Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[got15]

I know these kinds of questions are very subjective but looking for some honest "What Would You Do" feedback. I currently have a reservation for a BWI CL Deluxe Room for early April. I am debating switching to a BC CL Standard View Room (only room type that's available at BC). It's a 7 night stay with me, DW, DS6 and DD2.

We are "resort people" who tend to spend a decent chunk of time at the resort, pools, lounge, etc. I get the benefits of Stormalong Bay and all that, but looking for comments on the overall experience between the two.... the resorts, the lounges, those specific room types, room location relative to the lounge, etc.

I have limited experience at the Epcot resorts and am having trouble wrapping my head around the overall best choice for our style, ages, 7 nights, etc. We love places like Poly, GF, and CR because they are "easy" resorts (especially with a little one) so looking to find that same feeling at one of these.

Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated.

I would keep the BWI reservation. I was hesitant with our stay there with our DS (7 & 3). We had just done Poly CL and RPC and love them both. We tend to do rope drop and pool in the PM and do a lot of resort/lounge time. I think your family travels similarly to ours from reading your posts. The pools were both terrific- the clown wasn't as creepy as I anticipated- and the boys had a blast at the pool. The lounge, as you know, is amazing- the food is actually more like heavy appetizers- so most definitely enough for a light dinner. The boardwalk itself is enough for the kids to do- the entertainment was fun, the surrey bike was a hit, and the atmosphere was like GF light, a little more intimate. Additionally, the bathroom and room plan was very nice for the family (we were there for 7 nights). The shower/toilet is separate from the sinks (dual) and the balcony was quite roomy. This was great for a family of 4 when getting ready.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@got15 THANK YOU for that great feedback. Very much appreciate the thoughtful answers. That's exactly why I come here.

But... I have a wrinkle to throw in this that I'm not sure I ever posted here. After much debate I ended up changing my reservation to GF SL. I know, total change from my original Epcot choices! I originally migrated away from the MK resorts because the prices were obnoxious, but found that SL was not that much more than the Epcot resorts.

With my DD2, I'm just not ready to deal with the Epcot resorts. Once she's a year or two older, walking, and not so much in the high maintenance baby mode, I can totally see us migrating to the Epcot resports. But for now I've come to the conclusion the MK resorts best suit what we need.

I know GF SL has it's pros/cons as well, but I think where we are at this moment in time, it's a good choice.

That's my story for the moment!!!

Thank you again!

 

[got15]

@got15 THANK YOU for that great feedback. Very much appreciate the thoughtful answers. That's exactly why I come here.

But... I have a wrinkle to throw in this that I'm not sure I ever posted here. After much debate I ended up changing my reservation to GF SL. I know, total change from my original Epcot choices! I originally migrated away from the MK resorts because the prices were obnoxious, but found that SL was not that much more than the Epcot resorts.

With my DD2, I'm just not ready to deal with the Epcot resorts. Once she's a year or two older, walking, and not so much in the high maintenance baby mode, I can totally see us migrating to the Epcot resports. But for now I've come to the conclusion the MK resorts best suit what we need.

I know GF SL has it's pros/cons as well, but I think where we are at this moment in time, it's a good choice.

That's my story for the moment!!!

Thank you again!

You are most welcome! I totally understand exactly where you are! We feel the same way with MK resorts. Just food for thought for future planning, while the BWI doesn't have a splash pad- what I found exciting for us- was that while we were swimming with our 3 year old- the pool was well sized enough that I could be at the bar, laying out, or swimming to keep an eye on the 7 year old. SAB stresses me out because I can't be in two places at once- and the 7 year old is a little bit of a dare devil.

 

[constanze]

Will the concierge call to book certain ADR's if you request? When my 180 day time frame hits I'll be celebrating my 50th bday...and will be on a catamaran with no access to internet. I'm worried about certain dining requests because we'll be staying during Christmas/New Years 2017.

 

[eeyore81]

Will the concierge call to book certain ADR's if you request? When my 180 day time frame hits I'll be celebrating my 50th bday...and will be on a catamaran with no access to internet. I'm worried about certain dining requests because we'll be staying during Christmas/New Years 2017.

It is my understanding that yes they will book your ADRs but since they do not open until 9, there will be a few hours where everyone else is booking on their own. However, in your case 9am is better than not being able to get them booked at all on your day.

 

[constanze]

It is my understanding that yes they will book your ADRs but since they do not open until 9, there will be a few hours where everyone else is booking on their own. However, in your case 9am is better than not being able to get them booked at all on your day.

Thank you so much! 9am is definitely better than waiting and extra week.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@constanze - In the IPO days, they'd send you a form ahead of time for you to fill out with your ADR requests, times, and other info about your stay. I'm not sure if that's still the case with the new Disney Signature Services thing or not. Probably obvious but I'd make sure to call well in advance to see how that's being handled now.

Good luck!

