Club Level Access

[MiddKid]

My family of 5 is booked into Beach Club Villas with our DVC points two weeks from now. As we normally do, we were planning on placing a grocery order to stock the kitchen.

My parents decided at the last minute to join us on the trip and they booked a Club/Concierge room at the Yacht Club.

As I was putting our grocery list together I starting wondering if there was any way we could join my parents in the Club. We're not trying to game the system here...I have my grocery order ready to go...but if we could meet my parents for breakfast a few of the mornings or grab some bottled waters at different times it would change things a bit.

Stayed on the Club level (pre-DVC) at the Grand Californian years ago and if a group walked into the lounge one of us would just unlock the lounge with our key and we'd all walk in. Trying to understand the access process for the Yacht Club nowadays.

Thanks for any info.

 

[Tuvalu]

Club level policy at all Disney resorts is that the lounge is for club level guests only. While it's easy to think, "What's the big deal, we're family of club guests" there are lots of other families at any given time in a similar situation...and it is wrong for non-club guests to consume offerings and occupy tables and chairs that club guests have paid for.

Bottled water is not available in club lounges.

Why don't your parents join you in your villa for breakfast?

 

[epcotisbest]

Saying you are not trying to game the system while asking about how to game the system is funny. Yes, there is a way to join your parents, book and pay for club level with them. Club level is for paying guests. Why would you even think you could join them without paying? And yes, if you all want to have breakfast together, they can join you with no questionable ethics involved.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Sure, you can join them. All you have to do is game the system.

 

[nickys]

Sure, you can join them. All you have to do is game the system.

Thanks for that, nearly sprayed my morning coffee over my iPad

 

[The Mom]

I believe they are stricter about access these days, and last time I stayed Club level there was a CM at the entrance (sitting at a desk) checking room cards as you entered. I haven't been Club level since magic bands, so you might have to swipe one to enter, and they might notice if yours doesn't work?

I haven't seen individual bottles of water in a long time. They usually have some 2L glass bottles on ice, so you can have a glass of cold water to drink, and fill a water bottle if you have one.

I can only imagine how unpleasant it would be for someone who was actually paying extra to stay Club Level if everyone brought in 5 extra people! That might explain those mornings when there were no seats available, and the food set-up looked like a horde of locusts had passed through.

 

[Omi19]

I believe they are stricter about access these days, and last time I stayed Club level there was a CM at the entrance (sitting at a desk) checking room cards as you entered. I haven't been Club level since magic bands, so you might have to swipe one to enter, and they might notice if yours doesn't work?

I haven't seen individual bottles of water in a long time. They usually have some 2L glass bottles on ice, so you can have a glass of cold water to drink, and fill a water bottle if you have one.

I can only imagine how unpleasant it would be for someone who was actually paying extra to stay Club Level if everyone brought in 5 extra people! That might explain those mornings when there were no seats available, and the food set-up looked like a horde of locusts had passed through.

Recently purified water has been available in a large container with spout, similar to the containers holding iced tea or lemonade. We fill our water bottles from the large container.

 

[Weather_Lady]

You're staying at the Beach Club, the amenities of which include sinks with hot and cold running water. You can use them to fill your own bottles for free as many times as you like, which will be much more convenient (not to mention more ethically sound) than walking over to Yacht Club to steal bagels and Fruit Loops from guests who are paying some $230 more per night for that privilege.

 

[LAKid53]

I believe they are stricter about access these days, and last time I stayed Club level there was a CM at the entrance (sitting at a desk) checking room cards as you entered. I haven't been Club level since magic bands, so you might have to swipe one to enter, and they might notice if yours doesn't work?

I haven't seen individual bottles of water in a long time. They usually have some 2L glass bottles on ice, so you can have a glass of cold water to drink, and fill a water bottle if you have one.

I can only imagine how unpleasant it would be for someone who was actually paying extra to stay Club Level if everyone brought in 5 extra people! That might explain those mornings when there were no seats available, and the food set-up looked like a horde of locusts had passed through.

We had to touch our MB to the Mickey in the elevator to access club level in the GF.

I'm in agreement with others. People choosing to stay at club level pay $$ to do so. To walk in with your parents expecting to get the free food and beverages (we had champagne and liquors in the evening) is stealing...you didn't pay for it.

Edit: You're in a villa with a full kitchen. The concierge level food, other than breakfast, was small bites. You'll do better in the villa kitchen.

 

[durangojim]

OP, I'm not going to bash you but am looking for some clarification. By joining them for breakfast, do you mean sitting in the lounge and eating the food in the lounge? If so, then I don't think there's a way to do that. If you mean just having breakfast with them, why don't you go up to their room and if you want to try some of the food in the lounge ask them to bring a small plate back for you. I don't think this sounds very comfortable though. My option would be for all of you to walk over to France and have breakfast at Les Halles. It'll be better than either option.

 

[surfsupdon]

To answer your original question, yes, you will be able to walk into the YC Lounge if you gain elevator access with your folks.

 

[rob0519]

We have done club level at both the CR and the Polynesian in the past, but have not done that since the move to Magic Bands. No one in the lounge ever questioned us as to whether we were guests or not so unless there is now a wrist band check, it would seem easy to go to the lobby, bring the guests to your room and then to the lounge. It's certainly "gaming" the system, but are there any checks in place to actually prevent it?

Honestly, after the first few stays, we decided club level is not worth the amount charged for a few snacks and drinks per day. Now we just book Park View rooms and request the highest floor available. The Concierge on the floor can do very little for you that you cannot do for yourself. No available ADR at Be Our Guest? Oh well, they can't help you.
Now Club Level on DCL is a whole different world and we found it was definitely worth the cost for us.

