Disney's Club Level (CL) Information & Questions

[vinotinto]

The rooms could probably use a refresh, but I think the rooms are still charming in there own way at BW, have a great time!!!

They really need to take better pics of those BWI rooms. I hear that a lot....that they look outdated. I personally think they are very nice. I don't think the pics they have posted do them justice at all. BWI is our favorite WDW resort on property, and we've stayed everywhere but FW so I think you made a great choice.

This. All of this!

Thank you all! I love the location and it will be new to us, so that will be exciting!

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

.....Nestle has confirmed Mickey ice cream bars will be available at stores soon for a limited time, when and where info not released yet!!!

This is for Mickey’s 90th Birthday.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi all,
We stayed CL at CR in August and loved it. I'm looking to book another CL experience at a slightly lower price point. For the dates we're looking at, the best options seem to be AKL and BWI. Can anyone offer me some advice about which one might be a better experience for me, my friend, and my 5-year-old daughter? We like to take advantage of the food in the lounges, and we also may use the CL fastpass (we used it in August and, frankly, it was a little exhausting to plan like that so I'm not sure yet). Anyway, is transportation from AKL to the parks a huge hassle? Are there particular pros or cons to either that you can share? Sorry if this has been covered, I tried to look through the old posts but got a little overwhelmed. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer!

Hi. I personally prefer AKL over BWI from both a resort and CL perspective, but that's just me. Many would likely disagree. I find the the overall vibe and theme more appealing, and the Kidani and Jambo pools are more fitting for our preferences (my kids are 8 and 4, for reference, and we do a lot of pool time, typically).

If I were in your shoes, I'd likely let the decision be heavily influenced by my park plans for that trip. If you're going to be in the parks a lot (especially with the CL FP program), have hoppers, and see yourself taking full advantage of the walkabity to Epcot and DHS from BWI (which is hard to beat, BTW), then I'd lean towards BWI.

But if you're not park commandos, want something a little different, see yourself having more resort time, etc, then AKL might be more appealing.

Room sizes at both are pretty similarjj. AKL rooms bug me a bit in that they are dark and have pretty bulky furniture that takes up a lot of space, but I spend as much time on the balcony as I can and less in the room anyway.

AKL is a (very) large/spread out resort and the distance from room to lounge can be a concern for some. I enjoy the walk as there are interesting things to look at all around (windows overlooking the savannas, the lobby, etc), but it can be a longer walk - especially relative to your CR CL experience as it's so compact. Less "just pop up for a beverage" there than other places. Think several minutes for walk time. The lounge is not on the same floor as the rooms which bothers some, but I don't see it as a material disadvantage (just adds more to travel time). The lounge is pretty large though and overlooks the lovely lobby.

BWI CL puts a lot of emphasis on the food - eg, a chef from one of the BWI restaurants each night in the lounge for evening apps. AKL CL has a nightly chef too (or at least they did last time I was there), but he/she is doing a bit more plating and less actual cooking than what you'll find at BWI.

CMs at both tend to get more favorable than unfavorable comments around this thread, on average, with both having a few notable ones with longer tenure that tend to be favorites.

Probably a lot more you could compare/contrast, but I'll leave it at that. Good luck deciding!

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Two more days until we leave - three more days until we're at the CR, since I talked my DH into an extra night to do MK DAH!

My kids put the squeeze on me, so they both know our destination and my daughter guessed the hotel. She narrowed it down to the "Grand Falalala" (not sure why she calls it that, but she's always wanted to stay there - sorry kid!) and the Contemporary since we haven't stayed at either. She guessed the Contemporary, because she said I stayed there with Papa when I was little! Smart little thing! She's really excited about the resort!

I can't wait for them to see the castle from the lounge!

The weather forecast looks pretty good for FL, and nothing in our forecast so far to worry about with travel! Crossing my fingers about that - we don't generally travel in January so not used to worrying about snowstorms!

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

Two more days until we leave - three more days until we're at the CR, since I talked my DH into an extra night to do MK DAH!

