Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[Ferrentinos]

Super excited - I saw the pictures on Tikiman's FB page of the GV CL room views currently - so happy to see the grass back and the fences gone! 3 weeks until we check in for our Poly CL week and 4 weeks until we check in for our BC CL week!! Time can't go fast enough right now!!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

We have never stay CL before but are thinking about it for our upcoming trip. We have 2 nights at BC and then 13 nights of FD at POFQ on a BB offer. Thinking of doing CL for 2 nights at BC- it is an additional $200 US per night ($250 Canadian).
We are actually wondering if we could do 1 night only CL - that would give us days 1 and 2 at the lounge, then early on day 3 we move to POFQ, so we wouldn't be using the lounge.
Can this be done or will we have to move rooms? We really want to try CL, but are only using it for the lounge snacks / coffee / beverages throughout the day as we have RO reservations here- no parks while at BC, just using SAB, so thought we might enjoy the lounge.
TIA for your advice and recommendations.

 

[nascargirl]

subscribing. Excellent job on the new thread

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

We have never stay CL before but are thinking about it for our upcoming trip. We have 2 nights at BC and then 13 nights of FD at POFQ on a BB offer. Thinking of doing CL for 2 nights at BC- it is an additional $200 US per night ($250 Canadian).
We are actually wondering if we could do 1 night only CL - that would give us days 1 and 2 at the lounge, then early on day 3 we move to POFQ, so we wouldn't be using the lounge.
Can this be done or will we have to move rooms? We really want to try CL, but are only using it for the lounge snacks / coffee / beverages throughout the day as we have RO reservations here- no parks while at BC, just using SAB, so thought we might enjoy the lounge.
TIA for your advice and recommendations.

You would have to move rooms because the CL rooms are on the top floor and require keyed access on the elevator. So you could check-in to your CL room the first day, have lounge access that day and the next day, but you'd have to leave your CL room by 11:00 AM. Your second room probably won't be ready til closer to 3:00 PM. But you could still access the lounge during that time.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Thanks! At least now we know that we have to make a grocery store trip.

If WDW has bottled water, it is Dasani.

If you have a car, a few suggestions we like: The Hess near the AAA Car Care center is larger than the one near the Bwk.

There's also a convenient Whole Foods just off I-4 at Sand Lake Rd. (take north exit from airport) No hard alcohol, but they have all kinds of craft beers and wine. Whole Foods also has fresh squeezed juices. We like getting arrival day lunch there, because they have tons of options. They have all kinds of soups, hot bars, cold bars, seafood, bbq, brick oven pizza. The seating area is quick serve, but very nice.

There's also multiple Publix stores just off WDW property. We don't buy alcohol, but they also seem to have a pretty big selection of beer/wine. A fair number of prepared foods, and all the ordinary stuff.

We've gone both ways regarding grocery stops or not. Water is always a must, and we're pretty big on having a car. One hidden advantage of a stop, is lighter packing. We buy sunscreen, etc.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

.
Can this be done or will we have to move rooms?.

You would have to change rooms. Rooms are designated CL or not CL. the CL floor is room key access only, but once you are on the CL floor, the lounge is not locked.

That said, many non-WDW hotel CL's do use a keyed access system, and what you ask is entirely possible.
Universal's deluxe resorts use a keyed lounge access. The key card is GOLD. Disney used to give CL guests gold KTTW cards, but now everyone gets the same bands.

*Sigh* We love(d) the gold cards. Willie Wonka's song always came to mind, "I've Got a Golden Tick-et!"

With the latte machines they were one of the best parts of CL, IMO.

For us though, the other big advantage of CL is time savings. time= $
The closer we are to the lounge, the more lounge access is worth to us. Pretty walkways are nice, but over a week- walking to the food court for coffee means lots of lost vacation time. (tiny exception for AoA's beautifully crafted grounds.)

It's also why I quietly chuckle every time someone says the refillable mugs are a good value. People don't stop to consider how much vacation they are losing to care for them. time=$

CL guests get REAL cups and glasses, or paper as they prefer.

For a one night stay, it won't matter much. Lots of times- truth be told- we do split stays where our first night late arrival is the MCO Hyatt.

 

[Ewoks]

Some more random questions for those of y'all who have stayed at a lot of different resort CLs:

- At the Polynesian, what are the food offerings like in the lounge? I've seen the sample menus posted at the beginning of the thread, but specifically I'm curious how banana-centric the desserts are. I know that sounds like a really odd question, but I'm allergic to bananas and avocados, so I've kinda been wary about considering PV CL simply because of the potential of having to really be concerned about food offerings (the style of food at Kona and other restaurants there makes me think this). Am I wrong? I wanna be wrong!

- At the EPCOT resorts, none of which I've seen in person before, are the balconies private? Like, is there any divider between the balconies? If you're sitting on a chair on your balcony, if you glance to either side will you have a full view of your neighbors' balconies?

 

[Dispro1]

*Sigh* We love(d) the gold cards. Willie Wonka's song always came to mind, "I've Got a Golden Tick-et!"

Lol...we miss the "golden tickets" too I wish they'd give us a golden magic band now or something!

