Disney's Club Level (CL) Information & Questions

[mickeynut1]

Hi from the YC. We arrived around 10 after a bit of annoyance waiting for our luggage. We take a town car & always pick our own luggage up. Our flight was listed at 3 different carousels & took about 35 minutes to get. Still better than the 2.5 hours it took us on ME in February. We weren’t met outside, but as we walked up to the lobby check in desk, a CM with an IPad greeted us. Told her we were checking into club level & she brought us right up. We are in the hallway to the left of the CM desks. We saw boxes of what seemed to be flooring in the hallway before our room. We also heard some occasional tapping. Apparently they are already needing to replace some floors. Will be interesting to see how these floors hold up in the long run.

Got our room ready text at 12:45. To take advantage of the AP discount, we had to book a single night followed by a 6 night stay. The CM at check in said we would be staying in the same room, but said to stop at the desk in the morning to make sure everything is in order. Great room & location so far.

We had a dinner reservation at Shula’s but popped in to check what was available in the lounge. They had roast pork with polenta, chicken nuggets & tomato bisque. I haven’t seen a soup at YC before, so this must be relatively new. Cold options were a farro salad & a beef with horseradish sauce on a crostini. There were 2 other salads but forget what they were, along with the usual crudités, cheese, crackers etc.

The Easter egg displays are amazing. Can’t wait to check out GF’s Monday.

Thanks for checking in. Hope you're having a great time .

I will be at YC CL in just about a month for a birthday trip and am loving hearing about other's recent visits.

Hope you will report back after your stay. I have my first YC CL stay coming up in June and I also love hearing about other people's visits. Have a great trip .

Hi All

Looking to coming back to Disney next year, even though my birthday trip next week was supposed to be it for a few years lol. I asked my daughter what she wanted to do for her 18th Birthday next year and it was Disney hands down (what can I say we are hooked). Her request so far are Club Level all the way. We were at the AKL CL last August and the kids all loved it (not so much the room even with the bunk beds it was small for them coming from AOA on our split stay). My daughter's favorite resort is Poly and we did that for her 16th birthday. I am leaning on doing Poly again but Club level she loves Sushi so I think she would definitely love it. So leaning on going in March next year when her Senioritis hits for Flower and Garden.

My question is does Poly's menu change seasonally? Does any other CL do sushi? I want to have some back ups in case Poly doesn't work the budget. Right now our only backup would be GF we love the Afternoon tea there lol I'm trying to send her some post from this thread so she can look at the food available to see which she likes best.

I've only had 1 stay at Poly CL so I can't answer about seasonal menu changes, but wanted to say have fun planning next year's trip. I'm sure where ever you decide to stay will be magical .

 

[KYTink]

First time staying at BWI. We will be there in mid-Dec. Do they add any extra holiday themed food items?

I'm also thinking of backing off on ADRs for this trip. Are the CL offerings usually sufficient if we decide to come back for a light evening meal?

 

[Minnie1222]

First time staying at BWI. We will be there in mid-Dec. Do they add any extra holiday themed food items?

I'm also thinking of backing off on ADRs for this trip. Are the CL offerings usually sufficient if we decide to come back for a light evening meal?

The breakfast and appetizer offerings are more than sufficient for our family. I can even make a full meal out of the afternoon snacks (raw vegetables, cheese, chips..) since I typically eat like this at home anyway.

 

[lala5176]

We will be staying club level at Boardwalk Inn during July 4th. First time!!
Do they do anything special in the lounge?
Last year we had a really nice time at Polynesian!

 

[KBoopaloo]

First time staying at BWI. We will be there in mid-Dec. Do they add any extra holiday themed food items?

I'm also thinking of backing off on ADRs for this trip. Are the CL offerings usually sufficient if we decide to come back for a light evening meal?

We have not stayed CL in a few years but on the trips we stayed CL before we ended up cancelling a lot of our ADRs as we went because we found we were just not hungry for big sit down meals with all the snacking we were doing in the lounge. For our trip next month at YC, we are keeping ADRs to a real minimum and just doing a TS breakfast one day, a TS lunch on departure day and a signature meal on my birthday. We'll supplement the offerings from the lounge with some QS meals and Flower and Garden food booths.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

When staying CL we tend to just have a lunch ADR. Breakfast and dinner (with a fun late snack) are typically sufficient for us.

