Disney's Club Level (CL) Information & Questions

[jods]

i have been reading through this thread all day trying to figure out where in the world to stay. I thought I had settled on Beach Club or Yacht Club but I can't find any availability. I had this trouble the other day with AKL but a couple of days ago the standard club level rooms finally started showing up. Is it really possible that Beach Club/Yacht club level rooms that sleep 5 are already booked up for the summer? I am wanting to go Saturday before Memorial Day and stay that week but I even tried playing around with some dates and I can't get anything to show up. Any thoughts?

Last year in August there wasn't availability for 1 night of my stay at BC. The only cl available was for a deluxe room and I wanted to be on the same floor as the lounge. I tried for months so I do think it's possible. We had to shift a day and the day we arrived some huge tour group from Latin America ( that is what I was told) were checking out. We must have seen at least 50 people with the same tshirt on. I'm guessing some may have stayed CL impacting availability but who knows.

 

[jake1year]

I believe this to be true both from reading this thread and listening to guest comments.

The only problem with this answer is we stay club at many other destinations and other hotels have no problems keeping food replenished. To blame the customers for poor service is just giving them an excuse. Club level, deluxe level hotels fall way behind in standards compared to other hotels. Disney can just get away with it.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi Everyone.. I’ve read a lot of this thread and wondered if anyone had stayed recently at gf sugar loaf? Some of the less recent reviews have not been great. We’ve only stayed club level at the wl and loved it. We love the gf and have stayed often, but never in sugar loaf or the main building. Any recent insight in to sugar loaf building? Room requests for quieter room away from the lounge? We will be there the week leading up to Xmas? Will there possibly be anything unique to the holidays in the lounge then? Thank you!

For a small building, I had trouble trying to figure out just what to request when we stayed at SL (which was April 2017).

We had Room 6317 which was on the third floor in red below. Some more pics/thoughts from then are here: GF SL April 2017 - Room




We liked that the rooms in the "middle" area generally don't have trees/plants blocking your view as there are walkways below. We didn't necessarily like the noise that drifted up from the lounge/atrium below. I wouldn't describe it as crazy noisy, but you do hear plates, silverware clanking and general noise at times. I knew what time the CL CMs rolled the cart with coffee cups out every morning. Full caveat, DD was 2 at the time so we may have been more attune to noise than others.

Upon leaving, we said we'd rather request being down the "hallways" - but that is not without some cons as well.

The only rooms in the building I absolutely would not want to have would be the ones on the first floor around the lounge. For us, these seem way too close to the lounge, plus you have a lot of foot traffic going by outside as people enter/exit the building. I think when we stay SL again we'll probably do something like "2nd or 3rd floor hallway" or something along those lines. Note rooms towards the end of the third floor hallways have dormer balconies - some people don't prefer that style of balcony.

Sorry I can't be of much more help - it's a tricky little building!

 

[jods]

For the simple reason that some guests are treating the evening service as alternative / replacement for "Dinner" and not drinks and light appetizers. Club level was / is not designed as a replacement for a full service: Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner offering.

Dave

I do agree with that about dinner but it did fully replace breakfast for us. We aren't bug breakfast eaters though. Dh and I would get coffeee, maybe some fruit, ods a bowl of cereal amd yds would have fruit and yogurt. We didn't go overboard but it totally replaced breakfast. Ods has a bowl of cereal just about every day of his life for breakfast. Even when I offer oancakes, eggs etc on the weekend he wants that damn cereal. When we do breakfast adrs we always pick close to the latest time.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

One of the cast members in the lounge actually told me to grab what was left ( pork loin) because all that was left were pot stickers and they ran out of the other food. And yes that is very surprising. Maybe GADisneyDad14 can chime in on this one because I know he just left also but there were a LOT of people at Polynesian these past two weeks and I hope I’m wrong when I say this but I believe it’s possible people sneak into the lounge who are not CL guests.

Ok, now I'm wondering who you were and if my family contributed to any poor lounge behavior you witnessed!

I couldn't figure out the pattern this past week. Sometimes the lounge would be dead then other times it would be quite crowded - a very erratic flow of people. That tends to happen every time we've stayed at Poly, but it seemed a bit more pronounced this week.

Those afternoon / evening storms we had a few days don't help - especially if it happens during apps. It really pushes a lot of people in the lounge and they tend to hang. And eat.

The numbers are probably small but I do suspect you see people sneak in here and there. I've also personally witnessed (on at least one occasion) a large multi-room family who had one CL room and the rest non-CL, but then everyone used the lounge.

