On a recent trip to Disneyland and a stay at the Disneyland Hotel, we decided to treat ourselves and upgrade to a Congierge level room. Sure it was pricey, but it definitely was fun. Was it worth the extra cost? Value is in the eye of the beholder. Prices vary based on time of year and days of the week. We upgraded while checking in, and although we did get to take advantage of our Annual Passholder discount, it was still a lot of money to do a last minute upgrade. Can you say impulse buy? In my defense, it was my birthday. Read on for more about my experience at the Disneyland Hotel Concierge Level or listen to my review on a recent episode of the DIS Unplugged: Disneyland Edition.
We didn’t have a car for our trip, so although we were local, it felt like a real vacation. My goal for this trip, other than running the Half Marathon, was to experience everything the Disneyland Hotel had to offer. “I can go to the parks at anytime,” I thought. Let’s enjoy the hotel and the concierge level. I had previously stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel concierge for my son’s birthday, so I had that in my mind as I checked in. I purposely checked in early, knowing my room wouldn’t be ready, so I could take advantage of the concierge lounge. That is something to definitely take advantage of. If you are going to do concierge, use all the hours of all your days that you can.
The resort activities offered to concierge level guests are no different than the regular room resort guests. Personally, for that price, there should be some other “perks.” That being said, we decided to go up to the lounge to wait for our room. The lounge is located on the 11th floor of the Adventure Tower. In order to access the lounge, you must have your key card. Each guest doesn’t need it, only one person to open the door.
It has an incredible view of Downtown Disney, the Resort, and the hills of east Orange County. My son and I thoroughly enjoyed just sitting up high and looking out of the wall to wall windows. The lounge is extremely comfortable and has plenty of seating in which to relax. Two cast members are there to help you with making any reservations or anything you may need. One of the perks of the lounge is the ability to check out DVDs for the in-room DVD player. All of the movies are Disney or Touchstone, so there weren’t just kiddy movies available.
They provide food and snacks throughout the day, which I attempted to make meals out of, but that was just me being cheap. I wouldn’t really recommend it. At breakfast they offer meats and cheeses, pastries, yogurt, fruit, and cereal.
Breakfast is definitely doable as a meal, but making their afternoon and evening offerings into meals is kind of wrong. In the evenings, they offer beer and wine. I later discovered that you are allowed to bring it out of the lounge (to the pool for example) if you wish.
Throughout the day they offer snacks such as veggies, chips and salsa, house-made potato chips, and granola bars and the like.
In the evening, there are appetizer type offerings, such as empanadas and egg rolls. Beer and wine is offered at this time as well.
The best feature of the Concierge Level is the Fireworks. Guests are able to go up to the lounge, get drinks and dessert, and watch the fireworks in the comfort of the lounge. They dim the lights and pipe in the music for an experience that almost makes the price worth it.
Where the Concierge Level makes sense to me is for families with small children. You have unlimited access to Uncrustables, (which your kids are going to eat in the park anyway), snacks, sodas, and water. I saw many families coming up with their bags and loading up before heading to the park. While my son and his friend were enjoying the Disneyland Hotel Pool, I ran upstairs and got a couple of sodas and snacks for them. I can easily see one parent getting ready in the morning, while the other one takes one of the kids to the lounge for a quick breakfast, or heading to the lounge in the afternoon with the older kid while the younger one takes a nap in the room. The lounge has a TV with cable and computers with internet.
So the ultimate question is one of value. As with all Disney experiences, that depends on the guest. The purpose of this review is not to endorse or discourage, but to provide information so you can make your own decision. I definitely overpaid, but it was my birthday and I didn’t care. Would I recommend it? Yes, everyone has to try it at least once. If you have little ones, are already staying at the Disneyland Hotel, are planning on enjoying the resort, and can afford it, then I suggest giving it a shot if my previous description sounds like your family. Now I, myself, probably won’t treat myself again like this… Who am I kidding, never say never.
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