club level vs dining plan

[kotsnewestmember]

Has anyone just done the club level at the resorts and skipped the dining plans all together? It seems like there is sufficient food choices available and just supplement with meals outside the resort..hmmm We will be going back to room for a swim/nap due to daughter's health, so we would make use of club level...is extra cost worth it?

 

[DEA]

If you have the money for it, it can be a nice splurge. You can pretty much take care of breakfast with the offerings in the Concierge Lounge, as long as you're okay with muffins/cereal/fruit, and the snacks they do are pretty nice throughout the day. Plus, my DW and I were able to drink enough diet Coke from the lounge to put a healthy dent in the CL upcharge. There are beers, wine, and liquor available in the evenings, which can make for a nice wind-down.

For full disclosure, we don't use the dining plan on our trips. Even with CL, though, you will still want to eat your later meals somewhere besides the lounge.

Plus, even though there is stuff in the lounge throughout the day, being around for it means not being in the parks or even at the pool, although I suppose you have the option to have someone run to the lounge for snacks and drinks.

 

[dandave]

The lounge is good for a quick breakfast. I find it a very relaxing way to start the day, as I can send the family to the lounge and have the room to myself to get dressed.
There's usually little available in the afternoons, except very, very, light snacks. To take part in the evening, you would have to plan to be there. We usually just hit the evening on check-in day.

 

[bdklein]

There are beers, wine, and liquor available in the evenings, which can make for a nice wind-down.

For full disclosure, we don't use the dining plan on our trips. Even with CL, though, you will still want to eat your later meals somewhere besides the lounge.

Plus, even though there is stuff in the lounge throughout the day, being around for it means not being in the parks or even at the pool, although I suppose you have the option to have someone run to the lounge for snacks and drinks.

We stayed at Sl CL at the GF this past summer. It is pretty close to the Courtyard Pool. Many days we went multiple times for beer and wine (not sure about liquor) during the day. The beer/wine was not out for self-service, but the Cl staff was readily available to get it.

In terms of value, generally speaking you will get Continental breakfast, some light snacks during the day, and a larger assortment of snacks and booze in the evening. And some service from the IPO's, along with an easier check-in. Worth is relative.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

This is what we're doing, but I'm only going to use CL to supplement the meals that we'd eat in the resort, or at the parks (no DDP for us).

I think it would be nice for a quick breakfast, but those types of foods don't keep me full for long. There seems to be very little in the way of protein in the offerings. I figure it would get us moving though, then we'd snack in the park in between the light breakfast and lunch.

We usually head back to the resort in the middle of the afternoon, so we'd then use it as a snack in between lunch and dinner.

I know we'll make use of the beer and wine in the evenings.

I'm also going to have two teenagers with me, so I KNOW they'll make use of it.

 

[bdklein]

I don't see the Dining Plan and staying Club Level having anything to do with each other, although others might disagree. I'm not a Dining Plan advocate-just the opposite actually. Unless it's free and I can't get a room discount offering more value.

 

[Wood Nymph]

You can buy a lot of food for the cost of club level. The cost to add one day of club level is about the same as a full day on the dining plan for three adults. I can't imagine club level is worth the money, unless you drink a lot of alcohol. Then it might be worth it. But the food itself doesn't seem worth the cost to me.

ETA: That isn't to say that club level isn't worth it for some people. Just as we prefer to stay at a deluxe resort even though we could get a room at a value resort for a third of the price, club level is what I would call a "travel enhancement". It is something that makes a trip more enjoyable to those who use it. I just don't think it can used considered a cost savings when adding the dining plan to the trip.

 

[Kaykool101]

I don't know that you can really compare the cost of the club level and the cost of the Dining Plan in dollars only. In other words, even if the club level upgrade + off site dining was the same as the Disney Dining Plan, then you have to look at the experience.

Several Disney restaurants are designed to be a dining experience. Eating in a lounge at the hotel and Denny's down the street are not the same thing as going to Ohana or Chef Mickey's, etc.

Personally, I have never done Club Level, but I cannot imagine it is an alternative to the Dining Plan or even paying to eat at Disney restaurants out of pocket. If you are happy with driving off property to save money, then just do that, but adding club level as cost savings doesn't sound like a good idea.

Not that Club Level isn't nice if you can afford it. I just don't think it is a meal replacement.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

CL would definitely not be a replacement for the dining plan, or dining without a plan, for my family.

For us, it's simply a perk that we're willing to pay for. It'll be used as it's intended - as snacks, drinks, etc., while we're at the hotel. We tend to spend a lot of time at the resort, during the day, so for us it works.

ETA: I don't look at the DDP as a money-saving add-on, either. I've worked the numbers, and for our family, we spend less eating on-site, than what we pay for the DDP. I think it's inaccurate to assume that in order to save money by not being on the DDP, that you'd have to eat off-site.

 

[mommyrosa2]

Has anyone just done the club level at the resorts and skipped the dining plans all together? It seems like there is sufficient food choices available and just supplement with meals outside the resort..hmmm We will be going back to room for a swim/nap due to daughter's health, so we would make use of club level...is extra cost worth it?

