Tell me about SAB

[Princess Tess]

I am waiting for the paper work to come for my 100pt VWL add on. We contemplated VWL vs. BCV - because we have a use year of Sept. the BCV incentive wasn't as tempting, people with earlier UY can get the free nights and the points. We were able to get the MB offer for the VWL at $10.00pt. to take $1000.00 of our purchase price, since we just got back from WDW we felt we could sell back the 2001 pts. and not miss them. NOW, everybody keeps talking about SAB and how they want BCV because of it. What's the most popular age group of kids that you find there and how crowded does it get? I don't think I've ever seen it unless it's right on the otherside of the Boardwalk at the Yacht and Beach Club?
Economically, it really makes more sense to go with VWL but the thought of having 2 different resorts is tempting because we can bank/borrow the points and have more points at each resort......right??
Sometimes these boards can be a bad thing...lol...

 

[Cinderella]

Stormalong Bay is a wonderful pool and I am hoping that pool hopping privileges there won't stop when the new villas open. Yes, it is at the Yacht and Beach Club and shared by both resorts. It is a very large pool - part of it has a sand bottom, which is lovely for toddlers.

There is a large slide, which is not suitable for children who can't swim - water wings are not allowed. There is also a smaller slide. You can also rent those round tubey things to float around in. I love this pool - the only thing I don't like is the fact that it is very large and can take quite a bit of time to wander round, say if you are going from the sandy area to the slides with the kids.

 

[Lesley]

We tried SAB for the first time on this trip (pool hopped from VWL our first day) and though we planned to return later in the trip we didn't get around to it. The day we went the pool was virtually empty.

I must say after all the hype about SAB I was a bit disappointed. It is a wonderful large pool (or pools, really...I'll detail this later) and there are a couple of unique features, like the sand bottom and the rising sands area, but I guess I've just heard too many glowing praises. I was disappointed in the fact that its not really one big pool...but a series of pools. The first section has the slide, a whirlpool area (where the water swirls), an area with jets like a spa and the rising sands. The next section is mostly deeper water (6ft +) and you can float on a current in a circle. Then there is the hot tub, and beyond that a kiddie pool with a sand beach for sand play that doesn't go deeper than about 2 ft. My dh also mentioned a small slide and pool at the entrance to the big slide....but I didn't get to see that.

It could be that my kids are a little young to enjoy the pool (well, my 7yo isn't too young but he's not a swimmer and is not completely confident in the water...and my almost 2yo only likes it if the weather is really hot) or that because of them I can't enjoy it fully....I don't know. But after going through and seeing it all I was kind of like "okay, lets go". I think I was expecting the whole pool to be more of a "lazy river" thing with the feature areas throughout. That would be fun.

I used to be worried that they'd cut off pool hopping to SAB....but now I'm not really concerned. If they do make that change and we decide we'd like to swim there again we'll book a night or two at BCV...no big deal. Honestly we had just as much fun at Luna Park and the AKL pool (stayed there one night...not pool hopping) My ds's favorite pool remains the one at CBR.

If you love VWL defintely keep your add on there....having points at 2 resorts is sometimes confusing (though I don't regret my VWL add on at all). Part of me almost wonders if we should have waited to join at VWL instead of BWV.....but we're enjoying our DVC regardless! Either way you'll have things to be happy about.

 

[wdwnut]

hi: here's a link to some pictures from a thread on the resorts board: http://www.disneypix.com/Resorts/Ya...-Yacht2001b.htm
my kids go from 14-23yo and they still love to pool hop to SAB (not so much for the slide anymore either). i've gone a couple of times because the teens dragged me, and it is a nice pool.

