Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[trishadono]

Ok, ready for more WL CL lounge pics?

YES!!!! PLEASE

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Ok, more new Old Faithful Club pics. I don't know what the old lounge was like, but I loved this space. Probably the coziest lounge of the ones I've been to. Quaint, laid back, quiet. I would love to be here with just DW with no kids.

Sorry some of these are dark - it's tough to get good lighting.



Here is the "entrance" when coming from the North elevators and all of the available 7th floor CL rooms. Straight ahead is what looks like a temporary door and construction wall. This would go to the walkway that would connect to the lobby elevator bank (and what used to be the rest of the CL floor) if it were open.


Closer look at the temporary wall/door that leads to the "crossover" to the South wing of the resort. Assuming this opens back up at some point, it will make getting to the lounge and CL rooms so much easier....


Hallway looking back.... you'd walk out that way to get to your CL room.


This is the food area. Note there are (incredibly detailed) doors that could be closed on either side of this food area. I never saw them actually closed. There are other access points to the lounge area itself so it wouldn't matter if these were closed. I very much prefer the CLs that have lounges that don't close in between services like this.


There is a unisex bathroom available. Hooray! We typically arrive way before check-in and appreciate when there's a CL restroom for us/the kids to change in to go to the pool and wait for the room the be ready.


Kids dining area and very large TV.


Those gates on the left are a stairway down to the 6th floor only. I didn't walk down it but it appears it could be a very viable access point to the lounge if the 6th floor were CL??


Closer view of the stairwell.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Looking towards the lobby and south wing, walled off for construction.


Another nice big TV. So cozy. CL CM desks there on the right. One of two balcony entrances on the left.


Another shot of the second TV. The lighting and wood throughout are really nicely done.





Here's the other balcony.


CM desks there on the far left. Comfy chairs along the edge of the railing.


A better shot. CM desks on the left. You can see the construction wall covering that "crossover" area. Curious as to what this will be like post-construction.


Guess this is the future of power outlets. ;-)

 

[mickeynut1]

Ok, more new Old Faithful Club pics.

Absolutely love it! I've been considering AKL CL for December 2017, but after seeing these pics, WL CL is suddenly in the running .

 

[GADisneyDad14]

From what I understand, the lounge space used to be two honeymoon suites. The balconies are the same ones from those rooms. There are two and in that "well" style of the 7th floor CL rooms.


The balconies really aren't that big. Definitely couldn't handle a big crowd looking to watch Wishes.


Outdoor speakers. These balconies face towards the MK so in theory you can see the fireworks. One CM told us they play the Wishes soundtrack, another told us that is the plan but it's not dialed in yet. We were never in the lounge for Wishes so I'm not sure.


Looking back in the lounge.


Nighttime balcony lighting.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Here's the view from the balcony.


Another shot. They said you can clearly see Wishes. Unpopular opinion - just cut a few more trees Disney! Please?


Nighttime view.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Last post, I promise. Just a few "looking down" shots from the lounge area...









Didn't the old lounge have tables and/or chairs all around the lobby? I wonder what this will be like when they connect the DVC side.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Last commentary. My photos don't really do the lounge justice, it shows so much better in person.

The CM's I talked to described the lounge as "smaller but much nicer" than the old lounge. I did a rough count and there are maybe 25-30 places to sit, total. It does feel a touch small, but it was never crowded at all (although I'm not sure if 3 days with a resort very much under construction is a fair time to make that assessment).

I asked a few CM's about the construction. Granted you should take all of this with a LARGE grain of salt, but they said the DVC side will not be CL like AKL. Some implied there had been conversations about extending CL rooms to other floors since the inventory of CL rooms has been more than cut in half with DVC construction. Definitely not sure how accurate that info is.

All-in-all, I give the new Old Faithful Club two big thumbs up! The space, ambiance, quality of the food/drink, and overall coziness of the lounge make this a place I'd really like to spend more time relaxing.

I think WL is going to be absolutely specatular when the other pool and the waterfront dining place are finished. Can't wait!

 

[Chaoticsweetness]

We just got back and it's either 6 or 7am. I'm 90% sure coffee at 6am and then breakfast starts at 7am. Its defintely NOT 24 hrs. At 10pm everything is shut down and removed.