While we've been lucky to stay CL twice (was upgraded with Pixie dust both times), I wouldn't say that there are enough offerings to supplement all your meals (with the exception of maybe breakfast, IF you like continental style breakfasts) and as a pp mentioned, CL can be expensive upcharge. But if you do decide on CL, I don't necessarily think you would need a dining plan either, you could just pay OOP for the meals you do want, it all depends on how you plan to dine. An example, this Fall, DH & I are heading back to the world for some F&W and did decide on CL (booked with a great CM Discount). We will be touring very differently than we normally do when we take the kids along. We'll definitely make use of the lounge for breakfasts, snacks/apps and drinks (both alcoholic & non), only plan on doing 1 or 2 dinner ADR's max. & the rest we'll get from snacking around the world in Epcot. A DP for us on this trip would make no sense! Good Luck deciding!

 

[mommyrosa2]

CL would definitely not be a replacement for the dining plan, or dining without a plan, for my family.

For us, it's simply a perk that we're willing to pay for. It'll be used as it's intended - as snacks, drinks, etc., while we're at the hotel. We tend to spend a lot of time at the resort, during the day, so for us it works.

ETA: I don't look at the DDP as a money-saving add-on, either. I've worked the numbers, and for our family, we spend less eating on-site, than what we pay for the DDP. I think it's inaccurate to assume that in order to save money by not being on the DDP, that you'd have to eat off-site.

Just wanted to say, really cute AVATAR!

 

[lucyem]

CL we have found is not going to replace most meals, just supplement them. For example we were at the AKL CL a couple of months ago. I had a discount code. I cannot imagine paying rack rate. The CL took care of breakfast and snacks. We still had meals elsewhere. CL also gave us (very limited selection) drinks in the evening and soda all day.

DDP is tough to even break even with anymore. Few come out ahead. As for having it with the CL I guess thats up to you. Honestly we could not eat all that food on the DDP even before any extras like the CL. We like to split meals or have an appetizer for a meal.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

Just wanted to say, really cute AVATAR!

Haha, thanks! When I was little, I'd sit there and pick a box of Lucky Charms clean of its marshmallows. My sisters loved me for it, I'm sure.

I'd probably do it today, if I had a box sitting in front of me.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

We did CL and Deluxe Dining Plan. I think the DDP alone is too much food - what family of 3 orders 3 apps, 3 entrees, and 3 desserts at every meal? I got the DDP because we do typically eat 3 meals a day, and we aren't big counter service fans.

That said, we enjoyed staying CL. It was nice to be able to grab drinks going back to the room and get a little snack in the evenings. We were there during a slow time, so we were able to get our fill of the parks by 4 or 5:00 each day, so we did visit the club in the late afternoon. We needed to change plans one day, and it was nice to have someone do that for us. I wouldn't say it is worth a bundle, but in our case, we happened upon a discount that made it reasonable in comparison to the other rooms in that resort.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

DDP is tough to even break even with anymore. Few come out ahead. As for having it with the CL I guess thats up to you. Honestly we could not eat all that food on the DDP even before any extras like the CL. We like to split meals or have an appetizer for a meal.

This is exactly what we do too. The DDP is convenient, no doubt, but we will lose money on it, and we eat exactly what, and where we want.

Someone posted a spreadsheet on here awhile back, and I had no idea how much we lost, until I played around with it.

 

[robinb]

I posted this on your other thread on the same subject:

Holy Resort Creep Batman! You went from 2 rooms at a value resort to Club Level at the Polynesian in ONE DAY?!?!

I have stayed Club Level at Animal Kingdom twice. You will get a nice continental type breakfast in the morning. The appetizers do take the edge off your hunger and you will eat less for dinner (and maybe you can share entrees) but they are not intended to be a meal replacement. If you read some Club Level threads people complain about the buffet hogs who load up their plates. The issue is that the overall amount of food is limited so if your family treats the appetizers as a tapas dinner every night, other families do not get any food at all. That's not fair to the other Club Level guests.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

I was reading a 'live from' thread last night, from a lady staying CL at the BC, and as she was placing a second spring roll on her plate, some guy walked behind her and said "Limit one.", and kept on walking.

I would have died.

 

[jhryb]

If it is a choice of one over the other then I would personally go for the Dining plan. I like to sit down in a nice TS restaurant in the evenings. If going for CL means that you will not do TS restaurants then I would select the Dining plan instead.

 

[floridagirl61]

I was reading a 'live from' thread last night, from a lady staying CL at the BC, and as she was placing a second spring roll on her plate, some guy walked behind her and said "Limit one.", and kept on walking.

I would have died.

I saw that thread too. I don't know if I would have been able to bite my tongue, he may have gotten a response out of me. That being said, my family and I are staying club level in September and if I want 2 of something, I will take it. I don't think that is unreasonable. Our plan is to be at the lounge each evening at 5, have some appetizers and wine, then head out to our dinner reservation. September can't get here quick enough.

 

[MagicallyDelicious]

I saw that thread too. I don't know if I would have been able to bite my tongue, he may have gotten a response out of me. That being said, my family and I are staying club level in September and if I want 2 of something, I will take it. I don't think that is unreasonable. Our plan is to be at the lounge each evening at 5, have some appetizers and wine, then head out to our dinner reservation. September can't get here quick enough.

Will wine be out that early? That sounds like a wonderful plan to me!