YACHT CLUB/CLUB LEVEL Review

[psac]

Thanks for posting your review. I think the YC is the only Deluxe we haven't tried yet, and I don't know if we will. There doesn't seem to be any benefit over the BC if we wanted to stay on that side of Crescent Lake again.

I agree with the stuff in the hallway. That seems to be too common at all of the resorts. Sometimes you literally see the same plates sit out in the hallways for days! When we stayed at BLT and needed a blower in the room after a water incident, we called for them to pick it back up, they never did, so we put it out, and that sat there for 2 or 3 days. And it was pretty big.

Overall, though, it seems like you're more of a Bay Lake type of family.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

KOOK - Loved your review, very well balanced. It is so hard to post about negative issues encountered without offending die hard fans, but I think you did a very good job giving the good and the bad.

We really loved our YC CL stay a couple years ago, we ranked it right up there with our GF CL stays. I'm sorry to hear you have had less than stellar (to put it mildly!) experiences. We loved WL CL, too, especially the way the lounge wraps around the lobby atrium (similar to RPC), but I just can't book it due to the enclosed balconies. We love the overall resort, though, and have no qualms booking again, if the opportunity arises. So many great resorts, so little time.

Your YS dinner looks wonderful, we may have to give it another shot, I've been reading good reviews. We used to love it, then had a couple dinners that were "meh"; now, I'm afraid to order steak at WDW, the quality has just been awful the last couple years. I feel the steaks must be Select - they don't have any flavor at all and are often tough. I never recommend even the filet at Narcoossee's for this reason. We live in beef country, though, so we're tough critics.

We'll be back at YC in a few weeks, can't wait! I do hope our room is clean, so annoying when they drop the ball on mousekeeping. I would kill for a great upgrade, but not counting on it - we just don't seem to please the upgrade gods, never get one. Them's the breaks.

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I've come to think of rooms in need of a deep clean, and messy hallways as normal at WDW... but it really shouldn't be, especially when prices are so high.
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LOVE the pic of an empty B&C - and of the pool

Isn't that the truth?! Crazy how we've lowered our standards over the years, the WDW resorts used to be sooo far above most in terms of service and cleanliness. Like a frog slowly being heated, we just seem to have accepted the lowered bar - shame. I've even seen people make excuses for poorly cleaned rooms, or damaged furniture, stating we should feel lucky to be there at all!

Hard to get that view of an empty B&C, right?!

I think it's a fairly common issue with many resorts' CL floors. I remember this being an issue at BWI as well. It's very unappealing to look at, and since it's mainly contained to one floor at most resorts, I'm not sure it would be difficult to keep up with. You work there, you walk by, you pick it up. Problem solved

We've noticed leftover dishes along all floors, unfortunately. I've wondered if guests are unaware they are supposed to call room service to alert them to pick up the dishes? I was once told by a mousekeeper they are not allowed to pick up the room service dishes, those CMs are supposed to come up and fetch them. Not sure how accurate this is, but it kind of explains the many trays outside of rooms.

.... I'm not sure if it's hard to find good, quality workers or if the workers simply can't keep up with the guests. We personally don't put dirty dishes outside of our room -- we keep them neatly stacked on the dresser/area right near the door. But, still, someone should take a stroll down the halls and collect dirty dishes/linens/trash on a regular basis.

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I think it is more the second part - they have a hard time keeping up. Our turn down mousekeeper on our last YC stay told us she has 40 rooms to clean/turn down. If she works 8 hours (and I'm not sure they do!), that's 12 minutes per room, not counting breaks, etc. Not a lot of time, no wonder they are usually running around the room!

We do the same - keep our CL dishes in one place, then we carry them back to the lounge as we leave the room. If everyone did this, it would certainly help.

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On our first trip, we left the dishes in our room, expecting the housekeeper would take them away. It was the housekeeper who moved to the hallway. I find it gross too, but usually they have been picked up overnight. I think having a CM walk the halls every few hours is a great idea! Really, what would it take, maybe 5 minutes?? Something to write on my next survey.

We've experienced this as well - having the mousekeepers put them outside the door.

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You're welcome and speaking of not listening, I have an example of DD not listening to me just yesterday when I asked her to "smile." This is what a 15-year-old looks like driving home from school for the first time:

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And, I bet the WiFi was better at the ES

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The view wasn't an issue for us for a couple of reasons. We didn't book a Water/Pool View on purpose, we were upgraded to it. And, my only room request was to not have a connecting door. When the CM told me that our room had one, I asked if there was a room, any room, without one, but she said they were at 100% occupancy so moving to another room wasn't a possibility. ....

Cute photo of your DD. LOL about the wifi - whatever could you mean?!

We always request a non-connecting room, too, and rarely get it at any WDW resort. Not sure why so many DISers have an issue getting connecting rooms, they seem to be plentiful.

....We started taking the stairs because the elevator was too funky. ....

This sentence made me !

I really think it always comes down to management. If the managers don't care, then some of the employees who work for them won't care or won't know to care, either.

Disney's challenge is to consistently clean up a room or a hallway even after the messiest of guests. This can be done, but it isn't done consistently and I think much of the reason comes down to the manager. If a manager isn't doing random room checks and hallway checks, the employees know this.

Couldn't agree more with this. All bad attitude or lack of service issues in ANY company comes from the top. A good manager can make or break quality CS.

You're welcome and really, WDW Resorts are all about location, location, location. Of course there are finer resorts, with more expansive and better club levels and cleaner and nicer rooms and better service, but none are located on Disney property. Sounds to me like you might be considering the Four Seasons soon

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LOL, so true. We considered the new FS, it is supposed to be opening any day now, and the prices were decent. Just couldn't give up the great location, and SAB is a summer favorite of ours.

