Club Level

[warriorboy648]

I feel like I am missing something about the excitement in regards to rooms that are club level. They appear to have great "snacks" and drinks all day long. If people are at the parks, do they really have time to enjoy this?

I can get help with my ADR's... maybe I'm strange, but that is half the fun for me.

At AKL, you can book the special safari, so that would be nice.

At CSR, the new club rooms seem to give you a priority location. Will they have a special lounge like the other resorts?

Is there more that I am missing?

 

[KatMark]

I feel like I am missing something about the excitement in regards to rooms that are club level. They appear to have great "snacks" and drinks all day long. If people are at the parks, do they really have time to enjoy this?

I can get help with my ADR's... maybe I'm strange, but that is half the fun for me.

At AKL, you can book the special safari, so that would be nice.

At CSR, the new club rooms seem to give you a priority location. Will they have a special lounge like the other resorts?

Is there more that I am missing?

I've never understood the excitement about CL rooms. I don't need special treatment, special food (probably wouldn't like it anyway...I'm a very simple eater), help with my ADR's (I've already had my TA make them before my trip); don't need turndown service or mints on my pillow. But to each their own, I guess.

 

[tortoni]

We were upgraded to concierge for our last trip (just got home on Sunday). It was very nice. There are breakfast snacks, coffee, latte, etc in the am, the concierges are great for last minute reservations and changes. All of the concierge levels at all the hotels can send you on the safari, not just AKL. There are snacks during the day for your break from the parks, snacks, wine and beer in the evening and cordials and desserts before bed. My son turned 13 while we were there and the concierges surprised him with balloons and a beautiful and tasty cake with party hats, etc. The whole concierge staff aimed to please during our entire stay at the YC. Would I go for it just for the snacks, no, but the overall magical experience was great. I would say the ease of the kids being able to run down to the lounge was great.

 

[warriorboy648]

So I don't have to stay at the AKL to do the Safari? Can I stay in any club level room? Do you know if the club level at CSR would also allow me to book the safari?

 

[KatMark]

So I don't have to stay at the AKL to do the Safari? Can I stay in any club level room? Do you know if the club level at CSR would also allow me to book the safari?

Do not know. And I've read that the Club Level has been put on hold at CSR for awhile due to some kinks (if you do a search you can find Buzz's posting about this).

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Here are tours offered:

Tours


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Discovery Wildlife Excursion
Offered to ALL Club Level Concierge Guests

Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park invites you to venture off the beaten path of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve for a unique animal observation and photo excursion. Led by a seasoned Safari Guide and an animal expert, this 1-hour vehicle adventure takes you off the Safari trail, stopping at special observation and photo areas throughout the Reserve.

The hour-long excursion costs $45 USD for each Guest - with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. Offered twice a day (Tuesday through Saturday) at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Advanced reservations and Theme Park Admission is required. All Guests must be at least 3-years of age to participate. Reservations can be made through the Itinerary Planning Office at their home resort. (Not included in Magic Your Way Packages)


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Sunrise Safari
This tour is exclusive to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Kilimanjaro Club Level Concierge Guests Only

A 45 - 60 minute in-depth safari experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park (admission required) followed by a lavish African breakfast buffet at Tusker House Restaurant. This safari is offered on Sunday and Thursday to Concierge Guests staying at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. The tour begins at 7:00 am on these mornings and costs $55 USD for Guests 10 and older and $27.50 USD for Guests ages 3 to 9. Prices include tour, breakfast, tax and gratuity. (Not included in Magic Your Way Packages)



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Wanyama Safari
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Guests Only

A 90-minute safari experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge that resembles an African afternoon game drive. Guests will be able to learn about the natural history and management of the animals and architecture of the resort. The safari begins approximately one hour prior to sunset and concludes at Jiko for a multi-course meal. This safari is offered on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The tour cost is $160 USD per person for guests 10 and older and $80 USD for guests 8 and 9 years of age (Club Level Pricing). Price includes tour, meal, tax and gratuity) Not available for guests under the age of 8. (Not included in Magic Your Way Packages)

 

[Singinglizzie]

So I don't have to stay at the AKL to do the Safari? Can I stay in any club level room? Do you know if the club level at CSR would also allow me to book the safari?

