disneyholic family
disney on my mind....
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2002
- Messages
- 20,509
BambiTamby - i think it probably was me.....it certainly sounds like me...
thank you all for your welcomes and advice...
if it were just me, i think i'd do BWI and/or WL.....
amazingly, we've never stayed at WL ever (concierge or otherwise)....we did stay at BWI back when it opened, but not concierge....
the problem is, my kids hated the pool at BWI...
they love stormalong bay (even though we'll probably spend a total of 3 hours in it during our stay).....
i think the YC is beautiful and while the staff at the YC concierge was very nice, the lounge is quite small and gets very crowded...
I'm already impressed by the the AKL concierge CMs....for the very first time we were contacted in advance of a trip by a concierge staff.....that's never happened before.......
and now for my review of the concierges we've stayed in the past...take into account that the last time we were in WDW was summer 2002 (talk about serious withdrawal after so much time away)...
GF - sugarloaf -
the staff was wonderful.....we were taken from the valet in the front straight to the sugarloaf concierge for checkin.....the CM who checked us in was charming....all through our stay he had a big smile on his face as did the other CMs, welcoming everyone who came into the lounge and making sure everyone felt at home.....we were very very impressed by the CMs at the sugarloaf concierge.....breakfast was very good, the rest of the day was less impressive.....and there wasn't much in the way of soft drinks but maybe that's changed by now...
BC concierge -
this was before the BC underwent its refurbishment, so the whole floor was very long in the tooth by that point....i'm sure it looks better now....the CMs at the BC were quite cold.....they never said hello.....they sat outside the lounge so maybe because of that they never engaged the guests.....the food offering was quite good and there were plenty of soft drinks...
YC concierge -
this was just after the refurbishment of the concierge level at the YC and the place was gorgeous.....although the lounge is quite tiny, it's beautiful and clean....the CMs were adorable....very sweet and friendly....even though they also sit outside the lounge....but they always made a point of greeting the guests.....i was very impressed by the YC concierge CMs....
Disneyland Grand Californian concierge -
we went straight from WDW to california for 4 more days of disney.....this was the absolute worst concierge experience.....the hotel is stunningly beautiful....and the concierge room is quite large and gorgeous....but the CMs....the nastiest bunch of people i've ever encountered.....every one of them.....those who work the desks and those who run the food (since this is such a large concierge they have different CMs handling the booking type work from those who deal with the food)....
but all of them, without exception, NEVER smiled.....we were in shock.....we couldn't believe this was a disney operation.....we kept saying that no way would any of them be hired in WDW.....i don't think i've ever encountered any CM that sour at WDW.... we were terribly terribly terribly disappointed.....i've heard that the concierge at the other disney hotel there is much nicer in terms of CM attitude....if we ever get back there, i'll avoid the grand californian concierge and head for the other one (disneyland hotel?)...
one nasty CM story....we were there in the evening when they bring out cookies and junk food....about 10 minutes after the cookies were brought out, a mother came in with a developmentally disabled child....and i think the girl was handicapped as well.....suffice to say she was very very challenged...the mother went to get a cookie for the girl but they were gone....so she asked a CM who answered in the most nasty talking back kind of tone of voice that they only put out what they put out and there's nothing more and tough toenails....we were so shocked i can't even express how shocked we were...so my son, who still had the cookie he'd taken (those big chocolate chip kind) got up and went over to the little girl to give it to her....i was just sick at how the CM had behaved....granted perhaps the cookies had run out (even though it was only 10 minutes after the food was brought out), but did she have to be so incredibly rude????.....that was only one example of many that truly sickened me....
that's it for my knowledge of concierge service (other than on the disney cruise)....i'm looking forward to checking out the RPC at the GF and the AKL concierge....i wish i could add the WL to that....but i guess it will be a return visit to the YC...hopefully the CMs will be as wonderful as they were the last time...
oh.....and to the person who suggested the garden suite at the BWI concierge.....thanks for the suggestion......i think i'll check today to see if it's available for those dates.....it really does sound wonderful....a loft would certainly have more room than just a room....
and now that all of you are talking about suites....hmmm....i might just be bitten by that bug too.....
oh...and one last thing about being obsessed with disney....fortunately my kids (now 19 and 17) are just as obsessed as i am (if not more).....so it's great fun.....as for my husband.....he's happy if we're happy.....it doesn't really matter to him if we're at disney or out on a picnic in the park...as long as we're all together......so it works out fine...
thanks again for the warm welcome...
thank you all for your welcomes and advice...
if it were just me, i think i'd do BWI and/or WL.....
amazingly, we've never stayed at WL ever (concierge or otherwise)....we did stay at BWI back when it opened, but not concierge....
the problem is, my kids hated the pool at BWI...
they love stormalong bay (even though we'll probably spend a total of 3 hours in it during our stay).....
i think the YC is beautiful and while the staff at the YC concierge was very nice, the lounge is quite small and gets very crowded...
I'm already impressed by the the AKL concierge CMs....for the very first time we were contacted in advance of a trip by a concierge staff.....that's never happened before.......
and now for my review of the concierges we've stayed in the past...take into account that the last time we were in WDW was summer 2002 (talk about serious withdrawal after so much time away)...
