Concierge/Club Level Information- Part IV, July 2012

[DisneyLover0610]

Hello!

Staying CL for the very first time this October! Yacht Club, GV - I am beyond excited, and it will be a surprise to my husband!
I booked all of my ADR's before I upgraded to CL, so I don't need IPO. Is there anything else you can suggest I "use" them for?
Also, I've read that those working on CL cannot take tips so I'd like to bring them something from "home" - what are some ideas?
Thanks so much!

 

[abk96]

Hello!

Staying CL for the very first time this October! Yacht Club, GV - I am beyond excited, and it will be a surprise to my husband!
I booked all of my ADR's before I upgraded to CL, so I don't need IPO. Is there anything else you can suggest I "use" them for?
Also, I've read that those working on CL cannot take tips so I'd like to bring them something from "home" - what are some ideas?
Thanks so much!

Well we switched to CL after our 180 day mark and I contacted them (info on first page) and they sent me an information packet by email to fill out about our family, travel times, ADR's, celebrations, etc.

I have read here about people bringing food gifts from their hometowns. I'm thinking of bringing some Tastykakes. I would love to bring them some soft pretzels or cheesesteaks but they won't travel very well.

Enjoy your planning.

 

[Anonomom]

Hi everyone,

We are coming in October and staying for 5 days at BC CL. First time on property so super excited!

My question is how many of you have the DP while staying CL vs OOP. This whole time I have been thinking about the possibility of FD for my dates and now I am wondering if RO dsct would be a better option for us. (assuming they offer it)

We aren't big sit down eaters and know we will take advantage of the CL offerings. I have the Hoop de Doo, Prime Time Cafe (Lunch) and Tusker house (lunch) planned.

Thanks for your opionions!

If you can get 35% or more off a CL room, I'd say pick that over FD. We've stayed CL three times without the dining plan and we haven't missed it. This past trip in particular, the weather was warm enough that none of us were all that hungry. We ate breakfast in the lounge, bought a CS lunch in the parks and hit the lounge in the evening for appetizers, with the plan of buying one or two CS entrees later on to split among the five of us. On two separate nights, we found that we didn't need to buy those planned dinners after all -- we were still plenty full from the lounge.

Of course, that meant that we would be at our resort at some time between 5-7 each night to take advantage of the lounge offerings. With three small kids (7, 4, 1.5) that wasn't an issue for us, but it might be for you. I'd say look at the way you use the parks, the hours you're typically back at the hotel and how hungry you usually are and make your decision from there.

 

[ToyStory3]

Hi everyone,

We are coming in October and staying for 5 days at BC CL. First time on property so super excited!

My question is how many of you have the DP while staying CL vs OOP. This whole time I have been thinking about the possibility of FD for my dates and now I am wondering if RO dsct would be a better option for us. (assuming they offer it)

We aren't big sit down eaters and know we will take advantage of the CL offerings. I have the Hoop de Doo, Prime Time Cafe (Lunch) and Tusker house (lunch) planned.

Thanks for your opionions!

We stayed at BC CL our first time on property, too and we wouldn't have had it any other way. No regrets at all!!! We LOVED the resort and we LOVED CL. I personally like CL better than the dining plan. We really like to be on our own with meals and snack when we want to, sit down when we want to, etc. We don't like to be on that much of a schedule or feel like dining points are going to waste. And, we don't always want to order an entire meal.

When we stayed CL at the BC it was great because it's right by Epcot. So, if we wanted a light meal we could just walk to Epcot, in about 5 minutes, and grab something in one of the countries.

CL is not a meal replacement (except for breakfast) but I would still never do CL and DP. I feel like I'd always be eating. We're doing CL for our next trip, too, and paying for meals OOP. Hope this helps!

 

[HBGdancermom]

Staying at BC is a super choice! It's among my favorite resorts! The pool are is tons of fun.

