Disney's Club Level (CL) Information & Questions

[focusondisney]

Hi I have read on this forum that if you book a room Club Level you should expect and email from the concierge. I have booked a stay at the AKL CL for early January and I have yet to hear from the concierge. I am planning on proposing during the trip and I definitely need to speak with the staff. Any information I can get will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Apparently there are changes in the works regarding club level preplanning services. Recent reports have guests being told (nicely I guess!) to call the regular number for ADRs. You can try emailing the club level with the contact info from the beginning of this thread & see what response you get. You don't ave to wait for them to contact you. Good luck!

 

[figmentedfollies]

Hi I have read on this forum that if you book a room Club Level you should expect and email from the concierge. I have booked a stay at the AKL CL for early January and I have yet to hear from the concierge. I am planning on proposing during the trip and I definitely need to speak with the staff. Any information I can get will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Have you tried reaching out to AKL CL instead? It seems that recently it's been a bit inconsistent with the IPOs reaching out first.

Per the first post on the thread, you can reach AKL here:
The Kilimanjaro Club
Animal.Kingdom.Lodge.Itinerary.Planning@disneyworld.com
(407)938-4755 - fax (407)938-4759

 

[Jonestown000]

Thank you for the review. We are currently booked Poly CL for next August and I keep wondering if I should just do a standard room. We have stayed CL in the past (not at Poly) and have really enjoyed it for the most part, but the price difference this time around is a bit more than we are used to. DH still wants to keep CL, but I am wavering.

For us, it was worth it and I'd do it again. On top of other stuff I mentioned, there were a couple days where we bailed on the parks early enough that my 1 year old was able to take an afternoon nap in the room. My wife stayed with her and napped as well, while my son and I bounced between the lounge for snacks (and, ahem, a beer) and the pool. The location to pool and the easy walk to transportation (boats and monorail) were both nice conveniences. That said, they were just conveniences, and it's nothing that anyone couldn't do without. The resort overall was great, so I doubt there's a wrong choice no matter what you decide.

 

[anomamatt]

Have you tried reaching out to AKL CL instead? It seems that recently it's been a bit inconsistent with the IPOs reaching out first.

Per the first post on the thread, you can reach AKL here:
The Kilimanjaro Club
Animal.Kingdom.Lodge.Itinerary.Planning@disneyworld.com
(407)938-4755 - fax (407)938-4759

There is no IPO service any longer. WDW has said it will be replaced with a new service in 2017, but as of now, there is no IPO. They direct you to the main reservation lines.

 

[DisneyFanatic1000]

There is no IPO service any longer. WDW has said it will be replaced with a new service in 2017, but as of now, there is no IPO. They direct you to the main reservation lines.

Thank you everyone for the help. That is really unfortunate considering the time I am going. I guess I will have to figure it out some other way!

 

[figmentedfollies]

There is no IPO service any longer. WDW has said it will be replaced with a new service in 2017, but as of now, there is no IPO. They direct you to the main reservation lines.

Oh that's really rather annoying, especially for those of us who are going to be staying at WDW in the interim. Thank you for the heads up!

So I guess I will ask my question here rather than try to rely on the (now defunct) IPO. For my upcoming trip I will be staying at WL, which my mom already knows about. What she doesn't know is that I upgraded to CL on the sly, so it's going to be a big surprise. Only I'm not really sure how to surprise her with this. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Elizakapeka]

@cc1013 I found this CLASSIC photo of our son on our age 2.5 trip... taken at the gift shop outside ToT. My husband posted it on instagram with the title "tantrum #42". If I remember correctly it was regarding a lollipop.

View attachment 210204

While your trip was tarnished with tantrums that picture is priceless. Im sure this helped the OP.

 

[Elizakapeka]

Well, I'm sad to say our BC CL stay has been a bust. Not at all due to the resort or amenities (love it here), but on a personal note, I was overly optimistic with this trip and our kids are just too young. We have twin 2.5 year old boys and one is going through a tough stage right now where being overstimulated just sends him over the edge. He had been doing so much better at home (started occupational therapy) and we saw huge improvement. He has completely regressed here and just can't handle all of the stimulation. Because he is getting so much attention (constant meltdowns) his twin brother is now acting out. So...we will be cutting the trip a day short and heading back to Chicago tomorrow before another snowstorm hits on Friday. We just can't risk being stuck over the weekend with the storm.

