Are The Pools Heated at Disney World?
Disney’s Magical theme parks, rides, and characters aren’t the only things to look forward to during a visit to Orlando.
The waterparks and hotels are a perfect winter getaway and are open all throughout the year.
All the pools at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, as well as all of the resort hotel pools, are heated to a toasty 81 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The water temperature will let you swim during the colder months of the year. Just be ready to be cold when you get out.
Swimming at Disney World
Outside of a few water rides, most guests don’t know that there are a ton of opportunities to get wet at Disney World.
From snorkeling and scuba diving in exotic fish tanks to waterslides and relaxing pools at the hotel, there’s something for everyone.
The two main attractions for watersports at Disney World are Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.
Blizzard Beach is home to some intense water slides, amazing kid-friendly pools, and tranquil rivers.
The Ski Patrol Training Camp is an obstacle course over the water that’s a fun challenge for all ages.
Typhoon Lagoon is home to some whitewater rapid raft rides, a massive surf pool, and some calmer areas for young children.
While both waterparks operate in the winter, they close down at separate times for maintenance. Typically, one will be closed in January, while the other is closed in February.
All of the pools in both parks are heated throughout the year to around 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
This lets them keep the parks open during the mild winters Orlando experiences and only close on the coldest days.
Each of the themed Disney resort hotels has one or more pools on site.
Like the park pools, these are also heated to around 81 degrees Fahrenheit, so guests can enjoy a swim any time of year.
If you do decide to swim during the colder months, be prepared for the difference in air temperature once you leave the water.
Midday is the best time to swim, as it’s the warmest time of day and won’t be nearly as harsh once you get out of the pool.
Most pools will be open from 10 AM until 10 PM. During these operating hours, guests can use towels, lockers, or toys put out by the resort.
Lifeguards will be on duty during these hours to keep swimmers safe. In addition to the main “feature” pools, there are also quieter, adult-friendly pools.
The ones with the slides or major decorations are the feature pools and will have music, games, activities, and kid zones.
The kid zones at the feature pools generally include splash pools that don’t require entry and are safe for toddlers.
Water jets, games, and toys are also available in the areas meant for younger children.
The quiet pools can also be open 24 hours a day, but don’t have the extra activities that go on at the feature pools.
Remember that all children 12 and under must be supervised by an adult.
Can You Pool Hop At Disney World?
For the most part, guests are not allowed to pool hop between pools at different resort hotels. Hopping between pools at the same hotel is perfectly fine.
There are a few exceptions to the no pool hopping rule though.
Guests staying at the All-Star resorts can go to any other All-Star resort pool, no matter which hotel they decide to stay at. The same is true for the Port Orleans resorts.
Disney Vacation Club members can hop between the participating Disney Vacation Club resorts most of the time, enjoying whichever pools they choose.
In some cases, guests can rent a cabana at another resort and are then allowed to use that pool for the duration of their reservation.
Most of the pools require guests to scan their MagicBand bracelets to get in. If it doesn’t match the pool you’re trying to use, you won’t get in.
This lets Disney keep better track of guests and reserve experiences for the people who are staying at any given resort.
Can You Bring Guests to Disney Pools?
In most cases, you cannot bring extra guests to Disney Pools. Just like with pool hopping, Disney tries to make resort pools an exclusive perk for people staying at the resort.
You’ll need to scan your wristband to get into the pool and will be denied entry if it doesn’t match.
This is also done to keep from overcrowding the pool areas. Even before the pandemic, Disney resort pools had a maximum capacity that was safe for operation.
This was one way to help stay within that limit.
What Can Make Pools at Disney World Close?
Cleaning, maintenance, and weather are all reasons Disney can close their pools.
Regular cleaning and maintenance are usually done overnight, outside of operating hours for the pools.
During this time the heaters are serviced, everything is checked, and the pools are cleaned for the day.
Sometimes things go wrong and the pools need to be closed for longer periods. This is a safety concern for guests of the resort and Disney will not risk guest safety.
Unfortunately, even if a pool is closed, guests can not get a refund on their resort stay. Reservations for cabanas and poolside lounges can be refunded or changed to a different date.
Weather can also shut down Disney pools. Just like at the parks, if lightning strikes within a certain distance, the pools must close.
On particularly frigid days, Disney will close both their pools and the water parks.
If the weather can put guests at risk, these operations shut down and will resume when it’s safe to do so.
Conclusion
Every pool at Disney World is heated to around 81 degrees Fahrenheit every day.
This makes swimming at the water parks and resort pools possible, no matter what time of year a guest visits.
Before going swimming at Disney, remember to check and observe all pool rules. Safety and being kid-friendly are the top priorities at all Disney resorts and parks.
