Does Disney's inability to enforce it somehow make it right?
If I shove a candy bar in my pocket at the grocery store, and nobody stops me, does that mean it's OK? :shrug:
Although I'm more for following rules than for not, there is a difference between theft of goods and theft of services. Maybe not an ETHICAL difference, but a TANGIBLE difference. You steal a candy bar, you're affecting a business' bottom line by them having to eat the cost of what you've eaten, no matter how small it is.
Granted there still is a small cost involved in someone pool hopping where they shouldn't - after all those towels ain't gonna launder themselves - but you're not walking away WITH something. And who knows, by being there, you may order a drink or snacks or have your kids play in the arcade, you or your wife may buy something into their gift shop, providing money that resort otherwise wouldn't have. True, it's all going to "Disney," but each resort is evaluated for the money they bring in, and if spending an hour in their pool means you improve that resort's bottom line, perhaps management is willing to turn a blind eye, wit the "official no pool hopping policy" to fall back on if it turns out that a busy day is affecting the population at the pool...
Similar arguments are often made for people who crash parties (hey, it's an open bar, someone is bound to be on the wagon so I'm just drinking hat they can't, and those desserts are gonna get thrown out if they're not eaten, etc). Which is also something I wouldn't do, but I hear the argument made. I just wrote in a different thread about a time I was at POR and the pool was so packed I couldn't find a place to sit and relax, and how I would've been the first to get someone thrown out had I known they were not POR guests but I wasn't going to spend my "valuable" vacation time trying to suss that out. And yeah, it bothers me when I find out people are taking for free an amenity I paid to have. But I'm not John Law at Disney, and if they're not going to enforce their policies how can I? I still wouldn't do it, mainly because I'm all about Murphy's Law, and the day I try to pool hop will be the day they start checking IDs. And for that reason, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. But historically, they don't check, except at three resorts, maybe. Sayeth the philosopher, always let your conscience be your guide.
