Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[mickeyluv'r]

Hi All - we are planning a trip for next April (spring break) and traveling with another family. In total there will be 4 children - ages 8 (2), 6 and 3. We have narrowed it down to Wilderness Lodge CL and AKL CL and wondering which would be the better choice given our group?

You kinda can't go wrong either way. Both are nice, but I can also say each resort has some pros and cons. It somewhat depends what matters to you.

Of all the resorts, IMO, these two share some similarities in appearance, room size, and overall hotel layout. (as Poly/CR and the Epcot deluxes all share some similarities) Both CL's seating kind of overlooks the lobby. Both resorts are also VERY brown and rustic, which is very unlike the light, beachy look of BC.

Second, IMO, all the CL's have a good deal of overlap where food is concerned. Breakfast always has: fruit, breads/pastries, yogurt, beverages, etc.

AKL= you'll get safari view, most balconies tend to be sunny in the AM. In winter that's a plus, in summer maybe less of a plus, as we tend to go on our balcony in the AM before we leave. In summer, even outdoor shade can be a bit warm. The AKL food offerings maybe tend to be slightly more unusual, like you get a choice of hot quinoa (plus usually oatmeal) at breakfast. Wines come from South Africa. some food offerings from AKL's dining. There are no CL rooms on the same floor as the lounge. With kids, you always are supposed to accompany them to lounge, but still, this CL feels slightly less secure than others that are more compact. Upside, IMO, is the pool. Bus transportation may be a bit of a downside, but no matter if you have your own car. Oh, some of the AKL CL rooms are DVC rooms. when last we stayed, hard to describe here, but the DVC folks seemed a bit possessive (and aggressive ) when it came to holding table space in the lounge. Just have not seen that in any other CL. AKL has a unique tropical fruit juice blend that is very good. AKL is quieter than WL. We much prefer Boma to WCC.

WL= Rooms are a bit of a draw. Recent updates mean they closed off many of what were formerly CL rooms. CL balconies- look at pics of WL - have a kind of partial wall, not a fence that you can see through (as most other WDW resort balconies do). Adults can see over the green wall, but kids maybe can't. Food at WL tends a bit to comfort food (cobblers, stews) but that = more substantial, IMO. I think it is now the only CL though where the lounge is closed during off hours (BC/Bwk might also still have that policy?) While they all close at 10pm, at many CL's you can still access the soft drink cooler and fruit basket all night. (though none are replenished) WL's food are is locked behind a gate. Tables are 24hours though. Nice part of WL for kids is convenient area for them to color and see cartoons. Pool is super! (maybe all new?) While the view isn't 100% super, some rooms face MK, so you can see the fireworks from your room. You also get the water parade, but view from the rooms is angled, so not as great at you get at some CR/BLT rooms. No water parade at AKL. Water parade can be a little late for small kids, but we love it. WL is close to Ft. Wilderness and CR both via boat. So you get easy access to dining at all three, plus the boats, horses, wooded paths, etc. You get plus of being on Bay Lake, and boats to MK, but also sound of the boat horns.

Of all the WDW resorts, a plus of AKL that is hard to describe is that it feels like some place exotic, and far from MK. I'd never confuse it for real Africa, as I'd never confuse WL with a real National Park Lodge, but the art and animals make it feel kind of exotic.

AKL has a fire pit. I'm thinking new WL probably does as well, but I'm not 100% on that.


I've never used kid clubs, so I can't comment on that, but you also might wish to consider which dining you'd pair with the kid club. WCC is very kid oriented. If you are trying to have less kids around, then in/near WL it'd be Artist Point, Cali Grill, or the Wave (nice alcove tables on bar side).

At AKL, Boma is also quite well populated with kids, but no yelling like at WCC. At AKL though, your only options at the resort are Boma, Jiko. and Sanaa. Though of course you can use transportation to go anywhere, even off-property! If you want to escape WDW for an adult dinner, downtown Celebration has a very nice waterfront area with multiple great options. The Celebration Town Tavern would be a great option!

 

[cwis]

Fifth floor is DVC

I know, I just said I've read some reviews (on TripAdvisor IIRC) of CL guests that said they were on the 5th floor. They may have rented a DVC villa via Disney and be confused about their real booking, though.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It is truly a hard decision. As PPs have said - being completely bus dependent is what has stopped us from staying at the AKL.
Enjoy.

Maybe we're out of the ordinary, but we almost always use our own car at many WDW resort, including AKL.

Ideally, we like the convenience of being able to easily walk to the parks best of all. So we love the convenience of the Universal deluxes, CR, BC/YC and Swan. (Bwk has too much internal walking for us.)

At WL, we do use the MK boat, but it isn't always all that quick. If there's an afternoon storm or fog, the boat stops. AKL is far to MK, but super close to AK. Right now, I'd say being super close to AK is a bit more valuable than it used to be.

