Club Level...is it worth it?

allybabba98

Mouseketeer
Joined
Aug 27, 2013
Hello!
I am so excited, we are planning on going to Universal in August 2018. Probably from a Saturday or Sunday to Wednesday (depends on flights)
It would be by DH, my three boys (13, 10 and 8) and myself.
I plan on staying at Hard Rock (love this place) or Royal Pacific.
I realize Cabana would have more space in the rooms but the EP is what I really love so that is why I am looking at those two.
For those that have done Club Level...do you think it would be worth it for us?
I know for sure we would use it for their breakfast items. Not sure if we would be back in time for the afternoon snacks but probably back for their nighttime snacks.
This is the first time I am taking my boys to Universal, I can't wait to show them how amazing it is and to introduce them to the Mummy Ride!!!
Any help or insight would be very much appreciated.


Cheers.
 
We stayed Club Level at Portofino Bay in August and thought it was completely worth it. It basically served as our breakfast and dinner every day. We did take afternoon breaks, so were there for snacks as well. The snacks were really only bags of chips, cookies, goldfish, but still fine for us. For a family of four, I think CL saved us a good deal of money since we only spent money on lunches out. We did have a nice sit down lunch every day so the light dinner in the Club was perfectly fine for us. My kids loved the desserts in the evening and I liked having a glass of wine every evening. Also, we took bottles of water with us after breakfast for the parks later in the day, which also saved us some money.
 
I stayed club level at RPR very recently with my two children (10 and 13). It was a very last minute weekend trip; club level was the only room option available; and I estimated from other dates that club level was an approximately $90 per day add-on. I hesitated, because I had never stayed club level, but once I committed I made sure we got our money's worth!

Breakfast is definitely nice. They were open in time to easily make early entry at the parks, and the selection was good. (You should search the RPR sticky thread or the trip report thread to get descriptions and photos.) It's nice to go separately as you're all getting ready and to have your room so close to brush your teeth and grab your stuff afterwards before going to the parks. They also offer water for the parks and other to-go snacks like fruit.

The way we tour, we were always back in time to catch at least some part of the mid-day snack. Along with treats from the parks, this made lunch for us. It was nice to hang out and relax and cool off and maybe watch a movie for a while.

In the late afternoons/evenings, we would hang out at the pool and/or hit the parks again for a few hours. We could always work in the nighttime snack, and it was more than substantial enough to be our dinner. Even my picky daughter was satisfied with the offerings. And I also enjoyed having a few "free" beers!

There is also a treat at 8:00, usually cookies plus some other sweet item. We only made that once. (All I remember is a parade of gluttonous people in pajamas loading up huge piles of cookies on plates and walking back to their rooms.)

I definitely felt we got our money's worth with club level, since we essentially ate all our main meals there! We also just hung out in the club a couple times, once to finish a movie they had running at mid-day snack and once so my kids could spread out and do a little school homework. It was nice. We had been to Universal before and had already enjoyed many of the dining options, so we didn't feel like we were missing anything. You should consider whether you have specific restaurants at Universal you want to try for meals AND if the club level meal times fit your touring style before making your final decision.
 
Another yes vote.

We stayed at Portofino and I was impressed with the CL lounge. It was as good as higher end CL lounges we are used to at Westins/JW Marriotts/Renaissance in major metro areas.

I am going to assume the offerings at Hard Rock are the same or comparable to Portofino.

We ate all but one breakfast in the CL. More than enough selection to please all of us (and we are breakfast eaters)

Evening offerings - nice selection and I think there were two hot dishes. Making a meal of CL offerings isn't our vacation style but I could see how someone could make that their meal. Lounge employees were generous with beer and wine refills and happy to give us to-go cups.
 


Another 'yes' vote from me. We do CL when we ahve the $$ to do so. Best vacations we ever had were CL at PBR and RPR!
 
With three kids, and if no food allergies, sensitivities, aversions or different choices, I think it would be very much worth it.
 
Yes with a family group. we stayed club level a couple of times at RPR when we had 2 or 3 kids with us. The offerings may have changed since then, but between breakfast, extra drinks all day, and the evening appetizers, we got our money's worth. We usually didn't make it back in time for dessert, but at least once the TMs saved my kids a few desserts. The extra space to hang out is nice too.

We never did CL at Disney because of the travel involved to get back to the resort, but at Universal it is so convenient.
 


Only you will be able to decide if it is worth it. For a family of 5, the numbers do look good, especially if the boys eat a lot of food.

