Skyliner breakdown and BWVs

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with the crowds starting at BW they should give the ATTIC back to the DVC owners for a gathering place. Maybe even open a bar there.

I really like this idea too but it would have to be for resort guest only. OH NO, how could I suggest such a thing? Resort guests only? That is not fair to the masses and for that reason it will never happen. If this were to happen (which I don't think it will) it would have to be for resort guests only because you can't have people who are not staying at the resort running down the halls of BW where the guest rooms are located. This could be a huge safety issue for the guest of BW. JMHO
 
Reading this kind of makes me feel the same way I do when I take my kids for a walk and someone watches us from their window to make sure we don't step on their lawn. Yeah there are some people that will trample your flowers, but most of us are just trying to do the right thing and have fun too.

Be careful what you ask for when you want more regulation too. Sometimes it won't work out the way you want.
 
We've owned at BWV for more than 20 years. Short lines at the IG are certainly nice, but we don't feel entitled to them, nor would we begrudge guests of other resorts a bus ride home from the Boardwalk bus stop when the Skyliner is unavailable. Sorry to read other DVC Members might.

I'm sorry if you misinterpreted my initial post. I don't feel "entitled", I just want Disney to make the entrance large enough and man (not politically correct, should have "people") the stations so that it isn't a bottleneck at IG. I'm hoping they are working to insure the ease of entry and exit for all guests using that entrance.

As far "begrudging" guests a bus ride to their resort from BW I don't. Again you are misinterpreting my original post. My point was that BC is a much shorter walk and their bus stop is just as large as the one at BW. Why not spread the wealth of foot traffic around. I do understand that at the BW there are outside stairs that lead to the bus stop (and there's a lot of stairs) so people shouldn't have to enter the resort (which they have the right to do) but many guest may not be able to climb those stairs. Those that can't will have to enter the resort to use the elevator to get to the main floor so they can get to the bus stop. The BC doesn't have that challenge of stairs, that resort is only slightly elevated from ground level and there are ramps for people with mobility issues making for easier access to get to the bus stop. JMHO

I don't have a problem with people resort hoping (visiting BW), I do it myself. I don't have a problem with people using the restrooms, Belle Vue Lounge or visiting the shops, I do that at other resorts. It's allowed, none of us own any of the resorts and it was never my intention to suggest such a thing.
 
IMO, it's an opinion shared by a very small number of Members.

I’d like to think that’s the case, too, but these similar complaints come up often enough to make me wonder exactly how aggressively protective members would be if given any amount of Input on policies and procedures.

I do not usually have a car, but still think there should be some portion of the parking lots reserved for registered guests of BWI & BWV.

I’ve driven thru the front gate at Boardwalk (as a registered guest!) literally dozens of times. Anecdotally, they are among the most stringent screeners on WDW property. There’s no doubt in my mind that they are trying to ensure adequate space for resort guests. That said, there are also times of the year when they don’t need to aggressively turn away non-guests (low occupancy at hotel, no conventions, no special events at Epcot.) And yes, there may even be times when the % of guests arriving via car runs higher than average, and they risk running low on spots for guests.

Disney has established rules for pool use by non guests (prohibited) and pool hopping (can be disallowed due to high demand.) Inevitably some will ignore the rules. But do we really want to pay for Cast Members to staff security check points, even on days when it’s very unlikely the pool will reach maximum capacity? A Disney resort should not turn into a police state to serve the gods of ”consistency.”

People lounging in a resort lobby should not be asked to prove that they belong, and patrons at an ice cream parlor or bar should not have to show their room key before making a purchase. That’s not the Walt Disney World I’ve been visiting for the last 20 years.
 


Well, the past few times I’ve stayed at BWV, the weight room was locked, and they checked my magic band at the pool and gave me and my guests a wrist band to wear once they verified we were BWV guests

So, I do think they do their best to limit who uses hotel facilities.

I'm glad to hear that they are checking at BW. I have been going to BW for over 20 yrs and never in all my visits have I experienced this. We usually visit in Jan which "was" a slower time of year so that may be the reason I have never seen them checking at the pool.
 
