Hotel recommendation - pools that don't have a ton of ball throwing going on

oceanmarina

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Hi all,

This summer we stayed at WL and there was a TON of ball throwing in both pools (both main & "quiet"). I got hit once, and my friend's son who was traveling with us did as well - not fun. One of the balls we got hit with was not particularly soft, so that was not fun. We go to WL a lot and have never seen so much of this going on - for me it was to the point where I could not relax in the pool because I had to keep an eye out to avoid getting hit with a ball. One night we decided to go to the quiet pool for a night swim and it had a bunch of teenagers throwing a hard (not water) football from one side of the pool to another, we wouldn't swim with that going on.

Is there any Disney hotel that anyone can recommend where this is not as common? We love, love WL but I want to stay at a hotel where I can enjoy the pool more. I wish Disney would have a policy where you can't throw balls in the pool or at the very least only throw inflatable beach balls that don't hurt as much if you get hit with them...sigh! Thanks for any feedback, Marina :flower1:
 
I would have gone directly to the lifeguard and spoken to them, especially with a hard ball being thrown in the quiet pool. That should have taken care of the problem. Nobody should be getting hit with anything while trying to enjoy some swimming time with their family. Irregardless of which resort you stay at this could happen anywhere. Again, there are people in charge to handle these things so do not be afraid to speak up.
 


You're going to find that in any pool. It's luck of the draw. The main WL pool is sort of horseshoe shaped...could you not have just gone to another area to stay away from the ball? or just speak to the lifeguards.
I would have gone directly to the lifeguard and spoken to them, especially with a hard ball being thrown in the quiet pool. That should have taken care of the problem. Nobody should be getting hit with anything while trying to enjoy some swimming time with their family. Irregardless of which resort you stay at this could happen anywhere. Again, there are people in charge to handle these things so do not be afraid to speak up.

I did speak to the lifeguards, they said ball throwing is allowed in their pools (however it should be a very soft ball). When my friend complained about the hard football being thrown that night at the "quiet pool" , a lifeguard came over and said to stop as it was a hard ball, but once the lifeguard left they started doing it again as soon as she left. (There is no lifeguard stationed at WL quiet pool). So once we saw they were not going to stop, we left too.
 
We stayed at WL this summer and we encountered some ball throwing but it didn't last long and I think parents eventually told the kids to stop. It sounds as if the parents either weren't there or didn't care to discipline their children.

I am the confrontational type and I might have said something to the kids if their parents weren't there.

You can't predict behavior like this and you can't guarantee that it won't happen at other resort pools, unfortunately. But I've never seen it in the YC/BC main pool. That pool has a lot of life guards who are very strict.
 
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I would have gone directly to the lifeguard and spoken to them, especially with a hard ball being thrown in the quiet pool. That should have taken care of the problem. Nobody should be getting hit with anything while trying to enjoy some swimming time with their family. Irregardless of which resort you stay at this could happen anywhere. Again, there are people in charge to handle these things so do not be afraid to speak up.
Quiet pools don't have lifeguards, unless that has recently changed.
 
The pool rec staff has balls that they use during pool games every time we've been around to join in to them. I'm not sure it's possible to find one without any balls. Especially since they are allowed. Your best bet is someplace with a lot of quiet pools and just hope the one you go to is ball-less. POR and CBR I know have several around property.
 
I'm so surprised this happened. Once, when we were in the BWI main pool, my DS and I were throwing around a soft ball he had won at one of the carnival games the evening before. Very soon after we started, a CM came over, and asked us to substitute our ball with a smaller one that he provided. Even with the bigger ball, we were VERY conscientious about not throwing it around other people. That being said, I have never seen ball throwing at BC/YC (except during volleyball games, but you can avoid that area), RIV or Poly. I guess it is luck of the draw, but if WL is allowing it or not policing it, I would probably take your chances at another resort knowing, I suppose, there are no guarantees it won't happen again.
 
Sorry to report we see this often at the BCVs quiet pool. It's a small pool and you can easily toss a ball from one side to the other or have one person toss the ball so the other catches it as they jump in. I know I'm going to get wet/splashed in the pool, however. I shouldn't have to dodge a ball as I talk to my family in the pool.
 
Of course one can never predict, but the pool at Port Orleans French Quarter is very irregularly shaped with a slide right in the middle, so I would think you could find a calmer area to swim in if people are throwing balls. Take a look at it on a map and you will see what I mean.

Plus it’s a wonderful resort!❤️
 
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After getting no response by complaining to parents, catch the ball and deflate it if it is an inflatable ball. Otherwise, catch it and toss it in the weeds.
 
https://www.disboards.com/threads/poll-ball-play-in-pools-how-do-you-feel.3770734/post-61095342
You might take a look at a poll I posted last summer. I have terrible pool/beach luck. Someone always plays frisbee,
touch football, wherever I put my blanket on the beach.
At WDW pools, I could go into a quiet pool at 3 a.m. and some ball tossers would magically appear. Most Dis folks
were in favor of the ball play in the poll. I get it. If I could catch a ball, I'd probably think it was fun, too. I wish a section of the pools could be designated for ball play and sections for quiet swim/contemplation.
I've had the best luck at Contemporary, Swan and Dolphin and Boardwalk quiet pool. I've learned to just get out and wait out the ball players. I don't go to WDW to get into confrontations with other guests. Best to just let it go and move on.
YMMV!
 
I've seen it at every Disney resort we've stayed at, which is most of them, across all levels.

I have seen it at most we have stayed at as well - Boardwalk quiet pool, WL (both pools), Bay Lake pool. I can't remember seeing it Poly or at Kidani or the main pool at Beach Club (but we stayed there years ago). I will say it seems to be on the rise at WL as we go there every summer and this summer we honestly couldn't get away from it in either pool. Even in the main pool, the lifeguards seemed quasi-oblivious to it, they did not ask people throwing balls to move if they were throwing the ball in a crowded area (which in August when we went in the pool was most of the time).

Sorry to report we see this often at the BCVs quiet pool. It's a small pool and you can easily toss a ball from one side to the other or have one person toss the ball so the other catches it as they jump in. I know I'm going to get wet/splashed in the pool, however. I shouldn't have to dodge a ball as I talk to my family in the pool.

I agree. Plus there are so many grassy areas to throw a ball, I don't see the need to throw balls in the pool. For me personally it takes away from enjoying the pool as people can miss the ball they are throwing and inadvertently hit another person - I know it's unfortunately happened to me more than once and when the person is throwing the ball hard - it hurts! :mad:
 
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Oh, while I can't say you'd never find someone with a ball, the quiet bool at BWI is almost always deserted, or just 3, 4 other guests. I've yet to see anyone playing any sort there. It's one of the quietest quiet pools around.
 
I have seen it at most we have stayed at as well - Boardwalk quiet pool, WL (both pools), Bay Lake pool. I can't remember seeing it Poly or at Kidani or the main pool at Beach Club (but we stayed there years ago). I will say it seems to be on the rise at WL as we go there every summer and this summer we honestly couldn't get away from it in either pool. Even in the main pool, the lifeguards seemed quasi-oblivious to it, they did not ask people throwing balls to move if they were throwing the ball in a crowded area (which in August when we went in the pool was most of the time).



I agree. Plus there are so many grassy areas to throw a ball, I don't see the need to throw balls in the pool. For me personally it takes away from enjoying the pool as people can miss the ball they are throwing and inadvertently hit another person - I know it's unfortunately happened to me more than once and when the person is throwing the ball hard - it hurts! :mad:
Which quiet pool at the Boardwalk? The one on the Inn side or the one on the Villas side by the Community Hall?
Denise
 

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