Many WL park buses also loop through Ft W, so that makes them a bit slow as well.

A nice thing about both AKL and WL though, is that if your room is in a decent location both are overall fairly compact to get around within the resort and to the parking lot.

 

[NicoleLarson]

AKL CL questions:

I know that all CL rooms are 4th floor, on the Arusha Savanna, and somewhat centralized, but are there any room requests that you would recommend making? Perhaps near elevators or near the lobby? I'm not sure just how spread out these rooms are on the 4th floor.

We have one very early morning planned and will be leaving by 7:00am for HS to get in line for Jedi Training. On the day before, can we take breakfast food back to our room to save for our early morning? Does the lounge provide containers to save food in, or should I bring something? Not sure if this would be frowned upon.

This is my first post! Forgive me if these topics have already been covered. I've tried reading through a lot of this forum, but there is A LOT! Hubby and I will be staying first week of December with our two animal loving boys! (5 and 8). Thanks for the help!

We've stated at AKL CL multiple times. Ok, yes all CL rooms are on the 4th floor but are NOT centralized at all. You may end up at the very end of the hall. The 2 suites are on the 5th floor and I think that's where people get confused. Make your request for near lobby not near elevator. There's a second set of elevators about 2/3's the way down the hall, so you could easily be put there.
Anyways, food will not appear before 7am. Coffee will be there but at AKL they tend to be very strict about eating times. I've seen a few exceptions but don't expect to get anything early. No to go containers are provided. Now if you want to scoop some oatmeal into a to go coffee cup or wrap a muffin in a napkin, no one will stop you. So yes, feel free to grab stuff the day before but you should have time that morning to run up and grab some muffins or something before you leave. I think what gets frowned upon is people filling huge tubberware containers full and not leaving any for other people or the guy I once saw filling a rolling cooler full of beer and drinks.

 

[Regan117]

I think what gets frowned upon is people filling huge tubberware containers full and not leaving any for other people or the guy I once saw filling a rolling cooler full of beer and drinks.

Omg I would die.

 

[petrola]

Thank you everyone who responded to my post - what a wonderful group and such great, pertinent information here. Thank you for pointing out the dormer balconies, GA DisneyDAD (wow- you DO know everything!) they are not my favorite - but we did wind up having one at BC and it was ok. Better to know upfront what you are getting though! I think we may wind up booking the deluxe room - as DisneyFan did - to afford us a bit more room though.

I did laugh at the balloon response - my son is a big fan of balloons - he will take one any time he can get one! And come to think of it - the only place he is not consumed with getting a balloon is Disney World - so one less concern there... lol I think we have decided on WL - as we are going to do Mickey's Backyard BBQ one evening and it seems like an easier trip from WL. Also, great idea about reserving the kids club at a different resort than the one we are staying at! so we may actually try Lilo's clubhouse one night - which I heard was pretty fun!

I was poking around the Disney website and found this "Highway in the Sky Dine Around" - which sounds like a fun experience - anyone try this one yet?

 

[petrola]

We loved WL CL when we stayed there and that was before the new lounge. We stayed in a deluxe room so it was a great size with a big balcony. I like the idea of the boat to MK. We never used the kids clubs but since you can use any of them - pick the hotel you want to go to dinner at and use the kids club nearest to the restaurant.

Enjoy.

Great idea! I like the idea of the larger room! - Do you happen to know if all these rooms are on the same floor as the other CL rooms or are they located throughout the resort?

 

[Nwhite_2015]

Forgive me if this has been asked or discussed before. Staying at AKL in November on CL. I'm less than 180 days away and have not heard from concierge yet.. should I wait for an email or call? I don't have a lot of ADR requests, but I would like to put in a fast pass request since my mom is not a passholder

 

[NicoleLarson]

Omg I would die.

Yes, Apparently money doesn't buy class.

 

[NicoleLarson]

Forgive me if this has been asked or discussed before. Staying at AKL in November on CL. I'm less than 180 days away and have not heard from concierge yet.. should I wait for an email or call? I don't have a lot of ADR requests, but I would like to put in a fast pass request since my mom is not a passholder

A) contact them
B) I'm confused, by passholder do you mean she doesn't have a ticket, period or she's not an annual passholder? If she doesn't have a ticket, DSS can't make her FP. If she has a ticket but just not an AP that doesn't make any difference. If she's on the room reservation everyone can make FP at 60 days out, as long as they have some kind of a ticket

 

[Nwhite_2015]

A) contact them
B) I'm confused, by passholder do you mean she doesn't have a ticket, period or she's not an annual passholder? If she doesn't have a ticket, DSS can't make her FP. If she has a ticket but just not an AP that doesn't make any difference. If she's on the room reservation everyone can make FP at 60 days out, as long as they have some kind of a ticket

Thanks, I'll call them! My mom has an old ticket given to her by my cast member grandmother, so while we have it, we have to have it exchanged for a current one. I may surprise her with an AP as well, so we will see.

