Club level

[animalkingdom15]

I have never stayed in a club level room and was wondering if it's worth an extra $155 a day.

 

[DisFam95]

I've wondered the same thing. Seems like lot to pay for some extra snacks. For my 10 night stay it's a resounding NO. I'd rather stay longer and cheaper.

 

[dansdad]

A very helpful DIS member, Ninja Mom, posted this over in the Beach Club FAQ Thread when somebody asked the same question if Club Level is worth it. This pretty much sums it up.

I can vouch for 5 people in club level being a fantastic deal. ESPECIALLY with kids you will find that grabbing something for them for breakfast greatly simplifies your life. I also like the way they have Peanut butter and Jelly, one on top of the other, in individual cups (at night) and juices and milk available for the kiddos. Mom and Dad like the beer and wine and some of the fancy appetizers that they put out. Of course they put out a variety of pastries for breakfast along with hard boiled eggs, cereal and I don't know what else. There is not much for lunch besides yogurt covered pretzels, swedish fish (the red candy type) and maybe chips and dip but the beverages are out (not sure about what alcohol is out)

For dinner (5 pm-ish) they have a small variety of appetizers that change each night and I think this is when the wine appears as well as the cordials. Beer is also available but I would have to ask Ninja Dad what was up with the beer scene. I'm not sure he would remember what types and they may change over time...

Then around 8pm they put out a small variety of desserts and cookies. These are only out for about an hour or two but it's just the thing to snack on when you return from the parks, if you get back early enough.

PRO TIP: if you are staying Club Level and you need the Peanut Butter separated from the Jelly (or vice versa ) OR if you need something that is not out... BE SURE TO ASK FOR HELP TO SEE IF THE CLUB LEVEL STAFF CAN ACCOMMODATE YOUR NEEDS. The staff really wants to help out the folks staying at Club Level so be sure to talk to them and let them know what you need, no matter what it is. IF they are able to assist you they will be happy to help! Keep in mind though that not everything is in their power but if it can be done they will do it.

Just having access to club level is like having a kitchen in your room, only Mom and Dad are not constantly cleaning up or doing the majority of the food preparation. This is really great for people who have kids since it always seems like "this one is hungry and that one isn't"... until they are when you are not prepared to feed them. Also keep in mind that you can bring back stuff to your room so that one parent can do the running to Club Level while the other parent is in the room trying to herd the kids into getting ready to hit the parks.

So that is Ninja Mom's recommendation for Club Level stays. I think for families with kids staying at Club Level is a real sanity saver.

And one thing Ninja Mom forgot to mention. A dedicated phone number where a live person answers your phone call right away (no automated menu to navigate through) and assists you with reservations, planning and room requests.

 

[Fuhnuh]

We always stay at CL, but DD14 has allergies to dairy and egg. DW and I cannot tolerate dairy ourselves, so we use it as a breakfast nook and a place to have snacks when we stay. There are some things we can eat there (oatmeal for breakfast, chips, cold cuts, some bread items) and we bring our own food also. If we ate out at restaurants more, we probably wouldn't do it. It probably is still more expensive than just getting the items at a restaurant, but it saves us a lot of time in the mornings. We really don't use the concierges for ADRs or anything else, but having a public area that fits our needs is really nice. Others who are not in our situation also swear by CL, but I think it just has to do with how your family likes to travel. I'm sure some who have found it worth it and some that don't will chime in soon with more information. For us, it is also nice to just walk down the lounge and get a coffee, ice tea, beer or glass of wine.

 

[4under4]

Our family of 6 stayed at the WL last year in one of the Jr. Suites, which is club level. For us, it was completely worth it. For the most part we ate breakfast in the lounge, and had "dinner" several times by supplementing the wine & cheese "snacks" (soup, salad, bread, cheese, fruit, etc. all offered nightly) with some shared lighter fare from the QS restaurant. I think it depends on you... if you're traveling alone or as a couple, on the DDP, or do commando parks precluding you from being around the resort during the times food is offered, then NO it's not worth it at all. But if are paying out-of-pocket for food/drinks, and are flexible in terms of the hours you are at the park and which you are in the resort, then it can be very cost effective.

 

[animalkingdom15]

It is just me going and while I'm already booked at Contemporary - Tower Theme Park View, I thought that having the ability to go into the club lounge through out the day as I take breaks from the park would be nice and the difference in the rate is $155 a night. I could add the DDP on and it would be about $35-$40 cheaper a night then upgrading to a CL room.

 

[rwdavis2]

Did it at Animal Kingdom Lodge. At $155 a day, absolutely not. You can grab breakfast but the food the rest of the day are just snacks and not daily meal replacements. The staff has the same access to ADRs you do, no special pull.

 

[soar2014]

If it is in your budget to do so then I say do it. You will only learn from experiencing it, if you think it is worth it.

 

[MsThumper]

DH and myself can never justify the price for just the two of us. We have been upgraded to club level twice and we enjoyed it, but won't pay for it ourselves. For us, that amount of money can go towards paying for another trip.

The CM's are always wonderful and friendly, however, we never have any requests for them. The food offerings are nice for breakfast, because we are not big breakfast eaters. It is convenient to be able to get cold drinks and snacks when we come back from the parks, but sometimes we indulge in the snacks just because they are there, we really don't need them. I can either bring or buy snacks at the gift shop if I really need them.

Like the previous poster said, only you can determine if it is "worth it" for you.