CL newbie... help!

[reluctantredhead]

Hi everyone

Ok, I am kind of embarrassed to post these questions because the answers may well be common knowledge on the Disboards, but here goes...

We've made 20+ WDW visits in the last 20 years, but only stayed CL once...way back in 2003 at the GF, main building, in one of the honeymoon rooms with the jetted tub and castle view. It was heavenly...buuuut, for our family, we got virtually no use out of the lounge (we were pretty much always at the parks when they put out food), and I booked all of our ADRs myself, etc...so as wonderful as it was, for us we decided it wasn't worth the upcharge and therefore never booked CL again after that.

However...

We have now decided to make a trip in December of 2018, and given the new CL FP+ benefit, I've convinced my husband it will be worth it to stay CL. Great, right? The problem so far is availability. Specifically, we will be making this trip with our 16 yo D, and since she's been a teenager trips have become waaaay more enjoyable for us as a family if we stay in suites.

But as many of you may have guessed, I'm having problem finding 1BR CL suites for the time frame that we want to go.

So here are my questions:

1) WHAT?!?!? Rooms this expensive really book up this fast??? Is this/has this always been true? Right now I'm only finding one hotel with 1BR CL suite availability at a rate that doesn't cost more than a new car, lol...and it's not on the monorail route, which would be our first choice.

2) Are they holding any of the rooms back? Or do rooms ever pop up later as people cancel?

3) For the past few years, we have stayed in DVC suites booked on Disneyworld.com, and we have LOVED them...especially BWV and BLT at CR. But those don't qualify for the CL FP+ deal, right?

4) Do any other sites offer the suites? I just checked Expedia and couldn't find any.

5) ETA: If you had your pick of any 1BR CL suite either in the MK or Epcot areas, which one would you pick, and why? Are there any that are, in your opinion, undesirable/not worth it, and why?

I'm sure some of you who are more experienced at staying CL are probably laughing your heads off right now at my shock at the lack of availability and the high rates...please forgive the naivete of someone who hasn't stayed CL in almost 15 years, LOL. We really want to make this trip very special for our D because it will be the last Christmas one we can take as a family before she's off to college (2019 is out for other reasons), and she would really love to stay on the monorail. I guess we could get 2 CL rooms if we had too (but no guarantee that they'd be adjoining, right?), but then we're back into paying the price of a new car for them, lol.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Any and all are appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Edited again to add: Ok, I panicked and went ahead and booked the "less than the price of a new car" 1BR CL because I was really scared that it too would become unavailable and we'd have no CL suite options. It's a BC 1BR CL suite. Is it just me, or is it kind of an odd layout? I'm used to the room with the pullout bed being the larger room, but from the photos I found it appears the BR is large and the pull-out sofa area is quite small...and you have to walk through it to get to the bathroom, correct? So I'm not sure I'm "sold" on this one...but it gave me peace of mind knowing that if I find something better I can cancel it.

 

[Happy2BGoofy]

Try this thread for your question https://www.disboards.com/threads/disneys-club-level-cl-information-and-questions.3414590/

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Hi everyone

Ok, I am kind of embarrassed to post these questions because the answers may well be common knowledge on the Disboards, but here goes...

We've made 20+ WDW visits in the last 20 years, but only stayed CL once...way back in 2003 at the GF, main building, in one of the honeymoon rooms with the jetted tub and castle view. It was heavenly...buuuut, for our family, we got virtually no use out of the lounge (we were pretty much always at the parks when they put out food), and I booked all of our ADRs myself, etc...so as wonderful as it was, for us we decided it wasn't worth the upcharge and therefore never booked CL again after that.

However...

We have now decided to make a trip in December of 2018, and given the new CL FP+ benefit, I've convinced my husband it will be worth it to stay CL. Great, right? The problem so far is availability. Specifically, we will be making this trip with our 16 yo D, and since she's been a teenager trips have become waaaay more enjoyable for us as a family if we stay in suites.

But as many of you may have guessed, I'm having problem finding 1BR CL suites for the time frame that we want to go.

So here are my questions:

1) WHAT?!?!? Rooms this expensive really book up this fast??? Is this/has this always been true? Right now I'm only finding one hotel with 1BR CL suite availability at a rate that doesn't cost more than a new car, lol...and it's not on the monorail route, which would be our first choice.

2) Are they holding any of the rooms back? Or do rooms ever pop up later as people cancel?

3) For the past few years, we have stayed in DVC suites booked on Disneyworld.com, and we have LOVED them...especially BWV and BLT at CR. But those don't qualify for the CL FP+ deal, right?

