Disney Club Level 101
For the uninitiated, there is some mystique around not just Club Level at Disney World, but staying on the club level in general. Add in other terms like concierge floor or club lounge, or any other combination of the words, and the whole thing can be very confusing.
In general, they both mean the same thing and are often used interchangeably between hospitality brands and even within Disney itself. While the exclusive experience is called Club Level at Disney World, Disney Cruise Line refers to it as Concierge Level.
Whatever you call it, club-level service basically amounts to guests having access to special perks like a dedicated check-in desk or line, a lounge serving refreshments throughout the day, personalized vacation planning, possibly a floor reserved only for other concierge guests, and much more.
Intrigued? We thought so. But before you splurge on that pricey room , keep reading as we break down everything you should know about staying in a Disney World Club Level room.
Shore Excursions: Not Included
None of Disney’s shore excursions are included in the standard rateexcept on Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. There, a number of food items and activities are included, like a barbecue buffet lunch, soft drinks, soft-serve ice cream, youth activities, character experiences, and beach access. Some drinks and activities cost extra, including alcoholic and specialty drinks, bike rentals, hair braiding, inner tube and snorkeling gear rentals, sailboat and Jet Ski rentals, stingray encounters, and souvenirs, among others.
Embarkation Day Concierge Perks On Disney Cruise Line
Once the day arrives for your Disney Cruise to start there are some very nice perks and benefits to being a Disney Cruise Concierge Guest.
All Concierge Guests can use the Concierge Lounge. This is a very nice benefit. The Port Canaveral Cruise Port is an excellent port, but it gets very crowded. The Concierge Lounge at Port Canaveral is not by any means luxurious, but it does give you a nice place to actually sit and wait!
One of the best perks is that you will get to board the ship before anyone else. Concierge guests are always in Boarding Group 1.
Not only can you be first onboard the ship, but instead of going to the craziness of Cabanas as the start of your cruise, you get to go straight to the Concierge Lounge if you want to. There are buffet snacks and drinks available.
Here are lots more details about Embarkation Day on a Disney Cruise.
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Deluxe Package Benefits Include
- Premier Admission: Start your day off the right way with priority access to Shanghai Disneyland via the Disneytown entrance.
- Disney Premier Access Set: Soaring Over the Horizon, Roaring Rapids, TRON Lightcycle Power Run, Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue, Peter Pan’s Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Rexs Racer, Woodys Roundup, Challenge Trails at Camp Discovery.
- Reserved Viewing Areas: Watch Mickeys Storybook Express and ILLUMINATE! A Nighttime Celebration from reserved viewing areas .
- Convenient Dining: Enjoy express pickup service for Turkey Legs at select distribution points.
- Premium Planning: Make the most of your trip with our exclusive concierge services to help with any of your enquiries.
Who You Are Expected To Tip
You are expected to tip your Dining Room serving team that rotates with you to each dining location for dinner every night of your cruise, as well as your Stateroom Host or Hostess. You are also expected to tip the Dining Manager, your servers at Palo or Remy , as well as Room Service, if you order it.
Disneys recommended gratuity amount per guest, per cruise:
Dining Room Server
- 4-night: $18
- 7-night: $31.50
Dining Manager, Room Service, and Palo/Remy servers: Tip at your discretion, but generally no less than 18%. If you utilize Senses Spa & Salon services, an 18% gratuity is automatically applied to your bill. Additionally, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to all bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. Keep this in mind if you plan to take advantage of amenities like these that are not included in the base price of your Disney Cruise Line vacation.
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Perks And Benefits Of A Disney Cruise Line Concierge Sailing
Food and Drinks in Disney Concierge Lounge. Before dinner most nights, Concierge guests head over to the Lounge for a complimentary drink or two. Martinis and glasses of Prosecco were popular choices. The wines they pour would sell for around $10 to $15 a bottle at a retail wine shop on land. There are 55 club level rooms and 19 suites available. The Animal Kingdomâs Kilimanjaro Club Lounge is located on the 6th floor of the resort. Concierge Rooms are located throughout the resort and there are some Deluxe Villa rooms that have access to concierge services as well.One of the big draws for concierge guests at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is the access to the Sunrise and Sunset safaris. There is an extra charge for both of these tours, but they are both very unique and exciti…
What You Need To Know About Concierge Level On Disney Cruise
See more results Jan 28, 2011 · Book your Disney Cruise Line vacation through Dreams Unlimited Travel and receive an exclusive, complimentary Gift Basket. This Gift Basket is a result of client feedback as well as posts from DISboards.com we call it our âWhat you didn’t know you needed on a Disney Cruise Kitâ.
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Club Level At Deluxe Resorts
First, the cheapest Club Level rooms at Walt Disney Worlds deluxe resorts are at Wilderness Lodge and Yacht Club, and they start at $721 and $768 nightly in 2022.
