Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[T.G.I.Friday]

I think Disney tries to emphasize 'service' while still cutting costs. But while a friendly CM is very nice, they should be able to actually DO things and let the CL, $$ spending customer realize some value.

Why can't the CM's have early access for booking ADRs? or be able to access a reserve of hard to obtain bookings? Why can't they shuttle CL guests in a MinnieVan for arrival and departure? I mean, what are you getting for these prices? My primary focus is usually location and I can get that in a std, non-CL room for way less.

Mickey bars and waffles should be a no-brainer at this cost level of booking. But maybe it's like @dnw25 said, 'they have a plan...and we all just have to wait it out'.

Everyone has a different budget and focus when they travel. For us, we find value in having easily accessible and friendly CMs between 7-10. We also find value in drinks and snacks (to include water and grapes) offered 7-10 or even around the clock.

I certainly wish it came at a lower price tag, but I still see the value in it for us.

That’s what makes a Disney trip so unique. There are plenty of offerings that others enjoy that I find to be not worth the cost, so I get not everyone finding value in CL.

 

[dnw25]

Do you mind sharing what Universal CL you tried? I am booking a stay there in July and might give the club level a try instead of a standard room. Thanks!

Portofino Bay. The beds were also amazing. Room seemed much bigger as well.

 

[Eastern]

Everyone has a different budget and focus when they travel. For us, we find value in having easily accessible and friendly CMs between 7-10. We also find value in drinks and snacks (to include water and grapes) offered 7-10 or even around the clock.

I certainly wish it came at a lower price tag, but I still see the value in it for us.

That’s what makes a Disney trip so unique. There are plenty of offerings that others enjoy that I find to be not worth the cost, so I get not everyone finding value in CL.

You are currently their target customer. If they can fill their rooms like this, their business model is working.

 

[dnw25]

You are currently their target customer. If they can fill their rooms like this, their business model is working.

Yep, it's the erosion of Disney 'magic' that many of us here have seen that makes this even a debate. With my many, many years of YC/BC CL knowledge (14 years), and now seeing the more limited offerings and changes, I know the difference.

Thousands more for the exact same trip week and room category is not inflation (v. December 2019 and March 2020 prices).

If they still had the multiple salads a night, turn down with chocolates, daily in room large water bottles, the etched YC glasses, the SAB punch, the guaranteed welcome drink, rice krispy treats, homemade chips and dip, more appetizer options, more hot breakfast options AND lucky charms, no debate at all!

CMs are still amazing and cannot beat SAB and the location. That's why so many of us "rolled" with the changes (and complain here) and still went. Yesterday's discount just left a bad taste. I owed this group a review of the lounge based on offerings, quality, etc. I paid a premium for our trip dates and I don't regret that at all. The crowds alone made it worth it. However, the same pricing for the same thing in June....another story.

 

[Rachel GB]

Yipes! That’s almost an insult to call it discounted.

I am “weaning” myself off CL, despite just booking those 2 reservations. We’ve been staying CL for about 22 years. My husband retired from his full time position & started consulting part time for his employer in February 2021. I retired in April ‘22, husband fully retired last April ‘23. I always told myself we wouldn’t do CL in retirement, but I admit I’m spoiled, lol. I’m still figuring out our new income & how we want to draw & spend our retirement funds. The way CL rates have increased the last 3 years, plus now the dismal discounts, it really make staying CL unreasonable for us. For now if I really want CL, I’ll do it for our anniversary trips.

Over the last 2 years we’ve done regular stays at Pop, POFQ, CR, WL & YC. Before we did deluxe & CL, we stayed at both PO resorts several times. We still found FQ to be enjoyable & beautiful. We hadn’t been to WL in years, only had a 3 night stay. We liked the new rooms & decided we’d like stay there again soon.

My husband loves Mickey waffles & having a lot of steak dinners. So booking signature meals every day & doing mobile orders for waffles & bacon for breakfast has helped us transition away from the lounge.

@focusondisney , thank you for your thoughtful reply! I agree, "up to 10%" on CL is almost an insult, as it does not even cover the resort tax. It would almost be less offensive if CL was just excluded if that is the offered discount.

