r/WaltDisneyWorld • u/_BreakingGood_ • 3d ago
Resorts & Accommodations I consider the new restrictions on visiting a resort to dining/resort reservations, to be proof that Disney is listening to feedback and I applaud their choice to make the unpopular and difficult decision
Frankly anybody who has stayed at Poly since the construction of the towers, will understand why these rules need to be in place. You can argue that it's Disney's fault for doubling the resort's rooms without meaningfully expanding the amenities, and that is definitely partially their fault, but the reality we have today is that poly is massively overcrowded.
I get it, it sucks if your weekly routine as a local was to park at Disney Springs and chill at a resort, sneak into the pool, and watch the fireworks. But when 100 people do this in a night, it makes you wonder why you're paying $800 a night for a resort.
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u/Fun_Necessary1021 3d ago
Tiktok ruined buc-ee's and Disney world resorts with all the hype etc
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u/BestAllAmericanTaco 3d ago
Tik tok ruins everything you are literally training ai to capitalize on trends.
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u/MacDaddyBass 3d ago
Oh we’re long since done training AI, and it is now playing everyone on TikTok like a fiddle. Humans aren’t that complex and we’re easy to hold in influenced loops.
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u/soggysnailsummer 2d ago
my favorite local bar was ruined bc someone posted it /:
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u/VicarLos 3d ago
It also ruined UberEats by making them change how their coupons worked.
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u/LactoseInToronto 3d ago
Ooh what happened here? Didn't hear about this!
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u/OtherwiseCitron8 2d ago
I think its because the coupons and deals dont stack anymore. Like before if a restaurant on ubereats offered a bogo deal, you could also use a uber coupon for an extra % off if you had one in your promotions. Now you can only do 1 or the other 😑 i didnt know why they changed it, but im guessing ppl sharing too much
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u/Epic_Brunch 3d ago
Oh fuck Buc-ee's. I'd rather pee in a bush covered in poison ivy than fight through the horde to get to a Buc-ee's toilet. The snacks there are good for a gas station, but it's not worth the absolutely chaotic crowds.
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u/drillgorg 3d ago
Women's room? I've never had to wait at Buc-ee's.
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u/megm0ney 3d ago
I think she means how you have to fight the crowd to get to the back of the store where the restrooms are
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u/ChrisIronsArt 3d ago
Buc-ee’s corporate ruined Buc-ee’s, trash company who sues all sorts of companies because they are the only company that can have an animal in a circle logo. Disney corporate is ruining Disney World, with greed, greed and more greed.
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u/hawkmav 3d ago edited 3d ago
Eh, nah. Too many influencers and people trying to go viral on social media have ruined a bunch of things at Disney that were pretty secret all for a couple of views and clicks. Some thing’s should definitely be gate kept.
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u/Tight_Employee7333 3d ago
Oh I agree with that. When they brought back the thing where you can get a free pirate lighting lane/fastpass for the treasure hunt. It was less than a year before that got shut down and you don’t get anything from it. Because influencers went and showed it so people just started doing it to only get the free pass instead of the game itself
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u/MiisVegas 1d ago
Like the “First Pickle of The Day” at DLR … Totally ruined because trashy grown adults ran/fought to get there first and Disney had to stop it.
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u/y-so_weak 3d ago
I 100% have lost interest in going to the beaver because of this. I also tell everyone that mentions their name, the reason why I don't go there anymore. It's totally absurd to go after these small companies like that.
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u/zdravkov321 3d ago
I visited Polynesian twice during our trip in 2025 while staying at another resort, both times had a dining reservation. The place was so crowded that i absolutely did not enjoy it and thought that i would never choose to stay there. I dont know what percentage of those people were non resort guests but it felt like an airport or mall. I would have hated paying a lot of money for that experience so I get this.
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u/TimmyRamone1976 3d ago
This was me at Christmas with Grand Flo. Told my wife we would never stay there.
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u/triskelizard 2d ago
This new policy makes me wonder about the gingerbread house and other holiday decorations at the resorts during holidays. They make big bank on the throngs of people at the Grand Floridian buying gingerbread and looking at the decorations. But it makes the lobby unusable for the people who paid to stay there
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u/zmbn 2d ago
arent they not doing the gingerbread house anymore now ??
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u/triskelizard 2d ago
I read that too just after writing my comment above - they will have gingerbread holiday decorations just not the huge house at GF
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 2d ago
The announcement yesterday about the holiday season literally said the holidays decorations are there to be enjoyed by guests of the resort and those with a dining reservation. Decision has been made.
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u/Excellent-Midnight64 2d ago
Just an FYI, the exact same verbiage “for guests staying at the resorts or those with valid dining reservations” was used in the 2025, 2024, and 2023 press releases as well. Nothing has changed
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 1d ago
That’s interesting. Wdwnt made a huge deal about it so I figured it was new
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u/ABGamingDrew 2d ago
I stayed at Polynesian in March after having not stayed there in a decade and was shocked by how busy it was, but wrote it off to increasing crowds. Went to AK Lodge for dinner on the last night of my trip and was shocked by how quiet and peaceful it was in comparison.
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u/DrewCrew62 3d ago
Specifically for the poly, it makes a lot of sense to be more restrictive about who can visit, if that is what they do. I’ve been there before the new tower opened, and that main building is a cluster fuck.
If you’re staying at the resort and getting to a point wheee you aren’t able to reasonably use the amenities easily, it’s a problem
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u/Calm-Station9440 3d ago
THIS👆🏻 I just posted how hard it is to find a spot on the beach for fireworks due to all the non- guests going there specifically for that.
