Concierge/Club Level Information- Part IV, July 2012

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Just trying to decide if it's worth it. We're staying 3 nights at the Poly next week (9/6-9/9). We don't arrive until 10 p.m. the first night. Also while we are there NOJ is going on at MK so there are no fireworks either night. Right now we're just staying in a standard view room (DH, DS 15, DD 9 and me) and the upgrade to club level is a total of $350 (with an AP discount). We are going to WDW as a "surprise" for DD's 10th birthday which is 9/8. Any opinions??? We've never stayed club anywhere before so we won't be comparing the Poly to any other club level.
 
This is our first time staying in a club concierge category and we are very excited about it, we're not arriving til Thanksgiving, just had a few ?'s.

Mostly the bottled water I've seen is in glass bottles. Others may have different experiences, but we always bring water in plastic bottles for the parks/poolside. The glass bottles are more for your room.

Every day there is different hot offerings, and more than just scallops. At BC, we saw samosas, cold lobster salad (I know, not an option), fried dumplings, cheese is always out, veggies with dip are always out, rolls and crackers, peanut butter/jelly, sliced apples, a salad of some kind (like olives with feta, tomato/basil/mozerella). That was during out very short recent stay at BC, other items we've seen items like mini pizza, eggrolls with assorted fillings. They are mostly fried dumplings of some kind, but only one at a time is seafood.

That said, you can ask about allergies, and they may give you an alternative. they might also plate up some items that have not been contaminated. The procedures vary from resort to resort, and CM to CM. In my experience, if you ask them to plate something though you are kind of committing to being there at a certain time. That's the downside.

We seriously don't mind 'standard view' club level. The view you get is not going to be ideal, but you usually get some kind of partial view. Usually views of actual parking lots are obstructed with landscaping, IME. No matter where you stay, Club level almost always has at least some view of a rooftop- you are on the top level of the resort- it's impossible to avoid. (at all WDW resorts!) On our most recent stay, we had garden view. It was only slightly different from standard view in my opinion. Both times we could see the courtyard, and other guest rooms. The only resorts that are sort of different is the CR Bay Lake view on the 12th floor and the AKL safari view. I suppose if you get Poly or GF castle view (non club level) that's also sort of different, but at GF you can only get true castle view on non club level. (there's always a building in the way)

Our standard view CL rooms have always had balconies, except once at Poly. I think at BC it's only the deluxe rooms that may have standing balconies. I would never pick those because they are also not on the same floor as the lounge/desk. My personal opinion, is that the most important 'request' of staying club level is to be close to the lounge. I don't nkow about your vacation, but we don't spend all that much time on our balcony, maybe 20 min each morning tops. Almost any view gives me a sense of being at WDW, in the heart of the magic, but having to go between floors or walk down a very LONG hallway is very time consuming.

I'm thinking you have a slightly unrealistic idea of what club level view means. Fireworks view probably likely in suites at BC, otherwise it's luck of the draw. At BC, club level rooms face all different ways, some will have a view towards Epcot, some don't. (consider looking at Google mpas to see the resort layout to see what I mean) When we stayed Standard there, we would have had a fairly decent view of the fireworks if we had been there during the show. Last we as well, our Garden view room would have had about as good a view as you can get. But I will warn you, the Epcot fireworks are very low to the ground, there are large trees between Epcot and BC, so you are never going to get a full view of the show from any balcony. At best, you'll see about 2/3 the show. I've only been at BC twice, but I have stayed at the Swan many times- which has a bettter angle and is higher- and even there, you don't see the whole show. If you really want a view of nightly fireworks, from your room, with minimal trees, and no parking lot, on club level - the ONLY option is Poly MK view. Everything else is going to involve some compromise. Even at Poly, the view is not that same as in the park.

I think King beds are an option. go tot he Disney website and check the descriptions of each room category. It will tell you there.

I'm not trying to be mean, I love club level. I am guessing that you will LOVE it. Of all the CL resorts we've tried, BC's staff is among the very best! The pool is amazing! Be sure to explore all the nooks and crannies of the pool area! Also, if you have kids, get a kids meal at the outdoor lunch area so they get a sand pail. The food is excellent, the landscaping is among the best, and the location is fabulous.
 
Our flight lands at 9:30 pm, so by the time we get to AKL by DME, it will be past 10 pm.:(
 
Just trying to decide if it's worth it.

I think it is worthwhile, but if you read my previous post, fireworks views are generally low on my list of reasons to pick CL. At Poly, probably the best castle view is in the lounge itself, which has large picture windows. You might not get a balcony, but I think that's always true at Poly.

