Upgrade Question

C

CLEtoWDW

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello all-

Does anyone have any suggestions/strategies about requesting an upgrade upon arrival at your resort? If I check-in on the MDE app ahead of my arrival does that decrease my chances of a possible upgrade? We are staying in the resort for two nights so I'm hoping the fact that we have a short stay increases our chances? Thank you!
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
CLEtoWDW said:
Hello all-

Does anyone have any suggestions/strategies about requesting an upgrade upon arrival at your resort? If I check-in on the MDE app ahead of my arrival does that decrease my chances of a possible upgrade? We are staying in the resort for two nights so I'm hoping the fact that we have a short stay increases our chances? Thank you!
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Your chances are slim to none. It does happen sometimes, but usually only because a room has had to be taken out of service for some reason.

However, it won't do any harm to ask. :) Or, having read @Weather_Lady's reply, perhaps it will! I doubt there's enough "evidence" either way to be honest.
 
C

CLEtoWDW

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Weather_Lady said:
My advice is: don't. I've read that having a celebration noted on your reservation, and a short stay, can both increase your chances of being offered an upgrade spontaneously. Asking for one will not.
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Well I'm glad I told the CM that we are celebrating our daughters birthdays on this upcoming trip ;)
 
Think Tink

Think Tink

Premium Member
In the Parks
No
Truthfully, asking probably won't get you anywhere. I think they try to keep it special and just as an added bit of magic at random. If there is something you are really hoping for, I would pay for the upgrade if you want it, but its pretty slim to none that it happens by asking.
 
dreamfinder

dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Remember that the CMs at the desk don't (or at least didn't) have any control over room bookings. They need to contact the room assigner and have them see what is available/make changes. So any upgrades are usually determined in advance based on need. Anything else they may very well ask you to pay the room rate difference for a higher room class.
 
HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
I also wouldn't skip out on checking in ahead of time on MDE. This is one of your very best opportunities to make room requests and I've found I have much better luck getting the things I want in a room if I put it on there. I know room requests aren't upgrades, but in most cases, you're not going to get that upgrade unless you pay for it or have a stroke of luck and only higher price point rooms are available when you arrive. In light of that, I'd like to go into it knowing I requested things that I know will make me happier with the level of room I've booked.
 
Hcalvert

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
During my last stay, I didn't get an upgrade or any of my room requests even with special events on my reservation and I arrived at the resort after 6pm. However, I did get a room that needed repairs-the door to the balcony was broken (apparently the work order was put in before our stay and the mechanic came to fix it right after we got in the room-he was there for almost two hours) and the safe's battery was dead and needed to be replaced. Also, they charged my credit card for more money than I spent. I was annoyed and told Disney about all of it in the email to billing about the overcharges. Today, I received an email from them apologizing and offering me a $150 gift card to make up for it. I was surprised as I was just venting a bit.
 
M

Minnie Mum

Well-Known Member
If you ask for an upgrade they'll likely quote you the price difference from the room you've already booked. (If one is available). We've stayed on site 25 times, and have gotten a surprise upgrade once. It was at POFQ. We checked in around 7:30 am. The desk CM looked at her computer, then disappeared in the back for about 10 min. Finally got our key cards and info package, and when we got to the room found out we'd been given a corner riverfront room. We'd only booked a standard view. It might have been because we'd noted our anniversary on the reservation. Or it could have just been pixie dust. Either way, we appreciated it.
 
Polydweller

Polydweller

Well-Known Member
Here’s a little realism from a hotelier. Upgrades are given for the hotel’s business reasons and in most hotels front desk ha e document giving one and why. Upgrades are relatively rare. To get one you have to meet the hotel’s criteria and they won’t tell you what they are.

At Disney World with about 30,000 rooms if they gave 5% of inventory per day that’s 1500 rooms per day. But that’s 28,500 rooms per day not upgraded. And a caveat, that assumes all rooms turn over every day and at Disney that’s far from true so the actual number of upgrades is far less than that. But the point remains, the chances are very low, you shouldn’t expect it, and there are no reliable strategies to get one.
 
Trust2deal

Trust2deal

Member
HI all - here are my experiences with upgrades and room changes: hope this helps. Over the years we have been able to upgrade about 35% of the time.

my definition of the upgrade includes room view/location, room size, and or amenities (like club room, tickets, FP options).

