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

[kaffinito]

Hi all! We booked our first CL stay over the weekend for a trip to the Beach Club in March, and I've been reading through this thread for information and tips. Thanks to all who have shared their experiences!

I just emailed IPO this morning, and got a response from them very quickly. I love that the email started with "Good Morning Lastname Crew," - very cute! They also pulled up all the ADRs I had made on my own (before I knew we would book CL) and put them in an itinerary, without my even mentioning the ADRs.

So far, I like this CL thing! Anyway, I'm sure I'll be back with questions as our trip approaches, so I wanted to introduce myself. If anyone has any advice for a first CL stay or for the Beach Club in particular, I'd love to hear it!

You'd better watch out! CL is highly addictive! My only advice is to relax and enjoy yourself.

 

[mmmears]

Hi all! We booked our first CL stay over the weekend for a trip to the Beach Club in March, and I've been reading through this thread for information and tips. Thanks to all who have shared their experiences!

I just emailed IPO this morning, and got a response from them very quickly. I love that the email started with "Good Morning Lastname Crew," - very cute! They also pulled up all the ADRs I had made on my own (before I knew we would book CL) and put them in an itinerary, without my even mentioning the ADRs.

So far, I like this CL thing! Anyway, I'm sure I'll be back with questions as our trip approaches, so I wanted to introduce myself. If anyone has any advice for a first CL stay or for the Beach Club in particular, I'd love to hear it!

Welcome!

I love the way that the IPO offices are themed with the resorts, too! We are a "safari party" at AKL, a "crew" at the BC, etc. It really adds to the fun before the trip even starts!

I'm really glad to hear you are getting great service from the IPO office, too!

We stayed at the BC last summer on the CL floor. It's a really, really long hallway, so if you want to be near the lounge I would suggest asking for that. My DD wanted a SAB/BW view, so we asked for a room that would put us far away from the lounge and didn't mind the walk. But I could see it being too long for some. Personally I wouldn't want to be too close, since there was a bit of noise coming from the concierge and the lounge area and I like my quiet.

Relax and enjoy! The BC CL is fabulous!

 

[mdrob214]

You'd better watch out! CL is highly addictive! My only advice is to relax and enjoy yourself.

I can attest to that--and we have 5 months left til our first CL stay! DH is loving the IPO. He likes most that he can call them and he doesn't have to answer 40 questions before they pick up the phone and say "Aloha!"

 

[kaffinito]

I can attest to that--and we have 5 months left til our first CL stay! DH is loving the IPO. He likes most that he can call them and he doesn't have to answer 40 questions before they pick up the phone and say "Aloha!"

If he likes it this much now - just wait until he gets there!

 

[mdrob214]

If he likes it this much now - just wait until he gets there!

All a part of my evil plan! Mwahahahaha!

 

[UncleOrville]

Thanks all for your words of warning about CL being addictive - I think I too am already becoming addicted!

And thanks, mmmears for your advice about the room locations at the BC - I hadn't really thought about that yet. I think I would prefer to be a bit further away from the lounge to avoid noise coming from there, but don't want a terribly long walk. Hmm... maybe I will ask to be medium-far away. I think we'll probably go with a further away room and a longer walk.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I read a few pages back and can't find this specifically, so apologies if it has been asked.

I am booking for June and trying to decide. We've always stayed Poly CL for at least part of our trips.

But, this past August I was disappointed in Poly CL; still, if I stay at the Poly I would choose CL. I saw online that they are offering CL access to Theme Park view rooms. Does this mean even more people in the lounge? Even longer lines? Has this already started and does anyone have experience, is it working out OK? If lounge is much more crowded, I think I will have to choose a different resort.

TIA

They are just changing some Lagoon View rooms into a Theme Park View category. So it's the same amount of rooms like the last time you were there, however some now just go by a different booking category.

 

[chimo2u]

For my family, the DxDP is way too much food. We stayed CL at the BC in July and we really liked it! The lounge doesn't have the ambiance of the one at AKL, but the CMs were great, the food good and plentiful, and it was nice being on the top floor. I can't say what you should do, but I prefer CL over dining out too much. We'd rather save the time and the calories and spend the money on CL.

Thanks so much for your "bringing me down to Earth" advice!! I definitely agree that Deluxe Dining Plan is an awful lot of food!! I think I would rather save the time and calories and splurge on Club Level. I needed someone to remind me of that! I called tonight to upgrade our ressie to Club level at BC....now I need to be happy with the change and leave it alone! Sad thing is....AKL Club level is $700.00 cheaper and now I am thinking for the money savings, maybe I should just stay with our loved, tried and true!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH why does it have to be so hard, I swear I must have an addiction to resort/ressie changing! ai, ai ai

 

[mmmears]

For my family, the DxDP is way too much food. We stayed CL at the BC in July and we really liked it! The lounge doesn't have the ambiance of the one at AKL, but the CMs were great, the food good and plentiful, and it was nice being on the top floor. I can't say what you should do, but I prefer CL over dining out too much. We'd rather save the time and the calories and spend the money on CL.

