Disney's Club Level (CL) Information & Questions

[trishadono]

We recently booked a last minute Food and Wine trip for opening weekend... and are staying at BWI Standard View-CL for it! (We have stayed at both Yacht and Beach's CL, but this will be our first time at BWI's club.) Any recent stays at the Innkeeper's Club?

I have a few friends that go there often which is why I have a trip booked there later this year. Lots of food and great cm;s !

 

[DoomBuggy0922]

Yay! I'm super excited.

 

[mickeynut1]

That room looks to me. WOW! Thanks for the video. I didn't follow the discussion above, is that a bookable RPC room category? (I can't keep track of some of the RPC room categories, sorry!).

I agree, those deluxe rooms look awesome!

As trisha posted, you have to call to check availability/book those rooms. It's strange because RPC king deluxe is bookable online, but the queen deluxe is only available by calling .

Dd and I did bwi for her disney institute class but cl was not a room option. So you were close!

That's probably what I'm thinking of! Hope you have a great time and enjoy CL there .

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

We recently booked a last minute Food and Wine trip for opening weekend... and are staying at BWI Standard View-CL for it! (We have stayed at both Yacht and Beach's CL, but this will be our first time at BWI's club.) Any recent stays at the Innkeeper's Club?

Us too! Looking forward to finishing up the Epcot CLs. Then hopefully moving on to WL and Contemporary. They are the last 2 left. I'm really excited to try it since I've heard good things about it. Though I am still curious about the food options myself.

 

[KerryCM]

I haven't stayed at the BWI since last December, and I am going back this December, but it really is my favorite club level to stay at. Morning offerings are basically the same, with fruit, meat, cheese, bagels, cereal,oatmeal etc. on Sunday the chef is there to do made to order omlets and the have a Bloody Mary bar and mimosas. During the afternoon there are snacks with tea sandwiches. The evenings the chef is there cooking once again. The food is fantastic and the cast members are the best. My husband and I usually go down about 3-4 times a year and have a difficult time getting a room at the BWI with my cast discount. They have many repeat guests.

 

[JodyLynC]

Checking in this Saturday. What rooms are the dead wi fi ones? My entire family uses wifi for more devices than I care to admit, I would be pretty upset in this case! We luckily haven't had a problem in any of our previous rooms.

The ones closest to the check in desk on the first floor ironically.

 

[BayouQueen]

Sorry it took so long to reply, I had to work all weekend. (Got to pay for these trips!) You probably know the YC is just finishing up a refurb. If you haven't seen the new rooms, check out page 1 of the Y & B thread, Dee has some links to pictures there. I have only stayed in a standard view once, we usuallly stay waterview. The standard views look over the front entrance. From what I know there are a few standard view rooms with really bad views. They are all the way down at he end of the floor. So I think requesting a room close to the lounge would help avoid those room.s

The lounge & club desks are right off the elevators, so close to lounge is also close to them. The renovated rooms have hardwood look laminate floors, no carpets. Some of the rooms have only a shower, no tub. So if you are traveling with your kids & need a tub, you might want to request that too. The new closets have a lot of storage room & the safe is the same size as the 1 we had at GF.

The lounge does close between service times & at night. So no place to hang out after hours if that is important to you. I really was impressed with the food offerings in May. For quite a few years, the appetizers were things like quesidillas & there fried pastry things. In May, we had beef & potatoes, pulled pork & polenta, salmon with wild grains & chicken skewers. Some nights there were chicken nuggets & mini pigs in the blanket that kids would like. Cold offerings included a broccoli slaw, caprese salad & mushroom stuffed phyllo cups. That's just what I remembered off the top of my head. I did post most nights offerings so I can see if I can find more. Cold meats (turkey, roast beef, salmon) were added at breakfast as I know most of the lounges have added those too. And the desserts were also much better. Every night there were 2 different mini cupcakes, 2 bar type desserts like lemon bars, a pudding like cup (like panda cota) 2 or 3 different cookies & brownies. Most nights they had some cupcakes that were frosted & had 4 different mini sprinkles with them so kids could decorate their own.

