Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[cwis]

Not exactly on-topic, but we felt the check-in experience at the Grand Californian at DLR was above everything we've had at WDW. A curbside greeter calling ready to escort us, knowing our names, assisted by bell services ready to unload the bags from our Uber. Everything was smooth and friendly, we had absolutely nothing to care about and felt right “at home”.

We had no idea we like this treatment until we actually experienced it, but now we wish WDW would improve the check-in procedure for CL guests.

 

[SillySallySews]

Hope this is okay to ask. Did anyone get any emails from anyone or calls prior to their stay? We have a AK-CL stay coming up (about 2 weeks to go) and have heard nothing. When I called them I was told we would receive all the information once we checked in. I just found this odd, as I thought CL was so grand. Making me kind of worried.

My friend and I both booked a Poly CL stay on the same day at the same time. We were literally in the same room on different phones right next to each other. We booked the same type of room, same dates, used the same discount, our reservations were exactly the same. Not even a full day later she got a welcome email from IPO (this was before DSS) and they called her later to see if they could help plan anything. They never called me or sent anything or even emailed. Sort of left me feeling like chopped liver lol! I’m not sure how they choose to reach out to people, but I think it has to be very random.

 

[Anonomom]

Does curbside greeting matter though? Perhaps the answer depends upon each individual's preference. My first CL experience was at Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando. PB does not offer online check in so we waited in line at the front counter. The person checked us in did not give us any special attention just because we booked a CL stay. As a matter of the fact, the experience was comparable to a check in at Hampton Inn. We didn't feel anything special until we got to the club lounge. So in that case, I would rather check in online, by pass the wait at the counter and go straight to the club lounge if there is no one at the entrance to greet us.

I can tell you that the one time we got a curbside greeting (waaay back in 2011, on our first-ever CL stay), it mattered a lot. At the time, I was six months pregnant and had a toddler and a preschooler. It felt like a darned miracle to pull up to the CR and have this nice person greet us by name, welcome us and bring us right up to the lounge so the kids could have a snack while I checked in. I wouldn't call it an absolute necessity, but that personal greeting went a long way to making that particular trip feel really, really magical.

 

[DisneyDiana]

We stayed at AKL Club level last week and were greeted curbside. The greeter was waiting when our ME bus pulled up. I read another post about construction and am very happy we did not hear a thing. We split our stay and were on the 6th floor, same as the lounge, for the first half of our stay. Very convenient for taking a glass of wine or sangria back to the room, we loved it and plan on doing it again.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Not exactly on-topic, but we felt the check-in experience at the Grand Californian at DLR was above everything we've had at WDW. A curbside greeter calling ready to escort us, knowing our names, assisted by bell services ready to unload the bags from our Uber. Everything was smooth and friendly, we had absolutely nothing to care about and felt right “at home”.

We had no idea we like this treatment until we actually experienced it, but now we wish WDW would improve the check-in procedure for CL guests.

It really makes the CL experience so much nicer. When you give your name to security at GCH to access the property they radio ahead to the CL that X guest has arrived so they’re waiting for you at the curb, idk if that could be implemented at WDW as I’m not familiar with the WDW check-in processes.

 

[ninafeliz]

It really makes the CL experience so much nicer. When you give your name to security at GCH to access the property they radio ahead to the CL that X guest has arrived so they’re waiting for you at the curb, idk if that could be implemented at WDW as I’m not familiar with the WDW check-in processes.

They could do it, but they don’t. It is done on occasion, we’re 1 for around 20. If you drive the guard at the gate radios up, if you’re on DME it’s even easier because they know that from when you check In at the airport. The only people who would be missed are those coming from Disney transportation, like resort transfers etc. I agree with pp that this is a fairly easy thing they should be doing to really get people’s visit off on the right foot, when you are impressed from the check in process you are much less likely to nit pick everything else about the stay.

 

[CT Disney]

Continuation of Review of Grand Floridian - Royal Palm Club

Last week, I posted a bunch of pictures of our July 13 - 20 trip and now I'm back with my thoughts on the RPC experience. Here is the "good" and the "not-so-good".