Coffee is out at 6:30. From 6:30-7 the CMs work on getting the lounge ready for breakfast. We were able to get cans of Diet Coke and milk at 6:30 as well. After the coffee was started the CM then stocked the frig.

Thank you both for your responses! I am hoping to do an early morning run when we stay and have my coffee after. That will work out perfectly.

 

[trishadono]

Last commentary. My photos don't really do the lounge justice, it shows so much better in person.

The CM's I talked to described the lounge as "smaller but much nicer" than the old lounge. I did a rough count and there are maybe 25-30 places to sit, total. It does feel a touch small, but it was never crowded at all (although I'm not sure if 3 days with a resort very much under construction is a fair time to make that assessment).

I asked a few CM's about the construction. Granted you should take all of this with a LARGE grain of salt, but they said the DVC side will not be CL like AKL. Some implied there had been conversations about extending CL rooms to other floors since the inventory of CL rooms has been more than cut in half with DVC construction. Definitely not sure how accurate that info is.

All-in-all, I give the new Old Faithful Club two big thumbs up! The space, ambiance, quality of the food/drink, and overall coziness of the lounge make this a place I'd really like to spend more time relaxing.

I think WL is going to be absolutely specatular when the other pool and the waterfront dining place are finished. Can't wait!

I just looked at your pix again. Those doors look like the original ones which are so detailed and pretty.

The seating did go all the way around in a U shape. The end where the lounge is now had seating but no one was ever there because they had so much seating it wasn't needed.

I agree about the bathroom. It is a must for arrival and departure day. FYI I have seen one at Poly and BC cl's does anyone else know if any others have it?

Food/ it looks like the resorts are upgrading the food and beverages. Previously there wasn't meat at breakfast or that many night options for example. It also looks like afternoons are getting better too. Long gone the days of just some goldfish lol.

Oh and thanks for the outlet pic. My son was on his laptop arrival day waiting for our room to be ready. It look us a while to find a charging spot at poly. Good to know!

Did they let people on the balconies???

Last it is hard to tell, is the door at the start of the hall and the lounge is the hallway with the old honeymoon rooms gutting and "open" to the hall? It looks like it is all one open space. Previously the lounge was in a "room" and the seating was tables along the rails overlooking the lobby in a huge u around the whole 7th floor.

Thanks again for the pix!

 

[cc1013]

So excited! Exactly one week from today we will be heading to the BC for our first ever club level stay. Joining me will be DH, DMom (who we are taking for her 60th birthday gift) and DSons (2.5 fraternal twins). We are beyond excited and have never stayed at BC or CL. We are staying in a one bedroom suite with rented cribs since the boys are still in cribs. Thrilled to be able to have a couple of date nights with DH since mom has offered to stay back when the kids fall asleep. Now to get packed and ready for the holidays before we leave!

 

[mickeynut1]

Last post, I promise. Just a few "looking down" shots from the lounge area...

Love all the pics! Thanks for sharing .

Didn't the old lounge have tables and/or chairs all around the lobby?

As trisha posted, there were tables/chairs around the railing overlooking the lobby. That's one of my favorite things about WL CL as I loved sitting and watching all of the hustle and bustle going on down in the lobby .

All-in-all, I give the new Old Faithful Club two big thumbs up! The space, ambiance, quality of the food/drink, and overall coziness of the lounge make this a place I'd really like to spend more time relaxing.

Glad you had a great time and enjoyed WL CL. Thanks again for sharing all of your great pics and for taking the time to post and tell us about your stay .

I think WL is going to be absolutely specatular when the other pool and the waterfront dining place are finished. Can't wait!

I agree .

So excited! Exactly one week from today we will be heading to the BC for our first ever club level stay. Joining me will be DH, DMom (who we are taking for her 60th birthday gift) and DSons (2.5 fraternal twins). We are beyond excited and have never stayed at BC or CL. We are staying in a one bedroom suite with rented cribs since the boys are still in cribs. Thrilled to be able to have a couple of date nights with DH since mom has offered to stay back when the kids fall asleep. Now to get packed and ready for the holidays before we leave!

