How did they get into the CL at the Grand?

I think that the CM's in the lounge decide if they can offer a little pixie dust, just as anywhere else in the resort. It seems to me that if someone has been granted permission there is no reason to begrudge them. If we use the logic that people can only enjoy what they paid for, then no one could accept an upgrade, an extra FP or a Mickey Bar when a CM offers them a special treat.

You're getting free Mickey bars???!!! How do you do that? :ssst:
 
Nate and Veronica has been invited to stay at the Grand Floridian. They were overnight guests in a DVC one bedroom villa. All completely legitimate and paid for and above board. They are delightful people with a YouTube presence that is valuable to Disney. It’s not like they were squatters in the Club Level area
 
How dare another guest invite them up if they know them. Or even worse, How dare their friend Susan gift them a stay at the Grand Floridian and shower them with gifts? Such horrible acts of kindness. I mean it's Disney, people shouldn't enjoy themselves or experience any magic! LOL
 
There is a listed room capacity in the CL lounges, so if the CMs need to conduct a clean sweep, they will. Trust me, they are always watching.

We have never encountered guests hogging up tables with non-CL people. One or two guests, the CL staff do not seem to mind and is a myob situation in my opinion.

The 2nd gated CL entrance at AKL is there for Kudu side 4th floor CL guests and requires a CL key. We have used it a lot and guests are not sneaking people through there. CMs are literally standing right there by the kitchen most of the time. We were there in April and just checked out a few days ago. I noticed a few cameras around as well.

This is not some scheme. The bloggers were invited guests and had many well-wishers. The one person who mentioned the CL did not appear to be calling them out. Please leave these people alone.
I never noticed any cameras, but I believe you when you said they were there. But I also never noticed any staff standing/staying in that area much at all during our stay. But they could have been without me noticing much since we were actually on the Club Level floor.
 


I really like Nate and Veronica's channel. I was just curious as to how they got up to the CL. I had no idea that you could possibly ask the CL staff if friends or family could join you in the lounge. I had no idea. Good for them if this was the case. So in that main building at the Grand, you must be a CL guest to access the upper floors? I thought I read somewhere that you could go to the very top level in the elevator without CL access, but I could be completely wrong here.
 
I really like Nate and Veronica's channel. I was just curious as to how they got up to the CL. I had no idea that you could possibly ask the CL staff if friends or family could join you in the lounge. I had no idea. Good for them if this was the case. So in that main building at the Grand, you must be a CL guest to access the upper floors? I thought I read somewhere that you could go to the very top level in the elevator without CL access, but I could be completely wrong here.

All club level lounges are only accessible to CL guests. Whether it's a lounge or an entire building (in the case of Sugar Loaf at GF or Hawaii at Poly). No one can just wander into a CL lounge. If it's an entire floor that has CL, you scan your MB in the elevator. If it's a section of a floor (such as WL CL), you scan your band to open a gate. If it's a building, you scan your band to open the door of the building.
 


We have brought family up before and vice versa. If CM’s don’t care why even worry about it. This is a none starter.
 
You're getting free Mickey bars???!!! How do you do that? :ssst:

Not the OP on this, but I've gotten free things like this while celebrating special occasions and wearing birthday/anniversary/honeymoon/just engaged pins. I ordered the snack and the cast member usually has said something like, "This one's on Mickey" when I went to pay.
 
If a CL guest asked GF staff if they could have guests up and the answer was yes, it's no different than your situation

The poster you’re responding to didn’t ask if their relative could go to the club. They asked to add him to the room and pay the extra adult fee. That’s the difference.

Please leave these people alone.

They want the views and discussion. That’s how vloggers earn money, by getting people to click. It’s why I’m not clicking. I despise podcasts and vlogs.

Now this would be totally unacceptable, I am sure we can all agree. Someone who did not pay for Club Level, visited a friend who stayed Club, ate the food, and then had the nerve to complain that the food and staff were not worth it.
Unbelievable!!!

? It’s bad to have an opinion on something?

They were overnight guests in a DVC one bedroom villa. All completely legitimate and paid for and above board.

