Disney's Club Level (CL) Information & Questions

[mickeynut1]

Just returned from our first Poly CL visit. I will give a quick run down from our 2 night stay. We had been staying at BLT for the week prior, so about 5:30am I received a text that our room was ready, score...no sense messing with bell service to transfer the luggage, we just took it over with us. We arrived at Poly about 9, knowing we already had a room available we just walked over to Hawaii longhouse from the parking area. We were greeted and got all our needed info. I reminded the CL CM that we have a Gluten allergy (I had emailed DSS prior) and they told me just to speak to the chef. We headed up to our room, dropped off our bags and headed over to the lounge. We had a garden view room on the third floor overlooking the Oasis pool, so peaceful, especially after a week in the parks! We arrived at the lounge while breakfast was still being served. Spoke with the CM about the gluten free and she couldn't have been more helpful! Offered us bagels and muffins, said she'd have them available each morning for us. Afterwards, we headed to the pool, kids were getting hungry so we ordered GF wings from the Oasis bar, chef even made a special GF sauce, they were yummy!! This was our first GF trip and I have to say some locations were super and were great and some were less than stellar and left me disappointed. We headed back to the lounge for an afternoon snack, which were chicken lettuce wraps and a few other things. Of course they had treats, but none were safe for my kiddos. Again, found a CM and they got them a plate full of cookies. Hubby was in love with the coffee machine, so he didn't care about the cookies. We came back to the lounge on our way to dinner just to see what they had, the GF options were limited to say the least, especially for kids. My girls are adventurous eaters, but this still posed an issue. I spoke with the chef who was plating one bite, little plates (seemed like she was trying to restrict the amount taken, slow to replenish and would only put out a couple at a time with a full lounge). She was probably the least accommodating CM we encountered on this trip, I wasn't sure if I was just expecting more or what, but I was very disappointed. So much so, I went down and talked with the desk, their response was talk to the chef Knowing that we had ADR it wasn't a big deal, but it was disappointing. We came back and watched fireworks (they started early due to a bad storm) and looked over the dessert options. Nothing good for GF, but the CM did give us another plate of cookies. The next day we went down for breakfast, same fare and the lovely CM had muffins and bagels ready to go for us. We popped in later to see if we could grab a light lunch, but today was lettuce wraps with shrimp (I have a shrimp allergy) so that was a no go. We headed to Captain Cook's and was surprised again how accommodating they were for the allergies, which made me disappointed more in the lounge chef. Our final morning, new CM in the lounge and they only had 1 GF bagel and no muffins, so that was kind of a bad way to leave. My kids had fruit and hard boiled eggs, but something else would have been nice. All in all, we loved our Poly stay but do not feel that CL is needed on each trip. For those that aren't GF, I think it would be awesome, for our family it just doesn't work well. I can bring all those things they offered for much less than the CL cost. The lounge was relaxing and the location can't be beat!! Thank you all that suggested Poly, it is a wonderful resort and most CMs were beyond pleasant.

Thanks for your review. Sorry about the GF issues, but glad you had a nice time overall .

Ok - I just heard back from DSS - they will indeed help with booking F&W ticketed events, but the email emphasizes "within their business hours" - which starts at 9 am. Since I'm assuming that the rest of the world is going to start calling/booking at 7 am, that presents a little bit of a conundrum on my end - but for everyone else there's an answer. (I know there are other folks who will be able to book two days earlier, so I'm still worried about missing out on events...)

Thanks for the update .

 

[blueelephant]

I was wondering if anyone knew best room view for the GF & Poly. We are staying a couple of nights at both. At the GF it's the outer BLDG standard view CL & at the Poly its a garden view CL. I assume at the GF they would put us in the sugarloaf key BLDG? We would like to see the MK from our balcony at both locations, who wouldn't! . Any suggestions?

