Concierge/Club Level Information - Part III (October 2010)

[Atotty]

We check into YC at the end of the week. I've read all the posts from the past 12 months and still have a few questions. Sorry this is kind of long.

1-I know our room will be on the 5th floor. Are there any room requests we should ask for to make our stay better? Two of my daughters are having mobility issues and we may end up with a wheelchair and a scooter.

2-It sounds like bottled water is a thing of the past at several CLs. Anyone know about YC? If so, I'll get a case of water for the fridge.

3-The last menu posted for the lounge was a year ago. Does anyone know what is offered now?

4-Anyone have recent trip reports with info on the CL? Several people have gone in the past few months, but I only saw one recent review on this thread.

5-Some people have posted they asked for a certain beverage and, even though it wasn't usually stocked, the CL got them some. Is this unique or the norm? And if it's the norm, who do I ask?

6-Finally, we always tip housekeeping, but it's been years since we received turndown service at Disney. How much do y'all tip for this? Years ago the norm was just a couple of dollars.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice and info on this thread.

 

[turningleaf]

Hello it's me again. I haven't posted since March 2012 and I went back and read all the posts since then!

CResort Fan For Life - congrats on changing your name! I think I rather saw it coming what with all the great BWI reviews and info you've been giving Contemporary Resort should be sorry to lose you!

WDWKOOK - I read your great BWI CL review (great in the sense that it was very thorough) and found myself agreeing with one thing in particular I had not noticed myself then, but agree with you upon reading it - having to interrupt the staff to ask for something extra I wanted, like juice boxes or milk at snack time, etc. The staff always attended to my requests though so that was not really a problem for me, but I absolutely agree with your observation.

I also wanted to say you were in the room we had occupied in March, and I also had problems with the noise, in my case it was from the Flying Fish A/C. I had not noticed the side window insulation and that explains a lot! The noise from Boardwalk shows didn't bother us as much since we only stayed 2 nights. I would understand it getting old, as you said, given the amount of time you stayed. I do want to add that we have stayed Garden View also and that was very quiet and had a pretty view of the gardens below.

I also would prefer to be inside the CL door, but in our case in March, being outside worked for us because we had some friends over one afternoon (who were staying at another WDW resort) and I think it would have been awkward to have had to go through the CL desk. The big balcony also worked out for us for that reason.

That said I still love BWI and am planning to return.

But this post is mainly to ask a few questions about WL CL - we are thinking of going 2 nights this week (yes we always plan our trips at the last minute!). If you remember I had booked WL CL last time and changed it for GF SL. It worked perfectly for us that time, as part of a 4 night split stay (the other resort was BWI CL).

This time we can only spare 2 nights, and probably will spend most of it at MK. So I was thinking maybe it's time to try WL.

To anyone who has stayed recently - are you bothered by any construction views or noise? We go to the parks early and given the weather this time of year we will be back at the resort by 1pm, have lunch and hit the pool. Will the construction affect us? Will we hear it from the CL lounge?

Also I guess the chances are 50% we will get the old rooms, which I think would be remarkable, to be one of the last to occupy the older rooms before they got renovated, and I'm not sure I want my first stay at WL to be that way. I guess I should request one of the newly refurbished rooms instead of requesting to be near the Lounge.

Also I'm worried about the pool being small. This is one thing I like about GF and dislike about BWI.

I read that the floors underneath the construction are empty - does that mean the resort is below capacity at the moment?

Our alternatives are CR or GF. When staying at CR we don't do CL because I like going to Contempo Cafe and in general like being on the main concourse. DH is pushing for GF SL but the rates are pretty high this being Regular Season (I think) even with the discounts. So, as I said, it may be a good time to try WL - are the old rooms ok?

PS. Also someone mentioned going to the dinner buffet at FW (not the show). Do you take the boat over and how far to walk once you get there? Did you have to make reservations?

 

[turningleaf]

PS. I'm kicking myself because if I had booked the BB back in March, we would have gotten 35% off the rack rate. As it is, we're only getting 25% off the first night and 20% off the next (Friday). Next time I will seriously pay attention to the BB offers.

