I love the new HHI pool towel policy.

[canda]

I just got back from a great trip to one of my favorite places on earth. As you read in Vacation Magic, HHI has a new pool towel deal where they are in your room instead of at the pool.

The towels are large soft beach towels with a green and white stripe. They are very nice and plush. They are large enough too wrap around "Winnie the Pooh"

Now that you have to keep up with your towels, there are pool chairs to be found even during the summer. Back in May, there were only 5 families in the pool and I could not find a place to sit.

You can get fresh towels by trading them in at the rental desk, or call housekeeping.

I thought it might be a pain to have to lug towels around , but it is not, and I have to carry four because the kids are too little to carry and walk at the same time. The benefits of finding empty chairs is great. I recommend this to BC,YC and BCV.

 

[Dean]

I just got back from a great trip to one of my favorite places on earth. As you read in Vacation Magic, HHI has a new pool towel deal where they are in your room instead of at the pool.

The towels are large soft beach towels with a green and white stripe. They are very nice and plush. They are large enough too wrap around "Winnie the Pooh"

Now that you have to keep up with your towels, there are pool chairs to be found even during the summer. Back in May, there were only 5 families in the pool and I could not find a place to sit.

You can get fresh towels by trading them in at the rental desk, or call housekeeping.

I thought it might be a pain to have to lug towels around , but it is not, and I have to carry four because the kids are too little to carry and walk at the same time. The benefits of finding empty chairs is great. I recommend this to BC,YC and BCV.

A lot of time do itdue at this way. Most are fairly aggressive at charging you if the pool towels are not there. Some will swap them out for clean ones others require you to launder them. Either approach is acceptable to us however we prefer when you get t the at the pool.

 

[Disneyaholic]

I think the new pool towels also make it easier to spot pool crashers. We used to always bring our own pool towels because the plain white ones were just too small. These are plenty big and help the resort cast members spot those who might not belong there.

I think it also will make it less likely that guests and members will leave their towels on the beach!

 

[canda]

I kept telling my 10 guest to make sure they carry their room cards with them. They thought I was messing with them. At the beach pool some did not have their room key and forgot the room number. I happen to arrive as they were trying to tell the CM (who they now call the "Disney Gestapo! sp?") anyway, they kept their cards on them after that.

 

[franco]

I just got back from a great trip to one of my favorite places on earth. As you read in Vacation Magic, HHI has a new pool towel deal where they are in your room instead of at the pool.

The towels are large soft beach towels with a green and white stripe. They are very nice and plush. They are large enough too wrap around "Winnie the Pooh"

Now that you have to keep up with your towels, there are pool chairs to be found even during the summer. Back in May, there were only 5 families in the pool and I could not find a place to sit.

You can get fresh towels by trading them in at the rental desk, or call housekeeping.

I thought it might be a pain to have to lug towels around , but it is not, and I have to carry four because the kids are too little to carry and walk at the same time. The benefits of finding empty chairs is great. I recommend this to BC,YC and BCV.

I was worried about the new towel policy but ... Never considered that the new policy would help control pool chair availability. I'm so excited. We are leaving in 5 days and my father in law is coming for the 1st time; All I kept thinking about was him complaining about no Pool chairs to sit in.

 

[PamOKW]

I really like the idea of having "big" towels -- I hope Vero starts using the same/similar policy.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

As Dean said you can exchnange the towels. I saw people doing this at the rental place at the main pool. Don't know if you can do this at the beach pool. Since we had laundry, we just washed our own with other laundry.

I hope VB goes to this policy also. Seems they have a more pronounced problem with just chairs being towel reserved. And, I think 30 minutes prior to official opening (usually 10 am) all unattended towels should be collected.

At HHI I saw people saving tables (there are only 6) with towels there at 8 am and then not arriving until 11 am. (seriously).

They should put up a sign that says they will do it, and replacement towels are $5 each. That would really help the problem.

 

[CarolA]

Folks.... if ALL that is saving a table, chair etc at ANY resort (including HHI, VB, YC/BC etc) is a towel... IMHO it's fair game.

I have no problem sitting there. One woman did challenge me on it when she appeared two hours later. I just looked at her and she went off to find someplace else to sit.

 

[Dean]

They should put up a sign that says they will do it, and replacement towels are $5 each. That would really help the problem.

Most time shares that operate this way, have a much stiffer charge for the towels. Most I've seen are $25 and some have been $35. Some time shares are more likely than others to actually charge you.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We encountered the pool towels at the Hawaii timeshares we stayed in, and I loved the idea! I do think it would help with pool crashers, and also those folks who "borrow" towels from the pool bins because they are too lazy to wash the ones in the room.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Folks.... if ALL that is saving a table, chair etc at ANY resort (including HHI, VB, YC/BC etc) is a towel... IMHO it's fair game.

I have no problem sitting there. One woman did challenge me on it when she appeared two hours later. I just looked at her and she went off to find someplace else to sit.

Hi Carol, I agree 100%. At VB I've done the same thing, only I was never challeged. With the (pool issued) towel arrangement many people just leave their towels on the chairs when they're done beacause they're too lazy to return them. So you really don't know if someone is in the pool, at the grille, etc. or whether they are really gone.

I think the problem is that Disney/DVC does not state a policy on this. Hence, newcomers in particular don't dare remove the towels. It should be first come first served... A couple of signs saying No Reserving Chairs or Tables would go a long way to taking care of the problem..

