story and photography by Eric Sandigo
In an industry where an arms race to be the newest, tallest, or fastest is the norm, there is a constant need for change to attract guests to a park. This line of thought can be continued to the theme park companion: themed resorts. These resorts, found throughout the country, experience the same challenge to keep their guests returning and to attract new ones. Perhaps themed resorts share twice the challenge by attempting to attract their guests in competition with not only other themed resorts, but also their neighboring water parks. Let’s face it, a key factor with families staying at a themed resort are the recreation amenities such as the pool. This challenge is quite prominent in the mecca of themed environments, Orlando. From the New England seaside of yesterday to the lush tropical paradise of Bali, Orlando themed resorts cater to nearly every fantasy. Along with their many settings themed resorts are complimented by their feature pools.
Loews Hotels Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando immerses guests in the golden age of travel: island hopping the South Seas in the 1930’s. Adding to the lush tropical landscape and sandy white beach is their lagoon-style swimming pool. Swimmers can relax in the shade of tall palms bending over the sparkling blue waters of the lagoon pool. Though the pool does not feature a slide, the most unique element of this pool is the Royal Bali Sea children’s play area. Following the theme of the Royal Pacific Resort’s travel enterprises, the Royal Bali Sea resembles a dismantled steamer converted to a children’s water playground. Featuring many elements, water shoots from the deck and pours from all over the former steamer. This play area alone is like having a water park attraction right in your own resort.
Also found on Universal Orlando property is Loews Hotel’s Hard Rock Hotel. A family-friendly version of the popular name, the Hard Rock Hotel Orlando allows its guests to live the rock n’ roll lifestyle. The resort is built around its main feature, an impressive 12,000 square-foot, zero-entry pool complete with its own sandy beach. After the sun sets, guests can participate in a game of black light volleyball on the sandy beach near the Beach Club pool bar. More active than the paradise setting of the Royal Pacific, the Hard Rock Hotel caters more to families with children of varying age groups. Adding to the excitement of the pool area is a 260 foot slide sending guests down the rocky “California” hillside. What makes the pool at the Hard Rock Hotel most unique is its underwater stereo system. Swimmers can hear rock n’ roll music radiating from above and below the surface of the water.
Though local water parks may feature tall slides or the newest in water park thrills, each themed pool area of the three Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando offers something more for the family than just thrills. Along with the excitement that the Royal Bali Sea provides or the perpetual party atmosphere of the Hard Rock Hotel’s pool area, families can also find relaxation- something not easy to find amongst the screams and bright colors of area water parks. Resort guests can rent private cabanas for a day just feet from the pool. Guests can personalize their cabana with amenities such as televisions, stereos, ceiling fans, air conditioning, or a refrigerator. Cabanas can also be decorated to suit the needs of any occasion. If a private cabana isn’t exactly what the theme park weary parent desires, then they can choose to order from the many poolside service attendants eagerly waiting to make their visit a relaxed and enjoyable one. Poolside service is another feature of each of Loews Hotels three Orlando resorts.
According to Jennifer Hodges, Director of Public Relations at Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, special activities around the pool can keep guests coming back, even after long days at the parks. “Our ‘dive-in movies’ have proven to be extremely popular with families,” explains Hodges. “On select evenings, we set up big screen TVs on the pool deck and show kid-friendly movies. Guests tell us that unique activities like this that appeal to the entire family give them reason to come back again and again.”
Though not new to the scene of themed resorts, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts feature a pool area quite distinct from other themed resort pools. The pool area, known as Stormalong Bay, is shared by these two resorts and in the grand Disney tradition has its own legend of how it came to be. More than a pool, Stormalong Bay is a series of smaller lagoons connected by creeks encompassing three acres. Surprises such as sandy bottoms and jets of cold water await swimmers throughout the series of lagoon-pools. Not far from the pools is the Albatross shipwreck on the sandy shores of Crescent Lake. More than a mere decoration, the Albatross features a small kiddie pool complete with child friendly slide. However, the main feature of the shipwreck is the entrance to the feature slide. This themed chute takes those brave enough from the shipwreck, across the main pathway that connects most of the Epcot resorts, and into slippery twists and turns before splashing down into one of the lagoon pools. For those with less adventurous tendencies, spas can be found hidden within rocky grottos elevated above the lagoon pools. This location is close to all the excitement of the bay, yet provides a certain sense of solitude. Because such an elaborate pool area is difficult to be kept a secret, resort management was faced with the problem of non-resort guests inviting themselves to enjoy a day of discovery at Stormalong Bay. To handle this challenge, resort guests are given wristbands as discrete identification. Those without wristbands are politely asked to leave the premises so that Yacht and Beach Club Resort guests may enjoy this amenity without having to deal with excessive crowds. Needless to say, Stormalong Bay is a popular reason for guests to make Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts their choice of lodging at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Elaborate pools with unique features can be found in resorts throughout Orlando. In such a competitive market, each resort has to offer more for its guests to win their hearts and make their stay a memorable one. Orlando resorts are some of the finest in the world in creating a balance between water park thrills and resort relaxation. By adding distinctive elements to a pool area, guests are sure to find a resort pool area to be as much fun as surrounding water parks so long as there is water, water everywhere!
