Hypothetical question about resort upgrades...

[Scalemaster34]

30 Years... never a resort upgrade. Have had a number of upgrades at my resort - room types or views. Best was a pool view to a savanna view at AKL.

Back in the RADP days... some did have "luck" getting resort upgrades, but back then there were a lot fewer resorts. And the Seasons meant something - I think at times Disney might have shut down sections/buildings of some resorts due to match the bookings. The slow times like we had 30 years ago don't exist anymore.

 

[cakebaker]

When we used to arrive very late we always ended up in less than ideal rooms - like the room facing the parking lot for our ‘garden view’ & no balcony when balcony was our only request (Poly,) far from the lobby when close to the lobby was our only request (POFQ,) overlooking a people pen when we’d booked savanna view (AKL,) etc.. I always wondered if people who’d arrived earlier & been assigned those rooms complained and were given ‘our’ original rooms, or maybe the room assigner had an irrational hatred for us, I dunno. These days w/ rooms being assigned a couple of days before arrival and much of the assigning being done by computer I think there’s less day of room shuffling than there used to be.
Upgrades in view category at the same resort occasionally happen, downgrades in view category (preferred to standard at values, for ex.) also occasionally happen. But upgrades or downgrades to a different resort are very very rare.

I think it's absolutely true that the later you arrive, the more likely you are to get a lesser view. Guests complain about their room location and they just do some switching around. I always try and get in as early as possible. I don't being there early gets me a better room, I think my chances of losing what was assigned to me originally is much less though. Just because they're assigned doesn't mean they can't be changed and easily.

And the chances of upgrades depends a lot on what level you're staying at and what the room choices are. When we had a horrible noise issue with our stay at AKL, staying CL, they couldn't upgrade us because there was nothing to upgrade to outside of DVC and those rooms are never available at Jambo house. I also believe that 90% of upgrades are due to a screw up of some kind- very few are just pure pixie dust.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We have two separate one-night stays at standard rooms before and after our cruise this fall. I actually WANT the standard room because per the touringplans map, they are all close to the lobby and I hate long walks to the room. If they want to upgrade me to club level or a gorgeous water view that's one thing, but if they are going to "upgrade" me to a garden view all the way down the end of the hall, I would be ticked off.

Yes, this!!! As I mentioned before, we were "upgraded" from SV to Pool View at BWV and it was SO loud!!! I love SV at BWV - it's usually so quiet. I just wanted my SV room! We arrived really late, so I didn't realize how loud it was until the next day. I just sucked it up and didn't say anything because I didn't want to pack up and move. We didn't end up napping in the afternoon anyway, so it was all good and the staff at BWV are SO nice!

 

[toodycat]

My family has gotten upgraded on about a third of our trips, but only to better rooms. We’ve never been upgraded to a different resort.

 

[kiford]

I think it's absolutely true that the later you arrive, the more likely you are to get a lesser view.

I don't think this is true. We've arrived after 1 am (sometimes after 2 am) for the last 4 trips; one trip we were given an upgraded view (which I didn't realize until a few days into the stay), and the others we got the category we booked and either got our request or got a great location/view without a request. We don't know if they actually honour early day on-site requests over previously assigned rooms especially if those people had submitted requests and no one knows what volume of early day on-site requests there are. I think Disney makes the best decisions they can with the requests they have and makes changes that are as much to their own benefit as possible while still accommodating guests both those that are checking in early and those checking in later. If they only (or more frequently) accommodated requests for better rooms from guests checking in early at the expense of those checking in later, they'd have a lot of angry guests who checked in later and there would be some record of patterns that would indicate preferential treatment of early check ins. My experience is a small sample set but I've yet to see a lot of evidence of others experiencing worse treatment coming in later. For what it's worth, we've also had our previously submitted requests honoured when coming in early and when arriving mid-day as well.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I think it's absolutely true that the later you arrive, the more likely you are to get a lesser view. Guests complain about their room location and they just do some switching around. I always try and get in as early as possible. I don't being there early gets me a better room, I think my chances of losing what was assigned to me originally is much less though. Just because they're assigned doesn't mean they can't be changed and easily.

And the chances of upgrades depends a lot on what level you're staying at and what the room choices are. When we had a horrible noise issue with our stay at AKL, staying CL, they couldn't upgrade us because there was nothing to upgrade to outside of DVC and those rooms are never available at Jambo house. I also believe that 90% of upgrades are due to a screw up of some kind- very few are just pure pixie dust.

