Stormalong Bay - too logistically challenging for young kids?

[DisneyJanFeb2008]

Question about Stormalong Bay pool at the Beach Club - we have young kids (7, 4, 2) - will SAB be too logistically challenging for us? My 7-yr old will want to do the slide and I heard you have to walk across a sidewalk, etc. (not very relaxing for parents?) and I assume I have to stay in kiddie pool area. Would we be better off at a smaller pool like Poly until kids are older? What are the logistics like? I've seen the online map of the pool and it's huge - which is on one hand intriguing and on the other, will it be like just another day at the parks where we can't relax for a bit? (although never really relaxing w/young kids, but you know what I mean, hoping that pool time will be more relaxing for us)...

 

[mickeynut1]

SAB is pretty big and if you have several kids that will all be going in different directions, it will be difficult to keep an eye on all of them (IMO). The BC is a great resort and SAB is nice and while alot of people say it's not bad to watch several kids at the pool, if it were me, I'd choose a different pool where it's easier to keep an eye on 3 little ones and save SAB for when they are a little older. Good luck.

 

[HM]

Yes, I'd think it would be better to stay at a resort with an easier pool to navigate while your children are still young.
You do have to cross the sidewalk to get to the steps for the slide and that area is well away from the sand beach and toddler friendly part of the pool.

 

[rcraw45425]

When our girls were young the only way we could navigate SAB was if one of us stayed with the girls as they waited in line for the slide and the other was on the other side of the pool where it exited. IMO, the WL had a great pool for younger less adverturous kids.

 

[SarahJN]

I have three young kids but they are the same age and have the same swimming ability. We loved BC and never felt like it was difficult to keep an eye on the kids. We spent most of our time at the small kiddie pool with its own slide. I liked that the other pool areas were in sections too so even when we spent time at the pool with a sand bottom - there was a small shallow area that my kids could swim in and I could see them just fine.

In your case, I would agree that maybe a different pool would be better. Especially if your kids have different swimming abilities and one wants to use the big waterslide.

 

[OKW Lover]

Too logistically challenging for young kids? Gosh no. Kids love exploring. They will probably do better than the adults.

Don't worry about the slide. The "sidewalk" isn't along a road or anything. Its just the walkway around the lake.

 

[jennybdis]

I think SAB is great if you have kids who are of equal swimming ability (meaning, they're all great swimmers and you don't need to worry about them quite as much, or they're all non-swimmers and they need to hang out near each other). For us, my kids are of all differing swimming ability: my oldest is a good swimmer, my middle an OK swimmer, and my youngest can't swim. So we found it to be very non-relaxing, and SAB was a pretty big bust for us since our oldest wanted to be on the slide, our middle wanted to be in the regular pool areas, and our youngest wanted to be digging in the sand. They loved it, of course, but I certainly didn't. It was nerve wracking keeping an eye on them (it's very easy to lose kids at SAB, and not easy to go from one area of the pool to the other), and I never sat and relaxed the one day we spent there. Instead, we did the quiet pools at night and they had just as much fun and I was able to relax because I could easily keep an eye on them.

 

[lsenquiz]

I think SAB would be challanging for you with your children's ages. Perhaps you might want to look at BW? We stay there every year and I am able to watch my boys(8) go up and down the slide while still watching my 4 year old playing in the water.

Honestly when my children were young my biggest priority was having transportation to and from the parks that did not require me to fold up my stroller. I love the EPCOT resorts for this reason. We can walk to EPCOT, take a boat to DHS and we walked through EPCOT to get to the monorail to get to MK. The the only place we went that required a bus ride was AK. We love the area for that reason.

 

[Tink1073]

I personally think you'll be fine! We're staying at BC in April and I have 3 kids (6,3,1). You'll have to be with the two younger ones regardless of where you are, right? If your 7 yo wants to do the slide, one can go with him and one stays with the younger ones, or you can all swim closer to the slide area. I've considered the Poly, but I just think the pool is so small it wouldn't be enjoyable either!

 

[Tink1073]

I wanted to add, your 7 year old might enjoy the kids area too.. My 6 yo loves it! That would be relaxing, sitting back while all 3 play in the sand/water!

 

[Carriesouthard]

We stayed at BC last August with our 3 girls aged 8, 7 and 6...they loved the pool but we had no time to relax. They were each going in different directions and it is so huge that we were constantly splitting up. Next time we go to BC they will be a bit older. Don't get me wrong, we loved BC and the pool is amazing but mom and dad need a bit of down time, we were so worn out after an hour at the pool. This trip we are booked at the poly for many reasons but the smaller pool is one of them! Good luck!!!!

 

[Ninja Mom]

Hi DisneyJanFeb2008,

Coming from the perspective that the parent calls the shots and not the kids, I would think that you could take turns, as a group, in different areas. This means that everybody, as a group, explores one area of the pool at a time.

There are TWO slides on the property. The large slide is the one where you would have to take the 7 year old on while parent #2 (if available) watched the rest of the brood. If you can't manage this then you decree that everyone stays with you and you decide (and you enforce) where they will go and how far they get to roam.

It's not that Storm Along Bay is Too big, it's that, like the Disney Parks, it has different areas. Most people manage their kids in that environment because they understand they have to keep their kids close and keep their eye on them.

In reality you can easily keep your eyes on your kids in two of the very separate areas of Storm Along Bay (The kiddie pool area and the pirate slide area which is across the walk way and not labeled on the map. See the thread for pictures of that area). You just show the kids the boundaries, decree that they must stay in them and go from there. Remember you are the "decider" of where they get to go. If they can't manage this then no pool would be a good option for a situation like that.

There are 4 separate pools at Storm Along Bay. Check out this thread, complete with maps located here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3025785

I'm not understanding the perception that Storm Along Bay is Too Big. It is classified by Disney as a water park, even though it is located at a hotel. Like anywhere on Disney Property you have to keep an eye on your children and supervise them at all times. Sticking together, just like you would at any other amusement solves this problem. Do this and you should be fine.

Now there is an area at the pool labeled "Kiddie pool area" (see map from that link). This is perfect for parents of small children because the water is shallow and filled with sand that the kids just love to play in. The sight lines are good in that area of the pool as the sand bar might only rise a foot out of shallow water. Bring some sand toys and you'll have to pry the kids out of that pool at the end of your visit! This area is a lot like the beach, but without the waves or undertow. Kids and parents LOVE it. I'd consider that a huge advantage over any other pool on property, which has nothing like it.

Be sure to read page 1 from that link I've provided above. It will provide you with a ton of detailed information on the resort and it will hopefully put to rest the erroneous perception that Storm Along Bay is not great for families with small children.

Good luck with your trip planing!
~NM

PS here is a picture of the Pirate Slide area. Note: There is a completely separate staircase to get to the larger slide so the kids can't get to it from the pirate slide.

 

[Barnhill9586]

I have to agree with the majority. It's tough anywhere when the kids out number the parents and are of different ages and swimming abilities and at SAB you can't see the entire pool from one vantage point like with most of the other Disney pools we've visited. I think the kids would LOVE SAB but as most have said it probably wouldn't be very relaxing for you which was one of your concerns. Have a great trip...it is so fun seeing the little guys light up at Disney!

 

[jlsmith376]

We didn't stay at BC but I walked under the slide on our last trip and I thought to myself no way until my kids were much older! I have 3 as well with ages close to yours and I would be constantly worried since you can't see where they all are and it is very crowded. If you are the same way I'd save yourself the trouble and stay at Poly. We used the pool at Poly the last time and it was much easier. You can see the entire pool and the volcano slide is alot of fun.