GF - sugarloaf -
the staff was wonderful.....we were taken from the valet in the front straight to the sugarloaf concierge for checkin.....the CM who checked us in was charming....all through our stay he had a big smile on his face as did the other CMs, welcoming everyone who came into the lounge and making sure everyone felt at home.....we were very very impressed by the CMs at the sugarloaf concierge.....breakfast was very good, the rest of the day was less impressive.....and there wasn't much in the way of soft drinks but maybe that's changed by now...
BC concierge -
this was before the BC underwent its refurbishment, so the whole floor was very long in the tooth by that point....i'm sure it looks better now....the CMs at the BC were quite cold.....they never said hello.....they sat outside the lounge so maybe because of that they never engaged the guests.....the food offering was quite good and there were plenty of soft drinks...
YC concierge -
this was just after the refurbishment of the concierge level at the YC and the place was gorgeous.....although the lounge is quite tiny, it's beautiful and clean....the CMs were adorable....very sweet and friendly....even though they also sit outside the lounge....but they always made a point of greeting the guests.....i was very impressed by the YC concierge CMs....
Disneyland Grand Californian concierge -
we went straight from WDW to california for 4 more days of disney.....this was the absolute worst concierge experience.....the hotel is stunningly beautiful....and the concierge room is quite large and gorgeous....but the CMs....the nastiest bunch of people i've ever encountered.....every one of them.....those who work the desks and those who run the food (since this is such a large concierge they have different CMs handling the booking type work from those who deal with the food)....
but all of them, without exception, NEVER smiled.....we were in shock.....we couldn't believe this was a disney operation.....we kept saying that no way would any of them be hired in WDW.....i don't think i've ever encountered any CM that sour at WDW.... we were terribly terribly terribly disappointed.....i've heard that the concierge at the other disney hotel there is much nicer in terms of CM attitude....if we ever get back there, i'll avoid the grand californian concierge and head for the other one (disneyland hotel?)...
one nasty CM story....we were there in the evening when they bring out cookies and junk food....about 10 minutes after the cookies were brought out, a mother came in with a developmentally disabled child....and i think the girl was handicapped as well.....suffice to say she was very very challenged...the mother went to get a cookie for the girl but they were gone....so she asked a CM who answered in the most nasty talking back kind of tone of voice that they only put out what they put out and there's nothing more and tough toenails....we were so shocked i can't even express how shocked we were...so my son, who still had the cookie he'd taken (those big chocolate chip kind) got up and went over to the little girl to give it to her....i was just sick at how the CM had behaved....granted perhaps the cookies had run out (even though it was only 10 minutes after the food was brought out), but did she have to be so incredibly rude????.....that was only one example of many that truly sickened me....
that's it for my knowledge of concierge service (other than on the disney cruise)....i'm looking forward to checking out the RPC at the GF and the AKL concierge....i wish i could add the WL to that....but i guess it will be a return visit to the YC...hopefully the CMs will be as wonderful as they were the last time...
oh.....and to the person who suggested the garden suite at the BWI concierge.....thanks for the suggestion......i think i'll check today to see if it's available for those dates.....it really does sound wonderful....a loft would certainly have more room than just a room....
and now that all of you are talking about suites....hmmm....i might just be bitten by that bug too.....
oh...and one last thing about being obsessed with disney....fortunately my kids (now 19 and 17) are just as obsessed as i am (if not more).....so it's great fun.....as for my husband.....he's happy if we're happy.....it doesn't really matter to him if we're at disney or out on a picnic in the park...as long as we're all together......so it works out fine...
thanks again for the warm welcome...
They went nuts!! 
. But, the kids went to bed last night with smiles on their faces! I am sure they had "Disney dreams"!!!
The party was a SMASH! :thewave: 
She's been with most of them since the age of five! The more things change, the more they stay the same. Many of them wanted to sleep over ("crash in the family room" as they put it!). No problem, as long as their folks approved. A group of 10 stayed over, and played games...then chatted in the dark until about 4:00 am. They were awake at 9:30, when DH & I returned with boxes of Krispy kreme doughnuts (variety and glazed). They all hit the Capresso machine for creamy espressos and lattes, enjoyed the bakery goods...then quickly left to see "SHREK 2" together. (I kid you not!). DD came home after the movie, and expressed her sincere gratitude/glee as she slowly climbed the stairs to her room. She didn't surface again for about 6 hours! 
We also set-up a huge outdoor movie screen (called and rented this...they set it all up)...and played "campy" film clips (like Sci-fi) interjected with DD when she was very little~throughout the entire eve. The guests LOVED it! All in all, it was a memorable party, and DD loved every moment. 
CONCIERGE...TAKE ME AWAY!!
!!!
I love trying new restaurants for dinner, and fitting in some old favorites, I usually forgo breakfast, just too much food. I think I'll have to try to fit one in on our next trip, though, the only time I have breakfast is when we eat out!
BTW - we absolutely love Narcoosee's, that would be my pick for your Father's Day dinner!
