Infants using the pool??

[SuperDisneyDad]

I've seen a couple of posts regarding small children not being able to use any of the pools on the ship. Can someone let me know what this new rule is, and what it's about? My 1 1/2 year old DD has had a year's worth of swimming lessons and loves the water. If she sees the pool and we won't let her in, she may just try to sink the ship!!

 

[disvaclub92]

hi, was on the magic. if the child is potty trained they will let the child in the pool

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

Just got off the Wonder 10/27 and there were a ton of toddlers and children in the pool. I waited and watched unitl the last day and then let my DS 17 month join in.

 

[mcnuss]

DCL says they changed the rules to comply with US Public Health regulations. Apparently a lot of public pools are taking this approach.

 

[Redhead01]

I read about this on another board a month or so ago.
The child has to be potty trained and cant be in a diaper or those swim pullups
Im pretty sure it had something to do with EColi. Rather then risking all the other passengers health, the ones who arent potty trained are not allowed in the pools.

 

[SuperDisneyDad]

Does this include the small "Ear" pools in the Mickey Pool area?

 

[njfamily]

Yep, includes the small ears. I was on the Magic last week when a father was told that his child could not wear a swim (pull-up)diaper in the pool. The father simply removed the swim diaper and put a pair of shorts on the child and they let him in the pool. To my knowledge the CM did not ask if the child was potty trained. My guess is the boy was around 2 years old.

 

[SueEllen]

There is a note in each daily navigator that non-potty trained children are not allowed in the pools due to regulations.

We had out DS, 13 months, on the ship and it never was an issue. There was so much else to do that the pools were never a problem. We did take him swimming on Castaway Cay thought.

Sue Ellen

 

[lruggiero]

That's just great...that is exactly what they are trying to avoid. They should have just let the man keep the damn swim diaper on the kid because he was obviously not potty trained and now we ran a chance of him pooping in the pool. Most public pools are like this now and we abide by their rules. I made sure my son was potty trained so we could take this cruise.

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Originally posted by lruggiero
he was obviously not potty trained and now we ran a chance of him pooping in the pool.

They should have asked if the child was potty trained, and if not, asked him to not use the pool. If a child poops in a diaper, the bacteria still gets into the pool water, the diaper merely hides the 'solid' evidence.
In addition to the navigators, there were several 8x10 notices on the walls around the pools last October. (There was at least one evacuation and re-fill of the Mickey pool that I know of, due to discovery of solid evidence. It blew a good portion of an at sea day for the kids.)

 

[PiperG]

O.k. . . .this is way off topic.

I just wanted to say "Hi" to SuperDisneyDad and his family. DH, DS5 1/2 and I live in Maple grove, and we are on the Eastern cruise that returns on 2/1/03. If I am reading your countdown clock correctly, we will be returning to MN, while you sail out away into the sunset. LOL

I know there are a couple of other Dissers in the Metro area. We will have to meet at the Mega mall sometime.

 

[rae519]

Several times during our 9/28 Magic-al Mystery Cruise the Ears Pool was closed because of an "elimination accident" by a non-potty trained child. This caused others to lose the pool for a long period of time (emplying, disinfecting, refilling).

Personally, I think it is very inconsiderate of a parent to allow their non potty trained child in a pool especially after being told of this policy. Accidents can't be helped but please don't help one along.

Flame if you must but you didn't have to wait as many times as we did during the 7 night cruise for the pool to be cleaned.

Rae

 

[mcnuss]

No flames from me...my DD got sick from a hotel pool when she was 2 1/2. She got an infection that could have killed her. We spent Christmas Eve in an Emergency Room having an IV put into a toddler. We were very lucky that it was caught before it did damage to her kidneys, but were told that one more day would have been all it took.

The last time this subject came up, I was woefully unaware of how insufficient the swimpers are in containing the problem. I always thought that the chemicals in the pool would do the job. I never correlated DD's illness back then to this - I just always thought that the hotel did not chlorinate its pool adequately. I was wrong; it takes very little to contaminate the pool water.

So please, I implore you, think of the inconvenience to 100's of children if the pool is emptied as Rae mentioned, and if that is not enough, think of the possible serious harm you could do to another child.

 

[aaronamy]

Ive never cruised Disney before but the other lines Ive been on fill the pool with ocean water. Does Disney also do this and if so I just wonder how clean it is. I was just on another thread and they were all talking about getting flu shots for their kids going on winter cruises. Some thought that the pools might contribute to illness. So are the pools chlorinated? Im really not a germ/clean freak, but chlorine would make me fill better.

 

[sgtpet]

How about adults that have gas in the pool? I don't think they should be allowed in the pool in case they have a mistake. Isn't it possible that 4 or 5 year olds can have accidents? I think there is a risk whenever you go into a crowded pool.

My son is not potty trained and we would not let him in the pool except to walk around the mickey pool and kick some of the water.

I think everyone should follow the rules I just don't know if it covers the entire problem.

 

[Michelle]

Aaronamy, the pools on the Disney ships are NOT salt water, they are fresh water and they are chlorinated.

 

[rae519]

mcnuss -
Thank God your DD recovered, when a toddler gets that ill that quickly it is always life threatening. The possibility of e.coli, clostridium or other life endangering bacteria is worth the ban.

sgtpet - I agree, there is always a risk but the health concerns regarding fecal contamination is more than just a slight inconvenience to those who disregard the posted instructions.

As mcnuss has shared with us, it could have cost her her DD's life.
As a mother who has lost already lost a child, I don't think any of us would want a moment of our child's pleasure to be the cause of another child's illness.

Rae

 

[JODIELYN]

Do you think anyone from "the powers that be" at DCL reads this board? Maybe we should send a link to someone who cares letting them know that this is certainly a concern and maybe they can monitor it better...

????

Anyone know who we could email?
Just a thought

Jodie

 

[GoofyDisney]

We were on the 10/26, and as Sue ellen said, the pool was closed twice that I saw for clean-up, and once on a sea day. On the western when there is one less sea day, this made a big difference.

I never saw a CM say anything, but there were signs and notes in the navigators. There were CONSIDERABLY fewer babies in the mickey pool on this cruise compared to our last cruise. I think parents were being mindful of what was posted and what they read. THere were a few babies held by parents with their feet in the water. Saw no swim diapers. There were some young'uns playing in the ears, but these aged children wouldn't have been in the face part of the Mickey pool anyway.

There was one other time when the pool was open, but the ears and sides of the mickey pool had no water. I assumed this was a result of a clean up.

 

[mcnuss]

Originally posted by sgtpet
Isn't it possible that 4 or 5 year olds can have accidents? I think there is a risk whenever you go into a crowded pool.
I think everyone should follow the rules I just don't know if it covers the entire problem.

Of course, you are right, if we tried to cover every base, nobody would ever get to use the pool. Accidents happen - whether you are 4 or 44 I suppose - but presumably those of us who are "trained" can control ourselves unless it is an extreme situation. However, by keeping the un-potty-trained out of the pool, you are at very least reducing the risk by keeping those who simply cannot control themselves out of the pool. Not to mention that they are the most vulnerable in terms of picking up an infection, so it's a double safety bonus in my book.

Just my 2 cents.