Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[mickeynut1]

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!

Glad you had a great time overall. I love the GF (and RPC), but like you, the Poly will always be my favorite. The GF is a beautiful resort and I do enjoy staying there, but I just love the relaxed tropical atmosphere of the Poly .

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.

Have a great time!

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.

Glad you had a great stay .

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 great trip!

 

[focusondisney]

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.

Our last RPC stay was last September & we had the same thing. We had to wait in the normal lobby check in line. The couple next to us was also returning RPC guests. And believe me they were NOT happy to be waiting & checking in right there in the lobby. Several comments were made. Our CM called the greeter to escort us both to the lounge & our rooms. The other couple made it very clear they had been here before & did not like standing around in the lobby & didn’t need to be shown around.

We were returning guests too & I have to agree, checking in at the lobby desk isn’t what we expect. At YC, I tend to look for a CM with an iPad if the lobby is busy. If we actually do go to the lobby desk, they have just escorted us upstairs for check in. Private check in is a perk Disney has listed for years. I’m not sure if it still is tho. Hopefully they will get enough complaints & go back to the way it used to be.

 

[trishadono]

Our last RPC stay was last September & we had the same thing. We had to wait in the normal lobby check in line. The couple next to us was also returning RPC guests. And believe me they were NOT happy to be waiting & checking in right there in the lobby. Several comments were made. Our CM called the greeter to escort us both to the lounge & our rooms. The other couple made it very clear they had been here before & did not like standing around in the lobby & didn’t need to be shown around.

We were returning guests too & I have to agree, checking in at the lobby desk isn’t what we expect. At YC, I tend to look for a CM with an iPad if the lobby is busy. If we actually do go to the lobby desk, they have just escorted us upstairs for check in. Private check in is a perk Disney has listed for years. I’m not sure if it still is tho. Hopefully they will get enough complaints & go back to the way it used to be.

I think its all luck of timing. In May we were greeted outside as we exited our ME and escorted up. He took us right to the 4th floor so we could grab what we wanted. He stayed with us and checked our mbs. There was an issue so he took them and brought back in a few mins.

So at that time anybody else arriving had to wait until we were finished.

Last May 2018 also greeted and escorted but in Sept 18 we were not.

I run about 2/3 of my cl stays all resorts as greeted since 2011.

 

[atkinstogram]

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.

When we fly, we tend to fly Virgin Upper - they pick us up and take us to the airport. When we arrive at Heathrow (and to a lesser extent Gatwick), they're standind at the kerb, greet us by name (of course they know it's us, they sent the car), take our bags, give us our boarding passes etc.

No matter how many times we do it, it always feels great. So yea, for us it definitely matters..

 

[simplymama]

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!

We haven't actually stayed in the main building since 2012.

I'll admit that even though we knew it wouldn't work, that didn't stop us from trying our band for the fun of it while staying SL last month while in the elevators in the main building.

In 2015 we were actually upgraded to a two bedroom suite in an outer building and the CM told us we were allowed to use either, so maybe they are limiting dual club access only to suite stays now.

I'm kind of disappointed to learn that main building no longer has access to both though . I'm an early riser and love to sit out by the Marina in the morning and drink my coffee and eat a bowl of oatmeal so now that would mean I'd have to carry it down the elevator if I still want to do that.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

In 2015 we were actually upgraded to a two bedroom suite in an outer building and the CM told us we were allowed to use either, so maybe they are limiting dual club access only to suite stays now.

Yep, suite guests can access both (although you see conflicting reports about this at times), non-suite guests can only access their respective building.

 

[simplymama]

We are staying two nights in the BC club level soon. Can somebody tell me if the club level rooms are all located together near the lounge or are they spread out on a few floors or various parts of the resort?

I read the lounge is on the 5th floor.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We are staying two nights in the BC club level soon. Can somebody tell me if the club level rooms are all located together near the lounge or are they spread out on a few floors or various parts of the resort?

I read the lounge is on the 5th floor.

All of the regular CL rooms are on the 5th floor (there are some other special room types, such as suites, that are CL but not on this floor). Here’s a crude visual below, the yellow is the lounge - all of the rooms you see here are CL rooms. The elevators are roughly those two black bars across from the lounge.



Hope that helps!

 

[simplymama]

All of the regular CL rooms are on the 5th floor (there are some other special room types, such as suites, that are CL but not on this floor). Here’s a crude visual below, the yellow is the lounge - all of the rooms you see here are CL rooms. The elevators are roughly those two black bars across from the lounge.

View attachment 423769

Hope that helps!

Awesome. Thank you!!

 

[MemphisVanessa]

Just an FYI for everyone concerning DSS and the new experience reservations at SWGE. (Oga's, Droid Depot and Savi's) They aren't able to make these reservations for you. ☹ I emailed today because I have been having trouble getting through online. They got back to me very quickly but said:

"Thank you for contacting Disney Signature Services! Our team of specialists do not have access to secure Savi's Workshop - Handbuilt Lightsabers or Droid Depot reservations for Guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. These bookings can only exclusively be made through DisneyWorld.com."

 

[yaya74]

Just an FYI for everyone concerning DSS and the new experience reservations at SWGE. (Oga's, Droid Depot and Savi's) They aren't able to make these reservations for you. ☹ I emailed today because I have been having trouble getting through online. They got back to me very quickly but said:

"Thank you for contacting Disney Signature Services! Our team of specialists do not have access to secure Savi's Workshop - Handbuilt Lightsabers or Droid Depot reservations for Guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. These bookings can only exclusively be made through DisneyWorld.com."

