SSR pool being used by locals?

[dwelty]

We just got back from a great trip to SSR. We noticed however that the High Rock springs pool was very crowded both on Saturday and Sunday. (We arrived on a thursday, and left on a Wednesday). Another poster who is there right now said the same thing. We noticed that the rest of the week the pool was not crowded at all. Since DVC occupancy levels are fairly steady, we are suspicious about this. Also, Since many guests arrive on Saturday and usually want to hit the parks on the first few days, we found it odd that the pool was so full of people. We think that since SSR is so close to Downtown Disney, that many people there were Orlando locals. Anyone else notice this?

 

[Chuck S]

It is possible. Another thing is some people arrive on Saturday and don't want to "waste" a park day on a MYW ticket for a few hours...plus folks with extended vacations will often skip the parks on Saturday because of crowd levels. All those factors combine for busy weekend pools.

 

[starbox]

. We think that since SSR is so close to Downtown Disney, that many people there were Orlando locals. Anyone else notice this?

On the resorts thread, there is a similar discussion complaining about local AP holders using the pools at the Poly/GF/WL as "swim breaks" from the MK. I am sure it happens, to some extent, everywhere. I'd bet that the pools close to the parks get hit the hardest by locals who have figured out the "cool down with a swim" trick in the summer. IMHO all DVC pools should go to a wristband system.

 

[dwelty]

It is possible. Another thing is some people arrive on Saturday and don't want to "waste" a park day on a MYW ticket for a few hours...plus folks with extended vacations will often skip the parks on Saturday because of crowd levels. All those factors combine for busy weekend pools.

Saturday, Maybe, but what about Sunday? We went then and the pool was packed, the next day, Monday, it was dead. If this was a resort like the Poly of GF and I was just staying as a guest, I could care less, but this means wear and tear, and could affect my member dues. I agree that wrist bands are the way to go.

 

[tjhsr]

I would think sunday is a big check-in day for owners.I know when we check in going to the pool instead of a park is what we do.We don't check in on sunday very often but when we go to the pool on sunday you can see all of the people with there check-in papers waiting for there room.

 

[nbodyhome]

I would guess that a lot of it has to do with guests who may not want to go to the crowded parks on weekends (and spend more time at the resorts instead?)

 

[LIFERBABE]

Everything is more crowded on the weekends. Many local DVCers use their points on the weekends for a 3 or 4 day weekend.

I agree about check in/out days also. We arrive on a weekend and we leave on a weekend. We completely avoid the parks on weekends and save our park days for Mon, Tue or Wed.

Also, I believe Sunday is EMH for MK and it stays open til 2 or 3am. Another reason to hit the pools and relax during the day and hit the parks at night.

Glad to hear you had a great trip!

 

[Dean]

I doubt most people use points for mostly weekends, more likely cash guests either members or otherwise. There certainly is some validity to the idea that some people go to the pool the day of arrival and/or departure. Some also feel that weekends are busier at the parks and may avoid the parks during those days. There is some use by locals and others crashing the pools. Some of that is by locals who are DVC owners and given the specifics, it's even worse for this group to do so.

 

[jimh13432]

IMHO all DVC pools should go to a wristband system.

 

[Starr W.]

We were at VWL last weekend and the main pool was really crowded Saturday afternoon(about 3-4pm). Now Sunday early afternoon(1pm) it wasn't too bad, neither was Monday.

Now the villas didn't seem to crowded, when we would get off the bus in the even it was usually just my family and 2 others that headed off to the villas, the rest over to the hotel.

I didn't think the parks were that busy on Saturday night or Sunday for that matter. Perhaps people were like us, check in, grab some lunch, hit the pool, unpack, have dinner, then go to the park in the evening.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We were at VWL last weekend and the main pool was really crowded Saturday afternoon(about 3-4pm). Now Sunday early afternoon(1pm) it wasn't too bad, neither was Monday. ....

Starr, that was the FW bunch coming over to the WL.

I have heard that people come over from the DTD hotels to SSR to catch the bus, whatever. Maybe their pool over at DTD was full. Some of them are small.

Or it could have been legal pool hoppers. If there were lots of little kids, I'd venture the guess that people want to try out the pool for the Donald splash area and the zero entry pool.

 

[Starr W.]

Starr, that was the FW bunch coming over to the WL.

Trust me DH was out looking for highly decorated golf carts parked in the bushes.

 

[Snookies]

...Some of that is by locals who are DVC owners and given the specifics, it's even worse for this group to do so.

