They call this a pool view???

[Hippychickali]

CDRN, thank you for your response. I guess that makes sense. Maybe that's why I stay value is because the room is just a place to shower and sleep.

Ali

 

[dpic]

How often do people actually spend time in their rooms to be concerned about the view? I guess it's a matter of personal preference. I would never pay extra so I could see the pool . . . the savanah maybe but that's more like an attraction than a view. Maybe someone can explain this to me.

Ali

Here's another reason. Our children are 11 & 14. I pay for pool view (courtyard at WL) so I can watch them if we decide to stay at our room. Our children love to swim, so we plan on them having time in the pool.

 

[crisi]

Let's cut to the chase. Pool view means just that....Pool View. If you can't see the pool, it's not a Pool view. It's like requesting a Savannah view and not being able to see any savannah. You had every right to complain. I am glad you got upgraded to a better room.

In hotel speak (and DisneySpeak) however it means "you are in a part of the building where - if the view were unobstructed (and we can't say it will be) - the room points in the direction of the pool." Its pretty standard. I think Disney gets caught more than a lot of others because there landscaping is so "intense" (and beautiful - and well designed from a privacy point of view) that it often blocks the view.

First floor "pool view" rooms don't have a good angle (generally) for watching kids - even when they don't have bushes in the way - but often have patios opening directly onto the pool area. Higher floors often have trees blocking - and are sometimes at uncomfortable angles to actually see the feature you are paying for.

 

[kathylovesdisneyworl]

If you pay for a room at a disney resort and it is pool view or water view that does not mean you will see water. It means your room is facing in the direction of the pool, lake or river, whichever may apply. Do not count on seeing water and especially do not count on being able to watch kids in the pool from your balcony or room. Most of there hotels aren't set up like that. It can be quite a distance from your room to the pool, even if you see water. Hopefully this thread will alert someone who is expecting something else, so they won't be dissappointed.

 

[DemoBri1]

I've read complaints about this in the Unofficial Guide. They say that what Disney considers a Pool View or Water View doesn't mean you can glance out your window and see water. Sometimes you have to lean over your balcony and peer way over to the right or left....

This is absolutely correct. When DW and I stayed at YC for our honeymoon back in 1998, we requested a waterview room, which could have been anyone of the following: view of the lake, pool, or canal. When we entered our room and looked out off the balcony we could see a bit of Crescent Lake, but a majority of our view was of the Wedding gazaebo. Not that bad.

Our original plans involved a 3 night stay at Embassy Suites on International Drive. On the first night, however, the place was so noisy and raucous that I called back to the YC to see if they had any rooms available. They said they had some water view rooms available, so I took the room for the last part of our stay. When we walked into that room, the only view we had was of trees which had grown up to block the view of Crescent Lake. If the trees hadn't been there it probably would have been a spectacular view. I immediately called down to the front desk and explained the situation to them, and they actually sent a cast member up to take a look at the view. The CM explained to me that they sometimes go several years without updating their view designations, and sometimes trees and vegetation end up blocking the views.

They took us to another room which actually ended up being a corner room that looked straight out on Crescent Lake and across to the Boardwalk. Great view!! If I had had this room initially we never would have left.

The point here being go down to the front desk if you have to and drag a CM up there with you to actually have them see what you're seeing. It may just work to your advantage.

Brian

 

[MimiKay]

Here's my opinion---not that it matters! but, we just got back from AKL-deluxe pool view. The lobby was great, the rooms were great-clean, etc., had good view of pool,BUT--- for the money, I think I'll stay at moderate!!!!!!! I really wanted to stay at CR tower and talked myself out of it for AKL since it still was a deluxe... and it was very nice!! Just think moderates are just as good. I really thought that the bus service would be better! we had to wait at least 20-30 minutes everytime.. maybe we didn't catch it at the right time, I don't know, but for a deluxe, I was thinking it would be a little better than that!! BUT WE STILL HAD A GREAT TIME!!! don't get me wrong!! dec3-8 !!!

