Thursday, February 14, 2019

Club Level at Disney- Is it worth it?

Wow, it has been a while since I’ve posted here! I created this blog in 2014- nearly 5 years ago!- and for many years, I posted once a month. I just haven’t been able to give my blog the love it deserves lately, as I have become a Travel Agent specializing in Disney destinations, Universal Studios Orlando, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian Cruise Lines, and that has taken up much of my former ‘blogging time’. However, this blog has seen SO MUCH love- at this point in time, I have over 18k page views, which I am astounded at! I cannot promise to post every month, but I really hope to post more frequently than I have been!

(My beautiful family at Epcot on our short November visit)


In 2019, I am blessed to have three upcoming Walt Disney World vacations. Two of those will be spent either partially or fully in Club Level, which my husband and oldest son are especially looking forward to!
Before November of this past year, my family had never paid much attention to Club Level. We didn’t know much about the lounges, or about the extra perks that can be enjoyed when upgrading to this room category. However, in November, we enjoyed two nights in two separate room categories, both of which offered Club Level amenities, and we were hooked. Come with me as I tell you about this AMAZING splurge that we have decided is worth every penny!

(Toasting to 10 years of marriage at the Royal Palm Club Lounge at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa)

Our first night of our November 2018 trip was spent at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in a Deluxe King Room in the Main Building with Club Level access. The Grand was our DREAM resort, and we were beyond excited to finally be staying here. This stay did not disappoint. The Club Lounge was spacious and comfortable, the cast members, who we really enjoyed chatting with, were attentive and warm, and we LOVED being able to hear the music from the Grand Floridian orchestra as we sat and enjoyed a nightcap and some delicious dessert before we retreated down the hallway for the night back to our spacious and comfortable room in the Main Building. (Check out a video I made of our stay HERE)

(The GORGEOUS view out of our windows in our Deluxe King Room at the Grand)

The Grand Floridian actually features two Club Lounges, and is one of only two Disney Deluxe resort to do so (the other being Disney's Contemporary Resort with the Atrium Club and the Tower Club)- the Royal Palm Club is the Club Lounge in the Main Building, and Sugar Loaf is the Outer Building featuring Club Level. My family did prefer the Royal Palm Club, but I think at some point, we will probably stay in an Outer Building, and I don’t doubt that we will love Sugar Loaf as well!

(You can catch a glimpse of the Sugar Loaf Club Lounge in my video here)


Besides the Grand Floridian, you may stay Club Level at these Disney Resorts:
Polynesian Village Resort
Contemporary Resort
Wilderness Lodge
Yacht Club Resort
Beach Club Resort
Boardwalk Inn
Animal Kingdom Lodge

We were able to enjoy all of the services offered during our stay, which includes a light breakfast and coffee and tea, late morning/ early afternoon snacks and drinks, hors d’oeuvres plus beer and wine in the early evening, and dessert and cordials later in the evening. An extra benefit of the Grand Floridian Club Level is afternoon tea, where we enjoyed scones and various tarts, plus hot tea.

(Breakfast at the Royal Palm Club)
(Dessert at the Royal Palm Club)
(Another dessert plate at the Royal Palm Club)


We also loved having comfortable robes in our room, as well as slippers monogrammed with the Grand Floridian logo on them. The turndown service, which included delicious Ghirardelli chocolates (the same ones as they give you on Disney Cruise Line if you have ever cruised with them!) made our night extra sweet, and having a DVD player right in our room added a nice touch! We also enjoyed the extra toiletries which are provided to Club Level guests.

(Relaxing in our Deluxe King Room)
(Sweet Disney Dreams!)

Edit: As of February 2020, we have also stayed Club Level at the Beach Club Resort, as well as Boardwalk Inn. While Beach Club was not our favorite, we absolutely LOVED The Innkeepers Club at Boardwalk, and plan to visit that one again in the future. The Cast Members there- namely Reggie and Lorenzo- are PHENOMENAL! We loved checking out Reggie's nightly creations (he cooks in front of you from 5-7pm most evenings!), and Lorenzo was simply one of the nicest men we've ever met!

I would like to point out that each club lounge does serve different foods, and all 3 we have visited have varied greatly in style and theming. In the room, the toiletries were the same at both resorts and included sunscreen which was a nice touch! We also had personalized guides in our rooms at both resorts, as well as turn-down service with Ghiradelli chocolate on our pillows to ensure we had sweet Disney dreams!

If you have any questions about Club Level, have any ideas for a future blog post, or are interested in booking a Club Level stay (or any Walt Disney World vacation!), feel free to contact me at Dana_w@WishingOnAStarTravel.com. Thank you, and Happy Travels!