Top 10 Disney World Pools
Trying to find the hotel with the best pool at Walt Disney World? This post ranks the 10 best resort pools, along with tips for families, pool photos, and other assorted ramblings. For a lot of families, the hotel pool is really important. We’ve lost track of how many times readers have told us that the hotel pool was the highlight of the vacation for their kids–more than the parks!
This doesn’t really come as a surprise–there’s one family vacation to Walt Disney World that I recall mostly for swimming in the pool at Shades of Green, playing Daytona USA and Twilight Zone pinball in the nearby arcade, and having dinosaur nuggets at the restaurant. It’s funny what vacation memories really stick for kids. (Well, perhaps not for my parents since these are things I could’ve done at home for a lot less money?)
While we devote portions of our Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews to pool coverage and have a dedicated section for pools in each of our Hotel Comparison Series, we thought it’d be fun to break down the very best of resort pools at Walt Disney World. Given their potential significance in vacation planning, this post is long overdue…
Note that if you’re looking for comprehensive information, rules, and everything else, check out our Guide to Pools at Walt Disney World. That covers pool policies, regular rules, and other need to know info. This is a ‘best of’ list aimed at helping you choose where to stay if pools are paramount to your Walt Disney World vacation, whereas that’s thorough info.
With that all out of the way, let’s not waste any time, and dig right into the top 10 pools at the hotels of Walt Disney World…
10. Riviera Pool – The newest pools to debut at Walt Disney World are the Mediterranean-themed options at Disney’s Riviera Resort. Namely, the zero-entry Riviera Pool, which is the resort’s feature pool. This family-friendly spot also offers a slide that winds around a worldly column tower. Adjacent to that is S’il Vous Play, an interactive water play area for kids that’s inspired by the grand public fountains of Europe and features a ballet of Fantasia characters.
While it’s family-friendly, Riviera Pool offers something for everyone. Kids will have fun with the waterslide and play area, while adults can enjoy the array of secluded seating, sun umbrellas, and lounge chairs–while enjoying views of Barefoot Bay and the Disney Skyliner gondolas gliding overhead. There’s also Bar Riva, the open-air pool bar, and a gelato cart that (sometimes) services the pool. For those wanting something even more relaxed and adult, Beau Soleil Pool is only a few steps from the main pool and is great for sunbathing.
9. Copper Creek Springs – The main pool at Wilderness Lodge is probably not one I would’ve considered for this high of a spot originally, had I not taken a step back and considered the ambiance of the entire pool area. Despite its location, it feels secluded in plain view, and has a lot to offer in terms of a relaxed ambiance.
Silver Creek Springs pool is “fed” by a natural spring in the lobby of the hotel, which trickles outside of the hotel and into the pool, which is surrounded by pine trees and boulders with views of the hotel’s geyser and Bay Lake in the distance. Pretty cool theme, right?On top of that, there’s a 67-foot waterslide built into the rocks, hot and cold whirlpool spas, and a new water play area for kids.
8. Doubloon Lagoon – While Doubloon Lagoon at Port Orleans French Quarter doesn’t hold a candle to Typhoon Lagoon, it does have a band of musically-inclined alligators, and a 51-foot long slide themed as a SerpentDragonSnake. That’s right: a giant half serpent, half dragon, and half snake creature known to scour the depths of the waters, leaving no one alive. (The danger is super cereal and no one will listen to me!)
Fortunately, while Disney’s scale model of the SerpentDragonSnake is strikingly realistic, he poses no threat to tourists. He, along with the alligators give the pool a fun vibe, which is what “makes” this pool for us. That, plus a nice location, the kiddie pool, whirlpool spa, and the Mardi Grogs pool bar push it slightly ahead of Dig Site–although that’s debatable, and might be due to my bias towards SerpentDragonSnake.
7. Big Blue Pool – I’ll say it: this is the most overrated pool at Walt Disney World. Art of Animation Resort‘s Feature Pool is often touted for its size (the largest at any Walt Disney World resort hotel) and its fun Finding Nemo decor. I have to give it credit for all of these things, which is why it makes this list.