We were there last year for 7/3 and 7/4 as well and actually thought lounge crowds were a bit better overall this year (7/3 was a zoo last year). But that obviously could have just been moment in time conditions that worked in our favor.

CL can be a fickle thing. We've had times where they may run out of a dish or two (not all that often, but it can happen), and we've had times where 7pm rolls around and CMs are heaping trays of dishes at us since there is so much left over. Go figure.

 

[DJFan88]

True except I do feel it could definitely replace breakfast. Not lunch or dinner. We are not big eaters but on most nights had a late dinner after drinks and evening apps. I saw people asking for paper plates and loading them up with food after dumping all the little plates out onto the plate and leaving a stack of them behind!

The only problem with this answer is we stay club at many other destinations and other hotels have no problems keeping food replenished. To blame the customers for poor service is just giving them an excuse. Club level, deluxe level hotels fall way behind in standards compared to other hotels. Disney can just get away with it.

Definetly agree they are not what they could be and should not run out. But do think that their substitution format is perfectly fine. But I still also think people have fluffed their expectations up as to what CL is supposed to be and Dave is right about it not being your dinner replacement.

That being said, I don't believe people need to purchase a dining plan when going CL, I can only really eat one meal a day when I'm there, because it does cover my breakfast and some snacking with the crackers and cheese and dessert. Its hit or miss if I'll like any of the appetizers they have, picky eaters may not. But I also like to buy different snacky foods at the parks.

I do agree with that about dinner but it did fully replace breakfast for us. We aren't bug breakfast eaters though. Dh and I would get coffeee, maybe some fruit, ods a bowl of cereal amd yds would have fruit and yogurt. We didn't go overboard but it totally replaced breakfast. Ods has a bowl of cereal just about every day of his life for breakfast. Even when I offer oancakes, eggs etc on the weekend he wants that damn cereal. When we do breakfast adrs we always pick close to the latest time.

I do agree with it replacing breakfast for many people, it certainly is for Me. And I do believe that is most of what it is designed for. In fact, I think they go above and beyond since now they provide the slabs of meat and cheese with boiled eggs where it was not on my first CL visit.

People will either have the proper expectations of what CL is meant to be, or they may be disappointed.

I am also very amazed at how you get those guests who are very demanding of the CL CMs as if since they paid a little extra they are entitled to everything under the sun. Its not a license to act that way. However, that is not most guests. Most are considerate.

 

[Nikki0401]

True except I do feel it could definitely replace breakfast. Not lunch or dinner. We are not big eaters but on most nights had a late dinner after drinks and evening apps. I saw people asking for paper plates and loading them up with food after dumping all the little plates out onto the plate and leaving a stack of them behind!

I see the same thing every time we are there.

 

[AngiTN]

Yay thanks! I got my money's worth from the coffee machine. I'll probably need a tutorial again though!
The Longboard was good. How was the Kona Wheat?

I thought the sign on the machine at Poly was actually very easy to understand and found I was able to use it right away. Easier than the others without any sign.

How can they possibly explain or justify running out of food at that price point? That doesn’t make sense at all. I know certain people over indulge or whatever but that simply is not acceptable on Disney’s part imo. Were they actually telling paying CL guests “sorry but we are out of food”?!?!

I've never in any of our stays been told "we are out of food"
The only time I've seen food empty was during the Poly stay the past 2 nights. No other lounge we've stayed in every had empty plates (and we've done them all but for YC and CR)

For the simple reason that some guests are treating the evening service as alternative / replacement for "Dinner" and not drinks and light appetizers. Club level was / is not designed as a replacement for a full service: Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner offering.

Dave

So what? So what if my dinner is a light appetizer? Are you trying to imply that I would be breaking some rule by eating what's offered?
If so, I totally disagree with the sentiment. What about at the lounges where the chefs are cooking? And they bring multiple plates to the guests? No, it's not a full meal but if someone can be full and make a meal out of a light appetizer then who's to say that is wrong? Ever heard of Tapas style dining? Exactly what Club Level evening offerings at Disney is. Tapas style dining.

And of course Breakfast is a full meal.

 

[Nikki0401]

The only problem with this answer is we stay club at many other destinations and other hotels have no problems keeping food replenished. To blame the customers for poor service is just giving them an excuse. Club level, deluxe level hotels fall way behind in standards compared to other hotels. Disney can just get away with it.

I agree they shouldn’t run out of food but I also agree it is not meant to replace meals.

