What are the perks of booking concierge level? Is it worth it?

[MyTigger&Eeyore9698]

We are planning our trip and trying to pinpoint some things down. THANKS!

 

[bytheblood]

Here you go:

http://allearsnet.com/acc/concierge.htm




The term concierge actually dates back to the late Middle Ages and was coined by Louis XI. The role of the concierge has evolved over the years and today the goal is to "establish and maintain warm cordial relations with the guests frequenting an establishment" (International Concierge Institute).

Each hotel has its own interpretation of what exactly that means and how it is transformed into a guest experience. At Disney, you are pampered, to varying degrees, by Cast Member services and amenities. When you book concierge, you will be assigned a member of the concierge staff to assist in your vacation planning. The concierge can make priority seatings, obtain tickets for dinner shows and answer your vacation questions.

Concierge rooms are usually located on a private floor or wing of the hotel and generally have keyed access. In other words, you wouldn't be able to just wander in on your own. Each concierge club at WDW offers a special lounge for guests. Coffee and continental breakfast is available in the mornings, snacks around the lunch hour, hors d'oeuvres and wine before dinner and dessert and cordials for early evening. The food offerings in the Concierge Lounge will not take the place of a regular lunch or dinner!

If you have special dietary requests, your concierge can sometimes assist in getting you the item(s) you might need during your stay. In fact, on my first visit to the concierge lounge, I was offered orange juice. I replied that I preferred grapefruit juice. No big deal, I thought. A few hours later there was a message on my phone informing me there was now fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice available during my stay. I felt pampered, to say the least!

The Disney hotels that offer concierge are now all the Deluxe Resorts (Beach and Yacht Club, Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk and Animal Kingdom Lodge). Some of the resorts such as the Grand Floridian and Contemporary offer more than one level of concierge service too.

Some concierge clubs offer a special treat. For instance, at the Polynesian, the lounge has floor to ceiling windows facing the Magic Kingdom's Castle. From here you can watch the fireworks in the comfort of big soft chairs, sipping coffee or your favorite after-dinner cordial. At the Boardwalk, the balcony provides a view of IllumiNations at Epcot. The Animal Kingdom Lodge concierge offers a special Sunrise Safari into Animal Kingdom.

Regarding prices:

A garden view room during value season at the Polynesian costs $304, while a garden view concierge room would cost $410. At the Yacht Club you can expect to pay $150 more per night. On occasion, you can find an Annual Passholder discount on concierge rooms, but don't count on it. For the most part, you will be paying full price.

As you can see, concierge is definitely not for those traveling on a tight budget, but it makes a wonderful, special treat for those who want something extra, like a special romantic getaway at the WDW resort.


**********

Concierge Serves up Royal Treatment at Walt Disney World Deluxe Resort Hotels


LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- It was a marriage proposal to remember at Disney's Wilderness Lodge in Walt Disney World Resort.

The groom-to-be spirited away his beloved, and concierge staff members set to work on the couple's suite. There was a rose-petal carpet from the Disney florist, an intimate table with lustrous place settings, a champagne bucket with the finest bubbly and an engagement feast fit for royalty.

When the couple returned, the bride-to-be was charmed, and love reigned with a little help from the Old Faithful Club concierge staff.

Disney guests can get the ultimate resort experience at eight deluxe Walt Disney World hotels: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Beach Club Resort, Disney's BoardWalk, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Yacht Club Resort.

Each concierge club offers a varied menu of special services, from custom itinerary planning to private lounge privileges including complimentary breakfast, wine-and-cheese tasting and dessert-and-cordial hours. All concierge resorts also offer the new Wildlife Discovery Excursion -- a Disney's Animal Kingdom private safari with an animal expert on board to answer guest questions.

"Whatever the request, we're here to say, 'yes,' " says Wilderness Lodge concierge manager Mark Newman. "We'll do anything within our power to pull strings and make it happen."