We don't drink so I can't comment on the adult offerings. But they do have a lemonade, unsweetened iced tea (with liquid syrup available) & a yummy specialty juice. Not positive about the name, something to fit the theme of course, something like Seabreeze maybe? Not positive on the name but it was refreshing & I mixed it with the lemonade a few times too. Very good!

And of course, can't beat the pool & the walk to Epcot. The boat to the Studios is better than a bus. And the bus stops at YC first, so you can usually get a seat on the way to anywhere. Hope that helps!

We are staying at CBR with our DS & DDIL in December. I'm gonna miss YC sooo much. But I fully intend to book 2 trips for next year on bouncebacks while we're there. Enjoy!!

Thanks, focusondisney, for the really great overview of YC's CL.
I had one question for you or anyone else who may know. You mention the lounge at YC closes on the "off" times. Does this mean you have to leave the room and they lock the doors until the next designated time? Sounds different from the other lounges. I ask because our SIL sometimes has to keep up with work on his computer and he just hangs out in the lounge with his coffee until he is done and can join us at the parks. That's really the only reason we book CL.

 

[focusondisney]

Thanks, focusondisney, for the really great overview of YC's CL.
I had one question for you or anyone else who may know. You mention the lounge at YC closes on the "off" times. Does this mean you have to leave the room and they lock the doors until the next designated time? Sounds different from the other lounges. I ask because our SIL sometimes has to keep up with work on his computer and he just hangs out in the lounge with his coffee until he is done and can join us at the parks. That's really the only reason we book CL.

Yes, that is exactly what happens. The lounges at the Y&B are both in an actual closed off space. Not a wide open area like at GF RPC. They actually close the doors between the different service times. So between 10:30 & 11:30 am; 4 & 5 pm & 7 & 8 pm no guests allowed. And they also close the lounge for the night at 10 pm. A few years ago they did start to leave it open overnight, but in May it was closed at 10 pm again.

 

[BayouQueen]

Yes, that is exactly what happens. The lounges at the Y&B are both in an actual closed off space. Not a wide open area like at GF RPC. They actually close the doors between the different service times. So between 10:30 & 11:30 am; 4 & 5 pm & 7 & 8 pm no guests allowed. And they also close the lounge for the night at 10 pm. A few years ago they did start to leave it open overnight, but in May it was closed at 10 pm again.

Interesting! I wouldn't have thought of this in a million years. Thanks so much for the quick response.

 

[JediMaster19]

I have just booked my first club level experience at the Poly this October. Are there any tips or tricks I should know to get the best out of my stay? I'll be in club level for only 2 nights so I want to get the best of it ! It will also be my first time at the poly as well so we're super excited.

 

[mickeynut1]

I have just booked my first club level experience at the Poly this October. Are there any tips or tricks I should know to get the best out of my stay? I'll be in club level for only 2 nights so I want to get the best of it ! It will also be my first time at the poly as well so we're super excited.

Congrats on booking your first CL stay! I can't comment on CL as we haven't tried Poly CL, but have stayed at the Poly and it is amazing....you will love it! Have a great time .

 

[JodyLynC]

I have more details on my Trip Report at https://www.disboards.com/threads/austin-family-blowout-aug-2017.3622185/ . But here is a comparison between Poly and YC. This is based on our experiences, likes/dislikes, and personality preferences so this may not be the safe as other experiences.