 

[mmmears]

We check into YC at the end of the week. I've read all the posts from the past 12 months and still have a few questions. Sorry this is kind of long.

1-I know our room will be on the 5th floor. Are there any room requests we should ask for to make our stay better? Two of my daughters are having mobility issues and we may end up with a wheelchair and a scooter.

2-It sounds like bottled water is a thing of the past at several CLs. Anyone know about YC? If so, I'll get a case of water for the fridge.

3-The last menu posted for the lounge was a year ago. Does anyone know what is offered now?

4-Anyone have recent trip reports with info on the CL? Several people have gone in the past few months, but I only saw one recent review on this thread.

5-Some people have posted they asked for a certain beverage and, even though it wasn't usually stocked, the CL got them some. Is this unique or the norm? And if it's the norm, who do I ask?

6-Finally, we always tip housekeeping, but it's been years since we received turndown service at Disney. How much do y'all tip for this? Years ago the norm was just a couple of dollars.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice and info on this thread.

I'll do my best to answer some of your questions!

1 -- If you want to be close to the lounge, definitely ask for that. And let them know that there are mobility issues.

2 -- A few years ago they switched from plastic water bottles you could take to the parks to big glass ones. So there is nice bottled water in the lounge, but nothing for you to take to the parks.

3 -- No idea -- sorry.

4 -- There have been some on the YC/BC thread in the last few weeks.

5 -- We've never asked for anything special so I have no idea.

6 -- My DH usually leaves a couple of dollars for turndown (less than he does in the morning).

Hope this helps some...

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hello it's me again. I haven't posted since March 2012 and I went back and read all the posts since then!

CResort Fan For Life - congrats on changing your name! I think I rather saw it coming what with all the great BWI reviews and info you've been giving Contemporary Resort should be sorry to lose you!

WDWKOOK - I read your great BWI CL review (great in the sense that it was very thorough) and found myself agreeing with one thing in particular I had not noticed myself then, but agree with you upon reading it - having to interrupt the staff to ask for something extra I wanted, like juice boxes or milk at snack time, etc. The staff always attended to my requests though so that was not really a problem for me, but I absolutely agree with your observation.

I also wanted to say you were in the room we had occupied in March, and I also had problems with the noise, in my case it was from the Flying Fish A/C. I had not noticed the side window insulation and that explains a lot! The noise from Boardwalk shows didn't bother us as much since we only stayed 2 nights. I would understand it getting old, as you said, given the amount of time you stayed. I do want to add that we have stayed Garden View also and that was very quiet and had a pretty view of the gardens below.

I also would prefer to be inside the CL door, but in our case in March, being outside worked for us because we had some friends over one afternoon (who were staying at another WDW resort) and I think it would have been awkward to have had to go through the CL desk. The big balcony also worked out for us for that reason.

That said I still love BWI and am planning to return.

But this post is mainly to ask a few questions about WL CL - we are thinking of going 2 nights this week (yes we always plan our trips at the last minute!). If you remember I had booked WL CL last time and changed it for GF SL. It worked perfectly for us that time, as part of a 4 night split stay (the other resort was BWI CL).

This time we can only spare 2 nights, and probably will spend most of it at MK. So I was thinking maybe it's time to try WL.

To anyone who has stayed recently - are you bothered by any construction views or noise? We go to the parks early and given the weather this time of year we will be back at the resort by 1pm, have lunch and hit the pool. Will the construction affect us? Will we hear it from the CL lounge?

Also I guess the chances are 50% we will get the old rooms, which I think would be remarkable, to be one of the last to occupy the older rooms before they got renovated, and I'm not sure I want my first stay at WL to be that way. I guess I should request one of the newly refurbished rooms instead of requesting to be near the Lounge.

Also I'm worried about the pool being small. This is one thing I like about GF and dislike about BWI.

I read that the floors underneath the construction are empty - does that mean the resort is below capacity at the moment?

Our alternatives are CR or GF. When staying at CR we don't do CL because I like going to Contempo Cafe and in general like being on the main concourse. DH is pushing for GF SL but the rates are pretty high this being Regular Season (I think) even with the discounts. So, as I said, it may be a good time to try WL - are the old rooms ok?