 

[SL6827]

The only problem with this answer is we stay club at many other destinations and other hotels have no problems keeping food replenished. To blame the customers for poor service is just giving them an excuse. Club level, deluxe level hotels fall way behind in standards compared to other hotels. Disney can just get away with it.

Totally agree! To run out of something and not re-fill it is beyond unacceptable. This didn't happen when we stayed at the AKL last month. Everything was re-filled, as it should have been. With the prices that is charged for CL, people are trying to use the food there as a meal and I don't blame them. I didn't pay for the CL with cash, but with points on DVC, but never in a million years would I pay cash unless the rate was over the top great! The food was just not worth it to me. And at the AKL, zebra domes should be on the dessert offerings every night, no matter how many they need to put out, or at the very least allot 6-8 per night for each guest listed on the reservation and have them placed in the room each night. Having to buy zebra domes while in a CL room is absurd.

I enjoyed most all of the food that was offered, but the prices that Disney likes to try and charge for these rooms will never be worth it to me.

 

[JessietheNCCowgirl]

Wanted to get some opinions from the CL pros on this thread.

I am having a tough time deciding where to stay for our trip next month - we currently have a Poly CL lagoon view room booked. The last time we stayed CL there was in 2009, so I know the lounge has probably gone through some changes since then. My DD and I stayed at AKL CL last month and really enjoyed it so much that we want to do it again, but I am completely torn deciding between the two as I enjoy both resorts for different reasons.

Which resort would you pick for CL between the two? Do you feel one has better food offerings over the other? Does the lounge atmosphere differ (e.g. is one more relaxed)?

I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, opinions and experiences!

 

[yaya74]

Where should I request for standard room in the main building at GF?
I know the lounge is on the 4th floor. Is there a dedicated elevator/staircase to get the lounge from 3rd floor, especially if my room is on the side facing the monorail/lake?
Also is the side facing the lake/monorail noisy??

 

[SL6827]

I've never in any of our stays been told "we are out of food"
The only time I've seen food empty was during the Poly stay the past 2 nights. No other lounge we've stayed in every had empty plates (and we've done them all but for YC and CR)

So did they re-fill at the Poly? I mean they don't run out of food at Chef Mickeys or Ohana, right? Really makes me think that the envelope gets pushed at the Poly more so because of the following it has.

 

[AngiTN]

Some thoughts on my stays last week at BWI and Poly. We did 2 nights at each, Club Level.

First 2 nights at BWI. We loved our stay as usual. Had a King room, just outside the CL room access door. Right on top of Flying Fish, great view of the Boardwalk. We've had this room once or twice before. It may not be inside the door but we love it. No changes in any of the offerings since our stay at the first of June. Sadly, we weren't there on a Sunday morning, so no fresh made omelets. Never had any problems with seating in the lounge. Maybe they weren't sold out? Not sure. They never had an empty plate or bowl of food here. The chef cooks fresh right up till 7:00 each night, no matter how late you come in, they'll make some for you. We didn't stick around for July 4th desserts so not sure what they opted to do

I wasn't expecting to find the food at Poly up to the same level as BWI. First, our room. I'd requested a balcony room but got a 2nd floor room. This disappointed me for a split second and then I saw it was next door to the lounge and decided, I could be fine without the balcony. Being able to open the door to look out was enough. The Poly lounge was REALLY! crowded every time we went in. First got there at 5:45, so about half way in to service, seats cleared up as we got food so we found a place to sit but at first thought we'd have to go to our room to eat. The lounge is incredibly small for as big as the Poly CL building is. I've seen mention of this regarding BWI but to our opinion, Poly suffers from a much smaller CL room than BWI does. As I mentioned above, I was shocked to see much of the food empty, the beer was gone, all the forks were gone. They did eventually bring out more beer but never noticed the forks were gone. Someone finally pointed it out to a CM and they got more. It was hard to eat with the spoon. The food they had was good and they did get the rest replenished. I go give Poly points for having better beer options. BWI only has Yuengling or Heinkein. Neither of which I find to be particularly good beer. I usually go for wine instead. Poly's beers have been mentioned and I found them much better. Kona or even the IPA. Wines were the same for the most part.

 

[PPFlight75]

thought the sign on the machine at Poly was actually very easy to understand and found I was able to use it right away. Easier than the others without any sign.

Thanks that's good to know. The CM offered to show me last summer so I don't remember seeing instructions, but I'll be sure to look for them.