 

[LAKid53]

We have done club level at both the CR and the Polynesian in the past, but have not done that since the move to Magic Bands. No one in the lounge ever questioned us as to whether we were guests or not so unless there is now a wrist band check, it would seem easy to go to the lobby, bring the guests to your room and then to the lounge. It's certainly "gaming" the system, but are there any checks in place to actually prevent it?

Honestly, after the first few stays, we decided club level is not worth the amount charged for a few snacks and drinks per day. Now we just book Park View rooms and request the highest floor available. The Concierge on the floor can do very little for you that you cannot do for yourself. No available ADR at Be Our Guest? Oh well, they can't help you.
Now Club Level on DCL is a whole different world and we found it was definitely worth the cost for us.

Glad to hear club level on the cruises is worth the extra cost. We're planning on getting a club level room our next cruise.

 

[rob0519]

Glad to hear club level on the cruises is worth the extra cost. We're planning on getting a club level room our next cruise.

We've only experienced club level on the Wonder, which is one of the two smaller ships. At that time there was no separate "concierge lounge". Snacks and drinks were brought to our room in the afternoon and evening.

Additionally, I was told that there are two concierge personnel on each ship, regardless of size. If that is true, it stands to reason they are responsible for more people on the larger ships than on the Magic and Wonder.

Maybe someone in the DCL forum can give you a more current assessment on club level based on the ship on which you're booked.

 

[LAKid53]

We've only experienced club level on the Wonder, which is one of the two smaller ships. At that time there was no separate "concierge lounge". Snacks and drinks were brought to our room in the afternoon and evening.

Additionally, I was told that there are two concierge personnel on each ship, regardless of size. If that is true, it stands to reason they are responsible for more people on the larger ships than on the Magic and Wonder.

Maybe someone in the DCL forum can give you a more current assessment on club level based on the ship on which you're booked.

We're doing the DVC member cruise on the Dream next July. But I'll check the cruise forum. Thanks!

 

[docdebbi]

We're doing the DVC member cruise on the Dream next July. But I'll check the cruise forum. Thanks!

we just went concierge level on the Dream in May. Way worth the money. Lounge is lovely, concierges take incredible care of you, far more so than in the hotels, rooms are fantastic! Just as importantly is the expedited progress through paperwork/check in and on the ship first. Rooms ready first, no need to carry around your carry on luggage. But the best is the ability to book everything for the trip first, you definitely get the meet and greets and cabanas and dining reservations you want. Can't rave enough about it. At the hotel- nice but not outstanding advantages.

 

[AndrewsJ]

My family of 5 is booked into Beach Club Villas with our DVC points two weeks from now. As we normally do, we were planning on placing a grocery order to stock the kitchen.

My parents decided at the last minute to join us on the trip and they booked a Club/Concierge room at the Yacht Club.

As I was putting our grocery list together I starting wondering if there was any way we could join my parents in the Club. We're not trying to game the system here...I have my grocery order ready to go...but if we could meet my parents for breakfast a few of the mornings or grab some bottled waters at different times it would change things a bit.

Stayed on the Club level (pre-DVC) at the Grand Californian years ago and if a group walked into the lounge one of us would just unlock the lounge with our key and we'd all walk in. Trying to understand the access process for the Yacht Club nowadays.

Thanks for any info.

For the life of me I can't understand why you would even consider that this would be ok to do.

 

[LAKid53]

we just went concierge level on the Dream in May. Way worth the money. Lounge is lovely, concierges take incredible care of you, far more so than in the hotels, rooms are fantastic! Just as importantly is the expedited progress through paperwork/check in and on the ship first. Rooms ready first, no need to carry around your carry on luggage. But the best is the ability to book everything for the trip first, you definitely get the meet and greets and cabanas and dining reservations you want. Can't rave enough about it. At the hotel- nice but not outstanding advantages.

That's wonderful to hear...thanks!

 

[mdubm]

Honestly, after the first few stays, we decided club level is not worth the amount charged for a few snacks and drinks per day. Now we just book Park View rooms and request the highest floor available. The Concierge on the floor can do very little for you that you cannot do for yourself. No available ADR at Be Our Guest? Oh well, they can't help you.

I have to disagree with you there. We just stayed CL at YC in June and they booked us at least 3 dining reservations that I could not find on MDE, Be Our Guest included. We also had an issue of being charged twice for a kid's meal and they resolved the issue while we were still at dinner. Maybe they've gotten better, I'm not sure. This was our first CL stay, but it sold my DH on going back and I basically had to drag him to go, so I'm a fan.

 

[MiddKid]

Man...I disappear for a few days and forget to check this thread and it went off the rails a bit. I can see how I should have been way more specific in my original post but I also want to add one item to the conversation.

First of all the additional specificity should have been around usage. This is not my family of 5 crashing the club every day 3x/day. Some scenarios (think of my parents asking these):
- "Hey, it's our last morning (parents are leaving a day earlier), can you meet us in the club while we have breakfast so we chat over a last meal?" Could we join them?
- "Hey, can you send the three grandkids over to us so they can join us for cookies this afternoon?"
- "Hey, meet us in our room...on your way can you grab your mother a glass of wine in the club?"

I use these examples as they are all very real from our last Disney Cruise and we all stayed in concierge rooms (I agree, BTW, with others who say it's a very nice perk on the ship). All three of those scenarios happened. My original question was around whether or not we had wthe ability access on occasion or if the answer is simply "No Dad, we can't access the club."

And I'll leave everyone who screamed "stealing" with this final riddle. I looked at a club level room in the Yacht Club and it was the exact same price for 2 adults vs 2 adults and 2 kids. So had my parents booked the same room and added two of my kids to the reservation and paid the same price now I should feel justified letting two of them go as much as possible even though we didn't spend a dime more? Maybe I should modify the reservation and transfer two of my littles from my room to theirs!