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

I was wondering if anyone knew best room view for the GF & Poly. We are staying a couple of nights at both. At the GF it's the outer BLDG standard view CL & at the Poly its a garden view CL. I assume at the GF they would put us in the sugarloaf key BLDG? We would like to see the MK from our balcony at both locations, who wouldn't! . Any suggestions?

You won't get a theme park view booked in that category at the Poly, but you won't need it. The CL lounge in Hawaii has a fantastic view of the Fireworks with all the music piped right in. Just head to the lounge before the show begins. It's really fantastic. I don't have many tips for the GF, but we have watched fireworks from the boat dock there. I hope you have a great trip!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I was wondering if anyone knew best room view for the GF & Poly. We are staying a couple of nights at both. At the GF it's the outer BLDG standard view CL & at the Poly its a garden view CL. I assume at the GF they would put us in the sugarloaf key BLDG? We would like to see the MK from our balcony at both locations, who wouldn't! . Any suggestions?

For the GF, if you have an Outer Building CL reservation, that's Sugar Loaf (SL). SL has two sides, one side faces the Courtyard Pool (which is a beautiful view) and the other side faces the Marina (also a great view). Some of the rooms on the Marina side also have a good view of the monorail and look towards the MK, but you can't really see it. You can see high fireworks from some select rooms if you look to the right.

Given the size of the trees surrounding the building and balcony configurations, some SL views are better than others. Rooms towards the 'middle' generally have better views (no trees/plants right outside) but you get a bit of noise from the middle atrium/lounge. Rooms towards the ends are away from the atrium but can have more plants in your direct view. I'm generalizing a bit here as it's variable.

Fourth floor rooms have dormer balconies, which some people don't like as they are smaller and let in less light. Some third floor rooms (on the end of the hallways) have dormer balconies too. All others are full/normal balconies.

This floorplan pic may help, this happens to be the third floor. The room I had in April was in red.




Here was my view looking right...I could have seen high fireworks if I stuck my head over just a bit more. This was in April - it's more green now.


Here's a view of the fireworks from the Gaspy's/marina area. This is just a handful of steps out the back door to SL, very easy to pop out here to watch. There is sound played in this area.


As the PP noted, at Poly with a GV room you will be facing the Oasis Pool courtyard area, not towards the MK. But, the lounge has a GREAT view - arguably the best of any CL lounge on property (maybe tied with CR).

Here's a view from the lounge (I'm up against the glass in this photo).


And fireworks at night. They play the music in here. They didn't this night, but I read a recent report of them lowering the lights for the show, which historically has been my only gripe about watching from here. FWIW, you're also just a few steps from the beach, so VERY easy to pop out and watch from there.


Hope that helps!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I was wondering if anyone knew best room view for the GF & Poly. We are staying a couple of nights at both. At the GF it's the outer BLDG standard view CL & at the Poly its a garden view CL. I assume at the GF they would put us in the sugarloaf key BLDG? We would like to see the MK from our balcony at both locations, who wouldn't! . Any suggestions?

Also, to actually attempt to answer your question (which I didn't really do above, sorry!):

For Poly: 1st floor rooms have a patio, 3rd floor rooms have a balcony, 2nd floor rooms do not have an outdoor space - only a sliding door with a Juliet railing. So, many GV folks will request either a 3rd or 1st floor room based on preference. Hawaii isn't a particularly large building so you don't really need to request anything else, IMO.

For GF: Room requests in SL can be a bit tricky. For a small building there are surprisingly a lot of nuances as I sort of mentioned above. I would probably request something like "second or third floor, full balcony, courtyard side" or something like that based on your preferences. Others will likely have different opinions on this one.

Have a great trip!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Just returned from our first Poly CL visit. I will give a quick run down from our 2 night stay. I reminded the CL CM that we have a Gluten allergy (I had emailed DSS prior) and they told me just to speak to the chef.

Sorry to hear the staff at Poly wasn't more helpful with the GF allergy.