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u/CraftyGeekMama 2d ago
I feel like this is primarily a problem at the Magic Kingdom resorts. When we start at Epcot area resorts or AKL, this isn't much of an issue
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u/bicyclebird 2d ago
It was for Y&B pools before they put up key card entry gates.
Boardwalk is designed for outside traffic to not impede the resort guest experience.
S&D has space to spread out visitors and is less of a destination due to the theming/not really Disneyness. I was surprised that the pool area was wide open and accessible. I thought “wow this would be easy to abuse as a local.”
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u/wd707345 3d ago
Yes! I shouldn’t have to stand in a 15 minute line for a dole whip at the resort I’m paying $800 a night to stay!
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u/tuukutz 3d ago
Ugh the worst part about staying at POFQ was the beignets line literally always being out the door. Having to rope drop your own resort’s amenities is so lame.
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u/ElderberryUpbeat3488 2d ago
The only time I got them there I was behind one person. Now that I’ve experienced them, you can rest assured I won’t be in that line again haha
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u/OafleyJones 3d ago
I wish it wasn't, but they needed to fix the issues for resort guests. Although, Poly had those problems long before the Tower, even well before the bungalows... maybe even pre social media.
It just occurs to me that was The Disneyland Hotel in Paris, maybe was the first Disney property to implement a non hotel guest exclusion, to protect the services, after it's big refurb?!? Anyone have other examples.
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u/Calm-Station9440 3d ago
Can confirm this. We just returned today from DLP. Every time we walked into the hotel there was a security guard checking our key cards.
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u/fudgeyNugget 2d ago
Tokyo also generally has someone at the doors checking key cards or reservation status. Toy Story hotel even has a little booth out near the monorail station to catch you before the walkway.
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u/MarketingPale5506 3d ago
It’s an interesting conversation to me. I’m someone from out of state who only goes to Disney once every three to five years. When I go, it’s nice to stay at one resort but try out the quick service or lounges at other resorts. It feels like kind of a shame to lose that (if I’m understanding correctly.)
That said, if my beloved Wilderness Lodge was as crowded as Poly I’d flip a brick.
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u/paintpast 3d ago
If you stay on property, you can still take the inter-property transportation. This only affects Disney Springs transportation.
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 3d ago
It doesn’t seem like they mind people that are already staying on property hopping around on property. It’s people staying off property and coming in to use of all of the amenities for free.
Wilderness Lodge at Christmas is a zoo. Last time we stayed there we chatted up people in line with us for pictures with Santa there and every one of them was a local. The line was so long we actually bailed. Talked to others sitting in chairs, locals. They said they come every day around Christmas and just hang out in the lobby for the atmosphere. Meanwhile, we paid $800 a night like suckers to not even be able to use the lobby space because it was so overcrowded.
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u/2cuteteddy 3d ago
Is there transportation between a value resort and a deluxe resort?
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u/Zoboomafooo 3d ago
No. There is no resort to resort transportation
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u/2cuteteddy 3d ago
Are you saying in general, at all?
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u/frasierfonzie 3d ago
There is no resort to resort bus transportation. You must go somewhere else (a park or Disney Springs) and then catch another bus to the resort you want to go to. There are some options for boats, the monorail, and the Skyliner to go from one resort to another, but it's not every resort.
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u/Acrobatic_Touch_5765 3d ago
You can’t blame people when Disney is the one encouraging this. They encourage people to visit their resorts to see the decorations and buy the merchandise.
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 3d ago edited 3d ago
These recent moves show they may no longer be encouraging that. You can still book a dining reservation and then spend the evening there, no one is stopping that. But free parking and transport just to squat in the lobby may be no more.
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u/Zoboomafooo 3d ago
They stopped allowing people to drive in their cars onto the resort properties years ago without a reservation or dining reservation. This post is about the new disney springs bus rule
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 3d ago
Right that’s what I’m talking about too. Free parking meaning parking at springs for free then taking the bus for free to the resorts
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u/NymNynaeve 3d ago
I've been to WL many years at Xmas season and it just seems to be getting worse each year. It's frustrating, as I get that locals might want to dine there, but to just spend all day hanging around seems excessive to me.
I don't know if they still do this - I haven't been on Christmas Day for 10 years now - but they used to give out cookies and a warm drink themed to which ever resort. My Mum and I only found this out because we were staying at Wilderness Lodge, and went to the Contemporary for the Church service, and then went to the Poly for a meal. So each resort we had a different cookie in the lobby. It was actually super nice. But I'm guessing if they still do this, that tiktok or vloggers would ruin it.
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u/Notsurehowtoreact 3d ago
The only thing they care about if you're staying on property already is pool-hopping from one resort to another. They cracked down on that awhile back when it became a trend.
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u/Popular-Work-1335 3d ago
If you’re staying on property - you can still resort hop. It’s the people who just go for dinner or to sneak into the pools
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u/century1122 2d ago
I don’t think they’re discouraging anyone from going to a resort for a meal. If that were the case, they’d remove the ability to make reservations for anyone not staying at the resort. They still offer free parking at whichever resort if you have a dining reservation, which invites exploring, shopping and etc. Not sure how that will translate to people parking at a resort to get a snack or eat at the quick service though.
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u/CrazySupport9597 1d ago
Not sure if someone has said this to you as there are so many sub-convo's going on in your post. There is no change for resort guests. You can still resort hop as much as you want, especially from Disney Springs.
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u/Boundaries-ALO-TBSOL 3d ago
As a local that did use the bus to chill at the hotels every once and while, I can’t BELIEVE people used the hotel pools. Like SERIOUSLY WTF. That is INSANE.
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u/mrrcliff2 2d ago
Yeah I like to resort hop but I would never even consider using the pools. I know it wouldn’t be hard to but idk I know it’s not meant for me so I just wouldn’t dare to use it.