I don’t think anyone on here wants to prohibit people from entering resorts, although I hope most people can agree that non guests should not be using facilities like the pool except in the case of dvc hopping. But there is a tipping point, where the majority of people going through the hotel are not even staying there, that it gets to be too much. Should paying guests have to pay for parking while non paying guests do not? That just doesn’t make sense. Is it okay for non guests to use the pool if it isn’t crowded as tjkarz suggests? No, it’s not. Pools should be monitored at all times. And in my experience of staying at prime disney resort hotels for 42 days over the last two years, this monitoring is very rare. Some facilities need to be off limits for non guests. Should bars and restaurants be off limits for non guests? Obviously not. But should Disney be bringing people into the resort itself so that they gravitate to those places and through overcrowding make it difficult for paying guests to enjoy them? No. If Disney continues to bring people to the front of BW at the bus stop, they may need to reroute them so that they do not walk through the resort. They do this at Grand Californian, so Disney will do this if enough people are unhappy with the current situation.
 
I really like this idea too but it would have to be for resort guest only. OH NO, how could I suggest such a thing? Resort guests only? That is not fair to the masses and for that reason it will never happen. If this were to happen (which I don't think it will) it would have to be for resort guests only because you can't have people who are not staying at the resort running down the halls of BW where the guest rooms are located. This could be a huge safety issue for the guest of BW. JMHO

It could be similar to TOTWL. Only available to DVC or all BW rooms
 


I’d like to think that’s the case, too, but these similar complaints come up often enough to make me wonder exactly how aggressively protective members would be if given any amount of Input on policies and procedures.



I’ve driven thru the front gate at Boardwalk (as a registered guest!) literally dozens of times. Anecdotally, they are among the most stringent screeners on WDW property. There’s no doubt in my mind that they are trying to ensure adequate space for resort guests. That said, there are also times of the year when they don’t need to aggressively turn away non-guests (low occupancy at hotel, no conventions, no special events at Epcot.) And yes, there may even be times when the % of guests arriving via car runs higher than average, and they risk running low on spots for guests.

Disney has established rules for pool use by non guests (prohibited) and pool hopping (can be disallowed due to high demand.) Inevitably some will ignore the rules. But do we really want to pay for Cast Members to staff security check points, even on days when it’s very unlikely the pool will reach maximum capacity? A Disney resort should not turn into a police state to serve the gods of ”consistency.”

People lounging in a resort lobby should not be asked to prove that they belong, and patrons at an ice cream parlor or bar should not have to show their room key before making a purchase. That’s not the Walt Disney World I’ve been visiting for the last 20 years.
I can tell u that when we stayed at boardwalk over Labor Day, we were waved in every time we entered the lot. No checking at all. We were checked at kidani, poly, beach club, port Orleans, grand Floridian (that was way before the parking limits). So I do not think boardwalk checks much if any.

Edit to add: We have also stayed at wilderness lodge, all star, poly, and grand Floridian numerous times dating back about 20 years and we were always checked at the gate. Always. Back then they used to give you a paper slip when you checked in to put in your car. Boardwalk last Labor Day was the first time that we were not checked.
 
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It could be similar to TOTWL. Only available to DVC or all BW rooms
We were staying at OKW this summer and went over to SSR on Memorial Day to visit the DVC preview center. The kids wanted to pool hop afterwards to the Springs pool, but it was being monitored at ALL entrances and we were denied access due to the crowds. So SSR does occasionally monitor the pool...at least on holidays.

It is very interesting to me that they are checking at SSR. They must be having problems with people coming through Disney springs to use the pool?
 
I'm glad to hear that they are checking at BW. I have been going to BW for over 20 yrs and never in all my visits have I experienced this. We usually visit in Jan which "was" a slower time of year so that may be the reason I have never seen them checking at the pool.

I was surprised as well as 2019 was the first time it ever happened to us. But, like I said, in August, at VGF, no one was coming around and it was also pretty packed at both pools..I tried to hang out At whichever one was the least crowded.

I really believe that Disney will try to be sure pool rules are enforced at times, when it is an issue for crowds, But I also don’t care to feel like as a member I have to jump through hoops to use the pool if it’s not an issue in crowds. Now that the gates are there, I just do not see the bulk of people from those other resorts using the Skyliner or buses, trying to sneak in to using things that aren’t entitled to use.