Requests honored through the years by concierge guests at all eight resorts include:

Setting the scene for marriage proposals and special anniversaries.
Searching local grocery and health-food stores for guests' special dietary needs.
Creating complete family vacation itineraries, including VIP and guided tours.
Sewing on buttons. Fresh-squeezing grapefruit juice. Shopping for gifts and souvenirs. Rearranging furniture in rooms and suites.
Securing electronic cables and special batteries for guests' electronic equipment.
Along with the expected top-of-the-line service, each Disney resort concierge prides itself on special offerings:

Kilimanjaro Club at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge offers guests of its 74 club-level rooms and suites the opportunity to book the exclusive Wanyama Safari followed by dinner and wine pairing at the resort's fine-dining restaurant, Jiko-The Cooking Place. Another option is the Sunrise Safari with private breakfast at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

Stone Harbor Club guests at Disney's Beach Club Resort (95 club-level rooms and suites) and Regatta Club guests at Disney's Yacht Club Resort (67 club-level rooms and suites) are privy to concierge lounge menu samplings of braised beef, steamed clams and other sumptuous goodies. Guests can also book the new Albatross Treasure Cruise -- a rollicking pirate excursion for kids of all ages.

The Innkeeper's Club at Disney's BoardWalk serves up chocolate-covered strawberries, plus milk and cookies for the kids each night for guests of its 71 concierge accommodations. Its charming cottages and garden suites include two-floor loft-style rooms with private entrances, wet bars and guest spaces.

Guests of the 14th floor Tower Club and the 12th floor Atrium Club at Disney's Contemporary Resort (64 club-level rooms and suites) enjoy some of the best rooms with views on Disney property -- Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom and scenic Bay Lake. This very first Walt Disney World hotel opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971 and has hosted several generations of concierge guests who appreciate the short walk to the Magic Kingdom gates.

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (181 club-level rooms and suites) wows guests of its Royal Palm Club and Sugar Loaf Club with curbside and in-room check-in, plus a daily tea event in both lounges. The Royal Palm features expanded lounge amenities including a generous sampling of cordial and liqueur choices.

The King Kamehameha Club at Disney's Polynesian Resort (108 club-level rooms and suites) features a two-story lounge with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows for a perfect view of nightly fireworks over Seven Seas Lagoon.

Old Faithful Club Concierge at Disney's Wilderness Lodge features a high cast-to-guest ratio for those staying in one of 50 club-level rooms. The 5-7 p.m. wine-and-cheese gathering includes hot menu items such as salmon pot pie and child-friendly foods from its signature restaurants.

Like all Walt Disney World concierge managers, Chris Ware of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is accustomed to making celebrities and royalty feel at home during their stay. And that same service is extended to all concierge guests across Disney property.

"There's not really much we can't do as long as we're given time to do it," Ware says.

For more information about Disney club-level resort accommodations or reservations, guests can call 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639), a local travel agent, or check online at disneyworld.com.

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

WOW!! Great Information!!!

So what I want to know is....what are some out of the ordinary things that any DISers out there has gotten Concierge to do for you and/or your family?

To the OP - I have searched, "concierge" before and found some interesting trip reports that may answer your question.

I, too, don't want to be disappointed.

I've heard (for example) - that you have to arrive when the "buffet" opens because many people replace their actual meals with the appetizers and such.

I've also heard that your "turn down" service can be as early as 4:00 pm....who goes to bed that early?

 

[VAgal76]

Concierge is not a meal plan replacement. If you're banking on this you're going to be sorely disappointed. It's an upgraded level of service. They will arrange dining, shows, spa appointments, recreation, golf, firework cruises etc. If you've done this yourself in the past and find it no big deal then you won't find value in it.

The rooms are basically the same, but the "lounge" is on a private floor. Some of the concierge rooms are located on lower floors and you aren't on the "private" floor. AKL for example - the lounge is on the 6th floor but I personally enjoy a 5th floor room. The room set up is no different. BWI - You're on the same floor but the door to the concierge area must be accessed via key card.

You will also have private check-in - by pass front desk line and you'll check in at the lounge if you come during lounge hours. If you arrive after the lounge closes at 10 pm you'll be checked in at the desk. I've done it both ways.

Is it worth it? Some say yes and some say no. I do find value in the service I receive. However, I'm doing my first non-concierge experience this month and doing my own dining reservations haven't been cumbersome. I've not wanted a hot spot either and I'm going in the off season. Will I continue to stay concierge? We shall see? I'm guessing I will, but won't stay home just because I'm not staying concierge.