If and when the Club rooms open at CSR (on hold at the moment) then YES, you would be able to book the Safari available to all club level resort guests. We had planned to stay CSR club level and had looked into the safari, but wound up switching to the Poly since this room category is currently unavailable. I was told that the CSR club rooms were not ready and could be delayed until March, but Buzz2001 was told something else, so who knows? Good luck with your planning. There is a thread on the resort photos link that shows pictures of the various concierge/club lounges and they all look impressive!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We have stayed club level at the Polynesian with our 3 ds. It was the only room they had available. As you said, it was nice for the breakfast but the rest of the times we were really in the parks and I had already made all my adrs myself. They did fix one adr that was messed up and that was about it.

This past May it was just dh and I and we were upgraded to Concierge at both the Polynesian and Yacht Club since it was our big anniv. It was really nice and what a magical surprise. I got to meet another diser there, SeaSpray and our concierge room at the Yacht Club was just amazing.

If you are celebrating something really special then it might be worth it or if you plan on spending most of your time at the resort and not in the parks etc.

 

[paladin]

We love club level; though we have only stayed club level at BWI. We just got back from our most recent stay and loved it as usual.

We spend quite a bit of time at the resort, so we are there to enjoy the lounge - we use it every day for breakfast and most nights for cordials and deserts, along with stopping by for snacks and the dinner offerings at least a couple of nights during our stay. The CMs who work in the lounge at BWI are great and we enjoy chatting with them as we relax with a snack.

We like having the IPO to make our reservations; while I enjoy planning, I don't enjoy calling in to make the various ADR's and reservations for various excursions and I find it much easier to send of an email for them to make changes (this past trip we made a LOT of changes ).

Also, at the BWI, we get a deluxe room - extra space and guaranteed Boardwalk view which we love.

We also love the Wilderness Discovery Excursion at the AK (available to anyone staying at any Club Level).

If someone spends all of their time at the parks then it probably isn't worth the additional cost, but as with almost everything else at Disney World (or at any vacation location for that matter), value is in the eye (and the pocketbook) of the beholder.

 

[momatater]

We love club level; though we have only stayed club level at BWI. We just got back from our most recent stay and loved it as usual.

We spend quite a bit of time at the resort, so we are there to enjoy the lounge - we use it every day for breakfast and most nights for cordials and deserts, along with stopping by for snacks and the dinner offerings at least a couple of nights during our stay. The CMs who work in the lounge at BWI are great and we enjoy chatting with them as we relax with a snack.

We like having the IPO to make our reservations; while I enjoy planning, I don't enjoy calling in to make the various ADR's and reservations for various excursions and I find it much easier to send of an email for them to make changes (this past trip we made a LOT of changes ).

Also, at the BWI, we get a deluxe room - extra space and guaranteed Boardwalk view which we love.

We also love the Wilderness Discovery Excursion at the AK (available to anyone staying at any Club Level).

If someone spends all of their time at the parks then it probably isn't worth the additional cost, but as with almost everything else at Disney World (or at any vacation location for that matter), value is in the eye (and the pocketbook) of the beholder.

We love CL as well. AKL and the Poly are our two favorites. We also spend a lot of time at the resort, eat at the lounge, (with my boys, the snacks and drinks come in handy, and the beer and wine is great for me and DH) and I like the IPO staff changing our ressies around as well.

I agree, value is in the eye (and pocketbook) of the beholder!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My family and I choose to stay Club Level because for us it makes our time that much better at WDW. We like knowing in advance what floor or building we would be staying on depending what Resort were staying at, having the lounge for breakfast each day, taking full advantage of the hot hors d'ouvres from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM and then the desserts from 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

I'm currently staying concierge at the Poly. I was upgraded to this level and frankly, after using the amenities for a few days it is really conducive to the way I like to vacation. I've used the lounge a lot--just recently to watch Holiday Wishes and the Fantasy In The Sky fireworks. The snacks are a nice perk, especially in the late evening. And I love being able to put some Grand Marnier or other liqueur in my evening coffee. My DD9 loves that the lounge has a big flat screen TV in it and serves uncrustable PB&J sandwiches.

Not sure if I'd pay for concierge out of my own pocket just yet but it's definitely a nice level of service. If you're in the parks a lot concierge isn't worth it.

