Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[mrsap]

I once had a SL/RPC split stay. The staff was much more courteous, welcoming, and helpful in RPC. We even had a CM in RPC who had been in SL earlier in our trip. She was consistently grumpy at SL, and was more helpful and approachable at RPC.
That being said, if we had a trip where we wanted to either avoid the main building lobby crowds at certain times of the year or save a bit, I would consider SL again- just knowing the trip experience would be different.

You definitely have to do what makes you and your family happy. The only reason we did SL this year was convenience of location. The biggest disappointment was the staff, but I’m sure they change them out every now and then. Can possibly get lucky next time!

 

[mickeynut1]

I used to avoid the contemporary... we stayed at the GF and Poly a lot when the kids were little and then started staying at the BC and Boardwalk so we could walk to/from the F&W fest and Osborne light show.

It all changed in 2012 when hurricane sandy hit us in NJ while we were at wdw. Our 2 day Halloween trip turned into a 2 week trip since we lost power back home and schools were closed...

We had been staying at the boardwalk but had to move since they were fully booked. Just about all of the rooms in all of wdw were booked - but then they found us a room at the contemporary. Although we had never wanted to stay there since the themeing seemed dull, we were glad to have a room.

We were so pleasantly surprised with the contemporary! The views of the magic kingdom so close to us were amazing. It makes me feel like we’re staying right in the MK! Once we realized how quick and easy it was to walk to the mk and that Cali grill takes walk-ins in the lounge, we never looked back!

Now, I highly recommend the contemporary! It’s our favorite!

Thanks for posting this! We're trying the CR for the first time in December. Like you, we always avoided it as the theming never appealed to us, but CL has been on my list to try after reading positive reviews. We are only there for a few days right before Christmas and while I don't really have the desire to stay there for a week or more, I'm excited to try it out for a few nights .

 

[Rachel GB]

You definitely have to do what makes you and your family happy. The only reason we did SL this year was convenience of location. The biggest disappointment was the staff, but I’m sure they change them out every now and then. Can possibly get lucky next time!

Well, we are staying at RPC in March , but not counting SL out if we decide to take another trip within the year at Christmas time (or maybe we’ll break down and do RPC again lol). When you talk about the convenience of the location for SL, do you mean proximity to the courtyard pool?

 

[mrsap]

Well, we are staying at RPC in March , but not counting SL out if we decide to take another trip within the year at Christmas time (or maybe we’ll break down and do RPC again lol). When you talk about the convenience of the location for SL, do you mean proximity to the courtyard pool?

That’s great!!! I love it up there!!
We actually only go to the beach pool, but DH hated having to go upstairs to grab snacks for the kids and drinks while we are at the pool. We’d end up just ordering at the bar. He also felt it was centrally located and easy to access from everywhere on property. It was his 40th (so his choice), so I didn’t really have a leg to stand on in my RPC fight. I honestly think it’s worth the inconvenience

 

[mickeynut1]

We actually only go to the beach pool, but DH hated having to go upstairs to grab snacks for the kids and drinks while we are at the pool. We’d end up just ordering at the bar. He also felt it was centrally located and easy to access from everywhere on property. It was his 40th (so his choice), so I didn’t really have a leg to stand on in my RPC fight. I honestly think it’s worth the inconvenience

Me too

 

[ninafeliz]

Me too

Me three

 

[TJA]

That’s great!!! I love it up there!!
We actually only go to the beach pool, but DH hated having to go upstairs to grab snacks for the kids and drinks while we are at the pool. We’d end up just ordering at the bar. He also felt it was centrally located and easy to access from everywhere on property. It was his 40th (so his choice), so I didn’t really have a leg to stand on in my RPC fight. I honestly think it’s worth the inconvenience

You summed up SL perfectly! I *might* consider SL again someday but it will probably be for a convenience-type split stay, like once the MK walkway is open then I'd consider SL for MNSSHP and a couple extra days for MK time, then we'd switch resorts. I say that now, but I'd probably not go through with it. So did your DH end up liking SL? My DH actually did, but I think it's because it was so easy to keep grabbing cold beers!

 

[AWalks]

I rarely post on DISboards because usually whatever question I have has already been asked by someone else and I'm able to find the answer, but the recent posts about BC CL are really causing me to rethink our upcoming stay, and I could use some reassurance/guidance!