4) Do any other sites offer the suites? I just checked Expedia and couldn't find any.

5) ETA: If you had your pick of any 1BR CL suite either in the MK or Epcot areas, which one would you pick, and why? Are there any that are, in your opinion, undesirable/not worth it, and why?

I'm sure some of you who are more experienced at staying CL are probably laughing your heads off right now at my shock at the lack of availability and the high rates...please forgive the naivete of someone who hasn't stayed CL in almost 15 years, LOL. We really want to make this trip very special for our D because it will be the last Christmas one we can take as a family before she's off to college (2019 is out for other reasons), and she would really love to stay on the monorail. I guess we could get 2 CL rooms if we had too (but no guarantee that they'd be adjoining, right?), but then we're back into paying the price of a new car for them, lol.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Any and all are appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Edited again to add: Ok, I panicked and went ahead and booked the "less than the price of a new car" 1BR CL because I was really scared that it too would become unavailable and we'd have no CL suite options. It's a BC 1BR CL suite. Is it just me, or is it kind of an odd layout? I'm used to the room with the pullout bed being the larger room, but from the photos I found it appears the BR is large and the pull-out sofa area is quite small...and you have to walk through it to get to the bathroom, correct? So I'm not sure I'm "sold" on this one...but it gave me peace of mind knowing that if I find something better I can cancel it.

You could try calling and seeing if you can find any available rooms that aren't listed on the website. In years past, calling was the only way to book a CL suite and there are still suites that never show up online. You may also want to call Swan/Dolphin and see if they have any of their eligible rooms/suites available as they were included in the extra CL FP+ offer and those rooms may price out lower than the WDW CL suites.

The only DVC villas that qualify for the extra FP+ are the Poly bungalows and the new, WL cabins (not to be confused with the Ft. W cabins). Have you checked to see if a Deluxe CL room is available at WL? That will give you the extra space at a better price tag. You may also want to consider 2 standard CL rooms at WL. Connecting would not be guaranteed, but I know the CL staff will do their best to fulfill that request. Even if they aren't all of those rooms are on the same floor. IMHO, WL CL standard rooms are the absolute biggest bang for your CL buck. The staff is amazing, the resort is gorgeous, the lounge offering are great and you get a view of the MK fireworks from your room. We did WL standard CL last year and with the money we saved (over staying at a different resort CL), we simply took uber/lyft/Minnie Van's everywhere to make up for our lack of proximity to the parks other than MK (the boat to MK is AWESOME).

We've stayed in a 1-bedroom CL suite at GF and it was fine. It was in an outer building so we always had to walk to another building for the lounge, which I wasn't particularly fond of. I have a friend who has stayed in the 1-bedroom at Poly and absolutely loved it.

We are also a family of 3 and when DH comes with us on our trips, I also prefer the 1-bedroom villas, however, we also want to try the new CL FP+ offering on an upcoming trip, so have a BC CL deluxe room booked for some extra space. I know we are losing that extra dedicated space of a 1-bedroom (and my beloved washer/dryer!), but I thought we would give that a shot to see how it goes! I'm not willing to bump up to the 1-bedroom CL price!!

 

[reluctantredhead]

You could try calling and seeing if you can find any available rooms that aren't listed on the website. In years past, calling was the only way to book a CL suite and there are still suites that never show up online. You may also want to call Swan/Dolphin and see if they have any of their eligible rooms/suites available as they were included in the extra CL FP+ offer and those rooms may price out lower than the WDW CL suites.

Great idea! Yes, I do remember back when CL suites were only "bookable" over the phone...I didn't know that there were still some that could only booked this way (hopefully they won't only be the ones that are as expensive as a LUXURY car, lol!).

The only DVC villas that qualify for the extra FP+ are the Poly bungalows and the new, WL cabins (not to be confused with the Ft. W cabins).

Great idea! Do you happen to know if this is literally the Poly bungalows only, or does it include the studios as well? Also...the WL cabins...is that Copper Creek and/or Boulder Village, and is it literally just the cabins or are the villas included as well? I'm afraid both the cabins and the bungalow qualify as "price of a new car" for us![/QUOTE]

Have you checked to see if a Deluxe CL room is available at WL? That will give you the extra space at a better price tag. You may also want to consider 2 standard CL rooms at WL. Connecting would not be guaranteed, but I know the CL staff will do their best to fulfill that request. Even if they aren't all of those rooms are on the same floor. IMHO, WL CL standard rooms are the absolute biggest bang for your CL buck. The staff is amazing, the resort is gorgeous, the lounge offering are great and you get a view of the MK fireworks from your room. We did WL standard CL last year and with the money we saved (over staying at a different resort CL), we simply took uber/lyft/Minnie Van's everywhere to make up for our lack of proximity to the parks other than MK (the boat to MK is AWESOME).