Let's get "the not-so-good" out of the way first!

* No Bathroom in the Lounge - I didn't realize how much we would miss this until we didn't have it. Every other CL we've visited has had a bathroom in the lounge area. We really enjoy stopping at the lounge in the afternoon after touring the parks. Honestly, most of the time we just wanted to wash our hands before eating. Having to go back to our room which was down two longer hallways wasn't terrible, but it wasn't convenient either.

* Mizner's Construction - we found the construction a bit loud at times. It sort of detracted from the overall relaxing charm of the RPC lounge. Thankfully, the construction wasn't constant, but I would say we definitely heard it at multiple points during the week.

* The Hot Appetizers - I honestly hate that this is an item on my not-great list. But, we found the evening hot appetizers a little un-inspired. We were there for a full week and only missed one evening of appetizers. Most nights featured a meat skewer of some type. They tasted pretty good, but multiple nights of meat skewers (just with a different nightly seasoning) gets a little tired. There were meatballs alongside the skewers on a few nights, but they tasted a little dry to us. I wonder if my expectations were a little too high? Honestly, I think my disappointment stems from the fact that we stayed BWI CL over Christmas week and the evening appetizers were outstanding. They were way more plentiful, fresh, varied, and inspired than RPC in my opinion.

* Not Enough Tables for Four - There are very few four-tops on the 4th floor. Most tables are two-tops. It was a very crowded week and most days we had a very hard time getting a table for my family of four. One time we even found an empty four-top but there were no chairs. Families had pulled the chairs up to two-tops and had squeezed in their families at the smaller tables. It was frustrating and I dreaded entering the lounge at busier times knowing I'd have a hard time getting a table.

* Understaffed - as I said, we seemed to be there during a very busy week. And, don't get me wrong, the CMs at RPC are out-of-this-world. But, there weren't enough of them. Unlike at other CLs we've been to, they didn't seem to clear the tables until you were totally done eating. And, since we were squished at a two-top on more than one occasion, it made for a cluttery and dish-filled table. Often, we'd get to the lounge and find an empty table that was completely full of dishes. So, we'd have to wait for a CM to bus it...which didn't always happen quickly. There was no place to bring your empty dishes otherwise I would have done it myself. IMO, if you can't keep up with clearing the tables, you should provide a place for people to stack dirty dishes.

* The Dog - I posted about this one in a thread on the restaurant board a few weeks ago should you care to read it. There was a very-obvious-non-service-dog in the lounge barking like mad on a few occasions. I did speak to a CM on staff about it and she did acknowledge that they heard the dog all the way down on the third floor. Bottom line, GF staff is not asking the two questions that the ADA permits them to ask.

* The Waffles - these show up on my bad and good list! But, here's the bad: while the waffles were good, they just couldn't keep up with the demand for them. The waffle line was always long. The CM manning the station told me that she has asked repeatedly for a second waffle iron but they wouldn't give it to her. On our last morning there, all I wanted was a waffle to end my stay. After waiting in line with my DH and two teens for at least 15 minutes, we were informed that they had run out of batter. The CM making the waffles called down to the kitchen and assured us that more batter would be up any minute. So, we all stayed in line. Unhappily, we were in that line for another half hour before batter arrived! And, when it finally did arrive, they rationed one waffle per person. Waiting in line for 45 minutes for a small waffle was not the way I wanted our last breakfast to go. My husband finally had to get out of the line and go back to shower so we could leave in time. So, we didn't get to eat our last breakfast together as a family. It was a bummer.


THE GOOD

* The Orchestra and Band - Seriously, this was one of my favorite parts of RPC. The music added incredible ambiance to the lounge! I love that they played older music, current music and Disney favorites; a great variety! I will miss it if we stay anywhere else!

* The Bottled Water - I love that they had small bottled waters available all the time. We would grab some every time we passed through the lounge. We'd put the bottles in our fridge so we always had nice cold bottled water to take to the parks! Very nice!

