Hot Tubbin' at the Resorts

Not a factor with us at all. I can't even ever remember being in a pool or a hot tub at WDW except for the ones in the rooms.

I love my pool time, but, even though I like knowing the whirlpool is there, I rarely use it! I think it's more of a "ooh, that's cool that I COULD use that if I had any time to use it!" thing.

Though I will say that on some less intense trips, I've been known to spend a half hour or so in the spa. Especially at AKL.

Now we did do the Spa at SSR last January. Got the massage and...........Oh my god! that was great. First massage I ever had. It was great after several days of walking. We actually got some special treatment because no one really explained what we were supposed to do. They just told us to go down to the locker room. After sitting in the waiting room in the locker room for several minutes, a gentleman that had just come out of the sauna asked us if we needed help and we told him we had never been there before and didn't know what to do. He told us we needed to get into a robe and slippers and showed us were they were, then told us to never mind and he would be back in just one minute. He went into a locked room off of the locker room and came back with some really nice robes, I mean I never felt anything so soft, with the Disney World logo on them and some super soft slippers. He then explained to us to start upstairs and someone will meet us and take care of us, and all of our needs. He said if we needed anything else, just ask for it. We thanked him and off he went into another room. We later found out that he was the head of SSR and had made a quick phone call while getting our robes. He must have shaken a few feathers, because they could not do enough for us while we were there.

Annie,
I don't remember what it was called, it was just the full body massage for us men, and all I know is that after an hour or so of that and the oils they use and the warm towels and the music and the dim lights, the world could have come to an end right then and there and I wouldn't have cared. I was in the happiest place on earth and I was feeling good ! .
The girls got the full manicures & pedicures and mud rubs and facials and everything!

You know what, after talking about all this, I may have to call tomorrow and set it all up again for this trip. Thanks for asking!

That sounds wonderful, actually. I never considered a massage at the spa, but I bet DW and I could have a great day there.

bump!

One reason we're staying at a mod in October is for the hot tub. We spent at least a few minutes in the hot tub every night when we stayed at AKL in April 09, and I missed it staying at Pop in April of this year.

So, we are staying at CBR this time -- because I have heard the pool/hot tub area is fabulous, and also because I like that you can park near your room. We're driving this time. And the free dining promotion requires an upgrade fee to plus dining if you're staying at a value, so we just say, hey, why not stay at a mod?

I wish my husband liked the hot tubs as much as I do! I would gladly spend an hour out there every evening, relaxing after a long day!

SouthernWebGirl, it's too bad the CBR quiet pools don't have their own hot tubs! Are you in a preferred room close to the main pool?

Funny you ask. At first, we were staying 5 nights in a preferred room -- we requested a Martinique king room. But then we decided to add a night, mostly for another day's worth of free dining. And then we realized that CBR and all the mods charge $200 for preferred and/or king bed.

So, we decided to change the preferred/king guarantee to a request and chance it -- in order to keep our trip around the same cost as before. Because we have a car, we'll be able to park near the room no matter where we're staying.

And since it's just the 2 of us, we don't mind a walk to the main pool/hot tub area. But I think we'll still have a good chance of getting a king room, at least. We're driving down on a Saturday, staying offsite for 1 night, then getting up early to drive to CBR and check in early/get our tickets. The room probably won't even be ready at that point and I have a feeling we'll be able to get Martinique or Jamaica -- and hopefully a king as well.

Wish us luck and I'll let y'all know how our strategy goes.

I always wonder if kings are really in such short supply, or if they just do that to play on my fear of a bad bed situation.

Nevermind the hot tubs when I have a whirlpool tub in my room...and yes..I do use it! Course when we stayed at BLT I did go down to the pool and use the hot tub there..but then it didnt last long..that AWESOME waterslide called my name! One thing about WDW pools is they stay open late or even 24/7...DLR you better be outta there by 11. WHAT?!?

Seriously? They enforce the whole "pool is closed" thing at DLR? I've never seen that at ANY WDW pool! That stinks!

SouthernWebGirl-- Did you say you can get a king bed guarantee at CBR? I thought you could only do that at CSR! That'd be great!

Don't quote me on it, but hubby was told that requesting either a preferred location, king room, or both was the same $200 rate. Sometimes I don't think these reservation agents know what they're talking about though.

We ended up taking off the preferred location/king bed in exchange for staying another night. We're still requesting a king bed, and checking in super early that morning, so as long as we get a king, I'll be happy. I like that you can park near your room at CBR so I don't mind the location so much.

We had a preferred room at Pop Century and requested a King bed and got it. I wonder if it was guaranteed all along!

Our favorite hot tub is the one in our bedroom (at the resort). Going to miss that at Kidani, but we'll get by.

Ooh that was a bit of a give-up there, eh?

But now you get to watch animals and be right there on property. Give and take.

Did you just trade for the one year? Is that how you're doing Kidani this year?

Um..ok..hi hot tubs give me the heebie jeebies..
First of all..hot tubs during the day I can handle I guess..usually there are kids hanging around and there is lots of noise..the fact that people pee in there is just something I try to get over. (I pretty much have issues with ALL types of public water places).
Night time? No thanks, too many couples in there...awkward. Is that just me?? I hate making small talk with hot tubbers.

Right there with you -- I'm not that big on hot tubs to begin with and I'm REALLY not into them with people I don't know.

Ok good..I'm glad that's not just me!

I try to get to a hot tub that's not full of kids or with a couple looking obviously, um, intimate.

At AKL on our honeymoon, we were almost always able to get a hot tub to ourselves for a few minutes, until a group of kids decided to join us. lol.

I like AKL because they have 2 hot tubs. One is sort of hidden. I'm looking forward to CBR because I heard that theirs can hold 14 people! And I hear CSR's can hold 22 people!

This is why I'm looking forward to the Beach Club -- I know that each pool there (and there are about 5 at the Yacht and Beach clubs together) has at least one hot tub, plus the workout room has a HUGE hot tub that nobody seems to know about. I'm pretty sure I can find one without too many people in it.

But I agree -- I don't like making small talk with hot tubbers. It always feels awkward.

Just traded points/days.

I'm with Belle on the grody water, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much. For one, there are many things you interact with daily that are much filthier. Secondly, although it's still not a pleasant thought, urine is sterile (ergo, it isn't 'dirty').

So then, let's say that you LOVE hot tubs and want to stay at a resort with a good hot tubbin' situation.

Which would be the best-- for moderate, for deluxe, and for DVC? It sounds like Yacht & Beach are really good. AKL has 2 -- this I know first-hand.

What about the others? Anyone have enough knowledge that they could rank the hot tubbin' at all the resorts that have them?