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    Key to the Club
    Key to the Club
    Key to the Club
    Ebook165 pages1 hour

    Key to the Club

    By Greye Ellsworth

    ()

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    About this ebook

    If you are considering a Club-level stay at one of the Walt Disney World Deluxe resort properties, you'll find invaluable advice to help you choose the best options for your vacation or event.
    Key to the Club offers an in-depth look at each of the ten Clubs. Learn how to make the most of your Concierge stay by taking advantage of the special services, amenities, and support that are available to Concierge guests. Compare the facilities offered at each resort. Learn about the various suites and room configurations found at each property. Read reviews and ratings of key features including the Concierge Lounge, food and beverage service, Concierge Staff, and overall value. Follow eight different families and groups as they determine which Club is the best fit for the vacation they're planning.

    "A week’s stay in Club Level accommodations at the Walt Disney World® Resort will cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. Whether you are a first-time visitor, a returning guest considering a different resort or Concierge upgrade, or perhaps a luxury traveler who demands the finest that any destination has to offer, Key to the Club includes timely advice that can help you make the best decisions when planning your Walt Disney World vacation."

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGreye Ellsworth
    Release dateSep 30, 2012
    ISBN9781301506422
    Key to the Club

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      Book preview

      Key to the Club - Greye Ellsworth

      Key to the Club

      Concierge at the Walt Disney World® Resort

      Greye Ellsworth

      Copyright 2012 Liveberry Books

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as expressly permitted, in writing. Address all inquiries to:

      Liveberry Books

      6 Lancaster County Road

      Suite #6

      Harvard, Massachusetts 01451

      Smashwords Edition

      A week’s stay in Club Level accommodations at the Walt Disney World® Resort will cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. Whether you are a first-time visitor, a returning guest considering a different resort or Concierge upgrade, or perhaps a luxury traveler who demands the finest that any destination has to offer, Key to the Club includes timely advice that can help you make the best decisions when planning your Walt Disney World vacation.

      You’ll find a comprehensive overview of the Concierge facilities at the eight Deluxe Disney resort properties. Compare the different categories of rooms and suites available at each location. Read first-hand information about the Concierge Staff, Lounge, and the food and beverage offerings. Learn about the extra services, amenities, and small touches provided at the different resorts. Then, choose your perfect match!

      We believe that every journey has three important elements: anticipation, discovery, memory. Remember that the planning process will often take place over many weeks or months and the memories will last for a lifetime. The actual experience is the shortest part of the adventure!

      For first-time visitors particularly, a complicated trip can sometimes cause us to get so wrapped up in the what-if’s that we lose all the joy of the process. Please take pleasure in this time of looking forward; it is one of the best parts of any vacation.

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Foreword

      Introduction

      A Word About Ratings

      Making the Most of Your Concierge Stay

      Itinerary Planning Office

      Check-In

      Resort Concierge

      Accommodations

      Housekeeping

      Complimentary Food and Beverage Service

      Welcome Gifts

      Dining Reservations

      Room Amenities

      Package Delivery

      Additional Arrangements and Special Requests

      Rest Rooms

      Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – The Kilimanjaro Club

      Disney’s Beach Club – The Stone Harbor Club

      Disney’s Boardwalk Inn – The Innkeepers Club

      Disney’s Contemporary Resort

      The Tower Club

      The Atrium Club

      Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

      The Royal Palm Club

      The Sugarloaf Club

      Disney’s Polynesian Resort – The King Kamehameha Club

      Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – The Old Faithful Club

      Disney’s Yacht Club – The Regatta Club

      Rate the Resorts

      And the Winners Are…

      Choosing the Resort That’s Right for You

      Concierge Phone Numbers and Email Addresses

      FOREWORD

      If you have purchased this book, then you may be considering a Concierge stay at Walt Disney World. This guide is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the entire destination. There are already many wonderful books available that offer a description of all the parks, attractions, hotels, restaurants, and recreational activities. Rather, this is an in-depth look at the Concierge experiences offered by the eight Deluxe Resort properties at Walt Disney World. Because this type of vacation will typically cost many thousands of dollars, we believe that finding even one tip that may help you chose the right property, or enhance your stay there, will make your small investment in Key to the Club worthwhile.

      The concept of value is perhaps the single most important consideration for today’s luxury traveler. Although not as budget-conscious as other buyers, luxury consumers still want to feel that their travel dollars are well-spent. More importantly, they understand that each vacation is not merely a financial outlay. It represents an expenditure of time – that most priceless and irreplaceable of all commodities. These are hours that can never be recaptured. It is our hope that this book will save you precious time as you research your options, and help you make the most of every minute of your vacation.