* The Breakfast - It was excellent! The waffles every day were delicious. They had crepes on Thursday which were very tasty with a citrus flavor. They always had two types of egg preparation (usually deviled and hard boiled). They also had a hot egg option - mini quiche, etc. The fresh fruit was very good (blueberries, raspberries, etc). They also had a great variety of breads and danishes. This was my favorite CL breakfast of all the places we've stayed. Top notch, very good!

* The Tray for the Pool - The pool is not close to the RPC lounge so one day I requested a tray and was given one within two seconds. It was great for bringing mid-afternoon snacks and cookies down for my family.

* The Ambiance - We loved the feel of the lounge. Bright, airy, relaxing...and everyone gets a window seat! The view is beautiful from up on the fourth floor. You can see the garden pool in one direction and the Poly in the other. It was a super relaxing place to hang out! And, a great place to watch the afternoon storms roll in!

* The Chocolate Chip Cookies - OK, to be fair, this is usually my favorite part of every CL. I love eating chocolate chip cookies every day I'm staying CL (and I wonder why I gain 5 pounds every time I go to Disney!) Anyway, there were some nights that they were out of chocolate chip cookies and that was a bummer. But...the desserts at RPC were very good otherwise! A nice variety and selection of cookies, and lots of other goodies. Highlights were the mini cheesecakes and key lime tarts!

So, that about sums up my thoughts! I know the "not-so-good" list is longer than the "good" list, but overall the not-so-good things were relatively minor. We had a great week and we wouldn't hesitate to return! I think that the Poly still has my heart...I love the ambiance there and I love how you are more connected to the outdoors at the Poly resort. But, my husband is now squarely and without-doubt in the RPC corner! It is a great place to spend your time and your Disney dollars!

I will say that the other people staying RPC (as with every other lounge) did have a significant effect on our enjoyment of the lounge. We saw the worst of humanity and the best of humanity over our GF week. We also saw, once again, that money does not buy manners. I lost track at the number of kids allowed to stick their entire hands into the gummy bear and goldfish bowl. It got so bad that my teens stopped eating gummy bears all together because it was gross. I still contend that there should be a non-moving CM stationed in every CL to answer questions and to stop children (and adults!) from getting food without serving utensils...for the health and safety of everyone. It's gotten to be a big problem at all CLs. But, we also saw the best of humanity during our week! We met so many lovely people and our trip was richer because of the conversations we had with them! Many of the children were adorable and perfectly and age-appropriately behaved!

In closing, here are a few pics of one of my favorite GL things...the ambiance created by the beautiful flowers scattered throughout the resort! It really is beautiful here!!

 

[trishadono]

Continuation of Review of Grand Floridian - Royal Palm Club

Last week, I posted a bunch of pictures of our July 13 - 20 trip and now I'm back with my thoughts on the RPC experience. Here is the "good" and the "not-so-good".

Let's get "the not-so-good" out of the way first!

* No Bathroom in the Lounge - I didn't realize how much we would miss this until we didn't have it. Every other CL we've visited has had a bathroom in the lounge area. We really enjoy stopping at the lounge in the afternoon after touring the parks. Honestly, most of the time we just wanted to wash our hands before eating. Having to go back to our room which was down two longer hallways wasn't terrible, but it wasn't convenient either.

* Mizner's Construction - we found the construction a bit loud at times. It sort of detracted from the overall relaxing charm of the RPC lounge. Thankfully, the construction wasn't constant, but I would say we definitely heard it at multiple points during the week.

* The Hot Appetizers - I honestly hate that this is an item on my not-great list. But, we found the evening hot appetizers a little un-inspired. We were there for a full week and only missed one evening of appetizers. Most nights featured a meat skewer of some type. They tasted pretty good, but multiple nights of meat skewers (just with a different nightly seasoning) gets a little tired. There were meatballs alongside the skewers on a few nights, but they tasted a little dry to us. I wonder if my expectations were a little too high? Honestly, I think my disappointment stems from the fact that we stayed BWI CL over Christmas week and the evening appetizers were outstanding. They were way more plentiful, fresh, varied, and inspired than RPC in my opinion.