 

[AngiTN]

First time staying at BWI. We will be there in mid-Dec. Do they add any extra holiday themed food items?

I'm also thinking of backing off on ADRs for this trip. Are the CL offerings usually sufficient if we decide to come back for a light evening meal?

The breakfast and appetizer offerings are more than sufficient for our family. I can even make a full meal out of the afternoon snacks (raw vegetables, cheese, chips..) since I typically eat like this at home anyway.

Afternoon offerings have been increased in the past couple of weeks.
There are significant changes being done all the way around.
Nothing negative at all, only positive but they are going through some revamping.
Started about 2 weeks back, give or take.
Seems one of the major managers came in, didn't like the lay out so they wanted things to be changed
On top of that, they are testing out new recipes, especially at lunch. It's more than raw veggies and cheese now.
They've been added in new sandwiches or other luncheon/finger foods. Still had trail mix fixings, homemade chips, popcorn, etc. They've added more, not taking anything away
They had a turkey/feta wrap, a hard boiled egg wrapped with ham and pickle slices. Lena mentioned that she's working with the chefs to try new recipes for lunch. She's trying out new beers too. Which by the way, they were stocking starting at lunchtime, not just dinner. Wine still offered by request outside of dinner.
Dinner's main items are the same but there are new sides offered. Changes in soups, breads and butter from Flying Fish now. More cold salads.
Breakfast has seen the addition of quiche for a while but this week they also had poached eggs.
Many new dessert recipes too.
So basically, yes, even more than in the past, you can make meals out of the food in the lounge.

We will be staying club level at Boardwalk Inn during July 4th. First time!!
Do they do anything special in the lounge?
Last year we had a really nice time at Polynesian!

They did not do anything different last year. July 4th was the same as any other day, other than some candies they put out being themed. Gummy stars, red/white/blue M&M, etc.

 

[Disney & ME]

We have not stayed CL in a few years but on the trips we stayed CL before we ended up cancelling a lot of our ADRs as we went because we found we were just not hungry for big sit down meals with all the snacking we were doing in the lounge. For our trip next month at YC, we are keeping ADRs to a real minimum and just doing a TS breakfast one day, a TS lunch on departure day and a signature meal on my birthday. We'll supplement the offerings from the lounge with some QS meals and Flower and Garden food booths.

We plan on doing exactly the same thing. We were excited to get a Beaches and Cream reservation before they move for renovations.
We figure the Flower and Garden booths and lounge food should be more than enough otherwise.

 

[Disney & ME]

Afternoon offerings have been increased in the past couple of weeks.
There are significant changes being done all the way around.
Nothing negative at all, only positive but they are going through some revamping.
Started about 2 weeks back, give or take.
Seems one of the major managers came in, didn't like the lay out so they wanted things to be changed
On top of that, they are testing out new recipes, especially at lunch. It's more than raw veggies and cheese now.
They've been added in new sandwiches or other luncheon/finger foods. Still had trail mix fixings, homemade chips, popcorn, etc. They've added more, not taking anything away
They had a turkey/feta wrap, a hard boiled egg wrapped with ham and pickle slices. Lena mentioned that she's working with the chefs to try new recipes for lunch. She's trying out new beers too. Which by the way, they were stocking starting at lunchtime, not just dinner. Wine still offered by request outside of dinner.
Dinner's main items are the same but there are new sides offered. Changes in soups, breads and butter from Flying Fish now. More cold salads.
Breakfast has seen the addition of quiche for a while but this week they also had poached eggs.
Many new dessert recipes too.
So basically, yes, even more than in the past, you can make meals out of the food in the lounge.
.

Thanks so much for the update on the food changes. We can't wait for our upcoming stay.
Did they still have grits for breakfast and the great Italian sandwiches for lunch?

