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

[coopersmom]

Is this a planning guide you can share, or is it too specific to your circumstances? Also, just curious: do you actually bring an iPad into the park, and if so where do you keep it while on the rides?

It's specific to our trip, though anyone with a lot of free time (ha, ha) could do it for theirs. It's basically a day-by-day list of what park we plan to be in (one page per day), when/where our reservations are, what's going in the parks we might want to see (parades, firework times, etc.), confirmation numbers, lists of stuff not to forget, maps to the places we might need to go off site, links to the customized touring plans, PDFs of all relevant docs (plane, rental car), park maps, resort calendars, etc. And since it's my friend's first time at a deluxe and the trip is partly (the hotel part) my gift to her, I also put in stuff about the Grand, links to all the restaurant menus, etc. Any kind of info I thought might help inform and get her and her girls more excited about the trip. Then I dressed the whole thing up with park pics, pictures from past family visits, Disney characters popping in here and there. Just fun stuff.

This whole project started because someone on these boards did a vacation spreadsheet they shared and it looked kind of neat. (Much better than my little typed list of dinner reservations and park times.) I tried to make their format work but it just wasn't exactly what I needed, but I wanted something that looked nice like that since I was sharing it with someone else (not just for my own edification/information).

I decided I needed a PDF that I could read on my phone that still had clickable web links and I knew I could do that with an easy fixed layout using Keynote. What was supposed to be a simple, 30-minute project got kind of involved and turned into a full day, a little bit more, in front of the computer. (I have a background in graphic design so I'm an aesthetic stickler. But on the plus side, I learned how to use Keynote, since I'd never had to use any kind of presentation software before.)

I've been joking with my husband that I've probably put 20 days worth of time into planning our 9 day trip. Not to mention that, last time, we went "off plan" more than on, so who knows how much this will even help. (By the way, organizational tendencies aside, winging it actually doesn't bother me. I'd rather have a plan, and chose to not follow it, then have no plan at all.)

The PDF does look pretty awesome though. Even if I do say so myself.

Anywho, no, of course I would never take my iPad in the park. My iPhone will also have all the info (you can display PDFs in iBooks). It really works too. (I admit I'm kind of shocked myself.) You can zoom in and read the park maps and all the PDFs in great detail, and having all the reservations and links at your fingertips is helpful. I also got a little waterproof lanyard case for my iPhone, just in case, when going on water rides or running into rain storms.

OK, so I'll stop blathering on and taking the thread the off topic. If you're really curious, I sent you (TwoIfBySea) a PM.

 

[bluejasmine]

We really enjoy the CL and I always try not to expect anything but at the same time sometimes I wonder am I paying so much extra for the appetizers, and "gold card"? Now dont get me wrong the whole coke zero isnt a deal breaker by no means but when I add together all the different reactions Ive gotten over the last couple trips its a bit dissapointing..I am very excited to see my two teens reaction to CL at the Poly but wondering if maybe next time I should move to another deluxe( altho I love the Poly) and try their CL? Wondering if its the Poly IPos or just all around cut due to the econoomy? Not complainging, really.. Im very grateful to be able to go to WDW and enjoy CL!

 

[Gipperland]

Just returned from 6 nights at the WL. It was one of our best trips ever. The staff in the Old Faithful Lounge was fantastic! Every question was answered, every request was met, the lounge was neat and clean. I just can't say enough good things about the folks that work there and how hard they work to make sure everyone has a wonderful stay. We didn't get upgraded to a suite like WDWkook did, but had the same experience. Big thanks go to Gianna who was us extra special!

 

[HelenParr]

I just used YC/BC IPO to make a F&W reservation. Very positive experience (particularly juxtaposed with a less great time with the normal general public route this morning).

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

I just used YC/BC IPO to make a F&W reservation. Very positive experience (particularly juxtaposed with a less great time with the normal general public route this morning).

I called the Poly IPO and they were so helpful, and extremely apologetic that my event was sold out. They are going to keep checking just in case someone cancels. I've learned my lesson...use IPO for all future F&W bookings!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

coopersmom, I can relate to the many faces of IPO. I am also not a demanding person and "please" and "thank you" are regular words in my vocabulary

Our first ever CL stay was GF RPC and getting anything out of their IPO office was like pulling teeth. It would take days for someone to respond even to a simple question. And then ADR day was a very uneasy day. We were traveling Thanksgiving week, celebrating my birthday and had a couple of meals that I wanted on certain days/times. By 4pm, I still had not heard from them on whether or not they had been made and my TA finally had to call a friend to find out why I had not heard anything one way or the other. It turns out their itinerary program was down and although the ADR's had been made they couldn't send me the sheet. I still don't understand why they simply couldn't tell me this and thought it was better to ignore my email. Once we arrived at the resort we found the on site staff to be better, but even then, a couple of times when asking for assistance I was told to call myself (specifically when I was checking on the Pirate Cruise for youngsters while it was raining and where to get bubblewrap to pack some champagne glasses that were sent in a gift basket).