* Not Enough Tables for Four - There are very few four-tops on the 4th floor. Most tables are two-tops. It was a very crowded week and most days we had a very hard time getting a table for my family of four. One time we even found an empty four-top but there were no chairs. Families had pulled the chairs up to two-tops and had squeezed in their families at the smaller tables. It was frustrating and I dreaded entering the lounge at busier times knowing I'd have a hard time getting a table.

* Understaffed - as I said, we seemed to be there during a very busy week. And, don't get me wrong, the CMs at RPC are out-of-this-world. But, there weren't enough of them. Unlike at other CLs we've been to, they didn't seem to clear the tables until you were totally done eating. And, since we were squished at a two-top on more than one occasion, it made for a cluttery and dish-filled table. Often, we'd get to the lounge and find an empty table that was completely full of dishes. So, we'd have to wait for a CM to bus it...which didn't always happen quickly. There was no place to bring your empty dishes otherwise I would have done it myself. IMO, if you can't keep up with clearing the tables, you should provide a place for people to stack dirty dishes.

* The Dog - I posted about this one in a thread on the restaurant board a few weeks ago should you care to read it. There was a very-obvious-non-service-dog in the lounge barking like mad on a few occasions. I did speak to a CM on staff about it and she did acknowledge that they heard the dog all the way down on the third floor. Bottom line, GF staff is not asking the two questions that the ADA permits them to ask.

* The Waffles - these show up on my bad and good list! But, here's the bad: while the waffles were good, they just couldn't keep up with the demand for them. The waffle line was always long. The CM manning the station told me that she has asked repeatedly for a second waffle iron but they wouldn't give it to her. On our last morning there, all I wanted was a waffle to end my stay. After waiting in line with my DH and two teens for at least 15 minutes, we were informed that they had run out of batter. The CM making the waffles called down to the kitchen and assured us that more batter would be up any minute. So, we all stayed in line. Unhappily, we were in that line for another half hour before batter arrived! And, when it finally did arrive, they rationed one waffle per person. Waiting in line for 45 minutes for a small waffle was not the way I wanted our last breakfast to go. My husband finally had to get out of the line and go back to shower so we could leave in time. So, we didn't get to eat our last breakfast together as a family. It was a bummer.


THE GOOD

* The Orchestra and Band - Seriously, this was one of my favorite parts of RPC. The music added incredible ambiance to the lounge! I love that they played older music, current music and Disney favorites; a great variety! I will miss it if we stay anywhere else!

* The Bottled Water - I love that they had small bottled waters available all the time. We would grab some every time we passed through the lounge. We'd put the bottles in our fridge so we always had nice cold bottled water to take to the parks! Very nice!

* The Breakfast - It was excellent! The waffles every day were delicious. They had crepes on Thursday which were very tasty with a citrus flavor. They always had two types of egg preparation (usually deviled and hard boiled). They also had a hot egg option - mini quiche, etc. The fresh fruit was very good (blueberries, raspberries, etc). They also had a great variety of breads and danishes. This was my favorite CL breakfast of all the places we've stayed. Top notch, very good!

* The Tray for the Pool - The pool is not close to the RPC lounge so one day I requested a tray and was given one within two seconds. It was great for bringing mid-afternoon snacks and cookies down for my family.

* The Ambiance - We loved the feel of the lounge. Bright, airy, relaxing...and everyone gets a window seat! The view is beautiful from up on the fourth floor. You can see the garden pool in one direction and the Poly in the other. It was a super relaxing place to hang out! And, a great place to watch the afternoon storms roll in!

* The Chocolate Chip Cookies - OK, to be fair, this is usually my favorite part of every CL. I love eating chocolate chip cookies every day I'm staying CL (and I wonder why I gain 5 pounds every time I go to Disney!) Anyway, there were some nights that they were out of chocolate chip cookies and that was a bummer. But...the desserts at RPC were very good otherwise! A nice variety and selection of cookies, and lots of other goodies. Highlights were the mini cheesecakes and key lime tarts!

