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Grande Ocean Dolphin Pool construction [Oct '21 Start Delayed] [MERGED]

Fasttr

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I can't believe how confused I am! Looking at only the new artist rendering and starting at the fountain moving clockwise, at 12:00 is the large shelf/splash pad with three steps down into the pool, then almost opposite at 6-7:00 is the large stepped entry with two handrails and the wheelchair lift, yes? Now what is next, at 8:00 between that stepped entry and the entrance to the lazy river? Is that full-depth with only bench seating at the edge, or is that some kind of slope happening from the edge to the middle of the pool?

Barony's large pool at the gardenview section was replaced with a feature-rich pool that took away some full-depth area, but Barony's other pool at the oceanfront is large enough to offset the loss. Is the other pool at GO large?
I believe the 8:00 cut out is full depth with only bench seating along the edge, just like what is around the dolphin water feature in the middle of the pool. If you look at the "original original" rendering, that area even says underwater bench.
 

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I think it is just three handrails. They went in to such detail as to also include shadows. I think that is the reason why the one on the far right looks like it is two handrails or a lift? Where it is all just three handrails evenly spaced.

I asked the question earlier if GO already has a zero entry pool. I went back through my resort tour video and didn't see one. I don't know why they wouldn't add a true zero entry while redoing this pool. Seems like they could take out those three steps down from the splash pad and keep that a slope. It would then be like the north pool at Oceana Palms and the lower pool at Grande Vista Plaza del Sol. Both have a zero entry section with splash pad all in one.

I am also amazed at how much we can all analyze these and pick every detail apart, all from what looks like doodles on the back of a napkin. Gotta love TUG :)
In that area I'm seeing a single handrail with single shadows on the far left and in the center, then two rails with two shadows (assuming it's some kind of handicapped access) on the far right.

It's the next section to the left that has me so confused, though, probably because of the shading. What makes the most sense is that it's full-depth with bench seating on the perimeter but the different hues are are throwing me for a loop.

And yep, we could write 8-page threads on how to separate two Lego blocks if we really put our minds to it. :LOL:
 

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I am also amaze how many open chairs there are without a towel and a book on them. In this new rendering there are no pool chair hogs getting up at 6am.
 

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I am also amaze how many open chairs there are without a towel and a book on them. In this new rendering there are no pool chair hogs getting up at 6am.
One of you attachment wizards needs to post that new artist rendering with a stick figure of whatever cute name it is that Marriott gives to the security staff. Be sure you make him ten feet tall, bulletproof and able to stop us illegal visitors in a single bound so he'll pass Marty's muster. ;)
 

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I can't believe how confused I am! Looking at only the new artist rendering and starting at the fountain moving clockwise, at 12:00 is the large shelf/splash pad with three steps down into the pool, then almost opposite at 6-7:00 is the large stepped entry with two handrails and the wheelchair lift, yes? Now what is next, at 8:00 between that stepped entry and the entrance to the lazy river? Is that full-depth with only bench seating at the edge, or is that some kind of slope happening from the edge to the middle of the pool?

Barony's large pool at the gardenview section was replaced with a feature-rich pool that took away some full-depth area, but Barony's other pool at the oceanfront is large enough to offset the loss. Is the other pool at GO large?

I think you're right about most things, except the "what is that" just prior to the lazy river is the wheelchair lift, with perhaps an extra arm.
It appears to look like a gray contraption, only interpreted by me as the wheel chair lift. What you saw as a wheelchair lift near the stepped entry
& two handrails at 6:00 was just a third hand rail. There are 3 handrails at that entry. So the lift is located just before the lazy river entrance/exit.

Per your last question, GO has three very large mega pools---the North Pool on the lagoon side near the ocean,
the U-shaped Adult South Pool (at Loggerhead Landing, forever known as Pool Bar Jim's) and it's adjacent to the new 20-ft wide oceanfront deck
which runs about 30-40 yards alongside the ocean (overlooking the dunes) & contains two rows of lounge chairs with covers running the entire length & offering a clear unimpeded ocean view just like the poolside chairs at the North Pool.
The third large pool is the Dolphin Pool about which we're discussing regarding the new rendering.
Between the South Pool & Dolphin Pool are the shrub hedge, the bocce ball & shuffleboard courts, the Dolphin Grille, several individual swings alongside the Starfish Bldg, and a shrub-lined private hot tub.
A different set of larger swings, the largest collection, runs from the South Boardwalk to the North Pool, all lined up and swinging from an overhead arbor. There's a lot happening on the South side.....
Never even mentioned the Putting Green, the two large sets of grill areas (one near back bldgs & one near ocean), and two more private hot tubs guarded by shrub hedges.
 

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A pool this size requires two points of entry for ADA compliance.

