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DVC Room Upgrades
- Thread starter Goofy6294
- Start date
Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
Upgrades are usually only done when they are needed due to a room problem. If you booked a studio and something happened in that room that prevents them from using it they would upgrade you if no other studios were available. Room upgrades just for the sake of upgrading don't really happen because DVC resorts operate at near 100% capacity year round. Also, since a member pays for the upkeep in those rooms someone would have to pay the difference for you using a room that you aren't completely paying for in points.
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
I get the concept of "you'll never get if you never ask." But we're not talking about haggling over the price of a car or tv, or working for a charity where you try to squeeze a few more scheckles out of a donor. You plan to reserve a room for a pre-determined amount of points (or money), then when you get there, you say "hey, can I have more?" Not even dropping hints, just flat out saying "what do you got for me?" Am I the only one who thinks this is tacky?
disneyeater
Active Member
No you are not.
We were upgraded in May from a Studio to a One bedroom at a DVC Resort. I will not say the name of the resort but there was an issue that a CM saw as not acceptable and stated she wanted to make our trip more enjoyable. Out of 20+ DVC stays it was the first time it had ever been done for us.
Didn't mean to offend...I'm not even a DVC member - just a curious question. I am however considering DVC and I know that members can sometimes request certain room numbers. I was just wondering if this extended to upgrades as well.
The official stance on their regular rooms is that free upgrades are only given out based on operational needs of the resort. If you ask for an upgrade at check in and it is available you will be charged for it. I can't see DVC operating any differently. In regards to requests, you can request pretty much anything you can think of on a DVC or regular room. It being honored is another matter entirely.
Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
The big difference between a regular room vs DVC room though is who covers those costs. As members we have to pay for the upkeep the resorts, and the amount of points I use on a given night is determined to cover those expenses. So should I get a one bedroom when I am only using a studio's worth of points, someone has to cover that extra cost. With a regular room Disney has a lot more flexibility because they can control their inventory and costs because it is their money, with DVC they only pay a portion of that overall upkeep. And also that near 100% year round capacity doesn't help either.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
What about a a change in view ?
It really does not cost anything extra to upgrade a person to the same sized room but a better view, if it is avaialble.
I don't ask for upgrades myself, and have never been offered one. Heck I consider myself lucky to get a room in the general area I ask for (many times I don't
)-dave
mousefan1972
Well-Known Member
What about a a change in view ?
It really does not cost anything extra to upgrade a person to the same sized room but a better view, if it is avaialble.
I don't ask for upgrades myself, and have never been offered one. Heck I consider myself lucky to get a room in the general area I ask for (many times I don't
-dave
A change in view uses more points, though. I would think it would be more of a fairness issue. Could you imagine the uproar if a DVC member books standard view at BLT, then nicely asks for, and gets, a free upgrade to MK view. They come here and gleefully post about their good fortune, and next thing you know, MS is bombarded with calls/emails from angry members who weren't upgraded.
Like you, I'm happy if I get the general vicinity of the area I requested.
Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
What about a a change in view ?
It really does not cost anything extra to upgrade a person to the same sized room but a better view, if it is avaialble.
I don't ask for upgrades myself, and have never been offered one. Heck I consider myself lucky to get a room in the general area I ask for (many times I don't
-dave
I think that is where the capacity issue comes in to play. I don't ask for upgrades ever, but it wouldn't even occur to me to think of one at a DVC resort due to the ownership aspect.
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
What about a a change in view ?
It really does not cost anything extra to upgrade a person to the same sized room but a better view, if it is avaialble.
I don't ask for upgrades myself, and have never been offered one. Heck I consider myself lucky to get a room in the general area I ask for (many times I don't
-dave
At Bay Lake Towers, Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boardwalk & Aulani (and maybe Vero Beach?) a change in view could mean a change in the amount of points you use.
In terms of "not costing anything," you could argue that's true, if Disney is eating the cost of the difference in points based on the small amount (2%) of points it owns at each individual resort. And perhaps they would be willing to do that if, for example, they overbooked a certain room category, or a booked room was deemed unusable.
You may be thinking of a rosier scenario - like, you arrive at BLT with a "standard view," but it's sooo dead that week they have Magic Kingdom views that are just sitting there! Not being used! Why WOULDN'T they just "reward" people with a free upgrade? And how would you know if those rooms were available if you didn't ask?
First of all, as has been said, the DVC is designed to be as close to full capacity all year 'round. So the odds of that empty room existing, even in "value" seasons, are slim. Second of all, as has been said and implied, quite often those special "surprise" free upgrades are based on either fixing a mistake made at the time of booking, or a problem that results in a room not being usable. Third of all, if you want the upgrade bad enough to ask for it, you should want it bad enough to pay for it. I for one would be embarrassed to ask for an upgrade I didn't expect to pay for, either with cash or with points. First time my wife and I went to Hilton Head, we decided we'd rather have a 1BR over a studio (didn't help that that people in the locked off 1BR next to us were noisy as blazes). I asked if upgrades were available, we were told "well, you would have to pay for the upgrade," I said I understand and if it's to expensive I won't do it but I'd like to know what's available and for how much, the difference in price was acceptable and we did it, case closed. No expectations of freebies (though the extra time we spent in the lobby resulted in more cookies and lemonade consumed, so I guess we cheated the system that way). But at no time did I expect to get something for nothing.
patricia27
Member
I agree I would not expect an upgrade. You request a particular size of place according to the points you can pay.
At OKW I did have to complain about a dripping aircon unit which had been seen to by 2 different engineers but was still not repaired. I told them I saved their flooring as I put a container on the floor to catch the drips!!!! On departure a manager gave me $100 cash!!
At OKW I did have to complain about a dripping aircon unit which had been seen to by 2 different engineers but was still not repaired. I told them I saved their flooring as I put a container on the floor to catch the drips!!!! On departure a manager gave me $100 cash!!