Staying at a Dvc villa doesn’t make one a club level guest.
 
The poster you’re responding to didn’t ask if their relative could go to the club. They asked to add him to the room and pay the extra adult fee. That’s the difference.



They want the views and discussion. That’s how vloggers earn money, by getting people to click. It’s why I’m not clicking. I despise podcasts and vlogs.



? It’s bad to have an opinion on something?



Staying at a Dvc villa doesn’t make one a club level guest.

You have absolutely no idea if the vloggers host asked (and paid) GF to place them on her CL room as day guests, so, no, no difference.
 
The poster you’re responding to didn’t ask if their relative could go to the club. They asked to add him to the room and pay the extra adult fee. That’s the difference.


No difference. They may have asked to pay to add him but they DID NOT pay to add him. The CM said "not necessary...bring him on up!" They didn't pay for him.
 
So if people who didn't pay for a reserved fireworks viewing area were let in anyway and stood right in front of you with their children on their shoulders blocking your view, that would have ZERO effect on your experience??? Maybe not yours, but it would for plenty of people who paid for the right to have a less crowded and more relaxing magical experience. Please don't say that it has zero effect on ANY guests simply because it doesn't bother you.

To be fair, children on shoulders ruin just about everyone’s experience behind them.

This is a resort room category amenity, not a prepaid pp dining event. On par with friends and family being allowed access through the security gate to park, nap, watch tv, take a shower, etc. in a room they didn’t pay for.

They want the views and discussion. That’s how vloggers earn money, by getting people to click. It’s why I’m not clicking. I despise podcasts and vlogs.

Agreed. What I did not appreciate is someone bringing their name up. Sorry, I don’t like that. Easy to discuss without key details. PMM did not solicit views here, and it is not their fault they were invited to the CL lounge.


Anyway, bumber, I am trying really hard to be nice knowing there are posters on this very thread that break policies listed on the website, yet discuss these people who weren’t bothering anyone here.
 
There's no way anyone here is going to know the details of how the vloggers got into the lounge. All that's known is what they themselves said, and that may not be the whole story. The vloggers themselves may not know the whole story. It's not unreasonable to think that word quietly went out to the CMs that these people were "influencers," and to let them go into the lounge and get some video.

Look, Disney bends its own rules every single day, if it suits them to do so. People get free room upgrades. People get let into private fireworks viewing areas, club lounges, pools they shouldn't have access to, backstage areas. People get meals comped, rooms comped, tickets comped. It happens because they're celebrities, or bring positive publicity to Disney, or are friends of executives, or are spending a ton of money, or will bring business to Disney, or are someone it benefits Disney to impress.

And it's not just Disney. It happens throughout the travel industry. If you're going to stress out over someone getting something you think they're not entitled to, or that you can't have or would have to pay for, you will make yourself miserable.
 
I never noticed any cameras, but I believe you when you said they were there. But I also never noticed any staff standing/staying in that area much at all during our stay. But they could have been without me noticing much since we were actually on the Club Level floor.
LOL.... Excellent. It's working just like it's supposed to. You are NOT supposed to notice it! That's the point of good security!
Know this though, if it's not inside your room or inside a bathroom stall, you are being watched at Disney. At all times.

There's no way anyone here is going to know the details of how the vloggers got into the lounge. All that's known is what they themselves said, and that may not be the whole story. The vloggers themselves may not know the whole story. It's not unreasonable to think that word quietly went out to the CMs that these people were "influencers," and to let them go into the lounge and get some video.

Look, Disney bends its own rules every single day, if it suits them to do so. People get free room upgrades. People get let into private fireworks viewing areas, club lounges, pools they shouldn't have access to, backstage areas. People get meals comped, rooms comped, tickets comped. It happens because they're celebrities, or bring positive publicity to Disney, or are friends of executives, or are spending a ton of money, or will bring business to Disney, or are someone it benefits Disney to impress.