 

[VS85]

If WDW has bottled water, it is Dasani.

If you have a car, a few suggestions we like: The Hess near the AAA Car Care center is larger than the one near the Bwk.

There's also a convenient Whole Foods just off I-4 at Sand Lake Rd. (take north exit from airport) No hard alcohol, but they have all kinds of craft beers and wine. Whole Foods also has fresh squeezed juices. We like getting arrival day lunch there, because they have tons of options. They have all kinds of soups, hot bars, cold bars, seafood, bbq, brick oven pizza. The seating area is quick serve, but very nice.

There's also multiple Publix stores just off WDW property. We don't buy alcohol, but they also seem to have a pretty big selection of beer/wine. A fair number of prepared foods, and all the ordinary stuff.

We've gone both ways regarding grocery stops or not. Water is always a must, and we're pretty big on having a car. One hidden advantage of a stop, is lighter packing. We buy sunscreen, etc.

Thanks! I read that there is an ABC liquor store less than 10 miles away, with a Publix in the area too. We'll probably rent a car from the Disney CCC the day after we arrive since don't have anything planned for the day/afternoon, and get whatever is needed, then return the car that night or the next morning. Appreciate the suggestions!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

- At the EPCOT resorts, none of which I've seen in person before, are the balconies private? Like, is there any divider between the balconies? If you're sitting on a chair on your balcony, if you glance to either side will you have a full view of your neighbors' balconies?

It depends on what type of balcony you have and which resort you're at. Some are individual, some are divided, some are wide open, some are small "juliet" balconies, some have dormer balconies. Here are some examples:

BEACH CLUB:

YACHT CLUB:

BOARDWALK INN:

 

[pixarmom]

We've been very fortunate at BWI, BC and YC. We usually have a balcony with a divider - even the balconies with the open slats, not just the dormer ones. The one exception I can remember is last year at BWI - we were upgraded to a 2-bedroom suite from a standard CL room and those balconies were open without dividers . . . but no complaints here!

 

[Eastern]

Some more random questions for those of y'all who have stayed at a lot of different resort CLs:

- At the Polynesian, what are the food offerings like in the lounge? I've seen the sample menus posted at the beginning of the thread, but specifically I'm curious how banana-centric the desserts are. I know that sounds like a really odd question, but I'm allergic to bananas and avocados, so I've kinda been wary about considering PV CL simply because of the potential of having to really be concerned about food offerings (the style of food at Kona and other restaurants there makes me think this). Am I wrong? I wanna be wrong!

We were there in early January:

Each night in kids' area they had uncrustables, mini turkey corn dogs, and red pepper hummus

We saw for nighttime offerings:

Sunday- Spring rolls, conch fritters

Monday- Mushroom risotto balls, 5 spice chicken wings

Tuesday- Sushi (California rolls and veg rolls)

Wednesday- Bacon wrapped beef with blue cheese aioli, Pierogies with Korean bbq sauce

Thursday- Chicken quesadillas with mango salsa, spring rolls

Friday- Crab rangoon, 5 spice chicken wings

I don't remember seeing bananas except at breakfast.

Oh now I see you asked about desserts...again, I didn't notice anything with bananas. We thought the desserts were just ok. They always had cookies as well as the mini tart type of desserts.

 

[Ewoks]

It depends on what type of balcony you have and which resort you're at. Some are individual, some are divided, some are wide open, some are small "juliet" balconies, some have dormer balconies. Here are some examples:

Wow, thanks so much for this! I had no idea there were so many possibilities!

Oh now I see you asked about desserts...again, I didn't notice anything with bananas. We thought the desserts were just ok. They always had cookies as well as the mini tart type of desserts.

This eases my mind a lot, so thank you. I'd never really been crazy about staying at PV but it's a place my husband wants to stay someday soon. The more I read about it, the more I'm starting to warm up to the idea. How did you like the overall CL experience there? I've heard some stories about noisy kids being an issue in the lounge. Was that a problem for y'all?

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks Mickeynut1. Can't wait to get there and enjoy the new lounge and SAB then head over to Polynesian.

You're welcome .

You will be there before you know it .

Just booked CL for a second time! Stoked - it'll be DH's first!

Congrats

Super excited - I saw the pictures on Tikiman's FB page of the GV CL room views currently - so happy to see the grass back and the fences gone! 3 weeks until we check in for our Poly CL week and 4 weeks until we check in for our BC CL week!! Time can't go fast enough right now!!

The time will go by fast .

 

[pixarmom]

Wow, thanks so much for this! I had no idea there were so many possibilities!



This eases my mind a lot, so thank you. I'd never really been crazy about staying at PV but it's a place my husband wants to stay someday soon. The more I read about it, the more I'm starting to warm up to the idea. How did you like the overall CL experience there? I've heard some stories about noisy kids being an issue in the lounge. Was that a problem for y'all?

We've stayed CL at all the deluxe resorts, except for YC (we've stayed there, just not CL.) So the Poly lounge . . . our three boys (one in grade school, two are teens) LOVE the Poly CL lounge. It's their favorite of all the CLs for a number of reasons - super laid back, relaxed atmosphere, great view of the fireworks/castle, right next to the pool so completely convenient and friendly CMs who say "Aloha" but don't chat. They would rank the food better at WL and GF, but overall, Poly is their favorite.

