Resort Thread Disney's Club Level (CL) Thread

[Wood Nymph]

Poking around on the website today and saw a BWI CL Garden Cottage available. It costs a little more, but might be worth having the space, a guaranteed king bed, and the soaking tub. Also like being close to the boardwalk and bars!

The garden cottage is not very convenient to the lounge. The cottages are located on the inside of the Boardwalk resort and to reach them you have to either walk down the outdoor stairs or take the elevator to the ground floor. To go anywhere requires walking outside of the cottage, then either walking up a flight of stairs to the lobby, or taking the elevator to the lobby. Then you walk across to another set of stairs that takes you down to the Boardwalk restaurant area and the walkway to Epcot or DHS. We had a regular resort room on the ground floor in the same area and it was very annoying to have to take all these stairs to get anywhere.

 

[Babsy]

How is the WL CL these days? We haven't stayed there in many years and I expect that it has changed a lot since then. Anyone stayed here recently/since Covid? Is there any construction going on in that area of WDW?

We are staying at the CR and AKL next trip (Nov/Dec) and possibly WL or Epcot area resort in Jan/Feb.

I prefer to stay well away from construction as I have had some difficult experiences with it in the past.

 

[Dave006]

It is tricky. The lounge is on floor 4. You can take stairs up or an elevator. If you don’t mind going to/from the rooms are fun and recently remodeled.

The only major downside we found with the BWI Cottages is the stairs up to the bedroom after a long day of walk all around Parks for the day. They are steep steps. No issue in the morning but late nights we feel them even as regular walkers over 40K steps per day.

It is not a major issue to access the Inn Keepers Club on the 4th floor of the main building. We always used the stairs from the landing on the 2nd floor up large fancy stairs from the main building to the courtyard area.

Rainy weather can also impact the perceived distance from the main building to the Cottages. On a Plus note the Cottages are close to the Quite pool in the Courtyard.

Dave

 

[LoveDaisy]

Looking for advice about what to choose for an upcoming stay. Husband and I are currently booked at Beach Club CL water view. We are having a 4 night getaway without the kids Very excited!

Poking around on the website today and saw a BWI CL Garden Cottage available. It costs a little more, but might be worth having the space, a guaranteed king bed, and the soaking tub. Also like being close to the boardwalk and bars!

Should I make the switch? How far of a walk is the Innkeepers Club?

The garden cottages are my favorite rooms at Disney. It is so quiet there, they are a hidden oasis at Disney lol.

Things I love: how quiet it is, how close it is to the quiet pool, the extra space, the extra half bathroom, the small kitchen sink for rinsing out a refillable mug. I prefer the balcony rooms to the patio rooms. It does have a bathtub and separate shower. I’m not a bath person but it’s a nice tub if you are into that.

Things I don’t love. The stairs are steep and bare hardwood and can be slippery in socks (or after a few drinks lol)

I don’t mind the walk to the club. You do have to go outside. I feel like it’s a really quick walk but I’ve never timed it. I asked my husband he said it’s a 3-4 minute walk.

 

[lynlynch]

Hi! I’m currently having trouble deciding between WL CL and BWI CL. Would you be able to share your opinions on which may have better food offerings and has a more quiet lounge? Thank you!

I can only speak about the WL CL; we stayed there many times, most recently in May. Food offerings are fewer than the larger CL's but more than enough to satisfy all. Breakfast is always a variety of cereal, some form of egg or egg dish, yogurt, oatmeal, some type of meat, and assorted breads, bagels, etc. The variety can be the same or change the next day. Mid-day is more "snacks" with vegetables, dips, crackers, cheese, trail mix. Dinner features appetizers, little salads, dressings, soup or stew, vegetables (also usually at lunch) and some type of meat, as well as children's choices like mac and cheese or meatballs. They used to follow a northwest theme, but that seemed less prevalent. The lounge in general is quiet, as that floor is the smallest of all resorts. You may sit around the perimeter of the wide open balcony, though, and look down on the lobby; it is lovely. There are always busy times, such as before early morning openings or when the room first opens. However, that happens everywhere.

 

[lynlynch]

My friend was just as BWI cl and said it was very busy. It’s not a large space so it can be hit or miss /quiet or busy. However wl has seating that’s scattered. There is plenty of space to get away from noise /crowds. I rank gf RPC 1st then WL cl for space.

Food offerings? BWI is more traditional flavors whereas WL can have some western items mixed in but overall they have plenty and you should find something you’d like. WL has a beer tap for those you like beer.

I have done BWI a few post Covid trips for my splits to walk to Epcot/hs. I have not been back to WL in a while cause I’ve been on the monorail for my splits. However I would go back in a heartbeat. It’s a lovely resort.

Oh I like the pools at WL and QS availability more than BWI.