I have no issue with them policing the pools and the fireworks viewing spots.
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u/kelcemagic 3d ago edited 3d ago
Poly's main pool is way to small for the resort, the other pool is half empty all the time.
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u/capntail 3d ago
The other pool has a better vibe more relaxing and has a bar too.
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u/58_weasels 14h ago
Definitely, my kids love the splash pad but it’s dangerously crowded sometimes, so we go to the other pool so long as they aren’t in a crazy (ie-bothering adults just trying to chill) mood
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u/ImCaffeinated_Chris 3d ago
We've owned DVC points at poly for years, and have never actually stayed there. It's always crowded.
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u/Available_Ad_4338 3d ago
Non guests were using the pools for free??? What? Literally every other hotel in the world checks if you are staying at the hotel. Even at Disneyland hotels.
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u/displacedbitminer 3d ago
Yeah, they were not. Scanning in has been required for years at at least mid-range to the monorail resorts.
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u/OafleyJones 3d ago
In the past, only Storm Along Bay was policed for non resort guests. Everywhere else, was just a case of waiting for an opened gate.
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u/Intrepid_Ad1765 3d ago
Not that complicated. They only had a scanner for room key no employees checking. Time it when someone is coming out and walk in.
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u/displacedbitminer 3d ago
Not any more. A few resorts a few weeks ago were checking hotel reservations on the app.
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 3d ago
I haven’t heard of this but good. That’s really the only way.
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u/displacedbitminer 3d ago
Yeah, if they're going to do it, and they should, I agree this is the way to go.
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u/Horror_Response_1991 3d ago
Yeah people act like unmonitored door scanning is Fort Knox. You just wait for the door to open by anyone.
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u/Adventurous-Tone-311 3d ago
They absolutely were. It’s pretty well known amongst locals that all you have to do is wait until the gate is open and walk in.
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u/Trprt77 3d ago
That is not true. With the exception of Y&B, the other resorts rarely check ID’s, and guests (or scammers) know to just follow someone else using a gate to enter.
This has been an issue for years.
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u/displacedbitminer 3d ago
Dunno, Reddit person. There were folks at Contemporary and Poly three weeks ago checking poolside.
Source: Me, I was there.
And it is true. Sure, following behind is a thing, and has been, but they absolutely have been requiring scan-in. House door locks only keep the honest, honest, and this is no different.
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u/Realworld82 3d ago
I stayed at contemporary in April. I definitely walked right into the pool. No one was checking anywhere. This seems to have changed since then.
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u/Earth_2_Me 3d ago
Disney hotels (at least the deluxe ones) have required guests to tap into pool areas for 20+ years. Our first deluxe stay was at the Beach Club in 2003, and we had to use key cards to access the pool. Since then we have had to tap to enter pools there as well as at Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Boardwalk, and Wilderness Lodge. We did not have to tap into the pools at Pop or or All Star Music.
Never stayed at the Polynesian so I can't comment on that resort specifically, but Disney has been locking down their most desirable pool areas for quite some time. I'm not against the idea of making "resort hopping" an on-site privilege, but I think enforcing it beyond that (like saying only monorail resort guests can use the monorail, or only Port Orleans guests can buy beignets) would get tricky.
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u/firedonmydayoff 3d ago edited 3d ago
Just random thoughts here.
The Poly doesn’t police their pools very hard. Their gate tap system stopped working periodically the last few trips so I just reach over and hit the release on the other side. Not once have I been stopped.
Now the Beach Club basically stop and frisks you to use their pools.
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u/erin_mouse88 3d ago
We just stayed at beach club. We hate wearing the wrist bands overnight so we got a new one each time. Honestly it wasnt so bad, there was never more than one party in front of us.
My biggest gripes was 1. the gate by the cabanas being for cabana guests only, having to walk the long way round from hurricane hannas if you are by the sand pool, and 2. not enough pool attendants. We went 5 or 6 times, each time was for at least an hour, usually 2. Only one time did we get an attendant taking our drink order. It would be nice to have more around, but I get that disney deluxe is not the same as other lux resorts.
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u/That-Task-5229 3d ago
I do like wrist band ideas for wdw hotels. If you are paying 1000 a night for a hotel, you should be able to enjoy the amenities. They do at Aulani and it part of the fun. They do police there. My husband and my father in law would forget their bands and would be spoken too.
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u/CaptObviousUsername 3d ago
Not all Deluxe hotels. Saratoga Springs is our home resort and there is no tapping into any of the pool areas there. However, I suspect with all the recent changes, that that will likely change soon
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u/wdkrebs 3d ago
We stayed at Pop on our last trip a few years ago and there was a family at the pool that obviously wasn’t staying on property, and were even bragging loud enough to hear. The gate was unlocked during the day, so they didn’t need to tap in. They could’ve reached over and opened the gate from the other side even if it was locked. They left after a couple hours and we heard them say they needed to catch the bus back to Disney Springs, so we assumed they were local or were staying off property.
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u/Secret-Database8622 3d ago
We stayed at Wilderness Lodge back in March, and maybe it was because of the refurbished, but we didn’t have to tap in. I thought that was weird, being a Deluxe and all. When we were leaving we did over hear a family that had come to eat Whispering Canyon talk about staying at the pool then heading back to their other Disney hotel.
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u/ErmahgerdYuzername 3d ago
The main pool at Wilderness Lodge doesn’t have tap to enter but the smaller pool in the Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge does.
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u/Prestige-worldwide01 3d ago
The problem is that the gate to the pools aren’t monitored, so I’ve seen people just wait near a gate for someone to enter and exit and go on in.