However, Big Blue Pool also has its drawbacks. With the size comes a blander design and huge crowds. On the plus side, the Schoolyard Sprayground and Squirt’s Righteous Reef are both really nice play areas, but overall, Big Blue Pool just doesn’t rank among the elite pools at Walt Disney World. Maybe I’m just a fun-hating curmudgeon, but I actually spend more time at the Cars pool, thanks to its quieter vibe and cool Cozy Cone cabanas. On balance, Big Blue Pool is better for most families, but the Cars Cozy Cone pool would be our sleeper pick!
6. Dig Site Pools – The Lost City of Cibola Pool (and adjacent “Dig Site” areas) at Coronado Springs makes the list because of its range, and it’s jumped a couple of spots thanks to improvements made prior to the debut of Gran Destino Tower. Unfortunately, that tall tower did not add any pools of its own, meaning this feature pool now has to absorb even more guests, which can lead to larger crowds.
For kids, there’s the 123-foot water slide, Mayan temple ruins, arcade, play area, and 50-foot tall pyramid. For adults, there’s the large Siesta’s bar, volleyball court, and largest hot tub at Walt Disney World (capacity for 22 people). I don’t really think there’s a single “wow” element to all of this, which hurts its rank, but Dig Site is a very solid, well-rounded pool area.
5. Samawati Springs Pool – If this #5 ranking isn’t proof that I can admit when I’m wrong, I don’t know what it is. After giving this more thought and doing a comparison to what other pools offer, Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village has a pool area that measures up to the best of them–albeit not for me, personally.
The big highlight here is Uwanja Camp, a water playground with 3 zones that include water guns, climbing crates, games, geysers, and a ton of other stuff. Then there’s the 128-foot water slide, and large zero-entry pool, all among secluded foliage. Granted, the pool itself is less than half the size of Animal Kingdom Lodge’s pool, which is probably the better option for adults (it doesn’t make this list in the interest of avoiding redundancy), but Kidani Village’s pool is great for families.
4. Beach Pool – The pools at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa have seen some substantial changes in the last couple of years that, overall, I’d say are for the better. The Courtyard Pool added zero entry among other enhancements, which have pulled a lot of crowds towards it, and made things quieter are the Beach Pool (which I think technically is Grand Floridian’s “Feature Pool”).
Beach Pool is a large and serene natural springs-themed setting, with a 111,261-gallon pool overlooking Seven Seas Lagoon, 181-foot-long waterslide, waterfalls, walking bridge, poolside bar, and zero-depth beach entry. There’s also an Alice in Wonderland water play area adjacent to the pool, providing balance for kids to what is otherwise an adult pool area.
3. Fuentes del Morro Pool – I don’t care how old you are, if you claim that you don’t like pretending to be a pirate, you are lying to yourself and your whole life is a sham. This zero-entry pool at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort scores serious points for its Spanish colonial fortress style, complete with cannons. It’s even better than its counterpart at the newer and nicer Disney’s Riviera Resort!
For me, Fuentes del Morro Pool feels like an extension of the first scene of Pirates of the Caribbean (attraction), and I can only imagine being a child again and coming back to this after riding the Magic Kingdom attraction for the first time. Add to this the nice Shipwreck Play Area, and two water slides, and you have an area that’s great for kids. For the adults, there’s a pool bar plus two somewhat secluded hot tubs. All of this plus close proximity to Banana Cabana and Centertown Market makes this pool a great option for a “rest day” during a Walt Disney World vacation.
2. Lava Pool – During Polynesian Village Resort‘s recent overhaul, this went from being the Nanea Volcano Pool to the Lava Pool. With this, the volcano pool slide structure was rebuilt, and now resembles more lava ruins than it does an active volcano. In terms of substance, the pool is very similar to Beach Pool at Grand Floridian.
