Is Club Level worth it??

[WDW Obsessed]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if the club level rooms were even worth buying? I have stayed an many of the resorts(POR,all value but AOA, Coronado, Caribbean, and Poly) and don't mind spending a little more, but only if it's really worth it. Out of all the club resorts I debate between both the Poly and Beach.

What are the real perks? It feels just like breakfast, snacks, and drinks.

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[reiella]

There's also the IPO, but really that benefit is pretty minor to most folks who would be on these boards.

However, something to note is the non-quantifiable aspect of the club level CMs helping you. Which means it's also very different from person to person and visit. Which depending on your stay, may not amount to a whole lot.

 

[mickeynut1]

You will get alot of different opinions as "worth" is subjective and is different for everyone, but with that said, CL is worth it to us. We haven't stayed CL at the Poly or BC (we are trying Poly CL & YC CL in July 2013), but have stayed WL CL, GF SL, & GF RPC and while the snacks, drinks, etc. are a nice perk, we love CL for the convenience. We love having a lounge to relax in rather than sitting in our room or in another area of the resort. Other than food offerings, another perk of CL is having IPO make ADRs for you, book dinner shows, tours, etc., and although you don't have to use that service, it is available to you prior to your trip as well as during your trip. Good luck.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if the club level rooms were even worth buying? I have stayed an many of the resorts(POR,all value but AOA, Coronado, Caribbean, and Poly) and don't mind spending a little more, but only if it's really worth it. Out of all the club resorts I debate between both the Poly and Beach.

What are the real perks? It feels just like breakfast, snacks, and drinks.

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

If you are talking about "worth it" in regards to dollar for dollar value, I'm going to say no. There aren't enough gummy bears in the world that would make up the price difference.

HOWEVER, we stayed WL CL for 11 days in July, and we're absolutely conflicted prior to going as to whether it would be "worth it"...well, for our family, it is absolutely something "we are willing to pay for". We loved having our dedicated floor, and the time saver of being able to go down to the lounge for breakfast instead of fighting lines at a QS location. Our kids are snackers, so it was nice that when they said "I'm hungry, or I'm thirsty" we could just head to the lounge for some treats. DH loved being able to grab or ask for a beer whenever he wanted. They even gave him a bunch to put in our fridge. The level of service was wonderful. When we were leaving the WL, the CL manager stopped us and ran out back to personally wrap a bunch of the cookies for my DD8 who seriously ate her weight in those things while we were there. It was just such a personalized experience that we loved.

Also, having the IPO is very helpful ahead of time. I do make most of our reservations, however, I used them to book stuff like Pirates League, etc...and they were able to get us exactly what we wanted.

We also like to have the latest flight out to go back home, and since checkout is at 11, it's nice that we have the lounge to hang out in for part of the day until its time to board magical express.

We thought that CL experience would be a one and only...we did it because we were celebrating our 10th anniversary, but when booking our April 2013 trip, we knew we wanted CL again...so Poly CL, here we come!!!

So, if the things that I mentioned would make a trip special for you, I'd say give it a shot. If you come away thinking its not worth it, then lesson learned. But, you won't know until you try!

 

[Queen2]

What is IPO?

 

[Mousemommy1]

What is IPO?

Itinerary Planning Office. They will assist you before your trip to make reservations for dining, shows. They can help you if you want to arrange in room celebrations, etc...

I really liked that if I had a question, I could call IPO and reach a person right away and not have to deal with the automated Disney phone system...that right there is worth it's weight in gold!

 

[Queen2]

Itinerary Planning Office. They will assist you before your trip to make reservations for dining, shows. They can help you if you want to arrange in room celebrations, etc...

I really liked that if I had a question, I could call IPO and reach a person right away and not have to deal with the automated Disney phone system...that right there is worth it's weight in gold!

Thanks what is there number. We are staying at CL our second week at AKL. first week in standard room

 

[Mousemommy1]

Thanks what is there number. We are staying at CL our second week at AKL. first week in standard room

Each resort has their own IPO. You should check out the concierge/club level thread and it will have all of the AKL info.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Actually, here is the # on that thread for AKL. (407) 938-4755

You should still check out that thread though, lots of good information!

 

[Pakey]

I stay club level with a heavy discount; otherwise I do not. Money wise it is unlikely that it's worth it for the continental breakfast and snacks. I do not use the IPO. It does provide some convenience for breakfast.

Unlike concierge at non Disney resorts, the food offerings are only available for short periods. Midday is pretty slim, evening has 2-3 hot appetizers from 5-7 so to utilize it you have to plan to be there during those hours.

I've done GF RPC, GF SL, YC, BC, BWI, AKL. BC is my least favorite.

 

[WDW Obsessed]

Thanks for the input guys/gals. It's tempting, but I'm still 50/50. I'm sure on "value season" I'd be more apt to try it, but we are going during the normal "fall season" so it's still a bit pricey at the point in time(only one income). Once we get two incomes I'm sure we'll be signing up just for a test run.