Reference: https://www.ada.gov/pools_2010.htm
The 2010 Standards establish two categories of pools: large pools with more than 300 linear feet of pool wall and smaller pools with less than 300 linear feet of wall. Large pools must have two accessible means of entry, with at least one being a pool lift or sloped entry;

I really don't know what other accessible means of entry there are outside of a lift or sloped entry.

Looking at that third rail at six oclock, it does look like a double rail on the far right. Zoomed in;
1651803823496.png
 

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I read the entire thread and don't recall anyone discussing the current Dolphin pool size versus the renovated size. Do they look comparable or is one larger than the other? I'd hate to see too much pool size given up for the lazy river.

In a similar vein, does anyone think the other attractions/activities/features in the area (mini-golf, grills, etc.) will be impacted or even removed? If the space for the pool and lazy river renovation is larger than the current pool area, something will need to give.
 

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From my perspective and looking at the renderings, it looks like they are only modifying the existing footprint of the pool and surrounding concrete decking. It doesn't appear that anything is being removed to accommodate the rennovation.
 

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Staying at Barony this week and the couple staying with us decided to do a sales presentation. I told them to ask if the Dolphin pool construction was still planned for this Fall. The sales guy told them it was, but he also told them they changed the plans again and now there is supposed to be a swim-up bar on the lazy river with tubes that have cup holders. I can't believe this is true, but has anyone seen any new plans while staying at Grande Ocean?
 

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Staying at Barony this week and the couple staying with us decided to do a sales presentation. I told them to ask if the Dolphin pool construction was still planned for this Fall. The sales guy told them it was, but he also told them they changed the plans again and now there is supposed to be a swim-up bar on the lazy river with tubes that have cup holders. I can't believe this is true, but has anyone seen any new plans while staying at Grande Ocean?
Maybe Jim is coming back but with the requirement of changing his official name to “Lazy River Bar Jim”. ;-)
 

jwalk03

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Staying at Barony this week and the couple staying with us decided to do a sales presentation. I told them to ask if the Dolphin pool construction was still planned for this Fall. The sales guy told them it was, but he also told them they changed the plans again and now there is supposed to be a swim-up bar on the lazy river with tubes that have cup holders. I can't believe this is true, but has anyone seen any new plans while staying at Grande Ocean?

Sounds like sales nonsense to me!
 

dioxide45

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Staying at Barony this week and the couple staying with us decided to do a sales presentation. I told them to ask if the Dolphin pool construction was still planned for this Fall. The sales guy told them it was, but he also told them they changed the plans again and now there is supposed to be a swim-up bar on the lazy river with tubes that have cup holders. I can't believe this is true, but has anyone seen any new plans while staying at Grande Ocean?
Are you just pranking us???
 

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They made a big deal about the new pool last week. Desk, Concierge, MVC sales staff. It does look bigger to me and the desk staff agreed they thought (but did not know) that it was going to be a bit bigger. Looks like a great upgrade to me. The existing pool is showing it's age, by a lot. The hot tub was having issues running as well. They could also redo the putting green area.
 

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Are you just pranking us???


Yes, and I suppose that Pool Bar Jim has been rehired to run the swim-up bar???......... Right.

Sounds like a horrible idea to put a swim-up bar inside, or alongside, a Lazy River......think a "bottleneck" will happen there?
Terrible idea......Keep the bar where the bar is now.......adjacent to the South Pool, far away from the Dolphin Pool. (I think that had to be a joke.)
Anyway, I'll be back at the end of this month and I'll talk to the GM, again!---perhaps the 3rd or 4th time since last year.
The plan is actually getting out of hand imho, and I'm not so sure it's going to work because a "nice & proper" Lazy River inherently needs space,
and there's not a lot of space where it's proposed to be located. Another TUG member who was there last week concurs.
But we'll see what he says. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets put off again. I love a lazy river, and desperately would like to see one,
but I'm not sure if the shoe fits.
 

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Yes, and I suppose that Pool Bar Jim has been rehired to run the swim-up bar???......... Right.

Sounds like a horrible idea to put a swim-up bar inside, or alongside, a Lazy River......think a "bottleneck" will happen there?
Terrible idea......Keep the bar where the bar is now.......adjacent to the South Pool, far away from the Dolphin Pool. (I think that had to be a joke.)
Anyway, I'll be back at the end of this month and I'll talk to the GM, again!---perhaps the 3rd or 4th time since last year.
The plan is actually getting out of hand imho, and I'm not so sure it's going to work because a "nice & proper" Lazy River inherently needs space,
and there's not a lot of space where it's proposed to be located. Another TUG member who was there last week concurs.
But we'll see what he says. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets put off again. I love a lazy river, and desperately would like to see one,
but I'm not sure if the shoe fits.