PS. Also someone mentioned going to the dinner buffet at FW (not the show). Do you take the boat over and how far to walk once you get there? Did you have to make reservations?

Welcome back to the thread!

Recent WL guests have been posting to the WL thread some of their "noise observations." The noise seems to be most noticeable to those staying in the same wing as the construction. If you're staying CL and would like a rehabbed room, those are in the North Wing which is currently being rehabbed. I think they are working on the 5th floor now and the 4th would be left vacant as a noise buffer. So yes, the resort is two floors of one wing below max. capacity. BTW, we last stayed in an un-rehabbed WL room last month and it was in great condition. The mattress was in good shape and so was everything else in the room - no complaints from me and I'm really persnickety about room condition. So even if you request the South Wing, which isn't being rehabbed until July, you'll still be happy with your room and for fun, you could even ask to see a rehabbed room for future reference. (I have rehab updates and photos on the first page of the WL thread that's hyperlinked in my signature.)

If you're back in your room in the early afternoon you will most likely hear some noise since you would be in the same wing as the construction if you get a rehabbed room. You also might hear some noise in the lobby area from the work going on above. But, if you have a Courtyard View room, you would hear some noise anyway from the pool party in the afternoon. The music is loud and they use a PA system to make annoucements. But, since it's only for two nights, I think you'll be fine. I think it's worth it to have a room that's only a few weeks old. I would definitely request a rehabbed room, especially since none of the rooms are far from the lounge anyway. The rooms on the CL floor don't extend out to the ends of WL near Bay Lake.

We have a split CR/WL-CL stay booked this summer. We're like you, we love the Contempo and the Wave's breakfast buffet and it's so easy to hop on the monorail to eat at Poly or GF, so CL isn't as appealing to us there. The view is one of the best of all the lounges at WDW, but it can get really crowded in there sometimes and I wasn't impressed with the staff the last time we were there in '10.

Let us know what you decide to do!

 

[WDWKOOK]

We check into YC at the end of the week. I've read all the posts from the past 12 months and still have a few questions. Sorry this is kind of long.

1-I know our room will be on the 5th floor. Are there any room requests we should ask for to make our stay better? Two of my daughters are having mobility issues and we may end up with a wheelchair and a scooter.

2-It sounds like bottled water is a thing of the past at several CLs. Anyone know about YC? If so, I'll get a case of water for the fridge.

3-The last menu posted for the lounge was a year ago. Does anyone know what is offered now?

4-Anyone have recent trip reports with info on the CL? Several people have gone in the past few months, but I only saw one recent review on this thread.

5-Some people have posted they asked for a certain beverage and, even though it wasn't usually stocked, the CL got them some. Is this unique or the norm? And if it's the norm, who do I ask?

6-Finally, we always tip housekeeping, but it's been years since we received turndown service at Disney. How much do y'all tip for this? Years ago the norm was just a couple of dollars.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice and info on this thread.

I think your question #5 is unanswered:

Just ask any of the CMs who work in the lounge. Back in the summer of '10, I asked a lounge CM if they had Sprite Zero, she told me that they didn't. That evening, when we returned to our room, there was a 12-pack of Sprite Zero sitting on the desk

Regarding tipping for turn-down: When I have tipped at both the YC and the CR, my tips were left on the bed by the Mousekeeper. I took that as a hint that tipping for turn-down wasn't necessary. We always tip every morning, and those tips are always gone when we return to the room. YMMV

For more recent information on the Regatta Club and YC in general, you might want to try posting to the YC/BC thread. I'd love to read about your Regatta Club stay - will you be posting a TR from the YC or after you return?

 

[turningleaf]

Thanks, looking at the new room pics was one of the first things I had to do.

Gosh, seeing as I don't have any control over what room we will be assigned, the ongoing construction, on top of the pool noise, might be a dealbreaker for DH. Do you think I should request a rehabbed room facing away from the courtyard? Or even a non courtyard view in the South wing? That would be totally facing away from any pool or construction noise right?

For the same price we can do CR Garden Wing, but it's only $200 more (total) to do Poly GV CL where we've never stayed. I know there are mixed reviews of Poly CL. Anyone been there recently, how are the offerings lately? At least they have a bigger slide in their pool, but if I remember I read that it was always crowded and there were hot water issues as well as quiet pool construction.