You’ve got a wonderful Kiki Tiki’s Splash Play Area, walking bridge, waterfalls, and 142-foot water slide at this zero-entry pool complex in the heart of the Poly. There are also great views into the Seven Seas Lagoon, a nice poolside bar, and a semi-secluded hot tub. Ultimately, Lava Pool ranks higher than Beach Pool because of what it accomplishes thematically, which feels richer than Beach Pool, and offers a little slice of paradise for both kids and adults.
1. Stormalong Bay – Was there ever any question about which pool would rank #1? In the world of Disney pools, there’s Stormalong Bay, and there’s everything else. Shared by Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, this sprawling pool complex 3 acres in size with sand at the bottom and a lazy river is in a league of its own.
Stormalong Bay also has an excellent 230-foot ‘shipwrecked’ water slide, ample lounging space, a surplus of bridges and areas to explore, and an excellent poolside bar. If the pool is what matters most to you, and you have the budget, Yacht & Beach Club Resorts should be your top pick for resorts. This pool offers something for everyone, and the sand at the bottom is the kind of odd thing that will stick in your kids’ memories. While StormAlong Bay does not rival Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks, it’ll do if you don’t want to dedicate a day to one of those parks.
Alright, that’s our list! Admittedly, some solid pools were snubbed. There’s also the issue of non-Disney pools, some of which are excellent. This includes those at the Swan & Dolphin, Four Seasons Orlando, Waldorf Astoria & Hilton Bonnet Creek, both Hiltons at Disney Springs, Hyatt Grand Cypress, and JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, just to name a few.
While we have spent time lounging at every Walt Disney World resort pool, it’s probably worth noting that (like anything) this is subjective and based in large part upon our personal preferences. You might love some pools that don’t do much for us, or hate those that we adore. As you’ll see in the comments, some Walt Disney World fans don’t like Stormalong Bay, which is far and away our favorite. Different strokes for different folks!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Since this is a subjective matter, we’d love to hear your favorite–and least favorite–pools! Are we wrong about Big Blue Pool being overrated? Do you think any particular pools at Walt Disney World were snubbed? Have any of your family members fallen prey to SerpentDragonSnake? Do you yearn to feel the sand between your toes in StormAlong Bay? Share your pool rankings, other questions, and questions in the comments below!
I polled my family. My daughter’s favorite is Uzima Springs at AKL’s Jambo House (2 hot tubs, flamingos, zero entry, tropical vegetation). My favorite is Saratoga Springs’ Congress Park pool (gorgeous quiet pool with an elegant shape and frog fountains, plays classical music, overlooks Disney Springs’ hot air balloon, hot tub, seldom crowded and can always get a chair with an umbrella. Incredibly relaxing) My second favorite pool is Grand Floridian Villa pool (rent a cabana for the absolute most awesome time EVER – 2 lounge chairs, 1 sectional couch, 1 smart tv, 1 stocked fridge full of drinks, 1 large fruit basket, 1 snack basket, 1 table play games and eat, sunscreen; lovely view of Magic Kingdom, fun water slide; absolutely delicious lobster sliders at the Beaches Pool Bar & Grill). I dream about either of those pools. My husband said his favorite is the one he happens to be at because they are all awesome!
Tom, Your list is perfect. We LOVE the Caribbean Beach Resort pool but #3 is the right spot. When you get to #10 there’s probably a few other pools that could be listed as ties. Unless I’m mistaken, Saratoga Springs offers two pools featuring two of the longest slides in all of the resorts. Tough to beat a good slide, not matter what age you are.
Thanks for the list! Going to go read your hotel reviews to see if you have more pictures of the pools. The cozy cone cabanas sound cute!
I think the Contemporary pool shines in one particular area– SHADE! I’m a redhead and we visit in the summer, and I’ve never had a problem getting shaded lounge chairs by the Contemporary pool. Between the shade of the trees and the building itself (in the late afternoon), it just works so well. I can’t say that about the other resorts we’ve tried. The Contemporary pool isn’t my kids’ favorite, but at least nobody gets a sunburn!
