Useful Concierge Information

[Sysyphus]

Good Luck... I wanted to make some last minute tweaks to my plans for next week... I called 7pm Tuesday, 11am and 6pm yesterday and about a half-hour ago... get dumped out to voicemail that tells me how important my call is to them, yet I have still not heard from them

Wound up doing it myself a few minutes ago on the standard WDW-DINE number - not exactly what I was expecting for eleven grand

 

[Lilysmom]

Good Luck... I wanted to make some last minute tweaks to my plans for next week... I called 7pm Tuesday, 11am and 6pm yesterday and about a half-hour ago... get dumped out to voicemail that tells me how important my call is to them, yet I have still not heard from them

Wound up doing it myself a few minutes ago on the standard WDW-DINE number - not exactly what I was expecting for eleven grand

Oh don't think for one second that I heard back from them. LOL I called this morning right after my post and NOTHING. Dumped into voicemail just like you.

We stayed at WL CL last July and I found it to be the same way. We had the presidential suite and not for nothing but when you are paying CL prices I expect CL service and part of that service is preplanning. If I don't hear back from them by tomorrow I'm contacting corporate to complain. I know I probably sound like I'm over reacting but this is not the first time I've had this problem nor does it sound like I am the only one. Maybe it's time for us to venture outside of Disney. We take between 2-3 trips/year (our upcoming tip will be our shortest at 5 nights. We usually stay between 8 & 10) and always stay deluxe or deluxe club. My oldest will be 5 during this upcoming stay and this will be her 8th trip. They can do the math. I'm beginning to feel as if they don't really appreciate my business and in that case I can take it elsewhere.


ETA: You know what else was a hoot? We were originally going to stay in the 2bdrm suite in the Contemporary at $2000/night. The CM on the phone told me you would have CL privleges. On another call a CM told me the suite had limited club (ie.... no alcohol or evening hors d'ouvres) and I about busted a gut. $2K/night and you are going to give me LIMITED club when there are guests paying $600 and getting full club. Yeah.... no thanks. same with GF and RPC vs. Sugar loaf. When you book through the online search engine it tells you that concierge is RPC or SL. It quotes one price of $745/night but the description clearly states that SL is limited club. If the booking engine isn't giving you a choice of RPC or SL and you are paying the same $745 then you should get the same service, IMHO.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

ETA: You know what else was a hoot? We were originally going to stay in the 2bdrm suite in the Contemporary at $2000/night. The CM on the phone told me you would have CL privleges. On another call a CM told me the suite had limited club (ie.... no alcohol or evening hors d'ouvres) and I about busted a gut. $2K/night and you are going to give me LIMITED club when there are guests paying $600 and getting full club. Yeah.... no thanks. same with GF and RPC vs. Sugar loaf. When you book through the online search engine it tells you that concierge is RPC or SL. It quotes one price of $745/night but the description clearly states that SL is limited club. If the booking engine isn't giving you a choice of RPC or SL and you are paying the same $745 then you should get the same service, IMHO.

The 2nd Cast Member you spoke to and the WDW website are both wrong. The Tower Club which is where the suite rooms are located does offer full Club Level service with all the alcohol and evening hors d'ouvres. In fact they still list the Atrium Club 12th floor as being limited Club Level service, when they are just the same as the Tower Club in terms of food and alcohol being offered. It's also the same Club Level service when it comes to Royal Palm and Sugar Loaf at the Grand Floridian.

 

[Lilysmom]

The 2nd Cast Member you spoke to and the WDW website are both wrong. The Tower Club which is where the suite rooms are located does offer full Club Level service with all the alcohol and evening hors d'ouvres. In fact they still list the Atrium Club 12th floor as being limited Club Level service, when they are just the same as the Tower Club in terms of food and alcohol being offered. It's also the same Club Level service when it comes to Royal Palm and Sugar Loaf at the Grand Floridian.

Well that's good to know because you'd have to have fallen off the apple cart to have been willing to pay the same price for less service(s).

 

[Sysyphus]

Well after getting through to AKL IPO voicemail once again this evening I called the AKL main number, related my story and asked to speak to a manager. Phone operator tried to fob me off with an email address , then when I insisted she find a manager for me to talk to she actually asked me to hang up and call back because it was time for her to clock off. I've gotten better customer service than this when buying a cup of coffee... after I protested she finally reconnected me to another operator who told me she would forward my comments to a manager to call me back.