Thanks so much for your "bringing me down to Earth" advice!! I definitely agree that Deluxe Dining Plan is an awful lot of food!! I think I would rather save the time and calories and splurge on Club Level. I needed someone to remind me of that! I called tonight to upgrade our ressie to Club level at BC....now I need to be happy with the change and leave it alone! Sad thing is....AKL Club level is $700.00 cheaper and now I am thinking for the money savings, maybe I should just stay with our loved, tried and true!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH why does it have to be so hard, I swear I must have an addiction to resort/ressie changing! ai, ai ai

You're welcome. For us, even the regular DP is too much food, and more than we would order when we just order OOP. And I totally understand about AKL CL, too, since we've been trying to make the exact same decision for our upcoming trip! They are both really nice -- one has the great pool and location, and the other has the animals and this amazing "feel" to it... It's a tough one...

 

[Tam1067]

Gotta love IPO. I just got the email with all my dining requests for our July/August stay in Sugar Loaf at the GF. They got us everything including Le Cellier for dinner!

 

[Tam1067]

Hello! I am having such a hard time deciding whether or not to add on Concierge level this summer to our 5 night stay at BC. My son and I are going on a trip just the 2 of us. We are staying 5 nights at Disney and 2 nights at PBH Universal Studios Club Level. We are usually AKL Club level ppl....adore the CL lounge and the serenity of the resort, but decided to try a new resort as this is most likely my last trip for a very long time....as well, my son will be 14 yo, so I thought BC would be a great resort for a teen boy to dive into!
I am having a hard time deciding whether I should stay with what we have booked right now (Aug 21-26th Standard view, Deluxe Dining) OR paying the $ 400 or so difference and staying Club Level, like we usually do with just the basic dining plan. We have come to love club level, and I am having a hard time parting with the thought of "no club level" this trip, regardless of "trying the Deluxe Dining plan (which is new to me).
The most major downside to the Deluxe DP is that there is just too much food!! I know I don't have time/or inclination for all that many sit down meals!
I also dont' want to come away from the trip 10lbs heavier than when we arrived!
PRO's for club level:
It seems like we have a better chance of a room with a decent view on the
club level, and I must admit....I love all the extra ammenities and conveniences of Club level!!!
The choice is hard.... Any recommendations or thoughts to help me make the choice easier??
TIA

We had the Deluxe Dining Plan in August 09 and then stayed in Sugar Loaf this December. No question for us, CL is the way to go from now on. We have APs, so we'll just use our TIW card for meals.

Here's why. With the deluxe dining, we were running from ADR to ADR. The entire trip was planned around our meals. We never had three TS meals in a day (two was my limit), but still, it seemed that we were always eating or planning our next meal. We also missed out on park time because of our ADRs.

When we stayed CL, we had no problem getting to rope drop every morning because we could just grab some food in the lounge and go. It was great. We also ordered what we wanted at the restaurants, and then had snacks if we were at the resort and wanted them later in the day.

 

[RachaelA]

For my family, the DxDP is way too much food. We stayed CL at the BC in July and we really liked it! The lounge doesn't have the ambiance of the one at AKL, but the CMs were great, the food good and plentiful, and it was nice being on the top floor. I can't say what you should do, but I prefer CL over dining out too much. We'd rather save the time and the calories and spend the money on CL.

Thanks so much for your "bringing me down to Earth" advice!! I definitely agree that Deluxe Dining Plan is an awful lot of food!! I think I would rather save the time and calories and splurge on Club Level. I needed someone to remind me of that! I called tonight to upgrade our ressie to Club level at BC....now I need to be happy with the change and leave it alone! Sad thing is....AKL Club level is $700.00 cheaper and now I am thinking for the money savings, maybe I should just stay with our loved, tried and true!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH why does it have to be so hard, I swear I must have an addiction to resort/ressie changing! ai, ai ai

We were going to mix it up and stay somewhere else, but AKL CL was just so wonderful last time we had to go back this trip.

I love how they start every email and answer the phone with Dumela!

 

[chimo2u]

We were going to mix it up and stay somewhere else, but AKL CL was just so wonderful last time we had to go back this trip.

I love how they start every email and answer the phone with Dumela!

I love that too!!! It is just such a lovely, relaxing, homey feeling resort! We love it....The CL is amazing at AKL. That's what's making this such a hard choice! AKL club level is $700.00 cheaper than staying at the BC, but since it is just my teen son and I, I really wanted to try something new. Also BC theme seems so suited to a teen boy with the amazing pool, movies on the beach, the location to Epcot and DHS. Those are the things AKL doesn't offer....it is so hard choosing and this will be our last trip, so I want to do it in a memorable way!
Right now it stands BC Club level, basic dining plan. Since we've always stayed AKL CL both our previous trips, it is very hard to let go and change a "really good thing" with a new resort choice! I am also really hoping for some kind of discount to bring that price down a bit!!!