At HHI where they only have the 6 tables, people would put more than towels, they would add peronal items...a beach bag, sandles, etc., but still show up hours later. You could tell it frustrated people, and me for sure, because I would get down to the pool a little after 8am and 3 or 4 of the 6 tables had stuff on them and not a sole in sight.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Most time shares that operate this way, have a much stiffer charge for the towels. Most I've seen are $25 and some have been $35. Some time shares are more likely than others to actually charge you.

I'd be afraid to leave my towel alone... I could see a black market working... "pssst... hey man, I noticed you lost your towel... I got a brand new one right here for $20".

 

[MrDiamond]

I'm coming down to HH in a couple of months for the first time (Yes!) and this thread brings up some questions...

Are you all saying that since there is a new towel policy, you would not move a towel covering a chair and claim the chair as your own? Or you still would? If I am IN the pool and I leave my towel covering my chair, how do you know that I'm in the pool and just not holding a place indefinately?

(For the record, I HATE it when people hold tables and chairs, unless they are using them and have stepped away for a bit)

Because I would never claim a spot before I actually arrived, I would be hugely unhappy if someone moved my towel and took my chair while I was in the pool. Tell me that doesn't happen, please.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I'm coming down to HH in a couple of months for the first time (Yes!) and this thread brings up some questions...

Are you all saying that since there is a new towel policy, you would not move a towel covering a chair and claim the chair as your own? Or you still would? If I am IN the pool and I leave my towel covering my chair, how do you know that I'm in the pool and just not holding a place indefinately?

(For the record, I HATE it when people hold tables and chairs, unless they are using them and have stepped away for a bit)

Because I would never claim a spot before I actually arrived, I would be hugely unhappy if someone moved my towel and took my chair while I was in the pool. Tell me that doesn't happen, please.

You have summed it up well. And, are you ready to be challenged if you do move towels? Would you be stressing out waiting them to show up? That's no fun. Disney needs to fix this and not leave it up to the members on vacation to sort out.

 

[Donna]

I just got back from a great trip to one of my favorite places on earth. As you read in Vacation Magic, HHI has a new pool towel deal where they are in your room instead of at the pool.

The towels are large soft beach towels with a green and white stripe. They are very nice and plush. They are large enough too wrap around "Winnie the Pooh"

Now that you have to keep up with your towels, there are pool chairs to be found even during the summer. Back in May, there were only 5 families in the pool and I could not find a place to sit.

You can get fresh towels by trading them in at the rental desk, or call housekeeping.

I thought it might be a pain to have to lug towels around , but it is not, and I have to carry four because the kids are too little to carry and walk at the same time. The benefits of finding empty chairs is great. I recommend this to BC,YC and BCV.

I am trying to associate what it is about these new towels that will free up chairs now vs. using the old white towels to "reserve" chairs. If people are bold enough to reserve their spots with a towel early in the morning, they really don't care WHAT color towel they use? They will come down eventually to claim their spot, isn't that why they reserved it? do they really care what they reserved it with? It would only make a difference if a towel charge was tacked on to their bill if they weren't accounted for.
All that aside, i think it's great that they have these nice big plush towels instead of this little tiny things they had before; you would have to take more than one to line your chair. hopefully, no one will love these new towels so much that they find their way into peoples suitcases!
i remember OKW had BIG PEACH PLUSH towels in the bathrooms and that didn't last too long!

 

[rigsby25]

And unfortunately...what if someone steals your alloted towel?

 

[emma'smom]

We're just back from HHI and loved the towels. Housekeeping brought new ones quickly when we called to exchange them. on T and T day, we were at the pool with our four and they just left four more clean ones...so we ended up with eight.

My only problem was lugging them all to the Beach House Pool. Maybe I missed something, but I would really have appreciated the ability to check out 4 towels with my room card (the number allotted to a studio) rather than lugging them back and forth on the shuttle). We had enough other things with changes of clotes for two young children, sand toys, beach stuff, etc.

 

[Dean]

I'd be afraid to leave my towel alone... I could see a black market working... "pssst... hey man, I noticed you lost your towel... I got a brand new one right here for $20".

This is the idea. It cuts down on both table/chair saving and on towel losses.

And unfortunately...what if someone steals your alloted towel?

It depends on the resort but at many, you pay for it. Some resorts are just looking for an excuse to charge you. Last time we were in MX I turned the towels in the night before as pre requirements when we checked them out. On check out they actually tried to charge us for the towels and had I not had the receipt they would have done so. The same idea happens with many time shares that to ask you do a room inventory, if do to don't list certain item or if you don't do it, they will charge you in many cases for missing items.

 

[Donna]

We're just back from HHI and loved the towels. Housekeeping brought new ones quickly when we called to exchange them. on T and T day, we were at the pool with our four and they just left four more clean ones...so we ended up with eight.

My only problem was lugging them all to the Beach House Pool. Maybe I missed something, but I would really have appreciated the ability to check out 4 towels with my room card (the number allotted to a studio) rather than lugging them back and forth on the shuttle). We had enough other things with changes of clotes for two young children, sand toys, beach stuff, etc.

I think this will happen alot, people will end up with more than their allotment for one reason or another and won't hesitate to use some to save chairs. I am not saying this poster did that at all, just that i can see it happening. Also, those chair saving people may lose their towels and i can just see them taking others to make up for their lost ones. Like i said, i like the idea of having the bigger towels and how they hand them out, just not sure if it'll make it any better down by the pool.