Whn I was at Vero Beach, I think I allowed a family to "crash" the pool

[Disney1fan2002]

It's been 2 weeks, but I wonder, and I feel guilty! Here's my confession:

The room card key pad did not always work for pool or beach access. I would stand there and swipe, and swipe and swipe, eventually, someone would come along, and swipe their's, and I was able to get in. It worked sometimes, but it was very aggrivating. Sometimes, more than one family would be going in, so one family would swipe, allowing the other families in.

One day, I was showering off the beach sand on the boadwalk, when a family of 5 people come up to the gate, from the beach. They did not have their room keys to unlock the gate. It didn't occur to me to wonder WHY not one person did not have a room key, I just felt bad for them standing there with their beach bags, ect. I used my key, and opened the gate. I was done showering off, I went to the pool, they were going there also, so they came in with me, since they had no room key. I wanted to relax in the pool, while DH had the kids on the beach for a little longer. I ended up near the family I let in. They were just GUSHING about everything, like it was the 1st time they were seeing it. "Oh look, they have ________" "oh, look at that_______", ect. I frowned, thinking it was weird that they did not "explore" the place on check-in. But, i thought, it could be their 1st day, and they didn't really look around.

Now that I think back on this, what do you think? Here was the conversation:

mom: "__(inaudible) ...the we'll go"

girl: (whining) "but you said we could stay....."

mom: (throwing her head in my direction and frowning at the girl, cutting her off) "yes, we'll go back to the room, shower and go get something to eat"

The girl then moved away. The conversation was suspect. I then started to wonder, how they would get INTO their room, since nobody seemed to have a room key?

Anybody from any of the other resorts on the beach could of walk up Dinsey's boardwalk, correct?

I'm not going to be nice again. If you don't have a room key, you're on your own, sorry. I feel too guilty.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

It's kind of weird to not hold the gates for people as they are coming or going. There were times when my room key was in my pants pocket and I just walked through the gate as someone else held it. And I've held the gates for others out of politeness. I guess they could have been interlopers but I didn't give it a lot of thought. I could be wrong, but the Vero Beach location seems kind of isolated, compared to the on-site Disney resorts, and I don't really see too many people trying to get a free ride.

 

[canda]

dont feel bad about holding the door. You can not be responsible for letting people into the pool. Being polite is never wrong.

Because Disney refuses to protect its borders, we could start a minutemen group and protect VB and HHI from beach crashers. and protect VWL from the campers at FW.

(remember when the Beverly Hillbilly's set up a fort on the beach to stop an invasion? That was funny.)

 

[Caskbill]

...... I guess they could have been interlopers but I didn't give it a lot of thought. I could be wrong, but the Vero Beach location seems kind of isolated, compared to the on-site Disney resorts, and I don't really see too many people trying to get a free ride.

Actually there are many people, including locals, who pass by the Vero Beach resort as they walk up and down the beach. I think it was because too many of them were just walking up and using the pool and facilities, that DVC finally had to put in keyed gates coming up from the beach this year. They put one on the ramp that comes up, and another on the stairs. Up until now there was only keyed access to the pool.

When we were there in May, we were talking with one of the managers (it was the same time they were putting up the gates and we asked) and she said it was needed to keep outsiders from just coming in. That it had become a problem.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Actually there are many people, including locals, who pass by the Vero Beach resort as they walk up and down the beach. I think it was because too many of them were just walking up and using the pool and facilities, that DVC finally had to put in keyed gates coming up from the beach this year. They put one on the ramp that comes up, and another on the stairs. Up until now there was only keyed access to the pool.

When we were there in May, we were talking with one of the managers (it was the same time they were putting up the gates and we asked) and she said it was needed to keep outsiders from just coming in. That it had become a problem.

I stand corrected, thanks.

 

[littlestar]

You were just being polite. I wouldn't worry about it. If they were staying somewhere else and came up from the beach to look around to check it out, it sounds like they were definitely impressed.

Once when we were staying at Pop Century, I saw a family that looked kind of poor (they had their checkin paper materials in hand) and they were walking around looking awestruck at the resort with their little kids. The looks on those kids' faces and their gushing over everything was so neat to witness. That family couldn't believe they were there and were totally thrilled.

 

[CarolMN]

...(snip)...When we were there in May, we were talking with one of the managers (it was the same time they were putting up the gates and we asked) and she said it was needed to keep outsiders from just coming in. That it had become a problem.

Wonder if it didn't become more of a problem after the hurricanes. Has the public beach just to the north of VB re opened yet? Disney/DVC was one of the first properties in the area to repair and re open.

Best wishes -

 

[Judique]

Actually there are many people, including locals, who pass by the Vero Beach resort as they walk up and down the beach. I think it was because too many of them were just walking up and using the pool and facilities, that DVC finally had to put in keyed gates coming up from the beach this year. They put one on the ramp that comes up, and another on the stairs. Up until now there was only keyed access to the pool.

When we were there in May, we were talking with one of the managers (it was the same time they were putting up the gates and we asked) and she said it was needed to keep outsiders from just coming in. That it had become a problem.