 

[TerryU.]

The same thing happend to us at All Star Sports. I booked about 9 months in advance and requested the football area with connecting rooms. When we checked in, we were given rooms far away, when we got to our rooms,they were not connecting rooms. Also our key cards did not work. We wasted a day and half trying to straighten it out. Well, were able to change our rooms the next day and were put even farther away! all i have to say is good luck!

 

[antkim]

I just had to tell you what happened to my brother!


He had ressies at the BC...waterview. Well there were many things wrong with this particular room(which I will not go into!) BUT when he spoke to a front desk CM he said they had no water view! So here is what the CM replied(and I am NOT kidding!)....."Sir, if you can see a puddle from your room that is considered a water view"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, for a happy ending they were moved BUT can you believe that one?


Kim

 

[Ladyhawke10]

I have to concur about the Beach and Yacht Club waterviews. I stayed at the Beach club recently and to see Cresent Lake, it was necessary to stand at the very back corner of the balcony and lean over to see around the balconies ahead of us...hard to explain, but that's how we could see the lake.

At the Yacht club, our waterview category was a first floor view of the quiet pool. It was a nice, relaxing stay...and I liked being able to walk right off our patio to get to the jacuzzi. However, if one had been expecting a view of Cresent Lake and the Boardwalk, I'm suspecting the quiet pool would not have been satisfying.

At Port Orleans French Quarter we had a standard view and diagonally faced the river...it could have been an upgrade that the CM didn't mention, but I was definitely facing water.

Finally, our Pool View at AKL was on the second floor w/ a perfect view of the pool-we were over Jiko and there was no obstruction. It was not a deluxe pool view, unless, again, we were upgraded and weren't told that we were. Maybe a deluxe water view is the answer if a great water view is really in mind... sometimes it can be really hit or miss.

 

[ppony]

Had the same thing happen at the Poly. Paid for a pool view but on the first floor where we were you would have had to been a giraffe to see any pool or water. I saw people GOING to the pool. Head tops really over the vegitatioin Hmm, not the view I was looking for. Speedos walking by. LOL

Then the next trip when we got a first floor, room at the WL and people were walking by looking IN our room at that point, we requestsed and got a tranfer to a floor of our choice. THAT was nice. I dunno, I like having a "view" and that's what I'm paying for. I don't like to live in a closed box by ahving to close the curtains and not look out at everything. In the case of the Poly thogh, I couldn't see anything. Rooftops but that was about it. It should say "non-parking lot view". Less expectations that way. To us, a room is more than a place to just sleep. we live the scenery but don't like it looking back in at us. No first floor rooms fo us again. Nope nope.

 

[Goofydiane]

I had a similar experience on my last trip to AKL. I had requested a room facing the Arusha Savannah. When I checked in my room wasn't ready and I was told I would be facing the Uzima Savannah. I explained very nicely that I love the Zebra's and that's the main reason I stay at AKL and was requesting to face Arusha Savannah. I was checking in on Thanksgiving day after a terrible night of flying via Chicago and arriving at 4:00 AM! (checked into AS Music at 4:30 am and was woken up by carpet shampoo machines at 8:30 AM).

When I got my room the cast member circled the very end of the Zebra Trail set of rooms, so it appeared on paper that I had a nice view of the Uzima Savannah for 1 night and I could move rooms to the Arusha Savannah the next day for the rest of my stay. Well, the CM marked the wrong area on the map. My room was directly over one of the spa's and the overlook area. (Room 3484). It was on the end part of the hallway. The Savannah was past the spa and overlook area, past some trees and past the road. The only part of the Savannah I could see was the path some animals took back to the buildings! I was told by 2 CM's that since I could see a portion of the Savannah from my room, it is considered a Savannah room, and I shouldn't be upset, pool view rooms cost more, so this was an upgrade as well! I explained that I knew pool view rooms did not cost more and one of the reasons I paid for the Savannah room was because they are quieter and right now there are 15 people in the spa with 5 more sitting outside - very noisy, not what I want. While I was thankful I had already arranged a room move the next day, I feel bad for anyone who was given this room as a Savannah view room and didn't know any better about changing rooms. I never saw an animal from my balcony in room 3484.