      Return to Table of Contents

      INTRODUCTION

      The Walt Disney World Resort welcomes more than forty million annual visitors. Some of these guests are local residents who take advantage of this amazing destination found right in their own backyard. Many others will travel to Florida and choose to stay off-site at a hotel, private home, or short-term rental.

      The lucky ones will spend their vacations at one of the Walt Disney World® Resort hotels, enjoying the convenience and immersive delights of an on-site stay. While there are some who prefer off-site hotels and rental homes, we believe that a stay in a Disney resort is intrinsic to an optimum Walt Disney World experience. The vast majority of those who have stayed on-site agree.

      Of the more than 20,000 Disney-owned rooms at Walt Disney World, only about 6,000 are located in Deluxe properties, and many guests staying at these premier locations have no idea that hidden within these buildings are special clubs open only to a fortunate few.

      Nearly all fine hotels have what are commonly known as club floors, closed to all but club-level guests and offering special services and amenities. Comparable to Club in other deluxe hotels, and referred to as Concierge at Walt Disney World for many years, they represent the elite level of accommodations at Disney resorts.

      In each Deluxe Disney resort, most suites and a number of single rooms are designated Concierge or Club Level. They may be located on certain floors, keyed sections of floors, or in specific buildings, and suites may be found throughout the properties, but they all share access to the Concierge perks.

      Although Disney is renowned for customer service, you can expect that to be taken to another level when you arrive as a Concierge guest. It is pampering, indulgent, and delightful.

      Having recently installed concierge Desks in the lobbies of every resort to assist all hotel guests, Disney is struggling with the nomenclature to set this service apart. They have given names to all the Concierge Lounges and are attempting to make the transition from Concierge to Club, as in Old Faithful Club at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

      Official room designations now utilize the term Club, rather than Concierge.

      Nonetheless, most Disney guests still think of these rooms as Concierge. This Concierge Staff is completely separate from the concierges found in the main lobbies. Rather, it is a group of cast members exclusively charged with serving the guests who are staying in this specific category of accommodations.

      The term concierge has had many different meanings through the centuries:

      •a fellow slave

      •an officer of the king who dispensed justice

      •a caretaker

      •keeper of the candles

      •monitor of all comings and goings

      •holder of the keys

      •go-between

      •provider of information and advice

      •procurer of reservations, tickets, appointments, transportation, travel arrangements

      •one who achieves the impossible

      Although we have yet to come across any candlekeepers at Walt Disney World, it’s clear that different cast members have their own unique take on the responsibilities that come with the role.

      The Concierge department is made up of two main components: the Itinerary Planning Office (IPO) cast members and the Resort Concierge cast members. Both are available to help make your trip special.

      One of the biggest attractions for guests is the daily complimentary food and beverage service. Those planning to recoup the often hefty room-rate increase by eating in the Concierge Lounge, however, may be disappointed.

      While a variety of breakfast foods are available, and a light supper might be made from a hearty soup or hot dish in the evening, the food and beverage offerings were never meant to be a substitute for formal meals, and it would be extremely difficult to eat your way through the substantial additional cost of the accommodations at some of the resorts.

      As you are considering your options, we urge you to compare the rates, and evaluate the differences. At certain locations, the upcharge may be minimal and represent a real value in dollars and cents. While the figures mentioned below may have been modified since the time of publication, they will give you an idea of the wide variation in pricing amongst different resorts and room types.

      At some resorts there can be a relatively modest rate increase between a non-Concierge and a Concierge room, depending upon the season. A guest might substitute the Magic Kingdom view of a standard room at Disney’s Polynesian for a Garden-View Concierge room and enjoy the Concierge amenities for a mere $10.00 to $20.00 extra per night.

      In contrast, the upgrade from a regular, non-Concierge Garden-View room to a Garden-View Royal Palm Club room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa can cost a staggering $400.00 per night, not including the substantial increase in taxes. This is for exactly the same room size and configuration; simply one located in a different building.

      No guest can consume a sufficient number of bagels or bottles of wine to offset this hefty additional charge. Instead, expect the benefits to be emotional rather than financial.

      After a tiring arrival day, when most guests still face a wait standing in line to register, Concierge guests are whisked away to comfortable chairs and cool drinks, or sometimes escorted directly to their rooms, for a relaxed and stress-free experience. The push of a button from a room telephone will connect to a member of the Concierge Staff who will try his best to obtain tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, book a

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