Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[mommytwinkie]

@mommytwinkie
Bc has nice food, pretty rooms but lounge is blah.

Wl has a comfort food, older, dark, homey rooms, and near to MK. Lounge is a nice spot for holidays to peek over rail and see the decor.

Poly has the nicest looking lounge, ok food (getting better at least) great MK views and transportation.

I've done all 3. For holidays I would pick wl 1st and bc if food a priority and poly is ambiance priority .

Really can't go wrong, all are nice!

I hear WL is amazing for Christmas but we're looking at mid November (17th - 19th). I'm guessing they wont have holiday decorations up quite yet.

Similarly, the pool at BC isnt as big of a factor since I'm guessing it will be a little cool for swimming.

We loved sitting in the lounge and listening to the orchestra at RPC so ambiance at Poly is tempting...

Thanks for the thoughts! Decisions, decisions!

 

[mommytwinkie]

I didn't care for BC cl. The food was good but service was terrible imo. Others had better experiences around the same time I traveled. I couldn't even get a drink, horrendous wait times. I actually gave uo a couple of times. That said, we love yachtsman. Its a must do every trip.

Yachtsman is a big plus for BC. I see they are serving breakfast and lunch there during our trip. So tempting to be able to walk over there vs dealing with transportation!

 

[focusondisney]

Hi all. This thread is GINORMOUS, but I did try to skim through the last 20 pages or so! I'm looking to book a trip for next month (yeah, we're "short notice" vacationers) but are trying to decide between Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and Poly Club level! We've only done Club Level once before...but it was RPC! We don't necessarily have plans for parks or ADRS or anything yet, but so far have been successful in getting dining last minute so we're not super concerned about that. Obviously, the food offerings at the CL lounge plays a little bit of a factor since we are planning on doing mostly a resort stay (although we may do the Pirates and Pals tours with the girls). I figure we might grab late lunch/early dinner at the resort, but we've never tried any of the TS/Signature/QS dining at Beach Club (although we will probably try for dinner at Yachtsman at some point) or Wilderness Lodge. Any opinions on what makes sense for a convenient, "special occasion" trip (my 40th bday!) with kids (ages 8 and 6 - but they're decent eaters...their favorite restaurant is Tiffins!)?

For a mostly resort stay, I think BC would be great for lounging around Storm Along Bay. Lots of games & activities at the pool throughout the day. And the movie on the beach & the campfire in the evenings too.

We stay at YC club level & they have the same food offerings as BC. We were there in May & the food was more impressive than we have seen in years.

Cape May breakfast is great for character interaction. Besides fast food at Y & B, the Boardwalk has several casual places to eat too. You can see fireworks from many rooms, the pool or walkways around the resort too.

 

[mommytwinkie]

We stay at YC club level & they have the same food offerings as BC. We were there in May & the food was more impressive than we have seen in years.

Cape May breakfast is great for character interaction. Besides fast food at Y & B, the Boardwalk has several casual places to eat too. You can see fireworks from many rooms, the pool or walkways around the resort too.

We were initially looking at Yacht Club but we're looking at Beach instead because of the new dog policy at Yacht.

Good point about Boardwalk, too. I want to try the Bon Voyage breakfast as well as Flying Fish at some point too!

 

[Lovinallthingsdisney]

Please add us to the list....I have booked May 8-16 at Sugar Loaf. Tried booking a bounce back when we were there in October, but it was not available for our dates. The weekend we returned home we received a PIN for 30% off, good for our dates. It was just meant to be

 

[prgal0715]

Bethany, when will you be going after your January trip? I am going April, end of September into October and December next year.

Hi Kerry! I’m going in July to take advantage of my AP’s and then either Labor Day or early December. My mom had a stroke recently and we want to take her on a nice WDW vacation; just trying to decide if early September or December is best.

 

[mrsap]

Sorry wrong board

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I hear WL is amazing for Christmas but we're looking at mid November (17th - 19th). I'm guessing they wont have holiday decorations up quite yet.

Similarly, the pool at BC isnt as big of a factor since I'm guessing it will be a little cool for swimming.

We loved sitting in the lounge and listening to the orchestra at RPC so ambiance at Poly is tempting...

Thanks for the thoughts! Decisions, decisions!

Those dates are going to be close on the decorations. The resorts have a lottery system that determines the order in which they are decorated, so it can vary year to year. I seem to remember WL was done sometime around then last year, but could be off a bit.

One thing I do know is that you'll go to sleep with no decorations and wake up with everything put up - it's a little Disney miracle!

 

[mrsap]

I hear WL is amazing for Christmas but we're looking at mid November (17th - 19th). I'm guessing they wont have holiday decorations up quite yet.

Similarly, the pool at BC isnt as big of a factor since I'm guessing it will be a little cool for swimming.