How exciting! Hope you have a great trip .

 

[TJA]

@GADisneyDad14 - I took a quick look at your pictures late last night, but now I just went back and looked in detail. That lounge is just so impressive that it is really making me re-think our April reservations and maybe keep them. I took note of the stairs that led to the 6th floor and I agree that does open up a possibility of CL rooms, especially given that they lost so many for the construction. They would just have to add seating - which they can just expand more around the U, right? If the 6th floor did get added, they could incorporate seating down there too. Thank you for taking the time to take so many awesome pictures and share them with us. I know I'll go back and look many times as I ponder my upcoming and future decisions!

@trishadono - I agree the CL's seem to be upgrading food/beverages. The only one I haven't noticed this with is Poly (and sadly that's my favorite view/location...) except they were putting out a little more variety during snack/lunch time. I can't believe the 5-7 pm options at WL -- they would definitely constitute a meal!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

So excited! Exactly one week from today we will be heading to the BC for our first ever club level stay. Joining me will be DH, DMom (who we are taking for her 60th birthday gift) and DSons (2.5 fraternal twins). We are beyond excited and have never stayed at BC or CL. We are staying in a one bedroom suite with rented cribs since the boys are still in cribs. Thrilled to be able to have a couple of date nights with DH since mom has offered to stay back when the kids fall asleep. Now to get packed and ready for the holidays before we leave!

So cool. I stayed one night in one of those 1-BR suites this past summer. Loved it and I loved what little I got to experience of the CL lounge.

Have a great stay!

 

[cc1013]

So cool. I stayed one night in one of those 1-BR suites this past summer. Loved it and I loved what little I got to experience of the CL lounge.

Have a great stay!

Thank you! The pics you posted from your stay were incredibly helpful. We were planning to go in April 2017 bf the kids turn 3 but Disney during the holidays and free dining swayed us to go earlier. Now I'm so glad we made the change. Totally in need of a vacation and ready to escape the Midwest for a week!

 

[trishadono]

@GADisneyDad14 - I took a quick look at your pictures late last night, but now I just went back and looked in detail. That lounge is just so impressive that it is really making me re-think our April reservations and maybe keep them. I took note of the stairs that led to the 6th floor and I agree that does open up a possibility of CL rooms, especially given that they lost so many for the construction. They would just have to add seating - which they can just expand more around the U, right? If the 6th floor did get added, they could incorporate seating down there too. Thank you for taking the time to take so many awesome pictures and share them with us. I know I'll go back and look many times as I ponder my upcoming and future decisions!

@trishadono - I agree the CL's seem to be upgrading food/beverages. The only one I haven't noticed this with is Poly (and sadly that's my favorite view/location...) except they were putting out a little more variety during snack/lunch time. I can't believe the 5-7 pm options at WL -- they would definitely constitute a meal!

I agree, it seems Poly now the fewest offerings.

MY fav too

I agree that is a meal for me for sure at WL!

 

[trishadono]

So excited! Exactly one week from today we will be heading to the BC for our first ever club level stay. Joining me will be DH, DMom (who we are taking for her 60th birthday gift) and DSons (2.5 fraternal twins). We are beyond excited and have never stayed at BC or CL. We are staying in a one bedroom suite with rented cribs since the boys are still in cribs. Thrilled to be able to have a couple of date nights with DH since mom has offered to stay back when the kids fall asleep. Now to get packed and ready for the holidays before we leave!

I tried the BC cl last November and the offerings were very nice!
Have a great trip!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thank you! The pics you posted from your stay were incredibly helpful. We were planning to go in April 2017 bf the kids turn 3 but Disney during the holidays and free dining swayed us to go earlier. Now I'm so glad we made the change. Totally in need of a vacation and ready to escape the Midwest for a week!

Hope you have a great trip. I think I remember your posts from awhile back. Curious, did you put in any room location requests at all? Please report back after your trip!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I just looked at your pix again. Those doors look like the original ones which are so detailed and pretty.

The seating did go all the way around in a U shape. The end where the lounge is now had seating but no one was ever there because they had so much seating it wasn't needed.

I agree about the bathroom. It is a must for arrival and departure day. FYI I have seen one at Poly and BC cl's does anyone else know if any others have it?

