Anyone every have any luck requesting a free upgrade at a Disney resort?

[nuge67]

Maybe for a better room or, move up a hotel? Value to Moderate, etc?

 

[nw6675]

No, and be prepared for scathing replies.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

If they are going to give you a free upgrade, it probably has to be their idea.

 

[nw6675]

About 20 years ago I asked on here if the $20 Vegas trick worked at Disney. Omg. Short answer, no. Long answer, flogging lol.

 

[LoveDaisy]

No. I have a friend who does the room assignments, she said they do not upgrade people who ask but do occasionally pixie dust someone. She said it’s the same reason I got a ton of pixie dust when I got engaged there. She said you never asked, didn’t wear a pin or the bridal ears. She said those people are clearly asking for something and are less likely to get anything other than a free cupcake at the end of a meal.

 

[tseitel]

No. I have a friend who does the room assignments, she said they do not upgrade people who ask but do occasionally pixie dust someone. She said it’s the same reason I got a ton of pixie dust when I got engaged there. She said you never asked, didn’t wear a pin or the bridal ears. She said those people are clearly asking for something and are less likely to get anything other than a free cupcake at the end of a meal.

I have to disagree with your friend.
I think many people wear buttons (Disney encourages it!) to celebrate things, not expecting things.
My daughter wore her bridal ears on her Honeymoon, and her & her husband wore buttons. They weren’t expecting anything, or asking for anything, it was just a fun thing to do.
They didn’t receive anything, even a free cupcake, but like I said, they didn’t care.
But here & there a cast member would say “congratulations” which made them smile tremendously, and was all the pixie dust they needed.
Now asking for a hotel upgrade is another story entirely.

 

[snowwite]

I’ve never heard of anyone asking and getting one. I was pixie dusted once and it was amazing. We could only afford a couple days at AKL. So I booked a parking lot view and figured we would still see animals at look outs. It was just me and my kids. The CM never mentioned an upgrade just gave me my room key. We went in dropped the bags and I went in to the bathroom. My son says mom there are giraffes right outside the porch! I was like just a minUte honey that can’t be right. I come out and we were a few feet from a giraffe feeding station! I panicked because I could in no way pay for that upgrade. I phoned the desk and was told I was getting a little Disney Magic! It was really unexpected. We did go back another time for a week but we really did have a room over the bus stop which is also where people smoke so it was not a great spot. I still remember that first time was room 222.

 

[loves to dive]

I've heard here and there of people asking and sometimes getting a different view or maybe an upgraded room but never to a different resort. I've been upgraded to a different view but never asked for it. I pay for a standard room and that's what I expect. I've also had the front desk move me to a different room if I'm staying in a moderate or a value from ground level to a higher floor when I'm there solo. That will sometimes move me to a preferred room. I never ask and am always fine with a ground floor room. I do always go to the front desk to check in since I have never (since they implemented it) gotten the text that my room was ready before I got there. I'm usually there early between 1 and 3 and always do on line check in and the only request I ever make is early check in. Sometimes they are able to go ahead and find me a room that is ready, but again, I never expect it. I just go to the front desk so they know I'm on property and if I'm staying in a value or moderate so know where to move my car to since the usually know what building you are going to be in.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Never heard of asking for a free upgrade working. And ROFL at the idea they’d move you to a completely different hotel for no operational reason. Practically speaking your room is assigned days before you even arrive. To move you on check in is extra effort for the CM and I think other CMs because my memory is they have to go check with someone (moved because I arrived early, not because I was upgraded).

AKL kinda got a rep a few years back for pixie dusting parking lot views to savanna views, so much so that the hotel specifically stopped it to make it back into the exception and not the rule.

Disney knows they need to hold a firm line on this particular issue otherwise in a hot second the “free room upgrade hack” will hit social media and then people will start demanding upgrades and being even ruder to CMs than usual.

 

[snowwite]

Never heard of asking for a free upgrade working. And ROFL at the idea they’d move you to a completely different hotel for no operational reason. Practically speaking your room is assigned days before you even arrive. To move you on check in is extra effort for the CM and I think other CMs because my memory is they have to go check with someone (moved because I arrived early, not because I was upgraded).

