Saw some shad stuff at Swan / Dolphin pool this week you don't see at Disney pools

[DSLRuser]

Disney does a pretty good job of keeping people out of their pools who do not belong, just because they have life guard presence. I stayed at the Dolphin this week for business, and the pool experience was not what i expect from nice / decent hotel.

Biggest issue was people/families coming from from the parks who obviously were not guests at the hotel swimming. How is it obvious???? no pool towels. in order to get a pool towel, you have to show a room key. I saw 3 separate families walk in, sit in the chairs.... pay cash for drinks.....and let 3 or 4 kids, swim in the pool wearing street cloths. litle girls in t-shirts and shorts....bit in shorts....NOT swim attire......then grandma, gets in wearing her full yoga outfit, with a standard bra and t shirt. it was just creepy.

another family...did the same, but they also brought in a full cooler full of beer and food.

When done, they just wrung out their cloths and walked off.

really turned me off. i may rethink just getting a room at the swan / dolphin in the future.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

I've literally seen this happen at expensive hotels in Vegas. In fact, I've done it myself (the sneaking in thing, not the go into the pool with street clothes thing). I'm sure it's easy to sneak into most Disney pools as well.

On my last trip to Yacht club (2/2018), there was someone checking magicbands to get into Stormalong Bay, but it was uncontrolled access to the quiet pools. I know this because I explored the hotel from end to end while my wife was at a conference, and I never had to badge my way into the hotel wings or into the quiet pool areas. In both quiet pools, there were stacks of clean pool towels for the taking.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

You wouldn't be able to do that at Beach Club.

 

[snappy]

I have seen it at all the Epcot area resort pools except stormalong bay

 

[terri33inne]

We saw it at the Beach Club DVC pool. They only check & give you a wristband at Stormalong Bay.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Did you say anything to anyone?

 

[earfulofmagic]

How did they wring out their wet clothes? Wouldn't that have made them naked at the pool, taking them off to wring them out? Or did they just walk off basically still wet?

Never seen anything like that when staying at the Swan or Dolphin, but have enjoyed those pools.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I was there last week as a guest at the Swan, and there was a big sandwich-board type sign in the walkway stating that the pool was for the exclusive use of guests and that lifeguards may ask to see your room key.

I didn’t see anybody swimming in street clothes, but my group did have a small cooler with beer in it. They cost a lot less at the Speedway than they do at Cabanas Beach Bar.

ETA: In addition to beer, we got pina colada’s with rum floaters ($2 plus the cost of the plain alcoholic drink) from Cabanas. Excellent drink; the extra shot of rum raises the flavor and buzz profile of the drink exponentially. Beware the brain-freeze tho.

 

[OneinThree]

Great argument for the limiting of resort access to resort guests.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

When we stayed at BC they made us scan our MB every time we entered. Even if it was the same person there and I only left for 3 minutes to get something. She would make me rescan again.

At the Poly there was someone with a clip board walking around asking us our room number and name to make sure they matched up. I didn't see what was on her clipboard but I'm assuming it was room numbers with the person's name who made the reservation. I didn't see anyone get kicked out but she did ask everyone who was there that day.

 

[Huff]

We've never used the pool anywhere other than our own resort. But we have gone to Poly to watch fireworks from the beach and bought a drink at the pool bar. Nobody was ever checking anyones MB. Always been during low season. I've been told they stop non guests only when rather busy.

 

[ABZDisneyFan]

When we were at the YC last year, our magic bands were scanned the first time we entered SAB each day & we were each given a wristband to show if we left & came back.

 

[scrapquitler]

Disney does a pretty good job of keeping people out of their pools who do not belong, just because they have life guard presence. I stayed at the Dolphin this week for business, and the pool experience was not what i expect from nice / decent hotel.

Biggest issue was people/families coming from from the parks who obviously were not guests at the hotel swimming. How is it obvious???? no pool towels. in order to get a pool towel, you have to show a room key. I saw 3 separate families walk in, sit in the chairs.... pay cash for drinks.....and let 3 or 4 kids, swim in the pool wearing street cloths. litle girls in t-shirts and shorts....bit in shorts....NOT swim attire......then grandma, gets in wearing her full yoga outfit, with a standard bra and t shirt. it was just creepy.

another family...did the same, but they also brought in a full cooler full of beer and food.