Agreed that it's even worse for locals who are DVC owners to do so.

On the resorts thread, there is a similar discussion complaining about local AP holders using the pools at the Poly/GF/WL as "swim breaks" from the MK. I am sure it happens, to some extent, everywhere. I'd bet that the pools close to the parks get hit the hardest by locals who have figured out the "cool down with a swim" trick in the summer. IMHO all DVC pools should go to a wristband system.

I'm sure you're correct in that some guests do so. However, I would regard it as a real hassle to take swim gear, retrieve it from a locker or car trunk, go to a pool, change & use the pool, change again, and then go back to a park. I'd also be uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

With respect to the wristband system, another possible solution is to follow the lead of the Disneyland hotel and the main pool at the Grand Californian. These pools are surrounded by fences. A gate with a room card reader is used to gain access. There is still pool crashing in the sense that some wait to crash the gate when someone with a room key enters but it seems rather effective since we've had no pool issues at DL in August when I assume crashing would be at its peak. I don't know how feasible this would be from an infrastructure standpoint at SSR or other WDW DVC properties, but I think it worthy of an email to DVC for anyone concerned about it.

 

[Dean]

Agreed that it's even worse for locals who are DVC owners to do so.

I should have added that the group includes DVC members who are not staying on points, some just feel like they own the place. Do note that many timeshares allow day use but not DVC.

 

[JimMIA]

IMHO all DVC pools should go to a wristband system.

BCV has a wristband system, but on our trip a couple of weeks ago, we noticed probably 1/3 of the people at the pool didn't have wristbands. It's quite possible that many of the un-banded people were legitimate YC/BC guests.

I asked one of the CM's about enforcement, and he said, "It's kinda hard to do; there are only two of us working." (There were a lot of lifeguards, but apparently they don't enforce that regulation. They seemed pretty attentive to what was going on in the pools, and I assume wristband enforcement is not one of their duties.) The way SAB is laid out, I don't see how they could hope to enforce wristbands at BCV.

All that said, we never had any problem finding a chair or lounge, and the pools were not overcrowded.

 

[starbox]

I'm sure you're correct in that some guests do so. However, I would regard it as a real hassle to take swim gear, retrieve it from a locker or car trunk, go to a pool, change & use the pool, change again, and then go back to a park. I'd also be uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

Well, we have been known to take swim breaks. We just wear bathing suits under our clothes to the park and pack underwear and shorts for the boys in our mini-backpack that we carry - it takes up hardly any space. After we swim, we just put our clothes back on and put the wet pathing suits in a plastic bag that goes back in the backpack.

It's actually quite easy & hassle-free.

 

[bpmorley]

This past Dec. we were hanging out by the High Rock pool & hot tubs almost every night. We met quite a few people that admitted to us that they were locals that walked over from DTD. There weren't many people at the pool so we really didn't think it was a big deal. I would say at least half admitted to working at DTD and would stop by for a dip before going home.

 

[Dman67]

IMHO all DVC pools should go to a wristband system.

I agree 100% and I'm a local!

 

[3DisneyKids]

Having just returned from a great trip at BWV, I will say that we personally were in the pool on Saturday as we considered it a "no park" day for us. As DVCers, we often have no park days (as we no longer have to do commando vacations!), and we specifically choose not to go to parks on the week-ends (or at least on Sat.) as this is the most crowded park day. I can say that BWV pool seemed to be the same...much more crowded on Saturday than any other day...and that is not in proximity to DTD and it definitely did not seem as though guests we coming over from EPCOT for a swim break before heading back to the park. Best I could tell, everybody at the pool was staying there.

 

[MEM]

We just spent five days at SSR - May 6-11 - and I was surprised at how easy it would be for a local or someone staying at a DTD hotel to stroll onto the grounds of SSR to use the pool(s) or to just plain cause mischief. We reported to the front desk that three of the lights in our stairwell were broken (as in "shattered") as were two of the "in case of emergency, break glass" units. Could have been anyone, but I have to say, I felt uneasy some times about how deserted our building seemed to be. The plus side is how
quiet it was.

We stayed in Congress Park and used the leisure pool there most often because the main pool was very crowded. However, because the leisure pool is unguarded, there were folks with their personal coolers poolside and they drank their beers and wine coolers and whatnot while in the pool and could get quite loud and obnoxious at times. I did not care for that kind of party atmosphere at 1:00 in the afternoon.