Using a deep discount of 30%, which Disney occasionally offers, Club Level could probably be had for around $500 per night. When theyre available, annual passholder discounts are our favorite way to save on club level stays.
Thats not the best way to look at Club Level prices. Instead, you want to look at how much additional Club Level costs over a regular room.
For example, at Grand Floridian, the lowest priced room costs $710 but the lowest Club Level room costs $856a $146 premium for Club Level access. The premiums at Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge for their cheapest Club Level rooms are higheraround $270 each.
Heres a list of the price difference between the lowest priced room at each hotel in 2022 and its lowest priced club level room :
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Grand Floridian $158
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Grand Floridian $435
All Club Level rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge are Savanna View!
But wait, theres more! Sometimes youll want to make sure youre comparing equivalent room types. For example, we only would stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge with a Savanna View room, and all Club Level rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge are Savanna View.
The Concierge Benefits On Disney Cruise Line Disney Cruise
Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah Unparalleled luxury and personal attention combine in our very finest type of suite and our most spacious quarters. See full list on themouseforless.com Enhance the magic of your Disney Cruise Line sailing with an unforgettable Adventures by Disney Cruise Experience. Create a lifetime of family memories while providing you and your family VIP access, special activities and 2 Adventure Guides both on ship and on shore.
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Meet With Concierge Team
The Concierge team is a team of three individiuals that serve as your on-board customer service. As a matter of fact, the team will explicitly tell you that if you need ANYTHING to please let them know. There is no need to go to customer service at all.
When you meet with a concierge team member in the lounge they will sit down with you and your family and go over the itinerary that you have created pre-sailing. At that time, you will be able to make any additions, changes or deletions. They will explain your dining rotation and provide you with any tickets or materials for meet & greets, etc. Sometimes they take the liberty of signing you up for things that are likely to reach capacity you didnt think of or were not available. For instance, there is a gingerbread cookie decorating class about the Very Merrytime cruises that tends to book quickly.
Tipping At The End Of A Disney Cruise
On the last day of your Disney cruise, you can see all your stateroom charges on your account. This will include the automatic gratuities unless you have already prepaid them.
Your Stateroom Steward will leave some envelopes in your room. These are for your Server, Assistant Server, Head Server, and Room Steward.
Along with the envelopes, you will have a sheet of card which shows how much is going to each person. You can use these to put them in the envelopes to give to each person.
You can also use the envelopes to put additional cash in to give to your team as well.
You do not have to use the envelopes at all unless you want to.
To explain more about getting off the ship at the end of your cruise you can see this Disney Cruise Disembarkation article.
All of the automatic gratuities will be charged to your onboard account. Always double-check that you agree with your final charges.
Ideally, dont wait until the final evening of your cruise to do this. Everyone else will be doing this, so the lines for Guest Services will be longer than at any other time on the cruise!
Do you have any questions about tipping on a Disney Cruise? Leave me a comment below and I will answer whatever questions you have.
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Disney Cruise Line News
CELEBRATION, Fla. Disney Cruise Line takes luxury cruising to the next level with an innovative pre-arrival planning service and deluxe onboard offerings and amenities, available to all concierge guests.
Pre-Arrival Concierge Service
For guests who book a concierge stateroom or suite, the service begins before they even set sail. Disney Cruise Line Concierge Services Specialists assist in planning every cruise detail to perfection whether a romantic dinner, an exciting Port Adventure , an indulgent spa treatment, nursery care for little ones or dining room seating preference.
Concierge Services Specialists begin working with concierge guests 120 days prior to their sail date and are available weekdays via a toll-free number or e-mail.
Onboard Concierge Service
On cruise day, the concierge experience extends to the terminal where concierge guests have priority check-in and boarding at a dedicated check-in window. Onboard, they are guests of honor at a private welcome reception where they meet their Onboard Concierge Team and enjoy food and beverage offerings. Concierge guests are given a personalized itinerary for each day of their cruise and receive daily in-room amenities.
Concierge guests also benefit from priority tendering in ports of call, where applicable, and 100 MB of complimentary Wi-Fi internet access per stateroom.
Concierge Suites and Staterooms
Concierge Lounge and Private Sun Deck
The Concierge Benefits On Disney Cruise Line
April 6, 2018 by Disney Cruise Mom
One question I know a lot of people have is whether or not it is worth it to pay for for a concierge-level stateroom. Having done both , my standard answer is that for some people it is, and for some people it isnt it just depends on what is important to you. Is concierge amazing? Yes. Did I still have fantastic cruises when I wasnt concierge? Yes. Today I have Gunes, our guest blogger who recently shared a trip report of her familys cruise on the Magic , to share about all of the concierge perks from her cruise. Hopefully this will help you decide if concierge is worth the hefty price tag for your family.
fotogenictravel on Instagram or Facebook. Gunes provides concierge-style planning services as an independent travel advisor affiliated with My Path Unwinding Travel and can be followed on both Instagram and Facebook .
