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

[mmmears]

For those at the Poly CL, were you given buckets and shovels at check in so your kids could play in the sand? Someone on another thread mentioned that.

They have buckets and shovels behind the concierge desks on the 1st floor of the Hawaii building. Sometimes you have to ask, but they are given out to CL guests. My DD got one in April, 2009 and another set in April, 2010. On our check-in day in 2009 they didn't have any left, but got a new shipment the next day and gave her one. (Hope my info is still current ).

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks for reminding me the IPO is not the same....I'd forgotten about that....I'll stay with BWI on faith

You won't regret that decision because the Boardwalk Innkeeper's Club Cast Members are simply amazing.

 

[*~PrincessBelle~*]

quick question... we leave in 4 days for our disneymoon (5 days until check-in at Poly CL)...this will be our first ever CL stay...I have heard some people receiving an email to take with them to present to bell services when you arrive at the hotel...now does everyone receive this or just some? Just want to make sure I have everything I need for check-in to go smoothly on Monday

 

[pezaddict231]

We just stayed CL at the GF for our wedding and I don't know anything about an email. When magical express arrived at the resort the CM was already waiting for us outside. I think I had given them my flight information, but I'm sure if no one was out there you could just let them know you were staying CL and they could direct you where to go.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

quick question... we leave in 4 days for our disneymoon (5 days until check-in at Poly CL)...this will be our first ever CL stay...I have heard some people receiving an email to take with them to present to bell services when you arrive at the hotel...now does everyone receive this or just some? Just want to make sure I have everything I need for check-in to go smoothly on Monday

When we arrive the Cast Member from the guard shack radio's ahead that we are staying Club Level and for a Cast Member to greet us as we get out of our car, who will then take us up to our floor so we can check-in. Also any guests staying Club Level will have a letter C on their parking pass and that means they are staying Club Level and how they know that a Club Level guest is arriving.

 

[kaffinito]

When we arrive the Cast Member from the guard shack radio's ahead that we are staying Club Level and for a Cast Member to greet us as we get out of our car, who will then take us up to our floor so we can check-in.

So that's how they do that! I was wondering since the process was so smooth over at GF. Usually at BWI I have to tell someone that we are staying CL as they try to take me to the front desk. Must be the car....

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

So that's how they do that! I was wondering since the process was so smooth over at GF. Usually at BWI I have to tell someone that we are staying CL as they try to take me to the front desk. Must be the car....

Well when we arrived at the Boardwalk the main bellman had a sheet with the list of the Club Level arrivals and told us that our room was ready and as we walked towards there with another bellman, Jennifer from the Innkeeper's Club who was sitting at the desk where you insert your key to open the door that goes towards the lounge, meet us in the hallway so we could check-in right inside our room.

 

[Little_Sister]

last time we stayed CL at GF we just went to the front desk and the cast member called a CL Cast Member to walk us over to the Sugar Loaf.

 

[WDWKOOK]

When we stayed last month at the YC's Regatta Club, we arrived by car from AKL at breakfast time so that we could eat breakfast in the lounge. The gate guard handed me my parking pass which had a "CL" on it, which I assumed meant Club Level. I pulled-up and bell services took our luggage and said nothing to me. We walked into the lobby and had no idea where to go. I kept wondering why no one had greeted us from CL. So I told a CM that we were staying CL, but I didn't know where to go. He just told me to go to the regular check-in/out desk. I knew this wasn't right, so I paused for a moment to get my bearings and then a woman asked if we needed help. It turns out she was the one who was supposed to greet us outside and take us up to CL. She said we must have "slipped by her".

The odd thing is when I pulled-up the car, I saw her standing behind a podium outside, but I had no idea that she was the CL "greeter". Also, she must have known when we were arriving because the IPO sent me an e-mail a few weeks before arrival asking us what time we'd be checking-in. Since we were coming from AKL, I e-mailed them a very precise time which was exactly the time we arrived. Plus, we had the parking pass with the big, typed "CL" on it. None of this seemed to make any difference though.

