Room upgrade at AKL

[Pluto15]

Hi all

I was wondering what youf experiences were of room upgrades at AKL.

I am really happy with the room I have booked and all the aspects of the vacation. I've head many ppl share they get upgraded at arrival or 60 day online checkin but wondered what everyone else's experience was

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

You can but ask - they can only say no

 

[MaxsDad]

When we first stayed there in in 2006, they upgraded us at check in. It worked, it is now our home resort!

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Ask at check in, usually if it's a slow-er time they will. I get upgraded at FQ almost everytime I go so just ask, A lot of times if it's slow they usually will without asking at least in my experience they have. Worst case is they can't

 

[Hakunamatata]

Just curious for those who do ask. Do you just say "can you upgrade me for free"?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I don't know if I'd call it an upgrade, since it was system prompted. We were booked in a pool view room, but at 60-day online check in...we were given 3 different savannas as room preference options. So, in addition to requesting something closer to the lobby I was also able to select a non-Arusha savanna even though I wasn't paying for savanna view.

 

[Pluto15]

I don't know if I'd call it an upgrade, since it was system prompted. We were booked in a pool view room, but at 60-day online check in...we were given 3 different savannas as room preference options. So, in addition to requesting something closer to the lobby I was also able to select a non-Arusha savanna even though I wasn't paying for savanna view.

That's an awesome upgrade

 

[ToTBellHop]

I don't know if I'd call it an upgrade, since it was system prompted. We were booked in a pool view room, but at 60-day online check in...we were given 3 different savannas as room preference options. So, in addition to requesting something closer to the lobby I was also able to select a non-Arusha savanna even though I wasn't paying for savanna view.

Those options are there regardless of the room type you book. It was nice of them to actually give you the savanna view!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Those options are there regardless of the room type you book. It was nice of them to actually give you the savanna view!

I guess my point is...if it's being offered to you as part of your room requests, it's not really an upgrade. i.e. it's no different than me doing 60 day online check in for a garden wing room at the Contemporary and selecting 1st floor room & closer to the tower as room preferences. Certainly not complaining either

 

[Pluto15]

I guess my point is...if it's being offered to you as part of your room requests, it's not really an upgrade. i.e. it's no different than me doing 60 day online check in for a garden wing room at the Contemporary and selecting 1st floor room & closer to the tower as room preferences. Certainly not complaining either

Ah so it was just s request not a definite? Are Savannah rooms the next grade up from pool?

 

[Lucky]

Just curious for those who do ask. Do you just say "can you upgrade me for free"?

That would sound greedy. It should be "can you upgrade me for free please."

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Ah so it was just s request not a definite? Are Savannah rooms the next grade up from pool?

From what I recall, your view options are standard, pool and savanna. That being said, I'd been told that when you pay for savanna view ... you are paying for a guaranteed best savanna view. i.e. everything else is the "lesser" savannas...which from what I could tell just meant we didn't have close ups of giraffes and zebras. Case in point- the pic below of a fenced off savanna section way in the distance

This is heavily zoomed with my telephoto lens...

Still, we had great views (with my shorter range lenses) from animals that were in our immediate savanna...

Obviously, I cannot guarantee that online check in will give you the same options as we had or that they'll put you in a room with a comparable view, but if you do at least get these options- and it sounds like it's the norm...you may want to pull up a resort map and decide which of the noted savannas is your first choice for your room preferences.

Aside from this...we didn't go out of our way or ask for the room or do anything beyond check some boxes with preferences that were automatically provided to us by Disney. In fact, at arrival- the CM at the desk even noted we were booked in a pool view room. So, hopefully you will get a room you like...but even if your view isn't along these lines- it is a gorgeous resort with great views and animals in so many public areas.

 

[Pluto15]

From what I recall, your view options are standard, pool and savanna. That being said, I'd been told that when you pay for savanna view ... you are paying for a guaranteed best savanna view. i.e. everything else is the "lesser" savannas...which from what I could tell just meant we didn't have close ups of giraffes and zebras. Case in point- the pic below of a fenced off savanna section way in the distance

This is heavily zoomed with my telephoto lens...