AKL kinda got a rep a few years back for pixie dusting parking lot views to savanna views, so much so that the hotel specifically stopped it to make it back into the exception and not the rule.

Disney knows they need to hold a firm line on this particular issue otherwise in a hot second the “free room upgrade hack” will hit social media and then people will start demanding upgrades and being even ruder to CMs than usual.

My daughter was a CM who worked in Guest Relations ans VIP tours. You would not believe how nasty some people were to her and her coworkers. The majority are nice but some were really nasty .

 

[AquaDame]

The only time anyone in my family has been moved between resorts was once when my mother had issues with the first two rooms they tried to give her at POFQ. They assigned her a room that had not been cleaned at all first, and then the second had stained curtains and ripped comforters. After making her and my Dad walk back and forth twice - they had also arrived late in the evening - the staff were so sorry for the trouble they upgraded her to AKL. That was back in ‘15 or ‘16.

 

[Neener16]

In 2017 I went with my 2 adult daughters and stayed at the Beach Club. We were asked at checkin if we were celebrating anything. We just said no, just here to spend some time together. Next thing I know, we were upgraded to Club Level!

 

[HopperFan]

Anyone every have any luck requesting a free upgrade at a Disney resort?​

Maybe for a better room or, move up a hotel? Value to Moderate, etc?

Book where you will be happy staying because that is where you likely will be staying.

As others stated, asking will likely get you nothing. Any upgrades happen for operational (room out of service or other issues on their part) or because THEY chose you to pixie dust. But even pixie dust is likely to help them in some way.

 

[tony67]

Book where you will be happy staying because that is where you likely will be staying.

This is without a doubt the best advice.

Its very unlikely that you will get an upgrade for any reason and you should never plan on it or expect it.

I took my parents for their 40th anniversary and no upgrades - we all had APs and had done numerous stays over numerous years. I had booked castle view rooms on club level at Polynesian and Contemporary - (this was back when you got 50% off with the AP) so may not have had any options to upgrade to. But in all our many stays we never got an upgrade of any type - at least 25 week long stays.

I almost always get upgraded at Swan and Dolphin but that is because they have a program that recognizes status.
I've gotten anything from a resort view to a full suite - although they don't do suites all that often since Marriott took over and their suites are more business suites with conference tables etc. The only time we did not get upgraded they gave us a really bad room and they said they were 100% full - I went to the front desk and was immediately upgraded to one of the larger rooms at the end of the wings with the larger balcony resort view.

At Universal I've occasionally got a one category upgrade - usually when they are not all that busy.

 

[kanerf]

Since most resorts are pretty much running at capacity, there is little room to upgrade.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Never asked for a free upgrade but we've been pixie dusted four times! First time we booked a standard view at the Polynesian and got upgraded to a theme park view! Second time we booked 4 waterview rooms at BC and were upgraded to club level, third time we booked Sugarloaf CL at GF and were upgraded to the Main CL and last time we booked standard view at YC and were upgraded to CL.

Now this was 4 times in 28 trips so it wasn't something we were expecting!

 

[maltdizzy]

We were Pixie dusted to water view at the YC because it was close to our requested, but unavailable, room.

I've never heard of requesting an upgrade working. Generally they upgrade for their own reasons and make it seem like it's just to be nice. They might ask about special occasions, like anniversaries, but if they upgrade you, it really because they already were going to because they are running out of your room type.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

With Disney resorts often being quite full, it's not likely to happen. But something we say when going to Disney - it never, ever hurts to ask.... Just be respectful and unsurprised if the answer is no.

 

[john7994]

Book where you will be happy staying because that is where you likely will be staying.

As others stated, asking will likely get you nothing. Any upgrades happen for operational (room out of service or other issues on their part) or because THEY chose you to pixie dust. But even pixie dust is likely to help them in some way.

As ALWAYS with @HopperFan - the best advice

 

[Skippyboo]

I have got a water view King at Yacht club twice (same room) for my Farts trip, didn’t book that level, got a WL Fireworks King with a std view booked. Didn’t asked for it.

Last Spring I did fax in a room request for my AKL stay. I had std view and asked for if possible a partial animal view. I mentioned that I was celebrating 5 years of being cancer free, got a Savannah view.