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I did ask the CL manager at WL about this. He said that each CL manager makes the decision for their club and WL won't be transitioning to the bartender. (Although now they have a new manager, so I suppose that could change). He said that since each club has its own budget, there must have been some "overages" or some monetary reason that prompted YC to do this and/or a perceived/real issue with underage consumption. They may have had too many people taking alcohol off-pemises and wanted to cut down costs. The CL bartender concept wasn't something that was mandated by Disney - yet. If it works at YC to cut down costs, then it may be adopted by other CLs, just like the removal of the water bottles.

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I know this will have the cost-cutting impact they're hoping for and if it turns out to be significant, like the removal of the small water bottles you mentioned, self-service CL alcohol may be a thing of the past. But, for now, I believe that only YC is doing this.

Very interesting. I wondered if it was due to the narrow area the drinks were set up in when we were there - but it sounds like I was being naive.

kook, your review would be my exact words using the description of our experience at the yacht club club level last april. the cl cm's were uninspired at best, the halls were, indeed, very dirty, dark and depressing and the rooms were not clean. I was embarrassed I suggested my daughter and her family stay there and pay all that money.

I'm very disappointed to hear this; as I mentioned, we had a lovely time a couple years ago in YC CL. Hopefully, it improves soon.

Don't you hate it when you suggest a favored spot and it doesn't go well?!

 

[elaw]

Were you able to see Illuminations off to the left of your balcony? I know guests love a BWV at BWI, but I think the GV is very nice there - it's a very peaceful setting.

No ... we were pretty much facing away from it. The GV and the room itself was really nice and we really enjoyed it. It's a little thing but ... the hike to the CL was our main issue at BWI ... if the Lounge was closer to the elevators like it is at the rest of the CL's we've stayed at I think we would have enjoyed it more.

I did ask the CL manager at WL about this. He said that each CL manager makes the decision for their club and WL won't be transitioning to the bartender. (Although now they have a new manager, so I suppose that could change)...

Glad to hear it's up to each resort but darn, Randy was our favorite CL manager of all the CL's ... gonna miss him [/QUOTE]

 

[Disneychick75]

I agree with your review, Kook. YC CL was our worst experience with a club level stay. We were there a few years ago. The CL CMs were not friendly and acted as though they were doing us a favor letting us into the lounge. Really? Cause we weren't spending an obscene amount of money for the privilege.
We were in a junior suite and the balcony was teeny tiny.

I don't remember mousekeeping issues but our start was not good. We arrived about 9 pm with no greeter or valet. I brought my daughter and 3 of her friends so we had quite a bit of luggage to haul from the parking lot. Then we got into the check in line where I was fussed at by the check in CM for being in the wrong line. Finally, the manager came out and apologized.

If I won a free trip to WDW and the prize was YC CL, I'd refuse it as, IMO, it wouldn't be worth the taxes I would have to pay.

 

[tnkrbell]

Do you know if there are any plans to refurbish the concierge floor rooms/Hallways?
How was the bultler service for drinks? Do you tip? I feel like it maybe a little uncomfortable but maybe Im over thinking.
I just upgraded to Yacht club concierge for my anniversary trip coming up. I really like the Epcot resorts but after reading your review Im second guessing my decision. Have you stayed at Boardwalk club level?

 

[Disneychick75]

Do you know if there are any plans to refurbish the concierge floor rooms/Hallways?
How was the bultler service for drinks? Do you tip? I feel like it maybe a little uncomfortable but maybe Im over thinking.
I just upgraded to Yacht club concierge for my anniversary trip coming up. I really like the Epcot resorts but after reading your review Im second guessing my decision. Have you stayed at Boardwalk club level?

Boardwalk CL is my second favorite! The staff is wonderful. My favorite is GF Royal Palm Court but that is now crazy expensive. Tipping is not allowed.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks for posting your review. I think the YC is the only Deluxe we haven't tried yet, and I don't know if we will. There doesn't seem to be any benefit over the BC if we wanted to stay on that side of Crescent Lake again.

I agree with the stuff in the hallway. That seems to be too common at all of the resorts. Sometimes you literally see the same plates sit out in the hallways for days! When we stayed at BLT and needed a blower in the room after a water incident, we called for them to pick it back up, they never did, so we put it out, and that sat there for 2 or 3 days. And it was pretty big.

Overall, though, it seems like you're more of a Bay Lake type of family.

Seeing that you're DVC members and YC doesn't have villas, it makes perfect sense for you to stick with BCV/BWV.

It is a challenge for the resorts to clean up lounges, hallways, rooms, etc… Some resorts just seem to be more consistently efficient at it than others and you're right, we do favor Bay Lake

KOOK - Loved your review, very well balanced. It is so hard to post about negative issues encountered without offending die hard fans, but I think you did a very good job giving the good and the bad.

We really loved our YC CL stay a couple years ago, we ranked it right up there with our GF CL stays. I'm sorry to hear you have had less than stellar (to put it mildly!) experiences. We loved WL CL, too, especially the way the lounge wraps around the lobby atrium (similar to RPC), but I just can't book it due to the enclosed balconies. We love the overall resort, though, and have no qualms booking again, if the opportunity arises. So many great resorts, so little time.

Your YS dinner looks wonderful, we may have to give it another shot, I've been reading good reviews. We used to love it, then had a couple dinners that were "meh"; now, I'm afraid to order steak at WDW, the quality has just been awful the last couple years. I feel the steaks must be Select - they don't have any flavor at all and are often tough. I never recommend even the filet at Narcoossee's for this reason. We live in beef country, though, so we're tough critics.

We'll be back at YC in a few weeks, can't wait! I do hope our room is clean, so annoying when they drop the ball on mousekeeping. I would kill for a great upgrade, but not counting on it - we just don't seem to please the upgrade gods, never get one. Them's the breaks.

