Do they ever upgrade at DVC resorts?

[sarcasticblonde]

I've always wondered how upgrades at check in work. I've seen on the "Disney Resorts" board where people get free upgrades at the Poly or whatnot. Do the DVC resorts do this as well? How do you get upgrades? Is it only when they run out of your reserved room and have to bump you? Or when the resort isn't at full occupancy and the CM wants to be nice and give you the upgrade? Just curious.

[disney dumbo]

I can tell you my experience. This past weekend we were booked in 2 studios for a night and 1 2BR for a night. We didn't care what accommodation we got... we just didn't want to move. All rooms for DVC were taken... cash rooms were still available at check in time. So I asked the manager if he could keep us in the same type accommodation... it would save them money (no extra cleaning needed)... and save me aggravation. It almost took him an act of congress. He had to call member services and get permission... they had to talk with me to get points straight. Of course, they allowed the 2BR to go through... so more points! ;)

I would think if they could upgrade... we would have been prime candidates for that! So, I'd say, no they don't upgrade.

[wildernessDad]

I wouldn't count on any DVC room upgrade in your lifetime and the next lifetime.

[sarcasticblonde]

Yeah, I didn't figure it would happen :goodvibes

[JVL1018]

It happened to us in HH in June 2006.:thumbsup2
We got upgraded from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom, it was lovely..but it was only because there was construction going on at the resort--just luck of the draw, we happened to check in after all the 1 bedrooms were gone.
They actually apologized for not having any 1 bedrooms and told us they'd have to put us in a 2 bedroom. LOL

[Merilyn]

I am not sure this is an upgrade, but we own at OKW and were booked into a GV. They had overbooked at OKW and they asked us if we minded going to BWV. We said sure, wouldn't ever stay there on those points. They even gave us free park passes. It was great to get to stay right on the BW and didn't have to use those extra points!

[Deb & Bill]

We got a cash upgrade from a studio to a one bedroom, but nothing on points. Usually you only get a points upgrade if there is nothing available for you to stay in because of maintenance issues.

[JMLBrats]

I am not sure this is an upgrade, but we own at OKW and were booked into a GV. They had overbooked at OKW and they asked us if we minded going to BWV. We said sure, wouldn't ever stay there on those points. They even gave us free park passes. It was great to get to stay right on the BW and didn't have to use those extra points!

wow, talk about pixie dust!:tinker:

[JPS439]

perhaps you could ask for an upgrade from styrofoam to glass and ceramic??

[lagunn]

perhaps you could ask for an upgrade from styrofoam to glass and ceramic??

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[Slakk]

Last year at HH we were upgraded from a studio to a 2BR - the beginning of the end of us EVER staying in a studio....I thnk they did it on purpose! LOL

[DVC Grandpa]

In 2002 we were upgraded from a Studio to a Two Bedroom at Hilton Head. It was just my wife and myself so only one side of the unit was used.

[crisi]

It almost never happens - it happens if rooms are taken out of service unexpectedly on occation, but that is about it. It is very unlikely to happen for the asking - more of a surprise. And, btw, it isn't always a pleasant surprise...people have been "upgraded" to less desireable resorts or less desireable room when there are overbooking issues.

[DebbieB]

I think it happens more often at HH because there are 76 dedicated 2 bedrooms vs 21 lockoffs (studio + 1 bedroom).

[starbox]

I think it happens more often at HH because there are 76 dedicated 2 bedrooms vs 21 lockoffs (studio + 1 bedroom).

It absolutely happens at HHI - but I think much more frequently with cash reservations. We were there last spring and the family in front of us got upgraded (they were paying cash). It makes sense - they're much more likely to be able to get cash prices for studios - so they do better "selling" those reservations more than once and upgrading instead of sitting with empty one bedrooms.

I have not heard of it at DVC - I think they'd rather use excess inventory in the hands of CRO to upgrade value and mod cash-paying guests and then being able to get a new cash paying guest in the value/mod.

In general - upgrades are like an internal version of priceline for Disney. Let's say you've got a sold out moderate resort for Easter week but have 100 deluxe rooms open. Someone calls to make a reservation at a mod and CRO decides to upgrade one of the ressies so they can sell the mod room twice. Putting a guest in a deluxe at a mod price is still more profit than sitting on empty deluxe rooms.

There's no financial incentive/reason to upgrade points reservations.

[dbriggsq]

We booked 2 studios at OKW a couple of years ago - and were late checking in due to arriving from the UK - we were told that all the studios were gone and we had to have a 2 bed - this worked out quite nicely for us.

[crisi]

There is less incentive with points - there is also much less flexibility. DVC resorts are designed to operate over 95% booked, so when you check in there is very little chance there will be a room that is unoccupied, unbooked, and not undergoing maintenance to upgrade you to. When DVC resorts themselves aren't almost 100% booked, its often the case that DVC doesn't "own" the unbooked rooms - those are "owned" by CRO because DVC "sold" them in order to pay for trades.

[Laurabearz]

We got upgraded from a 2 bedroom at OKW to a Grand Villa there last Oct.

WOW those GV at OKW are HUGE!!!