When done, they just wrung out their cloths and walked off.

really turned me off. i may rethink just getting a room at the swan / dolphin in the future.

I really don't think that any of those observations necessarily point to people who weren't staying at the resort, which you seem to be implying.

First of all: We NEVER ever use pool towels at any resort. After far too many experiences of going to hotels that ran out of pool towels, pool towels being too small and non absorbent and not being able to differentiate which pool towel was mine vs. someone elses, we decided many years ago to bring our own beach towels every time we stay at a hotel in case we want to use the pool.

Next: Paying in cash for drinks or having food/beverages from outside the hotel. Really? You don't think that people like to pay in cash instead of room charging? Tons of people on these boards say they don't room charge. And we like to bring our own snacks/drinks that are cheaper and more likely to be what we want vs. just whatever is available.

And as for the street clothes, yes, something I would never do, but maybe they decided at the last minute to swim and didn't have a suit. Or maybe for Grandma in the yoga clothes it was a modesty issue? Or maybe it was a swimming burka? People do strange things sometimes, but that doesn't mean they didn't belong there.

 

[OneinThree]

I really don't think that any of those observations necessarily point to people who weren't staying at the resort, which you seem to be implying.

First of all: We NEVER ever use pool towels at any resort. After far too many experiences of going to hotels that ran out of pool towels, pool towels being too small and non absorbent and not being able to differentiate which pool towel was mine vs. someone elses, we decided many years ago to bring our own beach towels every time we stay at a hotel in case we want to use the pool.

Next: Paying in cash for drinks or having food/beverages from outside the hotel. Really? You don't think that people like to pay in cash instead of room charging? Tons of people on these boards say they don't room charge. And we like to bring our own snacks/drinks that are cheaper and more likely to be what we want vs. just whatever is available.

And as for the street clothes, yes, something I would never do, but maybe they decided at the last minute to swim and didn't have a suit. Or maybe for Grandma in the yoga clothes it was a modesty issue? Or maybe it was a swimming burka? People do strange things sometimes, but that doesn't mean they didn't belong there.

See this all the time. Someone makes a very reasonable observation regarding an unpopular topic, and typically the best defense of said ridiculous behavior is, "well, how do you know that was. . . <insert>" ̶d̶e̶s̶p̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶b̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶f̶r̶e̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶l̶ .

 

[maxiesmom]

See this all the time. Someone makes a very reasonable observation regarding an unpopular topic, and typically the best defense of said ridiculous behavior is, "well, how do you know that's was. . . <insert>" ̶d̶e̶s̶p̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶b̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶f̶r̶e̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶l̶ .

I have to agree, I don't think paying cash for drinks or not using resort pool towels screams I don't belong here!!!

Swimming in clothes is a bit odd, but I have seen it before. So no, it wasn't just obvious as freaking hell.

 

[scrapquitler]

So your first thought if you see someone with a non-pool towel or who is paying cash for their pool side snacks and beverages is "They aren't staying at this hotel" ??? Really??

 

[OneinThree]

I have to agree, I don't think paying cash for drinks or not using resort pool towels screams I don't belong here!!!

Swimming in clothes is a bit odd, but I have seen it before. So no, it wasn't just obvious as freaking hell.

It really only would be obvious to DSLRuser, as the only one of us actually there. But thanks for reinforcing my point.

 

[OneinThree]

So your first thought if you see someone with a non-pool towel or who is paying cash for their pool side snacks and beverages is "They aren't staying at this hotel" ??? Really??

No, but eventually you'll get it -or not.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

I think that OP was saying no towels at all, they just shook off and left.
Most people use towels and bathing suits at the pool. I would think something is up.

 

[Buttercup teacup]

I think that OP was saying no towels at all, they just shook off and left.
Most people use towels and bathing suits at the pool. I would think something is up.

Exactly. Sure, maybe they didn’t think to pack suits, but if you’re swimming in clothes, you’d definitely be getting some towels from the hotel to dry off your sopping wet clothing.