I appreciate your sharing your experience, and congratulations on both you and your husband now being retired! It is interesting and helpful to hear how you are making non-CL work for you after 22 years of being accustomed to CL. Best wishes for many, many Disney trips to come in your retirement!

Our last couple of stays were non-CL. We really like CL, but I am value-oriented and although I can splurge, the current prices for CL are egregious. Prices I have seen, and I'm not picky about resort, range from $700 per night with tax (a few CS dates) up to over 2k per night for non-suites at Poly and GF. It's just crazy.

When we don't do CL, we book at least one TS restaurant per day. I like not having to worry about CL hours. It's convenient, but the snacks and wine choices are not that good that I miss it when I don't have it. Chatting to the CMs is not high on my priority list so that value is lost on me. I'm not paying 1k per night to chat to a college student who is giving me measly wine pours

I actually feel more civilized having a nice signature dinner or stopping in random lounges for $20 cocktails and a snack of my choosing. It is still way cheaper!

Pick the resort/category that is best for you and choose your drinks/food on your own. It is very hard to eat/drink whatever you want, whenever you want, and still exceed the cost of a CL stay.

@Eastern , thank you for the reply and sharing your non-CL experience! I completely agree, though we find a lot of value in CL and are willing to pay quite a bit for the value we see in it, $1,300+ a night is more than we (and apparently others) feel comfortable with at this time.

I loved hearing how you've discovered the benefits of non-CL trips, what a great perspective! Signature dinners and fun cocktails sound like a wonderful and enjoyable addition to a non-CL trip.

I agree with your sentiment from another post that (maybe) something is going on with CL across the board!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

When I think back to our first RPC stay in 2017, we had many magical elements that are no longer: the amazing GF Orchestra, nightly turndown service with chocolates, a chef with a pasta cart for made-to-order dishes, mini water bottles (RIP since lounge refurb), a CM 'bartender' who made a beautiful chocolate-y non-alcoholic surprise treat for our children during fireworks viewing in the lounge, afternoon tea service with pastries, soup at 'snack' (also RIP after lounge refurb), pilot programs for CL only (over the years we got to do the Minnie Van pilot and CL FPs, too!) and many other magical touches which truly made our experience and enabled us to justify the expense. It is my understanding from CL OGs that there used to be even more magical elements of CL in the past.

There is no question that there is still much magic to be found and that for our family in particular, there is still a lot of value in CL (I believe it was @GADisneyDad14 who has said in the past that value is subjective). That being said, "up to 10%" with rising rates, dwindling benefits, and dismal discounts certainly make us take a careful look at our upcoming CL (or maybe not!) trip. Any other feedback on our current contemplation of Riviera 1-BR Pref or BWI CL Standard is welcomed and much appreciated!

 

[gottalovepluto]

. Any other feedback on our current contemplation of Riviera 1-BR Pref or BWI CL Standard is welcomed and much appreciated!

LOVE RIV 1 bd Pref!

Love: space is almost game changing vs a Disney hotel room with 4-5 people, rooms are really pretty, sitting on the patio and watching the Skyliner with a lake view in preferred category.

Vs CL: Instead of CL snacks we mobile ordered a little more often from the QS (like an order of fries, orders of waffles in the morning), for espresso drinks you have to wait in line at the coffee shop so that was annoying but they have a nice coffee shop in the lobby that conveniently becomes a bar at night. They also do mimosas in the morning

Don’t love: storms taking down the Skyliner, at BWI you can walk but there is no way to walk to RIV, gotta bus or rideshare back.

The deciding factors for me are
1. Space- do you value that living area turning into a 2nd sleeping area?
2. Storms- are you traveling during an extra stormy time when the Skyliner will be down?

(I haven’t stayed other DVC properties so I can’t compare to those)

 

[elsbit]

I agree with Pluto on the Riviera. The one bedroom is so spacious. I love that bubble tub. The preferred balcony views are beautiful. Also, their quick service food is fabulous. I swoon for their marscapone polenta, amongst other items. We would order food and bring it up to our room to eat for meals and it was never crazy wait times. It is my favorite resort.

 

[Einstein509]

By chance did you let Disney know your thoughts?

I did an online survey when we returned, but can't remember if there were any specific CL questions on it or if I specifically mentioned CL in comments. I might have.