We (me, my husband, our 2 boys who will be 9 and 6 on the trip) had to cancel our Halloween trip due to health issues, so to make up for that disappointment I booked a week BC CL for early January. At the time I booked I was mostly seeing positive reviews here and on various Disney blogs. But after catching up on this thread in the last couple of days, now it sounds like cranky CMs and being stingy with the wine are becoming common at BC/YC??? Has anyone else experienced that lately, or was it more of an unlucky fluke for the DISers who have spoken up recently?

The only other CL availability for that week is GF SL and Poly. I stayed at GF non-CL when I was a kid and we've visited the resort as a family on more recent trips, and we do like the grounds and location. We've stayed at the Poly both CL and non-CL and we really love it there for many reasons. However, switching to Poly CL would be about $1500 more than BC, even with the Gift of Magic discount, and that price is soooooo difficult for us to justify no matter how much we love it. So we were looking at GF SL since it is "only" about $700 more than BC with the discount, the food offerings look a bit more substantial than other CL and they do have the additional tea service in the afternoon, rooms are obviously bigger than BC and I do like knowing that I will have a real balcony rather than the Juliet balconies that half the rooms at BC have. But then once I started thinking about making the switch and looking for more recent SL reviews, I'm seeing complaints that they're stingy with beer & wine there too???

I'm not looking to get hammered every night of my trip, but it's also vacation, and we're paying extra for the food AND beverages! My husband and I like to have a glass or two of wine or a couple of beers in the evenings and the occasional breakfast mimosa, which doesn't seem too crazy to me. But is that really that frowned upon in the non-self-serve CL now? Poly CL is obviously self-serve so we never had a problem grabbing a beer or POGmosa when we felt like it. I talked to my husband about my concerns and he said he's ok with switching if it will make me feel less anxious and if I think it will be a better overall experience for our family, but he also said he will have no problem bringing it up with the CMs if we do encounter problems. But...I also feel like we shouldn't have to do that, and that is not going to make for a very relaxed or enjoyable vacation if it is a hassle to get a glass of wine with evening apps.

Anyone else have recent experiences at BC or SL and want to chime in? Please and thank you!

 

[AWalks]

You summed up SL perfectly! I *might* consider SL again someday but it will probably be for a convenience-type split stay, like once the MK walkway is open then I'd consider SL for MNSSHP and a couple extra days for MK time, then we'd switch resorts. I say that now, but I'd probably not go through with it. So did your DH end up liking SL? My DH actually did, but I think it's because it was so easy to keep grabbing cold beers!

You must have posted this while I was typing my novel! So I'm guessing you would be a no vote for switching to SL?

 

[ninafeliz]

I rarely post on DISboards because usually whatever question I have has already been asked by someone else and I'm able to find the answer, but the recent posts about BC CL are really causing me to rethink our upcoming stay, and I could use some reassurance/guidance!

We (me, my husband, our 2 boys who will be 9 and 6 on the trip) had to cancel our Halloween trip due to health issues, so to make up for that disappointment I booked a week BC CL for early January. At the time I booked I was mostly seeing positive reviews here and on various Disney blogs. But after catching up on this thread in the last couple of days, now it sounds like cranky CMs and being stingy with the wine are becoming common at BC/YC??? Has anyone else experienced that lately, or was it more of an unlucky fluke for the DISers who have spoken up recently?

The only other CL availability for that week is GF SL and Poly. I stayed at GF non-CL when I was a kid and we've visited the resort as a family on more recent trips, and we do like the grounds and location. We've stayed at the Poly both CL and non-CL and we really love it there for many reasons. However, switching to Poly CL would be about $1500 more than BC, even with the Gift of Magic discount, and that price is soooooo difficult for us to justify no matter how much we love it. So we were looking at GF SL since it is "only" about $700 more than BC with the discount, the food offerings look a bit more substantial than other CL and they do have the additional tea service in the afternoon, rooms are obviously bigger than BC and I do like knowing that I will have a real balcony rather than the Juliet balconies that half the rooms at BC have. But then once I started thinking about making the switch and looking for more recent SL reviews, I'm seeing complaints that they're stingy with beer & wine there too???