 

[Leash]

I emailed the IPO at AKL and asked what we need to do to check in on CL and told him we were coming on DME and when I thought we would likely arrive based on our flight landing time (6 pm). He let me know that at that time of night I would just check in at the regular cehick in desk downstairs and then I would be able to get up to the lounge once we have our KTTW. I was a little bummed because I was looking forward to "special" check in but it should be fine, I mean we're at Disney World how can I be anything but ecstatic!
So I was just wondering if anyone has done the check in this way before and should I do anything different, like not mention we are staying CL 'cause I don't want to confuse the front desk CM? Thanks.

 

[RachelTori]

I emailed the IPO at AKL and asked what we need to do to check in on CL and told him we were coming on DME and when I thought we would likely arrive based on our flight landing time (6 pm). He let me know that at that time of night I would just check in at the regular cehick in desk downstairs and then I would be able to get up to the lounge once we have our KTTW. I was a little bummed because I was looking forward to "special" check in but it should be fine, I mean we're at Disney World how can I be anything but ecstatic!
So I was just wondering if anyone has done the check in this way before and should I do anything different, like not mention we are staying CL 'cause I don't want to confuse the front desk CM? Thanks.

You land at 6pm? You should be arriving at AKL well before the Lounge closing time of 10pm. When I check-in at AKL via DME, I go to the Valet stand, just outside the entrance. I can honestly say I don't know what time they close for the evening, but I'd be surprised if it's before you would be arriving.

My suggestion is to get off the bus, stop at the Valet stand (or at Bell Services, which is just inside the lobby doors). They should have your Safari Welcome Pack and take you upstairs to the Lounge for check-in.

If you do end up having to go to the front desk, please DO tell them you're staying Club Level. (Unless you have a flight delay, I'm pretty confident you won't have to go to the front desk. )

Please report back and let us know how your check-in went.

Have a wonderful time! I'll be up in the AKL Lounge myself again in just a few weeks!

 

[Leash]

You land at 6pm? You should be arriving at AKL well before the Lounge closing time of 10pm. When I check-in at AKL via DME, I go to the Valet stand, just outside the entrance. I can honestly say I don't know what time they close for the evening, but I'd be surprised if it's before you would be arriving.

My suggestion is to get off the bus, stop at the Valet stand (or at Bell Services, which is just inside the lobby doors). They should have your Safari Welcome Pack and take you upstairs to the Lounge for check-in.

If you do end up having to go to the front desk, please DO tell them you're staying Club Level. (Unless you have a flight delay, I'm pretty confident you won't have to go to the front desk. )

Please report back and let us know how your check-in went.

Have a wonderful time! I'll be up in the AKL Lounge myself again in just a few weeks!

Well I kinda thought we would be there early enough too (figured we would arrive between 7-7:30) but that's what Don said and from what I've read here he is the best. I will check with the Bell desk just in case.
We've only been one other time and it was CL at WL and we checked in really early (around 7 am) so I thought maybe they stop checking people in at a certain time of night even though the lounge is open.

I plan on trying to post a live trip report each night so I will report back in 74 days!!! Hope you have an awesome time too!

 

[RachelTori]

Thanks! Yes, Don is one of the best. Still, I'm surprised that with an estimated arrival time of around 7-7:30pm, you'd be told to go to the Front Desk.

If I get the chance to speak with Don in the next week or so, I'm going to ask him about that!

 

[mmmears]

I agree with RachelTori about the times. We've checked into AKL after 8pm every time and there was still someone up in the lounge to help us. I was told it was after 10pm (we've cut it pretty close some times) that we would have to check in downstairs. Don is the best -- it's possible he was letting you know in case your arrival was delayed???

We've also checked into the YC really late several times (once around midnight, once at 2:30am (thanks, United ). Those times we just went to the front desk and checked in. There was no line and it was quick and easy. They gave us the CL packet of info that was waiting there for us. It really wasn't a problem at all for us.

Hope you have a great trip! AKL is

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

When we stayed last month at the YC's Regatta Club, we arrived by car from AKL at breakfast time so that we could eat breakfast in the lounge. The gate guard handed me my parking pass which had a "CL" on it, which I assumed meant Club Level. I pulled-up and bell services took our luggage and said nothing to me. We walked into the lobby and had no idea where to go. I kept wondering why no one had greeted us from CL. So I told a CM that we were staying CL, but I didn't know where to go. He just told me to go to the regular check-in/out desk. I knew this wasn't right, so I paused for a moment to get my bearings and then a woman asked if we needed help. It turns out she was the one who was supposed to greet us outside and take us up to CL. She said we must have "slipped by her".

