This is TLDR, so forgive me. My final random thoughts on BWI CL....
- Overall, we enjoyed the weekend. We were glad to try something new, we needed to branch out from the MK resorts anyway. Walking to Epcot and HS was a totally new feeling - loved that part.
- The food is stellar. Artfully prepared, nice options. The chef-made evening apps are a real stand-out amenity compared to other CLs.
- I wish we could have had more time to meet some of the CMs that are so loved around here. We met some briefly, but didn't have a ton of lounge time with a shorter trip. I think our timing was bad - the times we did have more lounge time, the CMs (not any names I see mentioned here) were kind of duds.
- Not sure if we really love the BWI theming. It's OK, it just doesn't personally appeal to us as much as some other resorts.
- Room size was really small at first, but it became very livable as we settled in. With just two of us, I should have looked into my options for requesting a king instead of two queens (not even sure if that's an option with my room type). That was a miss on my part.
- I think we would have preferred a garden view. While it's fun to look out at the Boardwalk, we did find it a bit noisy. Not a ton, but at times you know there is entertainment going on outside. Or maintenance carts rolling by at 6AM. This observation was probably magnified by the stresses of a race weekend where sleep is more of a focus.
- The daily itinerary under the door at night is a nice touch.
- Things like convenience to pools / the lounge mean something to us. While it took some getting used to, the setup and layout of the floor/resort worked pretty well for us in this regard. In many ways being 'outside the doors' saved some time getting around.
- Had prompt Mousekeeping every day with incredibly friendly staff in the halls. Turndown service was really late last night - after 9PM (that's late in our world, might not be for others). Other nights were fine or we were out and missed it.
- Not CL related, but we had a wonderful date night meal at Flying Fish. Probably one of our favorite Disney restaurant dining experiences in awhile.
And if you'll forgive me again, here's where I'm going to get a bit negative and give some low marks:
Check In
I've given up on the Disney check-in experience being anything special, but this one was especially bad. Probably the worst I've had in years. We arrived, no one around but bell staff - ok, no big deal. Walk inside to front desk. Long line, only two people checking people in. 10 minutes go by, still in line.
I debate whether to just go upstairs to the fourth floor or not. Debate, wait, repeat.
Finally decided to go upstairs, and actually get the room ready text as we're waiting for the elevator. Dropped stuff off in the room and went to the CL CM desk by the door. Someone was already there, so we just sort of hung around (note, there's nowhere to hang around).
They finally finish up and we sit down... "hi, we got the room ready text but it's our first time here so just wanted to check-in...." CM looked at us like we were speaking French. He could not understand why we wanted to check-in if we already got the text. Like really dumbfounded. I had to PRY the CL info page out of him, at which point he finally started to give an overview of the lounge, times, etc. We were celebrating a big event and I had to ask for my own button (ok, I know that sounds whiny/entitled... I don't mean it to be, but still).
There was just nothing "guest service" about the whole process.
Later in the trip I frequently saw an older gentleman greeter out front appear to walk people up to the lounge or the CL desk. He was not there when we arrived, nor was any other greeter. Did I miss something?
Lounge Size
The lounge is small. In our limited three day experience, it really felt like the room to lounge ratio is off - there are just too many CL guests. CMs were constantly busy.... we had difficulty finding a seat on more than one occasion... things seemed maxed out. Maybe it was just our timing, I don't know. The "peaceful lounge" moment was a bit elusive for us this trip (in fairness, this can happen anywhere). Maybe just a busy weekend.
No Coffee Before 7AM
The lounge doors don't open until 7AM. At many others they put coffee out well before 7AM. I'm an early riser - I missed that offering.
Lounge Ventilation
If your room is behind the doors - you pretty much know exactly what is cooking. The smell lingers a very long time. I don't know about the rooms themselves, but the hallway behind the doors almost always had a very strong cooking smell going on.
So that's my full run down. So glad I got a chance to experience BWI CL and I do look forward to trying it again for certain trip types.
Thanks for putting up with all the photos and long text!