 

[CogsworthTN]

Afternoon offerings have been increased in the past couple of weeks.
There are significant changes being done all the way around.
Nothing negative at all, only positive but they are going through some revamping.
Started about 2 weeks back, give or take.
Seems one of the major managers came in, didn't like the lay out so they wanted things to be changed
On top of that, they are testing out new recipes, especially at lunch. It's more than raw veggies and cheese now.
They've been added in new sandwiches or other luncheon/finger foods. Still had trail mix fixings, homemade chips, popcorn, etc. They've added more, not taking anything away
They had a turkey/feta wrap, a hard boiled egg wrapped with ham and pickle slices. Lena mentioned that she's working with the chefs to try new recipes for lunch. She's trying out new beers too. Which by the way, they were stocking starting at lunchtime, not just dinner. Wine still offered by request outside of dinner.
Dinner's main items are the same but there are new sides offered. Changes in soups, breads and butter from Flying Fish now. More cold salads.
Breakfast has seen the addition of quiche for a while but this week they also had poached eggs.
Many new dessert recipes too.
So basically, yes, even more than in the past, you can make meals out of the food in the lounge.


They did not do anything different last year. July 4th was the same as any other day, other than some candies they put out being themed. Gummy stars, red/white/blue M&M, etc.

thanks for the information. While we loved the addition of the Chef in the evening, we also noticed a decline in the number of the other side food offerings. It’s good to hear they have added back. I’m excited to try the new food selections. Now guests will have the best of both worlds. Awesome food selections to match the awesome CM’s. I hope your anniversary trip was amazing.

Can’t wait till May 30th!!! Back at the Boardwalk

 

[mickeynut1]

First time staying at BWI. We will be there in mid-Dec. Do they add any extra holiday themed food items?

I'm also thinking of backing off on ADRs for this trip. Are the CL offerings usually sufficient if we decide to come back for a light evening meal?

Depending on how you eat, the food offerings can be enough for a meal. We always have an ADR for dinner, but usually take advantage of the lounge offerings for breakfast, afternoon snacks, & sometimes desserts. BWI CL is amazing, hope you have a great time .

We will be staying club level at Boardwalk Inn during July 4th. First time!!
Do they do anything special in the lounge?
Last year we had a really nice time at Polynesian!

I hope you enjoy BWI CL as much as Poly CL. I tried both CLs for the first time last year and I loved them both. The Poly will always be my favorite resort overall, but I have to say (for me) BWI CL ranks right up there with Poly CL. Hope you have a great trip .

Can’t wait till May 30th!!! Back at the Boardwalk

Hope you have another great BWI CL stay .

 

[GADisneyDad14]

FYI - Some decent AP summer discounts dropped today. If you’re traveling through end of August, worth taking a look if applicable to you.

 

[mickeynut1]

FYI - Some decent AP summer discounts dropped today. If you’re traveling through end of August, worth taking a look if applicable to you.

Thanks for posting this. Going to check it out right now!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi All

Looking to coming back to Disney next year, even though my birthday trip next week was supposed to be it for a few years lol. I asked my daughter what she wanted to do for her 18th Birthday next year and it was Disney hands down (what can I say we are hooked). Her request so far are Club Level all the way. We were at the AKL CL last August and the kids all loved it (not so much the room even with the bunk beds it was small for them coming from AOA on our split stay). My daughter's favorite resort is Poly and we did that for her 16th birthday. I am leaning on doing Poly again but Club level she loves Sushi so I think she would definitely love it. So leaning on going in March next year when her Senioritis hits for Flower and Garden.

My question is does Poly's menu change seasonally? Does any other CL do sushi? I want to have some back ups in case Poly doesn't work the budget. Right now our only backup would be GF we love the Afternoon tea there lol I'm trying to send her some post from this thread so she can look at the food available to see which she likes best.

Hi, not sure if you got a response yet or not. From my experience, I would not say the menu changes seasonally, but it has had subtle changes/shifts here and there (mainly meaning evening apps when I say this). I had a few Poly CL stays last year and the specific evening apps were all relatively different. Variations on a similar theme, but not always exactly the same.

Here’s a trip report from Dec/Jan that has some food pics, for reference: Poly CL - NYE 2018

I would not really describe Poly’s food offerings as sushi-heavy. I seem to recall something along the lines of a California roll piece being on the rotation last time I was there. A bit sushi-lite, if you will, and it was just one night. There are definitely seafood and Polynesian influences to the offerings/flavors though.