I'm sad to say the least and worried and our son. I never would have pushed this trip if I thought he would have this reaction. He loved Cape May on Sunday and absolutely could not handle it today. We are hanging at the hotel, taking advantage of the CL lounge and swimming. I just don't think he understands that this is vacation and we will be heading home, no matter how many times we try to explain. He keeps asking for our dog and has completely regressed to taking his pacifier constantly. Our OT said this is helping to take the edge off for him so to let him be.

On another note... DH and I struggled with infertility for many many years and I dreamed of coming here with kids. He disagreed with the trip from the start and said the kids were too young. I convinced him it would be fine and it was just way too soon. I'm just a little heartbroken now but seeing the anniversary of Sandy Hook puts it all back into perspective. We will have a long weekend to get the kids acclimated back home and hopefully see some dramatic improvement in our son.

Im so sorry your duo is making it hard to enjoy, I feel your pain. I am a twin and my twin and I each have a set of twins...ultimate revenge lol. My twins are now 8 but They had sensory processing disorder and a huge speech delay. I couldnt go to kohls or the grocery store without a tantrum. easter seals was a godsend. I can completely empathize with you. Just remember it WILL get better. Hang in there. I see youre from chicago too, hey you missed the low of 1 degree yesterday, Thats a win.

 

[mystery222184]

Thank you for the review. We are currently booked Poly CL for next August and I keep wondering if I should just do a standard room. We have stayed CL in the past (not at Poly) and have really enjoyed it for the most part, but the price difference this time around is a bit more than we are used to. DH still wants to keep CL, but I am wavering.

I would keep CL. We had a fantastic time in the Hawaii bldg. Everyone is fantastic, especially Chef Gene. The offerings are much improved from past years. Breakfast, lunch, dinner are all much better quality than before. The beer and wine selections are also better.

Aside from Royal Palm at the GF, the lounge is our favorite. Great views of the lake including Wishes at the end of the night. Love walking down and grabbing water/coffee/POG juice quickly before going on our way. I hear you on the increases prices, but the value is finally going up as well.

 

[caliope]

We are back from our 5 day trip to the Poly CL and we had a fantastic time. I posted early in our stay about the food in the lounge. It continued at the same level, or better, for the remaining days as well. The breakfast offerings, the midday snacks, the evening appetizers, and the desserts really meshed well with the way we eat, such that we limited ourselves to "meals" at table service or quick service places only once a day. We also took full advantage of the access to beer and wine. It was so nice to have the lounge to return to with a sleepy preschooler who really couldn't handle too many crowded restaurants. Mousekeeping was great, with our room cleaned each day before 12:30PM, and turndown service nightly. The CMs throughout the lounge area and at the concierge desk were generally cheerful and helpful. There were no negatives, honestly. We loved the location of the Hawaii longhouse and would definitely choose to stay there again when it's time to return to the Poly. However…for our next trip, we decided to book a bounce back at Beach Club, Club Level, for 4 nights in March 2017. This December trip was solely focused on MK. The March trip will be focused on Epcot/HS. I'm looking forward to comparing the experiences!

 

[Ferrentinos]

It's so exciting to hear that the food has been so good at Poly CL! We've stayed there a few times and always loved it - but found food at GF SL and BC CL to be better - I'm excited to be heading back this summer to try out all of the new food options!

 

[Nancyg56]

Well, I'm sad to say our BC CL stay has been a bust. Not at all due to the resort or amenities (love it here), but on a personal note, I was overly optimistic with this trip and our kids are just too young. We have twin 2.5 year old boys and one is going through a tough stage right now where being overstimulated just sends him over the edge. He had been doing so much better at home (started occupational therapy) and we saw huge improvement. He has completely regressed here and just can't handle all of the stimulation. Because he is getting so much attention (constant meltdowns) his twin brother is now acting out. So...we will be cutting the trip a day short and heading back to Chicago tomorrow before another snowstorm hits on Friday. We just can't risk being stuck over the weekend with the storm.

I'm sad to say the least and worried and our son. I never would have pushed this trip if I thought he would have this reaction. He loved Cape May on Sunday and absolutely could not handle it today. We are hanging at the hotel, taking advantage of the CL lounge and swimming. I just don't think he understands that this is vacation and we will be heading home, no matter how many times we try to explain. He keeps asking for our dog and has completely regressed to taking his pacifier constantly. Our OT said this is helping to take the edge off for him so to let him be.