I've never in any of our stays been told "we are out of food"
The only time I've seen food empty was during the Poly stay the past 2 nights. No other lounge we've stayed in every had empty plates (and we've done them all but for YC and CR)

That's terrible. I'll be pretty disappointed next week if it's like that.

So what? So what if my dinner is a light appetizer? Are you trying to imply that I would be breaking some rule by eating what's offered?
If so, I totally disagree with the sentiment. What about at the lounges where the chefs are cooking? And they bring multiple plates to the guests? No, it's not a full meal but if someone can be full and make a meal out of a light appetizer then who's to say that is wrong? Ever heard of Tapas style dining? Exactly what Club Level evening offerings at Disney is. Tapas style dining.

And of course Breakfast is a full meal.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree with this. We often have dinner out but will tire of large dinners and do a small meal of apps. a few nights. I think that is perfectly ok.

 

[AngiTN]

So did they re-fill at the Poly? I mean they don't run out of food at Chef Mickeys or Ohana, right? Really makes me think that the envelope gets pushed at the Poly more so because of the following it has.

Yes. they did not leave it empty
And yes, DH and I both said we felt like they slacked compared to others due to the view out the window.
Something else that DH and I noted, the amount of kids. Not that we were complaining at all, nor bothered by them. Just that we noticed how many there were. There are some at BWI (we had DGD there last month) but the ratio is so much higher at Poly. Not only are there more families with kids but the families there with kids have more kids. BWI families seemed to be 1, 2 kid families. Poly families were 3, 4 (or more) kid families. I know it's due to being near to MK and the monorail. Still was amazing to see all the kids. And it made it obvious why BWI opted to pull their kids offerings where Poly left some. BWI just never has enough kids there to need it (at least not on our trips)

 

[PPFlight75]

Loved it too. Even more than the longboard!

That's good to know! I'll give it a try and thanks!!

 

[PPFlight75]

The Kona Wheat wasn't my thing, although DW (who is kind of picky about beers) loved it!

Thank you. I'll try it!

 

[lala5176]

Ok, now I'm wondering who you were and if my family contributed to any poor lounge behavior you witnessed!

I couldn't figure out the pattern this past week. Sometimes the lounge would be dead then other times it would be quite crowded - a very erratic flow of people. That tends to happen every time we've stayed at Poly, but it seemed a bit more pronounced this week.

Those afternoon / evening storms we had a few days don't help - especially if it happens during apps. It really pushes a lot of people in the lounge and they tend to hang. And eat.

The numbers are probably small but I do suspect you see people sneak in here and there. I've also personally witnessed (on at least one occasion) a large multi-room family who had one CL room and the rest non-CL, but then everyone used the lounge.

We were there last year for 7/3 and 7/4 as well and actually thought lounge crowds were a bit better overall this year (7/3 was a zoo last year). But that obviously could have just been moment in time conditions that worked in our favor.

CL can be a fickle thing. We've had times where they may run out of a dish or two (not all that often, but it can happen), and we've had times where 7pm rolls around and CMs are heaping trays of dishes at us since there is so much left over. Go figure.

Ha ha! Unless you were the one leaving empty plates by the serving area and loading heaps of food on your dish I probably didn’t run into any other bad behavior!

Let me say we did meet some very nice people in the lounge also!

We’ve been staying club level for quite some time now and have seen it all good and bad. (Pool hoppers, lounge hoppers) We have come to understand that there are certain things you just have no control over and it won’t stop us from staying club level at Poly or any resort for that matter.

 

[SL6827]

Yes. they did not leave it empty
And yes, DH and I both said we felt like they slacked compared to others due to the view out the window.
Something else that DH and I noted, the amount of kids. Not that we were complaining at all, nor bothered by them. Just that we noticed how many there were. There are some at BWI (we had DGD there last month) but the ratio is so much higher at Poly. Not only are there more families with kids but the families there with kids have more kids. BWI families seemed to be 1, 2 kid families. Poly families were 3, 4 (or more) kid families. I know it's due to being near to MK and the monorail. Still was amazing to see all the kids. And it made it obvious why BWI opted to pull their kids offerings where Poly left some. BWI just never has enough kids there to need it (at least not on our trips)

Ok, well that is good that they did re-fill what was needed. Seems like to me that the BWI gets the most positive comments in regards to the food offerings of the Disney CLs. Maybe they go the extra mile with the offerings to keep people coming back, as to the Poly who knows people will come back. Tikiman posted a somewhat scathing report on the Poly on his site a few days ago where he was honest and forthcoming about the resort and the management of it. Still looking forward to trying it out at some point, but it won't be in a club level room.