And it's not just Disney. It happens throughout the travel industry. If you're going to stress out over someone getting something you think they're not entitled to, or that you can't have or would have to pay for, you will make yourself miserable.
Or even a no one and for no reason other than the CM wants to. Almost every CM has the ability to gift things, even the lowly popcorn vendor. To even a lowly everyday commoner.

I'd suggest everyone not get your nose bent out of shape over things being gifted/given away. It happens all the time all day long, every day, from Mickey Bars to Suites. Just gotta channel your inner Elsa and "Let it Go" (bet you are tired of hearing that one, huh)
 
Or even a no one and for no reason other than the CM wants to. Almost every CM has the ability to gift things, even the lowly popcorn vendor. To even a lowly everyday commoner.

I'd suggest everyone not get your nose bent out of shape over things being gifted/given away. It happens all the time all day long, every day, from Mickey Bars to Suites. Just gotta channel your inner Elsa and "Let it Go" (bet you are tired of hearing that one, huh)


Yep. We've had our share of little "pixie dust" moments over the years. I think if you start expecting it you will surely be let down.

There are quite a few posts on these boards about serious upgrades happening to people. I think it leads to disappointment in some.
 
Nate and Veronica has been invited to stay at the Grand Floridian. They were overnight guests in a DVC one bedroom villa. All completely legitimate and paid for and above board. They are delightful people with a YouTube presence that is valuable to Disney. It’s not like they were squatters in the Club Level area
I agree with this all!
 
LOL.... Excellent. It's working just like it's supposed to. You are NOT supposed to notice it! That's the point of good security!
Know this though, if it's not inside your room or inside a bathroom stall, you are being watched at Disney. At all times.
That is a good point there. But I do remember wondering if they did have cameras installed somewhere up there, because it was sorta creepy feeling going to the lounge say at midnight to grab a coke and usually no one in sight. I think there is what five studios and five one bedrooms on that CL floor, so not that many people actually on that floor. But of course the other CL rooms on the fourth and fifth floors could come and get drinks as well.
 
There's no way anyone here is going to know the details of how the vloggers got into the lounge. All that's known is what they themselves said, and that may not be the whole story. The vloggers themselves may not know the whole story. It's not unreasonable to think that word quietly went out to the CMs that these people were "influencers," and to let them go into the lounge and get some video.

Look, Disney bends its own rules every single day, if it suits them to do so. People get free room upgrades. People get let into private fireworks viewing areas, club lounges, pools they shouldn't have access to, backstage areas. People get meals comped, rooms comped, tickets comped. It happens because they're celebrities, or bring positive publicity to Disney, or are friends of executives, or are spending a ton of money, or will bring business to Disney, or are someone it benefits Disney to impress.

And it's not just Disney. It happens throughout the travel industry. If you're going to stress out over someone getting something you think they're not entitled to, or that you can't have or would have to pay for, you will make yourself miserable.

LOL.... Excellent. It's working just like it's supposed to. You are NOT supposed to notice it! That's the point of good security!
Know this though, if it's not inside your room or inside a bathroom stall, you are being watched at Disney. At all times.


Or even a no one and for no reason other than the CM wants to. Almost every CM has the ability to gift things, even the lowly popcorn vendor. To even a lowly everyday commoner.

I'd suggest everyone not get your nose bent out of shape over things being gifted/given away. It happens all the time all day long, every day, from Mickey Bars to Suites. Just gotta channel your inner Elsa and "Let it Go" (bet you are tired of hearing that one, huh)

Yes, thank you! We've been pixie dusted many things - room service appearing at our door with milk and cookies when a CM noticed earlier my DS wasn't feeling well, popcorn, second rides on high-demand attractions, etc. My friend is in the industry and brings a TON of groups business to WDW and she has been gifted Poly bungalows and suites on a number of occasions. The vloggers got some pixie dust and GF got great advertising. Good for them! Hopefully lovely, random acts of pixie dust will happen to us all! I've been the recipient of a lot of pixie dust (and I'm on the "lowly everyday commoner" list) and I certainly don't begrudge others the pixie dust they receive as well. I say, pixie dust for us all! :)
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top