I'm not sure about that. We once arrived at Poly at 11 pm and got all of our requests met - third floor, Fiji, lagoon side (this is when they were "standard view", connecting. On our last trip just two weeks ago, we arrived at 1 am and had been upgraded from SV to pool/water at BWV. I think, too, with the advent of texting room numbers and putting the room numbers in MDE accounts, once assigned, I don't think the resort is switching rooms around much.

 

[sndral]

I'm not sure about that. We once arrived at Poly at 11 pm and got all of our requests met - third floor, Fiji, lagoon side (this is when they were "standard view", connecting. On our last trip just two weeks ago, we arrived at 1 am and had been upgraded from SV to pool/water at BWV. I think, too, with the advent of texting room numbers and putting the room numbers in MDE accounts, once assigned, I don't think the resort is switching rooms around much.

I also suspect w/ the texting of room numbers there’s less switching these days, although 2 years ago when I took my phone off airplane mode I had 3 texts w/ 3 different room numbers in a row, so my guess is there was some last minute juggling in that case lol.

 

[cakebaker]

I'm not sure about that. We once arrived at Poly at 11 pm and got all of our requests met - third floor, Fiji, lagoon side (this is when they were "standard view", connecting. On our last trip just two weeks ago, we arrived at 1 am and had been upgraded from SV to pool/water at BWV. I think, too, with the advent of texting room numbers and putting the room numbers in MDE accounts, once assigned, I don't think the resort is switching rooms around much.

I'm not saying if you check in late you'll always get a less desirable room. I'm saying your chances of getting one are higher, imo. Of course, once your room is ready and you've been sent the room number, it's not going to change I would think. But for me at least, we rarely ever get notified our room is ready until at least after noon and usually not until 3- quite often later than that. I've never gotten my room number sent to me before my room was ready though and if someone arrives before they send those assignments out, there is no reason they can't make changes.

 

[SillySallySews]

I would not go on your vacation expecting or even hoping for an upgrade like that. It just seems like a good way to be disappointed from the get go if you get your heart set on it.

 

[Disneylvr1971]

As far as the CM telling you there is no availability and yet you can see it online we had this happen. A few years ago we needed to add on a night due to DH getting ill. We went to the front desk and the CM told us there was no availability, we went back to the room and were able to book the same resort online. Just requested the next day to stay in the same room.

 

[blistex]

I also suspect w/ the texting of room numbers there’s less switching these days, although 2 years ago when I took my phone off airplane mode I had 3 texts w/ 3 different room numbers in a row, so my guess is there was some last minute juggling in that case lol.

So, we have stayed at Disney resorts 4 times in the last 3 years and I have literally never, not one single time, ever gotten a text with a room number even though I do the online check-in two weeks in advance. I always end up having to call or go to the desk to get a room number, even last time when we weren't checking in until 5 PM (we do usually get there before official check-in, around 1:30 PM) I still had to call, at 5 PM! And whenever I call or go to the desk, all the things they're saying and noises they're making make it seem like they're looking at current inventory and assigning me a room right at that very moment. Are we sure rooms are actually assigned three days prior and if so what's wrong with my online check-in button, lol!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

So, we have stayed at Disney resorts 4 times in the last 3 years and I have literally never, not one single time, ever gotten a text with a room number even though I do the online check-in two weeks in advance. I always end up having to call or go to the desk to get a room number, even last time when we weren't checking in until 5 PM (we do usually get there before official check-in, around 1:30 PM) I still had to call, at 5 PM! And whenever I call or go to the desk, all the things they're saying and noises they're making make it seem like they're looking at current inventory and assigning me a room right at that very moment. Are we sure rooms are actually assigned three days prior and if so what's wrong with my online check-in button, lol!

If you don't get a text or you get a text saying your room isn't quite ready yet, I suggest looking in the MDE app to see if a room has been assigned. On our last trip just a few weeks ago, I got a text fairly late in the day (If I recall around 4 pm or so) saying our room wasn't ready yet. Not a big deal as we weren't landing until around midnight. Come midnight and there is no text notifying me of our room number. I looked in the MDE app and our room number was listed there. I never got a text notifying me of the number.

