Non Polynesian Resort guests at the Poly beach?

[renecat]

We are staying at the GF in Nov. does this mean we should be upset that people from other resorts are coming over to look at the Christmas decorations. We will also be watching wishes from the beach at the Poly my first night there after we eat dinner at Kona.
We stayed off property in April when we were there but ate at Citrico, Cat Cora and Downtown Disney. I guess we should not have done that. Sometime people worry so much about what someone is doing that it get ridiculous. I stay deluxe most times when I go
but have no problem with someone staying value enjoying some of the deluxe amenities.
There was a time I couldn't swing the money for
deluxe or even moderate. Never really stayed value just off property. |I have met so many nice people while at WDW and never think are
you paying as much as I'm paying. Can't we just be nice and except our WDW family no matter where they stay?

[brivers222]

Last October we were let out of the SoA just in time for Wishes... we stayed on the beach and watched the show.... also that same trip we went over to Fort Wilderness and sat on the beach and what the electric light parade...

all of this done while staying offsite.

I personally feel that being able to walk around the resorts and check out the different themes is key in striking up new business.... We are staying at BWI for our honeymoon and plan on being on the beach at the poly to watch the holiday wishes at least once....

As the transportation is included in the package price, so is the ability to roam freely (for the most part) on the resorts grounds. The entire area is Walt Disney World Resorts.... I have not seen a sign that said, "guests must only spend time at the parks or their respective hotels."

[splashtest]

I stayed at the Poly in May and they carded guests on the beach. Poly resort guests only allowed to use the pool and beach area during the day.

[mouseketeer mom]

We are frequent Poly resort guests. We most often stay lagoon view/club level, ground floor. This means the beach is steps from our sliders. Not once have I given thought to others on the beach, especially at fireworks time. And., not once did a crowd on the beach impair our view or enjoyment of Wishes. I am surprised by this thread actually. I just don't get it. I feel the resorts are an extension of the parks, and they are for everyone to enjoy. I can understand no pool hopping, the pool only holds so many guests., but watching fireworks? Strolling the grounds and enjoying the resorts? Come on. That is ridiculous.

[Daisy'sMom]

We are frequent Poly resort guests. We most often stay lagoon view/club level, ground floor. This means the beach is steps from our sliders. Not once have I given thought to others on the beach, especially at fireworks time. And., not once did a crowd on the beach impair our view or enjoyment of Wishes. I am surprised by this thread actually. I just don't get it. I feel the resorts are an extension of the parks, and they are for everyone to enjoy. I can understand no pool hopping, the pool only holds so many guests., but watching fireworks? Strolling the grounds and enjoying the resorts? Come on. That is ridiculous.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[BigRedDad]

I liken this to having dinner at 'Ohana and not being able to order a Lapu Lapu from the bar because I am not a resort guest.

[grumpy78]

As a DVC member who has stayed at WDW twice a year since I was born, the entire resort property is more crowded than ever which can be frustrating for those of us who remember those good 'ole days. I think Disney is making reasonable efforts to keep overcrowding of these popular resorts to acceptable levels without offending most people...Each time I hear of a new restriction, I get frustrated and this is coming from someone who is in a family that has spent a small fortune on vacations at WDW. People who tend to resort "hop" do so for many reasons other than to watch the fireworks...eat, shop, eat, shop...those two activities when combined with a resort stay and park passes may result in more revenue for WDW than someone who pays a higher room rate to stay at the POLY with a beach view and doesn't shop or eat on site...I get it because I can be a snob myself but I assure you, my Disney vacations would not be as fun if I were excluded from being able to go on the Poly beach when I wanted to...but that's
another perk of being a DVC member

[brivers222]

We are frequent Poly resort guests. We most often stay lagoon view/club level, ground floor. This means the beach is steps from our sliders. Not once have I given thought to others on the beach, especially at fireworks time. And., not once did a crowd on the beach impair our view or enjoyment of Wishes. I am surprised by this thread actually. I just don't get it. I feel the resorts are an extension of the parks, and they are for everyone to enjoy. I can understand no pool hopping, the pool only holds so many guests., but watching fireworks? Strolling the grounds and enjoying the resorts? Come on. That is ridiculous.