Food/ it looks like the resorts are upgrading the food and beverages. Previously there wasn't meat at breakfast or that many night options for example. It also looks like afternoons are getting better too. Long gone the days of just some goldfish lol.

Oh and thanks for the outlet pic. My son was on his laptop arrival day waiting for our room to be ready. It look us a while to find a charging spot at poly. Good to know!

Did they let people on the balconies???

Last it is hard to tell, is the door at the start of the hall and the lounge is the hallway with the old honeymoon rooms gutting and "open" to the hall? It looks like it is all one open space. Previously the lounge was in a "room" and the seating was tables along the rails overlooking the lobby in a huge u around the whole 7th floor.

Thanks again for the pix!

Yes, they let people on the balconies. I really wish I had been there for Wishes one night to check it out. We were in our room one night when it was going off and they were blasting the soundtrack on the resort speakers outside. I don't remember that from our previous stay but that was several years ago.

Not sure I understand your last question but maybe this helps? If not, let me know and I'll try to clarify.

@GADisneyDad14 - I took a quick look at your pictures late last night, but now I just went back and looked in detail. That lounge is just so impressive that it is really making me re-think our April reservations and maybe keep them. I took note of the stairs that led to the 6th floor and I agree that does open up a possibility of CL rooms, especially given that they lost so many for the construction. They would just have to add seating - which they can just expand more around the U, right? If the 6th floor did get added, they could incorporate seating down there too. Thank you for taking the time to take so many awesome pictures and share them with us. I know I'll go back and look many times as I ponder my upcoming and future decisions!

@trishadono - I agree the CL's seem to be upgrading food/beverages. The only one I haven't noticed this with is Poly (and sadly that's my favorite view/location...) except they were putting out a little more variety during snack/lunch time. I can't believe the 5-7 pm options at WL -- they would definitely constitute a meal!

You seem to be having a lot of trip anxiety on this one! Lol! Not that you asked for advice, but part of me says to hold off staying here until construction is done. It's not that the construction interferes with the stay at all (it totally does not), but it looks like it's really going to be awesome when it's done. On the other hand, to me it's fun to stay during construction because the resort isn't as full and it's kind of interesting to see. This is a tough call. I will note that not being able to get to the lounge from the lobby elevators is kind of a bummer and the only element of our stay that was materially impacted by construction

I'll also admit that I realized that I have been big-time spoiled by the monorail. Aside from my one night at BC over the summer, all of my trips except for one have been monorail resorts. We waited 20 mins for a bus to Epcot one morning and another 25 mins on the way back - at the time I was cursing WL! I know that's not the end of the world but with our little one those kind of waits irked me a bit. It once again reminded me what a huge benefit it is for the resorts that offer either walkable, monorail, or water access to two parks.

Do you know when they usually release AP rates for April/May? Sometime in Jan?

 

[TJA]

You seem to be having a lot of trip anxiety on this one! Lol! Not that you asked for advice, but part of me says to hold off staying here until construction is done. It's not that the construction interferes with the stay at all (it totally does not), but it looks like it's really going to be awesome when it's done. On the other hand, to me it's fun to stay during construction because the resort isn't as full and it's kind of interesting to see. This is a tough call. I will note that not being able to get to the lounge from the lobby elevators is kind of a bummer and the only element of our stay that was materially impacted by construction

I'll also admit that I realized that I have been big-time spoiled by the monorail. Aside from my one night at BC over the summer, all of my trips except for one have been monorail resorts. We waited 20 mins for a bus to Epcot one morning and another 25 mins on the way back - at the time I was cursing WL! I know that's not the end of the world but with our little one those kind of waits irked me a bit. It once again reminded me what a huge benefit it is for the resorts that offer either walkable, monorail, or water access to two parks.

Do you know when they usually release AP rates for April/May? Sometime in Jan?

You bring up a good point about the transportation. Every time I deviate from either a monorail or an EPCOT resort, I end up mad at myself and swearing I'll never do it again. I think I'm going to stay with what I have until AP rates come out - I think easter was early last year so I got my trip booked sooner. I think January sounds about right for the next round, but I check everyday regardless!