What I value most in any resort, is ways to maximize our time. I like speedy transportation. One of the reasons we love CL so much is that we really maximize the 'vacation' part of our time at WDW. (less lines, etc.) You also get extra 'hang out' space. It's super great if someone wants little extra sleep, or if kids are part of your party, because the whole CL building at Poly is only CL guest access.

The flip side of CL is that it means changing how we tour. You can only take advantage of the club level food if you are there. The best times to access the lounge are breakfast and 5-7pm appetizers/beer and wine hour (or alternately 8-10pm for desserts/cordials). If you are hard core commando, CL might not be for you.

CL means extra service. (again quick!) I plan trips myself, and know my way around WDW. Even still, CL staff is always quick with answers/help. You never wait in a long line. Beyond that, staff have been lifesavers, and vacationsavers when we've had small mishaps. Er, they were small because they were quickly resolved. Once, a family member lost her purse, including rental car keys. On our own, we probably would have located lost and found eventually, but CL staff located the purse in minutes- because they knew exactly where to call. That's the kind of kind of 'trip insurance' I really apprecaite.

There are limits, but if you get to WDW, and decide you don't like one of your ADR's, they can help you find an alternative in a timely manner. I don't use it often, but flexibility is liberating.

Oh, and best of all.....all club levels have latte machines. Ah....with the push of a button, you have a latte! SO much better than NASTY swill-filled refillable mugs. You'll never go back! Also, if you like to eat a healthy breakfast, you'll like CL. I can't say the appetizers are all healthy, but breakfast means fresh fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, breads, cereal, juices. That's breakfast I like. I hate urn-style coffee, vat cooked semi-raw eggs, greasy potato, lines, having to make our breakfasts conform to the DDP, trekking all the way to the food court and back. You get soft drinks and whole fruits all day, and beer/wine/cordials (see hours).

I say go for it- but please read what everyone has to say about it. Lots of good info here, especially the start of the thread.
 


This is our first time staying in a club concierge category and we are very excited about it, we're not arriving til Thanksgiving, just had a few ?'s

-Can we grab a bottled water or soda and take to our room?
-Do the hot food offering change daily? The only one I've seen is scallops, I am allergic to shellfish, will there be other offerings aside from shellfish?
-We are currently booked in club-standard, I keep checking daily for garden or a water view. If we can't get a better room category, I was told the view would be of a rooftop?Are the standard view rooms all the small balconies?
-Are there any king beds in standard? Which views have fireworks view?
Sorry so many questions, when we booked it was over 300 days out, now we're at 85 days so we're starting to really get anxious.

Thanks so much

We were given plastic bottles of water on occasion when we asked. We also had it show up in our rooms (maybe we asked too much!! :laughing:).

The food changes daily, but I believe allergies can be accomodated.

We were in SV (all that was left!!) in May/June, and we had a great view of fireworks and SE from our tiny balcony. :rotfl:
 
We just returned yesterday after 9 nights Poly CL and definitely agree with the views expressed by Mickeyluv'r. When Hurricane Isaac threatened to put a damper on our Around the World Segway tour, the CL staff was able to quickly get it changed to the next morning for us when the weather was still good. We used the lounge primarily for breakfast before heading to the parks and the 5-7 appetizers to hold our kids over until our 8pm ADRs. However, if you want a beer or glass of wine when the "shutters are closed" (which we did on a couple of days when we returned mid-afternoon), you can ask one of the CM's in the lounge (or knock on the door) and they will get it for you. :)
 
Mostly the bottled water I've seen is in glass bottles. Others may have different experiences, but we always bring water in plastic bottles for the parks/poolside. The glass bottles are more for your room.

We were given plastic bottles of water on occasion when we asked.

When we stayed at BC CL just a week ago the CL staff told us to just ask if we wanted to take water to the parks - they told us this one day when I was commenting how hot it was. Anytime we asked (very nicely and always with a 'I realize you're a little busy, when you have a chance ...'), they gave us ice cold 20 oz. plastic bottles of Dasani - the same ones sold in the parks. Saved us $10 each time we headed out to the parks. Many people (you'll see them, we called them the CL stalkers - always peeking and watching what someone else was getting on CL that they might want) seemed surprised one morning when we were handed the water. I felt sorry for the CM because then she was pounced on multiple times, and in not so nice tones of voices, by other guests.

