Magic Band Check at Wilderness Lodge

wdwfan22

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We generally stay at the CR, two rooms each stay and have for almost twenty years. One day my wife went to WL and asked if she could just use the pool for a few hours because she'd never stayed there. They told her flat out no. I think you should be able to pool hop at the same class resorts at which you are staying to some extent.

Sorry I disagree. The pools should only be for registered guest.
 

Johnguelff

Active Member
Every trip I've been on from childhood till now we always stayed at a Disney World hotel, but we ALWAYS pool hopped. No matter if we stayed at poly and went to Cbr or any combination. Never would I think that anyone would have a problem with this. Is there anything posted that says only guests from that specific resort can use the pool? That said, I do think that non Disney-resort staying guests should not even think about using a resort pool, obviously. But that most likely happens as well.
 

yoda_5729

Well-Known Member
Just out of curiosity, as a quick question. Everyone on here says that pools should only be used by those currently staying at the resort. I understand, and respect that, however, is that the case for the areas around the pool. I thought as long as you weren't going into the pool, it was okay. For example, both Animal Kingdom Lodge's have animal observations near the pools. Is that off limits to anyone not staying at the resort? The Pool bars? etc. Can you visit the areas surrounding the pools, so long as you don't go in the water?
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Sorry I disagree. The pools should only be for registered guest.
Pool hopping is a perk for DVC members and we do it every trip. Some pools are not included in the perk and we don't go to them. Just in the last few years, more pools have been added to the ones not allowed for pool hopping for DVC. Recently the WL was added to the list of not allowed pools. Before that, we went to WL pools every trip, regardless of where we stayed.
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Every trip I've been on from childhood till now we always stayed at a Disney World hotel, but we ALWAYS pool hopped. No matter if we stayed at poly and went to Cbr or any combination. Never would I think that anyone would have a problem with this. Is there anything posted that says only guests from that specific resort can use the pool? That said, I do think that non Disney-resort staying guests should not even think about using a resort pool, obviously. But that most likely happens as well.
Most pools have a sign explicitly stating the pool is for registered hotel guests only. That does not apply to DVC members taking advantage of the DVC pool hopping perk where permitted. And as I stated in my previous, some pools are not permitted to be used for pool-hopping at all.
 
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Tuvalu

Premium Member
Just out of curiosity, as a quick question. Everyone on here says that pools should only be used by those currently staying at the resort. I understand, and respect that, however, is that the case for the areas around the pool. I thought as long as you weren't going into the pool, it was okay. For example, both Animal Kingdom Lodge's have animal observations near the pools. Is that off limits to anyone not staying at the resort? The Pool bars? etc. Can you visit the areas surrounding the pools, so long as you don't go in the water?
Anyone is welcome to visit a resort and explore the grounds, shops and restaurants. In the case of AKL, visiting the animal observation decks is A-OK. Visitors are free to use the pool bars as well ~ but with recent pool refurbishments and the installation of gated fences (which can be entered only by guest MagicBands), some pool bars are no longer easily accessible.
 

ninjaprincesst

Well-Known Member
I have also noticed on many trips people who are actually staying at the hotel will bring in their friends and relatives who live locally to go to the pool with them. Im sorry but is should be limited to only the guests on the reservation not aunts and uncles and 5th cousins twice removed.
 

wdwfan22

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Every trip I've been on from childhood till now we always stayed at a Disney World hotel, but we ALWAYS pool hopped. No matter if we stayed at poly and went to Cbr or any combination. Never would I think that anyone would have a problem with this. Is there anything posted that says only guests from that specific resort can use the pool? That said, I do think that non Disney-resort staying guests should not even think about using a resort pool, obviously. But that most likely happens as well.

They have signs every where saying REGISTERED RESORT GUESTS only. Disney Vacation Club Members are the only exception and they have limitations on when and where they can pool hop. And yes people do have a problem with it. Guests paying All-Star prices have no business taking up space at the Polynesian or Grand Floridian for example.
 

ABQ

Well-Known Member
Most pools have a sign explicitly stating the pool is for registered hotel guests only. That does not apply to DVC members taking advantage of the DVC pool hopping perk where permitted. And as I stated in my previous, some pools are not permitted to be used for pool-hopping at all.
Not to veer too far off topic, but do you know where a list of included or excluded pools is? All I can find on the perks printout for 2016 is this:
Pool Hopping – Members and their Guests staying with them on a Membership stay at a Disney Vacation Club Resort at Walt Disney World Resort or Disney’s Vero Beach Resort are permitted to use some of Disney Vacation Club and Walt Disney World Resort hotel pools, if they are not at capacity

edit, found it https://disneyvacationclub.disney.g...offers/#/recreation-relaxation,resort-hotels/
 
