Resorts with the best pools

OOP_1913

OOP_1913

New Member
Original Poster
Hello there!

My husband, daughter and I will all be traveling for Disney for the first time in spring 2020 late April. As a newbie, we want 4 park days and 1 resort day and a nice pool is a must! We have a travel agent in mind, but she told us she will be contacting us mid-summer when dates open. I would love recommendations so my husband and I can see which one best fit us and our budget. We are interested in Moderate and Deluxe.

Thanks in advance
Respectfully,
A Disney Newbie!
 
George

George

Liker of Things
Premium Member
OOP_1913 said:
Awesome thank you! I just realized I posted this in the wrong forum! Thank you again we will look into that resort!
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I concur with the Beach Club. I'm a Disney timeshare owner and the Beach Club is one of my home resorts. The pool area is called Stormalong Bay. I'm sure there are good youtube videos if you want to check it out. No issue on the wrong forum. I'm really amazed that this message board is so successful. It is a big message with lots of nooks and crannies, easy to make a mistake. Welcome to the boards!

@wdwmagic - could you move this thread?
 
OOP_1913

OOP_1913

New Member
Original Poster
George said:
I concur with the Beach Club. I'm a Disney timeshare owner and the Beach Club is one of my home resorts. The pool area is called Stormalong Bay. I'm sure there are good youtube videos if you want to check it out. No issue on the wrong forum. I'm really amazed that this message board is so successful. It is a big message with lots of nooks and crannies, easy to make a mistake. Welcome to the boards!

@wdwmagic - could you move this thread?
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Awesome Thank you!!
 
correcaminos

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
Our top 3 are
Maji Pool at AKL Kidani
Lava Pool at Polynesian
Sandcastle Pool at OKW (hello sauna)

Runner up is the Dig Site Pool at CSR and Beach Pool at GF

This is after staying at every moderate and deluxe resort. We do not like SAB at all to disagree with above.
 
OOP_1913

OOP_1913

New Member
Original Poster
helenabear said:
Our top 3 are
Maji Pool at AKL Kidani
Lava Pool at Polynesian
Sandcastle Pool at OKW (hello sauna)

Runner up is the Dig Site Pool at CSR and Beach Pool at GF

This is after staying at every moderate and deluxe resort. We do not like SAB at all to disagree with above.
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We absolutely lovveee the look of the Polynesian it's definitely in my top!!
 
C

CLEtoWDW

Well-Known Member
Y&B Club. It’s not even close IMO. But I will say it depends what you’re looking for in a pool. If you’re looking for a fun pool I’ll sticj with Y&B. However, if you’re looking for a relaxing pool experience then I’d vote Poly.
 
eliza61nyc

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
@CaptainAmerica lol you beat me too it.

Op, how old is your daughter? My sons love love love the Stromalong bay (the name of the pool at beach and yacht club) but for smaller youngins I would probably go with Animal kingdom.

Stromalong bay is very big with different sections that can get very crowded especially during summer and fall (hot weather). so we actually tended to use the "quiet" pool when our kids where younger.

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epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
I'll also add, if you live anywhere near the ocean, the novelty of the sand pool at Y&B is diminished. It's not that cool compared to the ACTUAL beach.
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But is that even a valid comparison? Seems to me the sand bottom pool is a nice feature compared to other pools. Compared to the ACTUAL beach, it's just a pool. I don't think it even compares to, say Typhoon Lagoon, but that is not a real comparison either.
Kinda like comparing a roadside ditch to the Grand Canyon, or Soarin' to, well actually soaring.
 
epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
We do like SAB a lot, and spent a ridiculous amount of time poolside when we stayed at the Beach Club Villas, but my favorite pool is no more.
In fact, not only was it my favorite pool, but a place I enjoyed more than anywhere we ever went at WDW, and that was the quiet pool, Hidden Springs, at the Wilderness Lodge Villas. It was a quiet, remote getaway in the middle of the madness. My wife and I, each time we stayed there, would head to that pool early on a Monday morning, when everyone was headed to the parks, and sometimes have the place to ourselves.
That pool is gone now, that little quiet escape no more, and I don't really care for the replacement, but do upstand the need for the bigger pool they put in.
Now, for a quiet getaway, we head to the quiet pool at SSR early mornings and that is OK, but nothing like Hidden Springs was.
We like the pool at Kidani a lot too.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
epcotisbest said:
But is that even a valid comparison? Seems to me the sand bottom pool is a nice feature compared to other pools. Compared to the ACTUAL beach, it's just a pool. I don't think it even compares to, say Typhoon Lagoon, but that is not a real comparison either.
Kinda like comparing a roadside ditch to the Grand Canyon, or Soarin' to, well actually soaring.
Click to expand...
I think it's a valid comparison if you have regular access to the "real thing" at home. If you're at the beach all the time, don't go to WDW for a faux-beach. If you actually live on an African game reserve, don't go to WDW for a faux-African game reserve. Those things won't be special for you, and I think WDW is enhanced when you're in an environment that you don't get to experience all the time.

I spend my summers on New England beaches and the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk, so the Yacht, Beach, and Boardwalk resorts hold very little appeal to me.
 
OOP_1913

OOP_1913

New Member
Original Poster
eliza61nyc said:
@CaptainAmerica lol you beat me too it.

Op, how old is your daughter? My sons love love love the Stromalong bay (the name of the pool at beach and yacht club) but for smaller youngins I would probably go with Animal kingdom.

Stromalong bay is very big with different sections that can get very crowded especially during summer and fall (hot weather). so we actually tended to use the "quiet" pool when our kids where younger.

View attachment 351496View attachment 351497
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She will be 3 going on 4 when we go.. she loves the water!! I am loving the Poly its so beautiful!! I think animal kingdom is far away from everything, but those savanna rooms look worth it
 
eliza61nyc

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
OOP_1913 said:
She will be 3 going on 4 when we go.. she loves the water!! I am loving the Poly its so beautiful!! I think animal kingdom is far away from everything, but those savanna rooms look worth it
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Awesome
I think Poly will be an a great choice. it is a beautiful resort (lol, although I liked it better before the rehab)

Truthfully you'll be fine with either one. Animal kingdom and Wilderness lodge imo are the two most "themed" resorts. You walk into animal kingdom and your jaw drops, there is also some thing amazing to sit out on your balcony and see animals (these aren't the best pictures sorry)
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correcaminos

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
epcotisbest said:
But is that even a valid comparison? Seems to me the sand bottom pool is a nice feature compared to other pools. Compared to the ACTUAL beach, it's just a pool. I don't think it even compares to, say Typhoon Lagoon, but that is not a real comparison either.
Kinda like comparing a roadside ditch to the Grand Canyon, or Soarin' to, well actually soaring.
Click to expand...

Depends on who you are too with the sand. My husband absolutely hates it. Scratched the daylights out of his feet on the bottom. He is absolutely not a fan. He's not a fan of beaches either though LOL. I am and found the sand to be odd, and like you said not like a real beach.

I find the lazy river to be too slow moving and too deep meaning it wasn't a relaxing ride. The sections off of areas can make it hard for kids of younger ages. Also the slide entrance being out of the pool area (meaning I have to walk on the sidewalk in 'public' for a short ways) is a huge negative for me. As are the chairs being squished together. Just not a relaxing experience for us. I prefer the quiet pools there. Like a lot of the rest of Y&BC but just not the main pool. The Yacht Club quiet and DVC quiet pools are the best IMO there.

OOP_1913 said:
She will be 3 going on 4 when we go.. she loves the water!! I am loving the Poly its so beautiful!! I think animal kingdom is far away from everything, but those savanna rooms look worth it
Click to expand...
Knowing this, I vote for Polynesian. It has a great play area for kids right there and you get a nice view from the pool itself. AKL is absolutely awesome, but Kidani is better suited for a younger kid. The Kidani side is first on/off for parks for the bus. It's not too bad but if I had to pick for a little one likely in a stroller, I'd do Polynesian. AKL was very appreciated by ours when older though.
 
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