Concierge/Club Level Information- Part IV, July 2012

[CT Disney]

There is a new app that someone else had mentioned on the boards called Beer and Ears. It has a list of all the bees served at Disney and where you can find them. The app can also can tell you how far the nearest venue is that sells the brand you are searching for. It's pretty cool especially for going around Epcot. However, it does not break it down to club level selections. Just thought I would share.

Ooohhh...thanks for that info! That sounds really cool!

 

[imobsessedwithdisney]

Hi, I'd you had to choose either CL in BC or Poly. Which would you choose and why?

 

[penguinkimberly]

I enjoyed them both but if choosing one would say Poly. My first reason is that I liked the room decor at Poly better and was better location. My second reason is they have amarula( ?sp) in lounge. It's the same liquor as in zebra domes and is wonderful in hot chocolate as you sit on the beach and watch fireworks!!!!

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi, I'd you had to choose either CL in BC or Poly. Which would you choose and why?

We've stayed at both resorts (although not CL at either one), and my choice would be Poly CL. We not only love the Poly as it's our favorite resort, but I have read more favorable things about Poly CL than I have about BC CL. The Poly lounge also has great views. With that said, we are trying Poly CL in December and I couldn't be more excited.

 

[HBGdancermom]

We have always only stayed CL at CR but decided to do a split stay this year and try BC. We have gotten to know CR really well so I hate being a newbie to BC!

I hope you have a great time on your trip!!!

Thanks! CR is another on my dream list. And Poly.

Getting my DH to stay on property at all was such a feat. Lol. He travels so much for work that we can stay at Hilton properties for a long time, free. I have always just wanted to stay in the craziness of WDW. I think BC will be right up his ally with the location, etc.

 

[BringingUpDisney]

Thanks! CR is another on my dream list. And Poly.

Getting my DH to stay on property at all was such a feat. Lol. He travels so much for work that we can stay at Hilton properties for a long time, free. I have always just wanted to stay in the craziness of WDW. I think BC will be right up his ally with the location, etc.

I have a gazillions of Hilton points too but it's just not the same as staying on property at Disney. The deal I make with myself is to use Hilton for all other travel and stay where I want when I do Disney.

Next trip to the world is my dream Poly CL / BC CL split!

 

[HBGdancermom]

I have a gazillions of Hilton points too but it's just not the same as staying on property at Disney. The deal I make with myself is to use Hilton for all other travel and stay where I want when I do Disney.

Next trip to the world is my dream Poly CL / BC CL split!

That is exactly how I sold him!!! Our DSs play travel sports so we used all his points for those 8 weekends.

I am hoping that the convenience of BC location and CL will turn him into a fan and I can be a yearly WDW traveller.

 

[stazmatic]

First time staying at BC CL. Super excited!!!! Only 15 days to go!!!!
Question - we have 2 rooms and it's August. I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal? I have looked at pics online of club level offerings and feel like my hungry horde of kids will be wiping them out of food and drink every time they walk in the room. Can I plan on having enough drinks through club level to be hydrated or should I plan on ordering through Garden Grocer?

 

[kpm76]

First time staying at BC CL. Super excited!!!! Only 15 days to go!!!!
Question - we have 2 rooms and it's August. I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal? I have looked at pics online of club level offerings and feel like my hungry horde of kids will be wiping them out of food and drink every time they walk in the room. Can I plan on having enough drinks through club level to be hydrated or should I plan on ordering through Garden Grocer?

I'd do Garden Grocer for water and other things you want for the room. That's our plan. In the Aug heat, you need to stay hydrated so I will have several bottles with me (we still have a little one so will keep them in a pack under the stroller). Really hoping the refrigerators are in the rooms at BWI when we arrive late Aug!!

As for food, the understanding is that CL offerings are not meant to be a meal replacement (possible exception is breakfast) so I would set the expectations with your kids, as I will be doing with one of mine who seems to be a bottomless pit

 

[Karebear]

First time staying at BC CL. Super excited!!!! Only 15 days to go!!!!
Question - we have 2 rooms and it's August. I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal? I have looked at pics online of club level offerings and feel like my hungry horde of kids will be wiping them out of food and drink every time they walk in the room. Can I plan on having enough drinks through club level to be hydrated or should I plan on ordering through Garden Grocer?

We will be staying YC CL later in August. I feel the same way that you do on the water situation. I just placed an order from wegoshop for sunblock and water. They will shop the sales for me at Publix, etc. and she said that they usually get a case for $3.99. I would rather have it than have them not have water to give to us or feel like I am "wiping them clean" everyday. Hope this helps!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal?

