Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[mikec442]

Heard even at 180 days + BOG dinner is hard to get! My ADR starts this wednesday. Should I get online at 6am or fill out the form and let the Concierge try? Do they have better luck??

We tried online and failed (less than 180 days though). We submitted the form to Concierge and the reservation appeared a couple weeks later.

I'd suggest trying on your own then having the concierge try if you can't get what you want.

 

[mickeynut1]

We're at the Yacht Club club June 17-26.

Hope you have a great trip!

Heard even at 180 days + BOG dinner is hard to get! My ADR starts this wednesday. Should I get online at 6am or fill out the form and let the Concierge try? Do they have better luck??

IPO has the same chance as you of getting ADRs. You could give them what you want, but also look yourself and then cancel any duplicates you might get .

This is totally subjective, I know... but we are trying to decide between a Poly studio and a CL room for our stay in June. We originally had a trip in July and a GREAT deal on CL, so we booked it. But we have to change dates and the CL is about $1200 more for 6 nights. Worth it?

I would go with CL as we prefer a regular room with 2 queens and a daybed over a studio with a queen and pull out sofa, but that's just our preference. I also think having the lounge with snacks/drinks throughout the day is worth the extra cost (again, just my opinion) .

 

[GADisneyDad14]

This is totally subjective, I know... but we are trying to decide between a Poly studio and a CL room for our stay in June. We originally had a trip in July and a GREAT deal on CL, so we booked it. But we have to change dates and the CL is about $1200 more for 6 nights. Worth it?

Been in your same shoes. I booked a Poly DVC Studio (standard view) for a trip last September because the fall deal was pretty good, I wanted to try one of the new rooms, and I thought I'd do the "smart" thing and save some money after a string of relatively expensive Disney trips. I was uncomfortable from the second I booked it and ultimately had to change dates of that trip and also switched to CL. The price increase was painful but we are of the mindset that Poly CL is totally worth it - particularly with little ones. The little conveniences of the lounge totally win out for me and make it more of a "vacation" than a "Disney trip" (because I do think there is a difference). Control over which longhouse and which view you will have alone make up a big piece of the CL decision as well (for us).

Best of luck with your planning.

 

[cmdg]

Hope you have a great trip!

I would go with CL as we prefer a regular room with 2 queens and a daybed over a studio with a queen and pull out sofa, but that's just our preference. I also think having the lounge with snacks/drinks throughout the day is worth the extra cost (again, just my opinion) .

Thanks. This brings a quetsion - bed rails probably aren't available on the sofa bed, but would they be on the twin pull down?

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks. This brings a quetsion - bed rails probably aren't available on the sofa bed, but would they be on the twin pull down?

We've never used the bed rails, but I have seen pics of them on daybeds at various resorts. They are available by request through housekeeping .

 

[Tinman1717]

At AKL staying CL now. No escort from main lobby, had to find the relocated lounge on our own ( 4th floor Kudu trail at the end). No welcome packet, no turndown, ask for beer and wine.Used both concierge and they were very good So far LOVE the resort NOT CL, So far not worth the added cost.

 

[DINKsAtDisney]

At AKL staying CL now. No escort from main lobby, had to find the relocated lounge on our own ( 4th floor Kudu trail at the end). No welcome packet, no turndown, ask for beer and wine.Used both concierge and they were very good So far LOVE the resort NOT CL, So far not worth the added cost.

I'm glad you posted this! We changed from AKL CL to get Free Dining when the new offer came out and now have a regular savanna view reservation. But I've been thinking of switching back even though we'd lose the dining and have to pay a little more but it doesn't seem like there's anything to gain from it judging by that summary.

 

[Tinman1717]

I'm glad you posted this! We changed from AKL CL to get Free Dining when the new offer came out and now have a regular savanna view reservation. But I've been thinking of switching back even though we'd lose the dining and have to pay a little more but it doesn't seem like there's anything to gain from it judging by that summary.

