BW vs Poly Club Level

[PoohFanof3]

Hello everyone. Just a simple question here (if it even can be simple)
We are debating between the BW and Poly CL. I know the main differences between location, and theme.
But in regards to the food? Is it worth the extra $200 ( for us during that time)to spend on the Poly for the food?
I know that may not seem like a lot in WDW terms, but for a family of 5 anything we can save makes a difference. But if we don't like the food, or the fact that water/pop isn't available all day then maybe it's worth the extra money.
I'm having a mental tug of war with this. Any suggestions would be great.

We have stayed at the BC before, not CL and loved the location and atmosphere, but also considering the nighttime noise of the BW and if that's an issue.

Thanks!

 

[nascargirl]

We love staying CL @ the BW. The Epcot resorts offer a wide range of places to eat. We have never found the noise bad if we get a room facing the boardwalk. You could always requst a room facing Paris and then enjoy the fireworks from your balcony.

 

[kapoof]

I can only answer for the poly cl...it was wonderful! We really enjoyed the lounge and watching wishes on the beach at night. If you can afford it, yes it is worth it. I have heard very good things about the bwi cl, I would love to stay there one trip. I don't think you can go terribly wrong here. But if you are trying to save some money, not to add any more confusion, but the akl is supposed to have a wonderful cl and it is less pricey.

 

[bowbat]

Hello everyone. Just a simple question here (if it even can be simple)
We are debating between the BW and Poly CL. I know the main differences between location, and theme.
But in regards to the food? Is it worth the extra $200 ( for us during that time)to spend on the Poly for the food?
I know that may not seem like a lot in WDW terms, but for a family of 5 anything we can save makes a difference. But if we don't like the food, or the fact that water/pop isn't available all day then maybe it's worth the extra money.
I'm having a mental tug of war with this. Any suggestions would be great.

We have stayed at the BC before, not CL and loved the location and atmosphere, but also considering the nighttime noise of the BW and if that's an issue.

Thanks!

As a general rule, I advise people who are considering staying at CL solely for the food not to. CL is not just about the food, and people who expect to get their money back in food wind up disappointed.

The extra cost for CL gives you secured access to a designated CL floor, use of the lounge for relaxation & eating, dedicated staff to assist you before and during your stay, turn-down service, and, yes, food. You're paying extra for all those things, not just the food.

That said, you might find it worth it. IF your family would all be satisfied with a continental breakfast every morning and IF your family spends a lot of time at the resort, so you're there to enjoy the snacks & evening treats, and the extra space the lounge provides.

I've stayed CL at Poly and BWI. If BWI CL is an option for you, I'd go that way. IME the staff at BWI was SO much more friendly and helpful and outgoing than the staff at Poly (who were mostly unavailable and in one instance flat-out rude). YMMV.

 

[mickeynut1]

As a general rule, I advise people who are considering staying at CL solely for the food not to. CL is not just about the food, and people who expect to get their money back in food wind up disappointed.

The extra cost for CL gives you secured access to a designated CL floor, use of the lounge for relaxation & eating, dedicated staff to assist you before and during your stay, turn-down service, and, yes, food. You're paying extra for all those things, not just the food.

That said, you might find it worth it. IF your family would all be satisfied with a continental breakfast every morning and IF your family spends a lot of time at the resort, so you're there to enjoy the snacks & evening treats, and the extra space the lounge provides.

We haven't stayed CL at the Poly or BWI, but have experienced CL at other resorts and I wanted to say that I agree with this post regarding "worth". Everyone's definition of worth is different, but for us, the extra expense for CL isn't worth it from just a food stand point. We don't stay CL every trip, but when we do, it's not for the food alone. We love having the lounge for somewhere to relax rather than other parts of the resort or in our room. We do spend a lot of time at the resort, so having the lounge offerings are great for snacks/drinks throughout the day. We aren't usually around during the evening appetizers, but it is nice to come back after dinner when the desserts are out. We love the whole CL experience, but wouldn't stay CL just for the food offerings.

 

[PoohFanof3]

Thanks for the input everyone. We are good with having the light breakfast everyday and I guess we will just have to decide how much we will be coming back to the resorts for the snacks/drinks. We are not on a dining plan.

I know the convenience and staff extra's are great. Both resorts are beautiful too. I'm sure I can't go wrong with either.

 

[MissionMouse]

OP, we have stayed at both at CL level and either way they both provide a great stay. We also stayed CL at BC and it was great to have the lounge and SAB...the kids started to want to stay more at the pool/CL then lines in the parks. If you pay the price, then it is worth it. Everything at Disney is a Disney priced. Disney has evolved to know how to make you feel or think you should do this and do that. If you worth to you is a calculation of physical items received in correlation to what you paid, then you have to get a great rate to make that work or CL may not be the best choice for you.

I think it is also important to point out that CL is not a dining plan. Some people want to argue about this, but it may be one of the reasons food offerings have been diminshed over the past 10 years to make this clear to some guest. It is not clear how many nights you plan on staying CL, but continental breakfast at CL can make up for a few hundred dollars alone based upon Disney food prices. Their are things that can add a little magic for some guest that include CL level security, a lounge to hang out in during the day or evening and a CM staff available to assist you during your stay. You also check-in with them too.

Both are quiet locations. PR has more than its fair share of resort tourist which can impact your stay in the Hawaii location during specific times of the year.

We found ourselves hanging out more at a Epcot Resort CL then any of the other resorts outside of this area. We spent more time at the pools at the Epcot area too. Staying CL can also allow you while spending time at the resort pool to pop up to the CL lounge to get a beverage and snack during the daytime hours. Just get dispense drinks into plastic cups and you are OK in the pool area. Overall, it depends on how you visit Disney. Are you a commando, schedule dictator, flexible and adapt or just laid back. CL works best with the last two.

Park hoppers are also ideal if staying in the Epcot Resort area as Epcot is 5-10 minute walk from your doorway. This location provides you a collection of dining options and beverage service in the Boardwalk area and inside Epcot; plus CL . You can always just swim in late afternoon, do dinner and then visit Epcot for Illumination or DHS for Fantasmic.