I have a confession to make: Disney’s gorgeous pools are almost completely lost on me. Sure, I sometimes find myself dreaming about spending the day lazing around one, it’s just that once I get to Disney World, what I really want to do is spend my time in the parks. And what I mean by this is, all my time in the parks. Not surprisingly, Disney’s pools get little more than a passing glance on the way back from the park in the wee hours of the morning. Oh, pretty. I can swim at home, right?
However, stuck on the resort monorail on the way to the Magic Kingdom last fall, I noticed something : The new Alice in Wonderland themed water play area next to the pool at the Grand Floridian. With two slides, a gigantic bucket that fills with water which is then dumped on guests, a shallow splash area, and all sorts of spouts, hoses and sprinklers, this play area intrigued me enough that I booked the Grand Floridian for an upcoming family trip knowing my kids would love it.
The play area is a godsend for parents and grandparents who worry about younger children playing in deeper water. Little kids who aren’t yet swimming can safely splash and slide to their hearts content and while my two 6-year olds loved it, their ten-year old brother found plenty to enjoy as well.
The play area is limited to kids eight and under, but the lifeguards didn’t stop my older son from playing with his siblings. I suspect that during busier time periods, this could be an issue and it’s probably my only complaint about this well-themed play area. If you’re a single parent with multiple children, it’s virtually impossible to watch older kids in the big pool while the younger ones play in this area, although the two areas are literally right next to each other. Other than this logistical issue, I can’t find one complaint with this new addition to the Grand Floridian.
Conveniently, there are multiple lounge chairs and tables with big umbrellas surrounding the area. We even had lunch from the quick-service location just a few feet away. It was, by far, one of the most relaxing days I’ve spent on Disney property. Did it make me a Disney pool convert? No way, I need my park time! But it did make me think that I need to add a pool day to my next trip. Okay, maybe a half day.
Have you visited this new area? What did you think?