If DD needs a real sushi fix, the Kona Island sushi bar is relatively good, in my opinion.

Anyway - hope that helps!

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks so much for the update on the food changes. We can't wait for our upcoming stay.
Did they still have grits for breakfast and the great Italian sandwiches for lunch?

Yes to grits, at least they are part of the rotation. They've never been out daily.

And the Italian sandwiches are the same, also included as one of the rotating items but never something that have out daily. Somedays it's them and others it's the peanut butter and jelly

thanks for the information. While we loved the addition of the Chef in the evening, we also noticed a decline in the number of the other side food offerings. It’s good to hear they have added back. I’m excited to try the new food selections. Now guests will have the best of both worlds. Awesome food selections to match the awesome CM’s. I hope your anniversary trip was amazing.

Can’t wait till May 30th!!! Back at the Boardwalk

I never noticed anything declining prior to this. They've had the same side offerings at night for several years now. The change they are playing around with is adding in more. And some of them being new recipes. I've never seen more chef's up in the lounge working on the setup either. Must be the revamp in the department and they now have more time to dedicate to working with the food up there. They also have the chefs from the kitchens trying to work out ways to reduce the cooking smells. This is a huge focus right now, with people up in the lounge every night brainstorming. We talked to both Redgie and Jay about it, plus Lena and seems the head chef over the entire lounge is the one that wants to fix it. I think they are trying to build a new counter with a vent or something. There was one point on Friday night where they took some of the food downstairs to cook it, rather than cooking it in the lounge. They didn't do that any other night though. Personally, we've never felt it was a problem that was off-putting. I'd much rather have the smells of fresh food than not have it.

We did have an amazing trip

 

[vinotinto]

I'm having total analysis-paralysis for our July stay. It's a short 3-night weekend stay, arriving on my DD's 12th birthday. Just this week, I decided we will go to MK DAH on her birthday (arrival day) so we can stay out till midnight. We are currently booked AKL CL, but discounts dropped today and EVERYTHING IS AVAILABLE with a discount, so I'm now having complete analysis paralysis with so many choices. Not really a question, just thought you guys would understand.

 

[Allybaster]

Just booked CL for the first time ever at the new tower at Coronado. It seems suspiciously affordable. CL at BWI or the Poly would be a dream, just need like 2 promotions at work!

 

[gwynne]

I'm having total analysis-paralysis for our July stay. It's a short 3-night weekend stay, arriving on my DD's 12th birthday. Just this week, I decided we will go to MK DAH on her birthday (arrival day) so we can stay out till midnight. We are currently booked AKL CL, but discounts dropped today and EVERYTHING IS AVAILABLE with a discount, so I'm now having complete analysis paralysis with so many choices. Not really a question, just thought you guys would understand.

Even when they show availability, sometimes there aren't a large number of CL discount rooms so reserving a room fairly quickly can be a good idea. Have fun planning your DD's birthday trip!

 

[vinotinto]

Even when they show availability, sometimes there aren't a large number of CL discount rooms so reserving a room fairly quickly can be a good idea. Have fun planning your DD's birthday trip!

Indeed!

I now have two CL reservations - one at AKL and one at Poly, so I need to cancel one. Poly fits better with our plans for my DD's birthday on arrival day at MK DAH. But, not sure about the food offerings at Poly. Seems like they are not as substantial as AKL? I know there has been improvement in the food offerings in other Clubs, is that the case at Poly too? Anyone have some recent menus?

Raw tuna (in sushi, in poke, seared, etc.) is one of those rare items that BOTH of my kids - the pescatarian and the meat eater (and DH and I) - can eat all day long, every day. I know it's all over the menu at Kona, so is this ever offered in the lounge?

Anyone have some pics from 2019 from the Poly lounge? I'll check the Poly thread too.

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Looking for advice, I posted this on the BC thread too. I can add a night on to our trip but I have to change from Garden View Club Level, to Standard View Club Level.
I don't want to be too far from the lounge. Is it worth it to change just do I don't have to change rooms? If I don't change, then I have to book just one night standard view non club level the first night of our trip