My husband would rate Poly as his least favorite CL for some of the same reasons our kids love it - primarily the super laid back atmosphere and the fact that he has to see the castle and can never escape. He also thinks the food ranks low among CLs and that it's kind of busy with guests who utilize the lounge for dinner, order in their pizza or literally pick up a chair and place it directly in front of us so that we can't see out the windows. We actually burst out laughing when that happened, but we'd observed this family in the lounge before and knew that a simple "excuse me" would be futile.

So I'm in the middle. I love the relaxed atmosphere. The guy in the lounge last year who asked for yet another two beers for the pool and stumbled around singing "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" was seriously hilarious, friendly and didn't interfere with my enjoyment. I love the two levels and can always retreat to the upper level of the lounge and enjoy the view. We love to enjoy the fireworks from the lounge and then walk just steps to our room. For me, Poly is a combination of my family history there, the complete convenience of the entire resort, the outstanding theme, great dining options and overall happy feel. The new pool and Trader Sam's will make it even better. But the differences between the Poly lounge atmosphere and some others (BWI, GF RPC and BC, for example) have been significant in our experience.

 

[Ewoks]

The guy in the lounge last year who asked for yet another two beers for the pool and stumbled around singing "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" was seriously hilarious, friendly and didn't interfere with my enjoyment.

Ok, I totally LOL'd when I read this!

Thanks for sharing your experiences there. The lounge looks really beautiful, but for whatever reason it seems like I've read more "CL horror stories" about the Poly than any other CL. It's made me nervous, although the chance to stay at the *other* original WDW resort (my favorite resort being CR) might outweigh my hesitations in the end.

I'd love to hear any more experiences about CL at Poly if anyone else would like to share!

 

[DisCatGirl]

Erika - can you add us? AKL 7/4 - 7/11. Thanks.

 

[TJA]

Ok, I totally LOL'd when I read this!

Thanks for sharing your experiences there. The lounge looks really beautiful, but for whatever reason it seems like I've read more "CL horror stories" about the Poly than any other CL. It's made me nervous, although the chance to stay at the *other* original WDW resort (my favorite resort being CR) might outweigh my hesitations in the end.

I'd love to hear any more experiences about CL at Poly if anyone else would like to share!

We stay at Poly CL quite a lot...going again very soon (week of July 4). Overall, it is our favorite CL experience to date. While I'm thinking BC CL has surpassed Poly in the food department after the new lounge renovation, we still prefer Poly CL for a few reasons. One being the location and view. All I have to say is WOW as far as both go. We think it's amazing to have a Castle view every morning to start our day. We also love that the Hawaii CL building is located just steps from the pool. Makes it so easy to lounge at the pool and simply go to the lounge to grab drinks/snacks when needed.

That's an awesome food list above posted by Eastern! I don't remember a lot of banana-related foods either. Each night there is fresh pineapple and caramel dip, that's about all of the cut fruit I remember each night, nothing about bananas anyway. I do remember an awesome dessert that is only put out maybe once during our trips -- it's peanutbutter "something." BC used to have it too, but our last trip at BC they put out the same desserts every night (no peanutbutter stuff..).

As far as kids/adult behavior....you know, it does seem to be more noticeable at Poly. Maybe because of the laid-back atmosphere. I don't mind it too much, obviously, since we keep returning! All 4 of us declare Poly CL to be our favorite.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Ok, I totally LOL'd when I read this!

Thanks for sharing your experiences there. The lounge looks really beautiful, but for whatever reason it seems like I've read more "CL horror stories" about the Poly than any other CL. It's made me nervous, although the chance to stay at the *other* original WDW resort (my favorite resort being CR) might outweigh my hesitations in the end.

I'd love to hear any more experiences about CL at Poly if anyone else would like to share!

I've never had a bad experience at the Poly CL. I've seen long lines for evening appetizers occasionally, no big deal.

 

[trishadono]

Ok, I totally LOL'd when I read this!

Thanks for sharing your experiences there. The lounge looks really beautiful, but for whatever reason it seems like I've read more "CL horror stories" about the Poly than any other CL. It's made me nervous, although the chance to stay at the *other* original WDW resort (my favorite resort being CR) might outweigh my hesitations in the end.

I'd love to hear any more experiences about CL at Poly if anyone else would like to share!

I have had 4 poly CL trips in the past 2 years. 2 with just dd at 18 then 19, one with just me and dh and one with me and my mom. All 4 were awesome trips!

I love poly CL the best. The lounge is just amazing. For food I like gf then WL. I do like what they offer its just that gf offers more and WL Appies had more to choose from.

What I like is similar to others. It's a spacious, well located spot with lots of room for everyone. Truly people have been great. There's always one that makes you raise your eyebrow but nothing to ruin the trip over.

My dh and dd are experienced disney people but it was my moms first deluxe let alone CL. She loved it! I think the guests at WL and poly seem the happiest so you should have a great time.