 

[Harambe]

I would keep the BWI reservation. I was hesitant with our stay there with our DS (7 & 3). We had just done Poly CL and RPC and love them both. We tend to do rope drop and pool in the PM and do a lot of resort/lounge time. I think your family travels similarly to ours from reading your posts. The pools were both terrific- the clown wasn't as creepy as I anticipated- and the boys had a blast at the pool. The lounge, as you know, is amazing- the food is actually more like heavy appetizers- so most definitely enough for a light dinner. The boardwalk itself is enough for the kids to do- the entertainment was fun, the surrey bike was a hit, and the atmosphere was like GF light, a little more intimate. Additionally, the bathroom and room plan was very nice for the family (we were there for 7 nights). The shower/toilet is separate from the sinks (dual) and the balcony was quite roomy. This was great for a family of 4 when getting ready.

got15 - could I ask how early you reserved that Deluxe room at BWI? I would like to reserve one for our next trip (Dec 2018). We stayed in one on the 3rd floor, and DH loved that. We had no problem walking up to the lounge. I think last time I reserved about a year before, but since this trip will be early December, didn't know if I should reserve earlier than that. I only do room-only reservations. Thanks!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Hi everyone, another new member here.

I just booked an Easter trip April 11-17. We were looking for something close to MK and based on price/availability it was between Contemporary Atrium club room and the WL Deluxe Club Room. We ended up going with Contemporary based on location since we have a 2, 4 and 6 year olds coming. I am reading through these posts though wondering if I should have got the dining plan or not based on the food at the lounge. I just got the quick service plan. Do others get the plan or just pay normally?

Also, if you had 3 kids, would you take the bigger room at WL? Or would you pick the Theme Park view Atrium Club level?

My wife is concerned with the trip from WL to MK. Obviously with CR we have the easiest trip to MK.

Short answer, paying normally is almost certainly your best option.

IMO, the DDP isn't a good deal. Once upon a time it was, and we used it many times when it was a good deal. In short, it highly limits your options, and there are no refunds for anything you don't use. You have to use all of your entitlements at every meal AND often you have to order the most expensive item just to break even.

Second, and I speak from experience, CL +DDP makes even less sense. DDP= complete meals (i.e. including dessert),while CL offers all day snacks/drinks. BUT - CL often only makes sense for those who plan to visit the lounge beyond just breakfast. (drinks, snacks, adult beverages, and/or desserts) If you don't plan on visiting beyond breakfast at all, then you're better off non-CL. You might even decide to skip both CL and DDP. Price it out using the menus if you like.

Third, you are talking about Easter week prices and crowds! When it comes to buffets, WDW has been known to quietly raise prices on holiday weeks! But I think it is less common at the QS places. My favorite advantage of CL, is that you get your breakfast without having to wait in a LINE.

The regular CR rooms are bigger than the regular WL rooms- that's a big part of the price difference. (CR regular = about 436 sq feet, WL reg = about 340 sq feet, deluxe = about 500 sq feet) The deluxe rooms are a little bigger, but not all that much.

For us, the biggest upside of CR is the convenience of the getting to MK and the monorail resorts.

The biggest upside of WL is better theming.

A small point, and one I'm not I'm not 100% certain about. Take a look at the top floor balconies at WL. Instead of a railing, they have an opaque wall. That's the club level floor. If the Deluxe rooms are the same as the regular rooms, your young children won't be able to see over the wall on the balcony. Also, the balcony views at CR are much better.

So it kinds of comes down the things you prioritize. Do you favor an exciting pool? Or efficient transportation? Will you eat dinner at the Poly? Fort Wilderness? Do you prefer snacking or complete meals?

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Will the concierge call to book certain ADR's if you request? .

This appears to be their new way of helping guests.

Traditionally, they contact you a little before your 180 day mark.

If you can tell them what you want before the 180 day mark, you have the best odds of getting all the ADR's you want.

Even after the 180 day mark, you'll still find some ADR's right up until the last minute.

It also depends a little how big you group is: tables for 12 are harder than tables for 4.

 

[got15]

got15 - could I ask how early you reserved that Deluxe room at BWI? I would like to reserve one for our next trip (Dec 2018). We stayed in one on the 3rd floor, and DH loved that. We had no problem walking up to the lounge. I think last time I reserved about a year before, but since this trip will be early December, didn't know if I should reserve earlier than that. I only do room-only reservations. Thanks!

I think I reserved it at about 4 months out... definitely passed out ADR 180.

 

[bookluvingbabe]

As I mentioned before, we were there from 1/7-1/17. We were happy with the service.
I agree with everything GADisneyDad has said.

For the CM's in the Hawaii building- we had a few great ones and others I could tell did not really care.
1. The CM that helped me when my DD had a medical issue was amazing.
2. The CM that helped when my DD's tooth came out! I ran downstairs to see what they had from the "Tooth Fairy" and they actually have stuff there for that!

