Upgrade at Check-in

[kaycee1]

Hi All,
I am new to this board. My question is I keep seeing something about upgrade when you check-in early ? How often does it happen? and how early is early. I will be arriving around 2pm is that considered early?/ I know the check in At the wilderness lodge is after 3pm so is 2pm early?? My only request on the ressie was for bunk beds and I booked a standard room.

 

[justducky78]

It's kind of "luck of the draw," you're not guaranteed an upgrade but it's always worth a try! If you happen to arrive around 1-2pm or anytime before check-in, really, request an upgrade.

Or, if you want to be more subtle about it, ask what the price/availability is for a room with a better view/concierge/bunk beds, etc and see if they offer it to you. My husband did that with concierge at the WL and they were willing to upgrade us the next day (when the room was available) for free but it wasn't that important to us and we didn't want to switch rooms, but talk about SCORE! If it had been ready that day we would have jumped at it!

Just be friendly and see what happens! Good luck:wave:

EDIT - Oh, and if you're celebrating a special occasion (b-day, anniversary) that might also work in your favor - so let them know!

 

[natalia1681]

Is there any time that is too early to suggest an upgrade? I'll be arriving at roughly 9am with the checkin at like 3pm or so at the Pop.

If I ask nicely, could I get an upgrade (like to a preferred room)? Anybody have any other suggestions or hints that I could use?:wave::wave::wave:

 

[tigsmom]

Hi All,
I am new to this board. My question is I keep seeing something about upgrade when you check-in early ? How often does it happen? and how early is early. I will be arriving around 2pm is that considered early?/ I know the check in At the wilderness lodge is after 3pm so is 2pm early?? My only request on the ressie was for bunk beds and I booked a standard room.

2pm isn't really early, we've checked in at 9 am at the WL... we were allowed to pick our own room, but the only time we were evered upgraded was when the specific room we requested was unavailable.

We don't even think about upgrades, we book what we can afford and enjoy our time at WDW.

Welcome to the boards! I think you will like it here. :wave:

 

[kaycee1]

Hi Ducky,
Thank you for the info I will give it a try. Really just hoping to get the bunks I have a DD12 and a DS 9. DS is celebrating 10th b-day on the 4th

 

[JPVonDrake]

Hi All,
I am new to this board. My question is I keep seeing something about upgrade when you check-in early ? How often does it happen? and how early is early. I will be arriving around 2pm is that considered early?/ I know the check in At the wilderness lodge is after 3pm so is 2pm early?? My only request on the ressie was for bunk beds and I booked a standard room.

First welcome to the boards! :wave:

Unfortunately, you have received incorrect information. Upgrades are offered based on resort operational needs, and have no baring on when you arrival.

The best chance of getting an upgrade is by NOT asking for one. Resort Cast Members cannot offer a free upgrade to a Guest who requests one, they are required by policy to charge you the difference if you request another room category and it is available.

As our Resort Management is aware that many Guests book the standard rooms for the price alone and simply expect to be upgraded upon arrival, the number or frequency of free upgrades is now done only when absolutely necessary for resort operations, and therefore has gotten extremely rare. If you request an upgrade, you will be charged accordingly if it is available.

Also please note, at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, we no longer offer any standard rooms with bunk beds; all rooms in this category are only available with 2 queen beds, so your request cannot be honored unless you are willing to pay for an upgrade to a Woods View or Courtyard View room or a Old Faithful Club Level (concierge) room, again based on availability of course.

 

[kaycee1]

Hi JPVondrake,
Thank you for your info. I booked through a travel agency. I specifically told them I would like to request bunk beds (knowing that it is only a request) and they assured me that there were bunk beds at the standard level. I would have booked a higher level had i had the correct info. Did this just change?? I also called the Lodge itself maybe two months ago and they said they had bunks available?? Are you a Cm?? I am not sure what to do now. It is only a request not a guarantee but now it sounds like I don't even have a shot at it??

 

[kaycee1]

I just called the Wilderness Lodge and indeeed they have taken out the bunk beds out of all standard rooms. However, that does mean all standard room are refurbished which is a plus. Bunk rooms are still request only on woods view and up. So really there is no incentive to go to a higher level at least for me. i just thought I would share that with everyonel Again, thanks to everyone who responded.

 

[JPVonDrake]

Hi JPVondrake,
Thank you for your info. I booked through a travel agency. I specifically told them I would like to request bunk beds (knowing that it is only a request) and they assured me that there were bunk beds at the standard level. I would have booked a higher level had i had the correct info. Did this just change?? I also called the Lodge itself maybe two months ago and they said they had bunks available?? Are you a Cm?? I am not sure what to do now. It is only a request not a guarantee but now it sounds like I don't even have a shot at it??