I doubt they care since it seems the only thing that matters at this point is $$$ bottom line and not the magic.

Do you mind sharing what Universal CL you tried? I am booking a stay there in July and might give the club level a try instead of a standard room. Thanks!

We did Portofino. Got a pretty good discount on the CL room and as another poster mentioned, the rooms are much bigger with very comfy beds. Also, very easy to get to the parks or Citywalk either by boat or a 15-minute walk on a nice path.

One difference between Universal CL and Disney CL is that alcohol is only available at dinner (5-7pm I believe). However, the wine pours are very generous, not what we've seen with some Disney CM pours.

 

[SkyGuy]

I got my (second) call from Signature Services yesterday for a Sunday check-in. It came from an unlisted number so I didn’t answer . We’re staying at Coronado, and the CM warned me about the traffic on Sunday, which we experienced last year and are prepared for this year! It will likely be our last CL for a while unless I get another fabulous bounceback or AP rate - this stay is an excellent BB rate, about 30% off if I remember correctly. I just can’t justify a 10% discount as a good deal when I can rent DVC and have groceries delivered for significantly less. I’ll try to remember to take some pics, but I’m notoriously bad at doing so - if it weren’t for my mom, I’d have no pictures of my kids when they were little .

 

[mrsap]

I got my (second) call from Signature Services yesterday for a Sunday check-in. It came from an unlisted number so I didn’t answer . We’re staying at Coronado, and the CM warned me about the traffic on Sunday, which we experienced last year and are prepared for this year! It will likely be our last CL for a while unless I get another fabulous bounceback or AP rate - this stay is an excellent BB rate, about 30% off if I remember correctly. I just can’t justify a 10% discount as a good deal when I can rent DVC and have groceries delivered for significantly less. I’ll try to remember to take some pics, but I’m notoriously bad at doing so - if it weren’t for my mom, I’d have no pictures of my kids when they were little .

GDT also called me a couple weeks ago from a number with no ID as well!! Anytime I get a call like that, I answer with a silly voice, which I did! I was extremely embarrassed when the girl on the other line said she’s from Chronos Club at Gran Destino!!

 

[trishadono]

Yep, it's the erosion of Disney 'magic' that many of us here have seen that makes this even a debate. With my many, many years of YC/BC CL knowledge (14 years), and now seeing the more limited offerings and changes, I know the difference.

Thousands more for the exact same trip week and room category is not inflation (v. December 2019 and March 2020 prices).

If they still had the multiple salads a night, turn down with chocolates, daily in room large water bottles, the etched YC glasses, the SAB punch, the guaranteed welcome drink, rice krispy treats, homemade chips and dip, more appetizer options, more hot breakfast options AND lucky charms, no debate at all!

CMs are still amazing and cannot beat SAB and the location. That's why so many of us "rolled" with the changes (and complain here) and still went. Yesterday's discount just left a bad taste. I owed this group a review of the lounge based on offerings, quality, etc. I paid a premium for our trip dates and I don't regret that at all. The crowds alone made it worth it. However, the same pricing for the same thing in June....another story.

Well said.

 

[trishadono]

Do you mind sharing what Universal CL you tried? I am booking a stay there in July and might give the club level a try instead of a standard room. Thanks!

I have tried HRH and PBH post Covid. PBH was much nicer. I was there before and after the lounge remodel it was much nicer.

They also have Starbucks in the lobby which is what dd prefers.

The walk is a little further but the boat in general was easy to catch.

There were 3 rooms and 2 exits to the lounge. Plenty of space! After removing the drapes the lounge was bright and cheerful.

 

[Rachel GB]

LOVE RIV 1 bd Pref!

Love: space is almost game changing vs a Disney hotel room with 4-5 people, rooms are really pretty, sitting on the patio and watching the Skyliner with a lake view in preferred category.

Vs CL: Instead of CL snacks we mobile ordered a little more often from the QS (like an order of fries, orders of waffles in the morning), for espresso drinks you have to wait in line at the coffee shop so that was annoying but they have a nice coffee shop in the lobby that conveniently becomes a bar at night. They also do mimosas in the morning

Don’t love: storms taking down the Skyliner, at BWI you can walk but there is no way to walk to RIV, gotta bus or rideshare back.

