EXPIRED: Part ONE of 2015 CLUB LEVEL (CL) INFORMATION and HELP Thread DO NOT POST HERE!!!

[Babsy]

I booked a Deluxe room with CL at the Beach Club at the end of April for 2 nights yesterday!! I'm very excited! My DH and I are arriving before the rest of our family, and we will move over to a 2 BR villa at OKW.

I am wondering how long it takes for IPO to get in touch with us.

It seems on our other CL stays they contacted us immediately.

They never did contact me for either the GF RPC or the BWI CL (going Next week). I can't say that I am impressed.

 

[Babsy]

Just back form AKL, and a few quick things to share:

1.) NO texting service at AKL. the CM didn't even know what I was talking about.

2.) Appetizers are less than some other lounges, or maybe they are all cutting back. Last summer, we thought the CR offerings were also less than prior trips.

3.) Breakfast at CR is among the best! Loved hot Quinoa, and plenty of fresh berries! More berries than any other lounge! Most others only serve melon, maybe pineapple, maybe grapes, and standard industrial apples/oranges/bananas.

4.) Maybe it was just the week we chose, but the DVC folks seemed to bring a different atmosphere to the CL. Having stayed at ALL CL, we saw things we've never seen before. The DVC folks continuously camped out in the lounge at specific tables. It was clear they'd 'claimed' specific tables, and were very possessive! Families would send a runner to 'their' table' until the rest of the gang arrived. A fist fight nearly happened when a man attempted to borrow an EMPTY chair from another table!!! It was crazy! One man even napped in "his spot" on the couch to keep possession of it most of the day/evening!
Another man had a spot staked out at the runner table next to the buffet- standing. As soon as the CM's brought out certain prime appetizers- he swooped in and grabbed half a tray for himself. (the gourmet meat spoon appetizers) No plate, just put his clutch of spoons directly on the table! On the cloth runner! And left them there empty when he was done! Who does that?

During the football game, I'd expect some folks to watch the game, and cheer. This group was very loud. Folks were cussing (with little kids present), overtly intoxicated, and yelling. It was so loud the first floor could hear the cussing!

It was just very different from what I've seen in any other lounges over many stays. It was pretty clear it was mostly DVC folks occupying the same tables at every meal for hours. (periodically one person would get up to go back to the room).

It is hard to describe in a post the impact it had on the atmosphere of the lounge. The staff was very nice, and did their best to be helpful, to replenish food.

How do you know that it was DVC folks? Also wondering: Do all DVC owners have access to the CL lounge at their resort? Or is that just at the AKL?. Just curious .

 

[mom2randj]

How do you know that it was DVC folks? Also wondering: Do all DVC owners have access to the CL lounge at their resort? Or is that just at the AKL?. Just curious .

I was wondering the same thing myself. We were thinking of booking CL at the Poly this October but now I am worried since I know they are changing some of the longhouses to DVC.

 

[VFG]

I'm a DVC member and I find it curious one could tell someone was a member by their behavior in the lounge. At any rate, DVC members staying in a concierge room have club rights. Only a few resorts offer this.

 

[jcjen519]

I'm a DVC member and I find it curious one could tell someone was a member by their behavior in the lounge. At any rate, DVC members staying in a concierge room have club rights. Only a few resorts offer this.

We are owners too and akv is the only dvc that offers this.

We use points sometimes and cash sometimes and we always stay club level when we stay cash. We have stayed club level in the past year alone at rpc multiple times, poly cl, bwi cl, yc cl and most recently we stayed on points for over a week at akv cl. I say this to demonstrate a decent experience with disney club levels when I say that the atmosphere at akv is not different in a negative way from the others due to dvc. There are at most ten separate groups staying dvc. There exist only five studios and five one bedrooms. They can all be combined to make five two bedrooms.

During our stay we witnessed only one obnoxious group and they were not dvc. In fact we never saw any other dvc families. I know they were there because those rooms book up but I have no idea who they were in the lounge and I was staying in one of those rooms.