Now parking, I know that is an issue. But, when we were here in May, we drove in a rental car. My sister dropped me off to check in and she went to park the car. The attendant at the lot, after she told him she was checking in, let her park. We never moved the car, and when I asked at the front desk if I needed anything to put on the car, they said no. Never asked us for information either and it was still three days later.

So, there was no way that they knew that car in the lot was attached to our DVC reservation. I found it odd.
 
Is it okay for non guests to use the pool if it isn’t crowded as tjkarz suggests? No, it’s not. Pools should be monitored at all times. And in my experience of staying at prime disney resort hotels for 42 days over the last two years, this monitoring is very rare.

On a Tuesday in February--and literally every other day of the year--you want Disney cast members staffing entry points at every Disney Resort pool, scanning magic bands to verify access?

I'm not defending rule breakers. But there are limits to how many resources you can REASONABLY invest in trying to protect against something which has zero impact on other resort guests 95% of the time.

If Disney continues to bring people to the front of BW at the bus stop, they may need to reroute them so that they do not walk through the resort.

If the Skyliner is out of service often enough for the foot traffic to routinely impact Boardwalk, Disney has far greater concerns than how many people end up loitering in the resort lobby.

I can tell u that when we stayed at boardwalk over Labor Day, we were waved in every time we entered the lot. No checking at all. We were checked at kidani, poly, beach club, port Orleans, grand Floridian (that was way before the parking limits). So I do not think boardwalk checks much if any.

Being waved in with "no checking at all" is not typical of my experiences over the last 15 years. Nevertheless, if the resort parking lots were not in any danger of filling up, there is little reason to screen every arriving guest.

Just because the exact policy & procedure varies depending upon date and time of arrival at the resort doesn't mean there is a complete lack of guidelines. Personally I would rather ALL resorts allow some volume of visitors when capacity dictates, rather than adhering to rigid policies which are unnecessary the majority of the time.
 
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On a Tuesday in February--and literally every other day of the year--you want Disney cast members staffing entry points at every Disney Resort pool, scanning magic bands to verify access?

I'm not defending rule breakers. But there are limits to how many resources you can REASONABLY invest in trying to protect against something which has zero impact on other resort guests 95% of the time.



If the Skyliner is out of service often enough for the foot traffic to routinely impact Boardwalk, Disney has far greater concerns than how many people end up loitering in the resort lobby.



Being waved in with "no checking at all" is not typical of my experiences over the last 15 years. Nevertheless, if the resort parking lots were not in any danger of filling up, there is little reason to screen every arriving guest.

Just because the exact policy & procedure varies depending upon date and time of arrival at the resort doesn't mean there is a complete lack of guidelines. Personally I would rather ALL resorts allow some volume of visitors when capacity dictates, rather than adhering to rigid policies which are unnecessary the majority of the time.

So, yes, we disagree strongly on this point. I do not think the pools should be used by non guests ever (except dvc pool hopping). We have a neighborhood pool and it is staffed to check whether it is crowded or not. Simple.

We also disagree strongly on parking. Yes, I think lots should be fully monitored whether crowded or not, and that has been my experience at Disney until we stayed at Boardwalk.
 
On a Tuesday in February--and literally every other day of the year--you want Disney cast members staffing entry points at every Disney Resort pool, scanning magic bands to verify access?

I'm not defending rule breakers. But there are limits to how many resources you can REASONABLY invest in trying to protect against something which has zero impact on other resort guests 95% of the time.



If the Skyliner is out of service often enough for the foot traffic to routinely impact Boardwalk, Disney has far greater concerns than how many people end up loitering in the resort lobby.



Being waved in with "no checking at all" is not typical of my experiences over the last 15 years. Nevertheless, if the resort parking lots were not in any danger of filling up, there is little reason to screen every arriving guest.

Just because the exact policy & procedure varies depending upon date and time of arrival at the resort doesn't mean there is a complete lack of guidelines. Personally I would rather ALL resorts allow some volume of visitors when capacity dictates, rather than adhering to rigid policies which are unnecessary the majority of the time.
Oh and I forgot. Obviously in California, Disney has decided that non guests walking through the resort is an issue. They will eventually come up against a wall on this in some instances at Disney World too.
 