I have been on three Disney cruises so far and have been very fortunate to have sailed in a Concierge level one-bedroom suite each time. In fact, after sailing Concierge the first time on the Disney Dream, I realized that there was no way I would want to be in a standard stateroom, especially with a rambunctious six-year-old in tow. Its like flying first class: if you do it once, you never want to go back to coach!
So, why should anyone fork over such an exorbitant amount of money to sail Concierge on Disney Cruise Line?
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Designing The Disney Wish Video Series: The Staterooms With First Look At The Concierge Lounge
Today, Disney shared their latest installment of the Designing the Disney Wish video series offering a look at the artfully designed staterooms which were introduced last month and are much different than those of the existing fleet. In the second episode of the series, the creative team shared details on the all-new look and feel for every stateroom aboard the Disney Wish. Steeped in enchantment and inspired by Disney stories, accommodations aboard the Disney Wish will be a peaceful retreat designed with families in mind, featuring custom-made artwork depicting beloved Disney fairytales.
New for the Disney Wish, Walt Disney Imagineers have imbued every stateroom with the soft, dreamlike worlds and restful imagery of enchanted Disney fairytales through glittering gold-leafed headboard murals and framed pieces commissioned exclusively for the Disney Wish.
In line with the ships overall design motif of enchantment, stateroom artwork will represent classic and contemporary Disney stories that capture the essence of wish fulfillment and dreams come true, such as Cinderella .
Dreamy Details and Wished-For Features
Concierge Staterooms, Suites and Service
The Disney Wish will elevate the concierge experience with 76 concierge staterooms and suites more than double the number available on other Disney ships.
What Does Club Level Include At Disney World
As anyone who has ever stayed on a concierge floor at Disney World can attest, one of the main benefits of staying in Walt Disney World Club Level rooms is the included food and drinks . But thats not all. There are even more perks which is great given the high price tag like elevated toiletries, comfy robes & slippers, complimentary fax assistance, and much more.
Access to the Club Level Lounge & Daily Refreshments
When staying in a Disney Club Level room, the biggest plus is being able to visit the hotels concierge lounge throughout your stay. To top it all off, youll even be able to get into the lounge until midnight on the day you check out. These exclusive retreats are a great home base for you and your group, with TVs, comfy seating, and free newspapers. At one point in time, guests were even able to purchase additional FastPasses for $50 extra per day per person, but were not sure if this selling point will be sticking around due to Covid-19.
However, the real draw here is the complimentary food and beverages that are served at multiple points throughout the day. Each club operates differently, so not only will you find a unique atmosphere and design, but an exclusive menu as well. Cast members will also be happy to accommodate any food allergies or other dietary restrictions you might have.
Heres what the schedule typically looks like:
Exclusive Check-In Experience
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Service Like No Other
I have been on many different cruises through various companies I can honestly say that the Concierge service on the Disney Cruise topped them all. Obviously every employee on the ship is going to be polite and go out of their way to help guests but the Concierge hosts went above and beyond. They knew us all by name, took genuine interest in our daily activities, and even helped us out with my 3 year old granddaughter. At first I just thought it was because she was cute but then I realized we werent the only ones getting the special treatment. When you go Concierge youre basically getting a guide, personal assistant, and friend all wrapped in to one.
How Much Does Club Level At Disney World Cost
If youve read through everything and are thinking, That sounds pretty great! I wonder what the cost of Club Level at Walt Disney World is?, the answer kind of depends on what youre looking for.
The Chronos Club at Gran Destino Tower at Disneys Coronado Springs Resort is easily the most affordable Club Level option at Disney World. As a moderate resort, club-level rooms here start out at around $400 in 2021. Thats at least $300 less per night than what it will cost you at one of the deluxe resorts. That being said, as the newest, and arguably the best, club level at Disney World, rooms tend to sell out pretty frequently.
As far as the deluxe Disney World resorts go, the cheapest Club Level experience can be found at the Wilderness Lodge, with rooms starting at roughly $700 a night depending on the season. The best way to analyze Disney Club Level prices, however, is by comparing the cost of a concierge-level room to that of a regular room.
For example, at Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge, the most inexpensive room is around $450 during the low season, while the lowest-priced Kilimanjaro Club room is around $780. Thats a $330 premium PER NIGHT. Ouch!
The most reasonably priced Disney World hotels to upgrade to club level are Coronado Springs and the Grand Floridian, specifically the Sugarloaf Club in the outer building, ringing in at around $130 and $150 more per night, respectively.
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