[rlb]

I read somewhere that DVC members and guest are allowed to pool hop. Is this just between the members pool at the resort and the main pool or is are they permitted to hop between pools at different resorts?

[DisneyTeacher]

DVC members can hop to any pool but AKL and BC. At some busy times pool hopping may not be allowed, just ask at your resort.

[mickey]

As DT said, both Animal Kingdom Lodge and Stormalong Bay at Beach Club/Yacht club are off limits (unless you are staying there, or course). Back before they had restriction, we were staying at Old Key West for a week, and made it to every resort pool during the trip. We skipped the values, as they are just normal pools.

If you are staying at a DVC resort, either as a member or renting points, you get the same benefit.

[jo-jo]

This may seem like a no brainer, but you can pool hop ONLY when staying at a DVC. Just being a DVC member staying on site doesn't do it, right? We had joined DVC and my DD was all set to pool hop while staying at POP. I told her, I didn't think it worked that way.

[mickey]

My understanding is that you can only pool hop when staying at a DVC resort, not at any other Disney resort.

[jo-jo]

That's how I read it. Boy, is she disappointed.

[WishUponAStar]

I hate to be a devil's advocate but I never understood the notion of it being a "privelege" to go swim in another resort's pool. In my opinion, if you are staying at ANY WDW resort and can show your room key or something you should be able to check out another resort's pool if you wish. I understand the notion that perhaps this would cause overload at the "cool pools" b/c perhaps people at the values might prefer to visit pools that were more spectacular. But honestly, do you really think that it would be SUCH a problem? I doubt the majority of the vacationing public would bother to go through all the hassle of toting to another resort just to go in the pool. I think "pool hoppers" are more of a small handful of people than a majority.

I don't know. I just remember in the 80's when I was a kid some of the most fun things my Grandma and I would do, when we stayed at Fort Wilderness, was to go over to the Contemporary and use their arcade, check out the beach by the Grand Floridian, and explore the resorts. I don't remember ever swimming in other resort's pools but I would have found it REALLY strange if I was ever told "No, you can't" and I was a WDW resort guest.

Anyway, that's my opinion for what it's worth.

Carry on, carry on.. sorry.

[spawn51]

I have to say as a CM i did the hoping plenty of times,but i never stayed at one pool for long i whent to the next one..LOL
My kids did the same thing with there aunt but she is a rebel so even if they told her something im prety sure she ended up with a free meal or something..LOL
Hey she is a lawyer talk about somebody that can make your ear fall of.

[llama]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

I hate to be a devil's advocate but I never understood the notion of it being a "privelege" to go swim in another resort's pool. In my opinion, if you are staying at ANY WDW resort and can show your room key or something you should be able to check out another resort's pool if you wish. I understand the notion that perhaps this would cause overload at the "cool pools" b/c perhaps people at the values might prefer to visit pools that were more spectacular. But honestly, do you really think that it would be SUCH a problem? I doubt the majority of the vacationing public would bother to go through all the hassle of toting to another resort just to go in the pool. I think "pool hoppers" are more of a small handful of people than a majority.

I don't know. I just remember in the 80's when I was a kid some of the most fun things my Grandma and I would do, when we stayed at Fort Wilderness, was to go over to the Contemporary and use their arcade, check out the beach by the Grand Floridian, and explore the resorts. I don't remember ever swimming in other resort's pools but I would have found it REALLY strange if I was ever told "No, you can't" and I was a WDW resort guest.

Anyway, that's my opinion for what it's worth.

Carry on, carry on.. sorry.

In the past, there's been threads on this subject. And it's gotten rather "heated". So I hope this doesn't happen again.

Here's my thought. One year we were able to save enough money to have a holiday at Wilderness Lodge. (this was before the pool-hopping rule). We had all heard about how wonderful the pool was and were anxious to try it. Well, we couldn't. Why? Because there was a Band conference at Ft. Wilderness and all the kids staying there literally took over the pool. We couldn't get a chair, couldn't move in the pool. My kids were small and I worried that they were going to get hurt. We had spent hard-earned money to stay there - and it was unfair that we could not use the pool. Everyone says "oh, it won't effect anyone - but it does". It's not like any of the WDW pools are exactly "second-class". Personally, I'd never pool-hop because the hassle isn't worth it. But I can understand the reason.

[mickey]

It used to be possible to pool hop, but as you mentioned, it caused problems, and they stopped it. You can imagine if everyone in the Magic Kingdom could just hop on the monorail and swim at any of the monorail resorts. How would you feel if you paid $500 for a room at the Grand Floridian, but every time you went to the pool, it was packed with the KOA folks on break from the MK.

If they took away hopping from DVC members, I wouldn't be too mad at all. We used to do it all the time, but just haven't lately. Partly because we stopped renting a car, and partly because we have been staying at the Beach Club Villas, so no real need to hop.

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by mickey

How would you feel if you paid $500 for a room at the Grand Floridian, but every time you went to the pool, it was packed with the KOA folks on break from the MK.

That's why I mentioned I believe WDW resort guests should show a room card if they wished to try another resort's pool.

I am not trying to start a debate, trust me, I would never bother pool hopping either but I just wanted to understand the adversion to it.

In the case Llama mentioned, with the "band members" invading the pool area, I would think that would be more of a random rare occurance than anything else.

Don't mind me, I guess I am just being a tad libertarian and this is one of those issues that always baffled me. I see your points, you pay good money to use your resort's pool at your free will and you shouldn't have to worry about people who aren't staying there crowding it up.

[DisneyTeacher]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

In the case Llama mentioned, with the "band members" invading the pool area, I would think that would be more of a random rare occurance than anything else.

It's not as rare as you think. Every time we have stayed at WL we have seen many FW guests swimming at WL. I can tell because they are getting on the launch in swim suits at WL and getting off the boat at FW. We paid over $200 a night and I feel like we should be able to get a chair around our resort pool before people staying at some other resort fill them all up. We have over heard more than one family on the boat between the two resorts brag about how they always stay at FW but swim at WL because the pool is better.

[mickaholic4077]

Originally Posted by mickey

How would you feel if you paid $500 for a room at the Grand Floridian, but every time you went to the pool, it was packed with the KOA folks on break from the MK.

And what precisely is wrong with KOA folks?

[llama]

[quote=mickaholic4077]

Originally Posted by mickey

How would you feel if you paid $500 for a room at the Grand Floridian, but every time you went to the pool, it was packed with the KOA folks on break from the MK.


And what precisely is wrong with KOA folks?

DON'T START.

Nothing is wrong with KOA folks. What is wrong is that people who spend $500.00 a night should be able to swim in their resort pool, without having to fight crowds of people. Do you think Holiday Inn would allow people to use their pool if they weren't registered? Of course not.

What if the tables were turned - and it was YOU who couldn't get near the pool? I think you'd feel a little differently.

As for being a "random" case - that shouldn't matter at all. That one "random" case ruined our trip as far as enjoying the pool was concerned. Aren't I as important as the next guest? I was paying for the privilege of using that pool. The people from Ft. Wilderness were not.

It's obvious that it WAS a problem, or Disney wouldn't have instituted the policy.

[mickey]

Originally Posted by mickaholic4077

And what precisely is wrong with KOA folks?

It was just an example, that is all. It could easily be Pop Century folks, Holiday Inn folks, etc.

No problem asking questions Wish, it is valid. It would be nice if you could pool hop, maybe that would be a perk for annual passholders or you get one pool hopping coupon with your Magic Your Way package or something. It would be great if you could pool hop, but Disney would have to control it. Even during busy times at WDW, DVC members cannot pool hop.

I think the question has been answered that rlb was looking for.