Replying to Sarah – We rented points to stay at Kidani this past September and were able to use both pools. It was a bit of a hassle dealing with the distance between the two, but if that’s the worst part of your day, I’d say you’re doing pretty okay!
For my family, the Caribbean Beach pool (your #3) is the best. It’s the only pool that has more than one slide, and the toddler pool has its own slide. It even has a hot tub and a big, convenient changing room next to the pool. My kids and I have always loved it much better than the water parks. It’s never over crowded like Beach Club’s pool (your #1), and it’s small enough so that I know where the kids are at all times, and I can always find a chair to sit in if needed. And of course, CBR also have numerous quiet pools next to which is the laundry, and they are very nice to sit by in the mornings and evenings, when it’s not too hot or cold, and few people are there.
But I’ll admit, my kids are CRAZY about the Beach Club pool, so every few years I grit my teeth and put up with it.
Stormalong Bay is amazing but I agree it is not a pool to relax by. For relaxing I like really like AKL Uzima Springs (the one at Jambo house). I always have to remind myself I’m at Disney or even in Florida for that matter. In a good way! But I think some honorable mentions for just hanging out at are the Cozy Cone at night with all the lights on in the cars area and for a no kids trip the Poly’s Oasis pool. You can nap, it’s way less hectic than the lava pool and they have good bar service. Used to have a bartender named Mickey lol.
Me three! You summed up very well why we don’t actually care much for Stormalong Bay. It was not relaxing with a then, 7 year old on our last trip. We stayed in the BC villas and ended up using that quiet pool more. Our favorite pool on property is the Polynesian.
“The danger is super cereal” –> because the dragon will eat you if you stay in the pool too long? 😉
If I book a stay at animal kingdom lodge using vacation club points, will I be able to use both the kidani village pool as well as the main pool at the lodge?
As an update, we just spent a couple days at the Hilton Bonnet Creek, and the pool there is amazing. Huge zero entry area with tons of lounge chairs, a very long lazy river with plenty of tubes to use, a water slide for the kids, and the pool bar is great in terms of food selection and drinks for the adults. Hilton Bonnet Creek was a great choice for us for a pool-focused vacation being nearly on-site (and getting the luxury rooms at a Pop Century price!)
We love the beauty and ambiance of the pool at Wilderness Lodge. However, a lovely walk past the main courtyard pool along Bay Lake, we found the quiet pool on the Boulder Ridge side to be peaceful and relaxing. The hot tub was great after a long day in the parks. Plus being next to Geyser Point the wait staff come around to the guests at the pool asking if they can get anything for the guests. Maybe not as exciting as some of the bigger pools, but we loved it.
Have to disagree with you on the pool at the Boardwalk resort. Every year we visit Disney, we stay at a different resort, but the Boardwalk is one we’ve never stayed at and probably never will stay at because of the pool. It’s creepy enough during the day, but worse at night when the eyes are glowing. My child’s terrified of it. Not very family friendly. And to be fair, a clown doesn’t really represent the boardwalk of New Jersey or Ocean City, MD. I’ve never seen one at either boardwalk.
And the one thing you missed in your reviews of Caribbean Beach Resort, the Polynesian Resort, the Grand Floridian Resort, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge is the fact that they have zero-entry pools. Saratoga Springs also has a zero-entry pool, but it wasn’t included in your top 10 list. That’s a feature that many people look for. It’s great for little children, elderly people, and those with mobility issues. It’s also nice for everyone during the hot months when gripping onto a metal railing to safely walk down the steps into the pool will sear your hands!
As of at least September 2019 the Big Blue Pool is no longer playing music underwater. According to the lifeguard I asked, “We moved the music to be above water so all of our guests could enjoy it.”
I’ve been a dozen times and the music underwater is too faint to even hear u less you really concentrate.