My kids put the squeeze on me, so they both know our destination and my daughter guessed the hotel. She narrowed it down to the "Grand Falalala" (not sure why she calls it that, but she's always wanted to stay there - sorry kid!) and the Contemporary since we haven't stayed at either. She guessed the Contemporary, because she said I stayed there with Papa when I was little! Smart little thing! She's really excited about the resort!

I can't wait for them to see the castle from the lounge!

The weather forecast looks pretty good for FL, and nothing in our forecast so far to worry about with travel! Crossing my fingers about that - we don't generally travel in January so not used to worrying about snowstorms!

Have a wonderful time, hopefully you’ll have weather like we had last week, we just returned from a 5 day trip at Universal! Highs ranged from 74-83 and lows in the 50’s, absolutely beautiful!!!

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Have a wonderful time, hopefully you’ll have weather like we had last week, we just returned from a 5 day trip at Universal! Highs ranged from 74-83 and lows in the 50’s, absolutely beautiful!!!

Wow! That sounds so nice! Was it warm enough for Volcano Bay? We loved that park! We don't have any snow now, but it's freezing! The forecast shows mid to high 70s and mostly sun - that would be wonderful! We have nothing scheduled Thursday until MK DAH, so hoping to sleep in and hang out at the pool for a bit if the weather cooperates. We're a hearty bunch so mid 70s is doable! If it's too chilly, I'm sure we'll find other stuff to do!

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

Wow! That sounds so nice! Was it warm enough for Volcano Bay? We loved that park! We don't have any snow now, but it's freezing! The forecast shows mid to high 70s and mostly sun - that would be wonderful! We have nothing scheduled Thursday until MK DAH, so hoping to sleep in and hang out at the pool for a bit if the weather cooperates. We're a hearty bunch so mid 70s is doable! If it's too chilly, I'm sure we'll find other stuff to do!

Yes it was warm enough!!!

Even low to mid 70’s we did about an hour or two in the afternoon at the heated HR pool, which was awesome.

 

[QueenElinor]

If I were in your shoes, I'd likely let the decision be heavily influenced by my park plans for that trip. If you're going to be in the parks a lot (especially with the CL FP program), have hoppers, and see yourself taking full advantage of the walkabity to Epcot and DHS from BWI (which is hard to beat, BTW), then I'd lean towards BWI.

But if you're not park commandos, want something a little different, see yourself having more resort time, etc, then AKL might be more appealing.

Definitely this.
We chose BWI because of the proximity to EPCOT and DHS, so that we could start with one of those parks and then hop to MK or AK. Since we want to combine CL Fps with an afternoon break, that is realistically the only way for us to do that without being park commandos- I hope!

We had always been non-park hoppers but all that time on transportation was just killing my plans on the MK & AK days, and forget about an ADR (which I'm still not convinced I can work in even now, TBH).

Also the larger room size was a factor, but not as big a consideration as location.

 

[mickeynut1]

Lots of Disney planning going on in our house today. Hubby and I have been going back and forth on if Disney will offer the nice spring room discounts in 2020 due to SWGE crowds (and not needing to fill rooms), soooooo we just booked RPC with the 30% room discount being offered right now for the last week of September 2019. We’re not 100% sure, but just wanted to lock in a discount. We are going to WDW in a few weeks (OKW 2 Br, going with a group), but Bounceback is also 30%, so no more savings there.
Are we nuts to go in late September? I’m not too keen on the idea of getting stuck in a hurricane!
P.S. Still thinking about trying AKL CL the following trip, but my sights are set on RPC for this one!

I agree about booking just in case. If it doesn't work out, you can always cancel. Hope you have a great time on your upcoming trip .

Hi all,
We stayed CL at CR in August and loved it. I'm looking to book another CL experience at a slightly lower price point. For the dates we're looking at, the best options seem to be AKL and BWI. Can anyone offer me some advice about which one might be a better experience for me, my friend, and my 5-year-old daughter? We like to take advantage of the food in the lounges, and we also may use the CL fastpass (we used it in August and, frankly, it was a little exhausting to plan like that so I'm not sure yet). Anyway, is transportation from AKL to the parks a huge hassle? Are there particular pros or cons to either that you can share? Sorry if this has been covered, I tried to look through the old posts but got a little overwhelmed. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer!

I can't comment on CL at AKL as we haven't tried CL there, but BWI CL is amazing. The lounge is a little small compared other lounges, but we never had trouble getting a seat. The food offerings are great and the CL CMs are very friendly and personable. If you will be spending a lot of time at Epcot/DHS, BWI would be a great choice as you have the option of walking to each or taking the boat. AKL, on the other hand, is kind of out away from everything, but we never had a problem with the buses. We've had 2 stays at AKL and visit every trip to eat at Boma and we have always found the buses to be efficient. Since the buses only service AKL & Kidani, there's no sharing with any other resort(s). Good luck deciding, although I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter which one you choose .

So after much hemming and hawing, and loosely factoring in budget, we have selected BWI CL Standard for our Anniversary trip in May and AKL Savannah view CL access for my DD's birthday in July. I tell you, these APs are costing us big money (Disney Math at it's finest!)

A little concerned that BWI rooms are not renovated. They look pretty outdated. But, the food sounded pretty good, and we've never stayed at BWI, so hoping for a magical stay!

Sounds like 2 great trips you have planned! I hear you about APs. I got my first AP this past June as I had another trip in Oct and now I'm trying to see when I can go back before it expires......not to mention already thinking about renewing as I'm looking into an August and a December trip . Gotta love that Disney math .

They really need to take better pics of those BWI rooms. I hear that a lot....that they look outdated. I personally think they are very nice. I don't think the pics they have posted do them justice at all.

I agree. I had my first BWI stay this past June and while I thought the rooms to be ok from the pics, I loved them when I actually saw them in person .

Just booked 8 nights standard club level at GF SL. We normally stay Poly CL but I couldn't pass up the AP discount at GF.

Congrats on the discount! Hope you have a great time .

Two more days until we leave - three more days until we're at the CR, since I talked my DH into an extra night to do MK DAH!

My kids put the squeeze on me, so they both know our destination and my daughter guessed the hotel. She narrowed it down to the "Grand Falalala" (not sure why she calls it that, but she's always wanted to stay there - sorry kid!) and the Contemporary since we haven't stayed at either. She guessed the Contemporary, because she said I stayed there with Papa when I was little! Smart little thing! She's really excited about the resort!

I can't wait for them to see the castle from the lounge!

The weather forecast looks pretty good for FL, and nothing in our forecast so far to worry about with travel! Crossing my fingers about that - we don't generally travel in January so not used to worrying about snowstorms!

How cute about your DD! Hope you have a great time! Looking forward to hearing all about it when you get back .

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Yes it was warm enough!!!

Even low to mid 70’s we did about an hour or two in the afternoon at the heated HR pool, which was awesome.

Love it! Such a treat in the winter! When we were there in April, it was unseasonably cool. We were there for one of the early mornings and there was no one there, so we just got to stay on the water coaster thing over and over again - it was awesome!

 

[AngiTN]

So after much hemming and hawing, and loosely factoring in budget, we have selected BWI CL Standard for our Anniversary trip in May and AKL Savannah view CL access for my DD's birthday in July. I tell you, these APs are costing us big money (Disney Math at it's finest!)

A little concerned that BWI rooms are not renovated. They look pretty outdated. But, the food sounded pretty good, and we've never stayed at BWI, so hoping for a magical stay!

Good time to ask, what does "outdated" mean? I mean, I know the obvious, threadbare and worn. But they are neither. There's no bedspread at all and for the most part, the furniture is plain. So, honestly curious, where is there to provoke your comment that they are "outdated"?