We loved sitting in the lounge and listening to the orchestra at RPC so ambiance at Poly is tempting...

Thanks for the thoughts! Decisions, decisions!

The WL is amazing at Christmas!! We went 3 years in a row and each year the decorations went up the week of Thanksgiving. I did not go the past 2 years, so I’m not sure if it was any sooner. But as @GADisneyDad14 noted, there is a lottery system! Maybe you’ll get lucky when you’re there!! Have a great time!

 

[trishadono]

Hi Kerry! I’m going in July to take advantage of my AP’s and then either Labor Day or early December. My mom had a stroke recently and we want to take her on a nice WDW vacation; just trying to decide if early September or December is best.

I have been to Disney in every month. However I did go this September 2017.

I can I tell you IT WAS HOT!!

For my mom in her 70's I did November in 2014 and this year I picked December . Older people really can't handle the heat of a Florida summer.

I also know the holiday decorations will be enjoyed and the weather is still comfortable.

Hope that helps.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi all. This thread is GINORMOUS, but I did try to skim through the last 20 pages or so! I'm looking to book a trip for next month (yeah, we're "short notice" vacationers) but are trying to decide between Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and Poly Club level! We've only done Club Level once before...but it was RPC! We don't necessarily have plans for parks or ADRS or anything yet, but so far have been successful in getting dining last minute so we're not super concerned about that. Obviously, the food offerings at the CL lounge plays a little bit of a factor since we are planning on doing mostly a resort stay (although we may do the Pirates and Pals tours with the girls). I figure we might grab late lunch/early dinner at the resort, but we've never tried any of the TS/Signature/QS dining at Beach Club (although we will probably try for dinner at Yachtsman at some point) or Wilderness Lodge. Any opinions on what makes sense for a convenient, "special occasion" trip (my 40th bday!) with kids (ages 8 and 6 - but they're decent eaters...their favorite restaurant is Tiffins!)?

Funny, you've had great, but varying, opinions from some very experienced CL folks above! I think it goes to show that any of your choices are solid ones.

But I'll throw my hat in the ring for Poly, with maybe WL in second place in your circumstances. I could easily make a resort-only stay out of Poly - there's just so much going for it.....

• Beautiful lounge with a MK view.
• Location, location, location - the Hawaii longhouse and the lounge are steps from both pools, the beach, the fire-pit, the marina, not terribly far from the GCH, etc. WL and BC cannot compare in this regard.
• At somewhere like Poly, you get a lot of 'free entertainment' without going to a park... Electrical Water Pageant nightly... watching fireworks from the lounge or beach. You probably have a MVMCP going on during at least one of your nights, I suspect (didn't check your dates) but that show is amazing from Poly (they shoot 180 degree fireworks during certain portions which frankly look better from outside the park than inside).
• Convenience to GF and CR for additional dining is quite nice.
• Walk-ability to the TTC for monorail can't be beat. It's the next best thing to being at an Epcot resort.
• Poly's food offerings are the best I've seen them in my time of staying CL (since 2014). Not as good as BC or WL (in my opinion), but still pretty solid.

Some of these links below may be helpful, they are reports from my Poly stays this year... they can give you a general sense of the lounge and food offerings:

Poly CL - Feb 2017

Poly CL - May 2017 Food

Poly CL - May 2017 Room

Poly CL - October 2017 Pics

Or if you'd like more info on WL CL... here are some posts from Nov/Dec 2016. Caveat that these are almost a year old so food offerings have likely changed since then....

WL CL Food - November 2016

WL CL Lounge - November 2016

Hope that helps! Have fun!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@trishadono - I'm late replying to your posts but WONDERFUL pics. As someone who is finding it hard to not book CL, thank you for sharing your non-CL experiences. It gives me hope.

Now for the truly important details... we need to know more about that margarita flight at Brown Derby!! Do tell!

 

[mommytwinkie]

Thanks for all your help @GADisneyDad14 @trishadono @mrsap @focusondisney! I'm not sure it gets me closer to a decision, though....lol. We've stayed non-club level at BC (although it was before the renovations) and Poly before, so maybe trying WL makes more sense....although we do love staying on the monorail. Glad to hear there's not one that's really a 'standout' over the others,I guess!

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi all. This thread is GINORMOUS, but I did try to skim through the last 20 pages or so! I'm looking to book a trip for next month (yeah, we're "short notice" vacationers) but are trying to decide between Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and Poly Club level! We've only done Club Level once before...but it was RPC! We don't necessarily have plans for parks or ADRS or anything yet, but so far have been successful in getting dining last minute so we're not super concerned about that. Obviously, the food offerings at the CL lounge plays a little bit of a factor since we are planning on doing mostly a resort stay (although we may do the Pirates and Pals tours with the girls). I figure we might grab late lunch/early dinner at the resort, but we've never tried any of the TS/Signature/QS dining at Beach Club (although we will probably try for dinner at Yachtsman at some point) or Wilderness Lodge. Any opinions on what makes sense for a convenient, "special occasion" trip (my 40th bday!) with kids (ages 8 and 6 - but they're decent eaters...their favorite restaurant is Tiffins!)?

