Concierge/Club Level Information - Part II (Sept 2009)

[Dizneydawn]

Ok. So if you have a choice between Yacht/Boardwalk concierge level which would you choose and why?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Little Lulu]

Actually the Resorts with the exception of the Animal Kingdom Lodge share the same IPO department.

Well, there you have it. Thanks, CRF4L!

I haven't stayed CL in three years due to not being able to travel (illness).
Last time we stayed CL, there were 4 IPOs, the one for GF/CR, one for Poly/WL, one for the Epcot resorts YC/BC/BWI, and then the AKL IPO.

How things have changed. Now all in one office except for AKL! WOW!

 

[Canyon girl]

All I know is that the people that I deal with supposedly ony do YC/BC/BWI. Their phone/fax #s are different from Poly, GF, CR, WL, and AKL. So how are they all together?

 

[scottmel]

Ok. So if you have a choice between Yacht/Boardwalk concierge level which would you choose and why?

Thanks for your help!

I have heard that the BC CL lounge, although has been made bigger, is still a little congested during food time. Families seem to hit BC more so I would think those same families would be in the lounge as well if staying CL.I really waffled back and forth between these two for this summer's trip and settled on YC more for the overall feel of the hotel - I like a less crowded atmosphere (BC Lobby can be hectic wtih Cape May)....The YC CL was just recently redone and looks really pretty. See Murphys trip report in the trip report section. Seemed very pretty to me. So I am staying put at YC CL...

 

[tkme4ard]

what is IPO?

 

[tiggrbaby]

what is IPO?

Itineray planning office

 

[whitney37354]

Random question: We will have DxDDP & staying at CR. Will they have our mugs on CL or do we need to go to the counter service to get them? I have already requested First Trip & birthday buttons & an odd-number room. Anything else I'm missing?

 

[Dizneydawn]

Thanks for the info. Has anyone here stayed at the Boardwalk CL as compared to Yacht Club CL? Is there a big food difference between the two?

 

[cbmstephanie]

We will be staying at the Contemporary Club Level in just a couple of days. This will be our first trip to Disney. We are focusing on Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as our girls are very young, princess obsessed and love animals. I was wondering if the Wildlife Discovery Excursion should be something that we do? I can't guarantee that our next trip will be Club Level so should I try to get reservations for this trip or will we be so enthralled with all things Disney that it wouldn't be worth it?
TIA!

 

[f15robyn]

We will be staying at the Contemporary Club Level in just a couple of days. This will be our first trip to Disney. We are focusing on Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as our girls are very young, princess obsessed and love animals. I was wondering if the Wildlife Discovery Excursion should be something that we do? I can't guarantee that our next trip will be Club Level so should I try to get reservations for this trip or will we be so enthralled with all things Disney that it wouldn't be worth it?
TIA!

I don't have children, so I can't comment from that perspective. But my husband and I did this tour in December and it was OUTSTANDING. We're staying club level again in May and have decided to do the tour again, it was that good.

 

[Tess]

Well, there you have it. Thanks, CRF4L!

I haven't stayed CL in three years due to not being able to travel (illness).
Last time we stayed CL, there were 4 IPOs, the one for GF/CR, one for Poly/WL, one for the Epcot resorts YC/BC/BWI, and then the AKL IPO.

How things have changed. Now all in one office except for AKL! WOW!

I believe this is still the case, i.e., there are 4 IPO offices as you outlined.

All I know is that the people that I deal with supposedly ony do YC/BC/BWI. Their phone/fax #s are different from Poly, GF, CR, WL, and AKL. So how are they all together?

That would tend to support what I posted above, i.e., there are different IPO offices, but shared by resorts, with the exception of AKL.

I don't believe that has changed.

 

[ClareH37]

Thanks for the info. Has anyone here stayed at the Boardwalk CL as compared to Yacht Club CL? Is there a big food difference between the two?

Hi, I last stayed at the YC CL in 2006 and BWI CL in 2009 (returning again to the BWI CL this May as I love it so much ).

This is of course just my opinion but I preferred the larger lounge at the BWI, although not really many more tables (there might even be the same amount) it's more spacious and particularly the food serving area is more open - it's just along 1 wall, whereas the YC is tucked into a separate (but still joined to the lounge) area, and when I was there it used to get a little crowded. Although the BWI lounge can get busy it doesn't feel so bad due it being a little more open. The actual 4th floor CL at the BWI is more compact than the YC floor, but there are deluxe rooms and suites on other floors.

However, on the flip side, I liked the keyed access elevator directly up to the 5th floor (CL only) at the YC, whereas at the BWI you have to walk down part of the 4th floor (non CL rooms) before you get to the keyed access CL.

Standard BWI CL rooms have a mix of views, some garden some boardwalk, the boardwalk view rooms are not very many in number and are on request, but due to their not being many if a view is really important to you either go for the deluxe BWI CL room (all have boardwalk views) or a water view at the YC.

I love the bedrooms at the BWI, they had a complete refurbishment and are stunning, the YC rooms have just had a soft refurbishment (and flat screen TVs), although I haven't stayed in the newly refurbished rooms at the YC the pictures do not appeal to me.

However, the main pull of the BWI are the CMs, they are amazing, nothing too much trouble and very friendly.