Op I don't doubt that you encountered a rude group. Maybe those people happened to be dvc. I'm not sure how or why you think that somehow having dvc families in the lounge changes it in general though. I'm also surprised to read that you thought the offerings were scarce as we found them to be more often and more in general than others. To be fair we don't eat much besides breakfast and the occasional snack with a drink or two. We have spent plenty of time in all the lounges though.

I hope others don't read this and shy away from akl cl because although we aren't akl fans we enjoyed the cl.

 

[jcjen519]

I was wondering the same thing myself. We were thinking of booking CL at the Poly this October but now I am worried since I know they are changing some of the longhouses to DVC.

As far as I know none of the poly dvc is cl so you won't be effected.

 

[mevelandry]

Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable with people talking about DVC members like they are some kind of "welfare people who can't behave"?

As far as I know, DVC members paid A LOT of money to buy their time-share and pay expensive annual fees.

I have seen rich people acting like ***holes and rich kids being very annoying unpleasant in "no-DVC resorts" as well.

You are nice and polite or you are not. It has nothing to do with your annual income or the amount of money you spend for your vacation.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

How do you know that it was DVC folks? Also wondering: Do all DVC owners have access to the CL lounge at their resort? Or is that just at the AKL?. Just curious .

Honestly, I don't know that it was purely DVC guests. And I don't mean they are a different class of people, more that we witnessed behavior that was at odds with what we've seen every other DVC stay. We've now had at least 17 CL stays.

Officially I don't know all the guests hogging tables were DVC, but I'm confident most were. I don't usually pay much attention to other guests. Here's my evidence:

We didn't pay much attention at first, just noticed the lounge was full at 2:30pm when we arrived for check-in. Most are fairly empty at that hour. At basically every meal the same folks were at the same tables.

It started to catch our attention because we couldn't ever get a table. Other lounges get full at peak times, but usually there's good turnover. At AKL, there was no turnover at all during the 5-7pm appetizer hour or and little during breakfast. The same people were always at the same table.

Also, it was pretty easy to see many table hoggers were 6th floor guests. All non 6th floor guests use the elevator. 6th floor = DVC.

The groups holding tables were also predominantly groups of five or more people. In full fairness, some of the people holding tables maybe were non-DVC guests in 1 or 2bedroom suites. Like I said, I didn't study all the comings and goings.

Perhaps it would be slightly more fair to say AKL's CL had a very unusually high percentage of guests that weren't interested in going anywhere besides the lounge.

But what really caused us to pay attention was the fight we saw/heard. It was clear one family thought they owned the table they were using.

 

[NicoleLarson]

Being a DVC member I just wanted to chime in on this topic. We love to stay AKL CL. Do we spend a lot of time in the lounge, yes. Do I hog food, occupy tables for hours on end and take naps, no. We became friends with another family that spent a lot of time there as well (NOTDVC) We would bring the kids toys out and sit on the floor in front of the kids area. NO ONE ELSE was even there so I didn't feel like we were taking space away from someone else. We called it our living room. So I think perhaps since the rooms at AKL are much smaller, people spend more time in the lounge. Also, the set up is cozier to me. When we stayed WL CL, we spent way less time in the lounge. Also the rooms are all very close to the lounge at WL, so it's easier to take things back to your room. I am so sorry you had a very bad experience but I think it's wrong to blame DVC. What about the people at the POLY that take a whole tray of sushi or a whole container of gummy bears? This topic of food hording and bad lounge behavior has been discussed at length and I think people like this exist everywhere. However, they are the exception to the rule.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable with people talking about DVC members like they are some kind of "welfare people who can't behave"?

As far as I know, DVC members paid A LOT of money to buy their time-share and pay expensive annual fees.

I have seen rich people acting like ***holes and rich kids being very annoying unpleasant in "no-DVC resorts" as well.

You are nice and polite or you are not. It has nothing to do with your annual income or the amount of money you spend for your vacation.

huh? I don't see anything about DVC= welfare. I agree DVC is plenty expensive. But since I brought up AKL DVC, I'll respond.