So, that about sums up my thoughts! I know the "not-so-good" list is longer than the "good" list, but overall the not-so-good things were relatively minor. We had a great week and we wouldn't hesitate to return! I think that the Poly still has my heart...I love the ambiance there and I love how you are more connected to the outdoors at the Poly resort. But, my husband is now squarely and without-doubt in the RPC corner! It is a great place to spend your time and your Disney dollars!

I will say that the other people staying RPC (as with every other lounge) did have a significant effect on our enjoyment of the lounge. We saw the worst of humanity and the best of humanity over our GF week. We also saw, once again, that money does not buy manners. I lost track at the number of kids allowed to stick their entire hands into the gummy bear and goldfish bowl. It got so bad that my teens stopped eating gummy bears all together because it was gross. I still contend that there should be a non-moving CM stationed in every CL to answer questions and to stop children (and adults!) from getting food without serving utensils...for the health and safety of everyone. It's gotten to be a big problem at all CLs. But, we also saw the best of humanity during our week! We met so many lovely people and our trip was richer because of the conversations we had with them! Many of the children were adorable and perfectly and age-appropriately behaved!

In closing, here are a few pics of one of my favorite GL things...the ambiance created by the beautiful flowers scattered throughout the resort! It really is beautiful here!!


View attachment 423215


View attachment 423216

I know what you mean about the bathroom , especially arrival and departure day. At least rpc has some on 1 and 2nd floors. Sl you have to leave the building!

I’ve been to rpc several times, my last Memorial weekend. The line for waffles was always non existent!

It just takes a large group /family that doesn’t have much planned for the parks to fill up the lounge.


I find the worst of guests at gf. However my last few trips I’ve been lucky and had some better experiences.

Any Disney trip is hit or miss. Travel , weather, room assigned other guests, regular cm or fill in for a vacation coverage all can impact a trip.

I have CSR cl booked and ppl are posting no power . I would NOT be happy with that!

Thx for your review n pix.

 

[focusondisney]

It really makes the CL experience so much nicer. When you give your name to security at GCH to access the property they radio ahead to the CL that X guest has arrived so they’re waiting for you at the curb, idk if that could be implemented at WDW as I’m not familiar with the WDW check-in processes.

Actually, this is how our club level arrivals worked for years. Probably changed about 5 years ago.

 

[cwis]

They could do it, but they don’t. It is done on occasion, we’re 1 for around 20. If you drive the guard at the gate radios up, if you’re on DME it’s even easier because they know that from when you check In at the airport.

It's easier but it doesn't mean they do it. Once there was someone with an iPad when we got off the MDE at the AKL, we explained we wanted to check-in CL and she seemed really confused, like “what-do-you-mean-by-club-level-exactly” because her computer didn't notify her that we were coming. Once we managed to convince her we really were CL guests, she gave us a big Disney-smile and escorted us to the lounge, which was nice, but after a 12 hrs trip from France, this wasn't the seamless experience we were hoping.

 

[ninafeliz]

It's easier but it doesn't mean they do it. Once there was someone with an iPad when we got off the MDE at the AKL, we explained we wanted to check-in CL and she seemed really confused, like “what-do-you-mean-by-club-level-exactly” because her computer didn't notify her that we were coming. Once we managed to convince her we really were CL guests, she gave us a big Disney-smile and escorted us to the lounge, which was nice, but after a 12 hrs trip from France, this wasn't the seamless experience we were hoping.

Oh, I didn't mean it's easier and thus they do it. I mean it would be even easier for them to do and thus implement, but they choose not to!

 

[simplymama]

In this case it actually matters to me because 1.) we are checking in way before check in time and I'd like to know that our MBs actually work for SL without going through a huge roundabout because I will be just coming off of being Non Weightbearing after surgery and don't want to walk around too much. I also don't know if my scooter will be there by then or not. 2.) we've never stayed at GF and are less familiar with the resort than other places we have stayed.

Will it ruin my vacation if we are not greeted-Nope! It'll just make my life WAY easier being (I hope anyway) weight bearing as tolerated.

When we checked into BC for the 2018 marathon we arrived at like 1am. Of course we didn't expect a tour or anyone to greet us then and since all of us had zero mobility issues gunking up space in our brains we were fine with it. We got a tour the next morning with a welcome drink though, the CMs were so friendly and kind.

