zero depth pool & best for non park visit with kids

[TxRabbit]

We are going to Florida in July for our family vacation. My husband just told me that we have to go to Orlando for 3 nights for business and we should look into a Disney resort stay. I'm looking for a resort with zero depth pool...this is a must have! Since we are not visiting parks it has to be a resort with alot going on too! We've stayed at Poly, Grand Floridian and Contempary so I know at least Poly and GF have that. What other hotels offer this? I love the Boardwalk but it doesn't look like that one has a zero depth???

Having stayed at both BC and AKL (but not CBR or SSR)...I respectfully offer these insights to the two resorts:

I like AKL's ACCESS to the pool. IF you choose to stay in a pool view room at AKL, then you will have very easy access to the pool. For Savannah view, I think there is one wing where the room are pool view on one side Savannah on the other. Those Savannah rooms would have an easy trip to the pool. I remember that BC seemed like such a pain to get to the pool compared to AKL. I suppose you could request an area that would be closer, but as I recall, it was quite a trek to get to the pool area.

Will you be alone? If you are traveling for business, will you ever be the only one supervising your children? This can be more difficult to do at the BC pool. The pool itself is incredible, with lots of things to do there, BUT, some of those things may be rough business if you are the sole parent. I did a detailed, picture filled report of the pool at BC.

Here are the kid areas:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=20674510&postcount=16

The Shipwreck Slide:
http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=20674569&postcount=17

The Lazy River:
http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=20693023&postcount=23

The AKL pool is a very nice pool. It is very large. The slide there is smaller and clearly visible from the pool.

About activities: I give the slight edge to AKL on resort activities. Both will have activites that happen during the day. Fun contests and other things that are lead by the staff. I remember that AKL also had arts and crafts (there was a bracelet making activity one day where they provided you with the materials), the story time at the camp fire, the musical instrument parade from the gift shop through the lobby, looking at the savannah with night vision goggles, so sort of something associated with the restaurant there (kid decorating something or I don't remember exactly), but I remember that there were SO many activities at AKL. If you spend some time on the AKL threads, you can find out more information about the current activities.

Quick Service Food: IMO Mara has more choices and better seating options than the BC Marketplace or Hurricane Hannah's. If you were grabbing a bite to eat from being at the pool, very easy to do with more options than Hurricane Hannah's. ALSO if you'd like to sit in air conditioned comfort, also available. The marketplace has little indoor seating.

I also think that it would be better to stay at a resort that isn't in view of any of the parks, especially if you aren't going to a park. So AKL would be better in that case.

There are two things about BC that may sway your opinion over there. 1. The rooms at BC are bigger (however a full sized balcony isn't guaranteed, but you could stay at YC where it is, if that's important to you). 2. BC has a character breakfast. If you wanted to see characters but not go to a park, then you could eat at Cape May onsite. It's a great character breakfast.

HTH!

 

[pixarmom]

I second the suggestion for the BC/YC. Any questions? All in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye!

 

[Kimberle]

I agree, AKL or BC. There is a lot going on w/ both resorts.

 

[n2mm]

While AKL, AKV, BLT, SSR, GF all have zero entry in their pools, they are all great choices. We just returned from BLT and while having the zero entry, they have TWO slides. One for toddlers and one large one for everyone else. The toddler slide was very popular. There are games and activities at the BLT daily, with prizes.

Keep in mind that the BC/YC does have zero entry over in the tot area, our grand daughters hated this pool. Because the entry is sandy and not packed sand, the tots have a hard time getting their balance and tend to fall down alot. My 2 (almost 3 yo grand daughter) still will not go into this pool. She doesn't like the rough grainy sand on the bottom of her feet and after falling several times before she was 2 yo, she hasn't gotten over it. At this pool someone will have to stay next to the child if they are young like our grand daughters were/are because you never knew when the sand would go out under their feet and they would fall and often go under the water, even at 12 inches. When they are both swimming well, they may like it then, but when we stay at the BCV we stay in the villa pool. My grand daughters are 5 yo and almost 3 yo. THey both enjoyed the zero-entry pool at BLT 2 weeks ago, but it was very crowded and way too small for this resort.

 

[PanFan01]

Not only is this a wonderful resort that will meet your needs, the CMs there are amazing. On our last visit (Sept. 2009) we were visiting one of the savannah viewing areas and it started to pour down rain. Immediately all of the animals ran for cover - so nothing to view at that moment. We were just sitting there enjoying the quiet when a CM by the name of Gorata Wabone came over and asked my son if he would like to learn a new game called mmele. He said sure and they both sat there for a good 20 minutes playing this game and learning about each other. My son found out she was from Maun, Botswana and he told her where we were from.

Gorata gave my son a card with info on where she was from and her email address on it. Since our trip they have emailed each other a few times (don't worry - mom and his teacher are monitoring all correspondence) and he shares with his Social Studies class new info he learns from her. This was such a neat experience for him and us. Even unplanned things are special there.

 

[Amy&Dan]

While AKL, AKV, BLT, SSR, GF all have zero entry in their pools, they are all great choices. We just returned from BLT and while having the zero entry, they have TWO slides. One for toddlers and one large one for everyone else. The toddler slide was very popular. There are games and activities at the BLT daily, with prizes.
Keep in mind that the BC/YC does have zero entry over in the tot area, our grand daughters hated this pool. Because the entry is sandy and not packed sand, the tots have a hard time getting their balance and tend to fall down alot. My 2 (almost 3 yo grand daughter) still will not go into this pool. She doesn't like the rough grainy sand on the bottom of her feet and after falling several times before she was 2 yo, she hasn't gotten over it. At this pool someone will have to stay next to the child if they are young like our grand daughters were/are because you never knew when the sand would go out under their feet and they would fall and often go under the water, even at 12 inches. When they are both swimming well, they may like it then, but when we stay at the BCV we stay in the villa pool. My grand daughters are 5 yo and almost 3 yo. THey both enjoyed the zero-entry pool at BLT 2 weeks ago, but it was very crowded and way too small for this resort.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post, SSR has the two slides too. Its really nice for littler kids to be able to slide as well and the parents can catch them. They also do the daily games with prizes at the SSR main pool as well. Some of the games like Bingo you pay a dollar a card for, but most are just free. My dd has always enjoyed the relays and races the life guards do with the kids in the pool at SSR as well as the hoola hoop contests!

I love the way so many of the resorts have these features!

 

[skiingfast]

I see the dilemma being that if you stay at a Monorail Resort the kids will see the castle and wonder why they can't go into the park.

If you stay at BC/YC will they have a dilemma with seeing into Epcot?
If not I think this is the best place to stay. Not just for the pool but the boardwalk opportunitiest..

At AKL you get the animals.

AT SSR you get more pools, plus the proximity DTD.

 

[Sue M]

We loved AKL pool, and the CBR pool is now Zero Entry. I couldn't go to WDW without going to a park though!

 

[Chelley00]

How about AKL. There pool is zero entry, I believe they have a lot of programs during the day and they have some very good restaurants.

Absolutely AKL. We LOVED LOVED LOVED our stay here