 

[mmmears]

I love that too!!! It is just such a lovely, relaxing, homey feeling resort! We love it....The CL is amazing at AKL. That's what's making this such a hard choice! AKL club level is $700.00 cheaper than staying at the BC, but since it is just my teen son and I, I really wanted to try something new. Also BC theme seems so suited to a teen boy with the amazing pool, movies on the beach, the location to Epcot and DHS. Those are the things AKL doesn't offer....it is so hard choosing and this will be our last trip, so I want to do it in a memorable way!
Right now it stands BC Club level, basic dining plan. Since we've always stayed AKL CL both our previous trips, it is very hard to let go and change a "really good thing" with a new resort choice! I am also really hoping for some kind of discount to bring that price down a bit!!!

How long are you going for? If it's long enough, you could always do an AKL/BC split stay... We've done that! With the economy not looking like it's going to improve any time soon, I'd keep looking for that discount.

 

[chimo2u]

How long are you going for? If it's long enough, you could always do an AKL/BC split stay... We've done that! With the economy not looking like it's going to improve any time soon, I'd keep looking for that discount.

Not really time to split things up....we are staying only 5 nights before heading over to Universal PBH CL for our last 2 nights. My son mentioned we should do a split stay, but it would be too expensive, I think, with all the rules about split stays (I think you need to buy a one day ticket?) with each "leg" of your stay??? .... anyway, with wanting the DDP and splitting things up, I think it would not be our best bet. I will definitely be looking for some discount over the next few months!!!

PS... a slightly off topic??? but would you happen to know if they sell noodles to use in the pool at the BC gift shop?? I don't want to pay the fees they charge to rent the tubes at BC

 

[kaffinito]

So just to double check, at Poly CL the food offerings are on the main floor of the lounge, and the tables are right there too? And upstairs is where the sitting area with the TV set is? Are there food offerings upstairs as well?

I need to make sure, since DN4 can't climb stairs and will be in a stroller/wheelchair at times.

Oh, also to double check, when we drive up I need to tell the bellman that we are staying CL, correct? And then they drive us to the Hawaii building in a golf cart?

Thanks!
Karen

 

[mmmears]

Not really time to split things up....we are staying only 5 nights before heading over to Universal PBH CL for our last 2 nights. My son mentioned we should do a split stay, but it would be too expensive, I think, with all the rules about split stays (I think you need to buy a one day ticket?) with each "leg" of your stay??? .... anyway, with wanting the DDP and splitting things up, I think it would not be our best bet. I will definitely be looking for some discount over the next few months!!!

PS... a slightly off topic??? but would you happen to know if they sell noodles to use in the pool at the BC gift shop?? I don't want to pay the fees they charge to rent the tubes at BC

I understand. That's our problem as well (not enough time). You're right, if you want the DDP, then you'd have to buy a ticket with each 1/2 and that would not be cost-effective.

Yes, they sell noodles at the BC, at the little "shack" right out by the pool. Really convenient. They also rent tubes, but it costs less to buy a noodle! It was just a few dollars when we bought one this past summer (can't remember exactly, but not expensive).

 

[mmmears]

So just to double check, at Poly CL the food offerings are on the main floor of the lounge, and the tables are right there too? And upstairs is where the sitting area with the TV set is? Are there food offerings upstairs as well?

I need to make sure, since DN4 can't climb stairs and will be in a stroller/wheelchair at times.

Oh, also to double check, when we drive up I need to tell the bellman that we are staying CL, correct? And then they drive us to the Hawaii building in a golf cart?

Thanks!
Karen

All of the food and most of the chairs and tables are on the 2nd floor. There is a little loft with seating on the 3rd floor, but no food or drinks are up there, and there's not much to do up there. For convenience, you may actually want to be on the 2nd floor...it would be alot less up and down in the elevator for your DN. But remember that those rooms don't have a balcony... The concierge staff and desks are underneath the lounge on the 1st floor.

Yes, if you tell the bellman that you are club level they will take you and all your luggage in a golf cary to the Hawaii building. Our bellman went the "long way" and gave us a little mini-tour of the Poly on the way.

Hope this helps...

 

[kaffinito]

All of the food and most of the chairs and tables are on the 2nd floor. There is a little loft with seating on the 3rd floor, but no food or drinks are up there, and there's not much to do up there. For convenience, you may actually want to be on the 2nd floor...it would be alot less up and down in the elevator for your DN. But remember that those rooms don't have a balcony... The concierge staff and desks are underneath the lounge on the 1st floor.

Yes, if you tell the bellman that you are club level they will take you and all your luggage in a golf cary to the Hawaii building. Our bellman went the "long way" and gave us a little mini-tour of the Poly on the way.

Hope this helps...

Thanks! That does help a lot! I wasn't getting a good idea of the layout from the pictures.

I'm probably going to request 1st floor though because of his medical needs, but only if I can keep myself from switching to LV CL.

 

[mmmears]

Thanks! That does help a lot! I wasn't getting a good idea of the layout from the pictures.

I'm probably going to request 1st floor though because of his medical needs, but only if I can keep myself from switching to LV CL.

1st floor makes alot of sense. If you look at the Tikiman site there is a layout of the Hawaii building that shows where the lounge is, where the rooms are, etc. But, in general, as you approach from the GCH facing the lagoon, the general area is on the left side of the building (concierge, food lounge, loft), all stacked on top of one another. Hope that makes sense...