Now that all the resort rooms are stripped of most colors I don't find any room "outdated" these days. There's nothing left to date them, which is probably a significant factor to Disney stripping these things out

 

[vinotinto]

Good time to ask, what does "outdated" mean? I mean, I know the obvious, threadbare and worn. But they are neither. There's no bedspread at all and for the most part, the furniture is plain. So, honestly curious, where is there to provoke your comment that they are "outdated"?

Now that all the resort rooms are stripped of most colors I don't find any room "outdated" these days. There's nothing left to date them, which is probably a significant factor to Disney stripping these things out

I think for me, it’s a color and pattern issue. For example, the reddish couch. The pics make it look rather drab and faded. The carpets are rather plain green. Would be better if they had a pattern. I do like the little Disney touches, in the chair and lamps and curtains.

 

[antmr7]

We have a deluxe room booked at Wilderness Lodge and was wondering if there were any room location or room number recommendations from those that have stayed there?

Also is there anywhere we could get an idea of the food that is offered throughout the day in the lounge? Do they have water bottles or small cartons of milk available?

Thanks in advance

 

[CogsworthTN]

July fourth week we will be taking my Dad, who will just be finishing up radiation treatments for his cancer, four weeks prior to our trip. We are trying to make this trip extra special for him. He loves fireworks, so we have booked dinner at the California Grill on July 3 to view MK fireworks. We are planning on going to Epcot July 4.

We are staying at the GF RPC and will return back to the lounge for appetizers July 4th. How crazy will it be riding the monorail/TTC to Epcot later that night to view the fireworks? We are hoping to either do a fast pass for firework viewing, frozen dessert party, or rose and crowns new dinner viewing. I know it will be crowded, just not sure what to expect going to Epcot and returning back to our resort that night via the monorail.

 

[lala5176]

July fourth week we will be taking my Dad, who will just be finishing up radiation treatments for his cancer, four weeks prior to our trip. We are trying to make this trip extra special for him. He loves fireworks, so we have booked dinner at the California Grill on July 3 to view MK fireworks. We are planning on going to Epcot July 4.

We are staying at the GF RPC and will return back to the lounge for appetizers July 4th. How crazy will it be riding the monorail/TTC to Epcot later that night to view the fireworks? We are hoping to either do a fast pass for firework viewing, frozen dessert party, or rose and crowns new dinner viewing. I know it will be crowded, just not sure what to expect going to Epcot and returning back to our resort that night via the monorail.

We stayed at Polynesian last 4th. We didn’t go to any parks that day but did ride the monorail and it was extra busy. We did however go to MK on the 3rd and that was crazy. We got separated from my sister and kids and security kept ushering you through the park so you couldn’t stand in one place to wait for someone. During fireworks it was shoulder to shoulder. We will be there again this year but will be staying away from parks on the 3rd and 4th. You should have a fantastic view of the fireworks on the 3rd from California grill or right outside from there. I bet the RPC will have some nice food/ treats on the 4th. That’s where I would be with your Dad unless he feels up to the crowds. Then go for it!
Have a wonderful trip!

 

[quandrea]

Just booked AKL club level through my dvc. Will I be able to buy those three extra fast passes? Is it true that they can all be selected from tier one where applicable?

 

[Rachel GB]

I think the only "cons" of the CL is that A) the lounge is on a different floor than the rooms, for the most part. And B) the food is very different from the normal lounge food, so if you are a picky eater or a not very adventurous one, you may not find very many things to eat. However both of these "cons" can be a "pro".

Although it's a walk to the lounge it's a very enjoyable one being able to view animals the whole way. Also the elevators are the fastest on property. I don't think I've ever waited for more than 30 seconds.

The food is actually a pro for me. We love Boma, Jiko and Sanaa so we love the lounge food. Also they always have a couple of normal things like corn dog nuggets, chicken nuggets, ham and cheese roll ups, veggies and dip, cheese tray.

If you have any other questions, I would be more than happy to answer them.