Exactly what can DSS do, other than booking Club Level FPs?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Just an FYI for everyone concerning DSS and the new experience reservations at SWGE. (Oga's, Droid Depot and Savi's) They aren't able to make these reservations for you. ☹ I emailed today because I have been having trouble getting through online. They got back to me very quickly but said:

"Thank you for contacting Disney Signature Services! Our team of specialists do not have access to secure Savi's Workshop - Handbuilt Lightsabers or Droid Depot reservations for Guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. These bookings can only exclusively be made through DisneyWorld.com."

That’s interesting - thank you for sharing.

They probably saw the ridiculous waits and problems with the site (and whatever internal reservation system they may have available to them) and said to heck with this, everyone is on their own, even if you’re CL!! Lol!

 

[SillySallySews]

That’s disappointing to hear DSS cannot make SWGE reservations. Maybe they are just trying to give everyone a fair shot at those and DSS will be able to make those reservations in the future?

So now that I am reading some of these post about check-in, what should I expect when we check-in to atrium club at CR this month? We’ve never had anyone greet us curbside at other resorts that I can recall, but we have always been escorted up to the lounge to be checked in. I like CL mostly for the food and convenience of having somewhere else to be besides our room, but I know the “special” check-in process has been a big perk to my husband (a.k.a. the reason he keeps allowing me to spend money on it lol), so if that’s not something they do anymore I want to make sure I prepare him.

 

[Dave006]

We’ve never had anyone greet us curbside at other resorts that I can recall, but we have always been escorted up to the lounge to be checked in.

Another reason for you to have an escort to the CL floor is the restricted access in the elevators. Before MBs you had to have an escort or check-in at the front desk. This is still an issue even with MBs. The resort system does not allow you to access the floor before you have used your MB to open your room door or a CM enables access for you at the front desk or in the CL reception.

I know the “special” check-in process has been a big perk to my husband (a.k.a. the reason he keeps allowing me to spend money on it lol), so if that’s not something they do anymore I want to make sure I prepare him.

It is not that they don't do it anymore it is mostly a resource issue. It has really always been an issue if more CL guests arrive then there is someone to meet, greet, and escort them at any give time of day.

Dave

 

[GADisneyDad14]

So now that I am reading some of these post about check-in, what should I expect when we check-in to atrium club at CR this month?

This is one of those YMMV things, but in our past CR experiences (most recent being this spring), we have not had greeters out front. We typically walk in and look for a manager type, or a CM with an iPad, or similar, and tell them we’re checking in CL. If no one is milling about, we’ll get in the regular check in line and tell the CM at the desk we’re checking in CL. They will typically escort us to the elevator, ride with us up to the CL floor, then hand us off to a CL CM for the rest of the check in process.

What CR may lack with an arrival greeting in the lobby, it makes up for with the CL CMs, generally speaking. We have tended to be warmly welcomed, drinks offered, given an explanation of the lounge and services, and escorted to our room to confirm MBs work. Like anywhere, some CMs are more enthusiastic than others, but we’ve tended to really enjoy our arrivals and overall stays there.

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[trishadono]

That’s disappointing to hear DSS cannot make SWGE reservations. Maybe they are just trying to give everyone a fair shot at those and DSS will be able to make those reservations in the future?

So now that I am reading some of these post about check-in, what should I expect when we check-in to atrium club at CR this month? We’ve never had anyone greet us curbside at other resorts that I can recall, but we have always been escorted up to the lounge to be checked in. I like CL mostly for the food and convenience of having somewhere else to be besides our room, but I know the “special” check-in process has been a big perk to my husband (a.k.a. the reason he keeps allowing me to spend money on it lol), so if that’s not something they do anymore I want to make sure I prepare him.

My experiences similar to @GADisneyDad14 .

If not greeted outside I go in and look for someone close hanging around and ask how to check in for cl. They will direct you accordingly.

If in doubt just check in, the lines never seem to be long at CR at least. They will escort you up to cl floor.

My last stay they offered a monorail red welcome drink. Dd and Ds said SURE! I asked for a sparkling wine and that was not a problem (beer or wine to ask for is fine too).

I love the service at Cr, never had a bad experience

 

[gillep]

My experiences similar to @GADisneyDad14 .

If not greeted outside I go in and look for someone close hanging around and ask how to check in for cl. They will direct you accordingly.

If in doubt just check in, the lines never seem to be long at CR at least. They will escort you up to cl floor.

My last stay they offered a monorail red welcome drink. Dd and Ds said SURE! I asked for a sparkling wine and that was not a problem (beer or wine to ask for is fine too).

I love the service at Cr, never had a bad experience

I have never stayed at the CR CL, may I ask what the monorail red welcome drink consisted of? I love the special drinks that the different resorts offer.

 

[trishadono]

I have never stayed at the CR CL, may I ask what the monorail red welcome drink consisted of? I love the special drinks that the different resorts offer.

Dd said it was like a Moscow mule. Ish

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

 

[sfbank]

Ok first night done. Rained in EPCOT today. We finally gave up waiting and just got drenched. Made it back to the lounge at the BW for evening apps. Shrimp scampi was very good. DD hada pasta with chicken. DH had some meat and cheese as we were heading to ESPN Club later. They either need to back down the number of rooms or find a way to expand the lounge. We are running in to the same issues as last year where there is no room to sit. We sat out on the furniture in the hall. Still good to be “home”.