By- Elizabeth Schaaf
During a recent stay at Disney’s Yacht Club, I had the opportunity to stay at Club Level. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew it would be exciting when I had to scan my MagicBand just to be able to make the elevator go to the 5th floor. The service level is evident from the moment one steps off the elevator. We were immediately greeted by two Cast Members who located at a small concierge stand just off the 5th floor elevator lobby. The Cast Member welcomed us warmly, went over the hours of lounge operation, let us know we could still access some things during off hours, and told us to let them know if we needed anything. They really added to the excitement.
The first thing I noticed on our way to the room were these big candy jars. Definitely not something seen on the other floors!
Our room was lovely and like most other rooms at the Yacht Club. Our room had a balcony that overlooked the main entrance garden area, and it also provided a view of Crescent Lake. One thing to note is we had a room with a king bed, and our room felt slightly smaller than normal as we only had a chair and not a couch. Since there were just two of us, it was fine, and we had plenty of room to spread out.
My favorite part of staying Club Level was the lounge. It was so convenient to be able to walk down the hall for a light breakfast every morning. The typical assortment was hard boiled eggs, hot items including an egg scramble with a meat and cheese, a breakfast meat, and something sweet, yogurt with granola, sweet breakfast breads, a few cereal choices, and juices. Some mornings, we even had the beloved POG juice as an option!
And there was my favorite part – the coffee bar that opened at 6:30 am through late in the evening. Drip coffee, a Nespresso machine, hot tea, hot chocolate, and filtered cold water. There were even a variety of syrups for those who like something more than plain coffee. The area was thoughtfully stocked with both ceramic coffee cups and to go ones with lids. There were even espresso cups for those choosing to use the Nespresso. I drink a great deal of coffee a day, and having access here definitely kept me from spending time and money on coffee in the parks!
After the breakfast period, the lounge closes for a bit to prep for the lunch snacks, which is canned Coke branded sodas, there was also bags of chips, Goldfish, and trail mix. The real event comes late in the afternoon when the lounge switches over to light bites. But these bites aren’t that small – I enjoyed them for dinner twice! Hot foods varied daily, but my favorite was the piece of pot roast onto of warm mashed potatoes! In addition to warm food, there was also a cheese assortment, fruit, breads, dips, drinks, tea, lemonade, and everyone’s favorite – an unlimited supply of Mickey Bars!
Also available at the evening hour was the bar cart. They had quite a selection available! The attendants informed us that if we wanted any spirits when the bar cart was not out, we could ask the Cast Members who greeted us upon our initial arrival, and they would get us whatever we wanted.
Once we got to the later evening hours, the lounge STILL was not done serving guests! Now it was dessert time. Each evening, there was an assortment of four to six small treats, as well as cordials. The mini cannoli and vegan brownies were fantastic and flavorful.
This stay has truly spoiled me! Even though I’ve stayed in a majority of Disney resorts, this was my first Club Level experience, and I found it worth the extra cost. I utilized the lounge more than I expected, and it made the whole Disney experience just that much more special and unique. I was also impressed with the Yacht Club! It was so calm and quiet, which was a nice respite from the noises of the parks. We enjoyed the proximity to the boats to Hollywood Studios, as well as having the Skyliner so close. Of course, it’s hard to beat walking straight into the World Showcase of EPCOT! Staying at an EPCOT area resort gives so many options when it comes to getting around.Is Club Level a premium product? Of course! But it definitely has quite a bit of value! It’s going to be hard for me to return and not stay in a Club Level room!
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