Using WDW resort pools if staying off site?

[lyn9856]

I am still trying to decide which way to go...staying off site or on site.
We prefer to be in the Magic, on site but felt that our stay this year, whilst a great time, was not exactly value for money.

We do have annual passes, and will be eating in WDW hotels on site several times even if we stay off site. Just wondering if anyone would actually challenge you if you spent a day at one of the Resort hotels and used the pool?
We were asked for room key when entering by car, but on Disney buses, no one ever stops us wherever we go or even asks us where we are staying.

Similarly, if we stayed at a value, could we spend a day by the pool at the Poly for example?

Anyone done this?

 

[mantismad]

We stay at the Beach Club and are always asked to show our room key before entering the pool area after which they put coloured wristbands on us. I have seen other people being turned away because they could not show a room key due to not staying at the Beach club resort.

 

[mikki.young]

Unless you are a DVC member you are not supposed to pool hop even if you are staying onsite and it is certainly frowned upon if you are staying offsite. I suspect some pools are stricter than others at checking (ie if they are popular they will check)

 

[lyn9856]

I guessed that would be the case, after all it has to be fair for those who are actually staying. But DH wanted me to check! Thanks

 

[casinocolin]

We have stayed at the music all star resort 5 times and not once been asked for room key whilst around the pool but we have only been at poolside night times, not during the day. It is a lovely pool at the music i must add.

 

[UKDEB]

Historically the most strict vetting has been at Stormalong Bay. Due to its reputation as a "mini water park" that's where they had the most problems with unauthorised use and it's been necessary to show your room key there for as long as I can remember. Both that and the pool at AKL are excluded from the pool-hopping privileges for DVC guests, so I imagine similar procedures are in place there. At some of the resorts it would be difficult to police. Years ago, a work colleague frequently recounted the time she and her family changed into their costumes in the Grand Floridian restrooms and then walked out onto the beach as bold as brass and used the pool and facilities all day. Needless to say, just because it's possible, it doesn't make it OK.

I read recently that the Universal Resorts have had such large scale problems with locals using their pools at weekends that they've introduced a room-key access policy for all their pools. It's still possible to pool-hop when staying at any of the resorts.

 

[john storey]

I've often wondered this point myself,apart from Beach Club I don't think you would have a problem. With reference to the Universal pools, we stayed at the Hard Rock in May & got talking to the 'locals', they were of the opinion that as long as they were spending lots of money in the hotel they were welcome to use the pool. I must admit there were quite alot of them & maybe there has been a rethink about this policy? I know you would never get away with it in similar surrounds in England.

 

[Hilary]

I do think that Disney has a fine line to tread - they actively encourage non-residents to visit the WDW resorts to dine and shop, thus making it difficult to completely prevent visitors also using other facilities at the resort without either gated pool access or ID verification at access points.

just because it's possible, it doesn't make it OK.

It's a tricky one

 

[Lizzybear]

At POFQ no-one was checking the room keys but the pool is pretty average there and was never that busy in September so I guess they figured the time/manpower spent 'policing' it could be better used elsewhere. What that said though, I don't think i'd feel right doing it. If I was staying at a deluxe resort I wouldn't be happy about others using the facilities I was paying for.

 

[disneyholic family]

it took disney years to institute the wristband policy at stormalong bay...
it used to drive me absolutely insane....
i would be paying upwards of $500/night to stay there specifically so that we could use that pool and someone comes in without staying there.....smoke would literally come out of my ears i was so angry about it....
that was one of the things i complained about...actually the only thing i ever complained about when i was there was the pool problem.......

the pool would be JAMMED with people....and it was clear from what they would say to each other that they weren't guests....

i spoke with managers every time i was there.....but it took a very long time before they finally gave in and started usuing wristbands...

 

[UKDEB]

When we stayed at the Beach Club in 2000, I'm pretty sure we didn't have wristbands, but we did have to show our room keys to access the pool area and they were enforcing the policy very strictly.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

To be perfectly honest I think Disney are right to enforce this... I will personally be checking people's IDs next April at the Polynesian.

May be a bit discreet though when I walk over to the Grand Floridian..perhaps I will avoid the pool area.

 

[mickg7dyd]

.....smoke would literally come out of my ears i was so angry about it....

Wow I bet that was a sight..!!..

 

[disneyholic family]

When we stayed at the Beach Club in 2000, I'm pretty sure we didn't have wristbands, but we did have to show our room keys to access the pool area and they were enforcing the policy very strictly.

when we were there they never enforced it until the wristbands came along..
for the life of me i can't remember when they were introduced, but i was very happy when they did...

 

[Red-Snapper]

I am obviously missing something here but if the object is to get better value for money by staying offsite shouldnt you actually just accept that and find a good value hotel with a good pool.

There are some very nice pools offsite if you do some research. i.e Sheraton Vistana, Caribe Royale etc etc

I have to admit there is nothing worse than trying to get a space around a pool when you can just see at a glance that some of the people there are not actually staying onsite.

Having said that...... the Hyatt Grand Cypress has one of the biggest and best landscaped pools in Orlando and you can quite easily say you are visiting for a look around at the main gate and walk from the self park lot straight to poolside without any checks Just dont ask for a towel/drink or anything that needs a room key.

 

[jns]

If you decide to stay off site
pick a hotel with a great pool or go to the water parks

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

If you decide to stay off site
pick a hotel with a great pool or go to the water parks

Completely agree.

I remember our first trip being at the Quality inn...I recall getting out of the car and seeing a HUGE family getting out of a minivan,and they all had swimming towels/costumes and all the kids was running to the pool! I dont think they was excatly staying in the hotel,but making sure they made use of the pool.

 

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

TBH people on these boards take pool hopping a lot more seriously than Disney. In many years at resorts from value to Deluxe we've never once been id checked or had a problem with an overcrowded pool. The debate is always about money too.

 

[wayneg]

One of the reasons we stay in budget hotels offsite, we never find time to use the facilities like pools onsite. Been here 2 weeks now, used the pool for 1 hour. Spent about 6 hours(2x 3 hours) in Curious George up at Universal though, much prefer that that sitting by a pool or water park.
When we visited Beaches and cream last week we could have easily slipped in the Beach club pool, saw lots go in and out unchecked but not something I would do, others would.

 

[disneyholic family]

One of the reasons we stay in budget hotels offsite, we never find time to use the facilities like pools onsite. Been here 2 weeks now, used the pool for 1 hour. Spent about 6 hours(2x 3 hours) in Curious George up at Universal though, much prefer that that sitting by a pool or water park.
When we visited Beaches and cream last week we could have easily slipped in the Beach club pool, saw lots go in and out unchecked but not something I would do, others would.

that's why we used to split our visits...
we would stay at the yacht club for the weekends and spend several hours on friday and saturday at stormalong bay....
we're all waterbabies (i was on a swim team then a lifeguard/swim teacher back in the prehistoric era) and we love to spend hours and hours and hours in the water....stormalong was the perfect spot for us when the kids were younger, so i made the point of spending all of our weekends there...
so it was worth it to us to pay the very steep yacht club prices to be able to do that......
the rest of the week we would stay at the OKW or some place like that for the space and kitchen....

as for the water parks - we only go there for the slides - first thing in the morning....by 11 we're out of there - we can't stand the crowds there...
sometimes we come back to TL an hour before closing - for a few rounds on crush and gusher and then lazing in the river until the park closes....the place is usually empty by then and we have it all to ourselves...