I posted pix of my lunch at Geyser Point last week on WL thread if interested. Dd and I often go there to visit WL.

As of May, they were not using the beer tap. In the past, their offerings (beer and wine) were tailored to the Northwest theme. Now they offer more general, but favored types of beer and wine. I think adding the tap back would be nice for those who want to try new beverages. We always had to request a light beer, which is now part of the regular choices, so that is a plus.

 

[lynlynch]

Which would you choose a standard view tower club room at CR or a CR Atruim club TPV. We don’t eat sushi, so that’s not a consideration. The tower club is about $20-30 cheaper. Can someone repost pics of the room. I like facing the magic kingdom, but those big balconies…. Also I know a bunch of people have mentioned the Atruim being a little crowded and difficult to find a table.

Atrium CL lake view (aka standard) faces East so, sunrise in the morning, Epcot fireworks and water parade at night. TP view overlooks the parking lot but you can see MK fireworks at night. You can also see them, with sound, in the lounge. The tower CL rooms (quieter "14th" floor) are one level above the 12th floor Atrium CL. Standard rooms are available when a suite does not require access to them. I suspect the price varies depending on how many rooms are open. I would choose standard view over TP, but you win either way! Tables can be hard to find during busy times in any CL lounge. We've tried six of them. Give it a half hour or so after they open and they thin out. The balcony and rooms with standard view appear to be the same size to me.

 

[lynlynch]

How is the WL CL these days? We haven't stayed there in many years and I expect that it has changed a lot since then. Anyone stayed here recently/since Covid? Is there any construction going on in that area of WDW?

We are staying at the CR and AKL next trip (Nov/Dec) and possibly WL or Epcot area resort in Jan/Feb.

I prefer to stay well away from construction as I have had some difficult experiences with it in the past.

No signs of construction when we stayed in the main building in May. There is a different CL manager now, so some things are slightly different in the lounge, but we loved it. They stopped the beer taps, but you can self-serve beer and wine now, with cast members close by, an appreciated change. We were there during Hurricane Charley in 2004 and did not visit WL again for many years. Now it is one of our favorites.

 

[PrincessJasmine88]

Hi has anyone stayed at Boardwalk CL lately? How is the food?

 

[MommaKetch]

I think for an alone trip I’d go with the cottage.

To go anywhere requires walking outside of the cottage, then either walking up a flight of stairs to the lobby, or taking the elevator to the lobby. Then you walk across to another set of stairs that takes you down to the Boardwalk restaurant area and the walkway to Epcot or DHS.

Rainy weather can also impact the perceived distance from the main building to the Cottages. On a Plus note the Cottages are close to the Quite pool in the Courtyard.

The garden cottages are my favorite rooms at Disney. It is so quiet there, they are a hidden oasis at Disney lol.

Thank you all so much for the input! At this point, I am leaning toward keeping our Beach Club reservation as my favorite feature about CL is the easy access to a great cup of coffee and breakfast buffet in the morning. Everything else is a wonderful bonus!

But, who knows, I may change my mind about the cottages, it's been known to happen, haha! I will also see what DH prefers.

 

[jods]

I'm enjoying my non cl stay. Currently sitting on the boardwalk with a cup of coffee. I so miss the lounge for morning coffee and a place to sit. I also miss the convenience of popping in and out for a drink or snack. Booth lines at Epcot wad insane Friday night. Yesterday morning at AK was packed too. We left around 12ish. Navi was 105 minutes, dinosaur was over an hour too. We didn't buy genie plus yesterday because we only wanted expedition everest, safari and FOP. Did safari at opening with no wait and then EE. It was pretty empty until around 10. We waited 30-45 minutes for FOP with an ILL. I've never waited that long with an ILL. Friday my friend did GOG with the virtual queue. I asked the cm he said about 45 minutes. It was at least an hour and half. I told her if she wants to ride again we're buying the ILL. We went to Jellyrolls last night. So much fun! We had such a great time. I can't believe how much fun we had there. We may or may not have had quite a few cocktails lol. So went to Abracadabra when it opened at 4. Nice place to relax. Since this group lives drink pictures, here's a few from food and wine.

 

[Sara W]

Hi has anyone stayed at Boardwalk CL lately? How is the food?

I just got back yesterday. I thought the breakfast offerings were very good, and my kids were happy with the selection. The evening food was very good too, although we had shrimp and polenta for 3 of the 4 nights. There were other offerings mixed in as well (meatballs, a pork belly and rice dish, small salads, bao buns, gnocchi, Mac n cheese, beefy Mac)
I remember there being meats and cheeses during the mid-day at BC CL, they only had the veggies and dip at BW (plus cookies and bags of snacks).