Might change when lounge is finished next week. We requested turn down and received it tonight. IMO free dining is the better deal.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I'm baaaack! I haven't had internet at home in a WEEK! Our entire service was shut off. INSANE! So I had to use my iPhone to do everything, and that left zero time for coming here. I'm so behind!!! I will try to read back and catch up on everyone's posts. If you wanted to be put on the guest list I'm sooooo sorry. Life is gonna get much easier for me after tomorrow, it's the kids' last day of school. Plus I quit my job, so that leaves lots of extra time for fun!!! I'm thinking about going to WDW next week, or maybe the first week of June. I need a dose of my happy place. Things are sort of crazy right now, but I'm so stress-free and relaxed!!!! I feel like someone who's been let out of prison!

Ok, enough talking, gotta catch up!!!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I just booked Poly CL for Labor Day week! Hoping all works out and we get to go! It's my 39th birthday

Congrats! If you want to be on the guest list PM me your dates!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Here is my thrown together CL review. I wanted to get stuff down before I forgot. I post this, and a more general report, on the Poly thread as well.
We arrived around 11 o’clock at resort. Checked in at main lobby. Did not have connecting rooms, which was only request. We were given ‘card keys’ to access other room in our party. After being checked in in the main lobby we were personally escorted to club level lobby and essentially checked in again. Again asked for connecting rooms and were told none were available. I checked that my request for a ‘full’ crib (not pack n play) was noted and told that it was. We were given a ‘check in’ packet with information. I noticed later in the week that when others were checked in they were give much more verbal and printed information than we were. Such as a print out of their fast pass reservations, dining reservations, information regarding the club, etc.

We waited in club level lounge for our room to be ready. I also took kids to the pool. We got a text around 2pm that rooms were ready. We had gorgeous third floor rooms at the end of the hall farthest from lobby. The rooms were very clean. Our shower faucet dripped non-stop and the faucet handle needed caulking, but that was it. There was no crib. I went to concierge and was told that the request was not showing, so it must have been ‘filled.’ Back to room – there was a pack n play. Back to concierge – I told them I requested a full sized crib, not a pack n play. The staff member immediately got on phone and within 30 minutes we had a full sized crib. Glad it all worked out, but it should not have taken so many trips to the concierge desk to have this resolved.

First night in lounge was fantastic. Fresh sushi, veggies, fruit, cheese, drinks. Staff was extremely attentive and eager to clear dirty dishes and bring more offerings. We had turn down service that evening and received a welcome box of chocolates.

I know a lot of people want to know what the food offerings were, so I’ve included them here. I have to be very honest and say that for my family CL was not about the food and CL is not ‘worth it’ for the food. If your bottom line is saving money on food, then look elsewhere. For us, CL was ‘worth it’ for the convenience. We have two young children and were also traveling with grandparents. We got a great discount on CL and the cost was about the cost of a standard room at the Poly, so we went for it. We ate breakfast in the lounge every day, had lunch at Poly or a park, and made a dinner out of the evening offerings. We are not big eaters. We are also not big drinkers. Neither my husband or I drink soda on a regular basis, nor alcohol. My parents enjoy 1 or 2 sodas a day. At CL I had a glass of wine every night which was nice and my father had a beer. We noticed that other families were enjoying beers and the CL staff happily got them drinks if they were not out on the counter. I think if you enjoy having beer, wine, etc then CL might be a great option. No one was ‘watching’ you or limiting drinks. We just don’t happen to drink much, but I was glad to see that other families could enjoy a variety of drinks without being ‘limited.’

Breakfast offerings varied only slightly. Every day they had cold cereal (fruit loops, special K, and raisin bran), hard boiled eggs, oatmeal (with a selection of dried fruit and granola), bagels, and fruit. Some days they had mini muffins (blueberry and chocolate chip) and some days croissants. Coffee, tea, milk, and OJ. Mid-day snacks included gold fish, potato chips with dip, occasionally gummy bears, some ‘snack mix,’ or chocolate covered peanuts. They had out iced tea, lemonade, and POG juice during the day. I know some love those homemade chips, but personally I thought they were disgusting. I believe one day they had out veggies, but they were gone by the time we returned to the lounge and when asked we were told they were all out. They were always apples, bananas, and oranges in the lounge. The oranges were amazing (thanks Florida) the apples were blah (hey, I’m from apple country).

