If you have experience with the CR and Poly concierge services, then the BC might be a bit of a let down for you. We usually book the GF and have stayed in both the main building concierge and lodge concierge, but this past December we tried out the YC. My kids are getting older and they enjoy the Epcot and MGM parks a little more than MK right now. Two big plusses right away are that the convenience to these parks can't be beat and the Epcot resorts pre-planning department is the finest that I've ever worked with. Aside from that though, there wasn't a whole lot more to right home about. Both YC and BC are set up basically the same and I found the lounge to be really small, with limited seating available. A huge pet peeve of mine is that they closed the doors in between every serving and you couldn't even go in and sit down with a cold drink. You could get one to go, but I like relaxing in the lounge instead of having to sit on the bed in my room. I found the food offerings to be just okay. The morning had your basic fruit, cold cereal, donuts, croissants, bagels, coffee & juices, then from 11am-4pm they had snacks out which consisted of gummy worms, nuts, goldfish crackers, cookies and pudding packs. 5-7pm were appetizer offerings which included a nice hot soup, pb&j sandwiches for the kids, cheese & crackers, another hot dish, wine/beer. Finally, 8-10pm were the dessert and cordials and they served a small assortment of mini pastries. Others have reported getting a different cake each night also, but in the 4 nights that we were there, we never saw one. Based on the layout of the resort, you almost have to book a water view room to ensure that you're not going to overlook the parking lot and they do charge more for view preference. You do have private check-in at the YC/BC, but they don't meet you downstairs. Instead, they send you a key to insert into the slot in the elevator that will gain you access to the 5th floor. I did have a small issue arise during my stay and the first CM's that I asked for assistance, offered me very little. They didn't seem to want to put much effort into finding a solution for me. In fact, I ended up having to call Alana in pre-planning to see if she could help. What was impossible for the previously asked CM's was taken care of within 5 minutes by Alana.
At the GF, the pre-planning staff is not what I would describe as warm & friendly, but more cool and professional. When you arrive, you are met at the Porte Cochere and escorted to your check in CM. Food offerings tended to be more gourmet and instead of the usual 4 servings, at the GF you get 5. They're luncheon time is 11am-1:30pm and then from 2-4pm they serve an afternoon tea with warm scones, trifle, cookies and brownies. Both the lodge and main building lounges remain open all the time. There is less seating in the lodge and they don't have a tv. It's more like a bed & breakfast set up there, but it's also considered "light" concierge and less expensive than the full service found in the main building. What Lori described is the "lighter" concierge offerings. In the main building, there are 2 tv's, a few sofas, tables and it's very bright and open. Overall you'll pay more for the GF concierge, but they also don't have price differences for room views. Probably because they are all lovely and although I haven't been in every room, I think there is close to zero chance that you'd ever see a parking lot. The main building views include the castle, lagoon, Epcot in the distance. The lodge offers marina and garden, plus you can ask for a dormer room or even tower, all by request. We've had great experiences with all the staff. No problems with last minute requests or changes.
Tammi
