If you are not a current POLY GUEST. You must leave now.

[TheAntiBarbie]

to me the frustrating part was simply the manner it was handled. It was very poorly executed. My mother and I ate at Ohanas and sat on the sand last year for fireworks and they were carding for towels and chairs which I thought was fantastic. Because it is truly unacceptable that someone paying the insane prices a night cannot get a chair or towel because people who are not guests have taken them all.
I really do think that the resort bus system should require an ID or proof of business with the resort. It was all just a mess and I felt horrible for the CMs working that night. I am not sure I would have been willing to walk the beaches 2 hours before midnight after everyone was settled and start wrist banding and rudely telling people they have to leave. While my managers trailed behind and lied to guests about things that they said had been practiced for years and how people who arent sleeping there shouldnt be on property at all and werent supposed to eat at the restruants. I was just shaking my head as I left.
What a MESS!

[mapo]

I am not sure I would have been willing to walk the beaches 2 hours before midnight after everyone was settled and start wrist banding and rudely telling people they have to leave. While my managers trailed behind and lied to guests about things that they said had been practiced for years and how people who arent sleeping there shouldnt be on property at all and werent supposed to eat at the restruants. I was just shaking my head as I left.
What a MESS!

(emphasis is mine)

Sorry, that is not a lie. This policy and practice has been in effect for years. You were granted access specifically to eat at OHana's. You were a dining guest on a night of restricted access to the resort.

To be fair...EVERY night is restricted access to resorts. There is no reason a non resort guest should be on the Poly beach at 10 pm.

And YES, it completely sucks that non resort guests still do not understand that the resort is not their playground.

mapo

[lilogirl]

(emphasis is mine)

Sorry, that is not a lie. This policy and practice has been in effect for years. You were granted access specifically to eat at OHana's. You were a dining guest on a night of restricted access to the resort.

To be fair...EVERY night is restricted access to resorts. There is no reason a non resort guest should be on the Poly beach at 10 pm.

And YES, it completely sucks that non resort guests still do not understand that the resort is not their playground.

mapo

When a guest is given a different idea from the onset, it is a problem. For example with the CM making your ADR tells you to eat at XX then stay and watch the fireworks from the beach. Oh and don't miss the water parade.

If there is "restricted" access CM's should not be encouraging the breaking of the policy.

[HotsyTotsyKids]

You could always go up to the lifeguards and tell them your suspicions that someone not registered at the Poly is breathing your rarefied air.

I'm not saying that my "air" is any better than others, but when you are paying $600+ per night to stay at a resort and you can't get a chair at the Pool and the line for the water slide is wrapping around the base of the pool because people who are staying off site or are paying $89 a night at the All Stars are crashing it isn't right. The Poly pool and beach isn't a public water park for all to use, it is for paying Poly guests, that's Disney policy, not mine.

[captain_hook]

What about Vacation Club owners? They are allowed to use amenities at most hotels (pool hop almost everywhere...). Would they have been asked to leave/allowed to stay? Just curious...

[kurtisnelson]

What about Vacation Club owners? They are allowed to use amenities at most hotels (pool hop almost everywhere...). Would they have been asked to leave/allowed to stay? Just curious...

DVC can do what they want...within DVC. DVC is basically a separate company.

[pink9]

And how hard would it be to have someone there pointing out to the campers that they must be Poly Guests to use the facilities? I recall years ago being "carded" to use the resort bus system. Maybe it's time to bring that back.

But the buses are for any guest of the Disney parks, too, or did I do something wrong using them to get between parks?

[TdcOgre]

But the buses are for any guest of the Disney parks, too, or did I do something wrong using them to get between parks?

This was years ago in '93 or '94 and we were asked for our tickets on the bus from Mk to CB. Even now I would see no problem with requiring folks wanting to go to one of the resorts to have a resort ID to use transport there. I realize some folks might be going to a resort to dine but somehow I doubt that they'd be carrying a picnic basket and beach bag to eat at Ohana. Though stranger things have happened. Ever seen one of Zazu's Hawaiian shirts? I thought I had some good ones but I had to bow at the feet of the Master.

:p:

[Big Wallaby]

Ever seen one of Zazu's Hawaiian shirts? I thought I had some good ones but I had to bow at the feet of the Master.

:p:

I have had the pleasure of dining with him and his SWMBO on several occasions, and been in the parks at least once with him... and I have never seen an Hawaiian shirt.

Of course, the times I took trainees to meet him at his area don't count in this count.

[shilohmm]

To be fair...EVERY night is restricted access to resorts. There is no reason a non resort guest should be on the Poly beach at 10 pm.

Disney's definitely sending mixed messages on this. I think the rules are clear about poolhopping, and you would think any one with half a brain would know they've got no business hauling chairs off porches, but I've never been clear on walking the beach and other stuff. I know with other hotels where I've visited a restaurant or bar, wandering the grounds was fine and would have assumed that was true of Disney unless told otherwise at the gate or where ever.

I'm surprised Disney doesn't charge a nominal fee to tour their resorts. I know there are places in California where you can get a "day pass" where you can visit the shops and restaurants for a nominal fee, and use the amenities for x-amount more. If Disney went that route (probably just the restaurant and shops type), I'd think it'd limit the off-site wanderers (which would make people staying on-site happy). Not sure how that'd work with some of the on-site stores, though -- Wyland Galleries and the other non-Disney stores wouldn't think much of charging non-guests I suppose.