 

[brittsmum1998]

Our dd is almost 4 and has been going to SAB (pool hopping from BWV's) since she was 20 mos. old. She absolutely loves it. When you say Disney World ...she says Beach Club. We always plan at least one day if not two while at "home". Me & dh can relax and she is sitting right there digging in the sand, walking in the water with her wings on. She loves the small water slide that is located near the big slide. The food at the outdoor grille is good and not so pricey. Its a great way to relax and the sand is an added benefit. IMO SAB will be sorely missed by this family if pool privies are taken away. We will be going in April. We debated staying at the cabins on pts (differant topic ) and decided to stay at our home BWV's so that we could take advantage of SAB JUST IN CASE they take it away

 

[downontheBW]

SAB is great but I was very disappointed that it closed at 5pm. We were there quite a few years back with 2 teenagers so spent the entire day at the parks. One day we specifically cut short to use the pool. By the time we got back to the room at the YC, changed and arrived at the pool it was around 4:30 and the pool was packed. My son got two trips down the slide before they made everyone leave the pool.

Also on that trip, we stayed at WL and loved that pool. It was quieter and we all enjoyed hanging out by the waterfall, with the kids trying to swim against the current. We were in the pool from after dinner until 10pm every night. SAB is like a mini water park so, of course, the two pools can't be compared. If you have younger children, I guess SAB can't be beat but we still like the WL pool.

When we bought DVC, WL wasn't available yet so we own at BWV. No complaints here but I would be just as happy with VWL.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

SAB closes at 5:00pm????????!!!!!!!

Man, I didn't know that.

BW is open 24 hours. The slide closes, but the pool is open.

I guess that's why they need another quiet pool over by the Villas.

 

[EROS]

We're BWV members and have always enjoyed SAB; However, I'm AMAZED to read that members would actually buy BCV just to "insure" access there. When our 5 year old was an infant, he loved the sandy pool but now has graduated to the "big time" slides at SAB and BW. We also enjoy the water parks as well. If BWV had NOT provided us access to SAB, we STILL would have purchased there.........

 

[Princess Tess]

Well the paperwork came today and I think we are gonna stick with our original idea and do the VWL add on. It just makes cents (dollars and cents that is) I'm sure we'll get to SAB at some point.....

 

[Grotto]

SAB closing time depends on the season. During summer and probably busier times, it's open until at least 8pm, maybe even 10pm. (At least it used to be, haven't been there during the busier seasons in a while). I think it closed at 6pm when we were there in late Nov/early Dec. The quiet pools do have hot tubs that are open 24hrs, which is nice.

 

[Cinderella]

Yes, in the Summer - the pool closes at 10pm (July and August).

 

[twinglefam]

Our home is VWL and the pools there are just beautiful. We have only stayed there for two nights; my children have yet to stay there. We stayed at BWV last Oct. and they loved the pool, well, two out of three did! It's just a whole different world to me at VWL, more private and seperate from the whole "world." The pool at SAB is cool; we stayed there for two nights before joining and really enjoyed the sand/slide. But aside from the pools, a nice plus for adding at BCV to me is the Epcot access and Boardwalk night life.

The pools at OKW are serene, relaxing by comparison IMO; but quite a walk for the kiddies. But the rooms, well, HUGE is an understatement. So, everyplace has its own advantages. I'm wishing we could somehow figure out how to do the cruise with points; we have a family of five and it just seems, well, pointless to spend so many points! Anybody else dealing with this?

 

[invalid_char]

I think Grotto is correct.l We were there in April and checked in well after dinner. We were still able to use the pool.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

We are at the same issue with the cruise (and maybe five-in the future). One option we considered was to do 2 Catagory 10s, and pay the four adult charges. By doing this I believe you don't pay any additional points for 2 of the kids. The third kid pay cash. Pointwise, it is a little cheaper than a Cat 4 and paying for 2 kids with points. It is not a great option. We are dissapointed about the family of five options throughout WDW.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Maybe they will have longer hours for SAB as there will be greater demand for usage once BCV opens. It is my understanding that they close early during the low attendance times. Attendance will be increased year round with BCV. Don't some of our BCV dues support SAB operations?? Not to be cynical, but maybe there will be longer hours at least while BCV is being sold.

 

[dkfogt]

We just got back from WDW yesterday (became DVC members at BCV!!!) and SAB was open until 7pm. We walked through it because I had never seen it before and the kids (10 & 3 DD) went nuts over wanting to get in. We were staying at Dixie, though, so they didn't get to use it. On our first trip "home" I know where they will want to go first!