That was an epic multi-quote - loved it!! It was so epic I had to snip some of it because I have to run soon

What room view did you book at YC? The shorter the stay and lower the room category, the more likely you'll get upgraded. But, if you are upgraded, don't expect them to tell you

Your steak observation is spot on with what we've noticed as well. That may be one reason we were so pleasantly surprised by YS. We think that Le Cellier has unfortunately gone down in quality over the years. I do think, as others do, that the DDP killed many restaurants - but, I guess that's a bit OT.

Those enclosed balconies are very annoying. We were in a Deluxe room at WL which was on the 5th floor. It was so nice having two balconies that we could actually see-through while sitting. It does make a big difference and I can understand your not wanting to stay on the 7th floor if you value spending quality time out on the balcony.

Will you be posting to your GF thread about your YC stay or maybe you'll post a TR?

I agree with your review, Kook. YC CL was our worst experience with a club level stay. We were there a few years ago. The CL CMs were not friendly and acted as though they were doing us a favor letting us into the lounge. Really? Cause we weren't spending an obscene amount of money for the privilege.

We were in a junior suite and the balcony was teeny tiny.

I don't remember mousekeeping issues but our start was not good. We arrived about 9 pm with no greeter or valet. I brought my daughter and 3 of her friends so we had quite a bit of luggage to haul from the parking lot. Then we got into the check in line where I was fussed at by the check in CM for being in the wrong line. Finally, the manager came out and apologized.

If I won a free trip to WDW and the prize was YC CL, I'd refuse it as, IMO, it wouldn't be worth the taxes I would have to pay.

I think your experience trumps ours. Our first stay there we weren't greeted either and we were told to just "check-in downstairs." It was only about 10 AM.

Just curious, do you have a favorite CL and why? I always like reading about why people prefer certain CLs - this question is for everyone

Do you know if there are any plans to refurbish the concierge floor rooms/Hallways?

How was the bultler service for drinks? Do you tip? I feel like it maybe a little uncomfortable but maybe Im over thinking.

I just upgraded to Yacht club concierge for my anniversary trip coming up. I really like the Epcot resorts but after reading your review Im second guessing my decision. Have you stayed at Boardwalk club level?

I believe BC will undergo a rehab starting in the Fall - September perhaps? They were both last rehabbed around the same time so I would assume YC will be next after BC, but that's just a guess on my part.

No one was tipping the bartender that I saw. The rule with CL CMs (not housekeeping) is that when offered a tip, they must refuse the first two times, but may accept the third attempt. This may be outdated information now, but I have seen it happen last year.

DH liked having a bartender serve his drink and I would just assume serve myself than stand in line and ask what's available. There's nothing really bad about it, I just prefer the "old" self-service method. I felt a bit like I was at a convention or cash bar…but without the option of a mixed drink

Yes, we've stayed at the Innkeeper's Club in 2012 for just four nights during spring break. I posted a little TR HERE.

 

[Scott MC]

Do you know if there are any plans to refurbish the concierge floor rooms/Hallways?
How was the bultler service for drinks? Do you tip? I feel like it maybe a little uncomfortable but maybe Im over thinking.
I just upgraded to Yacht club concierge for my anniversary trip coming up. I really like the Epcot resorts but after reading your review Im second guessing my decision. Have you stayed at Boardwalk club level?

The issue about tipping club level and other CMs has come up on the Concierge thread before. I believe that CMs in non-tipped positions must refuse a tip two times. If it is offered a third time, they can accept it but not keep it. It must be turned into a manager. If the CM forgets and does not turn the money over to a manager, he or she will be fired. I’m not sure what exactly happens to the money once it is turned in to a manager. I have been told that CMs ARE permitted to accept non-cash gifts, as long as the value is less than $75. Interestingly, gift cards are considered gifts, and not cash.

 

[pamkat1820]

I love your review and we felt the same way on our stay. We love the area and the resort itself but we were not impressed by CL at all. It was our very first CL trip so I have nothing to compare it too. I would stay at the YC again.

I totally agree about the hallways. I felt like I was walking threw a obstacle course daily no matter what time of the day. I have to say we did not like our stay at POR but our room was cleaned promptly and u never saw a laundry cart after 2 that wasn't the case at YC. Lol

My issue was I wasn't really impressed with the selection for the amount of money we paid to stay CL. I think if there was more variety I would have liked it better. The apps were pretty much the same nightly and so breakfast. I think if we ever want to spurge I might try it again but at another resort. Maybe the poly. It's the only resort we haven't visited yet, so I'm really curious on what a stay would be like there.

I just can't tear myself away from the Epcot resorts yet. Thanks for the review love the pics!

 

[psac]

Seeing that you're DVC members and YC doesn't have villas, it makes perfect sense for you to stick with BCV/BWV.

It is a challenge for the resorts to clean up lounges, hallways, rooms, etc… Some resorts just seem to be more consistently efficient at it than others and you're right, we do favor Bay Lake

I love that emoticon. . For us, we have enough points for 1-1/2 stays a year in a 1BR (or 3 in a studio, but we like the extra room since we usually do a lot of resort time). So that's not nearly enough for all our Disney stays, so we still do cash stays, too. when we do, it's usually club for the opposite experience we get from the DVC stays.

For your question, we loved the Poly garden view club stay. Obviously I wouldn't go near that place until the construction is done, but we loved the Poly way more than we thought we would. We'll have to assess thing since everything is done. I could see us staying on points if we could get it for a 7 month booking for sure. Otherwise I could see us staying club again. The refurbed room was fantastic, and we also liked the upstairs extension of the club lounge. Good for hanging out by ourselves for an hour or two in the afternoon, very quiet. The service was so-so, but it was a packed 4th of July time, so we didn't fault them for that.

The year before we did AKL club, and that's just such a unique experience. You should try it for a split stay for a few days. Love the lobby, and the guaranteed Arusha view was amazing. So many animals, especially in the 3-7pm timeframe. Plus the sunrise safari was fantastic, but now we can do that on DVC stays. The food is also unique, and we love the Jungle Juice (or whatever it's called) available all day. Service was also so-so (see a pattern?), but when we escalated some things, they were handled right away.