Most of the CM's at other lounges have accommodated us better than what you reported when we go with family that has GF allergies. We've only done Poly CL once, and it was over 5 years ago, but we were also underwhelmed relative to other CL's.

Then, again, we kind of go in with the attitude that we can survive off line items for breakfast like yogurt, fruit, etc (GF foods that area already on the line); any GF food not on the line is a bonus.

The only other staff that mildly underwhelmed us was AKL, though has AKL revamped since our most recent stay.

Most of the other WDW CL's have been more helpful; so are the 3 CL's at the Universal Deluxe hotels.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I was wondering if anyone knew best room view for the GF & Poly. We are staying a couple of nights at both. At the GF it's the outer BLDG standard view CL & at the Poly its a garden view CL. I assume at the GF they would put us in the sugarloaf key BLDG? We would like to see the MK from our balcony at both locations, who wouldn't! . Any suggestions?

As others have said, neither of the rooms you have chosen offers a great fireworks view, but no matter.

At Poly, just go to the lounge.

At GF, even if your room has a partial view, it probably wont be ideal. One of our SL rooms faced the pool, and that actually has a practical benefit. If the pool is empty mid-day, it means the pool is closed because a storm is in the area, so don't bother going down. Our other room faced the marina; it was quiet, but the view was forgettable. I say this as someone who remembers the view from most of our rooms, even the ones that were "standard" view! Truth be told, a theme park view isn't a high priority for us. Late at night the theme parks look like so much metal, but gardens and lakes look nice 24/7, IMO.

You'll get a great view of the fireworks just outside your GF building if you exit the lounge towards the marina. There's a fair amount of seats, and you can bring lounge food with you.

 

[wdwonmymind]

Like @blueelephant 's question, I am also wondering about the best views in the GF's Sugarloaf Key. It seems there is not much of a view of the fireworks in any room. Would it make sense to request ground floor? We have 3 small children and generally love being able to avoid elevators. I was concerned about the noise level that might come in from the lounge in a ground floor room though. Thoughts? Thanks!!!!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Like @blueelephant 's question, I am also wondering about the best views in the GF's Sugarloaf Key. It seems there is not much of a view of the fireworks in any room. Would it make sense to request ground floor? We have 3 small children and generally love being able to avoid elevators. I was concerned about the noise level that might come in from the lounge in a ground floor room though. Thoughts? Thanks!!!!

Just my opinion but those ground floor/middle rooms in SL are the only rooms I've seen in my WDW travels where I had a strong "wow, I'm glad I'm not in one of those rooms" reaction. They are just 'right there' off the lounge - way to open/visible for my tastes. Plus everyone coming in the building can see right on your balcony/in your room if your blinds are open. Now, I wouldn't mind one of the ground floor rooms well down either hall (especially the hall towards the main building) - those would be more desirable for me.

 

[wdwonmymind]

Just my opinion but those ground floor/middle rooms in SL are the only rooms I've seen in my WDW travels where I had a strong "wow, I'm glad I'm not in one of those rooms" reaction. They are just 'right there' off the lounge - way to open/visible for my tastes. Plus everyone coming in the building can see right on your balcony/in your room if your blinds are open. Now, I wouldn't mind one of the ground floor rooms well down either hall (especially the hall towards the main building) - those would be more desirable for me.

Makes perfect sense! Thank you!

 

[blueelephant]

Also, to actually attempt to answer your question (which I didn't really do above, sorry!):

For Poly: 1st floor rooms have a patio, 3rd floor rooms have a balcony, 2nd floor rooms do not have an outdoor space - only a sliding door with a Juliet railing. So, many GV folks will request either a 3rd or 1st floor room based on preference. Hawaii isn't a particularly large building so you don't really need to request anything else, IMO.

For GF: Room requests in SL can be a bit tricky. For a small building there are surprisingly a lot of nuances as I sort of mentioned above. I would probably request something like "second or third floor, full balcony, courtyard side" or something like that based on your preferences. Others will likely have different opinions on this one.