Maybe it's something fairly recent?? I remember reading when I was planning a few months ago that water for traveling to the parks wasn't really an option on CL. So, we were very happily surprised when the CMs told us to just ask!! Also, maybe it's seasonal?? during the really hot times of the year??
 


When we stayed at BC CL just a week ago the CL staff told us to just ask if we wanted to take water to the parks - they told us this one day when I was commenting how hot it was.

I think maybe it also varies by resort? It's one of the CL mysteries. Once we were offered juice boxes, but never again. Sometimes if you ask for something you've gotten in the past they look at you like you are from Mars. I am always the one eating the strawberry 'garnish' - and sometimes I can get a few bonus strawberries. (or blueberries, if that's the garnish of the day and I ask nicely) Often the main fruit offered is (cheap) cantelope, which I can't eat.

If it's warm, we always go through TONS of water. I do so very much wish they had bottled water in the drink cooler, and water in each room, instead of just soda cans.
 
mickeyluv'r said:
I think maybe it also varies by resort? It's one of the CL mysteries. Once we were offered juice boxes, but never again. Sometimes if you ask for something you've gotten in the past they look at you like you are from Mars. I am always the one eating the strawberry 'garnish' - and sometimes I can get a few bonus strawberries. (or blueberries, if that's the garnish of the day and I ask nicely) Often the main fruit offered is (cheap) cantelope, which I can't eat.

If it's warm, we always go through TONS of water. I do so very much wish they had bottled water in the drink cooler, and water in each room, instead of just soda cans.

Well they did away with the small bottles of water at CL a few years ago and replaced them with the big glass bottles, supposedly because guests were taking all the bottles to take into the parks. The PP's experience seems to be an exception. I wouldn't expect them to bring back the smaller plastic bottles.
 
We just returned yesterday after 9 nights Poly CL and definitely agree with the views expressed by Mickeyluv'r. When :)

Thanks!

A shorter way to encapsulate the value of CL is this:

At WDW, time = money, and money = (added) time.

Since the amount of time I have to vacation is very finite, making good use of the time I have is highly valuable. If you really want to do WDW on a tight budget, it can be done. I've tried many options myself. In my experience, most penny pinching choices cost time. It's a bigger trade off than many folks like to consider. Conversely, if you spend a little more at Disney (in strategic ways)- you get something of value in return. As pricey as a WDW vacation is, sometimes spending a little extra really makes a big difference in HOW you get to spend your vacation time.

In short, I think CL is among the best kept secret ways ot maximize one's vacation. IF you are already considering a deluxe resort, then adding CL - with a good discount rate- is well worth the $ for us. Mind, if you have plenty of free time but a limited budget (retired, perhaps?)- then the opposite might be true; using extra time to save every $ makes more sense.
 
Well they did away with the small bottles of water at CL a few years ago and replaced them with the big glass bottles, supposedly because guests were taking all the bottles to take into the parks. The PP's experience seems to be an exception. I wouldn't expect them to bring back the smaller plastic bottles.

We also had the same experience at the Beach Club (same as PP) in June. It could just be a Beach Club thing. I asked for water to take back to the room, expecting the glass bottles, and she asked if I wanted the big Evian, Fiji or small Dasani waters. I was shocked and asked for Dasani, she asked how many, I said 3 or 4, she gave me 4. :thumbsup2 I then came back and asked for 3 or 4 every day for the rest of the trip. In the "spirit" of the lounge water use, we actually did just drink them in the room and resort areas, we're water hounds.
 
Thanks!

A shorter way to encapsulate the value of CL is this:

At WDW, time = money, and money = (added) time.

Since the amount of time I have to vacation is very finite, making good use of the time I have is highly valuable. If you really want to do WDW on a tight budget, it can be done. I've tried many options myself. In my experience, most penny pinching choices cost time. It's a bigger trade off than many folks like to consider. Conversely, if you spend a little more at Disney (in strategic ways)- you get something of value in return. As pricey as a WDW vacation is, sometimes spending a little extra really makes a big difference in HOW you get to spend your vacation time.

In short, I think CL is among the best kept secret ways ot maximize one's vacation. IF you are already considering a deluxe resort, then adding CL - with a good discount rate- is well worth the $ for us. Mind, if you have plenty of free time but a limited budget (retired, perhaps?)- then the opposite might be true; using extra time to save every $ makes more sense.

EXTREMELY well put. Any monetary comparison will tell you that staying club will never save you money if you are purely comparing food and drink costs.