The year before that was the BC Club. We were in a deluxe room, and it was really far from the lounge. And maybe since we weren't on the club floor, every time we went, the staff looked at us like we were aliens or lepers or something. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Plus the lounge is too small, but everyone knows that!

Before that was the BW Club, and we loved the BW and the service and everything so much, that we had to buy our first DVC there!! It blew us away. I would still say the best service we've had on any WDW stay so far.

And our first club stay was GF RPC, in the King Deluxe octagon room, and loved it, but can't justify spending more than the national deficit again on a vacation stay. the price of an RPC stay would pay a good portion of another DVC resale add on. So I don't see us staying there again.

But as we always say, it's great to have choices for everyone!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

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That was an epic multi-quote - loved it!! It was so epic I had to snip some of it because I have to run soon

What room view did you book at YC? The shorter the stay and lower the room category, the more likely you'll get upgraded. But, if you are upgraded, don't expect them to tell you

Your steak observation is spot on with what we've noticed as well. That may be one reason we were so pleasantly surprised by YS. We think that Le Cellier has unfortunately gone down in quality over the years. I do think, as others do, that the DDP killed many restaurants - but, I guess that's a bit OT.

Those enclosed balconies are very annoying. We were in a Deluxe room at WL which was on the 5th floor. It was so nice having two balconies that we could actually see-through while sitting. It does make a big difference and I can understand your not wanting to stay on the 7th floor if you value spending quality time out on the balcony.

Will you be posting to your GF thread about your YC stay or maybe you'll post a TR?
....

Just curious, do you have a favorite CL and why? I always like reading about why people prefer certain CLs - this question is for everyone

Sorry, I get carried away. Agreed about the restaurants/dining plan, I truly believe the food quality has suffered due to its popularity. How could it not?

We have a std. view booked, which makes me nervous, but it was the only option with our discount. Four nights, so probably not short enough, but one can hope. I'd be happy with an upgrade to garden view, so we don't have to look at a bunch of generators, etc.

I will definitely post about our stay, probably on the Y/BC thread - but, if not, on a separate post. I hate to get so far off topic on the GF FAQ, posters don't seem to appreciate it, can't say I blame them.

We have stayed in all the CLs except CR & BC. Here is how we grade them, keep in mind the ranking for all below #1 is such a slight difference!

1. GF - RPC & SL; no surprise there, lol. We feel the variety of food is second to none and the CMs are fantastic.

2. AKL - outstanding IPO service, very good on prop service, interesting food. And such a great deal, as all CL rooms are SV and often costs very little more than a SV room.

3. YC - As I posted, we had an awesome stay here, we felt our CL CM interaction was on par with that of our stays at the GF CL. I hope they can turn things around soon.

4. Poly - This is a tough one; hard to decide if this should be switched with WL and here's why: we have had several iffy stays.~sigh~ Poly used to be our favorite resort, but we started having trouble with mousekeeping, in all room categories - mostly minor issues, but many of them. And the crowds in the CL lounge kind of dampened the level of service, sorry to say. With the costs soaring, not sure I will take a chance on Poly CL again. Love the lounge, though, and the food is always good. CL interaction has been a mixed bag.

5. WL - loved the lounge, the food was good, the CMs were lovely; just wish those balconies were not enclosed! I hate the dormer balconies at the GF for the same reason!

6. BWI - We enjoyed our CL stay here, the CMs were wonderful and the food was good. We so want to love the BWI, on our first trip we watched it being built and couldn't wait to try it! But there is something about the atmosphere that just doesn't appeal, can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it is due to the large number of conventions - but the GF has them, too. Whenever we stay at the BWI, it feels almost abandoned...not sure that's the right word, but the magic is missing, for us.

So, that's our ranking, for what it's worth! As I said, the differences between those ranked below our beloved Grand are minor - we have enjoyed all our CL stays. Not to mention, we've had less than stellar experiences at all the resorts we've visited more than once, including our favorites. We had a particularly bad stay at the GF back in 2007 (non-CL), which persuaded us to take 18 months off from WDW and go to Europe instead!

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For your question, we loved the Poly garden view club stay. Obviously I wouldn't go near that place until the construction is done, but we loved the Poly way more than we thought we would. We'll have to assess thing since everything is done. I could see us staying on points if we could get it for a 7 month booking for sure. Otherwise I could see us staying club again. The refurbed room was fantastic, and we also liked the upstairs extension of the club lounge. Good for hanging out by ourselves for an hour or two in the afternoon, very quiet. The service was so-so, but it was a packed 4th of July time, so we didn't fault them for that.

The year before we did AKL club, and that's just such a unique experience. You should try it for a split stay for a few days. Love the lobby, and the guaranteed Arusha view was amazing. So many animals, especially in the 3-7pm timeframe. Plus the sunrise safari was fantastic, but now we can do that on DVC stays. The food is also unique, and we love the Jungle Juice (or whatever it's called) available all day. Service was also so-so (see a pattern?), but when we escalated some things, they were handled right away.

The year before that was the BC Club. We were in a deluxe room, and it was really far from the lounge. And maybe since we weren't on the club floor, every time we went, the staff looked at us like we were aliens or lepers or something. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Plus the lounge is too small, but everyone knows that!

Before that was the BW Club, and we loved the BW and the service and everything so much, that we had to buy our first DVC there!! It blew us away. I would still say the best service we've had on any WDW stay so far.

And our first club stay was GF RPC, in the King Deluxe octagon room, and loved it, but can't justify spending more than the national deficit again on a vacation stay. the price of an RPC stay would pay a good portion of another DVC resale add on. So I don't see us staying there again.

