Beach Club concierge questions

[dwwlmw]

We have decided to stay at the Beach Club for our May 2006 trip and I would like to know more about concierge. We are staying for 10 days and it would be really nice to stay concierge but I am wondering if it is really worth it. Here are a few questions I have...

What are the food selections for kids? I have 3 very picky eaters.

Can you take bottled water from the lounge and bring it to the parks?

What is the difference (besides the food) between concierge and regular service?

Are you guarunteed any specific views from your room when staying concierge?

Is there a big difference between Beach Club and Yacht Club concierge, is one better than the other?


Thanks to anyone that can answer these, I am really torn as to whether or not to spend the extra money.

 

[safetymom]

Bumping for answers

 

[Goofy's Muse]

I can try to answer a few based on our stay last August...

We used the BC CL lounge for breakfast many days... they had cereals, bagels, breads, donuts, etc, along with assorted juices and beverages, fresh fruit and yogurt. I assume you could expect similar. This suited our family of 5 quite well as paying for the same variety of items a la carte would have added up. Plus the convenience was worth it to us -- our kids (DD13, DD11, and DD10) were old enough to go down to the lounge while others in the family were still getting dressed. There was a small sitting area near the TV with kid-sized chairs which my youngest really enjoyed.

I can't speak to the mid-day offerings as we were never around during that time. We did check out the "happy hour serving" once or twice -- veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, "Uncrustables" (PBJ pocket sandwiches), a hot dish or two, etc. They had mac & cheese one of the nights we went which put quite a dent in our kid's appetites! We typically arrived back to the resort within minutes of the closing of the dessert serving, but on several nights my kids did grab a cookie or cupcake and we enjoyed a cordial on our balcony. We did not use the lounge as a "food plan" but did find that the breakfast was more than ample for our needs.

Re: bottled water... No portable plastic bottles were available. Water comes in large glass bottles. Word is you can request one to take back to your room or to fill your own container. We never did that...

Re: concierge amenities... We took full advantage of the pre-planning services offered by the Epcot area IPO office. This entire team (all women when we worked with them) were top-notch! Absolutely helpful, friendly, prompt to respond by e-mail or phone, NEVER made you feel that any request was a bother. Can you tell we liked them?? Our actual trip was magical, but next to that, I'd say the excellent working relationship we had with the IPO staff absolutely made my DH a Disney enthusiast! They booked (and re-booked due to our changing itinerary) our PSs at CRT, Le Cellier and many other restaurants. They shopped for in-room treats for our kids (you supply the credit card and ideas, they supply the legwork!), and arranged deliveries from the Disney florist. We were also treated to a few in-room surprises of our own including a magnificent upgrade to a perfect lagoon-view room with full balcony overlooking the Boardwalk (we had politely requested a nice garden room on the Crescent Lake side of the resort but knew there were no guarantees). We were celebrating the 30th anniversary of our very first date... the IPO staff certainly helped us to craft a most memorable celebration!

Hope that helps! Good luck with your decision...

 

[kirbsam]

i guess i will throw my two cents in. i go to disney to relax and have fun. the convenience of staying concierge is why i choose to sometimes do it. the lounge to get snack throughout the day. going down for breakfast while the rest of the family gets ready. sending the kids down for breakfast while me and my wife get wild. coming home from the parks and grabbing a snack. i do like concierge. money wise it is probably not worth it for the food offerings, but the convenience cant be beat.