It's normal.
BC CL has plenty of drinks- at least while you are at the lounge. You help yourself, and are also allowed to take drinks to your room, in your fridge, and grab a round of canned drinks to take to the park. All CL's have paper cups. In the lounge, water is either served in a big cooler/pitcher, or glass bottles. If glass bottles, you can ask for one. You just can't take glass to pool or parks.

Sometimes we might split a drink poolside rather than going to the lounge. If you want to take drinks or food any place other than your room, you'll need to use cans/paper cups provided, esp beer/wine.

If you have DDP - you will ALSO get a set of refillable mugs. You pick them up in the food court, and you can refill them as much as you like in the food court. (soft drinks, coffee, tea, cocoa, no milk, usually no juice) Even if you don't have DDP, they are always an option.


Drinks that are not covered:

In summer, we almost can't get enough water. Look back a few posts about bottled water. The one thing you MIGHT want is bottled water, but you don't need to pay GG's delivery fee. In April, we were a party of 10. They gave us plenty of water in plastic. All we had to do was ask.

You also can't get cocktails in the lounge, except cordials 8-10pm. Typically, what we do is PLAN to be in the lounge around 5pm. In summer, it's a great plan. We've nicknamed it "Thunderstorm o'clock". That's also why we make most ADR's for near our resort in the summer. Beer/wine are only out 5-7pm, but staff will get you a beer other hours if you ask.

So to those folks asking about which resort is best-that's often key for us, where we eat our TS.

The lounge is also not stocked overnight. Before they close up, staff restocks the canned beverages, but they go quickly. Some lounges also keep out the coffee/hotchocolate/hot water(tea) machine. Others don't. We put a few drinks in the fridge.

Also, milk is only out in the am. I've never asked for milk later in the day, but I think staff would get some. It might be smart to stow it. Then again, the fridges in the room aren't super cold. They vary, but I don't trust them 100%to be dairy-safe.

At buffets and with DDP, non-alcohol is included. At QS, we always request ice water. When we are done eating, we take any leftover water with us.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Hi, I'd you had to choose either CL in BC or Poly. Which would you choose and why?

We have always only stayed CL at CR but decided to do a split stay this year and try BC. We have gotten to know CR really well so I hate being a newbie to BC!

I hope you have a great time on your trip!!!

We've now stayed at almost every resort on property except DVC (Don't want to cook), and all CL except WL. (soon!)

I love them all! I think my two favorite CL's though are CR and BC.

At CR, I love watching Wishes! We also love the convenience: in the resort, getting to MK, and getting to monorail dining. the service can be a bit hit or miss. Sometimes they are amazing, other times Cr I just a bit impersonal. Like it's the only CL, where you often are told to check-in at front desk. Downside is minimal theming, and it's a long hike to the World Showcase. Good place to have your own car when you want to go any place not on the monorail line (that's true of all monorail resorts). The bathroom sinks are terrible, as is the closet lay out. (the sinks are flat squares that don't drain, also no counter space in bathroom)

BC is almost the opposite. Love the theming, room/resort décor, LOVE the pool!!!!! Easy access to any dining in WS/Swan/BC/YC/BWK- so long as it's not raining. Staff is super! Love walking the BWK on a nice night. Easy access to Epcot/HS. Love the room layout! The downside of BC is you don't get a fireworks view from the lounge. The other downside is there's no real food court. (don't really need it) The quick serve has some stuff, mostly grab and go. Otherwise if you want a custom sandwich the line is slow. If you want a beach pail, get a kid's meal poolside. (comes in a pail) Dolphin has good food court, but it's a walk.

Mostly, I find the food in all CL's to be rather similar. At best, each one offers one or two unique appetizers each day, and they each offer slightly different pastries/fruits. I don't see much difference myself between a muffin and a plain white bagel. As far as food goes, GF is the only one that has a few true extra pluses, but they are minimal.

If you are otherwise on the fence about where to stay, the criteria I use is to think about our table serve dining. We usually do one TS dinner each day. If we are at BC- we eat mostly over that way. If we are at CR, we eat on the monorail loop.

(non CL, just the resort itself, my fave is AKL! Amazing place!)

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Hi, I'd you had to choose either CL in BC or Poly. Which would you choose and why?

Poly, no doubt! When it comes to strictly looking just at the club level there is no comparison.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

First time staying at BC CL. Super excited!!!! Only 15 days to go!!!!
Question - we have 2 rooms and it's August. I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal? I have looked at pics online of club level offerings and feel like my hungry horde of kids will be wiping them out of food and drink every time they walk in the room. Can I plan on having enough drinks through club level to be hydrated or should I plan on ordering through Garden Grocer?