• Both resorts had someone take you from the lobby to club level.
• At club level checkin, Poly staff offered water or other drink. YC staff did not, but had a flavored water by the elevator you could get yourself.
• The room at Poly was bigger, but had the sinks in the same room as the toilet and tub.
• YC bathroom was better as the two areas were separated, but Poly had more counter space.
• Both had espresso machines, but the Poly's had an iced cappuccino option.
• YC offered flavored syrups for their coffee and steamed milk.
• Both lounges had people gathering dishes, but at the Poly there was a tray in the corner by the door where you could drop off your dishes. At YC the dishes sometimes stacked up before someone cleared them.
• Poly offered wraps with their afternoon snacks. YC did not although they seemed to have a few more items.
• Poly served their signature punch at afternoon, evening snacks, and dessert time. YC only served theirs in the afternoon.
• Poly had beer in the self serve fridge. YC did not.
• Poly had sliced lemons, limes, and oranges for their drinks. YC did not.
• Poly allowed you to serve your own alcohol. YC did not, except for the evening cordials. They were mostly unmonitored. Also, Poly had milk out with the cordials so you could make a mixed drink. YC did not.
• Poly staff was warmer, friendlier, more outgoing. YC staff was stiff and snooty (with the exception of the two ladies when we checked in. They were very sweet, but we did not see them again the other days of our stay.) Here is an example of the stiff behavior we experienced at YC. I was walking down the hall toward the desk area and passed one of the lounge staff. I smiled at him. He looked straight ahead. When I was returning to my room, we passed in the hall again. I laughed and said "Didn't we do this before?" I expected a chuckle or a smile. Instead he said rather coldly "Yes, ma'am." The Poly staff would have joked along with me. In fact there were a couple of instances in the Poly lounge where people almost bumped into staff and were met with smiles, "excuse me", and/or "shall we dance?" Not at YC.
• At the Poly, CL guests were more friendly. People generally gave way to each other in crowded spots, helped each other with the espresso machine, and chatted more with each other. Some guests borrowed board games from the CL staff and played in the lounge. Other guests might applaud or make comments as to who was winning. People greeted strangers with "good morning" at breakfast. They shared suggestions on how to use the cordials in the evening. (My "grown up latte" was courtesy of another guest.) An extended family who ordered too much O'hana feast shared their dinner with us and others. Was everyone 100% friendly and outgoing? No. One guy had to be told that the table was for eating not for him to use as a footstool. But overall the Poly had a very warm and welcoming atmosphere which extended towards the guests' behavior (or vice versa or a little of both.)
• At YC, CL guests were more snooty. They rarely looked at other people and had no problem barging in line in front of you without a word. No excuse me or may I get the item in front of you? Most guests kept to themselves and ignored staff and other guests. There were a few of us who would greet each other, offer up a table as we were departing, or say excuse me. I didn't realize how wonderfully laid back and friendly the Poly was until I experienced the coldness of the YC.
• Poly had fresher food than YC. YC seemed to use the same thing over and over with little variety. For example, Poly had shrimp lettuce wraps at afternoon snacks one day then offered shrimp salad at night, but the way it was used and prepared made it a completely different dish and didn't feel like leftovers. YC used salmon for three meals in a row with little change. They also served thin sliced roast beef at evening snacks then served it the next morning at breakfast. The exact same desserts were served every single night. The cupcakes were often stale.
• YC offered more items, but lacked variety. Poly offered fewer selections, but was much more varied.
• Poly's chef remained in the lounge during evening snacks. I saw YC's chef only once very briefly the whole time we were there.
• There was turndown service at Poly. None at YC.

Overall when comparing the two resorts, the Poly was hands down the much better resort for us. Maybe if we stayed at YC first, we would have enjoyed it more, but in comparison, it was Poly all the way.

Poly 8.75 out of 10. YC 5.5 out of 10.

I think the next time we decide to go to WDW, we would consider a Poly/BWI split. We would not go to YC again, at least not CL.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Does anyone know how late guests can access the CL lounge on check-out day?

It used to be right up until closing, but perhaps it has changed, as it has been years since last I asked.

Anyone have any problems returning in the afternoon?

 

[jods]

I have more details on my Trip Report at https://www.disboards.com/threads/austin-family-blowout-aug-2017.3622185/ . But here is a comparison between Poly and YC. This is based on our experiences, likes/dislikes, and personality preferences so this may not be the safe as other experiences.

