mid-February. The Flying Jib slide will be unavailable during this section only. The second section, including the lazy river area, is scheduled to be competed by early March. The final section, including the Quiet Lagoon and Stormalong Bay kiddie pool, is scheduled to be refurbished by late March. As the work takes place during daytime hours, you will likely hear and see maintenance staff and equipment.

During the refurbishment period, Dunes Cove pool at Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Tidal pool at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Admiral pool at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort will be available and open for your full enjoyment. In addition, should you wish to have a slide as part of your pool experience, we are making the Luna Park Pool located at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort available for your enjoyment.

This is good news for us! WE are staying March 25 through the 31st so it looks like most of the work will be completed by then.

 

[shelby101301]

Still, as well as Disney does these kinds of things, I just don't want to deal with it. We cancelled our 1 bd ressie and rebooked at BW instead. I'm sure we'll still enjoy it, and we'll get to see BC some other time.

Thanks so much to whoever brought this to our attention in time for us to rebook. I think we would have been really bummed to find this out later.

 

[YoMickey]

We arrive to BCV on 4/12/09. I hope they are on schedule and we get to use the whole thing. Is there a place for updates on the timeline?? Are they currently on schedule??

 

[lisareniff]

There is thread going on the resort board about the SAB referb. Someone just posted today that they may end up a week late finishing up the first phase due to the cold weather. Reports were that they would finish the first section and move on to the second on Feb 9th. It looks like that transition will happen a week later.

SAB Rehab Update Thread