But as we always say, it's great to have choices for everyone!

Indeed! If we all preferred the same resorts, it would be pretty tough to get a room.

Which is highlighted by your comments on BWI, as we had some of our worst service on our last (non-CL) stay there. The mousekeeping and the front desk/lobby concierge/ management, all completely lacking - we couldn't wait for our move to WL. But any resort can have a bad period, so we'll probably give them another chance eventually. Next time, we might have the best trip ever, which is what happened at the GF when we finally returned.

I laughed at the last paragraph - so true! Those RPC prices have skyrocketed, I don't know that we'll ever be able to stay in the Main Bldg. again. We love it, but I won't pay that kind of price, it's ridiculous. To be honest, I'm reeling from the std/garden view prices of both the Grand AND Poly lately, yikes! We may be priced out of the MK area altogether in the next few years, let alone CL. Over $500/night during value season for a garden view?! Are they high?!? The Four Seasons will be on my list, for sure.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I love your review and we felt the same way on our stay. We love the area and the resort itself but we were not impressed by CL at all. It was our very first CL trip so I have nothing to compare it too. I would stay at the YC again.

I totally agree about the hallways. I felt like I was walking threw a obstacle course daily no matter what time of the day. I have to say we did not like our stay at POR but our room was cleaned promptly and u never saw a laundry cart after 2 that wasn't the case at YC. Lol

My issue was I wasn't really impressed with the selection for the amount of money we paid to stay CL. I think if there was more variety I would have liked it better. The apps were pretty much the same nightly and so breakfast. I think if we ever want to spurge I might try it again but at another resort. Maybe the poly. It's the only resort we haven't visited yet, so I'm really curious on what a stay would be like there.

I just can't tear myself away from the Epcot resorts yet. Thanks for the review love the pics!

Thank you, pamkat1820. Unfortunately, all the CLs offer the same items everyday at breakfast. (Disclaimer: I've not stayed RPC/SL so I don't know if this is true there, too.) Where they do seem to vary greatly is from 5-7 with the appetizers. I've noticed that the Epcot resorts seem to offer fewer hot items and repeat fried variations more than the MK resorts. The presentation was lovely at YC, but the selection is more limited and less varied than the MK resorts. I also missed the expansive views they have from the MK resorts.

So do you know where you might stay for your next Epcot resort?

I love that emoticon. . For us, we have enough points for 1-1/2 stays a year in a 1BR (or 3 in a studio, but we like the extra room since we usually do a lot of resort time). So that's not nearly enough for all our Disney stays, so we still do cash stays, too. when we do, it's usually club for the opposite experience we get from the DVC stays.

For your question, we loved the Poly garden view club stay. Obviously I wouldn't go near that place until the construction is done, but we loved the Poly way more than we thought we would. We'll have to assess thing since everything is done. I could see us staying on points if we could get it for a 7 month booking for sure. Otherwise I could see us staying club again. The refurbed room was fantastic, and we also liked the upstairs extension of the club lounge. Good for hanging out by ourselves for an hour or two in the afternoon, very quiet. The service was so-so, but it was a packed 4th of July time, so we didn't fault them for that.

The year before we did AKL club, and that's just such a unique experience. You should try it for a split stay for a few days. Love the lobby, and the guaranteed Arusha view was amazing. So many animals, especially in the 3-7pm timeframe. Plus the sunrise safari was fantastic, but now we can do that on DVC stays. The food is also unique, and we love the Jungle Juice (or whatever it's called) available all day. Service was also so-so (see a pattern?), but when we escalated some things, they were handled right away.

The year before that was the BC Club. We were in a deluxe room, and it was really far from the lounge. And maybe since we weren't on the club floor, every time we went, the staff looked at us like we were aliens or lepers or something. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Plus the lounge is too small, but everyone knows that!

Before that was the BW Club, and we loved the BW and the service and everything so much, that we had to buy our first DVC there!! It blew us away. I would still say the best service we've had on any WDW stay so far.

And our first club stay was GF RPC, in the King Deluxe octagon room, and loved it, but can't justify spending more than the national deficit again on a vacation stay. the price of an RPC stay would pay a good portion of another DVC resale add on. So I don't see us staying there again.

But as we always say, it's great to have choices for everyone!

Don't worry, you can just borrow the money…or print more

I know just what you mean about those CL rooms that aren't on the CL floor. It's especially uncomfortable when you get in the elevator and the CL floor is already keyed and you get off with whomever keyed the floor and you know they're wondering what you're up to. Luckily, everyone at the OFC knows us, but once in 2010, DD and I were given CL access while staying in a non-CL room on the 5th floor and every time we went up there no one knew us/talked to us and we felt a bit like unwelcome visitors.

More great comments about RPC. I really think we're just going to have to try it for comparison purposes. Like BWI's decor, we've never been fans of the GF decor. But, with the recent room rehab, it seems less "flowery" so we may have to include it in our next split.

Thank you for posting about your CL stays, psac.

Sorry, I get carried away. Agreed about the restaurants/dining plan, I truly believe the food quality has suffered due to its popularity. How could it not?

We have a std. view booked, which makes me nervous, but it was the only option with our discount. Four nights, so probably not short enough, but one can hope. I'd be happy with an upgrade to garden view, so we don't have to look at a bunch of generators, etc.

I will definitely post about our stay, probably on the Y/BC thread - but, if not, on a separate post. I hate to get so far off topic on the GF FAQ, posters don't seem to appreciate it, can't say I blame them.

We have stayed in all the CLs except CR & BC. Here is how we grade them, keep in mind the ranking for all below #1 is such a slight difference!

1. GF - RPC & SL; no surprise there, lol. We feel the variety of food is second to none and the CMs are fantastic.

2. AKL - outstanding IPO service, very good on prop service, interesting food. And such a great deal, as all CL rooms are SV and often costs very little more than a SV room.