• Both resorts had someone take you from the lobby to club level.
• At club level checkin, Poly staff offered water or other drink. YC staff did not, but had a flavored water by the elevator you could get yourself.
• The room at Poly was bigger, but had the sinks in the same room as the toilet and tub.
• YC bathroom was better as the two areas were separated, but Poly had more counter space.
• Both had espresso machines, but the Poly's had an iced cappuccino option.
• YC offered flavored syrups for their coffee and steamed milk.
• Both lounges had people gathering dishes, but at the Poly there was a tray in the corner by the door where you could drop off your dishes. At YC the dishes sometimes stacked up before someone cleared them.
• Poly offered wraps with their afternoon snacks. YC did not although they seemed to have a few more items.
• Poly served their signature punch at afternoon, evening snacks, and dessert time. YC only served theirs in the afternoon.
• Poly had beer in the self serve fridge. YC did not.
• Poly had sliced lemons, limes, and oranges for their drinks. YC did not.
• Poly allowed you to serve your own alcohol. YC did not, except for the evening cordials. They were mostly unmonitored. Also, Poly had milk out with the cordials so you could make a mixed drink. YC did not.
• Poly staff was warmer, friendlier, more outgoing. YC staff was stiff and snooty (with the exception of the two ladies when we checked in. They were very sweet, but we did not see them again the other days of our stay.) Here is an example of the stiff behavior we experienced at YC. I was walking down the hall toward the desk area and passed one of the lounge staff. I smiled at him. He looked straight ahead. When I was returning to my room, we passed in the hall again. I laughed and said "Didn't we do this before?" I expected a chuckle or a smile. Instead he said rather coldly "Yes, ma'am." The Poly staff would have joked along with me. In fact there were a couple of instances in the Poly lounge where people almost bumped into staff and were met with smiles, "excuse me", and/or "shall we dance?" Not at YC.
• At the Poly, CL guests were more friendly. People generally gave way to each other in crowded spots, helped each other with the espresso machine, and chatted more with each other. Some guests borrowed board games from the CL staff and played in the lounge. Other guests might applaud or make comments as to who was winning. People greeted strangers with "good morning" at breakfast. They shared suggestions on how to use the cordials in the evening. (My "grown up latte" was courtesy of another guest.) An extended family who ordered too much O'hana feast shared their dinner with us and others. Was everyone 100% friendly and outgoing? No. One guy had to be told that the table was for eating not for him to use as a footstool. But overall the Poly had a very warm and welcoming atmosphere which extended towards the guests' behavior (or vice versa or a little of both.)
• At YC, CL guests were more snooty. They rarely looked at other people and had no problem barging in line in front of you without a word. No excuse me or may I get the item in front of you? Most guests kept to themselves and ignored staff and other guests. There were a few of us who would greet each other, offer up a table as we were departing, or say excuse me. I didn't realize how wonderfully laid back and friendly the Poly was until I experienced the coldness of the YC.
• Poly had fresher food than YC. YC seemed to use the same thing over and over with little variety. For example, Poly had shrimp lettuce wraps at afternoon snacks one day then offered shrimp salad at night, but the way it was used and prepared made it a completely different dish and didn't feel like leftovers. YC used salmon for three meals in a row with little change. They also served thin sliced roast beef at evening snacks then served it the next morning at breakfast. The exact same desserts were served every single night. The cupcakes were often stale.
• YC offered more items, but lacked variety. Poly offered fewer selections, but was much more varied.
• Poly's chef remained in the lounge during evening snacks. I saw YC's chef only once very briefly the whole time we were there.
• There was turndown service at Poly. None at YC.

Overall when comparing the two resorts, the Poly was hands down the much better resort for us. Maybe if we stayed at YC first, we would have enjoyed it more, but in comparison, it was Poly all the way.

Poly 8.75 out of 10. YC 5.5 out of 10.

I think the next time we decide to go to WDW, we would consider a Poly/BWI split. We would not go to YC again, at least not CL.

I've never stayed YC so I can't compare. Our poly CL trip was last year so I know things have changed since then. We did not have any self serve beer/alcohol options until nighttime apps service. We had to ask for the beer in the daytime. We also didn't have wraps in the afternoon. We had the same exact snacks every day. We also never saw a chef once our entire 8 night stay. That said, love the poly and the Cms were so nice. We also weren't met at the lobby. I had to ask someone because the check in desk was crazy busy. After I asked someone brought us over.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Poll regarding a CL CM greeting you in the lobby upon arrival:

1. When you arrived for your CL stay, did a CM greet you in the lobby? If you've done multiple CL stays, please answer if this has always happened, sometimes happened, etc.