On the flip side-
1. The CM that checked us in messed up (I have no idea how!) but when we got to MK an hour later, our passes were coming up "not valid" and we had to go stand in the customer service line for 30-45 min. Apparently, she did not check us in correctly and they had to call over to the Poly to make sure we were guests. When I told another CM that evening about it, they muttered out a sorry. I never saw the 1st CM again during the 10 days we were there or I would have spoken to her.

I mentioned a few times on here before that we were happy with the food (and the beer).

I love how you know where you are staying when you do CL at the Poly. That is very important to me.
And I love how even if we are not in the MK during Wishes- we can watch it right there in the lounge with the music. We enjoyed that 3-4 nights.
We are a RD to close family so it was huge to go into the lounge, grab some breakfast to go and head to a park.
I would definitely stay there again (our stay in Oct. 2015 was in a TPV room at the CR).

Did they have the music working for you? It wasn't working at Christmas and they CM were handing out FP, apologies and comping meals at California Grill to a line of unhappy guests every night. (Still didn't warn them that it wasn't working so they could make other plans...)

Clearly I'm still a little bitter...

 

[NYCANC]

Did they have the music working for you? It wasn't working at Christmas and they CM were handing out FP, apologies and comping meals at California Grill to a line of unhappy guests every night. (Still didn't warn them that it wasn't working so they could make other plans...)

Clearly I'm still a little bitter...

I would have been too!
Yes- the music worked each night we watched Wishes from the lounge.

One night- we left the kids in the room and my DH and I ran down to the beach to watch it from there. The music was so low that we could barely hear it over people talking. We ran right back up to the lounge and watched it from there.

 

[bookluvingbabe]

I will say that despite my better judgement, we are going back to the Beach Club this summer and are staying Club Level because once you stay club, you can't just stay in a standard room. I pushed hard for a standard Yacht Club room but I was outvoted. And while I would love to try the Boardwalk's Club, the clown pool is a deal breaker.

 

[Feckless]

So, you think that for the "must have" and hard to get ADRs, I should try to make them myself online at 7:30am rather than relying on IPO? They did my ADRs for my previous stays but we didn't get Tutto Italia last time and we didn't have any "high demand" reservations. I want BOG lunch and Le Cellier for dinner, both for 8 people at least this time. I also need Teppan Edo for our arrival night for 18 people. Otherwise I'm flexible. LOL.

 

[jksmith17]

Hi! I know there are several options for getting an in-room babysitter. If we are staying club level, is it a problem for the babysitter to have access to the building and lounge? Do you have to let the front desk know ahead of time or get them a special "pass"?

 

[NicoleLarson]

Hi! I know there are several options for getting an in-room babysitter. If we are staying club level, is it a problem for the babysitter to have access to the building and lounge? Do you have to let the front desk know ahead of time or get them a special "pass"?

We've used Kids Nite Out and they are endorsed by WDW, although not owned by them. I was told by our sitter that the CMs know them and allow them access to restricted floors. So if you are using them, I would still give the CMs on CL a heads up but it shouldn't be an issue. Given that was about 3 years ago so maybe things have changed. However, if it's another agency, I'm thinking you would need to go meet them to let them up, plus tell the CMs who they are.

 

[NicoleLarson]

So, you think that for the "must have" and hard to get ADRs, I should try to make them myself online at 7:30am rather than relying on IPO? They did my ADRs for my previous stays but we didn't get Tutto Italia last time and we didn't have any "high demand" reservations. I want BOG lunch and Le Cellier for dinner, both for 8 people at least this time. I also need Teppan Edo for our arrival night for 18 people. Otherwise I'm flexible. LOL.

When is your stay? If it's in the fall or holiday time then yes, I would get them myself. Remember with BOG, you choose your own table so if you can't get 8 at the same time you can do 4 at say noon and 4 at 12:10 and you'll all be together.

 

[MGTDisney]

Trying to decide what room requests to put in for RPC...Would a two year old count towards the room occupancy total? I booked a deluxe room in RPC over the phone and didn't think to ask if the room booked was king or queen, and our reservation doesn't say. In the room is two adults, 5 year old, two year old, and a infant. Thanks!

 

[BenandMorgsMom]

Argggg....that could be it exactly!!! We are booked on a bounceback offer that we booked while we were there last year. It is December 6th - 15th right now but we want to add on before. I only call directly, never do it online but I just wish that they would tell me that it wasn't available due to the offer we were using and not just because it was sold out! LOL! That would alleviate so much of my wondering! LOL!! Thank you and I will call this afternoon to make sure that this is what the problem is!

I am wondering the same thing. I'm told yes and you can get extra at no charge, but here's hoping for a response from someone who has been there recently.

We just came home from GF RPC...toiletries were small bottles, no longer large size and no foot rub or aloe. I was disappointed.