We were at the BC CL in August last year and the plastic water bottles were few and far between. Several times we asked and they were out of them. I would definitely not rely on these as a sure thing... but remember you can always fill a styrofoam cup with water in the lounge and take it to the park with you, or grab one on your way back to the room. Also the water bottles were the tiny ones and my kids chugged them in one sip so keeping your family hydrated all day at the parks isn't going to happen with those anyway.

 

[babydovesx2]

What kinds of beer do they have in the lounge at Poly?

 

[gjl]

Removed

 

[BringingUpDisney]

First time staying at BC CL. Super excited!!!! Only 15 days to go!!!!
Question - we have 2 rooms and it's August. I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal? I have looked at pics online of club level offerings and feel like my hungry horde of kids will be wiping them out of food and drink every time they walk in the room. Can I plan on having enough drinks through club level to be hydrated or should I plan on ordering through Garden Grocer?

We are going to rely on CL for beverages supplemented by Bobble bottles for in the parks. Cheaper and more Eco friendly than ordering water...

 

[kallanach]

First time staying at BC CL. Super excited!!!! Only 15 days to go!!!!
Question - we have 2 rooms and it's August. I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal? I have looked at pics online of club level offerings and feel like my hungry horde of kids will be wiping them out of food and drink every time they walk in the room. Can I plan on having enough drinks through club level to be hydrated or should I plan on ordering through Garden Grocer?

We stayed at BC CL last summer. I have not heard of this--requesting water bottles for the parks. I too recommend Garden Grocer. We are staying AKL CL in 2 weeks. I ordered a 32 pack of water and 24 pack of Gatorade to be delivered upon our arrival. We are a family of 4. CL is great for light breakfast, refreshments after coming back from the parks and appetizers before dinner. And great for coffee. I would not necessarily rely on it to provide your water for the parks.

 

[Scott MC]

*

 

[Scott MC]

Hi, I'd you had to choose either CL in BC or Poly. Which would you choose and why?

OP? What kind of experience are you looking for? Are you Epcot fans? MK fans? What's your budget? All these things will come into play. I've not stayed at Poly CL, but I have at BC and the staff is great. From all accounts and pictures I've seen, the lounge at Poly is much bigger, and the selections seem to be more varied.

First time staying at BC CL. Super excited!!!! Only 15 days to go!!!!
Question - we have 2 rooms and it's August. I have read you can ask for water bottles to take into the parks, but.....I am going to be out of place asking for a bunch of water for me and my 6 kids or is this normal? I have looked at pics online of club level offerings and feel like my hungry horde of kids will be wiping them out of food and drink every time they walk in the room. Can I plan on having enough drinks through club level to be hydrated or should I plan on ordering through Garden Grocer?

As for food, the understanding is that CL offerings are not meant to be a meal replacement (possible exception is breakfast) so I would set the expectations with your kids, as I will be doing with one of mine who seems to be a bottomless pit

I would rather have it than have them not have water to give to us or feel like I am "wiping them clean" everyday. Hope this helps!

I may not be the best person to comment on this. As you can see, my post before this was cleared by me, because I thought it came off as too snarky. On all my CL trips, I've seen people/families wipe out the lounge, and it drives me crazy. CL food is meant to be enjoyed as a snack or a supplement (with the exception of breakfast) throughout the day. The CL staff is not there to supply you with whatever you feel like eating in high volume, but sadly, they will go out of their way, because that's their job, but here's what happens. People keep expecting more and more of CL food offerings.....CL rations can't feed everyone....more food has to be purchased, and you know what happens then. Prices go up. This infuriates me, because for me, CL isn't a given. It's something we do sometimes, but not all the time, and we save up big-time to afford it. Last summer at BC-CL, I saw a man wait patiently for the staff to put out a whole tray of a hot appetizer (I think scallops wrapped in bacon), and when the CM put it down, he picked up the whole tray and walked off with it. A few people in line grumbled, and his reply, was "I paid for it, I waited for it." This is the attitude that will drive CL prices up, and price out people like me.
So, Stazmatic, I'm not calling you out individually, but to answer your question shortly, no. Do not depend on CL staff to supply bottled water for you. If you'd like to order some, the staff will delightedly hold it for you, deliver it to your room etc. Use and enjoy the lounge for light refreshments, and have a magical trip!

It's normal.

That's the sad part though. It's becoming the norm to rely on CL to feed the family, when that's not what it's meant for.