On another note... DH and I struggled with infertility for many many years and I dreamed of coming here with kids. He disagreed with the trip from the start and said the kids were too young. I convinced him it would be fine and it was just way too soon. I'm just a little heartbroken now but seeing the anniversary of Sandy Hook puts it all back into perspective. We will have a long weekend to get the kids acclimated back home and hopefully see some dramatic improvement in our son.

I am so sorry that the trip was not the one you imagined. I was at the BC this week, and wish I could have helped.

I know this does not help, but my "dream trip" was close to 30 years ago and my oldest was 12. It was...welll... lets just say that when we checked into the contemporary Resort and I saw that there had been a promotion for 3 free days on the Big Red Boat and we would have qualified, my husband said it was a darn good thing we did not know. He would have tossed all three of them overboard.

Let this past trip be a "learning experience" where you now have scoped out the places you want to revisit, and those you are not fond of out of the way. It gets better....my oldest is not 41 and still alive. LOL!

 

[Nancyg56]

@cc1013 I found this CLASSIC photo of our son on our age 2.5 trip... taken at the gift shop outside ToT. My husband posted it on instagram with the title "tantrum #42". If I remember correctly it was regarding a lollipop.

View attachment 210204

LOL!

 

[cc1013]

I can't THANK YOU all enough with your supportive comments and for sharing your challenging experiences with young kids. They definitely put a smile on my face (sharing the misery?) and made me laugh!!! We are back home in the frigid Chicago weather and the boys are so happy. I've been on an endless mix of exhaustion and laundry and am finally getting the chance to respond. Our son that was struggling was so happy to be reunited with the dog and his toys. He had one meltdown today but overall it's a HUGE change from last week and he seems to be back on track. I'm very relieved and trying to learn a lesson from all of this. On a positive note, with the bad winter storm, United refunded all of our change fees (they issued a travel advisory after we changed our flights) and Disney is refunding the one night room fee. Now that the kids are asleep, DH and I are treating ourselves to a sushi dinner and waiting for the delivery as I type.

Back to the CL topic of this thread, we were incredibly impressed with the lounge and had breakfast there most mornings. We also grabbed snacks and DH and I often got away for a drink after the kids went to bed and my mom stayed in the room. I didn't realize how nice the lounge would be but I think it would be hard to go back and not have that, especially at a deluxe resort where the quick eating options can be very limited. Our room was further away from the lounge than what I hoped, but we had great views of fireworks at both EC and HS, so we loved that. Also, we had a few crying episodes (to say the least), so being a bit secluded was a good thing. The staff was phenomenal and always willing to help. Although I don't have anything to compare to, I give the BC CL a big thumbs up.

If it makes you feel any better, our 3 year old went bonkers on our cruise last week. He ran away from me, and refused to spend time in the camp. We did take him to Disneyland for 2 and a half days when he was 2, and that was a good trip. He's just not ready for a longer trip yet.
I'm wondering if your boys would have been better off with a shorter trip? It's water under the bridge, of course. Don't beat yourself up. As I said to another Mom on the cruise when her little one was acting up, it's not YOU, it's just your TURN. We've all been there or will be there.

Your son WILL improve, because he has a very loving, caring Mommy.

Thank you! I do think a shorter trip probably would have helped now that you mention it. Flying is just such a hassle that I wanted to make the most out of the trip. Lesson learned! I really appreciate your kind words.

@cc1013 I found this CLASSIC photo of our son on our age 2.5 trip... taken at the gift shop outside ToT. My husband posted it on instagram with the title "tantrum #42". If I remember correctly it was regarding a lollipop.

View attachment 210204

This is an AMAZING picture! I've looked at it multiple times and keep getting a chuckle out of it. Thank you for sharing!