Yes, I have checked into this...they are available, and we have/are considering it. I have read over and over again that WL CL is the biggest bang for your buck, and I agree that it's absolutely gorgeous. But we took a trip at Christmastime 10 years ago and took the boat from the MK to check it out because I'd always read it was so gorgeous at Christmastime, and we had a very unfortunate experience waiting for the boat back. We didn't end up making it on the first boat when we got to the dock because there were too many people ahead of us, and it ended up taking us 25 minutes to get back to the MK...so my H said "never again", lol. Did the boat service improve dramatically since then, or did we just get extremely unlucky that day?

We are also a family of 3 and when DH comes with us on our trips, I also prefer the 1-bedroom villas, however, we also want to try the new CL FP+ offering on an upcoming trip, so have a BC CL deluxe room booked for some extra space. I know we are losing that extra dedicated space of a 1-bedroom (and my beloved washer/dryer!), but I thought we would give that a shot to see how it goes! I'm not willing to bump up to the 1-bedroom CL price!!

Yes!!! OMG...a fellow washer/dryer lover!!! This is my FAVORITE thing about staying DVC! I can pack less, I can wash all the clothes the night before we head home, and only pack clean clothes in my suitcase to go home...I HATE coming home after a trip to have to do a mountain of laundry, and this solves that problem!

My D said having her own space/privacy is more important to her even than being on the monorail route, which surprised me...but I totally get it because she has trouble sleeping at night, and that makes it tougher on us all to get decent sleep. So I'm guessing that would exclude the WL deluxe CL room, right (no divider)?

Thank you so much for your detailed response! I'm going to call tomorrow about any other suites that might be available, and also see if my family will reconsider WL.

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

They sometimes hold CL rooms back for DVC members who get locked out of the DVC resorts. If you book late in the game Disney likes to try and make sure there is somewhere to book their members if there's nothing else on property. Which happened to us once.

 

[fairygagamother]

The deluxe room at WL does have a closed off bedroom. But only one bathroom!
The deluxe room at Boardwalk is larger than the Beach Club deluxe, although it's not closed off. And there are 1 bedroom club level suites/villas at Animal Kingdom. Can you tell we are club level spread out fans?!!

 

[reluctantredhead]

The deluxe room at WL does have a closed off bedroom. But only one bathroom!
The deluxe room at Boardwalk is larger than the Beach Club deluxe, although it's not closed off. And there are 1 bedroom club level suites/villas at Animal Kingdom. Can you tell we are club level spread out fans?!!

Yes, I see that now about the WL deluxe room! My H and D are considering it...it's definitely a viable option, and thank you so much for suggesting it (and thanks to the PP who suggested it too).

Unfortunately the deluxe rooms at BWI and the 1BR suites at AK are sold out for the time frame we're going.

I've also considered doing a split stay between either CR/Poly/GF and the BC, and everything at CR/Poly/BC is sold out for any dates I've tried during the time frame we will be going.

 

[fairygagamother]

Personally, I love split stays! Also, keep your current reservation, but keep checking for other options because the inventory seems to change daily.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Great idea! Yes, I do remember back when CL suites were only "bookable" over the phone...I didn't know that there were still some that could only booked this way (hopefully they won't only be the ones that are as expensive as a LUXURY car, lol!).



Great idea! Do you happen to know if this is literally the Poly bungalows only, or does it include the studios as well? Also...the WL cabins...is that Copper Creek and/or Boulder Village, and is it literally just the cabins or are the villas included as well? I'm afraid both the cabins and the bungalow qualify as "price of a new car" for us!



Yes, I have checked into this...they are available, and we have/are considering it. I have read over and over again that WL CL is the biggest bang for your buck, and I agree that it's absolutely gorgeous. But we took a trip at Christmastime 10 years ago and took the boat from the MK to check it out because I'd always read it was so gorgeous at Christmastime, and we had a very unfortunate experience waiting for the boat back. We didn't end up making it on the first boat when we got to the dock because there were too many people ahead of us, and it ended up taking us 25 minutes to get back to the MK...so my H said "never again", lol. Did the boat service improve dramatically since then, or did we just get extremely unlucky that day?