Half an hour later a very apologetic and harassed IPO CM called, and explained that she was the only person working the IPO today and she had been on the phone all day . I had spoken to her previously and she had been very nice and helpful so I made it clear that I was not angry with her, just at a system that leaves her in such a situation - we're paying a very significant premium for this "service" yet I think I've made more than half of my reservations myself through the regular numbers - hopefully the rest of concierge service turns out to be a whole lot better because currently, based on itinerary planning, I couldn't possibly recommend it to anyone else.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

hopefully the rest of concierge service turns out to be a whole lot better because currently, based on itinerary planning, I couldn't possibly recommend it to anyone else.

There is no excuse for the IPO Cast Members not getting back to you if you keep calling them. I can understand if they are busy helping other guests, but eventually you got to say to yourself when will they help me with what I want? Personally I think you will get be better service from the Cast Members who work in the Club Level lounges at the Resorts, however that is based on what my family and I have experienced with the IPO. It's actually funny because one time a Contemporary IPO Cast Member called us asking if their was anything we needed, a week before we were to arrive at WDW. We told them our request however when we checked in at the Contemporary on the Atrium Club Level floor it was not listed on our reservation. The good thing is the Cast Members working there were able to come threw with our requests and since then we have always made these requests in person once we arrive in WDW. Still it's weird that it got messed up when it was the IPO calling us and not us calling them.

 

[Dis Ohana]

AKL IPO was great in helping us plan our trip last December. We also stayed at BWI and GF on the same trip, but found the AKL staff much more responsive and quick to go out of their way to help me with planning our trip. There was one CM in particular working on our trip planning that was just great, he was my main point of contact. I never waited more than 24 hours for an email response, and a few times they even called me to discuss questions I had. I wonder if the decline in service is because he's no longer with them?

I know from reading these boards that our experience was much different from the majority, but I thought the AKL CL CM's were the worst of all the resorts we stayed at. Everything from check-in to bickering among the staff was a real turn off. The morning coffee was late one day, and the CM rushing to put everything else actually told the crowd waiting that someone didn't show up for work and that he was getting tired of dealing with this on his own.
On the flip side though, I thought the CM's throughout the rest of the hotel were absolutely great. Everyone from the people in the gift shops, the guides scattered throughout the hotel grounds and house keeping; we met so many friendly CM's that were always willing to go the extra mile. Too bad the 6th floor didn't have the same quality of people.

I hope all of you trying to plan a trip with AKL get better results soon. I can imagine how frustrating the whole situation must be for you.

 

[Iggipolka]

I've had mixed results so far with AKL IPO's. Sometimes I email them and get a response within hours! Other times, I have emailed and not gotten a response back for about a week. I've found that email is the best way to reach them as I've never called them on the phone and been connected directly to a CM. I always get dumped into VM when I call them and occasionally they'll call back.

Don (as in Donald), is the best IPO there. He has been wonderfully helpful, always cheerful and has taken a lot of time to help me out with dining and special reservations. I can't wait to see him, just to thank him in person for all of his help.

I think that the problem with ALK IPO office has much less to do with the CM's that are there and much more with a severe shortage of staff! With there now being DVC accommodations at Club Level, IPO has become completely overwhelmed. I'm hoping that Disney hires more staff for this office so that they don't completely burn out the great CM's who are working their you-know-what's off to try and satisfy guest's needs and demands.

 

[brergnat]

Can anyone tell me which lounges are accessible all day? I have read some stuff about certain lounges (forget which ones) being closed (locked) between the "meal" hours.

I am looking for which lounges are open the whole day, regardless of whether they are serving food or not, just to have a place to go and unwind.

We stayed concierge at the Grand Californian Hotel, and the lounge was open the whole day. There were actually always snacks available, if not during a "serving time", there was at least a bowl of whole fresh fruit, goldfish crackers for the kids, and access to drinks (by asking a staff member). They also had coloring pages and crayons for the kids and t.v. that you could watch. I am interested in a lounge setup similar to this at WDW...does it exist or are all the lounges locked between "serving times"?

 

[SeaSpray]

Can anyone tell me which lounges are accessible all day? I have read some stuff about certain lounges (forget which ones) being closed (locked) between the "meal" hours.