2. Which resort has this happened/not happened?

3. Did you arrive via Magical Express, taxi, private hired towncar, your own/rented car?

4. Was there anything unusual about your stay/arrival that might have influenced whether you were met or not (for example, they weren't expecting you until 10pm, but you ended up arriving early at 3 pm, etc.)

 

[DJFan88]

Doesn't sound like I would like YC CL at all! AT AKL CL, everyone was super nice, and they offered a beer or whatever when we checked in, probably cause its right there at the lounge. Everyone was super nice and accommodating, ,sending a tray back with gingerale and such at their suggestion when they heard someone wasn't feeling well. We had a little thing going with one of the guys over baseball teams....

This time around, we'll try WL CL. Hopefully good stuff too!

 

[DJFan88]

Poll regarding a CL CM greeting you in the lobby upon arrival:

1. When you arrived for your CL stay, did a CM greet you in the lobby? If you've done multiple CL stays, please answer if this has always happened, sometimes happened, etc.

2. Which resort has this happened/not happened?

3. Did you arrive via Magical Express, taxi, private hired towncar, your own/rented car?

4. Was there anything unusual about your stay/arrival that might have influenced whether you were met or not (for example, they weren't expecting you until 10pm, but you ended up arriving early at 3 pm, etc.)

At AKL CL, we arrived by car, did not valet and basically just walked in the lobby. Saw a CM in the Lobby near door, told him who I was , and he then escorted us up to CL desk where we were met with great welcome, offering drinks while we checked in and want snacks too? We did have to wait at a nearby table until the 2 desks were empty of others check in, but everyone greeted us first and kindly asked us what they could do for us while we waited and let us know we were getting done soon.
This was at about 2 pm in the afternoon, almost exactily 1 yr. ago in August 2016.
We later drove our car up to the front door and unloaded it ourselves once we were all checked in and checked on our room. I'm sure we could've had people done things, but we always do those things ourselves.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Poll regarding a CL CM greeting you in the lobby upon arrival:

1. When you arrived for your CL stay, did a CM greet you in the lobby? If you've done multiple CL stays, please answer if this has always happened, sometimes happened, etc.

2. Which resort has this happened/not happened?

3. Did you arrive via Magical Express, taxi, private hired towncar, your own/rented car?

4. Was there anything unusual about your stay/arrival that might have influenced whether you were met or not (for example, they weren't expecting you until 10pm, but you ended up arriving early at 3 pm, etc.)

To answer my own poll:

1. Yes, sometimes--I've stayed club level 4 times, twice they have met us in the lobby, and twice they have not.

2. BWI stay #1, was met in lobby--4 pm arrival
YC was not met in the lobby, I found an employee (not a CL employee) and they brought me up--10 am arrival
BWI stay #2, was not met in lobby and when I asked an employee, they had me go check in at the regular front desk--10 am arrival
WL was met in lobby--4 pm arrival

3. Both times I was greeted in the lobby, we drove ourselves in our personal vehicle. Both times I was NOT greeted in the lobby, I arrived on Magical Express.

4. Nothing unusual about our stays or arrivals.

 

[Newsies]

• At the Poly, CL guests were more friendly. People generally gave way to each other in crowded spots, helped each other with the espresso machine, and chatted more with each other. Some guests borrowed board games from the CL staff and played in the lounge. Other guests might applaud or make comments as to who was winning. People greeted strangers with "good morning" at breakfast. They shared suggestions on how to use the cordials in the evening. (My "grown up latte" was courtesy of another guest.) An extended family who ordered too much O'hana feast shared their dinner with us and others. Was everyone 100% friendly and outgoing? No. One guy had to be told that the table was for eating not for him to use as a footstool. But overall the Poly had a very warm and welcoming atmosphere which extended towards the guests' behavior (or vice versa or a little of both.)

I stayed at King Kamehameha last week and came here to post some photos, then I saw this. We crossed paths last week! I was in the room with you as this was happening last week, sitting at the table directly next to this family (looked like a couple) when they encouraged us to have some of their food and I was seriously tempted. It was just around 30/40 minutes before HEA, yes?

 

[Simba's Girl]

I have more details on my Trip Report at https://www.disboards.com/threads/austin-family-blowout-aug-2017.3622185/ . But here is a comparison between Poly and YC. This is based on our experiences, likes/dislikes, and personality preferences so this may not be the safe as other experiences.

