Stormalong Bay

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi - for those of you who have stayed at YC or BC - what is Stormalong Bay REALLY like??

We went to breakfast at Cape May last year and I had a brief wander outside and couldn't really see where it began or finished, so couldn't get a feel of what was really there. Is there much there really?? Is the lazy river one that you actually float around (like a mini BB or TL) or is it one that doesn't really move and you just walk/swim around??

Is it suitable for young children?? It looked as though it would be really hard to keep an eye on them, and that we wouldn't really be able to make a base in one place, as it seemed quite spread out - Is that right??

I guess my real question is - is it as great as the reports make out or is it 'overhyped'??!!

 

[disneyholic family]

this is a difficult question to answer.
One man's junk is another man's treasure.

What i like, you might hate and vice versa.

as far as the disney resort pools go, Stormalong Bay is the best of the bunch.

But it's still just a resort pool complex. It's not going to compete with a waterpark. But for a hotel pool, it's really great.

it's actually made up of several pools. The big pool, where the slide is, the lazy river type pool, and the kiddie pool area with zero entry.
The big pool with the slide has different sections with fun parts to it: the slide, the bubbling part, the part that goes around (don't know how to describe that).

But we usually spend most of our time in the lazy river pool, that's behind the footbridge. Yes the water has a current that carries you around. It's a small lazy river, but still fun. As i recall, it's pretty deep, so you have to be able to swim to be in it.

Regarding your young children question - the only place relatively safe for them is in the kiddie area with zero entry.
but regardless of the depth, you should never ever ever ever ever ever ever leave a child alone in the water even for half a second (sorry- that's the lifeguard in me talking - i spent many years lifeguarding and saw lots of crazy things).

anyway, yes it's a great hotel pool. but everyone's taste differs. Maybe you won't like it, or maybe it won't serve your needs.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

thanks ever so much for replying!!

We love the lazy rivers in the water parks, and although I know it will be on a much smaller scale, do you still sit in inner tubes and float around? That might be a deal breaker for us!! We can float around in those all day!!

Don't worry, we won't ever leave their side at this age in the water (they will only be 3 and 6 when we next travel), I just wondered how 'visible' the whole place is for when they are a bit older and can have supervised 'freedom' to a degree but where I can see them at all times!! - but it sounds as though there are lots of different areas, so it would be more a case of moving around rather than having one base then?? - The reason I am asking from a long term view is because I am considering either buying DVC points at either BCV or BWV and I think I prefer BWV but Stormalong Bay might carry the deciding vote!!

Thanks again for your help - its good to have a balanced view, as I get very caught up in the 'how wonderful everything is' comments!!

 

[disneyholic family]

i see what you mean - if you're sitting in lounge chairs, would you be able to see the entire pool area.

You might be able to see the entire main pool - maybe. I'm talking about the pool with the slide.
of course, when the kids run to get on the slide, they would be out of your line of sight. But you would see them as they come down the slide.

And you'd probably be able to see that entire pool.

But you wouldn't be able to see them in the smaller lazy river pool.

We usually stayed in the lazy rive and would float around in it. Yes you can sit on a tube or on one of those long thin things (spaghetti tubes?) and float around.
In fact, if memory serves, you can rent them at the pool.
at least you used to be able to. We haven't stayed at the YC for several years. But when we did, it was always just to be able to use SAB.

If i were choosing between BWV and BCV, i would pick BCV, just because of SAB. But that's me. You may want to base your decision on other things.

But aren't DVC members permitted to pool hop? So even if you're at BWV, can't you use SAB?

 

[Danauk]

DVC members are allowed to pool hop except to Stormalong Bay, the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge and the new pool at Bay Lake Towers (unless they are staying there of course!)

 

[amystevekai&bump]

i see what you mean - if you're sitting in lounge chairs, would you be able to see the entire pool area.

You might be able to see the entire main pool - maybe. I'm talking about the pool with the slide.
of course, when the kids run to get on the slide, they would be out of your line of sight. But you would see them as they come down the slide.

And you'd probably be able to see that entire pool.

But you wouldn't be able to see them in the smaller lazy river pool.

We usually stayed in the lazy rive and would float around in it. Yes you can sit on a tube or on one of those long thin things (spaghetti tubes?) and float around.
In fact, if memory serves, you can rent them at the pool.
at least you used to be able to. We haven't stayed at the YC for several years. But when we did, it was always just to be able to use SAB.

If i were choosing between BWV and BCV, i would pick BCV, just because of SAB. But that's me. You may want to base your decision on other things.

But aren't DVC members permitted to pool hop? So even if you're at BWV, can't you use SAB?

Thanks again - I think we might well be swayed by BCV and SAB (especially with the floating on the lazy river - heaven!!)

We were planning on visiting BC next Dec to 'try before we buy' and I think we will stick to that plan (I had been tempted to rush on in and just buy BWV - but I think trying out SAB first will give us a more definitive answer as to which will suit us better long term) - I just hope we get good enough weather on the day we will be there to really try the pool out!!

DVC members are allowed to pool hop except to Stormalong Bay, the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge and the new pool at Bay Lake Towers (unless they are staying there of course!)

thats right - otherwise we might well have just bought at BWV for the view and then hopped over to 'borrow' SAB - but sadly that can't happen!!

thanks again for the replies - you've been a real help!!

 

[disneyholic family]

but it's a really really really really little river...in fact it's not a river at all...
really just a small pool in the shape of a donut with a current in it...
really really small..
so the term "river" isn't really appropriate - since it's going to make you think of the rivers at Typhoon or Blizzard..

i mean, we love swimming in it, but i would hate to think that i made you wait and then you hate it and say what was she doing calling it a river!

as far as DVC goes - can't you buy points at one resort and then stay at a different resort using your points? i don't know anything about DVC, so i don't know how that works...
i thought that you can have say OKW as your home resort but then stay at one of the others....

 

[amystevekai&bump]

but it's a really really really really little river...in fact it's not a river at all...
really just a small pool in the shape of a donut with a current in it...
really really small..
so the term "river" isn't really appropriate - since it's going to make you think of the rivers at Typhoon or Blizzard..

i mean, we love swimming in it, but i would hate to think that i made you wait and then you hate it and say what was she doing calling it a river!

as far as DVC goes - can't you buy points at one resort and then stay at a different resort using your points? i don't know anything about DVC, so i don't know how that works...
i thought that you can have say OKW as your home resort but then stay at one of the others....

hahaha - thats really funny - I'm glad you explained, I guess I was beginning to picture something like Blizzard Beach!!

I think we will still check it out - but don't worry I am going as much for Beaches n Cream as anything else - so I will not get too excited about the 'water park'!!

Yes we can use our other points at BCV/BWV, but as we are primarily planning to visit the Epcot area resorts in October during the Food and Wine festival, I understand that this is a very popular time for these 2 resorts and they often get booked up by their 'owners' at 11 mths out, leaving very little availability for the rest of DVC to book at the 7 mth mark. So I was considering buying some extra points there just to get the early booking advantage!

Thanks again - as you've really helped me to better grasp what SAB is really about!!

 

[disneyholic family]