My new room, 3331, was a great room! I'm glad I had arranged the room move prior to seeing my first room, it was much better and I enjoyed sitting on my balcony watching the zebra's!

 

[Hippychickali]

The same thing happend to us at All Star Sports. I booked about 9 months in advance and requested the football area with connecting rooms. When we checked in, we were given rooms far away, when we got to our rooms,they were not connecting rooms. Also our key cards did not work. We wasted a day and half trying to straighten it out. Well, were able to change our rooms the next day and were put even farther away! all i have to say is good luck!

This isn't quite the same thing. You simply put in a request and didn't get it. That happens all the time and frankly we shouldn't expect to get them and take it as a good thing if we do. As far as the key cards not working, I hope they straightened that out for you. The same goes for demanding to see a certain savanah. Isn't that just a request as well? I do see the OPs point in that you are paying for something and not getting it but as far as being upset about not getting room requests, why?

Ali

 

[DisneyMim]

Had the same problem at Disney's Vero Beach resort. This was a number of years ago when I was not informed enough to know that "ocean view" and "ocean front" were NOT the same thing. Silly me. We had stayed many many times at beach resorts and always paid for ocean view and always got a room facing the ocean. WELL, we checked-in and recieved a room. When we got there we found if we poked out heads waaaaay over the balcony we could just about see the ocean. I was furious. Went back down to the desk and explained my problem. We were moved to a real "ocean front" room right away and were then told about the difference of "view" and "front". Funny we never stayed there again! So I know what you are talking about. Sometimes, unfortunately, you have to experience things for yourself to find what really is reality. Now you will know for next time. Me too!!!

OH I know what I wanted to add. What kinda ticked me off was that "ocean view" and "ocean front" were the same price! This I can't understand. I think that there should be different prices because believe me they were two totally different views.

 

[GailT]

OK< thi sisn't AKL but something like that happened to me at BWI. I requested, yes requested a boardwalk view, I think the room requests are first come first serve on that day you arrive. I open the door to the room, ok, not bad, open the drape to the door and I was looking at nothing, was I pssed, ya, paying concierge and to me big bucks I talked to the manager and they accomedated up, boardwalk view, deluxe concierge, I wish I know how to post pictures, I would love to show you room 4522, the first room after you enter the concierge entrance doors.

 

[EEyorelover22]

I have requested poolview for our upcoming trip to AKL in June and will keep it unless resort codes come out for a good price on the Sav. view. I only requested poolview so that we didn't "get stuck" in the standard rooms by the walkway on the way to the bus. I would be very upset if we had one of these rooms due to the noise. While I don't want a view of bushes, I want the noise less and I'm willing to pay for it to avoid those standard rooms.

 

[rach98n]

Regarding the connecting rooms...I've been told by every CM that I talked to (probably about 5 with the changes I've had to make) that our connecting rooms are guaranteed since we are a family with 3 children. Our reservation confirmations also all say "Guaranteed connecting rooms for families". Has anyone had this experience and NOT gotten connecting rooms?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

This trip we were travelling with a baby so we knew that we would be spending more time in the room. We had a pool-view last time we stayed at AKL and it was so nice to sit out on the balcony and look at that beautiful area with the soft music playing...the AKL pool is not just any pool! That is why I paid extra. Hope that explains it, and it really is a matter of personal preference.

I agree. With small children in bed at 7 or 8 pm. It is part of our vacation to sit outside in the evening and discuss the day. Also, as the first one up it is wonderful to have a place to go to drink my coffee without sitting in the dark for 45 minutes.