When we checked in our first stay at the GF RPC we were greeted as we got out of our car. The gate person had seemed to let them know.

We’ve had many stays since then at RPC and SL and usually I just find the closest CM and tell them we are checking in to Club Level and then what happens varies.

Usually if it’s RPC they have escorted us upstairs to the third floor check in desk and one time they drove us over to SL in a golf cart.

This past time I think it was a manager who asked if he could help me and he offered to walk us over to SL but I said we knew the way if it wasn’t necessary for him to escort us and so he took my band to make sure it would work on the entrance and we walked over. They have a podium in the SL by the door now so we spoke to that CM and then he got the one at the desk to check us in.

I honestly can’t remember what happened at Boardwalk Club Level it’s been so long. Excited to be giving it a try again in two weeks!

 

[KerryCM]

When we checked in our first stay at the GF RPC we were greeted as we got out of our car. The gate person had seemed to let them know.

We’ve had many stays since then at RPC and SL and usually I just find the closest CM and tell them we are checking in to Club Level and then what happens varies.

Usually if it’s RPC they have escorted us upstairs to the third floor check in desk and one time they drove us over to SL in a golf cart.

This past time I think it was a manager who asked if he could help me and he offered to walk us over to SL but I said we knew the way if it wasn’t necessary for him to escort us and so he took my band to make sure it would work on the entrance and we walked over. They have a podium in the SL by the door now so we spoke to that CM and then he got the one at the desk to check us in.

I honestly can’t remember what happened at Boardwalk Club Level it’s been so long. Excited to be giving it a try again in two weeks!

When we check in to the Boardwalk, we just let the first person we see know we are checking into the club level and the just call up to let them know we have arrived and then will escort us up.

 

[Lovinallthingsdisney]

What is everyone's experience with online check in?

Last CL stay we got the resort at like 1am and the one before that it was after hours as well.

We'll be at GF around 11am-ish via ME this time. Will someone meet us at the bus even though we already checked in and our room will likely not be ready? Is this still hit or miss?

Our last stay at GF was RPC and we were not met by anybody outside. We stood in line for check in and they proceeded to process our entire check on the main floor. They then called someone to get us to take us upstairs. The CM came and we discovered our magic bands didn’t work. When we arrived on 4th floor, the CM left us to “fix” our bands. Nobody offered to give us a tour of the lounge or explained anything (as they typically do). Our room was not ready for a couple of hours (arrived around 11:00 am). I just checked it as an “off” CL experience.

 

[simplymama]

Continuation of Review of Grand Floridian - Royal Palm Club

Last week, I posted a bunch of pictures of our July 13 - 20 trip and now I'm back with my thoughts on the RPC experience. Here is the "good" and the "not-so-good".

Let's get "the not-so-good" out of the way first!

* No Bathroom in the Lounge - I didn't realize how much we would miss this until we didn't have it. Every other CL we've visited has had a bathroom in the lounge area. We really enjoy stopping at the lounge in the afternoon after touring the parks. Honestly, most of the time we just wanted to wash our hands before eating. Having to go back to our room which was down two longer hallways wasn't terrible, but it wasn't convenient either.

* Mizner's Construction - we found the construction a bit loud at times. It sort of detracted from the overall relaxing charm of the RPC lounge. Thankfully, the construction wasn't constant, but I would say we definitely heard it at multiple points during the week.

* The Hot Appetizers - I honestly hate that this is an item on my not-great list. But, we found the evening hot appetizers a little un-inspired. We were there for a full week and only missed one evening of appetizers. Most nights featured a meat skewer of some type. They tasted pretty good, but multiple nights of meat skewers (just with a different nightly seasoning) gets a little tired. There were meatballs alongside the skewers on a few nights, but they tasted a little dry to us. I wonder if my expectations were a little too high? Honestly, I think my disappointment stems from the fact that we stayed BWI CL over Christmas week and the evening appetizers were outstanding. They were way more plentiful, fresh, varied, and inspired than RPC in my opinion.