Our next CL stay was at BWI and their IPO office was top notch!! However, their on site desk staff left something to be desired. Luckily I did not need them for anything while we were there, but you sometimes got the impression that asking would have been a BIG inconvenience to one particular CM there. The lounge staff,however, was outstanding which really helped make up for it.

The next CL stay was at the YC and I can't say enough about them. My DS was ill our first day there and they were fantastic about getting extra bottles of water, crackers etc to keep in the room. They also did a fantastic job helping to reschedule some ADR's once he was better.

This next stay is at BC CL and, I have not yet even contacted IPO. I have already made my own ADR's and have a TA who handles DME etc for us. I will contact them eventually, just to fill out the "about us" sheet, but we are not celebrating anything and I don't require any assistance from them at this time. Hopefully the on site staff will be as great as the YC people were!

 

[pas130]

It's a shame the IPOs seem inconsistent. I have NO complaints re: any of the IPOs. But did have an issue with GF IPO. I think as a PP said, it may have related to their server being down. Because they were apologetic that my initial email was not responded to, and they were very helpful with all of my inquiries. I will report back with a Sugarloaf review in a few weeks

I have nothing but EXCELLENT things to say about WL IPO. They are VERY fast to respond, and very helpful.

 

[HelenParr]

I hope you find BC CL staff great, we did. We are in reverse order from your situation. Stayed BC CL in May -- had a fabulous time. The staff was very helpful and friendly. But, this was a surprise free uprgade (consequence of the BC construction), and free upgrade to CL makes everything seems happier and more friendly.

Next up, YC CL, which we have not done in years. The BC CL got us re-hooked. Looking forward to it.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I hope you find BC CL staff great, we did. We are in reverse order from your situation. Stayed BC CL in May -- had a fabulous time. The staff was very helpful and friendly. But, this was a surprise free uprgade (consequence of the BC construction), and free upgrade to CL makes everything seems happier and more friendly.

Next up, YC CL, which we have not done in years. The BC CL got us re-hooked. Looking forward to it.

Thanks- we really are looking forward to trying it! Had the YC been available for our dates, we definitely would have been back there again.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

It's a shame the IPOs seem inconsistent. I have NO complaints re: any of the IPOs. But did have an issue with GF IPO. I think as a PP said, it may have related to their server being down. Because they were apologetic that my initial email was not responded to, and they were very helpful with all of my inquiries. I will report back with a Sugarloaf review in a few weeks

I probably wouldn't have had such a bitter taste about the GF IPO had they been apologetic about their server being down. The itinerary was sent off to me the next day without any acknowledgement/apology for the delay. If my TA had not called, spoken to someone and called me back, I wouldn't have known what happened. In the grand scheme of things (no pun intended ) it is such a minor thing. But since it was our first ever CL stay, at the flagship resort no less, all of these little things started to add up and left us with a less than favorable opinion about them. We would definitely stay at the GF again, but I doubt we would pay for CL there again. Inconsistant is not a good reputation to have.

 

[coopersmom]

I too have had to frequently re-send emails that never were responded to, to Grand Floridian IPO. (I usually give it about three days after receiving the auto-response.) Then I would get responses (either to the first or second) with no mention of the repeat emails. (I'd always preface the re-sends with something along the lines of: "Just sending this again because I hadn't heard back and was worried maybe the email got lost. Sorry, if this is a duplicate.")

We'll be staying in the main building the middle of September and I'll be sure and report back on the experience.

This will be our second go-round with Disney resorts (stayed at Poly club level in December), and if it isn't significantly better than our first experience (just search my user name if you want details; I won't rehash), we'll be staying off site for all future trips. In fact, we went round and round about the Waldorf this time out as it was just SO nice when we visited last December and I've read/heard nothing but raves about the rooms and the service there. (Plus, we could have got a large suite for the price of a standard club level room at the Grand.)

My theory was that if I'm still underwhelmed with Disney's top-of-the-line property, in their most "exclusive" locale, I'm probably just not an on-property kind of gal. (And that's OK too, different strokes for different folks.). But, hey, at least I can't say I didn't give 'em every chance (and a lot of $$$) to impress me.

Again, I want to emphasize that nothing has been "wrong" with the service/answers I've received so far. It just hasn't felt particularly welcoming or special ... Or even all that helpful. They did book Neverland club and a fireworks cruise for me and answered some questions about cabana rental, and then booked that too. Other than that every single question has been answered (very politely and nicely) with "Call this number." Now, I haven't argued the point (I did ask twice about both a meal request and balloons in room, but didn't push it past that when I was given other numbers to call), and it's possible that if I'd been really firm and annoying I would have got what I wanted but, frankly, I don't want to be that way, ever.