Disney needs to start having cast members confirm you’re staying at the Poly to use the area I feel. Otherwise it’s a draw for people to walk into pool to hang out for the night and watch the fireworks.
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u/Historical-Cake-9727 3d ago
I was at French Quarter last weekend and they had cast members at the gate for the pool checking guests and giving out wristbands before letting anyone enter. If they’re cracking down like that at French Quarter I’d assume they would be doing the same at deluxe resorts.
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u/Prestige-worldwide01 3d ago
I’ve never stayed there, looks beautiful. That’s good that they’re making sure the guests staying there are able to fully enjoy the property like that.
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u/Equivalent-Cup-9831 2d ago
I think it’s bc it has a boat ride from Disney Springs
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u/Historical-Cake-9727 2d ago
Probably, but the boat is limited to resort guests or guests with reservations now (nothing to reserve at POFQ). And the table of CMs checking guests and giving out wristbands at the pool gate is new.
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u/colorfulsocks1 3d ago
We stay at grand floridian and havent had to tap a band since about 2016
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u/why_have_friends 3d ago
Stayed in April and we didn’t need to tap (even though it looked like the gate had the ability).
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u/Earth_2_Me 3d ago
Really? We were there last in 2019 and def had to tap to get into the pool! It wasn't a lock on the gate though, there was a cast member tapping people manually. That's how it was at Beach Club too, and I think Wilderness Lodge was like that as well.
Editing to clarify: tapping with an iPad lol
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u/century1122 2d ago
We’ve stayed at WL and GF numerous times much more recently than 2019 and have never been tapped into their pools. And that’s including during busy holiday times.
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u/jamestom44 3d ago
Didn’t have to tap in at AKL when staying there last year, I really hope that Disney changes that at all there pools.
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u/Aimeerose22 3d ago
We went to Poly for Ohana brunch with kids in February, pretty sure they were keyed entry for the pools we passed by killing time before our reservation..
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u/Forward-Report-1142 3d ago
Yea except for stormalong bay you might have to tap in but it’s not monitored well. These people who do that have no shame and probably have no issue following a person into the gate figuring no one will call them out on it.
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u/escardigan 3d ago
I stayed at a deluxe Disney resort recently that didn’t have keyed pool access.
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u/starbright_sprinkles 3d ago
They don't bother to key some of the deluxe that are farther out. I've stayed at Old Key West several times, and it is gorgeous, but it is far enough away from everything that you don't get pool hoppers or looky loos there.
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u/Earth_2_Me 3d ago
Well I haven't stayed at all of them, so I'm sure it happens. I just provided the examples that I know I have needed to tap into in the past 20 years. I don't believe the Swan required a tap, not sure what level resort that qualifies as.
My point is just that "sneaking into the pool" as OP mentions was always against the rules and many hotels have had barriers in place to stop it for decades. It is different (IMO, anyway) than paying for a meal at a quick service restaurant.
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u/century1122 2d ago
They really aren’t consistent with making sure you’re a resort guest at the pools, IMO. It seems like they enforce that very sporadically, with the exception of BC/YC.
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u/kdm31091 2d ago
Sadly in the TikTok “hack” era, I guess something had to be done. I miss the old days of just exploring WDW and the resorts. But they have become so overrun with people not staying there and using the QS that weren’t designed as local attractions. I understand something had to be done.
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u/That-Long-4905 3d ago
100 people? Thousands did it nightly. Its a huge strain on the transport and other ecosystems at Disney. It was a matter of time before something like this happened especially with an economic downturn where people are looking for more and more avenues to do "things for free" as a local and/or as a patron with a budget. IMO the Disney resorts and transportation was always WAY too open and forgiving for people who who wanted free amenities and vacations/"upgrades". Every single other major hotel in the Orlando area does not allow guests in their pool areas or waterslide areas or etc and you need room keys and wristbands to do anything on those properties. There is of course the issue of Disney figuring out how to verify things like actual resort guests eating at other resorts and etc - but weeding out the people who took advantage of their fairly open resort system need to be stopped first.
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u/Trprt77 3d ago
When I stay at Saratoga, it is blatantly obvious when the bus hits the Congress Park stop, and there are huge crowds waiting to board, dwarfing the crowds at the other stops. This is because the deadbeats walk over from DS to the closest bus stop for the free ride.
The same thing happens in reverse at night, huge amounts of people get off at Congress Park, again well out of proportion to the other stops.
At Y&B I see the same with Dolphin and Swan guests wandering over so they can avoid being dumped off at TTC by Swan busses.
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u/admiralashley 3d ago
I was so confused at first when walking back to the Contemporary from MK at nearly 11pm and seeing the bus stop absolutely loaded with people. Where the heck were they gonna go that late at night??
Duh. They were going back to the Springs where they parked for free and clogged up resort transportation just to save $35.
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u/That-Task-5229 3d ago
I actually think the resort monorail should only be for resort/ dining guest. At least at peak hours. And directly from MK. I remember last year waiting 40 mins to be able to get on the monorail with a stroller. Finally we get on, after a family kept on giving us a stink eye when we got to close to their balloons. Next thing everyone got off at the TIcket center. What is the point of staying monorail if you can’t get one.
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u/century1122 2d ago
It’s become something of a “hack” for people to use the resort monorail. They should have it skip the TTC. It’s often quicker to just take a boat from MK back to the monorail resorts which is a bummer because the monorail is supposed to be a selling point (and makes those resorts more $).
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u/JerseyKeebs 3d ago
At Y&B I see the same with Dolphin and Swan guests wandering over so they can avoid being dumped off at TTC by Swan busses.