The odd thing is when I pulled-up the car, I saw her standing behind a podium outside, but I had no idea that she was the CL "greeter". Also, she must have known when we were arriving because the IPO sent me an e-mail a few weeks before arrival asking us what time we'd be checking-in. Since we were coming from AKL, I e-mailed them a very precise time which was exactly the time we arrived. Plus, we had the parking pass with the big, typed "CL" on it. None of this seemed to make any difference though.

How was your Club Level check-in at the Contemporary?

 

[jenjersnap]

I read on the BC&YC faq thread that the BC lounge (not sure about the YC lounge) is open 24 hours on a trial basis. Yippee! Anyone been there during this trial? I am curious if there are any drinks available (water, soda, and hot tea). I have read the coffee machine is operating.

 

[Mamu]

This will be my 4th CL stay and I've never received an e-mail ahead. I do e-mail them and introduce ourselves and if there's any request or questions at that time I ask politely.

They are wonderful, they usually reply the same day. Sometimes I read things on the Dis that I'm unsure of and I'll ask them if it right or wrong. If it something that allowed they will stir you into the right direction.

As far as making ADR, I do my own on line it so easy and I get to pick the right times. There's no blaming anyone if something is wrong but myself.

I control my own vacation. I've learned from the past it only takes an e-mail or call to correct a problem ahead of time.

I had a problems with ME wrong dates, and only half my tags arrived. Two e-mails to my agent and two phone calls to ME and my package finally arrived yesterday, there's still a minor problem but it can be corrected there, considering were leaving on Wednesday, I've learned one think don't wait until 2 week before you leave. I'm told I didn't really need tags, yea right if they can't get the paper work done right, I'd thrust them to retrieve my luggage with out the yellow tags. Not in my lifetime.

 

[rie'smom]

Mamu, that's crazy. I've received an email from IPO right away each time I booked club level. I book all of my own ADRs unless I can't get one. Last November when the Dooney and Bourke Disney purses came out, one of the CMs at RPC went down to the gift shop to buy 3 for me for my daughter and her friends. They were waiting when we arrived.

 

[WDWKOOK]

How was your Club Level check-in at the Contemporary?

The CR manager rebooked us into the Atrium Club and gave us our room key while our luggage was still in our room at the YC/CL. We went back to the YC to pack and then drove to the CR with our luggage. Since we already had been checked-in by the CR mgr. and we had our keys, we just went right up to CL with the bellman.

BTW, neither the bellman or I could get our keys to work to the 12th floor. We instead had to go to the 14th floor (it's lovely up there!) and then take another elevator to the 12th. We had this problem throughout most of our stay.

The middle elevator never worked to the 12th and another one was also bad. Sometimes, we would have to try 3 elevators before one would work. It was ridiculous. We told the CL staff who said this was a known problem that they were having trouble repairing. They finally put a sign in one of the elevators warning that it would not go to the 12th floor.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The CR manager rebooked us into the Atrium Club and gave us our room key while our luggage was still in our room at the YC/CL. We went back to the YC to pack and then drove to the CR with our luggage. Since we already had been checked-in by the CR mgr. and we had our keys, we just went right up to CL with the bellman.

BTW, neither the bellman or I could get our keys to work to the 12th floor. We instead had to go to the 14th floor (it's lovely up there!) and then take another elevator to the 12th. We had this problem throughout most of our stay.

The middle elevator never worked to the 12th and another one was also bad. Sometimes, we would have to try 3 elevators before one would work. It was ridiculous. We told the CL staff who said this was a known problem that they were having trouble repairing. They finally put a sign in one of the elevators warning that it would not go to the 12th floor.

We also had problems with that same elevator and also mentioned it to the Club Level Cast Members and saw the paper inside saying it wasn't working for the 12th floor. In fact we would remember which elevator it was when going up and say ok don't get in this one. Although I told my family isn't it funny that elevator works when going up to the 12th floor when you want to go down from there, but when you insert your card it didn't work.