I liken this to NOBODY except those that paid the hard ticket event price should be allowed to open their eyes and gaze at the MNSSHP or MVMCP fireworks....

Totally ridiculous... we all pay to stay somewhere in Walt Disney World Resort (just some more than others... is that our fault? maybe. But those at the Poly can at least know that they have a room that only those staying at the poly can have...

[grumpy78]

This is getting quite entertaining and reminds me of our recent stay at BLT when we ate at California Grill at a table up against the windows for the fireworks show...someone had table in the middle of the room and pushed their child right up in front of me to see the fireworks...the kid stepped on my $1000 camera, too...I was annoyed...people do that all of the time with windows at restaurants during fireworks shows...kind of the same thing...frustrating but I handle it in my own evil way

[brownie]

Moderator warning: let's keep the comments focused on the issue. Nothing wrong with some friendly debate as long as it's not personal.

[Aurora]

The dilemma is that Disney has done its job too well. Over the years it's improved its restaurants and invited guests who are not staying at its resorts to dine, shop and be entertained there without having to stay there. (How many people who pay to see the luau show actually stay at the Poly?) So now it's faced with a growing number of people who are using the Poly's non-public beach to view the fireworks.

Of course Disney wants non-resort guests to come there and spend money and perhaps contemplate a future stay. The problem is when too many people come, and this is what's happening.

On a recent trip, we were returning to Bay Lake Tower from Epcot on the monorail. We switched monorails from the Epcot line to the MK route when the fireworks were just wrapping up. As we pulled into the Poly, literally crowds of people were waiting in line to get on the monorail after the fireworks, stretching from the platform all the way inside the building. I had never so many people leaving a resort at the end of the night.

I can imagine this is becoming a big problem at the Poly, which, after all, is not a theme park, does not have turnstyle capacity limits, does not have enough cast members or a cleanup crew for crowd control, and serves the guests of its own 847 rooms. There are another 1,000+ rooms at the Contemporary and BLT. (The Grand Floridian has 900 rooms, but it also has its own beach, so there are probably fewer people venturing over). Then there are people coming from other resorts who park at the TTC and ride the monorail to the Poly.

Accommodating all these people on any given night puts a lot of strain on one resort, and by extension, its guests. That's the exact reason why, way back when, the Yacht and Beach Club pool was excluded from pool hopping when that was made a benefit for DVC members. I don't see the Poly beach as being much different. There are only so many people you can fit safely in one area.

[Aurora]

FYI: Here's what it says on Disney's website:

"Select Walt Disney World Resort hotels offer Guest-only beach access for sunbathing and relaxing along Disney's private lakes. Please note that while swimming is prohibited in the lakes, every Resort hotel features family and quiet pools for Guests wanting to splash around or simply cool off."

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/beaches/

And on the flip side, from Disney's official Moms Panel:

"And if that doesn't work, you do have several other options to enjoy the fireworks from one of the resorts, such as dining at the California Grill (even just enjoying dessert from the lounge), Narcoossee's, or even from the beach of the Polynesian Resort (one of my favorite places to watch Wishes)."

http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.co...&pid=45&cid=70

[Renfairwedding]

[QUOTE=brivers222;2188175]I liken this to NOBODY except those that paid the hard ticket event price should be allowed to open their eyes and gaze at the MNSSHP or MVMCP fireworks....
QUOTE]

People walking into each other... how silly!

There are great veiws from the walkways between the GF and Poly. its lke having the fireworks to yourself.

[dnickels]

FYI: Here's what it says on Disney's website:

"Select Walt Disney World Resort hotels offer Guest-only beach access for sunbathing and relaxing along Disney's private lakes. Please note that while swimming is prohibited in the lakes, every Resort hotel features family and quiet pools for Guests wanting to splash around or simply cool off."