Yes!!! OMG...a fellow washer/dryer lover!!! This is my FAVORITE thing about staying DVC! I can pack less, I can wash all the clothes the night before we head home, and only pack clean clothes in my suitcase to go home...I HATE coming home after a trip to have to do a mountain of laundry, and this solves that problem!

My D said having her own space/privacy is more important to her even than being on the monorail route, which surprised me...but I totally get it because she has trouble sleeping at night, and that makes it tougher on us all to get decent sleep. So I'm guessing that would exclude the WL deluxe CL room, right (no divider)?

Thank you so much for your detailed response! I'm going to call tomorrow about any other suites that might be available, and also see if my family will reconsider WL.

Unfortunately, the extra FP+ CL option only included the bungalows at Poly and the cabins at Copper Creek in the offer and no other villa categories, so, yes, in "price of new car" range, LOL!

We just stayed WL CL and in a CCV 1-bedroom last year and had no issue with the boat service to MK. In fact, one morning we were too early for the MK boat and a resort boat came along very quickly and we had a private ride over to CR and simply walked to MK. It was so nice! We also attended both MNSSHP and MVMCP during those respective stays and left very quickly on a boat shortly after we left MK after the party. I felt like the boat service was quite efficient. The buses are another story, but we enjoyed using the new Minnie Vans and used uber/lyft, as well for the other parks.

omg, I love the washer/dryer in the villas. It sounds so ridiculous, right?! When DS and I stayed in WL CL last year, I simply did laundry in the communal laundry room there and it was just fine. Certainly not as convenient, but very reasonably priced and it got the job done!

As PP's have said, the WL deluxe room does have a separate living room, so maybe that will do the trick? Just know, I don't think those rooms have a view of the fireworks, but I could be wrong. The folks on the WL resort thread would know better than I. The staff at the WL CL lounge were FANTASTIC! We've done CL at all of the resorts except BC (which we'll do in December) and WL was by far my favorite!

 

[reluctantredhead]

Unfortunately, the extra FP+ CL option only included the bungalows at Poly and the cabins at Copper Creek in the offer and no other villa categories, so, yes, in "price of new car" range, LOL!

We just stayed WL CL and in a CCV 1-bedroom last year and had no issue with the boat service to MK. In fact, one morning we were too early for the MK boat and a resort boat came along very quickly and we had a private ride over to CR and simply walked to MK. It was so nice! We also attended both MNSSHP and MVMCP during those respective stays and left very quickly on a boat shortly after we left MK after the party. I felt like the boat service was quite efficient. The buses are another story, but we enjoyed using the new Minnie Vans and used uber/lyft, as well for the other parks.

omg, I love the washer/dryer in the villas. It sounds so ridiculous, right?! When DS and I stayed in WL CL last year, I simply did laundry in the communal laundry room there and it was just fine. Certainly not as convenient, but very reasonably priced and it got the job done!

As PP's have said, the WL deluxe room does have a separate living room, so maybe that will do the trick? Just know, I don't think those rooms have a view of the fireworks, but I could be wrong. The folks on the WL resort thread would know better than I. The staff at the WL CL lounge were FANTASTIC! We've done CL at all of the resorts except BC (which we'll do in December) and WL was by far my favorite!

Thanks so much for the info about the boat service. We are now strongly considering doing a split stay between the deluxe CL WL room and the 1BR suite at BC...but strangely, though the WL room is available for that entire week that we plan to be there, when we try to book it only for 3 nights it won't let us. I might call and ask about why that is.

If that doesn't work out, my family says they're fine with the BC 1BR suite...but I am still stunned that so much is already booked up this early in the game!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@reluctantredhead - I'm late to this thread, but have stayed in both the WL Deluxe Room and a BC 1-BR.

Here's a link to some pics of the WL Deluxe Room: WL Deluxe Room-Nov 2016 Scroll through a few posts as they might not all be back to back.

And attached are some pics of the BC 1-BR.

Happy to answer any questions about either one. Hope that helps!

 

[reluctantredhead]

@GADisneyDad14 , thank you so much for the photos and information! I especially appreciated the detailed review of the WL Deluxe CL room. I can completely understand why your family of 4 felt a bit cramped in it (as you wrote about in your review on the other thread)...and honestly, I wish it was 1 king bed instead of 2 queen beds because my H is 6'6". But given our need to have that separated out area for our teenage D, I think it will work quite nicely for us. However, it's a huge bummer that none of these rooms are on the same floor as the lounge...makes getting a quick cup of coffee a bit more involved!

