Visiting from Other resorts

[dawnedwards]

Hello

We are going to WL next April. We have been talking to my SIL and her husband about Disney and they may also plan to come at the same time. However their WDW philosophy is different from ours. I like to make it a "real" vacation and stay at a deluxe resort with the dining plan etc. This is their first visit and they will likely stay at one of the value resorts. I have decided that us going at the same time and staying at different resorts is better then pressuring someone into staying somewhere they either won't be happy at or can't afford.

Anyways to my question. I know that pool hoping is not allowed, but since we are staying at WL could my SIL her husband and 2 kids come and visit us at WL, have lunch and swim in the pool?

 

[2manypets]

Lunch is fine, you can eat at any WDW Resort. If they swim at your resort afterwards, it's still pool hopping.

 

[dawnedwards]

Really? So I can't have someone come and visit me at my resort?

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Of course "visiting" is allowed...just not the pool hopping...

 

[lilyv]

Of course they can visit, they just can't pool hop. Everyone has to do what works for them, but it would be so awkward for me to be on a different meal plan, as well as a different hotel from family that I wanted to spend time with.

 

[disneydance]

Lunch is fine and visiting also ive heard of others on another thread being alloud to pool hop but they spoke to the life guard or was it guest service and since the pool wasnt busy they allowed it but you will have to find out for your self

 

[lilyv]

Possibly....it might be a great idea to plan to all go to a water park, rather than risk an awkward or disappointing day if the special request wasn't allowed. All the resorts are quite busy these days.

 

[Lynne M]

Your guests are welcome to visit you and eat, shop and use the recreational facilities at WL...with the exception of the pools. They're just about big enough for the guests of WL and VWL, and if they allowed folks to bring additional guests, they'd be miserably crowded and no one would be happy. And they do check resort IDs - a year or so ago, I saw them asking everyone at the pool and even on the beach for IDs, and some people were asked to leave.

As I said, though, the other recreation facilities are available to your guests. How about renting some of the little boats for a spin around Bay Lake after lunch? That might end up being even more fun than the pool!

 

[ilovemyears]

Hmmm, you should absolutely spend the day with your family. Invite them to swim in the pool after lunch at your resort. It's for a couple of hours for goodness sakes! As far as I know they only check resort IDs at the pool at YC/BC. I haven't stayed at the WL, but I have never been "carded" at the Poly nor at AKL.

If Disney staff say anything, tell them it's their first time at Disney and you wanted them to get a feel for another resort. If they ask them to leave, it's no big deal - it's not like they're going to take them out in handcuffs! I seriously doubt anyone will say anything to you anyway.

 

[aubriee]

Your guests are welcome to visit you and eat, shop and use the recreational facilities at WL...with the exception of the pools. They're just about big enough for the guests of WL and VWL, and if they allowed folks to bring additional guests, they'd be miserably crowded and no one would be happy. And they do check resort IDs - a year or so ago, I saw them asking everyone at the pool and even on the beach for IDs, and some people were asked to leave.

I can verify this. Jan '05 we were at WL when everyone at the pool was asked for resort IDs. One group got very hostile saying they were staying at Fort Wilderness, so qualified to use the WL pool. Uh, nope! Another man got really angry and loud. He had invited a family over from another resort and didn't appreciate getting embarrassed. He was yelling that with the money he was paying he could invite anyone over to swim that he wanted to. Again, uh, NOPE! Everyone without a resort ID was asked to leave. Again this was in January. Granted it was a warm January day, but still January.

 

[2manypets]

Really? So I can't have someone come and visit me at my resort?

I never once said they can't visit you at your resort. Pool Hopping is STILL not allowed though.

 

[2manypets]

Hmmm, you should absolutely spend the day with your family. Invite them to swim in the pool after lunch at your resort. It's for a couple of hours for goodness sakes! As far as I know they only check resort IDs at the pool at YC/BC. I haven't stayed at the WL, but I have never been "carded" at the Poly nor at AKL.

This is taking away pool space for people that are registered at that resort. We had a huge problem with other people swimming in the pool at the Poly, so much so that Poly guests couldn't swim. A family of about ten was bragging how they were from Ft. Wilderness Campsites and they liked our pool better.

 

[Pluto1976]

This is just an idea, but one solution to your problem might be for everyone to stay at a moderate resort.........

This way the other family does not have to spend that much more money for staying at a Deluxe and the whole pool-hopping issue is avoided because everyone is at a single resort.

We have only stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR) which is a moderate resort and my family and I love it. Also, I am not putting down the values and I did stay at one, but since this is their first time to Disney they might get a better introduction to Disney at a moderate resort.

 

[ilovemyears]

This is taking away pool space for people that are registered at that resort. We had a huge problem with other people swimming in the pool at the Poly, so much so that Poly guests couldn't swim. A family of about ten was bragging how they were from Ft. Wilderness Campsites and they liked our pool better.

