Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[GADisneyDad14]

As far as the room, we booked a "Tower - Deluxe Suite - CL Access" as labeled on Disney's website. I can't imagine what the 1BR suite is like as this one was quite large as it is!

Anyone who has looked at WDW suites knows how 'annoying' the prices are. The price on this room - for the resort, CL, and what you get - was surprisingly reasonable, in my opinion. Relatively speaking of course.

I didn't submit any requests, so left it up to TPTB. Our room was on the 14th floor, one floor down from the lounge. It's the one in red below.

I'll be honest, my heart sank a bit when I saw we were right by the elevator - basically wrapping around the entire elevator bank. But, I really couldn't hear it at all. Maybe an occasional mechanical click late at night when things were very quiet, but nothing notable. DW said she heard the "ding" of it arriving on the floor a few times.

The bigger issue (and I've mentioned this before here) was an electronic humming that came from the fire alarm speakers in the bedroom and main room. I 'fixed' it with some band aids over the speakers, but I'm not sure I could have slept as is. For the record, DW thinks I'm absolutely crazy and must be able to hear weird frequencies... so YMMV. But I know what I heard!



Entry way to the room. A half-bath (toilet and sink) is on the left. Connecting door on the right.


The couch pulls out.








Swanky looking fridge.


And Keurig machine.


The half bath...



Love the TV setup, lots of on demand content. I'd advise not listening to the Disney Parks Music channel if you were a fan of Illuminations. Too soon.

 

[mrsap]

Speaking of good CLs, finally getting around to organizing my pics from GDT from a few weeks ago. This was our first time at CSR (had only ever driven past) and frankly I didn't know much about the overall resort prior to arrival. I had glanced at posts about GDT CL but hadn't really 'studied' what to expect, somewhat on purpose.

A few random thoughts/opinions, in no particular order:

In the world of Disney CL, this place gets a ton of high marks.

I thought CSR was a breathtakingly beautiful resort. While large in size, it's easily manageable/walk-able with tons of options for eating, waterfront dining, rooftop dining, outdoor dining, bars, lounges, etc. Pick your mood/preference and they have an option that will fit. I'd gladly stay here with or without kids.

GDT feels a lot like the WDW Four Seasons, but without the Four Seasons price.

CL at GDT is a bit like Disney CL on steroids. But like everywhere, there are some things about the experience that are way above-standard relative to typical Disney CL, and some things that were just average/so-so.

Perhaps the most impressive part of GDT CL was the CMs. There were almost always many CMs around, many manager types as well... incredibly engaging with a consistent "at your service" attitude, arguably more so than we've experienced at any other CL. I would come back here for the CMs alone, which I think is probably telling.

We didn't encounter any greeters upon arrival, only a very, very long check-in line at the front desk. I searched around for someone official looking and told them we were checking in CL, and he quickly whisked us up to the lounge on the 15th floor where he checked us in with his ipad. The lounge does not have traditional CM desks, only a stand-up stand with one computer right by the door - so you do your check-in business at a lounge table. This was uneventful when we checked-in as it was mid-day and no one was around. I was in the lounge another time eating breakfast and someone was checking in at the table next to me. I thought it was just a bit awkward to be handling check-in/payment business in such close proximity/earshot, but there's really no other option given there are no CM desks. Sort of like GF SL with the CM desk right in the middle of the lounge. Pretty minor observation though.

Pretty similar to other CLs, we had times where there were very few people in the lounge, and times when it was somewhat crowded. The lounge is quite large with a variety of seating options - tables, couches, chairs, etc. It's nice to have a lounge that was actually built as a lounge and not renovated to be one. It's a gorgeous space.

Unfortunately I didn't get many food pics. Our stay was rather short (3 nights) and the food service areas don't lend themselves to snapping pics when people are around. For as light/bright as the lounge is during the day, it's a touch on the dark side when the sun goes down.

Breakfast was the real star of the show in my opinion. Minnie Waffles, bacon, eggs, typical continental type items, etc. Tons of options.

Afternoon snacks where just that - some basic nibblers.

I would like to give evening apps another shot. We were there for the W&D weekend races so were somewhat cautious with what we were eating. Meaning, the mussels they had out one evening (that looked very good) just weren't in the cards for us.

I am hoping this was an anomaly, but for the two nights we were there for evening apps, nothing was labeled. Some of the dishes aren't exactly obvious what they are, so labels would have been nice. I thought I had seen food pics with labels, so maybe this was just something odd on our nights??

Overall evening apps felt less abundant than some other places, but two nights isn't really a fair sample size, so I think my final conclusion is I'd like another stay to get a better feel for things.