I'm not looking to get hammered every night of my trip, but it's also vacation, and we're paying extra for the food AND beverages! My husband and I like to have a glass or two of wine or a couple of beers in the evenings and the occasional breakfast mimosa, which doesn't seem too crazy to me. But is that really that frowned upon in the non-self-serve CL now? Poly CL is obviously self-serve so we never had a problem grabbing a beer or POGmosa when we felt like it. I talked to my husband about my concerns and he said he's ok with switching if it will make me feel less anxious and if I think it will be a better overall experience for our family, but he also said he will have no problem bringing it up with the CMs if we do encounter problems. But...I also feel like we shouldn't have to do that, and that is not going to make for a very relaxed or enjoyable vacation if it is a hassle to get a glass of wine with evening apps.

Anyone else have recent experiences at BC or SL and want to chime in? Please and thank you!

I can see why you would be getting nervous just based on reading this thread, but I will say don't worry just based on what we are all writing here! I know when I write about a negative experience that I had related to a CL, it is still a very tiny event in what overall is a great trip, just the fact that we address it and others then chime in makes it seem larger and more important! I have stayed at all of the CLs except GDT, AKL, and CR tower club, and while I have favorites I would stay at any of them again without hesitation. Each resort and CL has drawbacks and benefits, and rarely do all of the benefits line up to point anyone just to one CL . For example, we love the vibe and views from the Poly, but the prices are often higher and the lounge tends to be busier. We love the views and walkability from the CR but the resort itself isn't our favorite. I love walking to 2 parks from the YC and BC and SAB is amazing, but the atmosphere in the lounges aren't my favorite. The food at the BWI CL is arguably the best, but overall I don't like the resort as well as some others. I love the GF but much prefer RPC over SL, and my boys prefer other resorts (once you can walk to the MK from there is will move up even more on our list!).

As for alcohol, I wouldn't worry at all about that. They all have it and it is always available in essentially unlimited amounts. Sure, it's nicer to serve yourself and I certainly won't argue that they shouldn't appear to judge, but in the grand scheme who cares! Just be pleasant and ask for what you want, and if they aren't super friendly don't worry about it and feel bad for them that they are such miserable judgy people who should be doing a different job. Or are maybe having a bad day or going through something personal. FWIW, I've never had any real issues getting alcohol at any CL, self serve or not. Occasionally I have had to wait around to find someone when it's off hours, which is mildly annoying but not the end of the world, and I've had CMs range from amazingly friendly to barely passable. I admit I do get annoyed and have a difficult time letting things go without perseverating on them, but it would be the way to be and I really do try to just let it roll off of me. I don't want to let a bad CM ruin any of my vacation, and if it's bad enough make the appropriate call/email to talk to a manager and move on.

If I were you I would pick a resort based on where you'll spend most of your time. If that's the Mk do the GF, and if it's Epcot and/or DHS stay at the YC/BC. For the price difference I would probably do GF over the Poly, unless you're talking Poly with a view and then it's harder lol - I do have to say I really prefer the Poly over SL for the lounge atmosphere, but when you factor in price that can often change things and it certainly isn't bad. I think you will find that you will have a great time at whichever resort you choose, and while it's good to be informed sometimes reading these boards makes you worry too much! Just remember every person has a different experience, and it's not uncommon on here to read about someones great experience and then someone else terrible experience, and realize they were at the same CL at the same time! It's all in luck and your personal interactions/experiences.

 

[focusondisney]

But after catching up on this thread in the last couple of days, now it sounds like cranky CMs and being stingy with the wine are becoming common at BC/YC???

We only stayed at BC CL once, years ago but we stay at YC CL regularly. This year, we had 7 night stays in both February & April. I will say, we don’t drink so have never directly asked for the adult beverages. But truthfully, we have never encountered any outright rude or cranky CMs. Has just never happened. We are 2 adults in our 60’s & pretty much keep to ourselves & need very little from CMs. But we have always encountered a smile & a greeting, even if just passing them in the hall. In fact, we saw a new CM pouring the wine at the 5-7 times. He was an older man (I think a retiree) & was so outgoing & chatty, my DH & I both took notice as we sat in the lounge a few days. I know he was new, because we could hear him as he chatted with other guests. We had a little smile about how upbeat & energetic he was.