@cc1013, your trip wasn't abnormal. 1,2,4, or older...some kids are sensitive to change and stimulation. Our first trip was in 2012 and our kids were 8, 7, and 5. Our youngest has always been, ah, vocal and demonstrative when things don't align with his vision. He could be a tyrant regularly and WAS on our trip. Our first day was stressful for him and GMR did him in after listening to the kid next to us LOSE HIS MIND through the whole ride. He wanted to do Jedi Training but, the minute Vader's theme started, he took off and stayed as far away from him as possible-poor kid. My lack of enthusiasm for DHS may be influenced by this trip. #3 wouldn't allow any of us to go on inside rides without throwing a fit, even though we didn't make him go in there. He was fine with the outside ones, though, and loved Barnstormer. He loved Splash during the drop, but was super agitated inside the mountain. IASW, PP, and Pooh were a nightmare. He wanted to eat every 30 minutes from stress. He thew fits regularly over "whatever". Our second trip, two years later, was much better. He would go on inside rides and threw less fits. He's 9 and MUCH better! We're hoping for a low fit-throwing ratio next year. He's a nag, sensitive to change, still a bit of a tyrant, and loves the thrill rides. His siblings would rather skip the thrills. There's always compromise.

My older two were fantastic and I regret that their wonderful behavior was overshadowed by the youngest. We told them how much we appreciated their patience and made sure they were able to do a lot by taking turns hanging out with ol' yeller. Gah! What a stressful trip that was!

Anyway, it is what it is. I didn't laugh about that first trip for a while, but it's a good story now! Yours will be, too. You'll go back when they're older. It won't be what you envisioned and there will be melt-downs, but it will be easier. I bet you'll want to go back after the next one, too!

To keep it on topic. We stayed at Poly CL for most of the trip and it was a refuge. Plenty of food for the stress eater, snacks on our pool day, and we were there for breakfast and in the evenings because the kids were DONE pretty early. They couldn't last long enough to stay up for EWP or Wishes. OUT by 7:30. DH and I would drink a glass of wine on the balcony and gird our loins for the next day.

It's funny you mention the word tyrant. I couldn't figure out the right work for our son during this trip but that is PERFECT! My mom keeps saying this will make for great stories (and guilt!) in the future. We will definitely be back! Also, I have to agree with you that the CL lounge was a refuge on the trip. DH even agreed that if/when we go back, we would probably do CL again just for the lounge and escape!

While your trip was tarnished with tantrums that picture is priceless. Im sure this helped the OP.

Completely agree! Great pic!

Im so sorry your duo is making it hard to enjoy, I feel your pain. I am a twin and my twin and I each have a set of twins...ultimate revenge lol. My twins are now 8 but They had sensory processing disorder and a huge speech delay. I couldnt go to kohls or the grocery store without a tantrum. easter seals was a godsend. I can completely empathize with you. Just remember it WILL get better. Hang in there. I see youre from chicago too, hey you missed the low of 1 degree yesterday, Thats a win.

A twin with twins, wow! And you twin has twins too?!?! Those are some strong genetics! Our one son is just so sensitive and melts down easily which is why we suspected SPD and started occupational therapy. His speech is on track (albeit behind his brother) but I can relate to the tantrums/meltdowns. How did you work with easter seals? Being in Chicago makes me miss the warmth of WDW, but seeing the smile back on his face is all worth it.

I am so sorry that the trip was not the one you imagined. I was at the BC this week, and wish I could have helped.

I know this does not help, but my "dream trip" was close to 30 years ago and my oldest was 12. It was...welll... lets just say that when we checked into the contemporary Resort and I saw that there had been a promotion for 3 free days on the Big Red Boat and we would have qualified, my husband said it was a darn good thing we did not know. He would have tossed all three of them overboard.

Let this past trip be a "learning experience" where you now have scoped out the places you want to revisit, and those you are not fond of out of the way. It gets better....my oldest is not 41 and still alive. LOL!

Yes, thinking of this as a learning experience is a great tip. There are so many things I would change like trying to stick to dining plans and fast passes. From the beginning, I should have known that the boys were going to call the shots. We got some amazing pics from our first night of them meeting Mickey, so I love that. Glad to hear your son is still alive, lol. I'm sure he's heard the story many times over.

 

[cc1013]

@cc1013 I am so sorry to hear about your trip, I hope you at least got to enjoy some of the BC CL offerings. FWIW....my DD2.5 was a total hot mess on our WL trip a few weeks ago. Thank goodness it was short.

By nature she's a pretty high strung / intense personality with a fierce but inconsistent independent streak in her. Against our better judgement we took her on our Poly trip this past summer (she turned 2 during the trip). To our surprise she was a total angel the whole trip and was GREAT in every setting. In some ways I felt all of the stimulation really kept her occupied and content. Turns out she was just suckering us in.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago and it was the total opposite. Tears at every corner, refusing to ride in the stroller, wouldn't sit still on the plane, total meltdowns for the most innocuous things. She'd refuse to go to sleep and then wake up WAY earlier than she should. The pure definition of terrible 2's.