However, if I'm paying for club level, I will not want to pay extra to eat somewhere else (at least for breakfast and lunch). On our first trip to US in April, we tried as many of the unique restaurants we could, both in the park and in City Walk. We likely spent > $100 per day on food, but it was worth it to us.

We have a second trip coming up in November. I think we'll pass on club level again. The kids love Harry Potter so much, that I'm sure they want to eat at Three Broomsticks and Leaky Cauldron at least one each. And there are a couple places that we missed on our first trip...
 
We're staying Club at RPR this December for the first time. It's about $70 more per night than standard. That sounds good to me because first thing every day it's "Where do you want to eat?" Then sometimes we get there and the place is slammed. This will solve the problem. We're usually headed back to the room by 'our' dinner time. We eat late. So again, we know where we can go to get dinner.
 
We are here now at PB Club level. Absolutely worth it for us because, with the exception of one evening, we are using their breakfast and dinner every day. I think it was only about a $50-70 a night upgrade for us (staying for seven nights and the rate varies) but that is worth it. We are getting more than our money's worth.

That being said, the food is not particularly high quality. It is fairly bland and usually lukewarm. People for whom food is a major part of their vacation may not find the club food to be very fun or exciting. But for us, with small kids and a desire for convenience, it is a great option.


Could also be tough to fill up picky eaters. Tonight we had Chinese chicken and vegetables. Last night was Shepard's Pie. Tomorrow is meatballs with marinara. I'll eat just about anything, but for some people, those menus may not be appealing.

It can also be challenging to get back to the room in order to eat if you like being in the parks a lot and don't have a lot of time. Some may not want to waste a couple of hours of park time to go back to the resort just for a non-exciting meal. Because we are here for a full week, we only need a few hours of park time per day, so we have plenty of time to be sure we are here for all the club offerings.

If we wanted to take advantage of early entry, we would miss breakfast, unless we came back after a couple of hours. This week, early entry is at 7, and the club doesn't open until then. Of course, with the express pass covering the HP attractions now, we don't need early entry.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful trip, whatever you decide. This is such a fun place.
 
However, if I'm paying for club level, I will not want to pay extra to eat somewhere else (at least for breakfast and lunch). On our first trip to US in April, we tried as many of the unique restaurants we could, both in the park and in City Walk. We likely spent > $100 per day on food, but it was worth it to us.

Lunch isn't a reason to gonback to the lounge. It's basically chips and fruit. So get your lunch in the parks. And head back for the dinner hours.

We're usually headed back to the room by 'our' dinner time. We eat late. So again, we know where we can go to get dinner.

Dinner isn't particularly late from what I recall...
 
Thought evening food set up was 4:30 to 6:30

Desserts set up after dinner hour

Club lounge closed by 9 pm when I last stayed

Not sure if all 3 deluxe has the same schedule set up

 
We stay at the HRH and their schedule has appetizers and drinks from 5-7 pm and dessert from 8:30-9:30.
 
We had a club level room at RPR booked at the SMSM rate and club level was about $90 more than a standard room for the four of us. But I was able to snag a standard room at the AP rate a week ago and it was $153 per night less than the original club level room I had booked so I switched. I think it's worth it for us if paying $90 per night or less for it but it wasn't worth paying an extra $153 per night. If a club level room happens to pop up at the AP rate, I will happily snag it.
 
We are Club Level in RPR.

6.30am-10am is breakfast

12pm-3pm afternoon snacks

4.30-6.30 is where evening apps and drinks are served.

8pm-9pm is something sweet.

Whether it's worth it is something only you can decide.

We see many people making proper meals out of the evening appetisers. We prefer to eat later and around Universal or Orlando, but the evening wine and beer is nice. And it is a nice place to sit and relax if you have some spare time. The staff are wonderful and so friendly.

Food always looks lovely and is fresh. We may have a little salad or some fruit and cheese.

Typical choice for the week is......

Beef and broccoli with teriyaki lo mein noodles
Asian salad
Fruit and cheese platter and vegetable crudités

Italian chopped salad
Rosemary Chicken with pasta
Usual platters

Chipotle Quinoa salad
Sofrito and salsa verde roasted chicken
Usual platters

Greek salad with dressing
Fish marinated in Moroccan Chermoula and vegetable couscous
Usual platters

Creamy grilled pineapple coleslaw
BBQ pulled pork, corn dusted kaiser rolls
Usual platters

Polynesian chicken with coconut rice
Tropical fruit salad with passion fruit and mint dressing
Usual platters.
 
We are here now at PB Club level. Absolutely worth it for us because, with the exception of one evening, we are using their breakfast and dinner every day. I think it was only about a $50-70 a night upgrade for us (staying for seven nights and the rate varies) but that is worth it. We are getting more than our money's worth.

