Concierge & Clubs

[ALLDISNEYLOVER]

What perks and services do you get by staying at a none DVC resort under either the Concierge or different clubs (Raggate CLub, Kilimanjaro Club , etc.) I gues what I am asking is; is it worth paying the Concierge rate? :bagovermy :idea:

[KNWVIKING]

I don't know about the various "clubs" you mentioned but I know concierge level usually includes a private lounge with hot & cold beverages, snacks, wine and cheese in the evening,etc.

As for this equating to fair value ..... don't really think so. You're paying a premium to be pampered. If you were to add up what you actually ate in the lounge I doubt you'd even come close to breaking even.

That being said, having access to a Concierge Lounge is really cool.

[Lisa]

We did concierge once at AKL and enjoyed our stay. Is it worth it? that is very subjective.

What you do get....
- Pre-planning service. I'm a planner myself but it was helpful to have the concierge staff get CRT and then change it to a different day later on. They might be able to get hard to get ADR's (not always but a better shot)

- The Lounge. Nice having extra space to spread out in and all the drinks and snacks that are available. We didn't take advantage of the food as much as some do. We enjoy dinners out.

- Room location. Many of the concierge rooms are in a nicer location.

- Added activities. At AKL you could go on additional safaris that were only available to concierge guests.

[DVCByResale]

Lisa,

By any chance did you go on the breakfast/safari tour (not sure that is the correct name)? Someone else recommended it and I believe it is part of the concierge option.

Thanks,
Shontell

[idratherbeinwdw]

I've done Poly and GF concierge, and I agree with Viking's assessment--It's cool to be one of the elite, but financially it's not worth what you get.

To take advantage of the food you have to plan your day to be sure you go back to the resort at the right times. The breakfast is easy, but for the rest of the day it's not always convenient to run back to the resort for the goodies at the time they offer them. (they keep snacks out all day, but they serve special desserts in the early evening and appetizers in the late afternoon).

My kids got a thrill out of being able to run down and grab snacks 24/7, I liked the nice plush robes they supply in the room (not to keep, only to wear when you visit), and most of the time concierge is able to get you into "booked" restaurants. (But with good planning that's not a big deal imho). It was nice at the Poly to be able to watch wishes from the lounge, but I could see it just as well from the beach or my balcony. I do agree with Lisa as far as location--the Hawaii Bldg at the Poly has the concierge lounge, and the view of the castle is spectacular.

Summing up, I think it's fun to try at least once, you feel nice and pampered. But at least to me, the extra bucks weren't worth it on a regular basis. I'd say if money is no object, or f you're celebrating something special, it is worth considering.

[Plutofan2]

We did it at the Animal Kingdom last June. It was very much worth it for us. We had a normal room for five booked. When they released the AP discounts they had no discounts for our room but they did for the Concierge rooms. Thus we got upgraded for about $10 a night after the AP discount. We got free breakfast each moring (cereal, rolls etc) and snacks during the day. We were doing a Grand gathering for 7 days and then going to AK for three days. The Concerirge handled the entire 10 days of reservations including all of our meals, shows and grand gathering events. They did a great job.

[Lisa]

Lisa,

By any chance did you go on the breakfast/safari tour (not sure that is the correct name)? Someone else recommended it and I believe it is part of the concierge option.

Thanks,
Shontell

Yep! It was great! Our family (me, DH, DD9 and DD3) did the sunrise safari about a year ago and thought it was worth the time and money. I don't know if I would do it every year (because of the cost) but maybe every few years. It is an option only for AKL concierge guests and runs 2 times a week for an extra charge (of course it's Disney!). If you are ever thinking of doing AKL Con. make sure it is one of the nights before the safari. We met off the lobby where we then got on a bus and entered AK through the back entrance. The CM in charge of the tour worked with the animals at AK(forgot what position). She explained what the buildings were backstage and what was currently happening with the animals, AK, and AKL. We exited the bus and walked a short distance to the safari loading area where we entered two safari vehicles each with guide. We went through the safari slowly stopping to talk about the animals and take pictures. The safari a little more then twice as long as the normal safari and did not have the background story. We then went to the tusker house for a breakfast buffet in a back room. The breakfast had a very wide variety of food from basic breakfast fair to more exotic african influenced foods. Very good. We were also given a fast pass to ride the safari again at it's normal speed. In case your wondering, the sunrise safari version was better. :yes: I think the sunrise safari would appeal to a large range of people, if they have any interest in animals and were willing to get up early on vacation. :D If you do take little ones just remember to feed them breakfast before the safari - they may get hungry before the real breakfast ....and a hungry child is a grumpy child!

There is also a sunset safari that happens on the AKL savannahs and includes a dinner at Jiko. This is very pricey and is for adults only. :o Maybe we can do that when our DD's can stay in the room alone for a few hours.

[dvcconvert]

There is also a sunset safari that happens on the AKL savannahs and includes a dinner at Jiko.

The sunset safari is really cool!