I am looking for which lounges are open the whole day, regardless of whether they are serving food or not, just to have a place to go and unwind.

We stayed concierge at the Grand Californian Hotel, and the lounge was open the whole day. There were actually always snacks available, if not during a "serving time", there was at least a bowl of whole fresh fruit, goldfish crackers for the kids, and access to drinks (by asking a staff member). They also had coloring pages and crayons for the kids and t.v. that you could watch. I am interested in a lounge setup similar to this at WDW...does it exist or are all the lounges locked between "serving times"?

The Polynesian concierge lounge is open all day and is an excellent place to stop in for a snack (there is always fresh fruit, juices, sodas, cookies, sometimes chips & salsa, popcorn, or goldfish crackers, etc available), or to relax and play games (there are games on the second floor of the lounge), or to sit and read a newspaper, all the while with the amazing view of the Seven Seas Lagoon right there beyond the two-story high windows.

P.S. I love your user name, BrerGnat! Hehehe!

 

[teacher5]

Brown Family,
Were you able to get a discount on your Poly LV club room? We are staying in the same category room at the Poly in June and are hoping for a AP discount.

 

[Lilysmom]

After sending a letter to corporate re: IPO staff shortage I received a phone call from Don who was extremely nice and very helpful. He said he was the only person there the past two days, they are trying to catch up from MOnday's holiday and that they will be receiving two or three new people to help them out within the next few weeks because they are so understaffed.

As far as which lounges are open all day, I'm pretty sure that any full club level lounge is open all day (until 10 I believe.) I think it's only if it is listed as limited club level that they close down. Although I have read that limited CL (at CR and GF SL) is no longer in existence so everything should be full service. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

In regards to CL CM being rude (bickering and such) I found the stay at WL to be the same way during my July trip and I have to tell you that I didn't address it at the time. You can bet if it happens this time though I will say something. Having to deal with all of their "issues" really put a damper on the CL experience the last trip.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

The lounge at the SL is the same as the main building now in terms of food and offerings. The only difference is the space. I am glad you finally heard from someone. Don is one of the best Concierge CMs.

 

[Lilysmom]

The lounge at the SL is the same as the main building now in terms of food and offerings. The only difference is the space. I am glad you finally heard from someone. Don is one of the best Concierge CMs.

Oh Kelly he was soooooooo nice he gave me a toothache. I hope for his sake the extra help he was promised comes through because he truly is overwhelmed.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Yeah thats to bad cuz hes awesome. I am glad you heard from someone though. I love staying conceirge but some of the IPO CMs need retraining.
Disney charges soooo much to stay concierge and some of the CMs rock and really go outta there way but some are just blah. The blah ones shouldnt be working at disney nevermind concierge level.

 

[SeaSpray]

Brown Family,
Were you able to get a discount on your Poly LV club room? We are staying in the same category room at the Poly in June and are hoping for a AP discount.

We were able to get the AP discount applied to both rooms: a lagoon view concierge room AND a garden view concierge room. But we couldn't get the discount for the last night of our stay because the discount ends the day before. Oh well, at least most of our nights are at the discount prices

Best wishes for getting a discount for June!

 

[FeeFeeWhite]

I have stayed at AKL Conci before in a SAV View Room. They had to put us on a different floor with access to conci.

I am thinking of trying it again. Are you guaranteed a SAV view if you are on Conci? Are all the Conci roon SAV view?

Thanks for any help.

 

[John's Mom]

I have stayed at AKL Conci before in a SAV View Room. They had to put us on a different floor with access to conci.

I am thinking of trying it again. Are you guaranteed a SAV view if you are on Conci? Are all the Conci roon SAV view?

Thanks for any help.

The Club Level rooms are now located on the 4th floor. These rooms are standard size; there are no deluxe CL rooms. All the Club Level rooms are now savannah view.

 

[FeeFeeWhite]

thanks so much for the info - I may choose somewhere else now - having to go to another floor and not being able to have 5 in the room - might make the difference

 

[ConcKahuna]

thanks so much for the info - I may choose somewhere else now - having to go to another floor and not being able to have 5 in the room - might make the difference

I seem to remember hearing that AKL had Concierge level Villas now. You might want to look into that.