[Tinkerbellcrafter]

We got upgraded from a 2 bedroom at OKW to a Grand Villa there last Oct.

WOW those GV at OKW are HUGE!!!
NICE!!! Tinkerbell visited you!! Hope you enjoyed yourself!:-)

[Laurabearz]

Well to be honest we didnt like it. I did not like having to walk up and down the stairs to tuck in and wake up the kids... heck to even talk to them...

We are happy with our little ole 2 bedrooms :rotfl:

[zuzu]

Last year at HH we were upgraded from a studio to a 2BR - the beginning of the end of us EVER staying in a studio....I think they did it on purpose! LOL

The same thing happened to us at HH but it was in March so off season (and surprisingly cold!). We were cash, not points. It was just the two of us and it did make me kind of lonely for family having all this space available and no one to fill it. This was also our first time at a DVC property and it was the first time I considered buying in.

[FreeTime]

We were upgraded from a standard 1 BR to a preferred at BWV one year.

[katallo]

perhaps you could ask for an upgrade from styrofoam to glass and ceramic??

Love it! :goodvibes

[Lexxiefern]

We also got upgraded at HHI from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom. We were paying cash, I figured that was why.

My sister got "upgraded" from standard view to preferred at BWV one time. But she actually was hoping to get a driveway view to watch the fireworks (which is what she usually gets) and instead got a pool view - which she still enjoyed. They told her it was due to a convention.

[MegansMom]

We booked 2 studios at OKW a couple of years ago - and were late checking in due to arriving from the UK - we were told that all the studios were gone and we had to have a 2 bed - this worked out quite nicely for us.

This might be a stupid question, but how did they run out of studios? Once they are booked, doesn't it hold that reservation until you check in so that they can not overbook/fill them? This worries me--we will be getting in late on the day of our check in, and I am worried that we will be told that there are no more rooms. (We are traveling with our whole family and have 3 studios booked). Does this happen a lot when checking in late? Any comments/advice much appreciated!! TIA

[Deb & Bill]

This might be a stupid question, but how did they run out of studios? Once they are booked, doesn't it hold that reservation until you check in so that they can not overbook/fill them? This worries me--we will be getting in late on the day of our check in, and I am worried that we will be told that there are no more rooms. (We are traveling with our whole family and have 3 studios booked). Does this happen a lot when checking in late? Any comments/advice much appreciated!! TIA

A maintenance problem could occur in the studio you are scheduled to get. That would take it out of service.

[smiller]

We got upgraded from a 2 bedroom at OKW to a Grand Villa there last Oct.

WOW those GV at OKW are HUGE!!!

Well to be honest we didnt like it. I did not like having to walk up and down the stairs to tuck in and wake up the kids... heck to even talk to them...

We are happy with our little ole 2 bedrooms :rotfl:

I would love for this to happen to us! We have a cash ressie for a 2BR at BWV this September and it would be awesome to "upgrade" to a GV. Are all the GVs at BWV on one floor? Or are some two levels? (And there aren't too many of them, right?)

I'm very happy with the prospect of a 2BR, though; it's our first time staying DVC! :banana:

[DebbieB]

I would love for this to happen to us! We have a cash ressie for a 2BR at BWV this September and it would be awesome to "upgrade" to a GV. Are all the GVs at BWV on one floor? Or are some two levels? (And there aren't too many of them, right?)

I'm very happy with the prospect of a 2BR, though; it's our first time staying DVC! :banana:

There are only 7 GV's at BWV. 5 are one floor, 2 are two floor. I've heard of it happening but it's very rare.

[smiller]

There are only 7 GV's at BWV. 5 are one floor, 2 are two floor. I've heard of it happening but it's very rare.

Thanks for the info! That's good to know for future reference as our family grows in number. :goodvibes

[CarolMN]

We were upgraded from a standard 1 BR to a preferred at BWV one year.Us, too - last October. But I didn't consider it an upgrade. Would have preferred to stay in the SV - will refuse the upgrade next time if I can.

Only took it that time because DH overheard the conversation with the CM, found out the "upgrade" was ready now and wanted to watch some sports thing on TV. So I gracefully gave in to avoid a fight in public, LOL.

[disissue]

I really did consider this an upgrade when we arrived with 10 other family members the Saturday before Thanksgiving after a huge air delay arriving at the front desk at BWV at 3:30 am I was told they "did not know what happened but they only had a 1BR and 2 studios instead of our 2BR and 1 studio" they also happened to be on complete opposite ends of the BW and each on different floors I kinda had a fit a loud one venting about how hard it was booking this trip close to a year ago yes I was a bit overtired, if I remember right :eek: ! I asked to speak to someone who could do something after arriving from OKW where the one manager was 20 minutes later he told me there was nothing he could do, I respond great everyone grab a couch in the lobby and asked for some blankets and pillows, I refused to except the rooms they offered stating I would wait for a manager to arrive at 7am, I think out of shear panic as my 6 yr old nephew began undressing to put on his jammies in the lobby the man from OKW said PLEASE just give me a few minutes...long story short we had 2 2BR suites in the BWInn ummmmm it was lovely :woohoo: