Beach club concierge level

[birmantaz]

So, we have never stayed club level and we are debating it for our 5 night stay at BC before we move to AKL. It would basically cost us about $100 extra a day. It just seems hard to tell if the benefits are worth it for the cost?
It is my dh myself and two kids 8 and 9 with us. A glass of wine in the evenings would be nice but I could also buy a bottle for the room. We could also get cereal bars to bring along etc...

 

[mmmears]

I think it's hard to justify the cost if you add it all up. But part of the benefit (for my family at least) is just the convenience of the lounge. Being able to grab breakfast without waiting in line to order and pay, being able to stroll in and grab a drink of a snack rather than going to a CS place... I really don't think it saves us anything close to $100 in breakfast and drink costs, but we do appreciate having concierge CMs to help us with little things, and the lounge to relax in...

I guess I'm trying to say that it just depends on what they offer and how much YOU think it's worth. I've seen the "upcharge" at Disney anywhere from $50-$350 per night more -- I tend to feel that I don't "need" to stay CL if the upcharge is more than I think it's worth (and that point is far away from the $350 the GCH wanted last time).

We've stayed both CL and non-CL on several trips and we have a great time no matter what.

No-one can tell you if it's worth it for your family, but I hope this helped a little bit.

 

[Raenstoirm]

We never stay CL. We bring cereal bars for breakfast from home and dont really come back to the room until late at night after emh every night. We do an occasional morning in the pool, but we are in the park by 2ish anyway, so we just get lunch there. So, in short, there is no benefit to us. If you spend more time at the resort it may very well be worth it to you.

 

[scottmel]

I think it depends on tme of year you go too. This is our 4th June in Disney and would only go if we stayed club level, which we do. We really utilize the resorts in the summer - swimming, etc. so having drinks, snacks, extra lounge space etc is invaluable to me. We are a family of 3 and I totally feel we get our moneys worth. In the cooler months, I wouldn't NEED to have it but would lose that arguement to DH......b/c we would spend more tme at parks etc. But in the summer club level is non negociable!

 

[birmantaz]

We're going in mid Sept.... And since this will be our 3rd trip (but 1st to BC/AKL!) we are going to stay at the resorts more to enjoy them and less time at the parks (but still a fair amount)... I wish it were an easier decision. But, it seems very appealing to be able to grab a snack at almost anytime you need one. With the kids it would be great...

 

[lov2b@disney]

I think it depends on tme of year you go too. This is our 4th June in Disney and would only go if we stayed club level, which we do. We really utilize the resorts in the summer - swimming, etc. so having drinks, snacks, extra lounge space etc is invaluable to me. We are a family of 3 and I totally feel we get our moneys worth. In the cooler months, I wouldn't NEED to have it but would lose that arguement to DH......b/c we would spend more tme at parks etc. But in the summer club level is non negociable!

We feel this way too... We go every summer, usually July and love BC CL... Easy to grab something for breakfast before the parks and we usually spend every afternoon at the pool, the kids love to go grab a snack in the afternoon, we have some appetizers and drinks in the evening... And back to the parks after... The pace and ability to relax a minute in the heat is invaluable in the summer... We love it!

Either way you will have a great time at BC!

 

[pixarmom]

We're a family of five, and $100 extra per night is absolutely worth it for us. Here's why:

1) Breakfast. If we're at WDW for a full week, we'll do a couple character meals. But generally we're happy with a quick breakfast and there isn't anything more convenient than CL for that. So while I factor in the amount we'd spend on breakfast for five (even at a CS,) the convenience factor is huge. Before we started staying CL, we'd do breakfasts in the room quite a lot - not as convenient, not as healthy (hard to keep that fruit fresh over several days), can't sit down all together, no protein and it's just a different feeling trying to eat in the room from packages.

2) Snacks. We don't buy as much in the parks - either in the afternoon or after dinner - because we have snacks and desserts available in the lounge. Not sure how that works out dollar-for-dollar, but it's very convenient.

3) Evening appetizers. I usually won't book CL if we're not planning to take advantage of this time. When we do, it's great. First, it's a nice break in the late afternoon before dinner (we usually have 7pm ADRs.) It's a reason for everyone to slow down and have some down time. At home, our kids have hot snacks after school a few hours before dinner, so it fits their eating style. (We generally eat smaller snacks and meals, rather than large meals.) When we get to our dinner ADR, nobody is super hungry, which is good. And we order much less at dinner as a result. I usually have a couple glasses of wine and my husband gets a beer, so given Disney prices, that's about $25 right there! We did cold packaged snacks in the room several times - before CL - they just aren't a draw for my husband or the boys, not as healthy and there is a ton of waste. (Just stayed non-CL last month with our youngest son - it was just two of us and we left an entire grocery bag of snacks behind.)

Good luck with your decision!

 

[MissionMouse]

So, we have never stayed club level and we are debating it for our 5 night stay at BC before we move to AKL. It would basically cost us about $100 extra a day. It just seems hard to tell if the benefits are worth it for the cost?
It is my dh myself and two kids 8 and 9 with us. A glass of wine in the evenings would be nice but I could also buy a bottle for the room. We could also get cereal bars to bring along etc...

We have stayed at many clubs at Disney. It is a common question. If you are going to look at the cost of staying at club in relationship to what you get to determine is it worth it. Then, it is not. You can easily buy things off site and store in your room. You can buy things when you want and what you want at various places on site and not spend as much...even with a discount rate.

 

[bluejasmine]

We love CL! It becomes addicting being so spoiled!! Being able to get coffee as much as we want and decent coffee makes it worth it! The breakfast, the alcohol, the package delivery to your room! They help dh surprise me every yr with flowers, they have changed restaurant ressies when we changed our minds while on vacation. Once we left camera at Nine Dragons, they tracked it down and sent a courier to get it, at no cost to us. I could go on and on.. Now I also believe if you are planning on being a park commando from rope drop to park close it's not worth it. We take a break to snack and swim and then snack again before going back to the parks and dinner ressies

 

[KatieKat]

For us it was worth it on our last trip. We utilized it as much as we could though! We figured we ate/drank about $200 worth a day (disney prices, of course). Also, the staff was great and really helpful!

 

[mickeynut1]

We love CL for the convenience of the lounge. We've never stayed CL at the BC, but have stayed at a few others and having snacks and drinks throughout the day is great, but we love having a place other than the room to relax in. Since you will be spending time at the resort, I think CL would be worth it as you can utilize the lounge and food offerings. I'm sure you'll have a great trip whether you choose CL or not, but CL would be great to have while enjoying time at the resort .

 

[disneydreamin247]

If you're looking for monetary value, CL probably isn't for you. What I enjoy about it is the extra level of service and the convenience of the lounge. There's nothing like ending a day in the parks with a glass of punch in the Poly lounge while watching Wishes, or stopping in to get a small plate of the evening offerings and a beer to hold you over until your dinner. When my DD was sick the staff at Sugarloaf made sure we had enough juice and water to keep her happy and couldn't offer to do enough for us. They even knew us by name and would ask where the other members of my family were if some of were in the room. If you enjoy a little luxury it is definitely "worth it."

 

[bnk1120]

If I could afford it, I would always stay CL!! I am a princess for sure and looove being spoiled. I stayed at WL with DH and dd and we just thought it was amazing. Last year I stayed at BC and booked it again for this September. To me it was worth it to have breakfast and snacks. We spend the most time at Epcot And the pool, so we were able to take advantage of the lounge quite a lot. The CM's were soooo nice to the kids! It made the trip extra special.