Yes, I am a CM at the Disney Reservation Center. Before responding to your post I did verify the bedding options from our DRC database, and found bunk beds only available in Woods View, Courtyard View or Old Faithful Club Level (concierge) rooms. All Standard rooms offer 2 Queen Beds, views of either the Parking Lot, the Rooftops or the Service Areas, and are all non-smoking rooms only. I don't have an official date when bunk beds were removed from the Standard Room category, but if memory serves me, it was within the last 6-8 months.

I do apologize you were given incorrect information when you called the Resort. Do keep in mind, when you call the Resort's phone number, you are not connected to the Resort itself, but a central WDW Switchboard operator, who may or may not know specific room information. If you have not check-in yet and have any concerns about the resort, they are to direct or transfer your call to the reservation center, but they don't always do so.

When are you coming? If you are arriving in 2006, I would advise you to contact your Travel Agent as soon as possible to upgrade your room category to Woods View or better, then your request can be considered. If you are scheduled to arrive on or after January 1st, 2007, bunk bed rooms will be a separate room category, so you can modify specifically to a Woods View Bunk Bed Room or Courtyard View Bunk Bed Room.

Either way enjoy your stay, the Wilderness Lodge is a great resort!

 

[swimmom]

Just as JP mentioned, the only time we have gotten an upgrade, we didn't ask, it was offered & the resort was not fully booked.

 

[mousermerf]

I have no luck. I'm sweet as honey and I even flirt/chat/what have you.

I even have ressie issues out the wazoo sometimes (lost, discarded, who knows what, and then unready rooms too) and i never get upgraded. I vote next time something goes wrong i'm just asking for the upgrade - no more playing nice guy and saying "I'm very dissapointed in this situation."

 

[bgraham34]

I have gotten an upgrade twice. Once checking in at 9 AM and another time checing in at 12am. The 12am was luck because a guest checked out early.

 

[JimboJones123]

It benefits the Room cleaners to not have to travel all over the site to clean your room, so if it benefits the needs of that, they may offer you the upgrade. ??? how early can you check in and be concidered the next day. If We arrive at 6am and check in is that for the next day if the room is ready? What about 3am??? Or even 1am???

I know check in is 3 pm, but we are driving and could get in VERY EARLY -- sometime around 4-5 am I think. Would that be too early to try and check in?

 

[Master Yoda]

It benefits the Room cleaners to not have to travel all over the site to clean your room, so if it benefits the needs of that, they may offer you the upgrade. ??? how early can you check in and be concidered the next day. If We arrive at 6am and check in is that for the next day if the room is ready? What about 3am??? Or even 1am???

I know check in is 3 pm, but we are driving and could get in VERY EARLY -- sometime around 4-5 am I think. Would that be too early to try and check in?

You can check in pretty much any time after midnight but out of probably 50 or more resort stays have never gotten a room before 1:00 PM. I assume this is policy so people don't make a habit of arriving way early in an attempt to get what would be in effect an extra nights stay.

 

[JimboJones123]

We will probably sleep at a rest stop for an hour or two --- maybe three and plan to get in at 8-9 so we can check in, but ambition may win over...

 

[JimboJones123]

I have been stuck on the other end a few times flying out late... checking in after 2/3 am and still paying for the previous night, so I just wondered if there was a cutoff time. It didn't bother me, I used the room. I was just wondering if we could go ahead and check in before hitting 6am breakfast if we got in early.

 

[mousermerf]

I've checked in, earliest, at 7am. The room wasn't ready, and it became a mess when it wasn't ready still at 6pm. I, to this day, hate the Grand Floridian.

I checked in once at 7:30 at the Contemporary, again the room wasn't ready but it was ready by like 10am. Gotten room in the morning a few times, so it just depends on if they're ready.

 

[RedBaron]

I was given an unexpected room upgrade at the Wilderness Lodge when we stayed. I had paid for a woods view room and when we checked in they gave us what I believe was the courtyard view (view of the pool area). I would not have expected an upgrade, but was very grateful that the CM gave it to us. We usually go after Labor Day so the resort was probably not at full capacity. As for check in times, we normally get to Orlando airport by 10am and sometimes when we get to the resort the room is ready and other times not. They always have given us our park passes and held our bags for us. When we get back to the hotel in the afternoon our room has always been ready.

 

[shoppingnut]

We will probably sleep at a rest stop for an hour or two --- maybe three and plan to get in at 8-9 so we can check in, but ambition may win over...

Or the voices asking "are we there yet." :lol: