What Deluxe resort has best resort pool area for kids

[chimoe]

Hello,

We have a trip we planned..

We currently have the GF booked for the 1st half of our stay, then we are transferring to the Four Seasons to finish our trip. However we had run into an issue where FS is telling us they don't allow more than 4 people in a room. We have 3 adults, 1 3yr and 1 infant. Initially I was just going to continue to occupy the room with 5 of us, but I if they found out I don't want to have my vacation messed up.

So, I'm now looking at finding another resort to hop to for the 2nd part of my stay. I will cancel my Four Seasons. the last part of our stay is where we will be at the resort pool the most. Which is why we choose FS, since their pool area is amazing I hear.

Which Deluxe Resort has the best Pool area. Looking for something with lazy river, slides etc. Is it the Beach Club?

 

[Dave006]

Beach Club or Yacht Club as they both share Stormalong Bay (SAB) which is great for the entire family.

Dave

 

[hakepb]

FWIW, the SAB lazy river is up to 8’ deep, so it’s not something I’d spend much time with a younger child in (unless they are an unusually strong swimmer). Older swimmers should really enjoy SAB.
QS wise the Epcot area is somewhat lacking in selection since they expect you to go into Epcot.

I’m not a touringplans follower, but This seems like a nice overview with pics for pool comparison.
https://blog.touringplans.com/2013/...-part-four-the-deluxe-and-villa-resort-pools/

 

[monorailsilver]

The water play area at the Poly. My kids were too old to play there but there are seats around it.

I wouldn’t do SAB until my kids could swim. Too big for my worrisome heart.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

This is all really subjective and not a one size fits all opinion.... but from my perspective at 3 years and an infant, SAB is a bit too large/complicated for my tastes. The sandy area is great for kids, but outside of that I wasn't much a fan when my kids were really young.

At that age I think I vote GF.... both pools have zero entry areas and the kids splash pad is easily manageable. Also decent sized rooms for your large party. It's a great adult/young kid/baby combo resort, in my humble opinion.

I'd throw Poly in that mix as both pools are also zero entry, but the splash pad is a bit better suited to slightly older kids IMO. Large rooms.

WL gets some votes from me too for manageable pools and splash pad, but small rooms (relatively speaking).

AKL also gets an honorable mention as both pools have zero entry areas. The splash area is really fun but there is only one at the Kidani pool. We like it now (kids are 8 and 4) but not sure what we would have thought when younger. Also tighter rooms.

I discount BWI for no splash pad and no zero entry pool.

Like I said - highly subjective! I could see how some could easily disagree with everything I just said!

 

[Shanti]

I love Stormalong Bay, so that would be my choice. It has a large, shallow pool with sand for toddlers. They can build sandcastles there. And there's a kiddie waterslide behind the big pirate ship. It's great.

 

[wilbret]

Sweet. A pool thread. Here's my kids ratings, but they aren't all Deluxe Resorts. We tend to stay at AK, Saratoga or Key West, so our experience isn't very diverse.

1. Coronado Springs. Okay. It's not a resort that's probably on your list, but this pool is awesome. It's big, and has a great slide and cool theming. At night, it looks amazing. Seems like a long walk to get there, though.
2. Caribbean Beach Resort - Our kids think this pool is awesome. Seems like the splash pad had a short height limit, but it wasn't strictly enforced thankfully, our middle guy really isn't that big. Pool is huge, and has a great slide and a cool secondary slide. Bonus points for zero entry and walking access to the island where kids can hunt for lizards!
3. AK Lodge - Kidani Village. The pool is cool, has a zero entry that we love, has a good slide, a nice splash area, but how cool is it that just steps away you can see animals in their habitats?

Just Okay for pools. Great for other stuff.
Saratoga Springs
Key West

 

[chimoe]

Thanks for your input all. I’ve did research and I think from what I saw online beach club would have best pool area. I still think FS is best but unfortunately they want to count my infant as 5th and afraid this could be problematic.

Has anyone stayed as FS with 5 in one room and had any issues by hotel?

 

[Pmm_]

For what it’s worth, the beach club pool is incredible BUT your children are very young and it’s very deep.

The pool at Kidani village has an awesome children’s water park-style play area attached to it. One of the best.

 

[TJA]

I haven't been to FS, but I'm thinking the closest pool comparison you'll find at WDW is at the BC/YC. In thinking back to when my kids were the ages of yours, as infants we'd sit them on the sandy shallow pool section (first time was just over a year old) and they'd have a blast splashing, etc. It was fun walking them in the water too as they were relatively new walkers. As far as your other child at 3 yrs old, we were still having fun in the sandy shallow section building castles, etc. When we ventured into the deeper section (it's like a separate pool area but yet all the same complex), we'd definitely have vests on the kids and we'd hold them as we enjoyed the lazy river, etc. It was doable as we had one child to one adult. I know of families who struggled in this pool complex because the kids outnumbered the adults. For us, though, it was a perfect pool from infant ages straight through tweens. My kids are teens now and still like SAB, but it's not as much of a must-do for us anymore.