I sincerely hope what I observed was unusual, and not the norm at AKL CL. It certainly was not typical of other deluxe (CL) stays or prior non-CL AKL stays, that's part why I shared what we saw. I sincerely hope others in this thread will tell me what we observed was not typical of AKL CL. (this was only our second AKL CL stay- and the first one was short).

Last January we stayed at CSR business and saw all good behavior. I posted in this very thread that the staff was exceptional. We'd happily stay there again and also in the value resorts. (regularly, including AoA in 2014)

We usually don't spend much time observing other guests. We mostly only notice odd conduct like: snoring in the lounge, cursing/yelling, or fighting while standing beside a five-year-old in a princess dress.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I agree that this review has come across rather offensive. I think we should just chalk this up to an unfortunate set of unusual circumstances and move on.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Being a DVC member I just wanted to chime in on this topic. We love to stay AKL CL. Do we spend a lot of time in the lounge, yes. Do I hog food, occupy tables for hours on end and take naps, no. We became friends with another family that spent a lot of time there as well (NOTDVC) We would bring the kids toys out and sit on the floor in front of the kids area. NO ONE ELSE was even there so I didn't feel like we were taking space away from someone else. We called it our living room. So I think perhaps since the rooms at AKL are much smaller, people spend more time in the lounge. Also, the set up is cozier to me. When we stayed WL CL, we spent way less time in the lounge. Also the rooms are all very close to the lounge at WL, so it's easier to take things back to your room. I am so sorry you had a very bad experience but I think it's wrong to blame DVC. What about the people at the POLY that take a whole tray of sushi or a whole container of gummy bears? This topic of food hording and bad lounge behavior has been discussed at length and I think people like this exist everywhere. However, they are the exception to the rule.

Glad to hear!

I think AKL is just about the prettiest of the WDW resorts.

Among our CL stays, the only other CL stay where we witnessed lounge guests behaving marginally was at Poly. In that case though, it was only one large extended family. (where only a small faction of the family was actually staying in CL and they eagerly bragged about it.)

Truly- we've generally been very impressed - time and again - that CL lounges all have beer/wine out from 5-7pm. There's not much to keep guests from overindulging, but the overwhelming majority of CL guests don't overindulge- at least not in a way that's overt.

Most appetizer hours the turnover is high. If we arrive at 5:30pm, most the guests who were there ahead of us are gone by 6pm. I've appreciated that most guests are very considerate.

When similar topics have come up in this thread, I'm often among those reporting a preponderance of positive conduct in the CL's.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I agree that this review has come across rather offensive. I think we should just chalk this up to an unfortunate set of unusual circumstances and move on.

I apologize if what I posted came off as offensive. That said, I stand by my report as honest.

Go back through this very thread, and I'm often among the folks posting helpful information and touting the benefits of CL. I'm no troll, but I'm also not here to be a travel agent. I'd like to think we only serve each other if we share our honest experiences - including the less than stellar things we encounter during our visits.

If what we observed was an anomaly, so much the better.

 

[mevelandry]

huh? I don't see anything about DVC= welfare. I agree DVC is plenty expensive. But since I brought up AKL DVC, I'll respond.

I sincerely hope what I observed was unusual, and not the norm at AKL CL. It certainly was not typical of other deluxe (CL) stays or prior non-CL AKL stays, that's part why I shared what we saw. I sincerely hope others in this thread will tell me what we observed was not typical of AKL CL. (this was only our second AKL CL stay- and the first one was short).

Last January we stayed at CSR business and saw all good behavior. I posted in this very thread that the staff was exceptional. We'd happily stay there again and also in the value resorts. (regularly, including AoA in 2014)

We usually don't spend much time observing other guests. We mostly only notice odd conduct like: snoring in the lounge, cursing/yelling, or fighting while standing beside a five-year-old in a princess dress.

