is concierge worth it?

[livie1205]

we are going to wdw in december and just heard about the program that will give you a good discount if you book befor you leave so me and dh thought we would book a trip for 2007 for him, me and dd2....we wanted to splurge and do concierge so someone PLEASE talk me into it...and give me advice on which one to do. thanks

 

[TickledPink]

If you book your own ADRs, etc. then you might not feel it's worth it. If you are looking for some upgraded service then I say splurge. Yes, they have a lounge but will you be at the resort to enjoy it? Yes, breakfast is convenient but you can easily grab something on the go or have your own breakfast items in your room. It really depends on your touring style. Don't get me wrong, I love concierge and stay all the time. It's just not worth the $100+ more a night for many. They typically don't have better rooms on the concierge level so that's not an advantage either. I just like it because I let them deal with all my reservations and let them handle any changes while I'm there.

You should ask yourself first what you think you'd like about concierge. Lounge? Pre-planning assistance? (if you are compulsive planner and need immediate gratification this may not be for you - it can take 24 hours to 2-3 days for them to get back to you depending on the season) Able to make easy changes when I'm there? Are you celebrating anything special on this trip?

This question about being concierge worth it is asked a lot on these boards. Mary did a snap shot on concierge on her web site and it wasn't favorable in the end. Ask on this board and tons of people will come out in favor of it and those that oppose. It can be debated either way. It ultimately comes down to your personal opinion if it will be worth it to you. Not to be snubby or anything but a very sincere statement. What I think it's worth may not necessarily be your view on it. Maybe you should consider a split stay between concierge/regular room then if you don't think it was "all that" then you haven't wasted all your dough.

 

[Kim1964]

We got a free upgrade to concierge when we checked into Yacht Club in August. We enjoyed it, but I wouldn't have paid for it. The best part for us, lounge-wise, was the 6:30 a.m. coffee and the breakfast food. We didn't make meals out of the midday or evening snacks, though we did grab some munchies and sodas a couple of times.

I had never had turn down service in a hotel before, and I liked that a lot. It wasn't so much the covers on the bed being turned down, as much as the bathroom getting tidied up, fresh towels delivered, and the way the housekeepers arranged the kids' stuffed animals. Turn down service is available free of charge at any of the deluxes, though, so this isn't a reason to pay for concierge.

At the time we were there, concierge would have cost an additional $140/night if we'd paid for it. We liked it, but we wouldn't pay that kind of money for it.

 

[nicolemarie]

I hate to sound negative - because there is a definite feeling of "special" when you stay concierge, but I was not convinced that the concierge at Grand Floridian was worth it. Granted, we were in Sugarloaf and not the Main Building, but I hear that the food presentations are the same.

I've stayed in hotels where there are five food presentations daily and they are substantial enough not to really need anything else unless you just want to. And the staff at those hotels fawns over your every move. Not that I need that, but it's nice when you pay extra, ya know?

That's when I think club level is worth it.

Don't get me wrong, breakfast was fine, and the other presentations were good snacks.

But we didn't feel service was better than our non-concierge stays and we didn't use them for planning.

So it was just alot of extra money that I didn't feel lived up to what you get.

Maybe it's because I was comparing it to other experiences.

FYI - You can request turn-down at any deluxe resort for no additional charge. That's a nice treat.

Hope this helps!!

NM

 

[scanne]

We had originally been booked at the Polynesian concierge for our upcoming trip. Then we got to thinking about how much extra it was costing - $1100 total. That could pay for our food for the 10 days! So we changed our ressies to garden view and are not having any second thoughts! In fact, we are quite pleased with our decision because now we won't be feeling compelled to go back to the resort each day to "get our money's worth" in terms of the various food offerings. Plus, we are going to have a couple of really nice dinners - like California Grill! - that we were not going to do b/c of the cost of concierge.

This was a joint decision between myself, DH and my parents who will be coming with us on the trip. We all decided that a savings of $1100 per room is a much better deal than concierge.