The short answer is that you are better off with OOP over DDP. Further, at deluxe resorts the RO discount is almost always the better deal (over FD). Run the math for yourself. You might be an exception. Figuring WDW discounts is always a bit tricky, as there are going to be different answers depending on dates, room rates, who is in your family, personal eating habits, etc.

The other opinion I'll interject- is that if this is your first visit to WDW, you might want to skip CL - see below.

In the past, paying for DDP was a good way to get a food discount. Over the last few years, they've jacked up the price, and changed the details. Simply put, it's just not worth buying anymore. It's almost a sure fire way to lose money. DDP is also always a bit of a hassle.

If you are on CL, you get access to a mini-buffet 7am-10pm, but it's just snack foods and drinks. Most of the food is relatively plain. It's not nearly as exciting as the snack foods offered in the parks. You'll be turning down Mickey-shaped wild confections in favor of cheese cubes and whole Sunkist oranges.

A second downside of CL, is that you have to be at the lounge to get the food. WDW is HUGE! Going back to you resort just for cookies doesn't make sense. (Via WDW transport- it often takes an hour + to go one-way from the park back to your resort. ) Most guests are FAR better off buying cookies in the park, and utilizing Fast pass. Fast pass is a very important perk at WDW. I enjoy CL, but I am thoroughly a WDW veteran.

A few years ago, CL would not have been a good choice for us. We ate eggs for breakfast, and would have skipped the appetizers/desserts nearly every day. We dramatically changed how we toured when we started staying CL. I had let go of the idea of hitting every ride, and being on the go all day.

It may be a great fit for your family, I just mean to point out that it's far from a great fit for everyone. One thing to know about WDW- they are great about offering all kinds of services to fit the needs of all kinds of families. IF you want to cheap and low: groceries/packed lunches, basic style resorts- Disney has that. If you want super deluxe suites, full security detail, custom everything, personal guides five-star dining (think folks like Oprah) - Disney can provide that too! The challenge is how complicated it can be to choose the best option!

Thanks so much for your response!!! This is our 2nd visit but we really want it to be kind of a resort relax stay as well. I think the benefits of CL will help with that too. I definitely see your point though about bring tied to the resort and missing out on park time. We have hoppers and my plans are to head out after breakfast and then have big lunch in park, come back rest and then head back out in the evening.

I think knowing how we eat and share and such we might come out way better paying OOP. Will have to look at menu prices.

 

[HBGdancermom]

We are staying CL and have the dining plan - though it was free dining. For us, we need at least 35% off of the room to make paying out of pocket for meals to be worth it. There are 5 of us, so the cost of food tends to be pretty high. We all have very individual tastes in food, so sharing entrees, etc., just doesn't happen for us. Add to that the fact that we do like character meals, and we do at least one sit down meal per day, the dining plan makes sense. Especially when we tend to favor the steaks and seafood on the menu rather than the chicken and pasta.

The food wasn't the main reason we picked CL, though. My husband likes the extra pampering, evening turndown service, and the special perks you get with the IPO. We will likely eat in the lounge for breakfast most days, but not likely for snacks or appetizers.

I completely understand why it works so well for you!! I really need to analyze the cost if what we would order.

Your DH sounds like mine!!! Lol

 

[HBGdancermom]

Hello!

Staying CL for the very first time this October! Yacht Club, GV - I am beyond excited, and it will be a surprise to my husband!
I booked all of my ADR's before I upgraded to CL, so I don't need IPO. Is there anything else you can suggest I "use" them for?
Also, I've read that those working on CL cannot take tips so I'd like to bring them something from "home" - what are some ideas?
Thanks so much!

Awesome! We will be at BC CL 10/21st to 10/25.