The only other difference I felt, and again this is just my opinion, is I felt the BWI had a more adult feel, compared to the YC.

 

[DLo]

We will be staying at the Contemporary Club Level in just a couple of days. This will be our first trip to Disney. We are focusing on Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as our girls are very young, princess obsessed and love animals. I was wondering if the Wildlife Discovery Excursion should be something that we do? I can't guarantee that our next trip will be Club Level so should I try to get reservations for this trip or will we be so enthralled with all things Disney that it wouldn't be worth it?
TIA!

We went last year and really enjoyed it. It was myself,my parents, and my ds then 11. If your daughters love animals, I think they will enjoy it. The kids got a lamenated poster that showed the animals we would see. We got to ask any questions we wanted and learned a lot about how the safari was made and runs day to day. If you knew you were doing cl again , I am not sure I would do it my first trip but if you aren't sure then go for it.

 

[soontobewed07]

I don't have children, so I can't comment from that perspective. But my husband and I did this tour in December and it was OUTSTANDING. We're staying club level again in May and have decided to do the tour again, it was that good.

I have to say DS is almost 3 and he LOVED EPCOT! We rode Nemo and the 3 caballeros over and over again and I have to say being able to have a drink with a relaxing dinner there was a sanity saver JMHO.

As for the Safari and I don't know if this holds true for you. DS was just too young for it we had debated this last trip staying CL for just this reason. I had friends who have done this and said that we should wait until he is 6 or 7 to do it

 

[jackemail]

We will be staying at the Contemporary Club Level in just a couple of days. This will be our first trip to Disney. We are focusing on Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as our girls are very young, princess obsessed and love animals. I was wondering if the Wildlife Discovery Excursion should be something that we do? I can't guarantee that our next trip will be Club Level so should I try to get reservations for this trip or will we be so enthralled with all things Disney that it wouldn't be worth it?
TIA!

First trip, and your girls look (from their pictures) just a tad too young to really enjoy the WDE. I took a 7 year old in October, and I think she was just old enough to appreciate it. I think I would pass it by.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Well, there you have it. Thanks, CRF4L!

I haven't stayed CL in three years due to not being able to travel (illness).
Last time we stayed CL, there were 4 IPOs, the one for GF/CR, one for Poly/WL, one for the Epcot resorts YC/BC/BWI, and then the AKL IPO.

How things have changed. Now all in one office except for AKL! WOW!

You're welcome.

 

[chimo2u]

We will be staying at the Contemporary Club Level in just a couple of days. This will be our first trip to Disney. We are focusing on Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as our girls are very young, princess obsessed and love animals. I was wondering if the Wildlife Discovery Excursion should be something that we do? I can't guarantee that our next trip will be Club Level so should I try to get reservations for this trip or will we be so enthralled with all things Disney that it wouldn't be worth it?
TIA!

If you where staying AKL Club Level, I'd say definitely do the Sunrise Safari, I think your girls would definitely have enjoyed that. It is very upclose and personal, and the breakfast buffet after was wonderful!!
However, I have never done the Wildlife Excursion, I have read about it, and for some reason it stands out as being quite different than the Sunrise Safari (exclusively through AKL CL), perhaps your girls would be a bit young to thouroghly enjoy that one. I did see many young ones enjoying the Sunrise Safari though! Have an amazing time on your trip, you must be so very excited to be walking throught those gates in 2 days!!!
Have fun!!!

 

[cbmstephanie]

Well my contemplation on the Wildlife Excursion has ended. I had sent an email to the IPO and received a response that since one of my girls isn't 3 she wouldn't be able to go on the Excursion, so that takes care of that.
Thanks everyone for your responses!

 

[f15robyn]

... the Sunrise Safari....It is very upclose and personal, and the breakfast buffet after was wonderful!!
However, I have never done the Wildlife Excursion, I have read about it, and for some reason it stands out as being quite different than the Sunrise Safari.

Hmmm. Now I'm curious. Could you describe the Sunrise Safari? Because from what I'd read, I thought Sunrise Safari gave you less time out on the safari.

I thought the safari portion itself of the Sunrise Safari was only 30 minutes, with the rest of the time spent at the breakfast - "2 hrs including 30 minute Safari & breakfast" (emphasis mine) from http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm.

Our Wildlife Discovery Excursion was definitely the full hour (actually we went almost 30 minutes over, but that's because all participants arrived early, so we started 15 minutes early and we ended 15 minutes late - YMMV).

We stopped for quite a long time at 4 different places and made several interior loops to go past the Cheetahs a few times. Our guide, Laura, was fantastic.

Granted, I'm guessing that in the heat of the summer, the animals are more active for the Sunrise Safari than they would be for the 10am or 1pm Wildlife Discovery Excursion. But in December at 1pm, they were all pretty active (except, of course, for the lions ).

Just wondering if a future stay at AKL would be worth it JUST for the Sunrise Safari (fyi... no real interest in the breakfast - for us it's all about the animals).

 

[mdrob214]

Random question: We will have DxDDP & staying at CR. Will they have our mugs on CL or do we need to go to the counter service to get them? I have already requested First Trip & birthday buttons & an odd-number room. Anything else I'm missing?

They will be on your KTTW card as a mug credit. When you buy them at the Contempo Cafe restaurant, they will be "free".