So, yes, we disagree strongly on this point. I do not think the pools should be used by non guests ever (except dvc pool hopping). We have a neighborhood pool and it is staffed to check whether it is crowded or not. Simple.

We also disagree strongly on parking. Yes, I think lots should be fully monitored whether crowded or not, and that has been my experience at Disney until we stayed at Boardwalk.

Never going to happen. Securing just two entry points for two pools at the BoardWalk Villas alone (BW actually has 3 pools) would conservatively cost $250k per year for staffing alone. And it returns almost zero value to guests.

Grocery stores have security, but they don't pay armed guards to stand by the checkout, making sure people don't steal a Snickers. Common sense still comes into play.

Oh and I forgot. Obviously in California, Disney has decided that non guests walking through the resort is an issue. They will eventually come up against a wall on this in some instances at Disney World too.

Like WDW, security procedures at Disneyland are similarly fluid. I visited Disneyland for a day back in April--not staying at any resort hotel--and had no problems getting into the Grand Californian.
 
I can tell u that when we stayed at boardwalk over Labor Day, we were waved in every time we entered the lot. No checking at all. We were checked at kidani, poly, beach club, port Orleans, grand Floridian (that was way before the parking limits). So I do not think boardwalk checks much if any.

Edit to add: We have also stayed at wilderness lodge, all star, poly, and grand Floridian numerous times dating back about 20 years and we were always checked at the gate. Always. Back then they used to give you a paper slip when you checked in to put in your car. Boardwalk last Labor Day was the first time that we were not checked.

We have only started driving in recent years, past two to be exact and we were stopped at the guard house both times. We had to show our resort reservation to get in. We parked our car and didn't move it until we checked out so I can only speak of the two times we went through the check point.
 
Never going to happen. Securing just two entry points for two pools at the BoardWalk Villas alone (BW actually has 3 pools) would conservatively cost $250k per year for staffing alone. And it returns almost zero value to guests.

Grocery stores have security, but they don't pay armed guards to stand by the checkout, making sure people don't steal a Snickers. Common sense still comes into play.



Like WDW, security procedures at Disneyland are similarly fluid. I visited Disneyland for a day back in April--not staying at any resort hotel--and had no problems getting into the Grand Californian.
So again, we just disagree on all these points. I disagree on cost. I disagree on value. I disagree that it won’t happen. And I have talked to many people who also were not allowed to walk through GC, not denied entry, but redirected as a way to get to the parks.
 
I think the only pool that Disney monitors all the time is the one at YC/BC. I don't know for sure that this is true but anytime we have been in that area they have lifeguards stationed at the entry points.
 
Oh and I forgot. Obviously in California, Disney has decided that non guests walking through the resort is an issue. They will eventually come up against a wall on this in some instances at Disney World too.
Well they only control guests walking through the GCH to enter the park/secure zone, with the motive of being specifically capacity issues of security checks and using the GCH as a shortcut, so slightly different motives. They don't care about non-guests using the facilities (except pool, gym and observation decks, all of which are technically restricted at WDW too) and they really don't check for pool guests there, especially now with the Craftsman Grill being open to the pool, though there have been instances in really busy times they have done wrist bands but in September no checking was occurring (though without a room key you had to go through the Craftsman Grill to access the pool and I'm sure someone would use that if they want access).

But DLR doesn't have issues with non-guests walking through and visiting the resort, in fact they welcome it with the addition of the Craftsman Grill and larger Gingerbread/Cake displays they setup. It is simply a capacity issue with handling too many guests at the small security checkpoints (that are far too inadequate in the morning) into DTD and DCA and those guests passing through aren't using the resort for anything but a shortcut. But once in the secure zone you can enter GCH and leave to Disneyland Drive without issue or explore the resort freely. It's just an apples and oranges comparison as none of the WDW hotels provide direct access to a park, I bet if they did you would have similar controls in place (or make that entrance exclusive to resort guests, which GCH does do into DCA until like 10-11 if the line is busy). This is most analogous to non-guest parking specifically to go to the parks, which I'm sure everyone has issues with. The counter concerns, I take, are with restricting day parking for those visiting the resort for its shopping and dining or using the amenities that aren't restricted.
 
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