The review on Mousesavers states that it's not worth it ITHO. I really think for a budget minded person there will not be enough value in it.

Which resort were you looking at? GF and AKL are worth it to me personally - great service and AKL offers safaris for concierge guests.

 

[jaurban]

A nice touch that I have found, though not of itself a reason to book concierge, is that package delivery from the parks and shops is to your room and not to the hotel gift shop. Also, we find the food offerings perfect for breakfast, which saves time. But, depening on the resort and your appetite, the afternoon and evening offerings might not make up a meal. Maybe a snack or a very light meal, if you had a large lunch or have a late dinner. We also took sodas and milk (for daughter) back to our room fridge to have for later, when the lounge was closed, expecially if we would be getting back from the parks late. The planning service can be very helpful depending on how much you want to do yourself.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

You can look up my review of our recent Polynesian Concierge Resort Stay. We usually stay deluxe but have never done Concierge. We booked our stay 3 weeks out and all they had left was the expensive rooms so we took it for 4 days of our trip. I made all my own dining reservations ahead of time too. Our 2 teen ds were with us and we are used to staying at a garden view room in Samoa usually. It was definetely not worth the extra money to us. Our room was so far away from the lounge, we were not celebrating any special occasion and nothing special was ever done for us. I have read on these boards and saw on our trip about kids with welcoming gifts of goodie filled plastic sandpails, saw stacks of these that were not made up and 2 that were. A cm walked past us with 4 boxes , presumably with those chocolate postcards, we never got one, all we got was 2 chocolates on the bed each night, glad our 3rd ds was not with us, 1 usual expected little bottle of shampoo etc. The only thing the cast member did was straighten out one of our dining arrangements that was messed up by the original cm booking it. I wouldnt consider that extra special just expected. We ended up with the mindset we better eat something to get our moneys worth. The breakfast never changed each day. There is no lunch to speak of, just popcorn, nuts and cookies and we only did the dinner once. It was a zoo at 5 pm. and its not dinner, just snacks. Unless you are celebrating something special or drink alot of alcohol, which we drink none of it might not be worth it. I would have much rather spent the money on good meals, souveniers etc. Best of luck deciding.

 

[VAgal76]

A nice touch that I have found, though not of itself a reason to book concierge, is that package delivery from the parks and shops is to your room and not to the hotel gift shop. Also, we find the food offerings perfect for breakfast, which saves time. But, depening on the resort and your appetite, the afternoon and evening offerings might not make up a meal. Maybe a snack or a very light meal, if you had a large lunch or have a late dinner. We also took sodas and milk (for daughter) back to our room fridge to have for later, when the lounge was closed, expecially if we would be getting back from the parks late. The planning service can be very helpful depending on how much you want to do yourself.

Aaaahhh, how can I forget direct package delivery service? Rats! Yes, it's nice to have them waiting in your room - but $150 + more a night for that, a few ADRs and some snacks in the lounge isn't worth it to some folks. We use it for breakfast but you can get tired of continental breakfast so we usually eat breakfast out at least once for a short trip and twice for a week - maybe more for longer trips. I can't live on muffins and oatmeal alone.

You can look up my review of our recent Polynesian Concierge Resort Stay. We usually stay deluxe but have never done Concierge. We booked our stay 3 weeks out and all they had left was the expensive rooms so we took it for 4 days of our trip. I made all my own dining reservations ahead of time too. Our 2 teen ds were with us and we are used to staying at a garden view room in Samoa usually. It was definetely not worth the extra money to us. Our room was so far away from the lounge, we were not celebrating any special occasion and nothing special was ever done for us. I have read on these boards and saw on our trip about kids with welcoming gifts of goodie filled plastic sandpails, saw stacks of these that were not made up and 2 that were. A cm walked past us with 4 boxes , presumably with those chocolate postcards, we never got one, all we got was 2 chocolates on the bed each night, glad our 3rd ds was not with us, 1 usual expected little bottle of shampoo etc. The only thing the cast member did was straighten out one of our dining arrangements that was messed up by the original cm booking it. I wouldnt consider that extra special just expected. We ended up with the mindset we better eat something to get our moneys worth. The breakfast never changed each day. There is no lunch to speak of, just popcorn, nuts and cookies and we only did the dinner once. It was a zoo at 5 pm. and its not dinner, just snacks. Unless you are celebrating something special or drink alot of alcohol, which we drink none of it might not be worth it. I would have much rather spent the money on good meals, souveniers etc. Best of luck deciding.