• Both resorts had someone take you from the lobby to club level.
• At club level checkin, Poly staff offered water or other drink. YC staff did not, but had a flavored water by the elevator you could get yourself.
• The room at Poly was bigger, but had the sinks in the same room as the toilet and tub.
• YC bathroom was better as the two areas were separated, but Poly had more counter space.
• Both had espresso machines, but the Poly's had an iced cappuccino option.
• YC offered flavored syrups for their coffee and steamed milk.
• Both lounges had people gathering dishes, but at the Poly there was a tray in the corner by the door where you could drop off your dishes. At YC the dishes sometimes stacked up before someone cleared them.
• Poly offered wraps with their afternoon snacks. YC did not although they seemed to have a few more items.
• Poly served their signature punch at afternoon, evening snacks, and dessert time. YC only served theirs in the afternoon.
• Poly had beer in the self serve fridge. YC did not.
• Poly had sliced lemons, limes, and oranges for their drinks. YC did not.
• Poly allowed you to serve your own alcohol. YC did not, except for the evening cordials. They were mostly unmonitored. Also, Poly had milk out with the cordials so you could make a mixed drink. YC did not.
• Poly staff was warmer, friendlier, more outgoing. YC staff was stiff and snooty (with the exception of the two ladies when we checked in. They were very sweet, but we did not see them again the other days of our stay.) Here is an example of the stiff behavior we experienced at YC. I was walking down the hall toward the desk area and passed one of the lounge staff. I smiled at him. He looked straight ahead. When I was returning to my room, we passed in the hall again. I laughed and said "Didn't we do this before?" I expected a chuckle or a smile. Instead he said rather coldly "Yes, ma'am." The Poly staff would have joked along with me. In fact there were a couple of instances in the Poly lounge where people almost bumped into staff and were met with smiles, "excuse me", and/or "shall we dance?" Not at YC.
• At the Poly, CL guests were more friendly. People generally gave way to each other in crowded spots, helped each other with the espresso machine, and chatted more with each other. Some guests borrowed board games from the CL staff and played in the lounge. Other guests might applaud or make comments as to who was winning. People greeted strangers with "good morning" at breakfast. They shared suggestions on how to use the cordials in the evening. (My "grown up latte" was courtesy of another guest.) An extended family who ordered too much O'hana feast shared their dinner with us and others. Was everyone 100% friendly and outgoing? No. One guy had to be told that the table was for eating not for him to use as a footstool. But overall the Poly had a very warm and welcoming atmosphere which extended towards the guests' behavior (or vice versa or a little of both.)
• At YC, CL guests were more snooty. They rarely looked at other people and had no problem barging in line in front of you without a word. No excuse me or may I get the item in front of you? Most guests kept to themselves and ignored staff and other guests. There were a few of us who would greet each other, offer up a table as we were departing, or say excuse me. I didn't realize how wonderfully laid back and friendly the Poly was until I experienced the coldness of the YC.
• Poly had fresher food than YC. YC seemed to use the same thing over and over with little variety. For example, Poly had shrimp lettuce wraps at afternoon snacks one day then offered shrimp salad at night, but the way it was used and prepared made it a completely different dish and didn't feel like leftovers. YC used salmon for three meals in a row with little change. They also served thin sliced roast beef at evening snacks then served it the next morning at breakfast. The exact same desserts were served every single night. The cupcakes were often stale.
• YC offered more items, but lacked variety. Poly offered fewer selections, but was much more varied.
• Poly's chef remained in the lounge during evening snacks. I saw YC's chef only once very briefly the whole time we were there.
• There was turndown service at Poly. None at YC.

Overall when comparing the two resorts, the Poly was hands down the much better resort for us. Maybe if we stayed at YC first, we would have enjoyed it more, but in comparison, it was Poly all the way.

Poly 8.75 out of 10. YC 5.5 out of 10.

I think the next time we decide to go to WDW, we would consider a Poly/BWI split. We would not go to YC again, at least not CL.

100% agreed. YC is not the one for us but we will be trying BC this Marathon week/end.