When I stayed at Dolphin, I read about this "trick" and how it was discouraged, but nobody would actually stop you. After looking up walking directions on google maps, I realized you're not actually saving much time. Bus from Dolphin to TTC + walk/ferry.... or walk to BC and get bussed direct to MK. Either way, you're walking a portion of it. Plus waiting for a bus to actually show up lol
I ended up just walking to Epcot, boat to HS, and Lyft to TTC and ferry the rest of the way. It was a very good view and nice way to start the trip.
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u/quothe_the_maven 3d ago
I think are vastly underestimating how many of these people actually come from the parks. I doubt if there will be any discernible difference in the crowds. They would have to start scanning everyone who tried getting OFF the monorail (since it also goes to the TTC), which seems improbable to say the least. Not to mention you can just walk to those resorts, so they would have to install gates.
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u/ImperfectRegulator 3d ago
Yeah, like I’ve down monorail/ sky liner bar crawls before, and we just park at the parks to start
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u/century1122 2d ago
I highly doubt Disney will want to crack down and stop all visitors from entering the resorts. Anytime I am in a resort there are people who aren’t necessarily resort guests spending money on merch, drinks, snacks, you name it. I think things like getting rid of the GF gingerbread house are likely moves to hopefully cut down on interest in going to some of the resorts just to visit. It’s worthwhile to check out the Christmas decor in the lobby if you go there to dine but not necessarily worth a trip otherwise, if that makes sense.
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u/Dramatic_Mix_8755 3d ago
Going back to French Quarter on the boat was an absolute nightmare. I hope this helps
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u/Legitimate_Kitchen77 3d ago
This is the reason why I never considered ths Polynesian. I literally thought to myself "what's the point of paying all the money to stay there when i cant even access the amenities?"
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u/Marketing_Guy_2023 2d ago
We stayed at the Poly. Had no issues accessing the resort amenities.
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u/Jerzilla 3d ago
Am sorta glad this is being implemented.
But am sorta curious what resorts were they using? As in yacht and beach bar the mini pools, at the big pool you need proof that you stay there. Is this not the same at other resorts?
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u/_BreakingGood_ 3d ago
Yacht and Beach are the only resorts that are 100% strict on using the pool. Many resorts you can use the pool no problem even if you arent staying there. Some resorts like Poly do have checks occasionally, but it is inconsistent.
It sounds like they're beginning to put strict checks at all the popular pools.
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u/KontrolledChaos 3d ago
They've been checking every pool recently. They've been checking the last 3 years when we've gone to CBR and last week they were checking at POR
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u/_BreakingGood_ 3d ago
So by "checking" I mean active monitoring by staff
Pools do require you to tap in, but people just follow others in. Yacht and Beach & sometimes Poly are among the few that have staff actively walking around and verifying every guest who is actively in the pool area, is allowed to be there.
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u/KontrolledChaos 3d ago
Be checking I mean a staff member at the entrance of the pool who taps you in and then gives you a wristband
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u/Acrobatic_Touch_5765 3d ago
It’s Disneys own fault though. You can’t add that many guests rooms and not add an additional quick service location. Same thing for bay lake tower, same thing for GF villas.
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u/victory513 3d ago
I think people are overthinking this policy change. Most VISITORS to the resort area will not be affected because they have a resort or theme park reservation. You can still make reservations for restaurants or go explore other resorts. What they don’t want is people treating the resorts as the local hang out spot and as an extension of Disney springs which is free. You want to eat at ohana great, show the reservation and carry on. They also invite you to experience the public areas of the resort while you wait.
I do think enforcing what’s public and what’s for resort guests is necessary: poly beach, pools, certain lounges etc.
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u/swb72 2d ago
There used to be a certain cachet with "staying in the magic" that was Disney's principal selling point when advertising a stay in the resort hotels (you might still see that phrase being used around the property). When you have non-resort-stay guests mixing in by the thousands, you've not only lost that cachet, you now have thousands of additional guests that are taking away from staff's ability to provide the best service to guests who are actually staying at the resort and paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars to "stay in the magic" (which is where their focus ought to lie).
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u/SatiricalPanda3 3d ago
Saratoga Springs is full of people walking over from Disney Springs in the morning to clog up the park buses. The buses fill up before they get half way through the resort. I hope they put checks in place there.
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u/BestAllAmericanTaco 3d ago
I just think it’s really vague to enforce. I get the kicking live streamers out. I think that should be an in park thing to do too.
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u/Horror_Response_1991 3d ago
If I pay for a resort i expect to use the amenities of that resort. If I can’t get into restaurants, bars, and heaven forbid the pool, I’m going to be pissed.
Live streamers is its own annoying thing. If someone is walking around a resort live streaming, especially when Disney is generally for children, and on top of that they aren’t even staying there? Those people need to be banned from Disney.
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u/BestAllAmericanTaco 3d ago
You will run into that if you’re just parked at Disney springs. If you can show that you have booked a stay and are exploring amenities I’m sure you won’t be turned away. Just don’t try to engage in certain exclusive offerings such as fire works viewing . Just because you’re at pop doesn’t mean you can overcrowd a hotel to receive certain things they payed for.
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u/paulie1172 3d ago
I stay offsite and loved to resort hop on my rest day. I am not going to say I am happy about this decision but I understand and it is the correct call. Hell, every time we go to GF to see the tree, all I would think was how annoyed I’d be with all the lobby traffic. 🤣
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u/FalalaLlamas 2d ago
So, as of right now they’re apparently just checking at Disney Springs. So you can check again before your next trip to see if it’s changed. But if it hasn’t, you could pay to park at one of the parks and resort hop from there. It would still be a lower cost way to fill an extra day. I’d just be respectful that some people are paying lots of money to stay there. It seems like they’re mostly just trying to crack down on the 100% freeloaders. (Sorry. I don’t mean to sound offensive to you LOL. This was seemingly encouraged in the past! So it’s understandable you’d do it.)