We've stayed at all 3 (but only CL at WL) and for overall resorts, my choice would be either WL or Poly. The Poly is our favorite resort overall, but we also love the WL. I've also stayed RPC and while I can't comment about CL at the Poly, WL CL is amazing and (for me) runs a very close second to RPC. Good luck deciding, although I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter which resort you choose .

That said, we love yachtsman. Its a must do every trip.

Us too!

I could easily make a resort-only stay out of Poly - there's just so much going for it.....

I agree!

 

[TJA]

Hey there! Our vacation starts 11/21 and we check into GF 11/26!!! We’ll be there till Saturday!! We have to make it a point to meet!!

Awesome! We'll be at the BC on 11/23 for 2 nights and plan to enjoy mostly just Epcot holiday stuff, have CP booked, etc. Then we're moving to RPC on 11/25 and I suspect we'll be hanging around the resort a LOT during our short 3 nights there. I totally can't wait - this trip will be unlike any of our previous trips! You may be able to spot us easily as we have twin girls, age 14, though they are not identical but they have a similar look. We're usually all together. But my family may not get me to leave RPC so if you see a female sitting alone with a book, that might be me - lol!

 

[prgal0715]

I have been to Disney in every month. However I did go this September 2017.

I can I tell you IT WAS HOT!!

For my mom in her 70's I did November in 2014 and this year I picked December . Older people really can't handle the heat of a Florida summer.

I also know the holiday decorations will be enjoyed and the weather is still comfortable.

Hope that helps.

Thats very helpful - thanks! I know my mom LOVES the holiday decorations, so I’m leaning towards early December.

 

[mrsap]

Awesome! We'll be at the BC on 11/23 for 2 nights and plan to enjoy mostly just Epcot holiday stuff, have CP booked, etc. Then we're moving to RPC on 11/25 and I suspect we'll be hanging around the resort a LOT during our short 3 nights there. I totally can't wait - this trip will be unlike any of our previous trips! You may be able to spot us easily as we have twin girls, age 14, though they are not identical but they have a similar look. We're usually all together. But my family may not get me to leave RPC so if you see a female sitting alone with a book, that might be me - lol!

That sounds great!!! We decided our first 2 days will be dedicated hotel days, so we should definitely see each other a lot! It will be me, DH, DD 9 and DS 6! We’ll also be with two family members (so 6 in total). I’ll definitely keep an eye out!! We might even see you the day before we check in! We’re having dinner at Narcoossees and after we’ll be exploring the property to try and figure out where our room might be and to familiarize ourselves with the locations of the pools, etc. Looking forward to possibly meeting!!

 

[TJA]

I hear WL is amazing for Christmas but we're looking at mid November (17th - 19th). I'm guessing they wont have holiday decorations up quite yet.

Similarly, the pool at BC isnt as big of a factor since I'm guessing it will be a little cool for swimming.

We loved sitting in the lounge and listening to the orchestra at RPC so ambiance at Poly is tempting...

Thanks for the thoughts! Decisions, decisions!

This is a hard decision considering your dates. If it was a sure thing that decorations would be up, I'd possibly vote for WL.

We like BC, especially since the lounge is renovated (we stayed there many times pre-renovations, and only once post-renovations), but it offers a different type of experience considering the lounge is "enclosed" without a view. We used to love it, felt it was cozy and fulfilled every need we had. However, over the recent years, we've grown to love Poly mainly due to the lounge views and now find that we highly prefer this type of CL.

So my final vote goes to Poly CL. @GADisneyDad14 noted every plus about booking there. But I will say that all 3 of your options are great ones. You might have to go with whatever has availability at this point. Let us know what you end up with! Happy planning .

 

[KerryCM]

Hi Kerry! I’m going in July to take advantage of my AP’s and then either Labor Day or early December. My mom had a stroke recently and we want to take her on a nice WDW vacation; just trying to decide if early September or December is best.

Bethany, sorry to hear about your mom. Go the first week of December. Jim and I always go then to celebrate my birthday.

 

[trishadono]

@trishadono - I'm late replying to your posts but WONDERFUL pics. As someone who is finding it hard to not book CL, thank you for sharing your non-CL experiences. It gives me hope.

Now for the truly important details... we need to know more about that margarita flight at Brown Derby!! Do tell!

I love the Brown Derby lounge! It's outside and I love people watching. The menu is small but still a nice spot for appies and drinks.

She had 3 margs. Said it was fun to try different ones.

I love cl but you don't get that there!