Will Disney's Water Parks & Pools Open This Summer?

[MomOTwins]

What I'm curious about is we have a free dining recovery trip booked and our package includes new "water parks and sports" ticket option. The free dining package apparently can't be modified now, because the discount no longer is being offered. Just wonder how they will handle those packages and if they'll have to make an exception and allow modification if they no longer have the water parks.

 

[chicagoshannon]

There is no health reason not to open the pools. Chlorine kills the virus and also the sun and heat kill the virus in less than a minute on surfaces. Don't know if Disney will open them or not but there is no reason not to.

 

[Alpha1]

Will we have to wear masks at the pools.

 

[Kaadk]

Will we have to wear masks at the pools.

If so, does this count?

 

[westie55]

I could see water parks closing because, if attendance is low, there isn't much reason to operate them at a loss and lack of water parks probably won't be a deal breaker for the majority of guests. As others have said, chlorine kills the virus so I don't think water parks are inherently more risky in that sense.

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

Just a guess here but I don't think they will have both water parks open at once. Maybe one for the summer. But I do think pools will be open when the resorts open.

 

[wilkydelts]

The pools will have to be capable of holding the required capacity percentage of guests staying in the resort. If they can not guarantee access to the pool when considering the high cost of the resort, Disney will have a guest relations nightmare at each resort. If they believe they have to cap capacity and announce it in advance they will have widespread cancellations which in turn will make them opening a very hard economic equation.

I do not get upset much regarding Disney because as I say often "Disney does not owe anything to their guests". However, if I woke up at a Deluxe resort and went down to the pool to only be rejected I would have words with Disney and be looking for a refund.

 

[cakebaker]

Just a guess here but I don't think they will have both water parks open at once. Maybe one for the summer. But I do think pools will be open when the resorts open.

That’s my guess, that at least soon after re-opening, they’ll open 1 water park. With reduced capacities, there’s no reason to open both.

 

[Bullseye]

You’ll be standing in heavily chlorinated water, the risk is probably greatly lessened. I think social distancing is a goal. It’s going to be breached now and then. I’m sure we’ll see reminder signs everywhere. They’re all big pools, not hard to keep your distance from others with capacity limits in place.

I agree. If you think about when you're usually in the pool, you don't stand right next to other people. Even without pandemic people generally keep some distance between themselves and strangers. People hover in an area and then rotate. Someone starts moving in your area, you move out and vice versa. Or if someone is fixated in the same spot, you just move around them at a comfortable distance. Slide lines will have to follow social distancing rules. Yes, there will be some breaches, but generally it should be fairly safe.

Now the wave pools at the water parks could be another story. People do tend to get within that 3ft personal bubble...let alone 6ft. Plus my other concern is that lower capacity at parks is going to drive people to their resort pools. If they limit capacity at parks and pools, then what I'm sure they will figure it out...I just want to get back there !

 

[MB1232]

I've heard that some hotels at the beach in my home state of SC are reopening pools this weekend. I will be curious what the protocol or procedures will be. I agree that most people are social distanced in the pool.
Just curious as to how many people would book a Disney resort- if amenities were open, such as pools and restaurants without going to parks.

 

[Skippyboo]

I would love to see non tube people banned from the lazy river. Nothing more annoying than the hoard of kids running through the lazy or practicing their handstands or splashing swimming. Do that in a regular pool not a lazy river.

 

[cakebaker]

Just curious as to how many people would book a Disney resort- if amenities were open, such as pools and restaurants without going to parks.

We would cancel our current reservation. I just can’t think of anything more depressing than going to a Disney resort and looking out over an empty deserted park. Someday I might do a resort only stay, but not with the parks closed.

 

[brockash]

I've heard that some hotels at the beach in my home state of SC are reopening pools this weekend. I will be curious what the protocol or procedures will be. I agree that most people are social distanced in the pool.
Just curious as to how many people would book a Disney resort- if amenities were open, such as pools and restaurants without going to parks.

Originally we said no way as we fly etc, however desperate times have made us reconsider. We were able to get a decent military rate and really ended up paying the least amount I've ever paid for plane tix., so we're leaning towards going if resorts, pools and DS are open. However, I am concerned I'd come back 20 lbs heavier from eating so much and just laying around the pool lol.

Honestly I don't think resorts will even be open for our early/mid June trip, so I don't think it'll come into play, but that was our thought a week or so ago.

 

[andyman8]

While it's possible that pools may not open immediately with the resorts while they work out the kinks of this "new normal," I think we'll see the pools open shortly thereafter. They'll probably get rid of some and space out the lounge chairs, and if they are operating the resort at a reduced occupancy, that shouldn't be an issue at all. Perhaps they'll have the lifeguards also monitoring social distancing between parties, but the only complication I really see is actually the lifeguards. Would they just make the pools "swim at your own risk" or would they expect a lifeguard to actually make direct contact with a guest to potentially rescue them? I'm not sure some CMs would be comfortable with that. Here's an interesting NBC News article about how Clearwater Beach is handling this.