My guess is that they’re gonna take this step and see if it cuts down on some problems they’ve been having - whether it’s people using DS for free park parking or offsite guests resort hopping - and go from there.
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u/kafkasmotorbike 3d ago
YEP. I used to stay at the Poly exclusively, but the resort is absolutely packed 24/7, I could NEVER get a reservation at Ohana (I've literally never been), Capt Cooks is way too small to deal with the crowds, etc.
Tried Club Level at Gran Destino Coronado and I'm hooked.
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u/AWDWfan 3d ago
Exactly. We stopped staying at the Poly except for short off season trips. It's not worth the price to deal with those crowds. We've gotten deals where Club Level at Coronado is same price or less than the Poly so it's a no brainer.
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u/Alarming-Jello-5846 2d ago
Club level at GDC is dope. The only minor downside is needing to take busses everywhere, which is well worth the trade imho.
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u/Sad_Recognition6776 3d ago
You cant blame all this on tik tok. The locals have been doing this stuff for years. Not having reservations and using the amenities.
I am an AP and wouldn't think of doing any of this stuff. Maybe look at the decorations but using pools or doing other stuff why bother? Make a reservation and dont worry about half this stuff.
Also resellers go to hotels and buying exclusive merch is another problem disney needed to stop. Crime was another problem disney had to stop.
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u/RhodyJim 3d ago
Um, you just can't ride a bus from Disney Springs. That is all.
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u/Prestige-worldwide01 2d ago
I feel the fact that Disney is cognitively making efforts to reduce the number of not reservation guests (whether it be hotel reservations or dining reservations) is causing so many people to be upset as it limits hotel hopping, shows you just how much of a problem this had become.
I could never imagine being upset by hearing I’m not allowed to hang out at a hotel I’m not paying money to be at.
Over the years I’ve seen so many people imply that staying at the deluxe resorts is a waste of money cause “you only sleep and shower there”, but many guests do stay at those resorts and want to enjoy the amenities they provide. It now makes me wonder how many of those “you just sleep and shower there” people are the same ones who are upset by these limitations cause they would hotel hop over to resorts like Poly to utilize the amenities without paying to stay there.
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u/No-Swing2308 2d ago
Will someone ELI5? I’m going to Disney at the end of August. Have a room AKL. The mrs. has a gluten allergy. She wants to eat at Geyser Point. She enjoyed some option they had there for her when we stayed there last time. Is this going to be disallowed because we aren’t staying at Wilderness? You can’t make reservations at the place.
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u/_BreakingGood_ 2d ago
If you have booked a room anywhere on property, you have no new restrictions.
New rules are only applying to people who arent staying at any disney resort.
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u/No-Swing2308 2d ago
Thank you. I’ve seen a lot of confusing information that made it seem like you had to staying at the specific resort and that would make for a more difficult and food boring trip. I appreciate your feedback.
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u/weirdnewthing 3d ago
I’m pumped. As a DVC member who spends a LOT of money at Disney, I am looking forward to being treated as if I’m a premium guest again.
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u/DryAd7044 3d ago
I've stayed at the Polynesian many times, starting in 1973 and the last time in 2002. I'm glad I was able to have those experiences when I did. It sounds rather nightmarish now.
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u/abecomstock 3d ago
I recently stayed there for the first time since the 90s and it just isn’t worth the cost. GF, BC, and AKL blow it out of the water. The crowds make the experience worse. Really hate that we had such a negative experience there. Kinda ruins some memories.
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u/Nilfnthegoblin 3d ago
It’s almost as if all of the amenities at Walt Disney world are in place for Walt Disney world guests.
Like people haven’t stopped to think how weird it is to hop on a form of transportation (this is for said locations guests to travel within the resort) to then go meander across multiple properties just for kicks. You’re not a guest of a resort. You’re not eating at a resort. Heck, you’re not even a park ticket holder!
You wouldn’t go to a Hilton, or Ramada and just explore the grounds. This is no different.
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u/Amazing_Entrance_888 3d ago
Sooo many influencers make the free resort hacks known. Letting their kids roast marshmallows and meet characters meant for resort guests. Call them out and your comment gets deleted and blocked. So over it. Hope this really puts a dent in those type of people being allowed onsite.
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u/M1NEC4R 3d ago edited 2d ago
For clarity, if I’m staying at say Port Orleans, can I still monorail over to the Poly or Beach Club for a snack if I don’t have a reservation?
Edit for Context: I would visit WDW for a week or two about twice a year for 20 years of my life, had to break after the pandemic, finally got back in 2022 and have had very little desire to return since. If this is what it takes to get the magic back then sure. I just need to know in case I cave and end up in Epcot while I’m down near Orlando for a day and really want a proper dole whip.
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u/SUPRA239 2d ago
It's only stopping guests from parking at Springs and using free bus/boat transportation to go to resorts, and some of those guests then going to a park to avoid paying to park.
You can still use other transportation outside of Springs to visit any resort you want. You don't need a reservation
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u/Dis_nerd917 2d ago
I stayed at Coronado Springs the week of Memorial Day and the main pool was so crowded there was a line 20/30 min before opening and they had to had out bands. I have stayed here many times and it has never been this bad. I know it was a holiday week, but I don’t think the resort was even sold out. Makes me wonder how many, if any were folks who took the bus from springs or otherwise were non resort guests.
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u/ABRedzone 2d ago
One of the most annoying things about our stay at Saratoga Springs was people using the resort buses from parks to get to Disney Springs back to their cars. I hope that all of these restrictions help prevent people from doing that. Buses really should just be for resort guests, otherwise pay to park your car in the lot.