Evening offerings. Every night they had out cucumbers and carrots. They also had a variety of cheeses and crackers every night. There was always a cheese spread (like a goat cheese), and cheese ‘cubes’ like cheddar or pepper jack, etc. Fresh fruit included strawberries, cantaloupe, honey dew, raspberries, kiwi. Some nights they had out uncrustables. Two nights we had chicken wings, two night we had ‘asian’ pierogis. One night we had mushroom fritters. One night was conch fritters. One night chicken quesadillas. There were fried spring rolls another night. A few nights they had mini corn dogs which the kids liked. Overall, the hot apps were very disappointing. The sushi was great and the wings were good. (Although I lived in Buffalo, NY and am a wing snob.) Everything else was just ok. I’d compare the hot app quality to Applebees or something you could get in the frozen food section. Very greasy, very fried. The sushi was the best and unfortunately we only had that one night.

Desserts. My husband and son had desserts most nights while I put our daughter to bed. They enjoyed them, but said they weren’t ‘anything special.’ They would try every dessert and bring me back ‘the winner.’ I had a chocolate mousse which was good and a brownie which was good too.

What I did love (and was the biggest perk for us food wise) was that we could ask for chocolate milk, milk cartons, apple juice boxes, and uncrustables to have for the room/pool/parks. You just have to ask. I repeat – you have to ask. If I didn’t read the Disboards I would not have known this. If they have them available they will gladly provide them. We grabbed juice boxes and uncrustables to have a snacks/lunch in the park and it worked out really well. I feel that I need to add, we got enough for our kids for the day, we didn’t horde. ☺ The kids also loved having fruit loops to snack on in the parks. They have out ‘to go’ cups and bowls with lids. What they did not have was bottled water. They will provide a carafe of water, but you obviously can’t take that to a park! We just refilled a water bottle from the carafe. Soda was always out in the cooler and coffee was always available.

Bottom line – CL was “worth it” for our family on this trip. We are not park commandos. We have small kids and grandparents, so we need down time. We would go to the park in the morning and spend the afternoon and evening at the resort. We spent our travel days and one full day at the pool, my parents spent two full days at the pool. Having easy access to breakfast, coffee, snacks, water, etc was amazing. The location of the building was amazing. For me the convenience was worth the cost. However, next time we might just use a grocery service.

Overall, the families we encountered at CL were polite, kind, and courteous. We didn’t experience any rude guests or unruly children. But I also understand that that is the luck of the draw. There was more than one family with a special needs person while we were there. The staff was so attentive to their needs that it was heartwarming. I also overheard many allergy requests and it appeared that the staff was on top of allergy concerns.

The club always appeared to be clean to me. Was it spotless? No. Clean? Yes. I observed staff wiping tables, sweeping floors, and just picking up in general. Dirty dishes were always cleared. Sometimes we ‘bused’ our own plates and other times a cast member would pick them up for us. The dirty plates that people bused themselves were always promptly removed. On a side note, one day I went over to Capt Cooks because I wanted/needed a salad (hello Disney?!?! Where are your veggies?!?!!?) I thought Capt Cooks was filthy. And I mean filthy. Food debris everywhere, dirty tables, dirty floor, condiments splattered on the counters, napkins strewn everywhere. I couldn’t get back to the CL lounge fast enough.

Some of the staff members were just outstanding. My son became fascinated with the beer bottle caps that would collect in a bowl by the drink area. One of the cast members, Alfredo, actually started saving the caps for him and gave them to him. My son thought this was just the coolest.

Wow, thank you for the detailed review!

 

[eeyore81]

At AKL staying CL now. No escort from main lobby, had to find the relocated lounge on our own ( 4th floor Kudu trail at the end). No welcome packet, no turndown, ask for beer and wine.Used both concierge and they were very good So far LOVE the resort NOT CL, So far not worth the added cost.

Thanks for the update. We arrive next week. Any updates on food offerings? How did you request turn down?