It's been a couple of years since I was last at Vero, but in the past I've made a number of trips. There always was a gate on the beach walkway, in addition to the pool gate. The gate was before the outside showers and the green building if I remember correctly. There was a Mickey shaped peephole in it. I am glad to hear that they put in one at the steps as well. It was a problem - I remember being there and having a couple of kids try to come through the gate with me.....they were not resort guests. A CM intercepted them and sent them back. Later I saw them climb over the gate and get sent away again.

 

[VBSunGoddess]

Clearly you are destined to spend eternity in flames!!!! Your life,as you know it , is over. Salvation is for others!

(I'm not VBSungoddess....I'm her horrible husband PAR8HED)

 

[pjadtl]

Clearly you are destined to spend eternity in flames!!!! Your life,as you know it , is over. Salvation is for others!

(I'm not VBSungoddess....I'm her horrible husband PAR8HED)

Oohhh- you're in trouble PAR8HED

My theory is as long as there are enough chairs, who are they bothering? Not everybody is as spoiled as we are and can afford the type of luxuries we can get whenever we want. Just because they snuck in doesn't mean that they are awful, dirty, poor people (not saying anybody said that). My point is, you did what anybody would do and it is NOT a big deal. I doubt I would even remember I did it by the time I got back from vacation. LIG

 

[mbhoxsie]

Let me start by saying that out of force of habit of being polite, I probabily would have done exactly what the OP did and held the door without thinking about it...

My theory is as long as there are enough chairs, who are they bothering? Not everybody is as spoiled as we are and can afford the type of luxuries we can get whenever we want. Just because they snuck in doesn't mean that they are awful, dirty, poor people (not saying anybody said that). My point is, you did what anybody would do and it is NOT a big deal. I doubt I would even remember I did it by the time I got back from vacation. LIG

My concern would be that at VB, there are often not enough chairs... During the busy months it is a constant struggle to get a place by the pool..

Plus.. Resort crashers do some harm... They use and wear on resources.... Toilet paper, more CM life guards are needed, wear and tear on the Kiddy Pool and Playground, litter, towel washings, etc... These things may seem trivial and minor, but they are not free... There is a reason we pay dues, and having the additional overhead only causes our payments to increase.

I would normally be the charitable one and say that it's not a big deal to allow other people to use the resort, but nowadays with other expenses on the rise, I prefer to keep my dues down. (Especially since VB is the highest one of the bunch.)

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I could be worse...you could have said "welcome home" and they would have looked confused.

 

[AwesomeAsha]

You Did The Right Thing.

How Did You Like The VB Resort?

 

[Caskbill]

....My theory is as long as there are enough chairs, who are they bothering? Not everybody is as spoiled as we are and can afford the type of luxuries we can get whenever we want. Just because they snuck in doesn't mean that they are awful, dirty, poor people (not saying anybody said that).....

But the point is that it's just plain wrong! It's a theft of services, plain and simple. Is that the kind of example parents should be showing their children?

There's a nice golf country club here in town. I'm not a member so don't pay dues or fees of any kind. Are you saying it's OK for me to take some clubs and use the course on a day when it's not busy since I wouldn't be bothering anybody? And no, I couldn't afford the membership (which is pretty high), even if I played golf. But that doesn't give me any excuse to use private property, which the country club is.

And BTW, Disney's VB is private property also.

 

[rantnnravin]

Once when we were staying at Pop Century, I saw a family that looked kind of poor (they had their checkin paper materials in hand) and they were walking around looking awestruck at the resort with their little kids. The looks on those kids' faces and their gushing over everything was so neat to witness. That family couldn't believe they were there and were totally thrilled.

heck. we still do that wherever we stay on Disney property.
I guess we're poor too

 

[pjadtl]

Some of you are right, I would agree with some of the things you all have said but feeling "guilty" and worrying about it seems a bit far-fetched.
The part about wear and tear and us paying dues completely makes sense to me and I was not thinking about it in that aspect at all.
I am aware of the wear and tear that can happen as I worked for the VBR for 6 years 3 in Shutters and 3 at Bleachers and the pool area. I saw everything that happened out there and who belonged there and didn't. We took care of it as a CM should as it is not the responsibility of a DVC member.
My point is thank you for mentioning the dues part but "Relax, and enjoy your vacation." We are not hall monitors or security guards. We should be having way too much fun and taking too many naps to notice the "gate crashers" around us. Don't feel guilty-Let the CM's take care of that.

 

[MissD]

When we were at VB in late May/early June, there was a Wackenhut guard stationed at the pool area as well.

 

[btmfdr]

and protect VWL from the campers at FW.

QUOTE]

Not all campers are bad people...

 

[pjadtl]

Because Disney refuses to protect its borders, we could start a minutemen group and protect VB and HHI from beach crashers. and protect VWL from the campers at FW.

(remember when the Beverly Hillbilly's set up a fort on the beach to stop an invasion? That was funny.)

Wow! I can't even believe I missed that one! PROTECT them from the campers??
Yeah, I guess you're right- who wants to mingle with those "people" and their $100,000 RV's! Can you imagine? Uggh!

Fine- we'll just form a fort around our beloved FW campfire.

 

[spiceycat]

heck. we still do that wherever we stay on Disney property.
I guess we're poor too

me too!!!
I do love Pop century it has lots of neat stuff....