- be prepared for the answer "sorry none available"
- be polite - you get more with sugar and honey than with an attitude
- be flexible, consider asking that after you check in - if an upgrade becomes available that you would consider moving the next day
- rooms are assigned between 1-4 days before you show up. Each Disney hotel has a room assigner - consider calling ahead of time during the 1-4 days and asking for upgrades. If they say there is one, they may ask for you to pay the difference/or they may not. Be prepared to answer.
- you can ask for the upgrade at the time of check-in; don't hesitate in asking.
- consider booking at two hotels during your stay - split up your vacation. We never thought of doing this; one time a Disney travel assistant suggested this - and I am glad we did. We booked 2 nights at the Poly and then moved to 2 nights at the yacht club. The transition is easy (they move your stuff) and upon reaching the Yacht - we asked for an upgrade and received a larger room.
- Here is a long shot idea with large groups - came to us when we had a family reunion at Disney. If you get a group to stay in 10 rooms or more at Disney, they assign a concierge-type person for you and the group. you get up to a 20% discount and they handle room assignments and extras. you don't have to stay in the same hotel - they will get you 10 rooms anywhere - we did this with a family trip in 2016. in doing so we had family at the boardwalk, yacht club, springs, contemporary, Carribean, etc... and half the families received room upgrades at a discount. We never knew they did this - it was at the suggestion of a Disney travel person FYI. They even coordinated family shirts for the occasion.

Good luck - hope this helps!
 
R

RollerCoaster

Well-Known Member
You're rather bold in my opinion to ask for an upgrade. You're placing the individual at check-in in a difficult position. It's one thing is you've been a long time, frequent customer who stays several times per year, but I suspect you're not. It doesn't hurt to have your "special occasion" noted in the reservation. That's the appropriate way to ask for an upgrade. At time of check-in is rude.
 
crxbrett

crxbrett

Well-Known Member
I have only been upgraded once and never once asked for it nor did I have anything special noted on my reservation at that time. This was in summer 2006 when the Poly had been recently renovated and all rooms refurbed except for the big longhouse on the eastern shore - the Moorea (Tahiti). My GF at the time and I arrived at the Poly around 6pm and checked in and didn't ask for a specific room or anything. After we got our keys, we began walking across the hotel grounds and then I realized we were in the Moorea! I was thinking, "Well, we won't have a newly refurbished room but we got one of the newer longhouses with bigger rooms! Cool!" Then as we walked into the hall on the 3rd floor we realized we had been given a 3rd floor room overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon looking right at the castle! We paid for a standard garden view and got a lagoon/castle view. We were in shock and bouncing off the floors in joy. It was pretty awesome.

Only upgrade I ever got. And I never asked for it or even made any requests. So it is a total crap-shoot for sure.
 
disneygurl

disneygurl

New Member
crxbrett said:
I have only been upgraded once and never once asked for it nor did I have anything special noted on my reservation at that time. This was in summer 2006 when the Poly had been recently renovated and all rooms refurbed except for the big longhouse on the eastern shore - the Moorea (Tahiti). My GF at the time and I arrived at the Poly around 6pm and checked in and didn't ask for a specific room or anything. After we got our keys, we began walking across the hotel grounds and then I realized we were in the Moorea! I was thinking, "Well, we won't have a newly refurbished room but we got one of the newer longhouses with bigger rooms! Cool!" Then as we walked into the hall on the 3rd floor we realized we had been given a 3rd floor room overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon looking right at the castle! We paid for a standard garden view and got a lagoon/castle view. We were in shock and bouncing off the floors in joy. It was pretty awesome.

Only upgrade I ever got. And I never asked for it or even made any requests. So it is a total crap-shoot for sure.
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I agree with crxbrett, it's hit or miss on the pixie dust. Whether you get the upgrade or not, it's still an on-site Disney resort and that's magic.

I have gotten upgrades without a special event or request. My advice is to do what gives you peace of mind. If you feel like you'd miss out on the possibility of an upgrade by not asking, then by all means, ask.

Some of the replies here were hostile and negative. I'd agree that complimentary upgrades don't happen often it does happen. I have gotten upgrades and I only go one time a year, it's luck of the draw.

Have a great trip!
 
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Bpmorley

Bpmorley

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for an upgrade. We've had issues with rooms and were told we'd have to pay more because all they had were bigger rooms.
 

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