3. YC - As I posted, we had an awesome stay here, we felt our CL CM interaction was on par with that of our stays at the GF CL. I hope they can turn things around soon.

4. Poly - This is a tough one; hard to decide if this should be switched with WL and here's why: we have had several iffy stays.~sigh~ Poly used to be our favorite resort, but we started having trouble with mousekeeping, in all room categories - mostly minor issues, but many of them. And the crowds in the CL lounge kind of dampened the level of service, sorry to say. With the costs soaring, not sure I will take a chance on Poly CL again. Love the lounge, though, and the food is always good. CL interaction has been a mixed bag.

5. WL - loved the lounge, the food was good, the CMs were lovely; just wish those balconies were not enclosed! I hate the dormer balconies at the GF for the same reason!

6. BWI - We enjoyed our CL stay here, the CMs were wonderful and the food was good. We so want to love the BWI, on our first trip we watched it being built and couldn't wait to try it! But there is something about the atmosphere that just doesn't appeal, can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it is due to the large number of conventions - but the GF has them, too. Whenever we stay at the BWI, it feels almost abandoned...not sure that's the right word, but the magic is missing, for us.

So, that's our ranking, for what it's worth! As I said, the differences between those ranked below our beloved Grand are minor - we have enjoyed all our CL stays. Not to mention, we've had less than stellar experiences at all the resorts we've visited more than once, including our favorites. We had a particularly bad stay at the GF back in 2007 (non-CL), which persuaded us to take 18 months off from WDW and go to Europe instead!



Indeed! If we all preferred the same resorts, it would be pretty tough to get a room.

Which is highlighted by your comments on BWI, as we had some of our worst service on our last (non-CL) stay there. The mousekeeping and the front desk/lobby concierge/ management, all completely lacking - we couldn't wait for our move to WL. But any resort can have a bad period, so we'll probably give them another chance eventually. Next time, we might have the best trip ever, which is what happened at the GF when we finally returned.

I laughed at the last paragraph - so true! Those RPC prices have skyrocketed, I don't know that we'll ever be able to stay in the Main Bldg. again. We love it, but I won't pay that kind of price, it's ridiculous. To be honest, I'm reeling from the std/garden view prices of both the Grand AND Poly lately, yikes! We may be priced out of the MK area altogether in the next few years, let alone CL. Over $500/night during value season for a garden view?! Are they high?!? The Four Seasons will be on my list, for sure.

Thanks for ranking your CL stays. I always enjoy reading others' experiences, good and bad.

The prices seem to rise at least 5% every year. And, now with all that MB debt they need to recoup, prices may go up even more. It really does make other vacation locations more competitive as prices keep going up and up. And, if you've gone for many years, you notice some amenities disappearing or changes that aren't always for the better.

Regarding Poly CL, I feel like the place will booked solid after the rehab is completed. So many have commented on how they're waiting until everything is done to go back or try it out. I guess if you can tolerate the construction, now would be a great time to go with much lower occupancy levels. But, charging regular prices just doesn't seem right given the massive amounts of construction.

Can't wait to read about your YC stay and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[TJA]

Just curious, do you have a favorite CL and why? I always like reading about why people prefer certain CLs - this question is for everyone

I thought I'd chime in on this one. For us, it's first about the resort itself and the CL experience only enhances it. We've found after many, many trips that location, room comfort, and room views are important to us. Taking that into consideration, here is how we rank our CL stays:

1. Poly CL. Used to be BC CL and our hearts still remain there, but Poly CL ranks top for us now. Being able to walk right out of Hawaii building and onto the sand and pool area is a huge perk -- our kids are at "that age" where we can feel comfortable letting them wander a bit since everything is so close, and we can also easily grab snacks and drinks from the lounge while at the pool. At some other resorts, it can be a hike from the CL to the pool area, so definitely not as convenient. Also, the views from Poly lounge and rooms are amazing. The first floor patios and walking right onto the sand (somewhat ruined by the bungalows now, unfortunately....) and also the 3rd floor balconies offer great TPV's. Love the Pog juice and the adult Pog juice served in the lounge. Other perks not necessarily related to CL but indeed add to our enjoyment: large rooms that include a daybed(!), Ohana dinner, Kona coffee, monorail/TTC, pool cabana rental.

2. BC CL. I think this will be improved after the much needed refurb which began last week. We do like the cozy feeling of the lounge and the CM's take great care of us (we have a couple favorites: Neil who makes GREAT birthday pins and goes above and beyond to please guests, and a lady named "Vilma" who remembers us each trip and also jumps to please us). We love the overall feel of being at the BC, the pool, Beaches & Cream, walking to Epcot and HS, enjoying the boardwalk. Things we don't like are: how it's possible to get a room quite far from the lounge and also that not all rooms have daybeds and full balconies.

3. CR CL. The views are, of course, amazing no matter which type of CL room you book (love that!). The rooms are large, the lounge is comfortable, CM's were ok, food wasn't as plentiful as other CL's we've stayed at. However, being able to walk to MK puts this CL above #4.

4. WL CL. We thought the food was better at WL than at any other CL and the CM's were awesome. We weren't fond of the smaller room size and also the closed panel balcony -- those are not deal breakers for us, but they do add to the overall comfort level. We found we couldn't really enjoy a room view since we couldn't see anything unless standing out on our balcony looking over the panels.

The CL that I have my eye on to try is GF RPC TPV.

AKL CL has me interested....just the location and room size/configuration holds me back.

BWI CL...we will try this someday.