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ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
It seems like a lot of hassle to pool hop especially if you don't have your own car, like figuring out what to do with wet suits when you are done and all that. If I'm going to travel from my resort to use a "fancy" pool and go through that hassle I'm just going to go to Typhoon Lagoon or something. I wouldn't feel right using a pool at a property I didn't pay to stay at or have permission to use. That just doesn't strike my fancy.
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
It seems like a lot of hassle to pool hop especially if you don't have your own car, like figuring out what to do with wet suits when you are done and all that. If I'm going to travel from my resort to use a "fancy" pool and go through that hassle I'm just going to go to Typhoon Lagoon or something. I wouldn't feel right using a pool at a property I didn't pay to stay at or have permission to use. That just doesn't strike my fancy.
It certainly isn't the classy thing to do. But, not all people are classy, unfortunately.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Crikey 2-3 hours isn't much for people visiting the resort for genuine reasons - all DVC members should be able to enjoy all the resorts including chilling on a beach at poly or grand Floridian with a drink, shopping at the shops in the hotels, looking at where they could stay next time, having lunch and riding a tea racer - don't see an issue the only problem as such is the pool and honouring those rules. The pool hopping rule is a good one they just need to think of an easier way to police it. :)
I just wish that they were as strict about the beach as they are on holidays.
You can go to any message board and find threads and hundreds of comments about watching fireworks from a beach regardless of where you are staying. There aren't many chairs, and Poly's main beach is much smaller since the Bungalows were built. It's a perk that people are paying for, and if they're staying at any of those resorts, they should be able to find a nice spot to sit and watch Wishes.
Same thing with pool crowds and a line for the slide, I didn't know people even did that until this thread.
 

Hockey89

Well-Known Member
Disney will never do that. Most of the time it's Disney Resort Guest from cheaper resorts using the pool. My recent stay at Polynesian there were guests from the All Stars swimming in the pool. They were excited they had found a way to sneak in. Everyone else was thinking how pathetic.
They should do it... Pathetic is right, but is the good old USA in 2016
 

Hockey89

Well-Known Member
We generally stay at the CR, two rooms each stay and have for almost twenty years. One day my wife went to WL and asked if she could just use the pool for a few hours because she'd never stayed there. They told her flat out no. I think you should be able to pool hop at the same class resorts at which you are staying to some extent.
Yeah, that's a terrible idea.
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Not to veer too far off topic, but do you know where a list of included or excluded pools is? All I can find on the perks printout for 2016 is this:
Pool Hopping – Members and their Guests staying with them on a Membership stay at a Disney Vacation Club Resort at Walt Disney World Resort or Disney’s Vero Beach Resort are permitted to use some of Disney Vacation Club and Walt Disney World Resort hotel pools, if they are not at capacity

edit, found it https://disneyvacationclub.disney.g...offers/#/recreation-relaxation,resort-hotels/
Yeah, that is it and this specifically for DVC members:
  • Pool hopping is not available at Bay Cove Pool at Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Uzima Pool and Samawati Springs Pool at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, the leisure pool at Disney's Beach Club Villas, the Lava Pool and leisure pool at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, the Silver Creek Springs Pool and Hidden Springs Pool at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and the pools at Disney's Art of Animation Resort. There are no exceptions to this policy.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Yeah, that is it and this specifically for DVC members:
  • Pool hopping is not available at Bay Cove Pool at Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Uzima Pool and Samawati Springs Pool at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, the leisure pool at Disney's Beach Club Villas, the Lava Pool and leisure pool at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, the Silver Creek Springs Pool and Hidden Springs Pool at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and the pools at Disney's Art of Animation Resort. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Out of curiosity, what other pool besides those would someone want to hop to?
Boardwalk? I'm probably in the minority who likes the Luna Pool, but that's the only one I can think of worth visiting that isn't on the excluded list.
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Out of curiosity, what other pool besides those would someone want to hop to?
Boardwalk? I'm probably in the minority who likes the Luna Pool, but that's the only one I can think of worth visiting that isn't on the excluded list.
Our favorites are the pools at POR and POFQ, Ft. Wilderness when we are over there riding bicycles for a nice cool down, several nice pools at OKW, Boardwalk, both pools at the GF, Coronado Springs, and CB. SSR has several nice pools, and the quiet pool at the Treehouses makes for a nice, secluded get away as well. The main pool at the Contemporary is a nice one early in the morning or late evening and our all time favorite, that we used to always go to was Hidden Springs Pool at the WL, but it is no more. And, DVC staying at AKL villas can use both the Kidani pool and the Jambo House pool, though we much prefer the pool at Kidani. If you stay at BLT, you can use that pool and the CR pool, but if you stay at CR, you still cannot use the BLT pool. We have hopped to the pools at POP as well when we had friends staying there and we went over to visit them. It was nice to hang out with them for awhile while their kids enjoyed the pools.
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Here is an early morning at the CR pool sometime last September as almost everyone else was headed to the MK. It was nice having it almost to ourselves.

CR.jpg
 

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