 

[NicoleLarson]

I think we have decided on WL - as we are going to do Mickey's Backyard BBQ one evening and it seems like an easier trip from WL. Also, great idea about reserving the kids club at a different resort than the one we are staying at! so we may actually try Lilo's clubhouse one night - which I heard was pretty fun!

I was poking around the Disney website and found this "Highway in the Sky Dine Around" - which sounds like a fun experience - anyone try this one yet?

Have you done MBYBBQ? WORST MEAL EVER! Hoop de doo was 100,000,000 times better. I will never consider MBYBBQ again. It's really, really horrible. My kids LOVE all of the kids clubs. Its the 1 thing they ask to do every trip. Just FYI if you eat at Il Mulino, Bluezoo or Shulas you get 2 hours of free kids club per entree ordered at club dolphin! I haven't done highway in the sky but I have yet to read a bad word about it. Just go hungry.

 

[petrola]

Have you done MBYBBQ? WORST MEAL EVER! Hoop de doo was 100,000,000 times better. I will never consider MBYBBQ again. It's really, really horrible. My kids LOVE all of the kids clubs. Its the 1 thing they ask to do every trip. Just FYI if you eat at Il Mulino, Bluezoo or Shulas you get 2 hours of free kids club per entree ordered at club dolphin! I haven't done highway in the sky but I have yet to read a bad word about it. Just go hungry.

oh wow! ok thanks for letting me know about the BBQ. I had no idea it has gone downhill - we went so many years ago! We are game for anything really. So I will let my friend know about the Hoop de Doo instead... so happy to hear that your kids love the kids club! it will be perfect!
yes, I was reading about that highway in the sky and it seems like quite a few stops for eats and drinks - but I'm sure I will manage to find room for another dessert somewhere!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I have one friend who refuses to stay at the AKL, because balloons are not allowed. At least that's what she said - I can't find anything online that confirms that. I do know that there are no balloons in the AK park, because they could bother the animals, so it quite possible. Something to consider if one of your children really likes balloons.

From reports I've seen they are really are not allowed because they are a serious hazard to the animals if they get away from the guests and end up on the plains. I think (but not positive) I read a report back when I was researching AKL of a guest who brought a balloon to AKL and had to check it at bell services. If OP wants confirmation on the balloon issue I recommend asking on the AKL thread here in the Resorts section. They'd know!

 

[cwis]

From reports I've seen they are really are not allowed because they are a serious hazard to the animals if they get away from the guests and end up on the plains. I think (but not positive) I read a report back when I was researching AKL of a guest who brought a balloon to AKL and had to check it at bell services. If OP wants confirmation on the balloon issue I recommend asking on the AKL thread here in the Resorts section. They'd know!

Many reports that, indeed, you have to give your balloons to Bell Services when you arrive at the AKL.

I wouldn't recommend trying to “sneak” a balloon through, as animal security is very important to the AKL staff. This might be a serious incident that might get you kicked out of the resort, especially if your balloon flies through your room window.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I wouldn't recommend trying to “sneak” a balloon through, as animal security is very important to the AKL staff. This might be a serious incident that might get you kicked out of the resort, especially if your balloon flies through your room window.

100% agree!!

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

Great idea! I like the idea of the larger room! - Do you happen to know if all these rooms are on the same floor as the other CL rooms or are they located throughout the resort?

We stayed in the Deluxe room before the renovations. I am not sure where the Deluxe rooms are now - but when we stayed there - none of the deluxe rooms were on the CL lounge floor. I thought it would bother me but once we saw that room we didn't care anymore. It was a great room. I am sure others will know the answer. Enjoy!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Sorry for those that have seen this before but the WL Deluxe Rooms are located on floors 1-6 at the end of the north 'wing.' There are two per floor. Unfortunately the bank of Deluxe Rooms that was closet to the middle of the resort (and therefore closest to the lounge) was gobbled up by DVC.

This map should help. #1 and #2 and the two Deluxe Rooms on each floor. #3 is the north wing elevator bank. #4 is the CL lounge (just on the 7th floor).

I had a love/hate relationship with the room. It's certainly bigger than a standard room, but not huge. The distance to the lounge didn't really match our CL style unfortunately, if I'm being honest. I think we left thinking we'd just do a standard room in the future, even with the negatives of an even smaller room and the enclosed balcony.

But, I'd stay in a Deluxe Room again given the right trip/conditions/price. It's not totally off my list.

 

[JodyLynC]

Poly CL question: For the evening appetizers, are we allowed to leave the lounge with our snacks or is that frowned upon?

 

[cwis]

@GADisneyDad14 thank you for your detailed picture! While I don't have plans to go to WL in the near future, this resort has always been on my “interesting, should try at least once” list. When you say the lounge is “too far” for your CL habits, how long would you say it takes, on average, to make a return trip to grab a snack+drink?