 

[Sara W]

I stayed at BW CL with my kids (12 and 13) last week. The staff is excellent, they really make you feel like friends. My kids were so excited about all of the rubber ducks they got in drinks. Lene knew my son wanted a particular duck, so when she saw us later in the day she brought him one. When a different girl was bringing his drink and saw it had the same duck, she quickly turned around and replaced the duck to a different one. Lorenzo always remembered us and was so friendly. Vincenza brought my daughter a special treat right before we left.
The highlight- I went to get dessert with my daughter and who is sitting in the club room?? None other than Josh D’Amaro! He was working on his computer and talking on the phone. I ended up asking for a picture before we left. I didn’t want to disturb him because he was obviously working, but he still talked to us for several minutes. We talked about running on the Boardwalk (I was in my workout clothes and heading down to the gym) and when I saw him a few days later he was heading out for a run. He remembered our conversation about running and working out. He really is a people person.
I’ve asked my kids about trying out another club (we’ve done 3 different clubs now), but the BW remains their home and they have no interest in trying anywhere else.

 

[foolish-mortal]

I have a question for anyone who has upgraded to CL at check-in. If I book a resort on a discount, and CL rooms are not available at the discounted rate (but still available at the full rate), can you try to upgrade to CL when you check-in? I know this wouldn't be a guarantee. But, if you can - do they charge you the full rack rate to upgrade to CL? Or is it just a certain amount over what you've already paid?

Sorry for rambling - hope this is making sense. I know that if I absolutely 100% want CL I need to just book as such. But, I'd like to try to upgrade at check-in and see if it's possible. Just not sure how much they would charge at that point. Thanks for any info!

 

[DJFan88]

I have a question for anyone who has upgraded to CL at check-in. If I book a resort on a discount, and CL rooms are not available at the discounted rate (but still available at the full rate), can you try to upgrade to CL when you check-in? I know this wouldn't be a guarantee. But, if you can - do they charge you the full rack rate to upgrade to CL? Or is it just a certain amount over what you've already paid?

Sorry for rambling - hope this is making sense. I know that if I absolutely 100% want CL I need to just book as such. But, I'd like to try to upgrade at check-in and see if it's possible. Just not sure how much they would charge at that point. Thanks for any info!

I’m just guessing if it’s not available at discount now because the category is not up for a discount, it wouldn’t be then either.
If people canceled a discounted rate CL room, maybe, but I would check at around 30 days out, a week before starting to allow for different stay dates to see if someone cancels a room like that.

 

[trishadono]

I have a question for anyone who has upgraded to CL at check-in. If I book a resort on a discount, and CL rooms are not available at the discounted rate (but still available at the full rate), can you try to upgrade to CL when you check-in? I know this wouldn't be a guarantee. But, if you can - do they charge you the full rack rate to upgrade to CL? Or is it just a certain amount over what you've already paid?

Sorry for rambling - hope this is making sense. I know that if I absolutely 100% want CL I need to just book as such. But, I'd like to try to upgrade at check-in and see if it's possible. Just not sure how much they would charge at that point. Thanks for any info!

I have asked at check in. If it is not available online= not available there. One time an outerbuilding gv room was showing online(we extended a day) but they dont' have access. I was told to book myself and come back they would fine me a room in my category.

I was at gf cl and had a late check out. We added a day gv with ap discount they moved us to BPK for convenience.

 

[Lewisc]

I have a question for anyone who has upgraded to CL at check-in. If I book a resort on a discount, and CL rooms are not available at the discounted rate (but still available at the full rate), can you try to upgrade to CL when you check-in? I know this wouldn't be a guarantee. But, if you can - do they charge you the full rack rate to upgrade to CL? Or is it just a certain amount over what you've already paid?

Sorry for rambling - hope this is making sense. I know that if I absolutely 100% want CL I need to just book as such. But, I'd like to try to upgrade at check-in and see if it's possible. Just not sure how much they would charge at that point. Thanks for any info!

Posters have had the ability to add club access, to a regular reservation at WL. Available at check-in l, subject to availability.

AFAIK the front desk doesn’t have access to deals. Whatever you see online is what they have access to.

 

[lotsohugginbear]

Are they still giving CL guests the opportunity to have Minnie van pick up from the airport?
I am arriving solo to BWI in December and thought this would be fun. Does anyone know
if this is arranged through Signature Services or Mears?

 

[DJFan88]

Posters have had the ability to add club access, to a regular reservation at WL. Available at check-in l, subject to availability.

AFAIK the front desk doesn’t have access to deals. Whatever you see online is what they have access to.

Is that still available? I thought it had been discontinued. I would be interested if I’m mistaken as that was a good deal.

 

[Lewisc]

Is that still available? I thought it had been discontinued. I would be interested if I’m mistaken as that was a good deal.

Search this thread. A poster was able to add club at WL a few months back