I did not notice any evening apps geared towards children (nuggets, PBJ, etc) - it's like BWI CL in this regard.

Desserts did not seem to be as unique/abundant as some of the pics I saw originally, but again, may just have been the night.

We enjoyed the various candies/chocolates in jars out in the lounge all day. Also granola bars.

I've stayed at both YC CL and WL CL for other races and both left out "provisions" overnight for runners. Nothing here at GDT, which surprised me a bit.

Being on a high floor, the lounge offers great views towards DHS and Epcot. Pic doesn't do it justice, but the view of the top mountains/spires of SWGE is great.
View attachment 454341


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Not a bad welcome to the Chronos Club.
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Afternoon snacks.
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Wine and bubbly out all day, self-service.
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6 varieties of wine.
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The fridge is stocked all day. Beer includes:
Funky Buddah
Bud Light
Mic Ultra
Daura (new to me, delicious)
Maeloc (?) hard cider (from Spain)
I-4 IPA
Stella (out below)

Other options included, Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke (out below), Sprite, Fanta, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water, Gold Peak tea, Minute Maid lemonade (out below), Pellegrino, apple juice.

I am not sure if it was due to runners (which there seemed to be a lot of staying there) staying well-hydrated in the lounge, but they were consistently out of bottled water in the lounge over the weekend - roughly 70% of the time. When stocked it was either Dasani or SmartWater. When they were out, there was sometimes a water jug in the lounge and sometimes not. It was a bit odd. ??
View attachment 454347


Post race enjoyment.
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Many tables in the lounge are set with real clothe napkins and silverware.
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My one pic of anything evening app related.
View attachment 454350

Beautifully written, great pics! I’m looking forward to seeing it this summer!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I didn't get any pics of the bedroom, but here's the bathroom - which was gorgeous and highly functional!




First resort we've stayed at with these. Different, but I have no problem with it.



The bathroom has a half-frosted window which makes it super bright.


View from in the shower. Loved this bathroom.



Separate toilet room with sliding dividing door, quite large.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

This room had a lovely view overlooking the resort. To the very left is DAK - you can just see EE and the top of the Tree of Life.



To the right, MK and CR are visible in the far distance.



Some abundant algae discoloration on the facade at this particular corner - must have some poor drainage or something. Those strips are rather bright LED lights that shine up at the 14th floor (they are only on this floor). Posed no issues at night with the curtains closed.



MK fireworks were quite visible.


Lastly, a lovely sunset.



Happy to answer any questions about GDT CL!

 

[mrsap]

This room had a lovely view overlooking the resort. To the very left is DAK - you can just see EE and the top of the Tree of Life.
View attachment 454369


To the right, MK and CR are visible in the far distance.
View attachment 454371


Some abundant algae discoloration on the facade at this particular corner - must have some poor drainage or something. Those strips are rather bright LED lights that shine up at the 14th floor (they are only on this floor). Posed no issues at night with the curtains closed.
View attachment 454372


MK fireworks were quite visible.
View attachment 454373

Lastly, a lovely sunset.
View attachment 454374


Happy to answer any questions about GDT CL!

The rooms and views are breathtaking. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mzpalmtree]

I feel the same way about open, bright, and cheerful rooms over earthy and wood. It may be time for a CR stay because my family won't let us stay at GF two times in a row.

I'm thinking AKL will be perfect when getting to rope drop isn't as important as it is now. My wife thinks we are doing WL next. hmmmmm love it but hope the rooms are nicer (clean/new) than Poly.

Thanks!

I wouldn’t count on the WL rooms being nicer (clean/newer) than Poly. I may be a bit biased because Poly is my fav but we did a three way split this summer AKL/Poly/WL and the WL room we received was the shabbiest of the three and also had maintenance issues (quickly addressed by the wonderful WL staff I might add). I know the rooms are about the same size as AKL, but they seemed smaller due to the AKL room we stayed in being recently renovated with smaller/smarter furniture. Since WL was our last stop in the split I was initially extremely disappointed after the other two but our gorgeous fireworks view and the beauty of the resort itself paired with the lovely cast members made it great. I have said, however, that I will not stay at WL again until it’s been renovated or if the price was EXTREMELY good.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I wouldn’t count on the WL rooms being nicer (clean/newer) than Poly. I may be a bit biased because Poly is my fav but we did a three way split this summer AKL/Poly/WL and the WL room we received was the shabbiest of the three and also had maintenance issues (quickly addressed by the wonderful WL staff I might add). I know the rooms are about the same size as AKL, but they seemed smaller due to the AKL room we stayed in being recently renovated with smaller/smarter furniture. Since WL was our last stop in the split I was initially extremely disappointed after the other two but our gorgeous fireworks view and the beauty of the resort itself paired with the lovely cast members made it great. I have said, however, that I will not stay at WL again until it’s been renovated or if the price was EXTREMELY good.