The way it is designed, including the splash area, suggests this pool is really intended for little kids, thus a small lazy river is probably okay for that purpose. I doubt many adults will hang out in it.

Really, they should convert the pond area on the north side to a lazy river if they want a proper lazy river.
 

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The way it is designed, including the splash area, suggests this pool is really intended for little kids, thus a small lazy river is probably okay for that purpose. I doubt many adults will hang out in it.

Really, they should convert the pond area on the north side to a lazy river if they want a proper lazy river.

The Dolphin pool is definitely not an exclusive pool for kids.....there would be a massive revolt if so. Adults have used and enjoyed that pool for 24+ years.
And, putting in a lazy river to replace the lagoon would be a huge mistake---it would ruin the serene and peaceful ambiance of that shaded section of MGO's North side.
The South side at the Dolphin Pool is the "activities" side of the resort (alternates with the North Pool for some activities).
MGO is somewhat unique in having that beautiful lagoon feature, and doesn't need more "stimulation" of loud kids and perpetually running water over there,
and the trees shedding leaves would be an ongoing maintenance issue, and the trees won't be coming down, that's for sure....
Island Codes prevent even pruning them but a small % annually.
Folks who seldom stay at MGO might think it's the logical place for it, and I understand, but it would take away far more than it added.
I would actually drive over to protest that one.
MGO isn't at Myrtle Beach, nor is it in Orlando! Won't happen!
 

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Are you just pranking us???
Nope. That's what the sales guy told them. I personally don't like the idea of adding a lazy river in the Dolphin pool area. I don't have a problem with a change to the layout, but a lazy river would be worthless. Converting the lagoon side to lazy river is a much better idea.
 

dioxide45

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Really, they should convert the pond area on the north side to a lazy river if they want a proper lazy river.
Well, the lagoon was intended to originally be a lazy river. You can even see where it clearly would have connected to the north pool and was instead closed off.
 

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Well, the lagoon was intended to originally be a lazy river. You can even see where it clearly would have connected to the north pool and was instead closed off.

I think the beauty of the grove of Live Oaks there signaled the end of that project.....I wasn't around at that early juncture,
but I'm glad it turned out that way...it's too pretty over there.
I like the idea of a lazy river, but imho it's not a feature that MGO necessarily needs going forward. Like I said, it's not Orlando or Myrtle Beach.
Don't need a bungee jump either.
 

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I think a Slingshot ride would probably be better!

No, that's scheduled for Surfwatch..... then they can get rid of the costly golf carts for transport to the beach.
 

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The Dolphin pool is definitely not an exclusive pool for kids.....there would be a massive revolt if so. Adults have used and enjoyed that pool for 24+ years.
And, putting in a lazy river to replace the lagoon would be a huge mistake---it would ruin the serene and peaceful ambiance of that shaded section of MGO's North side.
The South side at the Dolphin Pool is the "activities" side of the resort (alternates with the North Pool for some activities).
MGO is somewhat unique in having that beautiful lagoon feature, and doesn't need more "stimulation" of loud kids and perpetually running water over there,
and the trees shedding leaves would be an ongoing maintenance issue, and the trees won't be coming down, that's for sure....
Island Codes prevent even pruning them but a small % annually.
Folks who seldom stay at MGO might think it's the logical place for it, and I understand, but it would take away far more than it added.
I would actually drive over to protest that one.
MGO isn't at Myrtle Beach, nor is it in Orlando! Won't happen!
Why drive all the way over to GO to protest the removal of a cement lagoon at GO when you can just take the left off 278 at Mile Marker 6 and enjoy the much larger natural water/marsh setting at SW?!?!
 

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Why drive all the way over to GO to protest the removal of a cement lagoon at GO when you can just take the left off 278 at Mile Marker 6 and enjoy the much larger natural water/marsh setting at SW?!?!
The gloves are off now!! ;-)

I've got a $10 bill that says Marty won't let this one go without a comeback.

I think I can hear him cancelling patients so he can craft his response.
 
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No, that's scheduled for Surfwatch..... then they can get rid of the costly golf carts for transport to the beach.
HAHAHA! Marty, I hope the two of us NEVER stop needling each other over our favorite resorts!

For the record, I think swim-up bars are completely gross no matter where they are. Just the thought of drinks being spilled in those areas disgusts me, and we all know that far worse might be happening under the water's surface.
 

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Why drive all the way over to GO to protest the removal of a cement lagoon at GO when you can just take the left off 278 at Mile Marker 6 and enjoy the much larger natural water/marsh setting at SW?!?!

You make a compelling point.
But then, I think it must be a subliminal thing. I always loved Jethro's "cement pond" on The Beverly Hillbillies, and since Elly May liked it too, what can I say?
 
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