 

[mommyrosa2]

Having stayed at all the deluxes, in terms of best pools, my vote is definitely SAB at YC/BC. The sandy kids area would be perfect for your little ones and yet you don't feel so removed from the rest of SAB. Would be very easy for the adults to take turns going back and forth from the lazy river to the kiddie area. Hope that helps!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

At that age my kids would've been thrilled running around with a hose. LOL

My kids loved CBR pool when they were 3 and 9 and again when they were 5 and 11. They still prefer it over the Poly pool which we did when they were 9 and 15. Their favorite is SAB. But at 3 years old I don't think it matters much.

 

[Marthasor]

Thanks for your input all. I’ve did research and I think from what I saw online beach club would have best pool area. I still think FS is best but unfortunately they want to count my infant as 5th and afraid this could be problematic.

Has anyone stayed as FS with 5 in one room and had any issues by hotel?

FS is quite strict regarding occupancy and consider all children ages 0 - 18 in the occupancy count. If you have 5, they will make you book a second room.

As PP's have noted, I would be hesitant to stay at BC with a 3-year old and an infant. While SAB has a large, 2-feet in depth area for younger kids, the lazy river is kind of lame (it's basically a circle) and it's 8' deep. There is a smaller slide for younger children behind the big slide, but it really isn't great. Personally, I would stay at GF the whole time as you'll have a zero entry pool, slide and a children's splash area. If you really want a great water experience, consider going to Blizzard Beach for a day.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I would save Stormalong Bay for when they're older. I'm not a huge AK fan, but the pool at Kidani is great for little kids. Poly is also nice but tends to be more crowded. If deluxe isn't a necessity for you, POFQ is great for kids too; this was my son's favorite resort pool when he was very young.

 

[SharonZ]

I think Yacht/Beach Club is a bit much for a 3-year old and an infant. I would probably just continue my stay at GF.

 

[roydavid7771]

Stormalong Bay, no question. You're not going to leave a three year old and an infant alone, so depth won't be a problem. SAB is so big that it can handle larger amounts of people without making the pool feel like human soup.

 

[rchampagne]

I think you should just stay at GF. Both pools are pretty equal in size, so it's nice to have a choice if one of them is a bit busier than the other. Plus, I found it's not as crowded as other pools such as Poly, so it's easier to find a chair, and maybe even some shade. Plus, their splash area is geared towards smaller kids.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Storm Along Bay is a great pool for the little ones. They will spend many hours just playing in the sand and shallow water. It is the only pool with a sand bottom at a WDW resort. The parents will enjoy it too.

 

[SwanVT2]

Sweet. A pool thread. Here's my kids ratings, but they aren't all Deluxe Resorts. We tend to stay at AK, Saratoga or Key West, so our experience isn't very diverse.

1. Coronado Springs. Okay. It's not a resort that's probably on your list, but this pool is awesome. It's big, and has a great slide and cool theming. At night, it looks amazing. Seems like a long walk to get there, though.
2. Caribbean Beach Resort - Our kids think this pool is awesome. Seems like the splash pad had a short height limit, but it wasn't strictly enforced thankfully, our middle guy really isn't that big. Pool is huge, and has a great slide and a cool secondary slide. Bonus points for zero entry and walking access to the island where kids can hunt for lizards!
3. AK Lodge - Kidani Village. The pool is cool, has a zero entry that we love, has a good slide, a nice splash area, but how cool is it that just steps away you can see animals in their habitats?

Just Okay for pools. Great for other stuff.
Saratoga Springs
Key West

Not to hijack the thread but we are staying at saratoga with 6 year old for the first time this Feb. What is not to be missed st this resort? Thanks!

 

[wilbret]

We like being able to park almost right outside the room. That's honestly one of the biggest perks. Not sure what type of room you are staying in, or what part of SS?
We like being able to walk to Disney Springs, but we usually have grandparents with us, so we still take transportation. Water taxi is a lot of fun, but depending on which part of the resort you are in, you may not like the hike to the dock. (i.e. you can't ride a boat from the Paddock)

Depending on what part of the resort you are in, there are a couple pools. We typically stay in the Paddock, which has the biggest slide of the 2 main pools. We sometimes go to the High Rock pool to mix things up, but it's really not worth the hassle unless that's your pool. The Artist's Palette is there, which has okay quick-service fare. The Grill at the Paddock suits our needs just fine. We don't typically dine at the resort, except for snacks/lunch by the pool.

Quite often families don't take advantage of what goes on around the resort to fill time, and simply go go go. We have evolved slightly. Make sure to get the activities calendar and be at the pool for when they are having games. See what movies are playing. Can't recall if they do s'mores at SS, but most resorts will have a fire pit and s'mores. The community hall has games and craft projects that kids like. You'd be surprised how much they enjoy things you don't expect. I took our kids to the Hall once, and they spent an hour playing pool, connect 4, and coloring with kids they met. It was a nice break. ;-)

The ponds at SS are full of turtles, fish and otters. Don't go near the water, but be sure to walk around and cross the bridge just to let your 6 year old enjoy it!

Let's be realistic. This resort is nice, and you'll have a blast. It is not the nicest or newest. It is huge and sprawling, so allow extra time for bus transit to parks. It is a good value and usually has availability, so it's our resort of last resort lol... it seems to always have space. I'd really like to try the treehouses one visit!