It was a figure of speech. I came across many mean comments about dvc members (some people don't want to share amenities with them or talk about them like they act a certain way and it makes me feel uncomfortable).

Paragraph 4 of your review mentionned "dvc folks" many times. The way I interpreted it, I felt that you associated that kind of behaviors with the fact that they were/could have been dvc members.

You might not even think this is the case, but some people do... And that's a shame.

 

[pixarmom]

It's helpful to read about issues to prepare for a stay. When I read things that are less-than-positive from reliable posters, I really appreciate it because it helps me to manage expectations. Recognizing the issue here, I have much respect for everyone on this thread and hope this doesn't deter anyone from sticking with us!

We had a positive experience at AKL CL earlier this month, but those rooms are so tiny small! I remember Erika noting that a while ago - great lounge, small rooms - and I completely agree. I was on my own with our three boys and it was tight. So I do wonder if the AKL lounge gets more "hangers out" as a result of that - don't know. And the other reason it was positive is unique to me - I love wine and cheese. Great cheese selection at AKL earlier this month. Boo to cheese cubes at other resorts.

Love Poly, but knowing about some of the guest etiquette issues there helped me to manage expectations. So when I saw the over-served (but friendly) guy last year, it was humorous. Some of the same earlier this month, but nothing that bothered us. In fact, when a fellow guest took one of those huge chairs in the front and moved it directly in front of my castle view, I burst out laughing. Maybe it was because I was focused on the marathon and ready to get some sleep, or maybe it's because that was only one of five nights, but knowing that others experienced Poly etiquette issues certainly helped.

GF - just posted this on the GF thread . . . met some wonderful families, but also some guests who were (in my view) condescending/offensive to CMs. Took selves a bit seriously for a theme park vacation! Again, the overall positives of our stay outweigh that.

Nothing notable either way at CR, BC or BWI in terms of CL guest etiquette. Looking forward to our WL CL stay, and then need to try YC (we've stayed there in a GV room, but not CL yet - teens not on board with the YC theming.)

 

[SarahInMN]

Maybe it was just the week we chose, but the DVC folks seemed to bring a different atmosphere to the CL. Having stayed at ALL CL, we saw things we've never seen before. The DVC folks continuously camped out in the lounge at specific tables. It was clear they'd 'claimed' specific tables, and were very possessive! Families would send a runner to 'their' table' until the rest of the gang arrived. A fist fight nearly happened when a man attempted to borrow an EMPTY chair from another table!!! It was crazy! One man even napped in "his spot" on the couch to keep possession of it most of the day/evening!

FWIW - I've seen this behavior at CL's where DVC members don't have access. We have a weakness for the Garden Cottages at BW and stay there frequently at the beginning of trips before moving to the DVC at BC. That said DVC members (unless they have paid for a CL level room like us) don't get CL access at BW.

In truth, we stay CL for the Garden Cottages and breakfast but have given up on evening snack/beverage hour because of space/food hoarders and not being able to find a place to sit.

In my experience (i.e. airline lounges) wherever snacks and drinks are put out, a small percentage of people will hoard them and be obnoxious. It is what it is.

 

[Disneymomma0783]

Hi all!

I'm new to this thread, but have been following it for a while we have a trip this September planned where we are doing a split stay between poly standard room and AKL CL (also some time offsite).

This will be our first foray into CL and I was hoping for ao reassurance! Posts lately have me a little nervous....is AKL CL one of the least "worth it"? We are actually planning on taking food back to our room as much as possible as I think the kids will want to be on the balcony as much as possible lol, but I'm worried now that there is going to be no food available and that the lounge is going to be not quite what I'm hoping it will be. I'm not expecting a zen experience lol, but I would hope it is somewhat relaxing and chill.

Thanks for any input

 

[perditax]

Staying CL AKL next month, same concerns as the poster just above me now. Don't want to stress and have to fight for snacks and drinks.

As far as table hogging goes, how difficult is it to take AKL food/drinks back to the room? Would it be worthwhile to bring our own disposable plates or something?

