WL Conceirge - Help Convince My DH!

[DISLOVE]

Hi all! I have been reading all about concierge level and I want to become a lizard! I'm trying to convince my husband and he is just not buying into it. I need help from all of you to be able to convince him of how the extra cost for the room will equal out with all the perks!

The details...

Eric and I are taking Allison (our 2 year old) to her first trip to the WL in December. We'll be there 12/10 thru 12/17 and we are all excited. Allison tells everyone that "MommyDaddyMe go to Disney World in December!". She even told the cashier at the grocery store the other day!

We have annual passes... We'll be taking Tiffany Towncar so we can use Allison's car seat... We'll be flying in at 10:25 am on arrival day and then flying out at 6:45 on our departure day....

Help me convince my husband with REAL pluses to going concierge... He can read through the fluff which is why I haven't gotten through to him already!

Thanks!
Kristy

 

[ducklite]

If you are looking for actual ROI, cost savings, it's not going to happen.

Concierge is a service, not a meal plan. It's an extra level of security with keyed access floors, a relaxing place to have a snack, having your PS's taken care of for you saving phone charges.

It's having robes in the room to save packing, and having private check-in to save waiting in lines.

It's having nightly turn-down service (which equals an extra tip for hosuekeeping).

It's having little details taken care of for you. But it's NOT going to save you money.

Anne

 

[Tigger&Belle]

The snacks/drinks are nice, but, like Anne said, they won't save you money.

Turn down service can be requested at any deluxe resort, which is what we did at WL a couple weeks ago.

How much extra would you be paying per night? Is there any way that you would consider splitting your stay between two resorts? You might be more likely to convince him if you stay 4 nights at a moderate resort and then 3 at the WL concierge. WDW makes it easy to switch and since you only have one child it's not too much of a hassle (we've done it with 4 children, which can be a pain).

Good luck convincing your DH! Doesn't he know that if Momma is happy, everyone is happy?

T&B

 

[ctrabada]

I stayed concierge at WL last year, and I was not impressed. Yes, it's nice to have continental breakfast available in the morning and snacks throughout the day, but most of the times we weren't there to enjoy them. Plus, we hated our balcony; the concierge level rooms have a solid wall balcony that doesn't allow you to enjoy the view sitting down.

I loved the WL, but decided that our next stay will NOT be concierge. I would rather spend a little extra to have a courtyard view than the lot extra for concierge. Don't get me wrong, the private check-in, food and concierge CM's are great perks, but not worth the extra $$.

Now, if you were talking AKL concierge...ahhh, that's another matter entirely... we absolutely loved that one!

So, my advice is: if you have a chance to change your ressie and save some $$, don't stay concierge at WL. It will not detract you from enjoying this beautiful resort.

 

[DISLOVE]

Thanks for the replies... I'm not really intent on saving money but... I just need to prove the worth.

A couple of specific questions...

With the snacks and stuff, can you take some with you to the park? That would save us from packing food from home for Ally to eat throughout the day. (We are particular about what she eats..)
I'd be looking for bananas, oranges, crackers, raisins etc...

Do they provide bottled water?

I didn't know about the robes.. although what size are there? I am comfy in a 2x... do they ask about size for the robes?

Hmmm... That's all I have come up with so far!

Thanks for your help!
Kristy

 

[ducklite]

The food is really meant to be eaten in the lounge or your room. That said, if you took a banana at breakfast, no one is going to care.

The crackers and such are not prepackaged, they are laid out on platters with the cheese. Not sure I've ever seen raisins, unless it was in the trailmix some concierge lounges offer in teh afternoon.

No bottled water.

Robes are one size fits most. They don't offer various sizes, nor do they supply them. They are pretty much a generic XL.

Anne

 

[floridafam]

WL Concierge is just tough to explain.

We have been there several times and sometimes I don't know why we go back. Nothing major has happened but they just don't have it all together.

For someone staying their first time on a concierge level, they probably wouldn't notice. I was very happy our first stay.

My view only changed when I began comparing it to other concierge levels at Disney and elsewhere.

Does it save you money? Well, in a weird way, it does. If I take the cost of a courtyard view room and add on what we spend at Roaring Forks in a day, it comes pretty close. We don't use it for meals. Rather, we enjoy breakfast in the lounge and the snacks. We also enjoy the evening appetizer (cheese, crackers, one hot entree, etc.) selection and the desserts and cordials. This often results in us just buying a light supper.

You have the added convenience of CM's to make reservations for you, turn down service, robes, etc.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[floridafam]

I should clarify that it doesn't really save you money but it comes close.

At WL, we often stay at times when my DH needs a good night's sleep and the 7th floor is very quiet. I've found the other floors to be very noisy. So, another advantage to concierge at WL is being on the top floor without anyone above you.

 

[DISLOVE]

We also enjoy the evening appetizer (cheese, crackers, one hot entree, etc.) selection and the desserts and cordials. This often results in us just buying a light supper.
[/B][/QUOTE]


What do you mean by one hot entree? What kinds of things are there?

Kristy

 

[TDC Nala]

It's nice, but I wouldn't call it a cash saver.