I completely agree with this. We like WL for many reasons, the current rooms are not one of them.

While nothing truly complaint worthy, our CL room in April was definitely in the ‘worst’ shape and also ‘darkest’ of any room we’ve had recently (WDW or anywhere).

But, like you said, paired with the beautiful (and usually uncrowded) lounge, CMs, and everything that is WL very much minimize any observations we have about the room itself.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm still angry that WL redo was scheduled and then scrapped. With no restart announced. It needs it bad

 

[PolyRob]

@GADisneyDad14 I love your GDT review and pics! I also LOVE your monorail toiletry kit!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@GADisneyDad14 I love your GDT review and pics! I also LOVE your monorail toiletry kit!

That belongs to one of my kids. I swear.

 

[Twende]

We checked out of AKL Jambo Club Level and it was amazing! Of the 12 or so DVC rooms on the lounge floor (6th) half are closed for refurbishment so the club was so nice! We had wonderful food and drink and great service!

I will do it again every chance I get!

 

[Alison S]

Just returned from a week in GDT standard view room:

Room:
-seemed large with lots of light
-nice comfy firm beds
-very clean
-lots of USB ports, lots of surfaces to put things, lots of drawers & hangers
-we were on the 15th floor and it was convenient to go over to the lounge
-there definitely was something making a weird beeping noise. I wear ear plugs so it didn't bother me and DS7 didn't notice.

Lounge:
-staff were all pleasant and some were extremely friendly
-Breakfast: there was always a rotating egg dish, steel cut oats or muesli, minnie waffles, cereal, fruit, pasteries/breads and a bagel topping station. We each found lots to eat there and I loved the convenience.
-after breakfast, I LOVED everything and DS7 hated everything except the cookies, lol! This was not unexpected. If I had been here with DH we would have exclusively eaten at the lounge since it exactly suits our tastes.
-Afternoon snack: I think we only had this once since we were usually gone at this time. There were a very small plates: a beet salad, slices of manchego with honeycomb and jalapeño, baguette with a chocolate & hazelnut pate, hummus with veggies, trail mix, goldfish and cookies ( I think), potato chips (made there, these were the best), uncrustables
-Evening Appetizers: always 2 mains (grilled chicken wings, a weird mushroom? pasta- like the pasta was actually mushrooms, paella, veggie crab cakes, veggie quesadillas), grilled veggies, tarts (beef tartare was one), usually there was a shot glass with something in it too, manchego cubes, marcona almonds, more potato chips (these were usually out during dessert too)
-Desserts: cookies, macarons, strawberry & chocolate mickey tarts
-Drinks: huge selection, I stuck to the bottled water and san pellegrino, as well as the cava

Resort:
-I didn't love that there wasn't a quick service in the tower. It was a short walk to get to one, but even that felt long after a 25k step day at the parks
-pool was nice, it was cool so we didn't enjoy it that often. Great water slide!
-the bus service was great, a couple of times a bus didn't seem to be coming in the next 10 minutes so we took an uber. Coming back from the parks it was amazing!
-it reminded me of a vegas hotel but much smaller. To me this is a plus, maybe not to others!

 

[hereforthechurros]

I wouldn’t count on the WL rooms being nicer (clean/newer) than Poly. I may be a bit biased because Poly is my fav but we did a three way split this summer AKL/Poly/WL and the WL room we received was the shabbiest of the three and also had maintenance issues (quickly addressed by the wonderful WL staff I might add). I know the rooms are about the same size as AKL, but they seemed smaller due to the AKL room we stayed in being recently renovated with smaller/smarter furniture. Since WL was our last stop in the split I was initially extremely disappointed after the other two but our gorgeous fireworks view and the beauty of the resort itself paired with the lovely cast members made it great. I have said, however, that I will not stay at WL again until it’s been renovated or if the price was EXTREMELY good.

Struggling with this reality for our upcoming trip. We are staying there over Christmas but have only stayed in a CCV room, which are gorgeous, and a little nervous about the condition of the standard WL rooms. There were no CL rooms available but we are checking in at 8 am to request paid club access. Hope it offsets any rooms issues.