@NicoleLarson , thank you for your reply! I don't mind the rooms being farther from the lounge either, so that would be a 'pro' for me, as well! Now when it comes to the food, my kids are picky eaters, so that does make me a bit nervous. Do you feel there is enough 'normal lounge food' at the 5-7 service for picky eaters to have a small meal (ie. bread, cheese, fruit, yogurt, etc.)? From your previous post, I'm guessing not, but just want to make extra sure as I'd hate to count AKL out! We've also eyed WL Del. CL Rooms, but AKL looks so unique and beautiful. Thanks again!
P.S. For those who have been following my other posts, I did book RPC Del. Room for September! I am very nervous about heat/humidity and hurricane season (will certainly purchase trip insurance), so I would love to hear from anyone who has gone in September before!

 

[bobbie68]

@NicoleLarson , thank you for your reply! I don't mind the rooms being farther from the lounge either, so that would be a 'pro' for me, as well! Now when it comes to the food, my kids are picky eaters, so that does make me a bit nervous. Do you feel there is enough 'normal lounge food' at the 5-7 service for picky eaters to have a small meal (ie. bread, cheese, fruit, yogurt, etc.)? From your previous post, I'm guessing not, but just want to make extra sure as I'd hate to count AKL out! We've also eyed WL Del. CL Rooms, but AKL looks so unique and beautiful. Thanks again!
P.S. For those who have been following my other posts, I did book RPC Del. Room for September! I am very nervous about heat/humidity and hurricane season (will certainly purchase trip insurance), so I would love to hear from anyone who has gone in September before!

Hi we use to go in September every year when our DD was younger and really enjoyed the less crowds. I always bought trip insurance just in case of weather or sickness. Once that was in place there really wasn't anything to worry about. I have not been there during a hurricane but other people swear it is one of the safest places to be. If it were to happen you could at least feel safe. If I saw a hurricane coming before I left I would postpone my trip. I have no desire to gamble whether there will be power, traveling issues and lost park time.

As far as the heat yes it is hot but we love the heat and don't mind being in it. I don't feel there is anymore humidity there than where I live, so I can't help you there.

We are staying one night AKL club level in June so I have been after food offerings as well. We are very excited and it will be a nice surprise for my DD. It is her favorite resort. My DD is a bit fussy so hoping she will like the food. Worse case I bring her to the Mara food court with my rewards points.

 

[emmabelle]

@NicoleLarson
P.S. For those who have been following my other posts, I did book RPC Del. Room for September! I am very nervous about heat/humidity and hurricane season (will certainly purchase trip insurance), so I would love to hear from anyone who has gone in September before!

we've gone in September the last two years and thought the weather was good! We used to go every January but the weather had been so cold the last couple of years that we've switched to September.

In Sept 2017, we got out just before Irma. We actually added a day to our trip while sitting at SAB. I saw that we could change our flights with Jetblue for free and they had the room we were staying in available with a PH discount, so we stayed. Most people get out of Dodge, we lingered.

We had no major weather issues this past September 2018, it just poured every afternoon, but then got nice.

I love September, it rained on us for 2 straight days in May, and was pretty cold this past December, (never put my bathing suit on, wore jeans the whole trip). I would go with September any day.

 

[emmabelle]

We are staying at the GF RPC and will return back to the lounge for appetizers July 4th. How crazy will it be riding the monorail/TTC to Epcot later that night to view the fireworks? We are hoping to either do a fast pass for firework viewing, frozen dessert party, or rose and crowns new dinner viewing. I know it will be crowded, just not sure what to expect going to Epcot and returning back to our resort that night via the monorail.

We stayed at WL last 4th of July, we did HS in the morning and then Epcot at night. I didn't think the crowds were terrible in either park. We did have a rental car so we didn't have to deal with the monorail. You could always look into Uber or Lyft to get back. Now that they are charging $25 a night to park at a deluxe we don't rent cars anymore, we just use a ride share if we are beat. Sometimes it's the best $10-$15 I've spent all day.