Oh, and I use Dreams Unlimited and have an amazing agent that takes care of all of my dining reservations!

 

[Lives4Disney]

I love concierge. The BEST and the only one we book any more is the GF RPC. We have tried several over many years and many trips and the GF RPC is the one for us. The lounge is almost continuously serving snacks/drinks, the live music and open atmosphere is wonderful, and the CMs are awesome. Staying concierge in the main building of the GF adds magic to our trip. I didn't find the same in SL. It was nice and comes in second, but RPC is IT.

I do all my own planning with the exception of Grand 1 or Wishes cruises and a few extras. I enjoy planning, but anything that comes up during our stay is handled very nicely by the GF concierge CMs. I like that! No hassles for us.

I have found when we weren't staying concierge and did request turn down service, it is very unpredictable whether they actually do it or not. That was disappointing as it is something I really like having done. I have learned (Scanne ) to book what I want for the level of service I enjoy/expect. And my family loves RPC.

Happy planning,

Lives4Disney

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I like concierge. we've stayed at the YC,BC,GF & Poly.
The Poly is our favorite. It has a lounge that is open all the time.
It's nice to go there while the kids are sleeping.
The convenience of having breakfast and drinks during the day
is a plus for us.

we don't eat the food at 5:00 as a replacement for dinner.

Warning. My kids are now spoiled after 5 years on concierge
that's all they want.

I got spolied too

 

[VAgal76]

It was worth it for us since I rely heavily on pre-planning services especially when I had planned on doing CRT. I've never asked my TA to do ADRs for me, but she would. I've always dealt directly with IPO. I think trying it might not be a bad idea, but if you are used to doing your own thing I don't think you'll be happy with paying the extra cost just for a lounge.

Yes, yes - RPC - went beyond my expectations and I'll be a repeat guest for sure! Ok, ok - I'll stop saying that already.

If you're going to try it, may I suggest AKL? I really like the atmosphere there and their IPO has always been responsive. Plus, you get to do participate in sunrise or sunset safari (for an extra cost but really worth it!) so maybe you'll feel concierge might be worth the money spent at this resort. Just a thought.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[antmaril]

We were given a free upgrade to Concierge at the BWI in January. It was a very pleasant and appreciated surprise. We had breakfast every morning and snacks, appetizers and desserts in the afternoon/evening. It was lovely.

However, I don't think I would pay for it. It is very expensive and I wouldn't take a advantage of any of the pre-planning services. I want to do that all myself. We enjoyed it and appreciated it, but I don't think it's worth the extra $$$.

 

[Nancyg56]

We used the concierge service when we stayed at AKL last January. It was more money, especially because we needed two rooms, but i was feeling overwhelmed with the planning aspects of our trip. It had been many years since a Disney vacation, and I welcomed the assistance. The IPO was a tremendous help to me, and because we really wanted to enjoy the resort as well as the parks, we used the lounge as a gathering place. It was worth it to us on that trip.

Now we are going to the Poly in January and this time I am planning myself. I would love the "pampering" and the use of the lounge as a gathering spot for my family, but with two rooms I cannot justify the cost this time.

If we were staying at the AKL I would pay for this service because the overall price of the resort is lower than the Poly and stays within our vacation budget. I think it depends on your vacation style. We are pokey people (you know the ones....wandering and staring at the castle, gawking at the fountains...hanging around the pool, and are never at the rope drops) who visit the parks but use the facilities at the resort and hang out there to relax. If you like to be out and about early and use the resort as a place to sleep it may be a waste for you.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

We are doing it for the first time next week. A splurge for our 15th anniversary so we can qualify for the sunrise safari at AKL. I would also consider CL at Poly for the view of MK but otherwise there is no real drawl for me. I did like the fact that they confirmed dinner ressies and the christmas party for me. But that alone is not worth the 100 bucks. I let you know how I feel when I get back next week. he he he.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've paid for conceirge along tikme ago when it was alot cheaper and we got CM discounts. WL was our favorite with the Poly coming in second. Now, that the discounts are gone, we would not pay the extra money for conceirge, too much for too little. We take the savings, might opt for a better room view but mostly go to a food store and lay in all the snacks and ammenities we would like, plus all our pop, beer, wine and liquor. We set up our own conceirge deal in our room way cheaper and better selected then Disney does.