YC CL, probably will never try. We've stayed in a regular room there and we prefer BC ambience.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I thought I'd chime in on this one. For us, it's first about the resort itself and the CL experience only enhances it. We've found after many, many trips that location, room comfort, and room views are important to us. Taking that into consideration, here is how we rank our CL stays:

1. Poly CL. Used to be BC CL and our hearts still remain there, but Poly CL ranks top for us now. Being able to walk right out of Hawaii building and onto the sand and pool area is a huge perk -- our kids are at "that age" where we can feel comfortable letting them wander a bit since everything is so close, and we can also easily grab snacks and drinks from the lounge while at the pool. At some other resorts, it can be a hike from the CL to the pool area, so definitely not as convenient. Also, the views from Poly lounge and rooms are amazing. The first floor patios and walking right onto the sand (somewhat ruined by the bungalows now, unfortunately....) and also the 3rd floor balconies offer great TPV's. Love the Pog juice and the adult Pog juice served in the lounge. Other perks not necessarily related to CL but indeed add to our enjoyment: large rooms that include a daybed(!), Ohana dinner, Kona coffee, monorail/TTC, pool cabana rental.

2. BC CL. I think this will be improved after the much needed refurb which began last week. We do like the cozy feeling of the lounge and the CM's take great care of us (we have a couple favorites: Neil who makes GREAT birthday pins and goes above and beyond to please guests, and a lady named "Vilma" who remembers us each trip and also jumps to please us). We love the overall feel of being at the BC, the pool, Beaches & Cream, walking to Epcot and HS, enjoying the boardwalk. Things we don't like are: how it's possible to get a room quite far from the lounge and also that not all rooms have daybeds and full balconies.

3. CR CL. The views are, of course, amazing no matter which type of CL room you book (love that!). The rooms are large, the lounge is comfortable, CM's were ok, food wasn't as plentiful as other CL's we've stayed at. However, being able to walk to MK puts this CL above #4.

4. WL CL. We thought the food was better at WL than at any other CL and the CM's were awesome. We weren't fond of the smaller room size and also the closed panel balcony -- those are not deal breakers for us, but they do add to the overall comfort level. We found we couldn't really enjoy a room view since we couldn't see anything unless standing out on our balcony looking over the panels.

The CL that I have my eye on to try is GF RPC TPV.

AKL CL has me interested....just the location and room size/configuration holds me back.

BWI CL...we will try this someday.

YC CL, probably will never try. We've stayed in a regular room there and we prefer BC ambience.

It's great that you've found your CL "home" and next year your "home" will be even better…if you don't mind those Bungalows in front of Hawaii. I've never tried, but am also very intrigued by RPC. It sounds like it should be the pinnacle of WDW CL so it would be interesting to compare with other CL stays.

 

[elaw]

... I've never tried, but am also very intrigued by RPC. It sounds like it should be the pinnacle of WDW CL so it would be interesting to compare with other CL stays.

I thought I'd chime in as well .... RPC is our second favorite of all the WDW deluxe CL's ... its "lounge" is very spacious and elegant but for us WL is still number one
For us, consistency plays a big part in the rankings too ... some visits are great, some not so much and therefore a lower overall ranking. I currently rank them as follows:

1. WL
2. GF-RPC
3. CR
4. AKL
5. YC
6. BC
7. BWI

(Still need to try the Poly one of these years)

 

[tarak]

WDWKOOK, thank y so much for your review. A but disheartening, since we'll be there in four days. You're the reason I really, really want to stay WL CL some day, so I value yr opinion tremendously. I'll be sure to post what I find when I check in. I booked a bounce back and since we had a party of five, our options were limited (and I wanted to stay at an Epcot resort since it's my mom's favorite park).

To answer your question about favorite CL, we've only stayed at the Poly and AKL. I love, love, love AKL. We've stayed there three times, I think. Stayed two nights at the Poly. If I recall, it was right before the last refurb and the rooms were really shabby, the CL CMs were nice, but not outstanding like they were at AKL. And the Poly was where I saw some pretty bad guest behavior (taking half the plate of appetizers instead of three and going back for more). I don't wow that I would ever spend the money for CL at the Poly again. It would really depend on what the resort looks like after all the work being done. AKL I'd go back to in a heartbeat.

I'm hoping to convince my husband to try WL again. We stayed there a few years back and it was nice, but he wasn't wild about the boat rides. Might have to do it when my youngest is older and I can take her with my mom.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Thank you, pamkat1820. Unfortunately, all the CLs offer the same items everyday at breakfast. (Disclaimer: I've not stayed RPC/SL so I don't know if this is true there, too.)

....
Thanks for ranking your CL stays. I always enjoy reading others' experiences, good and bad.

The prices seem to rise at least 5% every year. And, now with all that MB debt they need to recoup, prices may go up even more. It really does make other vacation locations more competitive as prices keep going up and up. And, if you've gone for many years, you notice some amenities disappearing or changes that aren't always for the better.

Regarding Poly CL, I feel like the place will booked solid after the rehab is completed. So many have commented on how they're waiting until everything is done to go back or try it out. I guess if you can tolerate the construction, now would be a great time to go with much lower occupancy levels. But, charging regular prices just doesn't seem right given the massive amounts of construction.

Can't wait to read about your YC stay and I hope you have a wonderful trip.

FYI, GF CL has more protein at breakfast than any other CL I've tried. There is turkey & ham slices, various cheeses (some sliced - love the dilled Havarti! - some spreadable, like boursin) and often a wonderful salmon spread. We love to grab a croissant and make a breakfast sandwich.

Agreed on all points about the rising costs, I'm expecting higher monorail resort prices across the board. It's already exorbitant - I haven't done the math on all the GF room categories/seasons, but I know we paid a little over $600/night (with tax), rack, for the week preceding Christmas in 2006 for an RPC king deluxe, and that same room in the same time is over $1300 this year (tax included)!!

We could have booked Poly std. for a very nice discount for our upcoming trip, but I think it's insane to stay there at the moment. Pool closed, CC's closed, GCH in shambles, paths blocked right and left. Not sure what's left, except your room!

Can't imagine what it's going to be like trying to book a room there, after the DVC is finished.