 

[trishadono]

While unqualified to answer your specific question (for CL stays, have only stayed GF RPC and GF SL and going back to GF RPC in Spring 2020), I feel compelled to chime in as I've posted the same question on this board more than once in the past couple of years.
Needless to say, this is all personal preference! Here are the factors most important to us, in no particular order:
1. Location, location, location. Where do you want spend most of your time, both inside and outside of the parks? It's also about the atmosphere we desire- we don't feel like we're really 'at Disney' until we arrive at the MK area. Do we want to be in the middle of the action? Do we want to be able to walk to various restaurants and entertainment? Do we want to be more removed from the parks?
2. Sleep 5+ Rooms. This is obviously a requirement for your party. We are a family of four, but need sleep-five/six rooms for comfortable sleeping arrangements (which are so important on vacation!). As noted by others, unless you're booking two standard rooms, a deluxe room, or suite, some of the standard CL rooms don't accommodate five (YC, BC, AKL, WL).
3. Guaranteed (Full) Balcony. I want to know we have a full balcony (some CLs have smaller and/or dormer-type balconies, ie. WL Standard CL rooms, and as you know, others don't have them at all- second floor Poly CL...). We love to have this private outdoor space to hang out after the kids go to bed, especially.
4. Pools. Will your family spend a lot of time in the pools? Is a nice feature pool, slide, or the ability to rent a cabana important to you? Some resorts (CR, looking at you) don't have as popular or desirable of pool areas, though again, this is personal preference- if I recall, @trishadono , you like CR pools, right?
5. FOOD. Quality, quantity, type. Will you rely mostly on CL for your food, or will you supplement with ADRs? Is your family more adventurous with cuisine, or do they prefer more mainstream options? Do you like African-themed food (AKL), sushi and lettuce wraps (Poly), cobblers and stews (WL), more seafood (BWI), etc.? This is an oversimplification of each of those CL's offerings, but you get the picture. My kids are picky eaters, so we need a larger variety of more tame foods, with some slightly more elevated options for the parents.
6. Misc. Room Considerations. Size: Of the standard CL rooms, some are significantly larger than others, and of course, there are deluxe (BWI, WL, GF) room options as well as suites, also. Bathrooms: We prefer a water closet (I don't believe Poly has this, some others don't, either), and good counter space (CR has the two large flat sinks and a small counter in between).
7. Transportation. We love being on the monorail loop, though that could change as our kids get older (or it may not!). Do you want to be able to walk to MK or EP/HS? Do you prefer a monorail resort? Are you okay with buses or Minnie Vans/ Uber for those resorts that are more remote (ie. AKL)?
8. Lounge Features. Size, location, proximity to guest rooms, seating options, fireworks view...
9. Fireworks View. Can we see the fireworks from the lounge, or at least the grounds of the resort? We far prefer this to fighting the crowds in the park.
WHEW, so much to consider... we actually made a chart of each resort CL and each of these factors (plus a few others!), and that helped us make our choice. The best of luck to you! I'm sure whichever resort CL you choose will make for a magical vacation for you and your family!

Yep

 

[trishadono]

I didn't get any pics of the bedroom, but here's the bathroom - which was gorgeous and highly functional!

View attachment 454362


First resort we've stayed at with these. Different, but I have no problem with it.
View attachment 454364


The bathroom has a half-frosted window which makes it super bright.
View attachment 454365

View from in the shower. Loved this bathroom.
View attachment 454366


Separate toilet room with sliding dividing door, quite large.
View attachment 454367


View attachment 454368

I had a deluxe suite twice. The one on the 15th floor had the shampoo etc in tubes. Probably because it could connect to the pres suite adjacent.

The one on 8th floor had the wall mounted ones.

Loved your review. Both of our stays were so nice! The staff really tried to a make sure everyone was having a good time.

Food was better in sept vs oct for me. They had a kids station in sept. It was the spot on back wall towards rest room.

I’m still craving the sunflower butter toasts from midday,

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm still angry that WL redo was scheduled and then scrapped. With no restart announced. It needs it bad

Someone posted that the club level floor was going to be closed in January for a room refurbishment. It that what has been postponed?

 

[Rachel GB]

Thanks so much. Does this mean that if I answer all nine questions you will fill in the perfect resort? haha Just kidding but I will do it anyway.

1. We would like to stay on the monorail loop but have been taking advantage of Uber/Lyft more and more. It may also be time to try something new.
2. We will most likely be needing a bigger room next time. 5 in the standard room is not terrible but next time will need more room.
3. Balcony is nice but not a make or break.
4. We have loved every pool so far. In 2011 we really loved the smaller pool for the villas at WL. Just more private.
5. This is a good question. But we will not depend on CL for meals besides breakfast.
6. Will look into this.
7. I LOVE being able to walk (Bay Lake/CR) to MK but not sure that matters as much for the family.
8. THIS is HUGE. I like the lounge to be somewhat close and the same floor would be nice. Size is also important for privacy. GFRP is the perfect set up for us. Fireworks view is nice but not huge.
9. Love this idea but not super important. Our favorite is watching the fireworks from behind the castle.