(We are not people who expect to eat every meal from CL snacks--we have reservations for Boma and likely Jiko. But I was envisioning being able to get a croissant and tea in them morning, maybe a snack in the afternoon, and some wine in the evening without it feeling like a Golden Corral. Reassure me please.)

 

[pixarmom]

Hi all!

I'm new to this thread, but have been following it for a while we have a trip this September planned where we are doing a split stay between poly standard room and AKL CL (also some time offsite).

This will be our first foray into CL and I was hoping for ao reassurance! Posts lately have me a little nervous....is AKL CL one of the least "worth it"? We are actually planning on taking food back to our room as much as possible as I think the kids will want to be on the balcony as much as possible lol, but I'm worried now that there is going to be no food available and that the lounge is going to be not quite what I'm hoping it will be. I'm not expecting a zen experience lol, but I would hope it is somewhat relaxing and chill.

Thanks for any input

We absolutely think AKL CL is worth it. While our boys loved the balcony and the savannah view, the space in the lounge is really lovely. Particularly because of the size of the room, we spent more time in the lounge than in the room. Our youngest loved the kids' area with the TV and special kids' items set up for evening appetizer time. He relaxed, ate snacks and made friends. The lounge was very relaxing, and a great addition to the relatively small room space. During our stay, we never had difficulty finding a table, but we did notice that the prime locations (near the railing or the sofa area) were typically occupied. That's OK, because we needed a table near the kids' area anyway.

The value for us is the easy access to breakfast without an ADR or standing in line at a CS location, the extra space beyond our room to relax and the opportunity to grab some relatively healthy snacks before dinner (along with a glass of wine.) While it's entirely fine to bring items back to your room, it's not as convenient as at other resorts for two reasons: 1) the rooms are relatively small, so not a lot of space there; and 2) standard rooms are on the 4th floor, so it's not as close to the lounge as, for example, BWI. If you do decide to bring snacks back to your room, no need to bring containers - we either use the plates provided or, in many lounges, they have paper cups and bowls to take along.

We've stayed CL at AKL, Poly, GF, BWI, BC and CR. Fellow guest behavior can always vary and in our experience, it's really the luck of the draw.

 

[jcjen519]

Honestly, I don't know that it was purely DVC guests. And I don't mean they are a different class of people, more that we witnessed behavior that was at odds with what we've seen every other DVC stay. We've now had at least 17 CL stays. Officially I don't know all the guests hogging tables were DVC, but I'm confident most were. I don't usually pay much attention to other guests. Here's my evidence: We didn't pay much attention at first, just noticed the lounge was full at 2:30pm when we arrived for check-in. Most are fairly empty at that hour. At basically every meal the same folks were at the same tables. It started to catch our attention because we couldn't ever get a table. Other lounges get full at peak times, but usually there's good turnover. At AKL, there was no turnover at all during the 5-7pm appetizer hour or and little during breakfast. The same people were always at the same table. Also, it was pretty easy to see many table hoggers were 6th floor guests. All non 6th floor guests use the elevator. 6th floor = DVC. The groups holding tables were also predominantly groups of five or more people. In full fairness, some of the people holding tables maybe were non-DVC guests in 1 or 2bedroom suites. Like I said, I didn't study all the comings and goings. Perhaps it would be slightly more fair to say AKL's CL had a very unusually high percentage of guests that weren't interested in going anywhere besides the lounge. But what really caused us to pay attention was the fight we saw/heard. It was clear one family thought they owned the table they were using.

I think you are basing your opinion on some incorrect assumptions. For one there are actually very few dvc people staying cl at akv at a given time.

You realize there are only 5 one bedrooms and 5 studios that are cl at ak right? If you assume 4 guests per room there are 40 akv cl guests at any given time.

Many people choose to book more then one std room. Any larger group isn't required to be in one room. We often have more then one room when we travel. A family of 5 or 6 may choose to have two standard rooms or as you pointed out may have a suite.