* Not Enough Tables for Four - There are very few four-tops on the 4th floor. Most tables are two-tops. It was a very crowded week and most days we had a very hard time getting a table for my family of four. One time we even found an empty four-top but there were no chairs. Families had pulled the chairs up to two-tops and had squeezed in their families at the smaller tables. It was frustrating and I dreaded entering the lounge at busier times knowing I'd have a hard time getting a table.

* Understaffed - as I said, we seemed to be there during a very busy week. And, don't get me wrong, the CMs at RPC are out-of-this-world. But, there weren't enough of them. Unlike at other CLs we've been to, they didn't seem to clear the tables until you were totally done eating. And, since we were squished at a two-top on more than one occasion, it made for a cluttery and dish-filled table. Often, we'd get to the lounge and find an empty table that was completely full of dishes. So, we'd have to wait for a CM to bus it...which didn't always happen quickly. There was no place to bring your empty dishes otherwise I would have done it myself. IMO, if you can't keep up with clearing the tables, you should provide a place for people to stack dirty dishes.

* The Dog - I posted about this one in a thread on the restaurant board a few weeks ago should you care to read it. There was a very-obvious-non-service-dog in the lounge barking like mad on a few occasions. I did speak to a CM on staff about it and she did acknowledge that they heard the dog all the way down on the third floor. Bottom line, GF staff is not asking the two questions that the ADA permits them to ask.

* The Waffles - these show up on my bad and good list! But, here's the bad: while the waffles were good, they just couldn't keep up with the demand for them. The waffle line was always long. The CM manning the station told me that she has asked repeatedly for a second waffle iron but they wouldn't give it to her. On our last morning there, all I wanted was a waffle to end my stay. After waiting in line with my DH and two teens for at least 15 minutes, we were informed that they had run out of batter. The CM making the waffles called down to the kitchen and assured us that more batter would be up any minute. So, we all stayed in line. Unhappily, we were in that line for another half hour before batter arrived! And, when it finally did arrive, they rationed one waffle per person. Waiting in line for 45 minutes for a small waffle was not the way I wanted our last breakfast to go. My husband finally had to get out of the line and go back to shower so we could leave in time. So, we didn't get to eat our last breakfast together as a family. It was a bummer.


THE GOOD

* The Orchestra and Band - Seriously, this was one of my favorite parts of RPC. The music added incredible ambiance to the lounge! I love that they played older music, current music and Disney favorites; a great variety! I will miss it if we stay anywhere else!

* The Bottled Water - I love that they had small bottled waters available all the time. We would grab some every time we passed through the lounge. We'd put the bottles in our fridge so we always had nice cold bottled water to take to the parks! Very nice!

* The Breakfast - It was excellent! The waffles every day were delicious. They had crepes on Thursday which were very tasty with a citrus flavor. They always had two types of egg preparation (usually deviled and hard boiled). They also had a hot egg option - mini quiche, etc. The fresh fruit was very good (blueberries, raspberries, etc). They also had a great variety of breads and danishes. This was my favorite CL breakfast of all the places we've stayed. Top notch, very good!

* The Tray for the Pool - The pool is not close to the RPC lounge so one day I requested a tray and was given one within two seconds. It was great for bringing mid-afternoon snacks and cookies down for my family.

* The Ambiance - We loved the feel of the lounge. Bright, airy, relaxing...and everyone gets a window seat! The view is beautiful from up on the fourth floor. You can see the garden pool in one direction and the Poly in the other. It was a super relaxing place to hang out! And, a great place to watch the afternoon storms roll in!

* The Chocolate Chip Cookies - OK, to be fair, this is usually my favorite part of every CL. I love eating chocolate chip cookies every day I'm staying CL (and I wonder why I gain 5 pounds every time I go to Disney!) Anyway, there were some nights that they were out of chocolate chip cookies and that was a bummer. But...the desserts at RPC were very good otherwise! A nice variety and selection of cookies, and lots of other goodies. Highlights were the mini cheesecakes and key lime tarts!