This is my families final 4: WL, AKL, Yacht Club, and possibly CR. GF is a favorite but is not on the list this time around.

Thanks!!!!!

(EDITED)

Haha! I’m happy to chime in further following your response.

As for your preference for a more open lounge, CR and YC don’t match that. I believe WL and AKL lounges are open to the main lobbies, so may have a more open feel. None of your top four have multiple floors and openness of GFRPC, which you noted as a favorite lounge style.

I love the serenity of WL. It is near the magic, without being on top of it. Standard guest rooms are reportedly run-down, but you would need either two of those or a deluxe room, and I'm unsure as to the current state of those. Deluxe rooms at WL are on different floors than the lounge, and you noted a preference of being close to the lounge. There are a couple of suites (we have looked at the Yosemite Suite, but didn't like sleeping arrangements even for our family of four), but I'm not sure whether or not they have CL access and where exactly they are located. WL CL CMs have an excellent reputation on this thread.

AKL would also offer serenity, and ANIMALS! Some friends have shared AKL transportation isn't the best, but of course, YMMV, and you've shared that you're open to Uber/etc. The standard AKL CL rooms are quite far from the lounge. AKL has one- and two- bedroom CL suites, but many of them are located on various floors. AKL rooms have been/ are being refurbished.

Most of the CL lounge breakfast offerings are relatively similar, so if that’s mostly what you’ll be utilizing it for, that isn’t really a deciding factor.

YC has two bedroom CL suites, I believe on various floors. CR has one- and two- bedroom and hospitality CL suites, but not all of them are in the same wing/ building as the lounge. I'm not sure if you are open to larger suites that are not bookable online. There are a limited number in various resorts that you would have to call about to find more details (also some posts here on Disboards about these), rates, and availability. They are sometimes farther from the standard CL rooms and lounge, possibly on a different floor.

As you know, CR standard rooms are the only ones on your short list that sleep five. If you're interested in CR, it may be worth it to check out the Tower Club on the 14th floor (the Atrium Club is on the 12th). It is more intimate and has an even better reputation, and also has suites. It is not bookable online, so again, would require a call. FYI, I called once to ask about it, and the CM told me it doesn't exist . CMs aren't always very familiar with some of those room types/ categories.

Other things we found helpful:
- Videos of deluxe room/suite tours and room layouts and locations online (TP and also lots of resources here on Disboards)
- CL lounge video tours
- Which resort ‘feels’ right? We get a certain feeling when we visit (and also watch videos) of our favorite resort. It just feels right!

Again, best of luck to you!

 

[mickeynut1]

We checked out of AKL Jambo Club Level and it was amazing! Of the 12 or so DVC rooms on the lounge floor (6th) half are closed for refurbishment so the club was so nice! We had wonderful food and drink and great service!

I will do it again every chance I get!

AKL CL is on my list to try. Glad you had a great time .

 

[ColoradoMom12]

Quick question for those of you who have stayed at the GDT at CSR. Were the different food offerings labeled? We are here now, and I’m slightly irritated that nothing is labeled. I keep needing to find a CM to walk me through the foods and identify what’s what. My DD is a rather picky eater, and there’s a lot she just won’t eat. I, too, prefer to know what things are so that I can make a choice about whether or not they are something I want to eat. Taking a guess about whether or not I’ll like the way something tastes based on how it looks isn’t the most efficient way of doing things. Just my opinion.

I love the refrigerator with large bottles of water!!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Quick question for those of you who have stayed at the GDT at CSR. Were the different food offerings labeled? We are here now, and I’m slightly irritated that nothing is labeled. I keep needing to find a CM to walk me through the foods and identify what’s what. My DD is a rather picky eater, and there’s a lot she just won’t eat. I, too, prefer to know what things are so that I can make a choice about whether or not they are something I want to eat. Taking a guess about whether or not I’ll like the way something tastes based on how it looks isn’t the most efficient way of doing things. Just my opinion.

I love the refrigerator with large bottles of water!!

I just posted my GDT review from a recent stay a few posts above and one of my “nits” was no food labels, which I thought would be helpful since several things weren’t necessarily obvious. My trip was a few weeks ago. I was hoping our experience was an anomaly, but I guess not.