 

[mouseketeermama]

We really enjoy the convience. We have a 3 year old and an 8 year old and a quick stroll to the lounge to get breakfast is a lot nicer than rushing to make an ADR or waiting in a QS line. We do not get the dining plan, but eat one big meal mid day and enjoy the club level offerings in the evenings. If you were not going to spend much time at the resorts, I can't imagine that it would be worth it really. My husband and I really love the evening cordials and lets face it, if each of us has two drinks, it would cost us $40 at a bar plus tip.

If we can get it for less than $100 a night over what we were going to pay for our desired room (very doable in value season with a passholder discount), then we will do it.

 

[JenniD44]

I stay club level with a heavy discount; otherwise I do not. Money wise it is unlikely that it's worth it for the continental breakfast and snacks. I do not use the IPO. It does provide some convenience for breakfast.

Unlike concierge at non Disney resorts, the food offerings are only available for short periods. Midday is pretty slim, evening has 2-3 hot appetizers from 5-7 so to utilize it you have to plan to be there during those hours.

I've done GF RPC, GF SL, YC, BC, BWI, AKL. BC is my least favorite.

Can I ask why BC is your least favorite? We are planning a trip for spring break and I was going to do BC CL Deluxe room to get a bit of extra space. In the past we have stayed at the GF, done both SL and RPC and I don't want to be disappointed.

OP, to answer your question, we really like the CL. My DH took me for a valentine's day package at a hotel years ago and it was a club package. Since then, we try to stay CL whenever we are taking a big vacation as much as possible. We like the snacks, sure, but the personal service is really great. I didn't even know about IPO the first couple of times we went, but now I really enjoy that part of it too. Like others have said, give it a try to see what you think. I'm betting you won't be able to go back.

 

[Pakey]

Can I ask why BC is your least favorite? We are planning a trip for spring break and I was going to do BC CL Deluxe room to get a bit of extra space. In the past we have stayed at the GF, done both SL and RPC and I don't want to be disappointed.

OP, to answer your question, we really like the CL. My DH took me for a valentine's day package at a hotel years ago and it was a club package. Since then, we try to stay CL whenever we are taking a big vacation as much as possible. We like the snacks, sure, but the personal service is really great. I didn't even know about IPO the first couple of times we went, but now I really enjoy that part of it too. Like others have said, give it a try to see what you think. I'm betting you won't be able to go back.

BC was my least favorite because the club room was small and crowded. The food offerings are not as good as GF's but it was really the crowded club room that was such a disappointment.

 

[jamala]

We stayed CL at YC last Oct/Nov. and loved it. Everyone was so nice. Now you do have to watch your kids if they are not used to seeing people drink. My kids were not used to seeing people drink alcoholic drinks and and our youngest was afraid of the LOUD, crazy lady who continued to drink until she was falling down drunk. So we just went and got snacks and took them back to the room if we saw that couple in the lounge. The 5-7 pm snacks were great and the kids enjoyed them. My DD loved the fresh fruit every morning. It was "worth" the price for us. My DD even commented one night that she hated we were going to miss desserts because of EMH and the lady at the desk said "I can put some in your fridge if you want me too" That extra "pixie dust" moment made my dd's day.

 

[AndreaA]

I just switched from a Villa to a CL deluxe room. It is $600 more for the five nights we will be staying there, but I really feel it will pay for itself. We are a family of four, so I can't imagine getting away with spending less than $50 a morning on breakfast & coffee, much of which would probably be wasted by our toddlers. Then, the drinks/desserts in the evening, I imagine that could be another $50 a day, so right there were up to $500, plus snacks, plus the convenience value.

I'll report my feelings again after we've gone!

 

[jperrot1]

Club level is a great experience. To answer the question , "Is it worth it," is a difficult one but... I think if it is worth it to you to already pay the premium price of a Disney Deluxe resort I'm feeling confident to answer, "Yes, probably." The regular up charge is around $140 a night. I would even consider cutting your stay down by a day or two and use that to offset the price difference. The club level experience cannot be put into words.

 

[mommy2twingles]

For us it is worth it. We like the fact of giving a list of all the reservations we want to them and not having to be on the phone at 7am. It was nice to be able to have dinner in the lounge and also watch the fireworks while having a little snack in the evening (at Poly). We were steps from both pools and the last day when we checked out had to return a life vest to the pool. They weren't open yet and the concierge staff took care of returning it for us. My kids loved going over to grab a snack in the afternoon if we had come back for a rest and I felt comfortable letting them run ahead of us to the lounge since I knew we were in a locked building.

 

[ClareH37]

Everyone has different ideas of worth but for me I enjoy staying CL, although I would prefer to get a decent discount but I will stay whether discounted or not. This trip I'm paying rack rate as surprisingly it worked out better through my agent (UK) than Disney general discount.

I enjoy dining at the Disney restaurants for my evening meal rather than snacking on lounge nibbles but I do eat a light breakfast in the lounge and enjoy relaxing in the lounge with a herbal tea during the afternoon, I tend to spend mornings in the parks, resort time afternoon and then out for my evening meal. Having the lounge to relax in as opposed to just my resort room or resort lobby is a major selling point for me. I also take full advantage of the IPO, at times they are invaluable.

 

[J&J]

we just stayed at the BC club level. Not much in food offerings but just different. enjoyed and would do it again. I asked for and got soy milk now this made me feel special.