It's the same with us for taxis to other resorts for dinners. If we're paying $$$ for a signature dinner at another resort not close by, either we can spend 60-90 mins travelling to a park, then back to the other resort for free, or hop in a cab for $15 and have it only take 15 minutes. The time saved is well worth the money. The same is true with staying club, especially for the breakfasts. We're also DVC members (wo do both types of trips still), and when we stay DVC, we buy breakfasts (mostly cereal, milk, and coffee) for the room, again to save A LOT of time in the mornings. Then we also buy a few cases of water, in that case purely to save money. :)
 
Hi all
I have a question I hope someone can answer for me. This is my first time needing to book a suite or dlx room so I have been weighing my options. I Keep coming across a CP GV 1 bed but it doesn't seem to have CL privileges am I correct here?
 
Adlergray said:
Hi all
I have a question I hope someone can answer for me. This is my first time needing to book a suite or dlx room so I have been weighing my options. I Keep coming across a CP GV 1 bed but it doesn't seem to have CL privileges am I correct here?

What is CP?
 
Are slippers (with kids sizes) and "upgraded" toiletry items included in CL?We're staying at the GF, Sugar Loaf. I'm looking to lighten my packing load in any way I can.

Also, is it frowned upon to take food back to the room to eat? Early in the morning I like my space.
 
Are slippers (with kids sizes) and "upgraded" toiletry items included in CL?We're staying at the GF, Sugar Loaf. I'm looking to lighten my packing load in any way I can.

Also, is it frowned upon to take food back to the room to eat? Early in the morning I like my space.

Yes it's ok for you to take food from the lounge back to your room.

Yeah, not a problem at all taking out food. Toiletries are pretty good, what exactly would you be looking for? I've never gotten slippers, though (but never asked...?) We always pack ours.
 
Are slippers (with kids sizes) and "upgraded" toiletry items included in CL?We're staying at the GF, Sugar Loaf. I'm looking to lighten my packing load in any way I can.

Also, is it frowned upon to take food back to the room to eat? Early in the morning I like my space.

I don't recall slippers per say, but I would not have used them. I only recall two adult robes per room. We bring flip flops or crocs and/or slip-on sandals. Crocs/flip flops are also great for the pool and rainy weather.

Yes, CL includes upgraded toiletries. The GF gets top of the line. It's even diffeent than the stuff they give you in the other CL resorts - which is also pretty decent. At BC, we only got solar gel, shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. It seems to me like GF had lotion and one other item. I don't remember what. I think at any CL resort if you need something like a toothbrush (with paste) all you need to do is ask. I don't think they expect to supply EVERY toiletry, but a few essentials. I mean if you need something like hairspray, I would bring that.

You can also buy some things in the gift shop, but it's not going to be a great buy, and they carry only limited brands.

One more option people use is Garden Grocer, but I've never found that to be a great deal for us. Beyond that with a rental car you can stop by a store myself. A town car service will also let you stop at a store. Still one more option folks use is to simply mail a box of stuff to the resort. The last time I had water shipped to a resort, we got hit with a resort courtesy fee of $10, I think, for a case of water. Only the convention resorts do that, but GF, CR, BC are all 'convention' resorts. Airline luggage fees bite!
 
I don't recall slippers per say, but I would not have used them. I only recall two adult robes per room. We bring flip flops or crocs and/or slip-on sandals. Crocs/flip flops are also great for the pool and rainy weather.

Yes, CL includes upgraded toiletries. The GF gets top of the line. It's even diffeent than the stuff they give you in the other CL resorts - which is also pretty decent. At BC, we only got solar gel, shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. It seems to me like GF had lotion and one other item. I don't remember what. I think at any CL resort if you need something like a toothbrush (with paste) all you need to do is ask. I don't think they expect to supply EVERY toiletry, but a few essentials. I mean if you need something like hairspray, I would bring that.

You can also buy some things in the gift shop, but it's not going to be a great buy, and they carry only limited brands.

One more option people use is Garden Grocer, but I've never found that to be a great deal for us. Beyond that with a rental car you can stop by a store myself. A town car service will also let you stop at a store. Still one more option folks use is to simply mail a box of stuff to the resort. The last time I had water shipped to a resort, we got hit with a resort courtesy fee of $10, I think, for a case of water. Only the convention resorts do that, but GF, CR, BC are all 'convention' resorts. Airline luggage fees bite!

Just chiming in to say that we have stayed both CL and in a garden view room at GF, and both had the same toiletries. They have the H20 Spa line, where as other resorts have the H20 brand, but the spring-something-or-other line. It's all great stuff...but I did notice that we had the same toiletries at the GF regardless of whether we had CL or garden view!
 
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