The deciding factors for me are
1. Space- do you value that living area turning into a 2nd sleeping area?
2. Storms- are you traveling during an extra stormy time when the Skyliner will be down?

(I haven’t stayed other DVC properties so I can’t compare to those)

@gottalovepluto , thank you so much for the detailed response!!! It sounds like you had a magical stay.
The Skyliner going down is not something I considered as we always stay at mono resorts (so I SHOULD have considered transportation going down ), that is certainly a factor.
The space and absolutely gorgeous resort would be amazing, though I am not sure we can give up CL- a lot to think about! Thanks again.

I agree with Pluto on the Riviera. The one bedroom is so spacious. I love that bubble tub. The preferred balcony views are beautiful. Also, their quick service food is fabulous. I swoon for their marscapone polenta, amongst other items. We would order food and bring it up to our room to eat for meals and it was never crazy wait times. It is my favorite resort.

@elsbit , thank you for your reply and input on the Riviera- it truly looks gorgeous, the space is amazing (though even with a 30% discount that 1BR is more than the BWI CL room with only a 10% discount!!!), and that polenta dish sounds amazing. No wonder it is your favorite resort!

 

[elsbit]

@gottalovepluto , thank you so much for the detailed response!!! It sounds like you had a magical stay.
The Skyliner going down is not something I considered as we always stay at mono resorts (so I SHOULD have considered transportation going down ), that is certainly a factor.
The space and absolutely gorgeous resort would be amazing, though I am not sure we can give up CL- a lot to think about! Thanks again.


@elsbit , thank you for your reply and input on the Riviera- it truly looks gorgeous, the space is amazing (though even with a 30% discount that 1BR is more than the BWI CL room with only a 10% discount!!!), and that polenta dish sounds amazing. No wonder it is your favorite resort!

I always rent DVC points to stay at the Riviera. Helps save! I don't know how you feel about splits stays, but I often do them. Maybe you can do a split stay between the two so you have the best of both worlds?

I think I've only experienced the skyliner being on pause for a short amount of time while there was lightening. It has never really been an issue the times I've stayed there.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I always rent DVC points to stay at the Riviera. Helps save! I don't know how you feel about splits stays, but I often do them. Maybe you can do a split stay between the two so you have the best of both worlds?

I think I've only experienced the skyliner being on pause for a short amount of time while there was lightening. It has never really been an issue the times I've stayed there.

…In April my fam is doing a RIV 1 bedroom /GDT CL (2 rooms) split. A little bit of the best of my favorite worlds!

 

[elsbit]

…In April my fam is doing a RIV 1 bedroom /GDT CL (2 rooms) split. A little bit of the best of my favorite worlds!

I'm doing split Poly and Riviera. No club level this time. AKL CL has made me always want that fancy Nespresso machine

 

[SL6827]

Could you not order three meals a day from room service for 3-4 people cheaper than some CL pricing now?

 

[focusondisney]

Could you not order three meals a day from room service for 3-4 people cheaper than some CL pricing now?

Room service is not available at any resort except Grand Floridian.

 

[PPFlight75]

Good to know, I hadn’t even looked for those dates. I know CL with the bounceback offer hasn’t been easy to get. I called just a few days after bouncebacks came back in early July. Nothing for CL at Y & B for the first 2 weeks in September. I wasn’t going to book anything because I wanted a split Car & YC stay. It’s our anniversary trip & YC WV CL has been our favorite room for about 20 years, CR is a close 2nd. The CM felt so bad he contacted guest services & was able to get a resort view CL room for us. I’ve read some reports lately of more CL rooms opening up with the bounceback. I’ll have to call in a few days & see if any WV CL rooms are available for our newly tweaked dates.

I tried for a bounceback for CL last summer too but no luck. I was able to get BB for the first non CL part of our stay at BWI. It seems to still be a better deal than the discounts this week so kept that. Added on Poly CL for our second half of our stay for this summer. Happy to get the 10% but wish is was a little more lol!

 

[SL6827]

Room service is not available at any resort except Grand Floridian.

Oh, ok. Lawd, it should be at Disney's prices.