In terms of water parks, I don't see them operating at least through September, especially given the mounting speculation that an actual park won't open until mid or late summer. The wrinkle with the water parks is that they do the bulk of their business during the summer months, and given all the unknowns about the virus in the fall, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see the water parks back online until next year. I'm just not sure you can do social distancing in the water parks. You obviously can't wear masks. They're not putting markers in TL's wave pool to indicate where you can and can't swim. Plus, remember that Blizzard Beach was only actually open a few days in 2020 before it entered its annual refurbishment, from which it never re-emerged, and some of that work actually remains incomplete. Because they generally use the October - March timeframe to do refurbishments, it may not even be until March of next year that we have both water parks back.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

I so badly want to book a July trip, and I feel like the pools/water parks would be a fine tradeoff for some of the missing experiences in the other parks. It sucks not having any hint or indication to make a decision - I have half a mind to just book anyway and see what happens.

 

[MB1232]

I so badly want to book a July trip, and I feel like the pools/water parks would be a fine tradeoff for some of the missing experiences in the other parks. It sucks not having any hint or indication to make a decision - I have half a mind to just book anyway and see what happens.

Im in the same boat. The not knowing is the worst. We considered end of July , beginning of August and just see what happens....

 

[cakebaker]

I so badly want to book a July trip, and I feel like the pools/water parks would be a fine tradeoff for some of the missing experiences in the other parks. It sucks not having any hint or indication to make a decision - I have half a mind to just book anyway and see what happens.

I have a half dozen reservations just to cover my bases. All it costs is the deposit. Sure doesn’t hurt to do it if you can handle them holding the money.

 

[Runaway Mickey & Minnie]

While it's possible that pools may not open immediately with the resorts while they work out the kinks of this "new normal," I think we'll see the pools open shortly thereafter. They'll probably get rid of some and space out the lounge chairs, and if they are operating the resort at a reduced occupancy, that shouldn't be an issue at all. Perhaps they'll have the lifeguards also monitoring social distancing between parties, but the only complication I really see is actually the lifeguards. Would they just make the pools "swim at your own risk" or would they expect a lifeguard to actually make direct contact with a guest to potentially rescue them? I'm not sure some CMs would be comfortable with that. Here's an interesting NBC News article about how Clearwater Beach is handling this.

Lifeguards who will not perform rescues are no longer lifeguards. It would be a major liability issue for Disney (or any company) to put lifeguards on visible duty on their private property where guests are allowed to swim, then not permit them to do rescues, as it could be construed as creating a false sense of security for swimmers. If there are lifeguards present, they will do rescues if needed. Disney's pools are nothing like a public beach. They belong to Disney, and Disney bears liability for them.

 

[Bullseye]

Lifeguards who will not perform rescues are no longer lifeguards. It would be a major liability issue for Disney (or any company) to put lifeguards on visible duty on their private property where guests are allowed to swim, then not permit them to do rescues, as it could be construed as creating a false sense of security for swimmers. If there are lifeguards present, they will do rescues if needed. Disney's pools are nothing like a public beach. They belong to Disney, and Disney bears liability for them.

Yeah that's not even feasible. If they are going to have pools/waterparks open, they will have lifeguards who will perform the same as always. Granted, there are quiet pools that never have lifeguards, but everything else will remain the same other than possible capacity limits and distancing.

 

[RapunzelIsMyHomeGirl]

I agree. If you think about when you're usually in the pool, you don't stand right next to other people. Even without pandemic people generally keep some distance between themselves and strangers. People hover in an area and then rotate. Someone starts moving in your area, you move out and vice versa. Or if someone is fixated in the same spot, you just move around them at a comfortable distance. Slide lines will have to follow social distancing rules. Yes, there will be some breaches, but generally it should be fairly safe.

Now the wave pools at the water parks could be another story. People do tend to get within that 3ft personal bubble...let alone 6ft. Plus my other concern is that lower capacity at parks is going to drive people to their resort pools. If they limit capacity at parks and pools, then what I'm sure they will figure it out...I just want to get back there !

Kids keep no personal space in the pools. They're always swimming right into us. We never care normally but during this we would and while many parents would do their best, there are also families who don't think this is real and wouldn't see the problem with their kids being everywhere. I would just choose to not go in the pools during this to avoid that situation. It personally doesn't matter anyway because we're not going back for a long time (we normally go for two to three long trips a year). But that would definitely be a problem in the parks and pools. It would be so weird to have to say "6 feet buddy" to a stranger's child to stop them from coming near you if they were barreling your way.