 

[HBGdancermom]

If you can get 35% or more off a CL room, I'd say pick that over FD. We've stayed CL three times without the dining plan and we haven't missed it. This past trip in particular, the weather was warm enough that none of us were all that hungry. We ate breakfast in the lounge, bought a CS lunch in the parks and hit the lounge in the evening for appetizers, with the plan of buying one or two CS entrees later on to split among the five of us. On two separate nights, we found that we didn't need to buy those planned dinners after all -- we were still plenty full from the lounge.

Of course, that meant that we would be at our resort at some time between 5-7 each night to take advantage of the lounge offerings. With three small kids (7, 4, 1.5) that wasn't an issue for us, but it might be for you. I'd say look at the way you use the parks, the hours you're typically back at the hotel and how hungry you usually are and make your decision from there.

Thanks!! I definitely think CL will reduce us wanting to eat big meals. My kids are so used to peanut butter sandwiches and pasta that their stomach hurts if that eat a lot of heavy food.

 

[Disneyandphilliesfan]

Great for beers for the pool and no bartab plus they don't take tips.Well worth it if you drink beer.

 

[HBGdancermom]

We stayed at BC CL our first time on property, too and we wouldn't have had it any other way. No regrets at all!!! We LOVED the resort and we LOVED CL. I personally like CL better than the dining plan. We really like to be on our own with meals and snack when we want to, sit down when we want to, etc. We don't like to be on that much of a schedule or feel like dining points are going to waste. And, we don't always want to order an entire meal.

When we stayed CL at the BC it was great because it's right by Epcot. So, if we wanted a light meal we could just walk to Epcot, in about 5 minutes, and grab something in one of the countries.

CL is not a meal replacement (except for breakfast) but I would still never do CL and DP. I feel like I'd always be eating. We're doing CL for our next trip, too, and paying for meals OOP. Hope this helps!

Thanks for your response! That definitely helps and I think my family is definitely not going to eat that much. I might just stick with hoop de Doo and maybe one character lunch and then qs, snacks and CL for the rest.

 

[sarmat1]

Hello!

I booked all of my ADR's before I upgraded to CL, so I don't need IPO. Is there anything else you can suggest I "use" them for?

I don't have an answer, but was going to ask exactly the same question.

We'll be at YC CL in August and I already have my ADR's. As I keep reading about those staying CL contacting the IPO's, I'm left wondering if I should be doing that also. For those in the know, if we don't need ADR's, should we be contacting the IPO for any other reason (i.e. just to say "Hi, we're coming") ?

I just don't want to be missing out on anything, if that makes sense . . . .

 

[TJA]

For those who already made ADR's and wondering what to use IPO for before the trip, I always give them my approximate arrival time at the resort and how we will be arriving (via ME, car, taxi, etc.). I also reiterate any room requests, i.e., a sofa bed, full balcony, location of room, etc.

 

[ToyStory3]

One of our favorite things was coming back from the parks, going to the lounge, getting some desserts and liqueurs, and unwinding. It was the best way to end the night!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Thanks so much for your response!!! This is our 2nd visit but we really want it to be kind of a resort relax stay as well. I think the benefits of CL will help with that too. I definitely see your point though about bring tied to the resort and missing out on park time. We have hoppers and my plans are to head out after breakfast and then have big lunch in park, come back rest and then head back out in the evening.

I think knowing how we eat and share and such we might come out way better paying OOP. Will have to look at menu prices.

If you've been to WDW before, then you know about logistics. Of all the resorts, BC is one of the better choices for CL - in the sense that you can easily access it from two parks. Also, CL is a handy breakfast alternative to the BC QS. I also love the pool and the whole BWK/Swan/YC loop. It a great resort for relaxing. One more upside/downside is that many of the best places to eat are in the World Showcase.

My two favorite food offerings in CL are a daily supply of produce (even if it's not great produce), and espresso machines+real milk. We also Love that there's no waiting in line!