That being said, the food is not particularly high quality. It is fairly bland and usually lukewarm. People for whom food is a major part of their vacation may not find the club food to be very fun or exciting. But for us, with small kids and a desire for convenience, it is a great option.


Could also be tough to fill up picky eaters. Tonight we had Chinese chicken and vegetables. Last night was Shepard's Pie. Tomorrow is meatballs with marinara. I'll eat just about anything, but for some people, those menus may not be appealing.

It can also be challenging to get back to the room in order to eat if you like being in the parks a lot and don't have a lot of time. Some may not want to waste a couple of hours of park time to go back to the resort just for a non-exciting meal. Because we are here for a full week, we only need a few hours of park time per day, so we have plenty of time to be sure we are here for all the club offerings.

If we wanted to take advantage of early entry, we would miss breakfast, unless we came back after a couple of hours. This week, early entry is at 7, and the club doesn't open until then. Of course, with the express pass covering the HP attractions now, we don't need early entry.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful trip, whatever you decide. This is such a fun place.





Thank you so much for your "real time" experience. I love it! I do have picky eaters but we are not foodies so if the food is rather basic then I think it would work for us. 7am Early Entry!??! Wow. I would love that but I think my boys (husband included) would not do well. My thought was to be at the lounge for 7am and then try to be at the park for 8am. Thanks again and enjoy your trip!!
 
We are Club Level in RPR.

6.30am-10am is breakfast

12pm-3pm afternoon snacks

4.30-6.30 is where evening apps and drinks are served.

8pm-9pm is something sweet.

Whether it's worth it is something only you can decide.

We see many people making proper meals out of the evening appetisers. We prefer to eat later and around Universal or Orlando, but the evening wine and beer is nice. And it is a nice place to sit and relax if you have some spare time. The staff are wonderful and so friendly.

Food always looks lovely and is fresh. We may have a little salad or some fruit and cheese.

Typical choice for the week is......

Beef and broccoli with teriyaki lo mein noodles
Asian salad
Fruit and cheese platter and vegetable crudités

Italian chopped salad
Rosemary Chicken with pasta
Usual platters

Chipotle Quinoa salad
Sofrito and salsa verde roasted chicken
Usual platters

Greek salad with dressing
Fish marinated in Moroccan Chermoula and vegetable couscous
Usual platters

Creamy grilled pineapple coleslaw
BBQ pulled pork, corn dusted kaiser rolls
Usual platters

Polynesian chicken with coconut rice
Tropical fruit salad with passion fruit and mint dressing
Usual platters.


Thank you for taking the time to respond. You are a well versed Universal fan and are always more than helpful to everyone on this board, so thank you. I am also beginning to think this could be a good place for my DH to chill for a bit. I know the five of us in a room under 400sq feet may be a bit much, although I plan on heading to the parks as much as possible. Am I wrong to assume your room is also on the 7th floor? The lounge is a quick walk from your room?
Thanks again.
 
I vote yes also :)
We did Club Level at the Hard Rock twice, we have boys also, who eat, a lot
We loved it, breakfast was good, the desserts at night, they loved, they also have water bottles and bagged snacks for you to take along with you
 
Thank you for taking the time to respond. You are a well versed Universal fan and are always more than helpful to everyone on this board, so thank you. I am also beginning to think this could be a good place for my DH to chill for a bit. I know the five of us in a room under 400sq feet may be a bit much, although I plan on heading to the parks as much as possible. Am I wrong to assume your room is also on the 7th floor? The lounge is a quick walk from your room?
Thanks again.

You are so welcome!

Usually you are on the 7th floor, this year there seems to be a few folks on the 6th floor too with Club Access.

We prefer the 6th floor and it is always reserved for us that way, but you can put a preference in as a request for the 7th floor and yes you will be so handy for the lounge.

It only takes us a few minutes to either walk up (not often) or go in the elevator.

We are very rarely around during the day, but it's never busy then and is a nice place to hang around for a while. The staff will put a movie on for you that they have if you wish.

There is tea, coffee, sodas and water available all day in there too.
 
Love the club level. Breakfast is convenient and quick. Water bottles that you can take to the parks or back to your room. Some nights we just eat at happy hour then head up to the city walk and grab a red oven pizza or appetizer if we get hungry later.

But one other benefit that you may find, given you are the only lady amongst a family of boys/men - you can send them down to the club for breakfast or snacks to give you some privacy to get ready to go out. That’s what we do. I take my boys down there while my wife gets ready in the AM and we bring her breakfast back to the room.
 

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