I have to agree with Lizzie B on the pools at Yacht & Beach Clubs. Stormalong Bay is great for adults or older children but going with a 9 year old and 3 year old, it was anything but relaxing. The tower for the slide is across the promenade which means when you exit the slide in one of the many lagoon areas of Stormalong Bay, you have to find an exit door to the pool area, cross the promenade which has guests from Epcot or surrounding resorts walking it all the time and make it back to tower for the slide. I did like the small slide and pool at the base of the tower for the big slide which is where I sat with my 3 year old most of the time because big brother wanted to ride the big slide and little brother wanted to ride the small slide. I think the layout, multiple lagoons, loss of sight of children and the deep lazy river of Stormalong Bay bothered me more than I expected. We actually liked the basic pool and slide at The Contemporary better because we could sit in one spot and see both children at all time and there was a walk way around the entire pool so it was not difficult to navigate.
I absolutely agree with this. Even with slightly older children, who are good swimmers, I could never properly relax. The depth of the lazy river really worried me. Also, the size of the pool, and the bridges, meant I was constantly walking around to make sure the kids were safe. The pool at AKL was smaller, but more relaxing for this reason- it also had fantastic activities led by cast members that the kids loved. And the animals of course! Overall I preferred a less grand pool but much more user friendly for kids.
I agree to the Contemporary pool! My husband and I can really relax there because from our chairs we can easily watch our kids use the slide and hot tubs and swim right in front of us. The bar and bar food is good. We ate several dinners from there poolside. Also, so close and convenient to the Garden Wing. We were more than comfortable letting our 12 year old run back to the room.
And the view of Bay Lake, especially at Sunset, is amazing.
WHAT!?!?! This is your list of the best pools at Disney World !?! Ok actually I think it’s a great list. Well be staying at the Caribbean beach in a week, and am looking forword to seeing that pool again after a several year hiatus. The third best pool in the entire world!
Most of the pools are great with the exception of the All Stars Sports pool. Missing at the value resorts are the hot tubs. Although we stay at ASS because of the cost, we do visit other pools. Of course this is against the rules, but we do pool hop when we use points with our DVC membership. How about a story on pool hooping does and don’ts?
We stayed at yacht club last fall. And yes I did love the pool (stormalong bay)..that was one of the main reasons we chose that particular hotel. But..I do think it might be a tad bit overrated. Just a tad..I think my expectations were too high. But my kids loved the pool (and the water slide)! They also loved the pool at port Orleans riverside (which didn’t make the list). Art of animation pool definitely boring and overrated, but it’s nice because it’s so big. Next year we are staying at wilderness lodge, I’m excited to see their pool!
The pool at Wilderness Lodge is very small for the size of the resort. You will see for yourself when you go. The water slide is for real little kids and not much of a slide. Always crowded as well.
We book resort rooms based on the pool because my granddaughter loves to swim, so we’re at the pool every afternoon and on non-park days. The Boardwalk Inn, though, is one resort we won’t stay at because of its pool. That clown head is way too creepy for me, and my granddaughter says there’s no way she’s swimming near “Pennywise,” let alone sliding into its head and out its mouth. Personally, I keep looking for a red balloon in the area.
I wish Disney would stay with the times and do a major refurbishment on that outdated pool and ditch the creepy clown. Disney’s supposed to be a family resort, yet it has the main feature at its pool something that scares kids. Luckily for us, there are enough other resorts to choose from.
LOL!!! Hilarious review, PegP! My kids would have said the same about that clown. Just returned from Coronado Springs resort. The pool’s ancient ruins theming and water slide were a huge hit with my ten year olds. We did have to wait due to Covid restrictions which rattled them at first but we got the hang of it. What can you do, it’s a pandemic. All in all, a great pool and resort.
The Poly pool was overcrowded and the top of the slide smelled like urine. I’ll take Stormalong Bay over the Poly any day! Thanks for the great list of pools, btw. 🙂
While I can’t confirm the smell, I agree that the pool is too small for a resort that size. The redid both pools and they did not make them bigger. Kind of strange to me.
I must add the Animal Kingdom pool is very nice. Our Granddaughters had a great time. The staff organized great activities and contests that included all the children. Great fun!