Welcome back to the thread!

Recent WL guests have been posting to the WL thread some of their "noise observations." The noise seems to be most noticeable to those staying in the same wing as the construction. If you're staying CL and would like a rehabbed room, those are in the North Wing which is currently being rehabbed. I think they are working on the 5th floor now and the 4th would be left vacant as a noise buffer. So yes, the resort is two floors of one wing below max. capacity. BTW, we last stayed in an un-rehabbed WL room last month and it was in great condition. The mattress was in good shape and so was everything else in the room - no complaints from me and I'm really persnickety about room condition. So even if you request the South Wing, which isn't being rehabbed until July, you'll still be happy with your room and for fun, you could even ask to see a rehabbed room for future reference. (I have rehab updates and photos on the first page of the WL thread that's hyperlinked in my signature.)

If you're back in your room in the early afternoon you will most likely hear some noise since you would be in the same wing as the construction if you get a rehabbed room. You also might hear some noise in the lobby area from the work going on above. But, if you have a Courtyard View room, you would hear some noise anyway from the pool party in the afternoon. The music is loud and they use a PA system to make annoucements. But, since it's only for two nights, I think you'll be fine. I think it's worth it to have a room that's only a few weeks old. I would definitely request a rehabbed room, especially since none of the rooms are far from the lounge anyway. The rooms on the CL floor don't extend out to the ends of WL near Bay Lake.

We have a split CR/WL-CL stay booked this summer. We're like you, we love the Contempo and the Wave's breakfast buffet and it's so easy to hop on the monorail to eat at Poly or GF, so CL isn't as appealing to us there. The view is one of the best of all the lounges at WDW, but it can get really crowded in there sometimes and I wasn't impressed with the staff the last time we were there in '10.

Let us know what you decide to do!

 

[Sue M]

Hi everyone. I know some of you from other threads
Not exactly a resort changer this time but tweeked my 12 day regular pool view AKL stay, to 1st 6 nights the pool view, then next 6 nights staying CL. So excited. But need info for CL.

We've only stayed BC CL last Aug. BC has all the CL rooms on a locked off floor with lounge. I think WL doesn't?
The CL rooms are on 4th floor? Are non CL rooms there too? Was wondering because we booked Non CL pool view room for our 1st 6 nights, requested Zebra Trail, so my CL room for our next 6 nights could be near my first room?
Are any CL rooms on 5th floor too?
Are all CL rooms Sav views?
How do I go about switching on moving day? I'll have checked in my first 6 days regular- then what? Sorry- sooo many questions! But I'm sooo excited. Trying to keep it a surprise from DD.

 

[mmmears]

Hi everyone. I know some of you from other threads
Not exactly a resort changer this time but tweeked my 12 day regular pool view AKL stay, to 1st 6 nights the pool view, then next 6 nights staying CL. So excited. But need info for CL.

We've only stayed BC CL last Aug. BC has all the CL rooms on a locked off floor with lounge. I think WL doesn't?
The CL rooms are on 4th floor? Are non CL rooms there too? Was wondering because we booked Non CL pool view room for our 1st 6 nights, requested Zebra Trail, so my CL room for our next 6 nights could be near my first room?
Are any CL rooms on 5th floor too?
Are all CL rooms Sav views?
How do I go about switching on moving day? I'll have checked in my first 6 days regular- then what? Sorry- sooo many questions! But I'm sooo excited. Trying to keep it a surprise from DD.

Hi. I've stayed CL at AKL several times -- it's really nice there. I'll try to answer your questions, or at least the ones I know the answers to...

AKL CL rooms are all on the 4th floor, facing the Arusha Savanna (all really good savanna views). The lounge is on the 6th floor, right above the main entrance, looking over the lobby.

Your room could be on Zebra Trail, or on Kudu Trail on the other side of the resort.

As for switching rooms, I think it depends. They can make you check out of your first room in the morning and not give you keys to your new one until check in time that afternoon. If there are empty rooms, though, you may just be able to do it in one move (straight from one to the other). Most likely depends on occupancy. I would ask the IPO office when you call them just to be sure. You have access to the lounge that morning, though (you don't have to wait for your room to be ready to check in and get your new key for the 6th floor lounge).