We are strongly considering doing a split stay between the WL Deluxe CL room and the 1BR at the BC, in part thanks to your review/photos and the recommendations of several others who suggested the WL room. Our thinking is that we will stay 3 nights at the WL and do MK and AK on those days, and then do 4 nights at BC and stick to EP and HS those days. That way, we have convenient and easy transportation everywhere except AK and don't have to worry about whether the monorail breaks down...that's never happened to us when we've stayed at the GF or Poly, but the monorail is pretty much WHY we have chosen to stay there in the past, so I would be extremely unhappy if we paid those prices and then it wasn't available.

Thanks again, everyone! People are so generous here with their time and knowledge, and it is very appreciated.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

@reluctantredhead - I'm late to this thread, but have stayed in both the WL Deluxe Room and a BC 1-BR.

Here's a link to some pics of the WL Deluxe Room: WL Deluxe Room-Nov 2016 Scroll through a few posts as they might not all be back to back.

And attached are some pics of the BC 1-BR.

Happy to answer any questions about either one. Hope that helps!

That BC 1-bedroom is gorgeous! We have a BC deluxe booked for December, but I may have to price this out if it's available! Gee, between the BC 1-bedroom and those omelettes you've posted about at BWI CL, I'm going to blame my family's bankruptcy on you, LOL!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

That BC 1-bedroom is gorgeous! We have a BC deluxe booked for December, but I may have to price this out if it's available! Gee, between the BC 1-bedroom and those omelettes you've posted about at BWI CL, I'm going to blame my family's bankruptcy on you, LOL!

Sorry!

I know you know resort costs well - but I find the BC 1-BRs aren’t ‘that’ bad price wise. Ok, who am I kidding... yes, they are high. But not as high as some of the other resorts where the suites are in a different stratosphere.

 

[cadawson]

If that doesn't work out, my family says they're fine with the BC 1BR suite...but I am still stunned that so much is already booked up this early in the game!

BC CL is our favorite! If it were my family, I would book the BC 1-BR for the entire stay, assuming it's in budget. My DH really hates changing resorts mid-stay - we have done it many times for various reasons. He says we lose a day when we do that. We also love Poly CL, but sounds like it's not available or within budget. I wouldn't hesitate to keep my BC CL 1 br suite reservation for the whole stay. I hope you have fun!

 

[reluctantredhead]

BC CL is our favorite! If it were my family, I would book the BC 1-BR for the entire stay, assuming it's in budget. My DH really hates changing resorts mid-stay - we have done it many times for various reasons. He says we lose a day when we do that. We also love Poly CL, but sounds like it's not available or within budget. I wouldn't hesitate to keep my BC CL 1 br suite reservation for the whole stay. I hope you have fun!

Unfortunately, there is no suite availability at the Poly during our time frame...but it was our first choice too.

If we weren't going to be there over the Christmas holidays, we would've just kept our reservation for 12/19-12/26 at the BC. But I really hate the dealing with the T&TC, and my D liked the idea of trying the WL for the MK part of our stay, so we decided to book the WL Deluxe CL from for 12/20-12/23 and the 1BR BC Suite from 12/23-12/27. I was able to do that online, as well as cancel the 12/19-12/26 BC reservation...I was thrilled to not have to call and speak to a CM to do it!

We decided not to call about seeing if we could do WL from 12/19-12/22 because my H said he liked the idea of us having a rest day after D gets out for winter break but before we leave for WDW. Plus, my birthday is actually on 12/26, and nearly every year I'm stuck on a plane for it and kind of hate it (but that's just usually when the dates work out with school breaks or when airfares are cheapest, so I do it anyway). My H said I deserved to not have to spend my birthday on a plane for once, lol...so I am excited about that despite the fact that it will mean that an additional day of our trip will be during the dreaded Christmas-New Year's Week! We think we will be ok for that one day as long as we get our FP+ and ADRs in order, though...and if it gets too bad, we can always relax at the resort.

Thanks again for the help, everyone!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Unfortunately, there is no suite availability at the Poly during our time frame...but it was our first choice too.

You may know this, but did you call about the Poly 1-BR suite? Suites at some of the resorts are weird - some show up online, many do not (especially at the MK resorts). Your results ‘may’ vary when calling about the Poly 1-BR suite vs what you see online.

Sorry if you’ve already covered that in your research.

 

[cadawson]

So glad you worked out a solution, even if it wasn’t your top choice. Sounds like it is a great plan. Have fun planning your ADRs and FP+!