I'm sorry it wasn't as nice as others have reported. Our stay at the Poly wasn't what I expected either. The CMs in IPO tried really hard to keep us straight - that's all I can about the place at this time. Did you read Janet2k's comment on the GF a while back - she had to vacum her own carpets there? It wasn't an exaggeration. I was there to see it. You can say we were a wee bit disappointed in it, but it can happen. There's too many choices to get stuck on one not so great experience. Who knows? Maybe I'll stay again and it will be a glorious stay.

You can't drink that much beer to offset the cost can you? I mean, you're going to have slap them back quite a bit. Then some may give you the evil eye.

OP - I'm DYING to know what resort you were looking at for concierge. It makes all the difference in the world.

 

[wdwdancerwannabe]

So if I book my stay 3 months in advance - will the concierge CM's make my ADR's and ressies that far in advance for me....or do they only book them DURING our stay???

 

[PixieDust742]

The concierge CM's take care of you while you are onsite. However, as a concierge guest, you also get to utilize the IPO (or itinerary planning) cast members. They take care of all your pre-planning before you actually get to the resort, such as booking ADR's and tours. Once you get to the resort, the concierge cast members take over and assist you with your needs.

 

[Cass]

I've also heard that your "turn down" service can be as early as 4:00 pm....who goes to bed that early?

They try to do the turndown when you are out at dinner or a park, etc... so it is nice for you when you come back in the evening. They don't want to turn down your room if you are in it.

We usually stay concierge, we have gotten little gifts in the room, great tables for dinners, help with changing ADR's at the last minute, tables in restaurants that are full.


Breakfast in the lounge is nice, it is strictly continental but there are lots of choices. Snacks during the day are no big deal but evening appetizers and desserts are nice.

The lounge is like an extension of your room, a place to sit and relax, have a drink, meet and chat with other families. A great place to chill out while someone in your party is showering or getting dressed.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Concierge floors are so worth it in my opinion. My family & I just back from another stay at the Contemporary Resort Atrium Club Concierge floor, which was another great stay for us. Having the private check in is amaizing because you don't need to stand in the regular line in the lobby, some of the CM's on the Atrium Club who have worked there remember my family & I from previous stays, so it's also so nice to talk with them. The food each time we had the Hors Douvres was out of this world, my favorite was on Thursday when they served Chicken Wings & Ribs. Aside from that it was great that there was always Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Barqus & Gingera ale for us to take back & keep in our fridge, so we were never thristy & eating breakfast everyday in the lounge was a great way to start off each morning.

 

[klmall]

I wasn't sure of the value of Concierge in general given that I am a great trip planner and can easily book all my ADRs etc. myself but I was pleasantly surprised with the little things that concierge level added to our stay at the WL last October.

For instance, now that we don't tour commando style and spend more time in the resort we really appreciate having cold drinks, snacks and wines etc. available whenever we want. We really ended up enjoying the breakfast items and evening snacks.

Concierge also re-arranged two meal ADRs when our plans got changed. They tracked down a gift item for us and helped us print our airline boarding passes for our return flights.

We loved having quiet areas to relax in outside our room and I know we will appreciate this feature even more in the busy season if we manage to pull off our Christmas trip at the Contemporary in December 2007! Staying concierge is like buying some nuisance insurance for us. Even my 'non-Disney fan' DH suggested going concierge this coming Christmas.

For us, concierge is expensive but we feel it is definitely worth it sometimes!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

It really all depends on how often you might be around to take advantage of some of the offerings, or if you need extra arrangements or reservations. I find more value in staying concierge when I travel elsewhere. Our days at WDW are usually so full with hopping from park to park and all, it's rather rare we would be in the room in the afternoon, etc. As for our reservations... you know we all make those 180 days in advance!