We're done with her at Disney until she's much older! (Fine with me, more time for me and DS to go solo!)

I missed responding to your note in my previous response, sorry! Amazing how a kid's personality can flip like that! If I've learned anything in my short time as a parent it's that you can't count on ANYTHING! It sounds like your experience and ours was similar. No stroller, no sitting on the plane, etc. The lack of sleep was impacting all of us by the end and it was just rough. Being in our own home and our own beds last night was fabulous. Similar to you, we are done with Disney until the boys are older. DH and I were talking today and we are thinking six or seven years old.....old enough when they can walk without a stroller. It seems like forever but I will be researching and taking notes until then!
Thanks again for your note and the room feedback before the trip! Much appreciated.

 

[Elizakapeka]

cc1013 i will send you a pm about easter seals

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Guest list is updated! Sorry for the delay, I didn't get any email notifications at all.

I'm only about a month away from my next WDW trip! But it sure feels weird not being there for Christmas this year. It just won't be the same.

 

[mickeynut1]

I've only used these boards a few times for some specific questions, but I thought I'd share my recent experience while staying club level at the Polynesian last week. This was our first trip and we had booked about 8 or 9 months ago. After booking I came out here and say some of the negative reviews on club level amenities and was a little nervous that the experience wasn't going to be all that great. I"m happy to say we were very surprised and pleased with everything during our stay.

Thanks for your review. Glad you had a great time and enjoyed Poly CL .

We are back from our 5 day trip to the Poly CL and we had a fantastic time. I posted early in our stay about the food in the lounge. It continued at the same level, or better, for the remaining days as well. The breakfast offerings, the midday snacks, the evening appetizers, and the desserts really meshed well with the way we eat, such that we limited ourselves to "meals" at table service or quick service places only once a day. We also took full advantage of the access to beer and wine. It was so nice to have the lounge to return to with a sleepy preschooler who really couldn't handle too many crowded restaurants. Mousekeeping was great, with our room cleaned each day before 12:30PM, and turndown service nightly. The CMs throughout the lounge area and at the concierge desk were generally cheerful and helpful. There were no negatives, honestly. We loved the location of the Hawaii longhouse and would definitely choose to stay there again when it's time to return to the Poly. However…for our next trip, we decided to book a bounce back at Beach Club, Club Level, for 4 nights in March 2017. This December trip was solely focused on MK. The March trip will be focused on Epcot/HS. I'm looking forward to comparing the experiences!

Glad you had a great time! Congrats on booking another trip, it's always nice having another trip to look forward to. Happy planning .

I can't THANK YOU all enough with your supportive comments and for sharing your challenging experiences with young kids. They definitely put a smile on my face (sharing the misery?) and made me laugh!!! We are back home in the frigid Chicago weather and the boys are so happy. I've been on an endless mix of exhaustion and laundry and am finally getting the chance to respond. Our son that was struggling was so happy to be reunited with the dog and his toys. He had one meltdown today but overall it's a HUGE change from last week and he seems to be back on track. I'm very relieved and trying to learn a lesson from all of this. On a positive note, with the bad winter storm, United refunded all of our change fees (they issued a travel advisory after we changed our flights) and Disney is refunding the one night room fee. Now that the kids are asleep, DH and I are treating ourselves to a sushi dinner and waiting for the delivery as I type.

Glad you made it back home safely and that your son is doing better. I think it's great that United waived the change fees and that Disney is refunding the one night room fee. Hope you and your DH enjoyed your quiet sushi dinner .

 

[DVCMinnie2532]

Yup no planning services for club regardless of resort. Member services said supposeably back in 2017.

 

[KerryCM]

We returned last week from a wonderful stay at the Boardwalk Inn. I was so very impressed with the evening offerings, as was mu husband who didn't want to leave for dinner! The chef was great, talking to the guests and sharing his recipes. I would love to see this service go to all the club levels. It was fantastic. They have really upped their game there. On Sunday there was made to order eggs benedict and a bloody mary bar too.

Our next trip is in just 34 more days at the Beach Club, I did try talking to management at the Boardwalk to switch my reservations, but I need 3 rooms and the was no room at the Inn with my cast discount. I will suck it up for my 60% off!!!! Anyway, those of you going to the BWI club soon, enjoy your stay.