Free Upgrade!!!

[panther726]

So we booked Pop Century July 9-11 because we're planning to visit the water parks for the first time! Well, we received an email this evening offering a free upgrade to any moderate resort or Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. For the price of $167 a night, we got a 1-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs! Finally, going to Disney World year after year pays off!:lol: Has anyone else received deals similar to this?

 

[disneyrcks]

So we booked Pop Century July 9-11 because we're planning to visit the water parks for the first time! Well, we received an email this evening offering a free upgrade to any moderate resort or Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. For the price of $167 a night, we got a 1-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs! Finally, going to Disney World year after year pays off!:lol: Has anyone else received deals similar to this?

That's great, enjoy! We love SSR and the one bedroom villas are really nice.

 

[draybook]

Full standard rack rate for POP is $124/144(weekends). Preferred is like $10 more. With tax that'd be $167/night for the OP's trip.

Anyway, why are we all critiquing how much the OP paid for POP? It's really none of our business. If you have to go during the summer(as I do), then sometimes you pay more.

Congrats on the upgrade, OP! We are staying at POP in August, I would love that upgrade and would use it for POR I think!

I think some of us are in shock over the rate of a value resort, not the fact that the OP paid it. If we go during non-peak we stay on site, if not then we stay off site. Extra hours aren't enough for us to get gouged in the wallet. And we have a rental car so the free transportation does nothing for us either.

 

[SleepingMonk]

I think some of us are in shock over the rate of a value resort, not the fact that the OP paid it..

Exactly.

I can't imagine paying that for a value room when the Swan & Dolphin are the same price.

It's like being offered a room at the Ritz but choosing to stay at Holiday Inn for the same price.

 

[Rob562]

Getting back to the original subject at hand, they most likely got the offer because their original resort was over-booked. Disney's been known to do that sometimes, and it's easier for them to rebook people *before* they arrive than "walk" them to another resort after they're standing at the front desk.

And the fact that the OP apparently paid rack rate may have been a factor in getting the upgrade offer in the first place. I'd bet that they'd offer the upgrades to those Guests who paid full-price first, that way Disney is (technically) losing less money on the deal.
Someone who got the best-possible discounted room rate might not see those offers at all.

-Rob

 

[panther726]

Do people really pay $170 for a value room?

Pricing has always been:

Value - $90
Moderate - $150
Deluxe - $250+

You can book the Swan & Dolphin for $170 a night or less most of the year, why would anyone pay that for a WDW value room?

Since we are just going to the water parks and there weren't any discounts available for room only, yeah, we are paying rack rates. I don't understand the big deal. We've never been impressed with Swan and Dolphin so we decided to stay at Pop. It's all irrelevant since we got an upgrade.

It's called a vacation, and my preferences are different. Easy dude.

 

[disneygirl1]

Disney did something like this back in Sept 2009 too

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

I do believe I've paid rack rate for my upcoming trip but what the hell, I got free dining and a $300 gift card thrown in.

 

[Plowboy]

So we booked Pop Century July 9-11 because we're planning to visit the water parks for the first time! Well, we received an email this evening offering a free upgrade to any moderate resort or Saratoga Springs or Old Key West. For the price of $167 a night, we got a 1-bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs! Finally, going to Disney World year after year pays off!:lol: Has anyone else received deals similar to this?

We received just such an upgrade offer a couple of years ago. We were booked at AS Sports and the offer was to upgrade to a studio at OKW or SS. By the time we called (same day as e-mail) they were all out of studios so they gave us a 1 br. The night we arrived at OKW they were out of 1 br so they upgraded us to a 2 br. It was a great stay, just the 2 of us rambling around in a 2 br villa. My guess is we won't have that happen again!

 

[britdaw]

WOW, you got an awesome upgrade!! Instead of going off about the prices of the "values" (LOL) I'll just congratulate you on your deal and get out of the thread.

 

[tirian]

That's a fantastic price for SS! Congrats, and enjoy it! I think it's a sleeper hit at WDW—far enough to feel like a secluded resort, but close enough to enjoy the property. I do recommend asking for a room as close to the main building as possible, because SS is enormous.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

You would be surprised at how many people call or book online at rack rate and never think twice about it. Also if you are particular about when you go and where you are staying there is the possibility that no discounts will be available. I had clients insisting on a tower room, MK view at the Contemporary in December last year and there were simply no promotions on that room for their dates. They could have moved to the Poly or GF at a discount but insisted on the Contemporary.

As much as I am a discount fan I'll admit the first time we stayed at the Contemporary in Dec. 07 this is exactly what we did. We booked hoping for a discount but the MK view rooms were never discounted. It was our ultimate dream stay, we had the money, so we decided to just pay full rack rate. I think it was $455/night. We've never spent that before or since and can honestly say "no regrets". None at all.

To the OP, congrats! Just to have the in-unit washer & drier. That's the biggest draw to the villas for me. Lol!

 

[R W B]

Nice upgrade OP. I would of taken that upgrade too!

As much as I am a discount fan I'll admit the first time we stayed at the Contemporary in Dec. 07 this is exactly what we did. We booked hoping for a discount but the MK view rooms were never discounted. It was our ultimate dream stay, we had the money, so we decided to just pay full rack rate. I think it was $455/night. We've never spent that before or since and can honestly say "no regrets". None at all.

To the OP, congrats! Just to have the in-unit washer & drier. That's the biggest draw to the villas for me. Lol!

I would be highly surprised if the tower MK Contemporary rooms were ever discounted around peak/holiday dates. I myself wouldn't mind paying $455 a night (If i had the $$$) just to experience it during the holidays.

 

[Finallyin09]

overbooked

I have heard that this was due to overbooking. They overbooked several of the value resorts, so offered "free upgrades" so, if you wouldn't have said yes, what would they have done for you??? Makes you wonder. Enjoy!

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I have heard that this was due to overbooking. They overbooked several of the value resorts, so offered "free upgrades" so, if you wouldn't have said yes, what would they have done for you??? Makes you wonder. Enjoy!

I assume just asked the next person on the list, no?:shrug:

 

[meekoman]

Wish I could get an upgrade when we visit at the end of Sept/beginning of Oct, but never been given that option at a value resort. I did have it happen about 15 years ago when we were booked at POR. We were offered a garden wing at the Contemporary but declined it since we liked the river cruise to DTD. At one time, upgrades were often given on the DCL if you booked the inside staterooms. That upgrade we did take.

 

[JohnnyDollaz89]

Wow im going the 8th-15th and i didn't get an email