WL concierge rooms don't seem to be any bigger than their regular rooms, so there's no bargain there. And I think it's just as easy to make your own PS's.

If you want to splurge, go for it.

 

[ducklite]

It's not really an entree, just a hot appetizer, like bacon wrapped lumps of something type of stuff.

Like I said, it's not a meal plan. The appetizers are cheese and crackers, veggies, might have been salsa and nachos, can't remember for sure, and a hot appetizer The only "meal" you can eat there is breakfast.

Anne

 

[PixiePop]

Hi~

I am a long time lurker and just wanted to let you know that my family and I just returned from staying concierge at the WL. This was our first time staying concierge, because usually we are very frugal with money, however, this was a special trip for multiple reasons and I decided that for once I wanted to splurge. My husband agreed only because he knew I really wanted to try it. I have to say we LOVED it. The 7th floor was very quiet, we had a view of the castle so watched the fireworks from our room every night. When we were there we actually ate dinner there which saved us a great deal. The breakfast in the morning was perfect for us since we are not big breakfast eaters, it was nice to go down the hall and get breakfast and bring back to the room. It was a big time saver for us. The hot meal that was provided at dinner time included the following: beef stroganoff (very good) and chicken noodle soup(fantastic!), pb & j crustable sandwiches, vegatables, cheese, crackers, wine, etc...., another night included pulled pork, bisquits, soup, another night sausage and peppers, and tomato and basil soup. It was enough to enjoy as a light dinner (we tended to eat larger lunches while out). Also, at first I didn't think the turn down service would be a plus for me, but it was great to come back to have the beds turned down all the trash cleaned and a chocolate waiting on your pillow. At the end, my sceptical husband even stated that we were going to have to stay concierge again.

I hope that you are able to convince your husband to give it a try.

Pixie

 

[NHmouse]

We stayed at WL Concierge in August for 2 nights prior to our DVC stay at BWV. We found the concierge service at WL to be a" lesser " standard than at the Beach Club. The food was OK but they kept running out. It was not enough to skip lunch or dinner , it was certainly designed as appetizer material. The rooms are not any larger and you are not guaranteed a great view. For the same price as others with castle view we had a view of the room of the Villas building. There were no robes at all in our room during our stay and we found the itinerary planning to be lacking. ( I had to contact them while at beach club I had multiple contacts initiated by the Beach Club planner.) All in all we decided that the WL concierge was not worth the extra money.

 

[disneydoc]

Sorry but would have to agree with your DH. We have stayed conceirge several times at different resorts but wouldn't again unless a major discount was offered. Conceirge rooms come with a premium price that for me cannot be justified for someone to make reservations, turn down bedsheets, and provide snacks. We have found it easier to take a few minutes and make reservations while planning our trip. We also buy drinks, snacks, and fruit at Publix prior to check-in. When we arrive we either have a cooler taken to our room or rent a small refrigerator. Each night we stock our fridge with items for breakfast and snacks/drinks for the park. For a 7 night stay conceirge would most likely cost 50-150 dollars more per night. I thereby save somewhere in the neighborhood of $350-700 over the entire trip. For that money I can justify several meals at the nicer restrauants in Epcot, a show or two, and extra souveniers for the DS and DD. I'm sure the "lizards" have reasons just as good for staying conceirge and in the end it comes down to personal preference. Lizard or not hope you have fun!! We'll also be there Dec 15-21 at WL courtyard view AP rate.

Jeff

 

[DISLOVE]

Well, I've shared all this info with my husband. After careful consideration, I think we are going to skip it. I was really hoping to splurge but make it sound appealing by saving some time and a little money.

My biggest thing was the snacks and breakfast for my toddler. I'm noticing that the kinds of things she really likes to munch on might not be there. Oh well...

And it sounds as if the WL may not be the place to splurge on concierge! That's okay though because I love the WL and would rather spend a few extra dollars on a castle view!

Hopefully I can get a great view...

Thanks for all your input! I really appreciate it!

Kristy

 

[susy]

We stayed at the WL last year for five nights in a woods view room. For that long of a stay (we usually do long weekends), I would do concierge-just for the convenience of the lounge and having help with whatever. As for the food, I could never eat an appetizer and then go have dinner. So, to me that would be a waste. We really enjoy the sit-down restaurants at Disney, but for a week or more, you may not want to have a big dinner every night and just have a snack. Everyone is different. Some people can eat B,L, and D every day. I can't. To save $$$, I don't think it will happen. For convenience and to have a more relaxing trip, I think it would definitely be worth it.

 

[senecabeach]

Guess if you have never had "C" services you might want to give it a try....but .....do it at a local hotel with a weekend special price...i.e.Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton to check it out.

Nobody gives you something for nothing. (Especially Disney)

I have travelled for 20 yrs. of my working life and "C" is NO biggie and certainly NOT worth the big money in Disney...even if they served steak & lobster.

Your DH is right.........save the extra cost for a great meal...maybe Victoria & Alberts??

Do spend the $10./per night for a refrigerator in the room for snacks.

Have a wonderful time in whatever you decide!!