Waterslides at Resorts...which have "rules"?

[brergnat]

Okay, please set me straight on this.

WHICH (if any) waterslides at the WDW resort HOTELS have rules regarding ANY of the following:

-height requirement
-swimming ability
-use of flotation devices while riding
-parents waiting at the bottom of the slide (or near the bottom)

I feel like I've seen and read accounts of kids at WDW resort pools of ALL ages being able to go down the slides, both with life vests on, "swimmies", or with no flotation devices.

I've read nothing about height requirements.

I've read conflicting information about whether or not parents are allowed to wait at the end of the slides to "help" non-swimmers.

So, what's the deal? Does it vary by hotel? Can you post your experiences? Or, if you are a CM/lifeguard, can you clarify this?

I am MOST interested in learning the answer as it pertains to:
-Wilderness Lodge
-Contemporary (and/or BLT)
-Stormalong Bay @ BC/YC
-Luna Park Pool Slide @ BWI

We are planning a trip to WDW for next spring and we will have a 5 and 4 year old. The older one is very close to being an independent swimmer, but the younger one cannot swim, and will probably not be able to by then. We will likely have him in a vest at the WDW resort pool. BUT, the waterslide is a HUGE part of the deal for which resort we choose. Our 5 year old has Autism and is obsessed with waterslides lately. We are mostly going to enjoy the waterparks and resort, as we frequent Disneyland almost as much as our grocery store. So, I need to know that when I pick a resort, the kids will be able to go down the waterslide, whether they can swim independently or not. TIA!

FYI: I am concerned about this because we are staying at the Grand Californian in about a week and a half, and I got my kids all pumped up about the waterslide at the pool, and then found out that it's for SWIMMERS only. NO flotation devices allowed, and the lifeguards give a swim test prior to letting kids go on it to make sure they can get to the ladder and out of the pool on their own after the slide. Needless to say, I'm bummed about that. I figured they'd be allowed to ride with vests on, like at WDW. Now, I'm just hoping this is not the case at WDW as well. Who knows...maybe policy has changed??? Or, maybe this is just a California thing...

 

[Kim1964]

We were at YC 8/8-8/11. My 7 yo DD is not a strong swimmer, but a lifeguard told me there was no height requirement and that she could wear the vest that they let you borrow at the poolside gift shop. We decided to give it a whirl. I went down before she did and, while I couldn't catch her at the bottom, I was nearby. The vest totally kept her head out of the water and she was able to swim right to me. That swim vest totally changed the trip. She had a blast and we could play so much more in the water when I didn't have to hold her the entire time.

 

[Sandi]

We just returned from a trip with a 4 yo and a 6 yo. Neither is a particularly good swimmer. We stayed at POFQ. The lifeguards allowed the children to wear the life vests available at the pool. They also let parents wait at the bottom of the slide -- off to the side a bit, but easily within reach of the children coming down the slide. I think they just don't want you directly at the bottom of the slide in case you mis-estimate who is coming down the slide next.

We had the same experience at WL a few years ago. We've not stayed at the other resorts you identified.

Have a great trip.

 

[NLD]

Subbing. I'd also like to know this about POR. We'll be there in a month and my dd cannot swim on her own yet, but loves water slides.

 

[RMulieri]

We were at YC 8/8-8/11. My 7 yo DD is not a strong swimmer, but a lifeguard told me there was no height requirement and that she could wear the vest that they let you borrow at the poolside gift shop. We decided to give it a whirl. I went down before she did and, while I couldn't catch her at the bottom, I was nearby. The vest totally kept her head out of the water and she was able to swim right to me. That swim vest totally changed the trip. She had a blast and we could play so much more in the water when I didn't have to hold her the entire time.

This varies by lifeguard..When we were last at SAB we were told no life jackets or floats on the slide and you could not wait near the bottom.The time before that we were allowed.I think it truly varies.But to do the slide at SAB you can not be afraid of enclosed space( the slide is partially enclosed) and it is quite long.It starts on the lagoon, and shoots you over the walkway to the pool.You can NOT ride together.

 

[pennst8r]

You can usually have goggles on, but not the larger face masks for slides.

 

[brergnat]

This varies by lifeguard..When we were last at SAB we were told no life jackets or floats on the slide and you could not wait near the bottom.The time before that we were allowed.I think it truly varies.

See, this is what I'm afraid of. Variances on what SHOULD be a hard and fast rule, property wide.