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

If you are late getting back to the resort and miss the food, would they mind fixing a plate for your family? I had that happen 2 weeks ago, but I was afraid to ask for something.

Yesterday, I went to lunch with a friend, and she stayed at the same resort (AKL) a few months earlier. She said that her daughter got sick (stomach virus) while she was there and they were bringing her special meals to her room at all hours of the day and night and doing all sorts of nice things for them. It kind of made me wish I had asked for a plate of food, as I was hungry and only missed the nightly offering by 10 minutes.

What do you think? Of course, they can always say no if you ask...but would it have been inconsiderate of me to ask?

 

[luvthemouse71]

If it's your first trip or you do WDW commando style, then maybe CL isn't worth it. But, if you're someone who like to go back to the resort and relax, then it may be your cup of tea. Last time we got upgraded from GV to CL at the Poly...I'm paying for it this time. I also like knowing exactly what building I will be in.

 

[Disneyadore]

I feel like I am missing something about the excitement in regards to rooms that are club level. They appear to have great "snacks" and drinks all day long. If people are at the parks, do they really have time to enjoy this?

I can get help with my ADR's... maybe I'm strange, but that is half the fun for me.

At AKL, you can book the special safari, so that would be nice.

At CSR, the new club rooms seem to give you a priority location. Will they have a special lounge like the other resorts?

Is there more that I am missing?

You can't judge it before you tried it an then you are hooked believe me

 

[hoosiergirl7]

We are doing CL for the first time this year (can't believe it's already 2009) and are really looking forward to it. Since we are becoming WDW regulars it isn't all that important to have a ton of time in the parks. We know we'll go again. And we've been spending the better part of the afternoon at the resorts during the past few trips. Not having to go down to the food court and paying for snacks & drinks OOP is a huge perk for us and worth it since I'm a diet soda fiend and pretty much drink them 24/7. They add up quickly and so does bottled water which we consume a lot of too.

I agree with those posters who have said if you spend mot of your time in the parks, it's not worth it. But if you're like us and plan on spending 3-4 hours at the resort relaxing then it might be your cup of tea.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

If you have kids, I would say you just can't beat CL for the convenience of eating breakfast there each morning. We have two girls, ages 8 and 4, and they eat like birds and bore easily. They LOVED being able to eat a little muffin or some cereal while sitting at their own little table watching the Disney Channel until it was time to head off to a park. It made the start of our days SO ENJOYABLE.

We also took full advantage of the hot items from 5-7pm each day we were back at the resort. Again, our girls eat like birds, so the selections were more than enough for them. And for us, too. Many people say that the evening offerings are not a meal replacement, but they sure were for us! I don't understand how sausage and peppers, soup, fresh veggies, hummus with pita triangles, olive assortment, cheese and crackers plus a beverage isn't enough for a meal!

We loved, loved, loved being able to go into the lounge whenever we were at the resort for drinks, snacks, and in our case, several meals.

I think CL is amazing! Once you've done it, I think it would be difficult to stay any other way!

 

[Matt71]

How much extra is the cost?

 

[ClareH37]

I'm another one who loves staying Club Level.

For me, and this isn't meant to offend everyone as we all like to stay club level for different reasons I don't do it to save money on food or to get my moniesworth, I like to stay on a keyed access floor, have access to a lounge where I can take 'time out' and just sit and relax drinking a herbal tea, and the IPO. The only food offerings I tend to take advantage of are the morning offerings (I like a 'light' breakfast), if I'm around the resort when the evening offerings are put out I might go and get a couple of things just before I go out for dinner, but to be honest I tend to find the evening offerings the only uncivilised part of staying club level - I remember my stay at the YC was like standing in line at a school cafeteria

 

[nascargirl]

We were very lucky about 4 yrs ago to be upgraded to CL @ the BWI and now we go 3x a year. We are heading there in a few short days for 1 glorious week. We love to have a quick but quite breakfast and chat with the CM who have become special friends to us. In the afternoon after a busy morning in the park, we like to come back to the resort and chill with a glass of lemonade or tea. The CM ask how are day is going and tell us that they look forward to seeing us in the evening. We have closed the lounge quite a few times by just hanging out and meeting new people