Hope you get a chance to try GF CL some day, I know it's hard to leave your favorites for an unknown. I will definitely post about our YC stay, crossing fingers it's as good as we've had in the past.

I thought I'd chime in on this one. For us, it's first about the resort itself and the CL experience only enhances it. We've found after many, many trips that location, room comfort, and room views are important to us. Taking that into consideration, here is how we rank our CL stays:

1. Poly CL. ....
2. BC CL. ....
3. CR CL. ....
4. WL CL. ....

The CL that I have my eye on to try is GF RPC TPV.

AKL CL has me interested....just the location and room size/configuration holds me back.

BWI CL...we will try this someday.

YC CL, probably will never try. We've stayed in a regular room there and we prefer BC ambience.

Enjoyed your reviews, I agree with much of what you wrote. Thought I'd share - there's really not a bad view from RPC, so if you make the leap to book it, don't worry if you can't get a discount for the TPV. Very pretty views of either the Beach Pool (which now includes VGF, unfortunately - or, fortunately, however you see it) or the courtyard area, with pool, from the std. rooms.

AKL CL is very good as well, and of course, the view of the animals is wonderful.

I thought I'd chime in as well .... RPC is our second favorite of all the WDW deluxe CL's ... its "lounge" is very spacious and elegant but for us WL is still number one
For us, consistency plays a big part in the rankings too ... some visits are great, some not so much and therefore a lower overall ranking. I currently rank them as follows:

1. WL
2. GF-RPC
3. CR
4. AKL
5. YC
6. BC
7. BWI

(Still need to try the Poly one of these years)

Second favorite?! How dare you!! Just kidding, of course.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I thought I'd chime in as well .... RPC is our second favorite of all the WDW deluxe CL's ... its "lounge" is very spacious and elegant but for us WL is still number one
For us, consistency plays a big part in the rankings too ... some visits are great, some not so much and therefore a lower overall ranking. I currently rank them as follows:

1. WL
2. GF-RPC
3. CR
4. AKL
5. YC
6. BC
7. BWI

(Still need to try the Poly one of these years)

I like how you factored "consistency" into your criteria. I have to agree with your ranking WL first. Some changes are taking place at WL (structural and management) and I just hope that high level of consistency remains.

So is Poly/KKC on your post-Poly rehab bucket list?

WDWKOOK, thank y so much for your review. A but disheartening, since we'll be there in four days. You're the reason I really, really want to stay WL CL some day, so I value yr opinion tremendously. I'll be sure to post what I find when I check in. I booked a bounce back and since we had a party of five, our options were limited (and I wanted to stay at an Epcot resort since it's my mom's favorite park).

To answer your question about favorite CL, we've only stayed at the Poly and AKL. I love, love, love AKL. We've stayed there three times, I think. Stayed two nights at the Poly. If I recall, it was right before the last refurb and the rooms were really shabby, the CL CMs were nice, but not outstanding like they were at AKL. And the Poly was where I saw some pretty bad guest behavior (taking half the plate of appetizers instead of three and going back for more). I don't wow that I would ever spend the money for CL at the Poly again. It would really depend on what the resort looks like after all the work being done. AKL I'd go back to in a heartbeat.

I'm hoping to convince my husband to try WL again. We stayed there a few years back and it was nice, but he wasn't wild about the boat rides. Might have to do it when my youngest is older and I can take her with my mom.

Do you have a YC update for us? I hope you're having a great vacation. You will definitely have to try WL/CL someday. If DH doesn't like the boats, the buses go everywhere the boats go, like MK and FW.

 

[WDWKOOK]

FYI, GF CL has more protein at breakfast than any other CL I've tried. There is turkey & ham slices, various cheeses (some sliced - love the dilled Havarti! - some spreadable, like boursin) and often a wonderful salmon spread. We love to grab a croissant and make a breakfast sandwich.

Agreed on all points about the rising costs, I'm expecting higher monorail resort prices across the board. It's already exorbitant - I haven't done the math on all the GF room categories/seasons, but I know we paid a little over $600/night (with tax), rack, for the week preceding Christmas in 2006 for an RPC king deluxe, and that same room in the same time is over $1300 this year (tax included)!!

We could have booked Poly std. for a very nice discount for our upcoming trip, but I think it's insane to stay there at the moment. Pool closed, CC's closed, GCH in shambles, paths blocked right and left. Not sure what's left, except your room!

Can't imagine what it's going to be like trying to book a room there, after the DVC is finished.

Hope you get a chance to try GF CL some day, I know it's hard to leave your favorites for an unknown. I will definitely post about our YC stay, crossing fingers it's as good as we've had in the past.

I agree that RPC has the most varied and extensive breakfast. I meant that all the CLs serve the same breakfast everyday and they don't vary from day to day like the 5-7 apps. Does RPC change its daily breakfast offerings?

You're right about changing to an unknown entity. But, changes are frequent at WDW and sometimes your favorite resort or CL just isn't the same anymore so trying something new, like RPC for example, can be an easy transition. But, really, has anyone every found RPC a difficult transition?!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I agree that RPC has the most varied and extensive breakfast. I meant that all the CLs serve the same breakfast everyday and they don't vary from day to day like the 5-7 apps. Does RPC change its daily breakfast offerings?

You're right about changing to an unknown entity. But, changes are frequent at WDW and sometimes your favorite resort or CL just isn't the same anymore so trying something new, like RPC for example, can be an easy transition. But, really, has anyone every found RPC a difficult transition?!

Oh, OK - gotcha! I misunderstood, sorry. Yes, GF CL has the same b'fast every day, with some minor changes (like the salmon spread, as I mentioned).

You are right on about changes meaning sometimes your favorite isn't your fave any longer. LOL - not many think RPC isn't easy to accept.

I read your wish that the upcoming changes at WL will not interfere with their great consistent service. I'll keep my fingers crossed.