Five Fun Things You Can Do at Your Hotel Pool (besides taking a dip)

Walt Disney World can be a destination for a lot of reasons. For some it’s the attractions, for others the food and festivals. And for some, it’s just the magic of the whole place.

For us, part of the magic is the hotel experience. After a few days enjoying the rides, excitement, and hustle-bustle of the parks, it can be a nice idea to spend an afternoon or even a day at the hotel – especially the pool. While I’m not a swimmer, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy pool time. There are lots of other things to do poolside, while others go for a swim. Here are some of the things I do; and since I’m pretty sure I’ve missed out on more great ideas, please let me hear yours!

Chill out.

Put on shades, lather up with sunscreen, find a nice, comfy seat. Then sit back and just enjoy the warm sunshine. I live in the northern Midwest, so that sun is especially appreciated on visits to WDW from October through March, months when the cloudy days can really stack up here. Sometimes, if the pool has seats in shady spots or under umbrellas, I claim one and use the opportunity to close my eyes, listen to the sounds of the music and pool people and take a nap.

Get smart.

If there’s a book I bought to read on the flight and didn’t get to finish, this is a great time to get back to it – or listen to an audiobook or catch up on that Disney podcast. (I like “Disney Dish” with Len Testa and Jim Hill.)

Treat yourself.

Two words: poolside refreshments. Most resorts offer poolside beverages and foods ranging from soft to hard drinks, snacks to burgers. If dinner reservations seem a long way off, there’s nothing wrong with midafternoon poolside nachos and a refreshing beverage. (At least, that’s what I tell myself…)

Make new friends.

The pool is a great gathering place, affording a unique opportunity to strike up a conversation with a new friend from a place you’ve never visited. For some, this may be a first visit and you can share a few tips you’ve picked up along the way; in other cases, a chat with a veteran visitors may give you the scoop on something you were not aware of! There’s always something to learn on a trip to Disney and things are changing all the time.

Make old friends envious.

Take one of those “legs or hotdogs?” pictures and text it to friends. A nice touch is to add a clever caption like [obligatory dad joke follows]: “Weather is here; wish you were nice.” (I usually wait until I’m home to post pix to Instagram or Facebook – unsavory characters like to scan profiles to see who’s away from their house.)

Also worth noting: kids can enjoy a lot of organized poolside activities, too. Mostly it’s just my wife and me, but this next time we’ll have grandchildren with us. I’m looking forward to watching them participate in the music, crafts, and games run by the Cast Members. (Check your hotel’s pool for the schedule of events.)

A couple last words.

If you want to know about the pools at WDW, here’s a wealth of info:

https://touringplans.com/blog/frequently-asked-questions-about-disney-world-pools/

And answers to all sorts of questions about towels are in this post:

https://touringplans.com/blog/faq-get-to-know-towels-at-walt-disney-world/

As I said above, if you have any other ideas to add, please let me know in the comments!