Do I enjoy Disney conceirge, yes. Like the feeling of the rich and famous, key card to get in room and elevator, secret hand shake, being pampered. But now its only if they offer us a free up grade to it, which has happened to us. We never use the reservation people but do enjoy the food offerings, but it mainly screws up our dining plans for places we want to eat cause were alittle too full. Libations and cordials were nice in the evenings but the 100 bucks a night extra you never recoup.

 

[Cass]

It really depends on your vacationing style, if you plan to be relaxing at the resort then you will enjoy concierge. If you are up and gone to the parks all day and back late at night - then it really is no benefit to you.

To the people that say 'they prefer to do their own planning' you still do your own planning with concierge - you plan your whole trip and then tell them what to book. In my experience we have recieved better tables/service and little to no waiting time when concierge books our ressie as opposed to doing it ourselves.

It was great when my DD was younger, she would be tucked in bed watching a movie and I could go have a glass of wine in the lounge an relax. The lounge is like an extension of your room, a nice place to sit and enjoy while other members of your party are showering and dressing.

Breakfast is really convenient and gives you a no brainer/non stressful start to your day as opposed to finding a table at a food court, getting your trays, lining up to pay or travelling to a restaurant, waiting for a table etc... and it is MUCH better than cold poptarts in your room.

I don't think anyone should book concierge to try and save money on dining and I don't think anyone should put an extra financial strain on themselves to stay that way. If it's a special occasion, if it is in your budget, if you are not a park commando ~ then go for it and enjoy. I really can't put a dollar value on the nice feeling I get when I stay concierge, it just enhances my vacation and makes it better.

 

[MissionMouse]

....trip for 2007 for him, me and dd2....we wanted to splurge and do concierge so someone PLEASE talk me into it...and give me advice on which one to do. thanks

If you are asking is the price you pay for concierge equal to what you receive...well the services, added security, light food and beverage offerings will never equate to the added room cost if you monetary translate everything. It has more to do with what you personally value or want in terms of comfort and services

Typically, I think if you need to ask if it is worth it, I would say no. The fact that someone needs to ask, usually indicates they have little needs for what is the heart of concierge - service, possibly on a tight budget, and may have alternative ideas where they feel a greater return on the extra money available for their WDW Vacation.

As a side note I would say our two young daughter love the lounge and the small food offering which are just perfect for little kids.

 

[Nancyg56]

As a side note I would say our two young daughter love the lounge and the small food offering which are just perfect for little kids.

My DGD loved the lounge and the treats also. I think that being parked in front of the TV with a little dish of snacks and her glass of milk while resting in the afternoon reminded her of home.

 

[byoung]

We got a free upgrade to concierge when we checked into Yacht Club in August. We enjoyed it, but I wouldn't have paid for it. The best part for us, lounge-wise, was the 6:30 a.m. coffee and the breakfast food. We didn't make meals out of the midday or evening snacks, though we did grab some munchies and sodas a couple of times.

I had never had turn down service in a hotel before, and I liked that a lot. It wasn't so much the covers on the bed being turned down, as much as the bathroom getting tidied up, fresh towels delivered, and the way the housekeepers arranged the kids' stuffed animals. Turn down service is available free of charge at any of the deluxes, though, so this isn't a reason to pay for concierge.

At the time we were there, concierge would have cost an additional $140/night if we'd paid for it. We liked it, but we wouldn't pay that kind of money for it.

Free upgrade is great.