Personally, I think I would pick which resort I wanted to be at. The resort itself with it’s amenities & location are more important to me than if a CM I might encounter for a few minutes here & there is a little grumpy looking or not magical enough. Again, I have never felt “judged” by the CMs. And if they did, .... they can bite me. My vacation, my money, their opinion of me means nothing. As long I receive the service I am paying for, I could care less if they do it with a smile or not. JMHO.

 

[AngiTN]

While I am one that has said I pointedly avoid the CL that serve alcohol I also have no problems with asking for it outside regular service hours at the self serve resorts. I don't feel like I've been censored or judged on what I consume at any resort. Having to ask all the time is just something that annoys me for reasons probably no one else can quite understand.

So, I wouldn't let that one thing deter you unless you know right now you will be frustrated at having to ask all the time. I knew going in that BC served but I tried it out once to know just how I felt about it. Actually, went twice to really get my full opinion. Plus, there are other things here and there that I find don't appeal to me about stays there. I would try a new place so you can have your own experience.

 

[ninafeliz]

While I am one that has said I pointedly avoid the CL that serve alcohol I also have no problems with asking for it outside regular service hours at the self serve resorts. I don't feel like I've been censored or judged on what I consume at any resort. Having to ask all the time is just something that annoys me for reasons probably no one else can quite understand.

So, I wouldn't let that one thing deter you unless you know right now you will be frustrated at having to ask all the time. I knew going in that BC served but I tried it out once to know just how I felt about it. Actually, went twice to really get my full opinion. Plus, there are other things here and there that I find don't appeal to me about stays there. I would try a new place so you can have your own experience.

While I don't go as far as avoiding staying at the resorts that pour for you, I do have to agree with the bolded part. it just really irritates me to have to ask when other places set it out. Even though I don't feel judged I just like the anonymity of getting what I want when I want it. I can't explain it, it's just irritating. I assume it is to save on use - but I'm sorry, at the prices they are charging even with discounts if we drank even 2 bottles of something a day they are making out like bandits! Plus I doubt that many people drink that much, and those that do are offset by those that don't and kids.

It's kind of like having to wait in line to have my receipt looked at when I leave Sams or Costco - not hard and not a big deal but just so annoying!

 

[AWalks]

I can see why you would be getting nervous just based on reading this thread, but I will say don't worry just based on what we are all writing here! I know when I write about a negative experience that I had related to a CL, it is still a very tiny event in what overall is a great trip, just the fact that we address it and others then chime in makes it seem larger and more important! I have stayed at all of the CLs except GDT, AKL, and CR tower club, and while I have favorites I would stay at any of them again without hesitation. Each resort and CL has drawbacks and benefits, and rarely do all of the benefits line up to point anyone just to one CL . For example, we love the vibe and views from the Poly, but the prices are often higher and the lounge tends to be busier. We love the views and walkability from the CR but the resort itself isn't our favorite. I love walking to 2 parks from the YC and BC and SAB is amazing, but the atmosphere in the lounges aren't my favorite. The food at the BWI CL is arguably the best, but overall I don't like the resort as well as some others. I love the GF but much prefer RPC over SL, and my boys prefer other resorts (once you can walk to the MK from there is will move up even more on our list!).

As for alcohol, I wouldn't worry at all about that. They all have it and it is always available in essentially unlimited amounts. Sure, it's nicer to serve yourself and I certainly won't argue that they shouldn't appear to judge, but in the grand scheme who cares! Just be pleasant and ask for what you want, and if they aren't super friendly don't worry about it and feel bad for them that they are such miserable judgy people who should be doing a different job. Or are maybe having a bad day or going through something personal. FWIW, I've never had any real issues getting alcohol at any CL, self serve or not. Occasionally I have had to wait around to find someone when it's off hours, which is mildly annoying but not the end of the world, and I've had CMs range from amazingly friendly to barely passable. I admit I do get annoyed and have a difficult time letting things go without perseverating on them, but it would be the way to be and I really do try to just let it roll off of me. I don't want to let a bad CM ruin any of my vacation, and if it's bad enough make the appropriate call/email to talk to a manager and move on.