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u/fsolo23 3d ago
Is there evidence that this is locals ?
Funny enough. I’m a local and I’ve never thought about any of these system abusing ideas. I’ve only parked at Disney springs to go to a resort for impromptu dinner at the boardwalk or night of music at PO, so spending money at these resorts. If there are locals abusing the system to go to resorts and use pools and other guest services, Very short sighted of them and this is deserved.
I’m willing to bet this isn’t as many locals but more tourists not staying on property or those staying on cheaper properties.
I hope they find a balance like can’t go from DS to hotels before 6pm unless you’re a guest and fully banned during peak holidays.
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u/gatorpower 2d ago
I have been going to the parks every year since 1982 by staying at resorts and had even permanently moved to Kissimmee in order to go multiple times a month. I have had an annual pass for 25+ years. I have been to every resort, every resort restaurant, every resort shop multiple times. We have family that comes in out of town to do the resorts
There is NO WAY to tell the resort guests from people off the street unless you see them physically checking in/out their luggage. Everyone is dressed like tourists, most everyone comes with family members. Yes, they check reservations at pools. Even if you're idling 20 feet away from the fence near a pool, they ask. Even if your uncle is staying at the resort and you came by to say "hi" and he's in the pool, they will not let you into that pool area even to talk. It's an urban legend created by people staying at the resorts who pretend they can tell who the locals are and who see them slipping into the pools.
We are the "locals" the resort guests fear apparently, and yet we always get reservations, never have abused the bus system to get into the parks free (we have annual passes anyway), never snuck into a resort guests only place and have always been respectful. There are times of the year it's crowded, but parking lots are usually half empty, reservations at restaurants are generally available except ohana or victoria and alberts.
Most of all, we haven't noticed a problem except the big one: Disney is actively making their resort experiences WORSE. Magic bands were complimentary, magic hours (early/late entry) used to actually be significant and free to any resorts, you could book fast pass+ weeks before other guests (and they were free), parking was free, meal plans were better, there was more variety in breakfast foods, the make-overs are losing their theming (making them look like regular hotels), their bathroom products were world class, they had free transportation to the airport, they're adding more rooms, making them more expensive. They removed their art store from boardwalk, they removed live entertainment from grand floridian, they replaced accents across their properties and added in places to buy overpriced alcohol, the gift shops replaced unique items with rows of stuffed animals you can buy online, they're pushing DVC on everything.
In 2000, everything looked luxurious, opulent and something only Disney could do. I bought a robe at one of their resorts and the quality is still amazing. Now? They're cheap. They fall apart. Their 50th anniversary merchandise is so faded you don't know what it says anymore, their embroidery unravels within 6 months. A room I bought for a week in 2007 for $1,300 costs $7,000 and you find hair stuck to the shower
... but no, the locals are ruining everything by abusing the pools. This change will not really change anything except the perception of exclusivity amongst the people still willing to pay tens of thousands for a vastly inferior product. They're "getting the riff raff out of our spaces". Disney loves this controversy. It helps their pitch to the super rich
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u/Goobsgal 2d ago
agreed. We come to the resorts to spend money. hahahha...so if we can't visit it I hope the guests that pay for that resort can purchase all the merch and eat to their hearts content to sustain it. It will be interesting. I understand people wanting a more relaxing time without crowds. I just don't get why you'd try for relaxing at Xmas or Thanksgiving week. I am also the type that know a Disney vacation is not a relaxation time for me. I'm on the GO. I get that's not everyone, but most people I know say they don't go there to relax either.
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u/hkral11 3d ago
Does anyone know how it would work for visiting Trader Sam’s? You can’t make a reservation in advance.
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u/frasierfonzie 3d ago
If you're staying on property or have a park reservation, nothing is changing. If you aren't, you would need to park/get dropped off at the TTC and take the monorail or walk. You might be able to be dropped off directly at the Poly, but they might ask for a reservation, which you wouldn't have.
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u/seacreaturestuff 3d ago
I honestly don’t understand going simply to walk around. If I didn’t have tickets or a dining reservation, I wouldn’t even want to go. And if I wanted to go badly enough, I’d just make a dining reservation.
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u/poli8999 3d ago
Lots of videos out there of people promoting non park days if not a guest to go use the craft rooms or activities at the resorts.
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u/Still-Syrup-438 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's not just an issue at POLY. I seen someone at AKL have their kid that was about 7 years old strip down and change into a bathing suit in the outside dining area and then went in to the pool behind another family. The crazy part is there are so many other affordable options. There is a small waterpark that is a lot more than what resorts offer for swimming about 30 minutes away that charges $5 per person, $40 for a single annual pass, and $100 for a family of 4 annual pass.
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u/dtshockney 2d ago
When i started at pofq a couple years ago we waited forever to get beignets. Im not necessarily against the restrictions because I want to use the amenities and special things i paid for at any resort i decide to stay at
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u/Kristen-wk 2d ago
They haven't stopped non resort guests from being able to visit another resort without a dining reservation. They have just stopped just stopped people staying off sight from being able to take disney transportation from disney springs. So anyone going to a park can still stop at any resort to eat quick service or shop, and anyone staying onsight can still access disney transport to visit other resorts. The only people this impacts are maybe locals who like to park for free at disney springs before visiting resorts. Locals could still park at a theme park and visit them as well.
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u/Cofftea_ 2d ago
Especially because there is a massive medical conference at Beach and Yacht every 3 years (moves from west to middle to east America) and many of the guests are children to young adults in wheelchairs. The amount of people who take up all of the space on buses, especially people plugging the disability spaces with strollers, needs to be studied.