Did you book the Sunrise Safari? It's definitely worth it!

I hope this helps!

 

[bdklein]

I have some questions regarding the Club Level in both the Main Building and the Outer Building at th GF.

1. How is access checked? Does each person, including kids, need to have their card shown/swiped?
2. Is there a specific minuimum age that children must be to go in by/with themselves?
3. Are the food and drink choices the same in both clubs?

 

[Sue M]

Hi. I've stayed CL at AKL several times -- it's really nice there. I'll try to answer your questions, or at least the ones I know the answers to...

AKL CL rooms are all on the 4th floor, facing the Arusha Savanna (all really good savanna views). The lounge is on the 6th floor, right above the main entrance, looking over the lobby.

Your room could be on Zebra Trail, or on Kudu Trail on the other side of the resort.

As for switching rooms, I think it depends. They can make you check out of your first room in the morning and not give you keys to your new one until check in time that afternoon. If there are empty rooms, though, you may just be able to do it in one move (straight from one to the other). Most likely depends on occupancy. I would ask the IPO office when you call them just to be sure. You have access to the lounge that morning, though (you don't have to wait for your room to be ready to check in and get your new key for the 6th floor lounge).

Did you book the Sunrise Safari? It's definitely worth it!

I hope this helps!

We just added CL this morning, and looking at the Sunrise Safari- it sounds good. Will prob book it if IPO gets in touch with me! I just sent an e mail, but it came back undeliverable, guess I must have made a mistake.
Thanks for the info.
I hope I get Zebra trail. Last visit we were on Kudu, and would prefer to be on same side as pool, etc.

Since We'll already be there for 1st stay, where do I go to do CL check in?

 

[Mousemommy1]

Is there fresh fruit available all day in the lounge??? I know my girls would prefer fruit at dessert time over brownies and such...they are weird

We will be at WL CL if that makes a difference.

 

[Atotty]

Thanks for the YC answers.

 

[calismic]

Just ask any of the CMs who work in the lounge. Back in the summer of '10, I asked a lounge CM if they had Sprite Zero, she told me that they didn't. That evening, when we returned to our room, there was a 12-pack of Sprite Zero sitting on the desk

Good to see another Sprite Zero drinker! I had the same problem at SL. I asked about getting Sprite Zero and later that night they had half the refrigerator stocked with them!

I have some questions regarding the Club Level in both the Main Building and the Outer Building at th GF.

1. How is access checked? Does each person, including kids, need to have their card shown/swiped?
2. Is there a specific minuimum age that children must be to go in by/with themselves?
3. Are the food and drink choices the same in both clubs?

SL requires a key card to enter the building, RPC requires a key card to access the elevators so you'll definitely need to carry your card with you. I hide mine inside my iPhone case which NEVER leaves my side. =P

I do not believe there is a strict age limit for entering the lounge unattended. Its pretty much use common sense, would you allow a 5 year old to wander a strange location alone?

Food and drink are exactly the same in RPC and SL. The primary differences are SL is TINY compared to RPC and you will fight for appetizers at night during prime time. Personally I adore SL and their staff is fantastic. We normally travel during off peak times so I've never really had to deal with the monster crowds that people complain about there. I have however seen some scary photos of wall to wall people in the lounge during the summer months. Another plus for SL, its open 24 hours! RPC closes at 11 I believe. I'm a major night owl so being able to run and grab a beverage is great for me.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Is there fresh fruit available all day in the lounge??? I know my girls would prefer fruit at dessert time over brownies and such...they are weird

We will be at WL CL if that makes a difference.

Can't speak for WL but every other CL we have stayed at has had a bowl of fruit out (bananas, apples, oranges), but not always in the most obvious places. I have only seen cut up fruit at breakfast.

 

[mmmears]

We just added CL this morning, and looking at the Sunrise Safari- it sounds good. Will prob book it if IPO gets in touch with me! I just sent an e mail, but it came back undeliverable, guess I must have made a mistake.
Thanks for the info.
I hope I get Zebra trail. Last visit we were on Kudu, and would prefer to be on same side as pool, etc.