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

So, we have stayed at Disney resorts 4 times in the last 3 years and I have literally never, not one single time, ever gotten a text with a room number even though I do the online check-in two weeks in advance. I always end up having to call or go to the desk to get a room number, even last time when we weren't checking in until 5 PM (we do usually get there before official check-in, around 1:30 PM) I still had to call, at 5 PM! And whenever I call or go to the desk, all the things they're saying and noises they're making make it seem like they're looking at current inventory and assigning me a room right at that very moment. Are we sure rooms are actually assigned three days prior and if so what's wrong with my online check-in button, lol!

I have received the text alert with my room number, but is ALWAYS been once we are on site and stopped at concierge. And I always do the early check in online as well.

 

[_19disnA]

I would reserve the type of room you want and not be overly focused on the potential for an 'upgrade'. This is the internet after all, and you really have no idea if some of the 'upgrade' stories being posted are true or perhaps juggle around the facts of what really caused the upgrade to occur.

 

[pjhootch]

Were just at WL over Labor Day weekend. Had booked a standard view rooma and done online check in three weeks before. Landed in Orlando about 5:40 p.m. and when I turned my phone on I had a text saying our room was not ready yet. Got to WL after 6:30 p.m. and still no text. Checked MDE and no room assigned. Went to front desk and although he assured me a room assignment had been done, he spent a lot of time clicking into the computer and it took quite a bit longer than normal to just tell me what my room number was.

Got the room number and went up to our room and it was a nature view. At WL this is an upgrade from what I booked. It seemed like a nice surprise... BUT lol- be warned... when a hurricane shows up(or threatens to since it never hit us) it costs regular price to stay in your upgraded room a couple of extra night when the airport is closed and flights are cancelled! I probably could have asked if a standard room was a available -so I am not complaining. I was just relieved to be able to stay in our room an extra two nights and not thinking about the cost. There were a lot of people from the campground moved into the hotel on Monday and Tuesday nights last week.

 

[married2mm]

We got an upgrade at aoa.
Booked little mermaid room & received a lion king suite.
I was initially disappointed as I love Ariel;
As soon as we arrived in the room this was forgotten

This was a one night booking If that makes a difference.

 

[Turksmom]

I received my first ever upgrade last month from standard to family suite at ASMu. I was thrilled! Even though we stay mod/ deluxe on 75% of our trips- I was upgraded! It just makes me feel special.

Also, we had a less than stellar experience with both YC and CBR in June- to the point where I was considering never staying on property again (we even left earlier in the day than we had planned because we just didn't want to deal with any more issues). I only booked Music because it was a quick stay for GE preview and nothing offsite was as cheap or convenient. We had one of the best stays! Besides the nice room surprise, every cm interaction was amazing. Our magic bands weren't at the desk on arrival, but the cm immediately tracked them down and made arrangements to deliver them to our room. He was so apologetic, I felt bad! I never imagined that that stay would be what brought us back to loving Disney

 

[Kc0912]

Honestly, WANTING to be walked to another hotel at 2am?

I don’t even think an upgrade to the GF from an All Stars would make that worth it.

 

[JennyDrake]

Hello all!

I've read of people checking into their resort (value/moderate) and they've been upgraded to a moderate/deluxe. I'm assuming due to their original resort being overbooked.

So my question is: when I look online at the all stars, it's showing availability. When I call, the CM says nothing is showing up for her. Is this possibly due to the all stars being booked up? Or close to it? So if I were to book it and I'm not due
to arrive at my resort very late (2am) and the resort is booked. What do you think my chances are of being upgraded? Since I'm arriving so late, I'd assume I'd be one of the last to check in..


Thanks!

In 40+ stays at value resorts I have NEVER been upgraded to a moderate or deluxe. Twice I was upgraded to a preferred room. That's it.

 

[Dug720]

Honestly, WANTING to be walked to another hotel at 2am?

I don’t even think an upgrade to the GF from an All Stars would make that worth it.

This! My flight in 13 days is scheduled to land at midnight. I’m at Pop - which has not shown availability for a few months now at any price point - but I am in no way expecting to be sent to another resort. I’m just hoping to quickly pop by the front desk to decline housekeeping and head to my room. (Don’t get me wrong - if I am surprised with a walk I will take it and be grateful...though I would rather find that out when they scan my band at DME so I could be on that bus. But I am not going in expecting anything other than a room at Pop.)