Anyway, I'm excited to see and really hoping it's magical. There is no doubt the Grand is a beautiful resort in a prime location, which is why we eventually decided to stay there.

And even if the service isn't top-notch, we'll be at Disney, so how bad could it be?

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I am sure you will be fine once you arrive. We found the desk staff and the lounge staff to be great (mostly ) It is still my DH's favorite resort, but since he wasn't with us at the YC in June, it will be interesting to see how he feels about it once he tries the BC. We were once monorail resort people, almost exclusively, but we really have come to prefer the EPCOT side of the World. YC is definitely my resort of choice going forward, but I am looking forward to seeing what the BC has to offer too!

 

[TwoIfBySea]

I have so far been very happy with the level of attention they've given me at the Poly CL IPO office. They've been available by phone, given me advice (which has checked out here on the list when I come to confirm), and although I am a "do it myself" sort of person who gets anxious when trusting someone else to handle anything for me, they have so far been right on the ball with getting my ADRs in the first minute or two that they were available. I was checking along behind them (looking at my reservation online) and I could see them popping up pretty quickly at my 180 day mark.

But I haven't asked for anything beyond meal reservations yet. I decided against an Illuminations cruise (pretty expensive for just two of us, and could be cold in February at 9pm on the water) so I didn't have a chance to see if they could snag me one of those.

 

[pas130]

Inconsistant is not a good reputation to have.

I definitely agree with you there.

We'll be staying in the main building the middle of September and I'll be sure and report back on the experience.

My theory was that if I'm still underwhelmed with Disney's top-of-the-line property, in their most "exclusive" locale, I'm probably just not an on-property kind of gal. (And that's OK too, different strokes for different folks.). But, hey, at least I can't say I didn't give 'em every chance (and a lot of $$$) to impress me.

Again, I want to emphasize that nothing has been "wrong" with the service/answers I've received so far. It just hasn't felt particularly welcoming or special ... Or even all that helpful. They did book Neverland club and a fireworks cruise for me and answered some questions about cabana rental, and then booked that too. Other than that every single question has been answered (very politely and nicely) with "Call this number." Now, I haven't argued the point (I did ask twice about both a meal request and balloons in room, but didn't push it past that when I was given other numbers to call), and it's possible that if I'd been really firm and annoying I would have got what I wanted but, frankly, I don't want to be that way, ever.

Anyway, I'm excited to see and really hoping it's magical. There is no doubt the Grand is a beautiful resort in a prime location, which is why we eventually decided to stay there.

And even if the service isn't top-notch, we'll be at Disney, so how bad could it be?

That's exactly how I look at it. I do think it's a shame though, because you are staying RPC. I think it should be BEST OF THE BEST. JMHO. I hope your stay there is perfect!

 

[disney honeymooners]

The AKL IPO's have been wonderful with me they have always sent me and email about 45min to an hour after the automated email. We only have 32 days left until we are there. This will be our first time staying Club Level and we are so excited.

 

[WsPrincess]

I know GF and CR share an IPO and I am noticing the same things. I am hoping the staff is better. I just wish Disney would address the huge differences between IPO staff for the resorts. This is supposed to be the best of the best and indifference is about all I have received so far. Only 48 hour until we check in so I am officially excited and am not going to worry anymore (I hope).

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

I'm sorry to hear that some of you have had inconsistent or lacking service from the IPOs.

Personally, my experience with the Poly IPO has been wonderful. I've never waited more than a few hours to get a response to an email.and whenever I call they are able to assist me immediately. I've arranged flowers, chocolate strawberries, champagne, dining reservations, cabana rentals etc...through them and never had an issue

 

[bluejasmine]

I know GF and CR share an IPO and I am noticing the same things. I am hoping the staff is better. I just wish Disney would address the huge differences between IPO staff for the resorts. This is supposed to be the best of the best and indifference is about all I have received so far. Only 48 hour until we check in so I am officially excited and am not going to worry anymore (I hope).

I think the staff will be better.. I know at the Poly that was certainly the case, they were all so sweet, perky, and helpful, sometimes going out of their way..

 

[pas130]

The AKL IPO's have been wonderful with me they have always sent me and email about 45min to an hour after the automated email. We only have 32 days left until we are there. This will be our first time staying Club Level and we are so excited.

AKL was our first (and only until next week) CL stay. It was an upgrade so I didn't get the opportunity to use the IPO in advance. But everyone there was wonderful. I walked into my suite, and there was a large basket of chocolate and snacks with a wooden giraffe, with a birthday card for me. And the kids loved the turndown sevice with their "chocolates". We loved the resort Enjoy your trip!

 

[disney honeymooners]

pas130 thank you we will it will be our Anniversary so we splurged and decided to go CL and I have been wanting to stay at AKL since it opened so I am very excited.