Concierge Services-Disney Style

By Pam Forrester from The Magic For Less Travel

Concierge services at any hotel offer additional services and access to a knowledgeable and attentive staff. Concierge services at Disney resorts are no exception. Our stays at the concierge level have always been especially magical-even for a Disney vacation. Rooms with access to concierge services come at a cost and rates can be double the rates (if not more) of a regular room, but it is a luxury with benefits. Concierge level rooms are offered at all the Disney Deluxe resorts with plans for concierge services at Coronado Springs. Disney typically refers to these rooms as "club level" rooms to avoid confusion since there is a lobby concierge desk at each Disney resort.

The Benefits of Disney Concierge Services: Guests who will be staying in Disney's Club Level rooms have access to the concierge staff to assist with planning before their arrival. The concierge Itinerary Planning Office can help to secure dinner show tickets, arrange dining, and will assist with recreation reservations. They can also help with any other pre-arrival arrangements you may want to make. Be sure to mention if you are celebrating a special event-the concierge staff can be full of suggestions and surprises. The staff is also available once guests arrive and can sometimes help obtain even difficult PS arrangements on short notice.

Club level rooms usually offer additional amenities including robes to use during your stay, triple sheeted beds, additional toiletries, turn down services and more. A refrigerator or coffee maker is available or can be requested for each room. Concierge guests are also offered a separate check-in area or procedure-usually at or near the lounge.

Guests staying in club level rooms at any of the Disney resorts also have access to the Wildlife Discovery Excursions Tour. This tour takes concierge guests in a climate controlled vehicle to the savannah area at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. This one hour tour is led by a cast member who is an animal expert, and takes a small group on each excursion. Concierge guests can contact the Itinerary Planning Office for more details.

One of the largest benefits of staying in a concierge or club level room is secured key card access to the resort's concierge lounge. The lounge will have a variety of food and drink offerings throughout the day. The offerings and times vary according to the resort, but a brief overview is provided below. Most of the lounges are also a very comfortable spot to relax and include tables with chairs, comfortable couches and chairs, and a large screen TV with DVD.

Food Offerings

The general schedule below is followed by most of the concierge lounges at Disney. Times are approximates and vary according to resort. Of course this schedule is always subject to change and offerings can vary. Check with the concierge staff for a more details and accurate listing.

• 6:30-7:00 a.m. Coffee and juices.
• 7:00 - 10:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast with juice, coffee, tea, cereals, fruit, breakfast pastries and breads
• 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Snacks and/or tea with sodas, iced tea, lemonade, coffee, tea, and snack foods like crackers, pretzels, cookies and nuts.
• 5:00 - 7:00p.m. Appetizers with wine and beer and hot and cold appetizers from the resort's restaurants and offerings like veggies and dip.
• 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. Desserts and cordials with a selection of cordials and desserts from the resort's restaurants.

Polynesian: Concierge rooms are located in the Hawaii building. There are two types of room 'views' in the Hawaii building water view and garden view. If you splurge and get a water view room at the Polynesian, you will have a wonderful view of the castle. The lounge is also located in the Hawaii building. It is a wonderful-two floor area with walls of windows so you can enjoy the wonderful view looking over the lake toward the Castle. The lounge is an excellent spot to view the MK fireworks, especially with the dessert and drinks that are typically available at that time.

Grand Floridian: The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has concierge rooms located in the main lodge building and the Sugar Loaf building. Sugar Loaf club level rooms are located in the Sugar Loaf Key building, and can have views of a courtyard, garden, pool, or the Seven Seas Lagoon. The concierge lounge is located on the first floor of the Sugar Loaf building. Royal Palm club level rooms are located in main building and the lounge is on the fourth floor of the building. The lounge overlooks the lobby area of the Grand Floridian and you can hear the piano player as well as the band in the evening. One thing to note about the Grand Floridian concierge rooms is that there are many different room configurations, views and also many different prices.

Contemporary: The Contemporary has two concierge lounges with two different names - the Atrium Club Concierge and the Tower Club Concierge. The Atrium Club concierge lounge and rooms are located on the 12th floor of the resort. Rooms have a view of Bay Lake or the Magic Kingdom. The lounge on the 12th floor also has three balconies that have a view of the Magic Kingdom and the fireworks. The Tower Club concierge is located on the 14th floor and rooms can have a view of Bay Lake or the Magic Kingdom. Both lounges serve the same foods and have the same service and the 12th and the 14th floor of the resorts are only accessible to guests staying on that floor.

Wilderness Lodge: Concierge rooms at the Wilderness Lodge have access to the Old Faithful Club concierge lounge. Club level rooms and the lounge are located on the 7th floor of the Wilderness Lodge. The lounge area overlooks the lobby-one of the nicest lobbies in all of WDW. If you enter the lobby and look up to the top of the resort, you may catch a view of the lounge area. Rooms can have a view of the courtyard, woods, or other areas of the resort.

Beach Club and Yacht Club: The Beach Club's Stone Harbor Club and the Yacht Club's Regatta Club Lounges are located on the 5th floor of the resorts. Also worthwhile to note the rooms at the Beach Club do not all have balconies, if this is something that is important to you remember to request this when making your reservation.

Animal Kingdom Lodge: The Animal Kingdom's 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 (Wanyama) safaris. There is an extra charge for both of these tours, but they are both very unique and exciting experiences. The Sunrise Safari offers guests a unique and private safari and breakfast at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. While the Wanyama safari gives guests a unique tour of the savannas at the Animal Kingdom Lodge as well as dinner at Jiko, a signature restaurant at the Lodge.

Boardwalk Inn: Known as the 'Innkeepers Club' the concierge rooms and lounge are located on the fourth floor of the Boardwalk Inn. Concierge rooms are also located on the fourth floor. The lounge has a nice balcony, and is a very comfortable and inviting room. There have been many star sightings in this lounge - probably due to the really nice suites located on the concierge floors.

Coronado Springs: Will start offering Business Club level rooms in January 2009. These rooms will have access to a new concierge lounge at the Coronado Springs Resort.

In closing, people often ask if concierge 'worth' the extra cost. This is a question that is difficult to answer. Concierge services are designed as an extra level of service. They were never designed as a money saving alternative. Although the meals and snack are nice, with the exception of the continental breakfast, they were not designed to replace an entire meal. The biggest draw for my family is the convenience, and the extra services. It is hard to put a price on convenience, and even more difficult to put a price on the extra care, and attention provided by the concierge CM's. We stay at the concierge level when we are looking for extra relaxation, or extra pampering, or just that extra something special. It is a great place to celebrate a special occasion.