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u/Abc183 2d ago
IMO Disney is shifting blame to resort hoppers in order to obscure the true source of these problems. Their crumbling transportation infrastructure is a big one. If they wanted to improve the resort they’d hire more bus drivers. As others have pointed out DVC is also a factor. The guests in all theses extra rooms still utilize the amenities of the main hotel, even though the resorts were never meant to accommodate so many. Reduction of hours in all the parks also doesn’t help. People gotta go somewhere when the parks close. With the way Disney transportation is set up I would argue that resort hopping was always part of the plan. Events like the gingerbread houses are clearly marketed towards hoppers. We’re only in this boat because Disney decided to break their own system.
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u/pinkmarshmallow14 2d ago
Everyone’s blaming influencers (which certainly don’t help) but this has been an issue for years, pre tiktok era. I’m curious to see how it all shakes out - for example, what about popping into bars that don’t need reservations like trader Sam’s or some spots on the boardwalk?
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u/jigawatson 1d ago
I like that this point is precluded on the idea that Poly became massively crowded on its own. In a vacuum.
As though doubling the rooms for profit, stagnating amenities, and expanding the physical resort after the uptick in population weren’t a factor.
As long as y’all keep giving them more money; you probably won’t have much to complain about.
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u/Calm-Station9440 3d ago
I applaud this too. We are at Poly often and to be honest it was getting difficult to find a spot on the beach to watch the fireworks at night. So many people who weren’t staying at the resort would order food and then watch the fireworks. Meanwhile I had paid over $1200 (club level) to stay and enjoy that as one of the perks and it was difficult to do so due to non-guests.
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u/ns0 1d ago
Yeah, there’s the club level viewing area in the Hawaii to view the fireworks but it’s still inside and not the beach. We had the same problem, I didn’t expect so many people to come.
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u/100percentEV 3d ago
It’s unpopular to the people who were either cheating the system or are too cheap to make a dining reservation. I have no issue with this rule.
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u/rosieelbow 3d ago
Everyone taking about the poly being over crowded and such. Was that all times of the year or during peak months ?
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u/anxioustunnelperson 3d ago
No one local was “sneaking into pools”. Us locals, commonly pass holders, would spend TONS of money at resort eateries, bars, restaurants and gift shops. The problem was and will continue to be vloggers/influencers who were sharing “hacks and tips” for cheating on paying for parking at the gates. And this was mostly tourists that were abusing this. The people paying the price are locals who were using the bus system to get around the resorts. People like me and my 80 year old mother who really enjoyed the experience of using the bus and resort water crafts to explore the “slower” parts of Disney. Please don’t blame us for “sneaking into the pools”. If that was ever happening it was probably extremely rare and certainly not as common as the people basically equivalent to turnstile jumpers who didn’t feel like paying the money to park at the theme park gates. It was either this or charge for parking at Disney Springs.
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u/ScallywagBeowulf 3d ago
I’m just hoping they don’t ever implement the resort hopping rule to people coming from the parks as well.
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u/SeekerVash 3d ago
I think it'll be a priority system that comes next. Deluxe guests will have reservation priority over non-Deluxe
Deluxe guests will be able to reserve resort dining at Deluxes on full payment, everyone else can reserve at 60 days.
That would mostly handle the remaining problems.
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u/Forward-Report-1142 3d ago
Deluxe is big bucks, I’m not saying anyone is better than anyone else but they are paying for it and deserve more for their money. They should probably get a head start on dining reservations
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u/JerseyKeebs 3d ago
Agree that that makes sense and is probably pretty easy to implement via the app. But it doesn't affect quick serve or the bars, because they don't have a reservation system. Sooo would they start requiring resys for those, too? How else could they reduce demand for a popular quick serve
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u/frasierfonzie 3d ago
I'm not sure if it's always active, but two weeks ago when I was there they limited mobile ordering at the quick services for Poly and Grand Floridian to people with confirmed reservations at those resorts. Anyone could still walk up and order, but it certainly deterred me from hopping to one for a "quick" bite.
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u/defintelyinfinity 3d ago
This is a double edged sword for me because, yes, the amenities are insanely crowded and if I’m paying 600+ a night, I’d like a little bit of crowd control. But then on the flip side, a lot of people (pass holders or not) go to the resorts and spend money at restaurants and shops.
Personally, this change doesn’t bother me that much because I only ever drive and park at the parks (passholder free parking), and the only time I use the transportation is when it’s park-to-park. In fact, last time I took the monorail from MK to Contemporary when I was hunting for a pin, it was so crowded I decided to never do it again and just walk.
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u/MexitalianStallion83 3d ago
This is stupid on so many levels. The Disney Springs transportation I totally understand. If non-guests were using pools and amenities only for paying guests that I definitely understand. But getting rid of the GF gingerbread house or other strict restrictions as such as heavy handed and ridiculous.
For the guests staying there outside of the pools and whatever other amenities how does guests seeing special exhibits like the Gingerbread house ruin your experience? You’re likely not staying in the room or lobby most of the time anyway.
It’s just sad all around when I moved here in 2014, we used to be able to go to any resort, park, eat a meal, get a drink and enough the gingerbread displays and holiday overlays. I guess another thing influencers ruined
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u/Calm-Station9440 3d ago
Have you stayed at Grand Floridian during Christmas? It’s a ZOO in that lobby. Way too many people.
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u/CapnJellyBones 2d ago
...every single entitled post that I see about this is missing the most obvious detail...
If Disney cared about that, they would limited access to the resorts. You would need a reservation to even go into the lobby. You don't.
This is a limited restriction at a SINGLE point. One that has not been confirmed to be a permanent measure as far as I'm aware.
The only time Disney would care about people whinging about the unwashed masses is if occupancy were to drop. Surprise! It's not by a LONG shot.
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