Have a great trip!

Thank you all so much. A lot of good/helpful information!!!

 

[trishadono]

I was wondering if anyone knew best room view for the GF & Poly. We are staying a couple of nights at both. At the GF it's the outer BLDG standard view CL & at the Poly its a garden view CL. I assume at the GF they would put us in the sugarloaf key BLDG? We would like to see the MK from our balcony at both locations, who wouldn't! . Any suggestions?

Those are from 6314 SL, 3rd floor pool side. Gadad had good marina pix recently so I'm not digging for mine lol.

For poly the gv views are ok but the lounge view is so amazing it's the one place I really didn't use my balcony . When I was on lv side I did like a 50/50 split between my balcony and lounge,


Love both. Poly lounge is amazing and gf just has some extras the others don't. Champagne and scones at 2:30 is our fav.

I could see MK /fireworks from upper floors marina side at sl. It's side view.

At poly gv has NO view of MK. If you look at google maps you can see where the buildings are in location to the rest of the resort/ MK.

I also like the boat dock at both resort to see all the fun.

 

[trishadono]

Like @blueelephant 's question, I am also wondering about the best views in the GF's Sugarloaf Key. It seems there is not much of a view of the fireworks in any room. Would it make sense to request ground floor? We have 3 small children and generally love being able to avoid elevators. I was concerned about the noise level that might come in from the lounge in a ground floor room though. Thoughts? Thanks!!!!

My 4th floor marina room had views of fireworks. The 3/4 floor are best for that. It is a sideways view. However the area in fronmof gaspies has music piped in and very close so you can go there too.

Ground floor is nice as you say. The building is small and easy to manage .

 

[Katie's Mom]

Looking for some advice regarding ordering a customized b-day cake for dd. I have never ordered a cake before. Is this something that DSS would be best to handle or should I just contact BC bakery directly? I did all reservations and FPs (yes, I have control issues), but am thinking DSS may be a better suited to assist with this. Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[wanderingdee]

Looking for some advice regarding ordering a customized b-day cake for dd. I have never ordered a cake before. Is this something that DSS would be best to handle or should I just contact BC bakery directly? I did all reservations and FPs (yes, I have control issues), but am thinking DSS may be a better suited to assist with this. Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I would contact the phone number on the cake thread in restaurants it's pinned at the top. I called DSS to help me order a cake, thinking they'd be the most helpful, and they told me they could only order a basic, standard cake from Disney floral and gifts. I called the Contemporary cake hotline and they were able to help me order an Aurora themed cake.

 

[Katie's Mom]

I would contact the phone number on the cake thread in restaurants it's pinned at the top. I called DSS to help me order a cake, thinking they'd be the most helpful, and they told me they could only order a basic, standard cake from Disney floral and gifts. I called the Contemporary cake hotline and they were able to help me order an Aurora themed cake.

Perfect. I am actually getting an Aurora themed cake. Thanks for the advice.

 

[morrismhs]

Would anyone be able to tell me if CR atrium has Baileys at night?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Would anyone be able to tell me if CR atrium has Baileys at night?

FWIW, this was Tower Club in April, not Atrium Club, but I 'suspect' they are the same at each (although not 100% certain about that). I'm not a cordial expert but I 'think' that one bottle turned around is Baileys? Maybe?

Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[Momtomouselover]

I know the YC Cl just recently refurbished their rooms. How are the conditions of the BC Cl rooms? Are the bfst/apps/drink offerings the same between the two? I'm trying to make a booking decision and appreciate any help. Thanks!

 

[dansdad]

I know the YC Cl just recently refurbished their rooms. How are the conditions of the BC Cl rooms?

Excellent.

Are the bfst/apps/drink offerings the same between the two? I'm trying to make a booking decision and appreciate any help. Thanks!

Pretty much, yes.