While you can reason with MOST children on this sort of thing, try to explain that to a child with Autism, and you will think the world is ending. My son has extreme difficulty with being flexible regarding "rules". He is WONDERFUL about following rules, to the extent that the way you show him how to do something the FIRST time, becomes the ONLY way to do it. EVERY TIME. So, I would have a REALLY REALLY hard time if *the first* lifeguard was lenient, and let him go down with a vest on, and then the next day, we got a *strict* lifeguard who then said "the rule is no vests". This would mess with my son's head SO BADLY he would probably not want to return to the pool for the rest of the trip, because if he can't know what to "expect" in terms of rules and routines, he has such anxiety that he cannot face a situation...

 

[dismagiclover]

We spent a week at the Beach Club in June and visited the pool everyday. My 4 year old was never questioned when he went down the slide with his swim vest (It was ours from home.) That means at least 7 different life guards had no problem with letting him go down.

 

[williamson_ja]

My daughter went down the slide over and over and over at POR last Sept. She wore a life jacket provided at the pool and was only 3 at the time. She had a blast!! I hope the situation is the same at SSR this time!!

 

[beth_cam]

It has been a long time since we went to them, but both cr and akl said no life vests and let us wait off to the side at the bottom. cr gave us the attitude of if she can't do it by herself then she shouldn't be doing it.

As far as sometimes a rule and sometimes not - if we know ahead of time that there may be issues like that, I just tell them that the rule is no. Of course then we always see someone else who got told yes. And not many people seem to want to say "hey you are breaking the rules...stop". But we do okay with it.

Speaking of no one wanting to say "stop". If you ask you are a lot more likely to be told no than if you just do it. although we were stopped from doing it at CR...never even thought to ask. If it is a rule, the life guards may be too lazy to worry about stopping people about it so asking brings their attention to it. If it isn't a rule and the life guard isn't sure he'll probably just say no to be on the safe side.

 

[maxiesmom]

At the Beach Club they were pretty adamant that you not wait at the bottom of the water slide for your child. They yelled at adults who tried to do that. You child had to be able to swim a little ways away from the slide, then you could go scoop them up. We saw the life guards have to go in after one child who couldn't stay above the water after the slide spit them out. Very scary!

 

[brergnat]

Hmmm...

See, I'm all for following the rules. And, I teach that to my children.

The thing is, I need to know WHAT the rule is, so I can know what to tell my kids.

My older one (the one with autism), can read already, very well. So, if there is a posted sign stating the rules, I can point it out and make him read it to understand what the rules are. I do this when he wants to do something he is not allowed. I make him read the sign and THEN he understands that he cannot do it, because the SIGN says so.

Wishy washy lifeguards, though. MUCH harder to deal with. AND, if I tell him "you cannot go down the slide with a vest on" or "mommy or daddy is not allowed to wait at the bottom of the slide to help you so you cannot go down" and THEN he sees another kid doing just that (or a parent waiting at the bottom), he will question that logic.

I guess I was just under the assumption that it was TOTALLY allowed for kids in vests/other flotation devices to go down the WDW resort slides, and it was OKAY for parents to wait off to the side to help scoop them out.

I was shocked to hear that this was not the case at the GCH in Disneyland resort. So, I figured I'd better clear the air about WDW resorts too, just to make sure we're covered.

I think by next year, the older one will be fine to go down unassisted, and will be able to swim off to the side by himself. It's the younger one I'm worried about. He wants to do everything just like his big brother, and has a VERY hard time dealing with the "injustice" of being a younger sibling.

 

[CLR4321]

Subbing. I'd also like to know this about POR. We'll be there in a month and my dd cannot swim on her own yet, but loves water slides.

In March we stayed at POR. My DS went down the waterslide several times. There are no height restrictions and they will let your child wear arm floaties or a lifejacket and wait at the bottom of the slide.

 

[J3nn78]

what about Poly? My oldest is dying to do the slide, but won't be able to without the vest.

 

[mmmears]

I've stayed at the GCH many, many times and what you've been told is true -- and I've seen it consistently and strictly enforced. There is a little kiddie slide in the same pool that has no restrictions, by the way.

That's why I was so surprised to see little kids going down the big slide at SAB last month, wearing life jackets! I know that they didn't use to allow this (when my DD was little), but I do recall seeing kids there going down the big slide that way. They do NOT allow anyone to stay even remotely near the base of the slide, though. We were trying to get a photo and had to take one from far away because of that rule. I realize that this wont really help if the rules keep changing day to day.

There is is "back" slide at SAB where little kids can slide down with jackets on and parents can catch them. It's much smaller than the big one, but actually not all that tiny.

 

[mef78]

Here's a photo of the slide rules at Wilderness Lodge

A photo of the slide rules at Animal Kingdom Lodge

A photo of the slide rules at Samawati Springs (AKL Kidani Village)

And a photo of the slide rules at Caribbean Beach

Only Wilderness Lodge pertains to the ones you were asking about, but maybe seeing the different versions will help