If I were you I would pick a resort based on where you'll spend most of your time. If that's the Mk do the GF, and if it's Epcot and/or DHS stay at the YC/BC. For the price difference I would probably do GF over the Poly, unless you're talking Poly with a view and then it's harder lol - I do have to say I really prefer the Poly over SL for the lounge atmosphere, but when you factor in price that can often change things and it certainly isn't bad. I think you will find that you will have a great time at whichever resort you choose, and while it's good to be informed sometimes reading these boards makes you worry too much! Just remember every person has a different experience, and it's not uncommon on here to read about someones great experience and then someone else terrible experience, and realize they were at the same CL at the same time! It's all in luck and your personal interactions/experiences.

Thank you, those are really helpful insights! We're actually splitting time between the parks fairly evenly this trip, which is part of why originally I thought BC might be the best option since it's so easy to get to Epcot and HS, and it's not a horribly long bus or Minnie Van ride to MK or AK. My kids thought SAB looked pretty cool, but they were happy staying anywhere as long as there is a pool and ice cream! My husband and I have stayed at BWI/BWV a couple of times without the kids and I do really love that area. If we switched to a MK area resort, I would probably rearrange some of our park time and do a little more MK and cut back a little on Epcot or HS. I had the same thoughts about the BC lounge looking sort of blah and not having a ton of ambiance, but then again, that might be better than the lounge at the Poly at peak times!

Do you remember if BC CL has a dedicated bar-type area with a CM for beer and wine when it comes out for evening service? I assume earlier in the day you can just ask any lounge CM, but I haven't been able to figure out if it's like that in the evening as well.

 

[mrsap]

You summed up SL perfectly! I *might* consider SL again someday but it will probably be for a convenience-type split stay, like once the MK walkway is open then I'd consider SL for MNSSHP and a couple extra days for MK time, then we'd switch resorts. I say that now, but I'd probably not go through with it. So did your DH end up liking SL? My DH actually did, but I think it's because it was so easy to keep grabbing cold beers!

He liked it for the food and convenience. He was also disappointed in the staff and how some things were handled. (And that they no longer offered Mickey Waffles! lol) After multiple stays at WL CL and then RPC, we personally felt SL wasn’t as good. But I will note that we love, love, love GF and club level, so I don’t want to say I would never try SL again. I’m just hoping we were there at an off time and will have better luck in the future.

 

[AWalks]

While I am one that has said I pointedly avoid the CL that serve alcohol I also have no problems with asking for it outside regular service hours at the self serve resorts. I don't feel like I've been censored or judged on what I consume at any resort. Having to ask all the time is just something that annoys me for reasons probably no one else can quite understand.

So, I wouldn't let that one thing deter you unless you know right now you will be frustrated at having to ask all the time. I knew going in that BC served but I tried it out once to know just how I felt about it. Actually, went twice to really get my full opinion. Plus, there are other things here and there that I find don't appeal to me about stays there. I would try a new place so you can have your own experience.

I agree, it is annoying, especially when it's not an across-the-board policy and some lounges have things left out while others do not. I don't necessarily mind asking for things - though it's obviously so much easier to be able to just walk up and grab something yourself - I just don't want a guilt trip when I do ask. And I guess a lot of it really does just come down to personal opinion and tastes, because I've read plenty of reviews of people saying they would never book Poly CL again, whereas I personally loved it and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again...though with what prices have gone up to there now, it may require selling a kidney or something!

I do have to say, all of your praise of BWI CL has definitely bumped that up to the top of my wish list! Unfortunately it was only available for some of our dates but not the whole trip, and I just did not feel like attempting a split stay this time. I may have to keep checking on that though...

 

[AWalks]

He liked it for the food and convenience. He was also disappointed in the staff and how some things were handled. (And that they no longer offered Mickey Waffles! lol) After multiple stays at WL CL and then RPC, we personally felt SL wasn’t as good. But I will note that we love, love, love GF and club level, so I don’t want to say I would never try SL again. I’m just hoping we were there at an off time and will have better luck in the future.

Wait, what????!!! When did the Mickey Waffles go away? I swear I saw a vlog review of SL from within the last couple of months that still had the waffles being offered every other morning? That might actually change my husband's willingness to pay more to switch to SL! Which sounds like a completely ridiculous deal breaker but...here we are.