Yes, I noticed many people at the Poly pool that weren't guests there (we were by the way) and if it's too crowded like that they SHOULD "card" people. I just don't see the big deal if the pool isn't crowded. The family of 10 from the campsite is a lot different than a family having a few family members over to the pool for an afternoon in any case - at least it is to me!

 

[spiceycat]

have stayed at all levels of Disney resorts and I happen to love Pop Century.

now it is not a deluxe - but for what it is - it is pretty wonderful.

don't go expecting the service of a deluxe you will be disappointed.

go expecting a clean and decent room at a reasonable price.

now about guest swimming at the pools in VWL or WL - no. that say if it is a slow day - ask the front desk to speak to the manager. if he says yes, then tell the life guards. (definitely write down his name and the time he told you could)

these are the only times you can pool hop. be upfront with the manager. If he says yes - no one will override him. until the pool gets crowded.

FW guests know they are surpose to be at WL pool. now when WL was new and not so busy - they could pool hop. but that was years ago. they have signs up that state only WL and VWL guest can use these pools. (Plus DVC members stating on points at a DVC resort)

I think also that FW guest sign something when they check in - about NOT pool hopping.

so if they still hop - they are breaking their word.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Hmmm, you should absolutely spend the day with your family. Invite them to swim in the pool after lunch at your resort. It's for a couple of hours for goodness sakes! As far as I know they only check resort IDs at the pool at YC/BC. I haven't stayed at the WL, but I have never been "carded" at the Poly nor at AKL.

If Disney staff say anything, tell them it's their first time at Disney and you wanted them to get a feel for another resort. If they ask them to leave, it's no big deal - it's not like they're going to take them out in handcuffs! I seriously doubt anyone will say anything to you anyway.

Sure invite them to lunch and the pool where they may well be very embarrassed if someone DOES say something to them, and they very well may.
If people follow rules, [whether they agree with them or not] and stay with the set up framework etc. things always go much smoother for everyone.

 

[lilyv]

Sure invite them to lunch and the pool where they may well be very embarrassed if someone DOES say something to them, and they very well may.
If people follow rules, [whether they agree with them or not] and stay with the set up framework etc. things always go much smoother for everyone.

So true! Can't understand why one would choose to set anyone-friend or family up for a possibly embarrassing situation. Options: Choose a resort together, and swim to your hearts content. Or, if you're absolutely set on deluxe/value, hit the waterpark for a day. Either way, you're having fun, and not worrying about the moment when your "guest" is asked to leave.

 

[dawnedwards]

WOW - really guys it was just a simple question and my experience has never been that the pool has been really crowded where we have stayed AKL and CSR especially during the day when people are at the resorts.

We were just thinking that it would nice to have a downtime afternoon and still spend it together. Not a big deal.

I would be happy to stay at a Mod resort, but that too does not seem to interest the other family.

They believe that they will only be at the resort to sleep and therefore why spend the money. We will be travelling with a 3 year old and 6 month old and like the closeness of WL to MK and we do use the resort when we are there.

Thanks for the imput.

 

[zgirl]

Just out of curiosity - do the room keys at the different resorts look different? Recently we stayed at POP and CSR and the keys looked exactly the same. How would a CM know which resort I was staying at? I don't want to pool hop but I am just wondering. Thanks.

 

[grimley1968]

WOW - really guys it was just a simple question and my experience has never been that the pool has been really crowded where we have stayed AKL and CSR especially during the day when people are at the resorts.

We were just thinking that it would nice to have a downtime afternoon and still spend it together. Not a big deal.

I would be happy to stay at a Mod resort, but that too does not seem to interest the other family.

They believe that they will only be at the resort to sleep and therefore why spend the money. We will be travelling with a 3 year old and 6 month old and like the closeness of WL to MK and we do use the resort when we are there.

Thanks for the imput.

I understand the question was simple, and the answer is simple: you can spend all the time you want with your family you wish, but that doesn't include pool-hopping at your pool.

If you wish to pool hop, why not just go use their pool at the value resort?

I bet you're answering to yourself that you wouldn't want to swim in that pool when you're already paying for a "nicer" deluxe pool. Pool-hopping by people who are not guests at a particular resort can often mean people who are paying to stay there can't because the pool is too crowded.

You may say the pools aren't that crowded, but they often are in my experience in the middle of the day, at least the ones at WL, the Poly and BC.

Some others will say that a family of three who know someone staying at the resort is different than a group of 10 who know no one at the resort. I disagree with this reasoning due to the simple fact that if you let one family of three pool hop, then you have to let in this other family of three, then that family of 3, and so on. In the end, people are getting something for free that others paid a lot of money for. It's better just to prohibit it altogether. Besides, I just don't see why anyone would want the hassle of trying to use another resort's pool. It seems like a lot of trouble to me, when there's a perfectly good pool at your own resort.

Instead, I recommend you invite the family over for maybe a meal, maybe a boat ride in the water sprites, or maybe a tour of the grounds. If you really wish to swim together, I recommend a waterpark outing together.