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/beaches/

And on the flip side, from Disney's official Moms Panel:

"And if that doesn't work, you do have several other options to enjoy the fireworks from one of the resorts, such as dining at the California Grill (even just enjoying dessert from the lounge), Narcoossee's, or even from the beach of the Polynesian Resort (one of my favorite places to watch Wishes)."

http://disneyworldforum.disney.go.co...&pid=45&cid=70

I'm pretty sure the official policy boils down to
Day Use of Beach = Resort guests only.
Evening / Night Use = Open to all.

I've gone over there plenty of times and told the security guys where you drive in that I'm going to get a drink from the bar and watch Wishes from the beach and they've always told me to enjoy it.

[DisneyorBust]

OP here again and this is my last post regarding this issue.
I wish that I could go back and re-word my original post, if I could it would read:
"Is the POLY beach still getting large crowds for WISHES! ? I had noticed that the crowds were larger during our last two stays at the Poly and if that still holds true, I plan to be there early and secure a spot."
That was my original intention, just crowd size to plan for. No exclusivity to the beach or the Monorail or any other aspect of the resort/parks etc.
I hope that everyone here on Intercot understands what my intention was.

[brivers222]

I'm pretty sure the official policy boils down to
Day Use of Beach = Resort guests only.
Evening / Night Use = Open to all.

I've gone over there plenty of times and told the security guys where you drive in that I'm going to get a drink from the bar and watch Wishes from the beach and they've always told me to enjoy it.

resort guests can have the beach area during the day... I'm at the parks baby!!!

Now conversely, wouldn't it be silly if the boardwalk was strictly for guests staying at the boardwalk?!

OP here again and this is my last post regarding this issue.
I wish that I could go back and re-word my original post, if I could it would read:
"Is the POLY beach still getting large crowds for WISHES! ? I had noticed that the crowds were larger during our last two stays at the Poly and if that still holds true, I plan to be there early and secure a spot."
That was my original intention, just crowd size to plan for. No exclusivity to the beach or the Monorail or any other aspect of the resort/parks etc.
I hope that everyone here on Intercot understands what my intention was.

well fine... when you put it THAT way...it takes all the fun out of the responses i kid, i kid

I go at off-peak(ish) times and actually the beach was pretty much empty for wishes our entire trip.

[kemps@wdw]

"On property" should mean just that. Not "On property only on your resort". If one cannot explore and enjoy other resorts, how will one know if they would like to stay there in on future visits. And would it stand to reason if the beach would be off limits to "non-poly" guests, what about restaurants, gift shops, etc...I, for one, very much enjoy resort hopping and still have several resorts that I have not hopped but plan to in the future and would be somewhat surprised and VERY put out if I, as a WDW resort guest, were denied that pleasure!

[Christine]

Almost scared to, but thought I'd interject that on july 3rd we were at 'ohana & then went to mk for their "pre-4th" fireworks.

The poly had a concession stand set up at the beach. So they're hardly discouraging folks from coming over.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdTuBEjdO5...155-784351.jpg


We go to ohana once or twice a month. we rarely watch the fireworks on the beach because of the noseeums. (itchy!!!)
But when we do (or boat to the mk after supper, having valet parked our car there- not abusing the 3 hour rule!! ) we have not noticed the crowds to be bad at all. It's a big honking stretch of land and I think everyone can use it nicely together.

[1971]

We have been doing this for 40 years and have only stayed in that resort once. I remember the days of watching the fireworks from that beach while swimming.

[jonahbear2006]

You are paying that $$$ for your room and your services and the pool not for the grounds. All disney resort guests are welcome to visit all the other disney resorts. What a shame it would be if they started to close off resorts to other resort guests. I would stop staying at disney if it comes to that bc honestly the resorts are my favorite part of the world. I have stayed deluxe and moderate and camped. I have paid that money and I have gone on a dime. It shouldnt matter what you pay for your room you should be treated with the same amount of respect as the next person. If it upsets you that much then perhaps you should stay somewhere cheaper and then go to the poly just for wishes.