Both WL CL and RPC are completely booked for our dates (or were last time I checked), but they're both on my list! Our dates overlap with marathon weekend and while running on vacation is not my jam at all, I've heard that CLs are really popular with the runDisney folks, so that is probably why I'm not seeing much CL availability. We did contemplate booking a regular room at WL and trying to add on CL access at check-in, but I didn't want to risk the off chance that it wouldn't be available when we got there, and I also wanted to try out the CL paid fastpasses for a few of our days, which obviously wouldn't be an option in that case.

 

[ninafeliz]

Wait, what????!!! When did the Mickey Waffles go away? I swear I saw a vlog review of SL from within the last couple of months that still had the waffles being offered every other morning? That might actually change my husband's willingness to pay more to switch to SL! Which sounds like a completely ridiculous deal breaker but...here we are.

Both WL CL and RPC are completely booked for our dates (or were last time I checked), but they're both on my list! Our dates overlap with marathon weekend and while running on vacation is not my jam at all, I've heard that CLs are really popular with the runDisney folks, so that is probably why I'm not seeing much CL availability. We did contemplate booking a regular room at WL and trying to add on CL access at check-in, but I didn't want to risk the off chance that it wouldn't be available when we got there, and I also wanted to try out the CL paid fastpasses for a few of our days, which obviously wouldn't be an option in that case.

I think the Mickey waffles were taken away from SL sometime around June. We stayed at RPC in June then extended a day and stayed 1 night in SL. RPC had waffles most days (some days we didn’t eat breakfast so I can’t say every day for sure), and SL didn’t have them on our 1 morning. Around that time others were discussing it here, and I think someone actually asked a CM and were told they stoped them at SL.
I’m embarrassed to say I can’t remember for sure, but I feel like I might have overheard another guest asking during our one morning and being told they had stopped them recently at SL.

 

[AWalks]

I think the Mickey waffles were taken away from SL sometime around June. We stayed at RPC in June then extended a day and stayed 1 night in SL. RPC had waffles most days (some days we didn’t eat breakfast so I can’t say every day for sure), and SL didn’t have them on our 1 morning. Around that time others were discussing it here, and I think someone actually asked a CM and were told they stoped them at SL.
I’m embarrassed to say I can’t remember for sure, but I feel like I might have overheard another guest asking during our one morning and being told they had stopped them recently at SL.

Now that you mention it, I think I do remember reading something back in this thread about the waffles going away, but I must have forgotten. I guess I'm looking at a walk down to the quick service for Mickey waffles once or twice no matter whether we switch resorts or stick with BC. My boys had very few specific opinions about this trip, but Mickey waffles at least one morning was their biggest priority!

 

[mrsap]

I think the Mickey waffles were taken away from SL sometime around June. We stayed at RPC in June then extended a day and stayed 1 night in SL. RPC had waffles most days (some days we didn’t eat breakfast so I can’t say every day for sure), and SL didn’t have them on our 1 morning. Around that time others were discussing it here, and I think someone actually asked a CM and were told they stoped them at SL.

That was me!! We were there the 1st week of July. We asked a CM which days the Mickey Waffles were served and they said they no longer are serving them, only in RPC. The CM noted they had just (if I remember correctly) stopped serving them a week or two before. I will go back and see if I can find my posts from that Week and I will confirm.

Wait, what????!!! When did the Mickey Waffles go away? I swear I saw a vlog review of SL from within the last couple of months that still had the waffles being offered every other morning? That might actually change my husband's willingness to pay more to switch to SL! Which sounds like a completely ridiculous deal breaker but...here we are.

Both WL CL and RPC are completely booked for our dates (or were last time I checked), but they're both on my list! Our dates overlap with marathon weekend and while running on vacation is not my jam at all, I've heard that CLs are really popular with the runDisney folks, so that is probably why I'm not seeing much CL availability. We did contemplate booking a regular room at WL and trying to add on CL access at check-in, but I didn't want to risk the off chance that it wouldn't be available when we got there, and I also wanted to try out the CL paid fastpasses for a few of our days, which obviously wouldn't be an option in that case.

The end of June they stopped them at SL! They are now only serving them in RPC. Disappointing

I think it would be worth it to try to upgrade to CL at WL (after booking a standard room). I personally wouldn’t do it if it’s going to be over a busy week, like the 3rd and 4th of July for example, where I’ve never seen SO many people in a club lounge at one time. Good luck, I hope you get what you want!!