Still, we had great views (with my shorter range lenses) from animals that were in our immediate savanna...

Obviously, I cannot guarantee that online check in will give you the same options as we had or that they'll put you in a room with a comparable view, but if you do at least get these options- and it sounds like it's the norm...you may want to pull up a resort map and decide which of the noted savannas is your first choice for your room preferences.

Aside from this...we didn't go out of our way or ask for the room or do anything beyond check some boxes with preferences that were automatically provided to us by Disney. In fact, at arrival- the CM at the desk even noted we were booked in a pool view room. So, hopefully you will get a room you like...but even if your view isn't along these lines- it is a gorgeous resort with great views and animals in so many public areas.

Sounds great did you do online checkIn on my Disney experience web site

 

[tigger1968]

Our last trip there was booked through Travelocity (better discount actually) and upon arrival, the CM let us know we had been upgraded from a pool view to Savannah view. I was gearing up for my "It's my girlfriend's first trip here and is there any chance of an upgrade?" speech and she beat me to the punch. Turns out we got an Arusha Savannah view. Just one more reason we love AKL.

 

[Pluto15]

From what I recall, your view options are standard, pool and savanna. That being said, I'd been told that when you pay for savanna view ... you are paying for a guaranteed best savanna view. i.e. everything else is the "lesser" savannas...which from what I could tell just meant we didn't have close ups of giraffes and zebras. Case in point- the pic below of a fenced off savanna section way in the distance

This is heavily zoomed with my telephoto lens...

Still, we had great views (with my shorter range lenses) from animals that were in our immediate savanna...

Obviously, I cannot guarantee that online check in will give you the same options as we had or that they'll put you in a room with a comparable view, but if you do at least get these options- and it sounds like it's the norm...you may want to pull up a resort map and decide which of the noted savannas is your first choice for your room preferences.

Aside from this...we didn't go out of our way or ask for the room or do anything beyond check some boxes with preferences that were automatically provided to us by Disney. In fact, at arrival- the CM at the desk even noted we were booked in a pool view room. So, hopefully you will get a room you like...but even if your view isn't along these lines- it is a gorgeous resort with great views and animals in so many public areas.

Thanks for the update and great pics

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Sounds great did you do online checkIn on my Disney experience web site

Yeah- I just logged into the Disney website on my computer, went to the MDE section and followed the various steps for online check in.

 

[shipley731]

I've probably stayed at AKL more than a dozen times, and only once did I not get some sort of upgrade. I'm fairly sure we've always booked a standard view room. We got bumped up to a pool view twice & then some sort of Savanna view the rest of the time. Lots of times, we've ended up on the Sunset Savannah, which we really like. We've never asked for an upgrade - it's just always been a happy surprise. (The one time we didn't get an upgarde was when we got the last open room in the lodge. This was soon after it opened & we stopped at the Disney Visitor Center that used to be in Ocala. We had seen availability at several places online & decided we'd see what they had to offer. We got a room in AKL for $99 for Saturday night. When we checked in, the front desk CM said we got the last room in the lodge.)

 

[dreamfinder]

There are lots of non savanna view rooms that have a view of the savannas. Basically anything that doesn't have a parking lot view or pool view has a view of a savanna. But if you overlook animal pens, backstage areas, restaurant exhaust areas, etc it may not be classed as savanna view despite having plenty of animals.

 

[disneygirl1]

upgrades are always based on resort availability. I have never asked to be upgraded, but at AKL, each time that I have stayed there and booked a standard view room we have been upgraded to Savanna view.

 

[Philhar-Fanatic]

When we were there last March we were pleasantly surprised with a Savanna View upgrade. We didn't have to ask. We paid for pool view and when she showed us our room on the map at check-in, we knew. It was UNBELIEVABLE!!