 

[jodirn2]

We are doing Beach Club CL in August. This is our first time doing CL at Disney. What type of hot appetizers do they serve? Anything hot for kids in the evening? Can you request bottled water at anytime? Beer at anytime? Do they allow you to take food and drink to go? Can you only take one beer at a time with you or will they allow you 2? Any other hints/suggestions appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[abk96]

We are doing Beach Club CL in August. This is our first time doing CL at Disney. What type of hot appetizers do they serve? Anything hot for kids in the evening? Can you request bottled water at anytime? Beer at anytime? Do they allow you to take food and drink to go? Can you only take one beer at a time with you or will they allow you 2? Any other hints/suggestions appreciated. Thanks!!

You can take your food and drink anywhere you want. You don't have to stay in the lounge. You can ask for a beer anytime and someone will get you one. They do put beer in the fridge for appetizers so you don't have to ask.

Some hot apps that I can recall are small egg rolls, potstickers, crab rangoon, and a greek spinach and cheese fried triangles.

For the kids I remember apples with caramel and PBJ.

You'll enjoy BC CL. It's an amazing resort.

 

[goofy78]

We are doing Beach Club CL in August. This is our first time doing CL at Disney. What type of hot appetizers do they serve? Anything hot for kids in the evening? Can you request bottled water at anytime? Beer at anytime? Do they allow you to take food and drink to go? Can you only take one beer at a time with you or will they allow you 2? Any other hints/suggestions appreciated. Thanks!!

You can take your food and drink anywhere you want. You don't have to stay in the lounge. You can ask for a beer anytime and someone will get you one. They do put beer in the fridge for appetizers so you don't have to ask.

Some hot apps that I can recall are small egg rolls, potstickers, crab rangoon, and a greek spinach and cheese fried triangles.

For the kids I remember apples with caramel and PBJ.

You'll enjoy BC CL. It's an amazing resort.

OMG! I am sitting at work and I was just going to ask those same questions! I have one more. Are you allowed to take the beer from the CL lounge to SAB? Great minds think alike!

 

[abk96]

OMG! I am sitting at work and I was just going to ask those same questions! I have one more. Are you allowed to take the beer from the CL lounge to SAB? Great minds think alike!

I'm sure you could. We didn't do this but I would think that as long as you put it in a cup that is not glass it would be fine. Glass bottles aren't allowed around the pool area.

When in doubt just ask one of the cast members on the club floor. They are very approachable and helpful.

Maybe someone else has an answer.

 

[goofy78]

I'm sure you could. We didn't do this but I would think that as long as you put it in a cup that is not glass it would be fine. Glass bottles aren't allowed around the pool area.

When in doubt just ask one of the cast members on the club floor. They are very approachable and helpful.

Maybe someone else has an answer.

Thank you. I just figured since I'm already paying for CL maybe if I was looking to have a drink by the pool I wouldn't have to purchase one from HH. Not a big deal if I do but I will definitely ask a CM. Thanks again!

 

[Miss Potts]

We are doing Beach Club CL in August. This is our first time doing CL at Disney. What type of hot appetizers do they serve? Anything hot for kids in the evening? Can you request bottled water at anytime? Beer at anytime? Do they allow you to take food and drink to go? Can you only take one beer at a time with you or will they allow you 2? Any other hints/suggestions appreciated. Thanks!!

I think it is pretty consistent upon all the CL, you can get 2 bottles of beer per person each time you ask.
During hours when the beer wasn't stocked, DH and I always get 2 at a time just to keep the poor CM from running back and forth. If we didn't drink them both we would put it in our room fridge for later. Don't be scared or timid to ask - they are happy to help you!

As for taking it to-go, we would pour ours into the disposable coffee cups and take down to pool (this was at the WL but I'm sure you'll be fine at the BC). I often would grab a few larger cups from Roaring Fork to use to fill with iced tea or lemonade to take with me to the pool. We'd use the coffee cups if we wanted to take some trail mix or goldfish on the go too! Or at breakfast I'd fill with fruit and eat while we walked to the bus stop, etc.