 

[mickeynut1]

At AKL staying CL now. No escort from main lobby, had to find the relocated lounge on our own ( 4th floor Kudu trail at the end). No welcome packet, no turndown, ask for beer and wine.Used both concierge and they were very good So far LOVE the resort NOT CL, So far not worth the added cost.

Thanks for checking in. I'm sorry your CL experience is less than stellar, but glad you are enjoying the resort itself .

I'm glad you posted this! We changed from AKL CL to get Free Dining when the new offer came out and now have a regular savanna view reservation. But I've been thinking of switching back even though we'd lose the dining and have to pay a little more but it doesn't seem like there's anything to gain from it judging by that summary.

Good luck with your decision as it's sometimes hard to opt for CL with not-so-good reports like the one above. With that said, I'm sure you'll have a great time either way as AKL is a great resort overall .

We arrive next week.

Hope you have a great trip .

 

[DINKsAtDisney]

Good luck with your decision as it's sometimes hard to opt for CL with not-so-good reports like the one above. With that said, I'm sure you'll have a great time either way as AKL is a great resort overall .

We'll survive We do have RPC for the second part of our trip so we will get a little CL in there

 

[saintrob]

I'm so excited! I booked some flights for early April and then started to look for where to stay. I decided to use our DVC points (we own at AKL) and never realised that we could book club level. I've managed to book a 1 bedroom villa with club level for 5 nights! We've stayed at AKL before but never in CL. I'm hoping to get Poly CL for the next five nights.

 

[mickeynut1]

We'll survive We do have RPC for the second part of our trip so we will get a little CL in there

What a great split! We love AKL (haven't tried CL yet) and RPC is amazing, you're going to have a great time!

I'm so excited! I booked some flights for early April and then started to look for where to stay. I decided to use our DVC points (we own at AKL) and never realised that we could book club level. I've managed to book a 1 bedroom villa with club level for 5 nights! We've stayed at AKL before but never in CL. I'm hoping to get Poly CL for the next five nights.

Congrats on getting a CL villa! Good luck getting Poly CL for the second half of your trip .

 

[Dispro1]

I'm baaaack! I haven't had internet at home in a WEEK! Our entire service was shut off. INSANE! So I had to use my iPhone to do everything, and that left zero time for coming here. I'm so behind!!! I will try to read back and catch up on everyone's posts. If you wanted to be put on the guest list I'm sooooo sorry. Life is gonna get much easier for me after tomorrow, it's the kids' last day of school. Plus I quit my job, so that leaves lots of extra time for fun!!! I'm thinking about going to WDW next week, or maybe the first week of June. I need a dose of my happy place. Things are sort of crazy right now, but I'm so stress-free and relaxed!!!! I feel like someone who's been let out of prison!

Ok, enough talking, gotta catch up!!!

We'll be at GF RPC from May 29-June 4th, so if you end up being at WDW any of those days, come track me down! If not, I hope we'll still see you in July??!!

I forgot to say that I added a day to our Poly CL stay in July so we leave the 31st now. No hurry in updating it (I know you're busy) since it really doesn't make much difference except that I get one more day with my DIS friends!!!! And congratulations on your new freedom!!

 

[Tinman1717]

Thanks for the update. We arrive next week. Any updates on food offerings? How did you request turn down?

Just tell the concierge at CL you would like turndown. I can only speak for breakfast and afternoon snacks. Bagels, muffins, he eggs and cereal in the am. House made chips, gummy gears and assorted cakes and cookies for snack. Lemonade and jungle juice are great!

 

[TJA]

We'll be at GF RPC from May 29-June 4th

Wow that's coming up! Like next weekend! Very exciting - I'm going to miss RPC next month, though I know I'll be just fine at BWI CL (can't wait to see what the deluxe room is like!) and then Poly CL (love the lagoon view!). Hoping that RPC is great for you and that you don't see too many cutbacks.

 

[Enna]

Reading the comments on the current state of CL at AKL, at what point is it reasonable to downgrade to a regular, savanna view room? Seems like a poor use of vacation dollars to invest in a club level without the ease that comes with the regular lounge and attentive staff. We're supposed to be there next weekend, so I need to decide in the next day or two while we can still modify our reservation.