Since We'll already be there for 1st stay, where do I go to do CL check in?

The Sunrise Safari is really neat -- you get to see the backstage part of AK (the cages where the animals sleep), take a long slow safari, then have a nice buffet breakfast. It's definitely worth getting up early for!

I think there are email addresses or phone numbers (I usually just call them) at the beginning of this thread...

If you prefer Zebra, then ask for it (I do, since we want to be close to the pool elevator). The lounge is in the middle.

As for checking in, I guess you can ask the IPO office, or go downstairs and tell them you need to check in. You usually need a key card to access the 6th floor (whether you go up by elevator or the stairs (there is a gate)).

I really like AKL CL (it's tied for 1st in my family with GF RPC which is considerably more expensive).

I hope this helps!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Is there fresh fruit available all day in the lounge??? I know my girls would prefer fruit at dessert time over brownies and such...they are weird

We will be at WL CL if that makes a difference.

The Old Faithful Club has bananas, oranges and wrapped apples available all the time and in the morning there is also fresh fruit:

The fruit bowl is next to the fridge:

 

[padawans]

Thanks, looking at the new room pics was one of the first things I had to do.

Gosh, seeing as I don't have any control over what room we will be assigned, the ongoing construction, on top of the pool noise, might be a dealbreaker for DH. Do you think I should request a rehabbed room facing away from the courtyard? Or even a non courtyard view in the South wing? That would be totally facing away from any pool or construction noise right?

For the same price we can do CR Garden Wing, but it's only $200 more (total) to do Poly GV CL where we've never stayed. I know there are mixed reviews of Poly CL. Anyone been there recently, how are the offerings lately? At least they have a bigger slide in their pool, but if I remember I read that it was always crowded and there were hot water issues as well as quiet pool construction.

We just got back from Poly Cl and loved it. We also stayed at Yc club level and it was good, but we liked the poly better. The view from the lounge is beautiful. The location is great your right next to the pool. The lounge is open 24 hours which is nice. The offerings were very good. The breakfast was ok, but of the 3 club lounges we stayed at they were all about the same. We are not a cereal or danish people so the Cl breakfast didn't excite any of us. The Poly punch is great. It tastes like a Mai tai. The appetizers were very very good. The oatmeal cookies in the afternoon were to die for. Beer and wine selections good. Cm's were friendly, but not overbearing like at Yc. I prefer to be left alone so the Poly suited me better. The Poly has a much more relaxed feel to it. I could joke around with the cm's at Poly. The cm's at Yc were very nice, but in a uptight kind of way. Stuffy is how I would describe it.

Are you talking about constructin at GF?

 

[Sue M]

The Sunrise Safari is really neat -- you get to see the backstage part of AK (the cages where the animals sleep), take a long slow safari, then have a nice buffet breakfast. It's definitely worth getting up early for!

I think there are email addresses or phone numbers (I usually just call them) at the beginning of this thread...

If you prefer Zebra, then ask for it (I do, since we want to be close to the pool elevator). The lounge is in the middle.

As for checking in, I guess you can ask the IPO office, or go downstairs and tell them you need to check in. You usually need a key card to access the 6th floor (whether you go up by elevator or the stairs (there is a gate)).

I really like AKL CL (it's tied for 1st in my family with GF RPC which is considerably more expensive).

I hope this helps!

So looking forward to it. Only have BC CL to compare with, and we loved that! Being a Flag Family at WL last Jan, we got to check out the WL CL for breakfast too.
BC didn't have that amazing looking coffee machine. They had a different one.

 

[mmmears]

So looking forward to it. Only have BC CL to compare with, and we loved that! Being a Flag Family at WL last Jan, we got to check out the WL CL for breakfast too.
BC didn't have that amazing looking coffee machine. They had a different one.

BC CL is very nice, but IMO the lounge itself, the food, and definitely the coffee are all better at AKL.

We're doing a YC CL/AKL CL split on our upcoming trip -- so we like them both. Just the AKL lounge overlooking the lobby, with the high ceilings and more seating is really nice. I'm guessing that the lounges at the BC/YC were more of an afterthought, while the one at AKL was built to be a CL lounge.