So, that about sums up my thoughts! I know the "not-so-good" list is longer than the "good" list, but overall the not-so-good things were relatively minor. We had a great week and we wouldn't hesitate to return! I think that the Poly still has my heart...I love the ambiance there and I love how you are more connected to the outdoors at the Poly resort. But, my husband is now squarely and without-doubt in the RPC corner! It is a great place to spend your time and your Disney dollars!

I will say that the other people staying RPC (as with every other lounge) did have a significant effect on our enjoyment of the lounge. We saw the worst of humanity and the best of humanity over our GF week. We also saw, once again, that money does not buy manners. I lost track at the number of kids allowed to stick their entire hands into the gummy bear and goldfish bowl. It got so bad that my teens stopped eating gummy bears all together because it was gross. I still contend that there should be a non-moving CM stationed in every CL to answer questions and to stop children (and adults!) from getting food without serving utensils...for the health and safety of everyone. It's gotten to be a big problem at all CLs. But, we also saw the best of humanity during our week! We met so many lovely people and our trip was richer because of the conversations we had with them! Many of the children were adorable and perfectly and age-appropriately behaved!

In closing, here are a few pics of one of my favorite GL things...the ambiance created by the beautiful flowers scattered throughout the resort! It really is beautiful here!!


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We were there the same week as you. Was it a little white dog. Terrier, perhaps? I saw one with his owner out by Gasparillas a couple of mornings. They seemed to have come out of the main building but I couldn't help but wonder what service he was providing to his owner. I know there are some unusual service dogs these days, so I guess you just never know though.

We are heading back in a two weeks and will be staying in the main building. The kids are looking forward to the waffles which they don't have in the SL. I hope our experience is better for them.

I agree that the hot appetizers seemed very repetitive that week. Skewers covered in (sometimes unappealing) spices every night. The tuna plates and potato salad the last evening we were there were very good though.

Do they no longer let RPC guests use the SL lounge when out by the pool? Years ago our cards allowed us to access both so we could grab a cold soda by the pool.

 

[vinotinto]

We stayed at AKL Club level last week and were greeted curbside. The greeter was waiting when our ME bus pulled up. I read another post about construction and am very happy we did not hear a thing. We split our stay and were on the 6th floor, same as the lounge, for the first half of our stay. Very convenient for taking a glass of wine or sangria back to the room, we loved it and plan on doing it again.

We stayed at AKL CL at the end of July and we were also greeted curbside. In fact, the CM had a welcome sign with our name on it. Our stay was wonderful. We loved the food in Lounge and the CMs were very friendly, especially Jason, who was a hoot. They put the extra effort to make our stay special. I think AKL is seriously underrated.

 

[ninafeliz]

Do they no longer let RPC guests use the SL lounge when out by the pool? Years ago our cards allowed us to access both so we could grab a cold soda by the pool.

I have read on here that they quit allowing that quite a few years ago. When I first started following CL and the GF maybe 5 yrs ago it was a common question, so it must have been not too long before that. I think it might have been around the time magic bands began.

We stayed RPC 5 nights followed by SL 1 night in June, I’m wishing now I had tried to discreetly check the opposite CLs diring each stay just to make sure . Missed my one and only chance to try that!

 

[sfbank]

Heading to the airport picking up DD at her apartment on the way. We should be at the Boardwalk around 2:30. I can’t wait. Pictures to follow as I always enjoy seeing others pics when I can’t be there.

 

[KerryCM]

Heading to the airport picking up DD at her apartment on the way. We should be at the Boardwalk around 2:30. I can’t wait. Pictures to follow as I always enjoy seeing others pics when I can’t be there.

Have a fantastic trip and please say hi to everyone for me!

 

[Amy M]

We stayed at AKL CL at the end of July and we were also greeted curbside. In fact, the CM had a welcome sign with our name on it. Our stay was wonderful. We loved the food in Lounge and the CMs were very friendly, especially Jason, who was a hoot. They put the extra effort to make our stay special. I think AKL is seriously underrated.View attachment 423610

We also stayed at AKL CL in July. We were greeted out front by our car. She didn’t have a sign, but she walked right up to me and greeted us. It was a wonderful welcome to AKL, and our first CL stay!